To infinity...and beyond? (Semi-open)

[astrogator]

Who: Ari Tayrey + willing CR + anyone else who wants in
What: Mini-plot: an expedition to determine what kind of infinite this store really is
When: 25-29??? November
Where: The Infinite Tommy Bahama
Warnings: None yet
Notes: First prompt is a text message sent to Ari's friendly-ish CR - replies are welcome even from people who don't want to take part! Other prompts are open but please note that participating characters will potentially be in the store for up to 4/5 days. Party post rules are fine, start your own toplevels and tag people other than Ari if you like. ((I checked with our lovely mod about what would happen if they tried this!))



1. Texting

I have a plan. I want to see just how infinite this Tommy Bahama is. Multi-day expedition for data collection? It could be informative. Maybe fun, too. Interested in coming along?

- Tayrey

2. Preparing

Even people who don't know Ari well may notice that something is up. It's not often that people walk into Tommy Bahama wearing backpacks full of supplies. There's some last-minute preparation going on here, as well as a last-minute opportunity to join the expedition. Expect Ari to want to check and make sure everyone has all the essentials with them. She's used to preparing for trips to uninhabited and potentially hostile planets, and it shows. Don't mind the fussing. She wouldn't do it if she didn't care.

3. Exploring

Despite all the promises, the expedition is - well, boring might be an accurate description, unless you're really invested in the outcome. There's a lot of walking past the same racks of clothes, over and over and over. Infinite length doesn't mean infinite variety.

Ari's fascinated, and she'll be chattering about loop programming to anyone who will listen, and attempting to measure the distance between one rack of garishly-patterned bikinis and the next iteration of that very same rack. She'll encourage tests, too - what happens if you completely destroy one of the displays? Is the destruction repeated? (Spoiler alert: no, it's not that kind of loop, but let's try it a few times anyway and make sure?)

Maybe you give up and head back after a few hours. Maybe you have a run-in with the Bahamanal. Maybe you join in with Ari's ridiculous spacer song singalong - she is in a good mood. It's Tommy Bahama, anything could happen.

4. Relaxing

Ari pushes the pace on the first day, because it comes naturally to do so, and possibly, subconsciously, to weed out anyone who isn't serious about this and is going to cause them problems once they're a long way in. Eventually, though, it's time to stop for the night. There's not a campfire, but it's a fine social occasion just the same. Ari's brought some Serena Eterna branded playing cards, and she's up for a little gambling. Maybe you have some other entertainment ideas. Don't stay up too long, though - see if you can't make a nice nest of clothes to bed down in. There's plenty of walking to do tomorrow.

5. Emerging

Plenty of data has been collected about the repeating displays, but there's no end in sight to this store. Is it really infinite? If there's a way to answer that question, this expedition won't do it. It's over two days in when the group realises that they're over halfway through the supplies they brought. Time to turn around, whether that leaves you disappointed or delighted.

Unfortunately, there are no tricks of perception or proportion here. It'll take just as long to walk out as it did to walk in. Look on the bright side, at least you're carrying less weight? Finally, on the fifth day, the intrepid explorers who stayed the distance catch sight of the store entrance up ahead. Who saw it first?

6. Wildcard

Anything else you want to do! (Just let me know if I need to add warnings to the header :) )

Comments

[konpeito_aji]

"No teasing from now on, I won't," a nod. "Ahhhh... to think my sign of respect," the bow, "So rare, was instead disrespectful, leaving without a word." His hand goes to his forehead. "Had I known I would have... perhaps tries a poem, but even that might not have been preferable... tch." A small head tilt. "Do you know how America came to be like that? I know 'religion,' but in my time, the Europeans are still more open about their sexual relationships than Japan." Nobunaga hesitates and waves a hand. "No, it's... of little matter. My ongoing frustration that we lack historical texts here. Sleep well, my friend. For what it's worth, feel free to tell him of my severe misjudgment in not realizing he's even blind." A beat. "He couldn't even see the Koetsu folding screen I brought to poetry club?" A groan. "Does he just assume I knew? Tch... probably." An annoyed growl, and Nobunaga lightly beats his forehead with a fist. "I was not teasing him before, I truly didn't know. Grrrr..." He wonders if Klaus knew. Did EVERYONE know!? How irritating!

[ss_buttcrack]

"Not sure a poem would have been helpful right then..." No, he's very sure it wouldn't have been.

He's about to try and answer that bit of cultural quandary, but honestly, the answer was going to be another big fat "I don't know" so it's better that Nobunaga waves that one off.

"No, he really couldn't see, but the ship's translation powers work through touch for him sort of like reading braille so that's how he's able to attend and participate. I'm... assuming he's still allowed to come if he wants?" He might not. Crichton may have to do some prodding on that. To think, he initially started going as a moral support to Arthur, now he might need to turn that around.

"I'll tell him. I'll tell him you are sorry that you didn't realize." He's not looking forward to that conversation, but it probably will be better coming from Crichton. Probably.

"Just be safe out there on your watch, okay?"

[konpeito_aji]

"What the hell is 'Braille?' Yeah, of course, I still want him to come. I hurt him, not the other way around." Nobunaga is forever oblivious that he feels pain.

"Ah..." Nobunaga bows, snapping out of his confusion. "Please do. I am not worried about the watch, so please sleep well. I will confer with my partner how to deal with things."

good to call it here?

[ss_buttcrack]

"It's writing for blind people. The words are formed using patterns of raised bumps they can feel instead of see."

Whew. It's a relief to hear Nobunaga really won't hold it against Arthur. Now, he just has to see if he can convince Arthur from the other side.

"Thanks. I'll see you in the morning."

Back to Arthur and their little nest of clothing he will go.

Yes :)

[konpeito_aji]

A salute and Nobunaga heads off to go on a patrol, though he might whip crack a few clothing racks in frustration on the outside of the pineapple lights perimeter he'd set up.