Welcome To The Village

[number_2]

Who: Everyone who was signed-up for the excursion
What: The Village December Excursion
When: Dec 1st - Dec 23rd
Where: The Village
Warnings: Involuntary capture and confinement including immobilization and restraints, violence, injury, maiming, possibility of death, torture, coercion, gaslighting, mind control, drugging, scientific experiments, and extremely inaccurate depictions of mental health facilities/hospitals, among other potentially triggering themes. Please mark all threads appropriately.




"Good morning, good morning, good morning!" A voice that sounds very similar to Friday's chirps over a loudspeaker outside your character's home. Yes, their home.

Overnight, all the passengers who signed up for this excursion have been transported to their very own personal cottages. They will awake in a bed that is familiar to them. While this home of theirs does not necessarily have to resemble the place they were born or raised, it will be a perfect replica of a place they truly thought of as their home, down to the most minute details.

The cottages are self-contained, the size of a large studio apartment so, in some cases, they may only resemble the bedroom and living room of a person's home with a shrunken-down kitchenette and bathroom adjoined. But the heirlooms of their past are here. A favorite doll? A treasured family portrait? Trinkets you have long forgotten about? All of them will be here, somehow. (All except for weapons, that is.) They are indistinguishable from the real item, down to the molecule.

After that wake-up call, the voice continues on to express that the weather will be warm and sunny, with no rain forecasted. A brass band concert is announced, to start at noon on the lawn next to the living chess set. And once that bit of news is wrapped up, lively marching band music will begin to play. And it will continue to play. All day. From every speaker...including the ones hidden in their home.

Welcome to Your Village

It only gets stranger from here. Characters may be dismayed to find that they are without any of their original clothes or belongings. They awake in conservative button-up pajamas. The closet in their home is full of the latest Village Fashion to choose from. Everything is The Village label brand, including the tin cans of food that stock the kitchen and any of the groceries you could get at the General Store.

Your ship phone rings. When you answer it, you will be greeted, once again, by the voice of Friday. "Your number, please? Of course, you have a number. Look at your badge." If they look down at their chest, they will discover a small round number badge has been pinned to their pajamas. Was that there before? It bears the symbol of a Penny-farthing Bicycle, with a number in the spokes. This is their number.

"No names here," the voice of Friday chides, "Only numbers. Number 2 would like a word with you at the Green Dome. He requests you come for breakfast. Thank you!" Before they can protest further, the line goes dead.


Some Notes:

No matter how many times your character tries to take off and disregard their number badge, they will always find it re-attached to their clothes again the moment they look away and look back.

Your characters still have their phones but now they can only make calls instead of sending texts. They also do not take or store photographs anymore.

If your character destroys or damages anything in their home, or in The Village it will instantly repair the way things used to on the Serena Eterna.

The noise from the speakers can be muffled by covering it with pillows or other creative items, but cannot be stopped entirely. (Sorry Phil)

Comments

[saltwaterlungs]

"Sure. Thanks."

It's easy enough- the cart isn't too heavy, it's just a little awkward, and the lip of the door is a pain. Far easier with an extra pair of hands.

The inside is still remarkably clean and neat, it seems like the cart is the only think that's been displaced. Darcy shoves the cart into a far corner and immediately sets to picking through whatever else is around, asking-

"What sort of thing are you looking for? Other than the cart."

[not_the_last]

"Nothing specific -- it's only that I've noticed that things one breaks or throws out will be replaced, and I was curious if trading or giving away possessions would have the same effect."

A pause, as she glances around the barely furnished room, and tries not to wince as she wonders what Darcy would make of her own.

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy hmms, and immediately picks off one of the copper pans from where they dangle above the stove. It's a saucepan, the handle literally bolted to the body of the pan, and lacking any flourish or ornament or proper grip.

"Here. Nice and obvious. If it ends up back here, I'll see it, and you'll see if it goes."

[not_the_last]

She takes it, and notices the lightness of its heft as she does so. Hah.

"That should work. Shall I bring you something from the house they've assigned me, and see if it does the same in reverse?"

[saltwaterlungs]

"Sure," Darcy's less interested in knowing the limits of this sort of thing, but Cass seems like the sort of person who likes to feel helpful.

"Same as this. Something flashy."

Shouldn't be hard, they think to theirself, creepingly aware of how... pokey this place is. How much of it is blank space that never got filled.

[not_the_last]

"I'll bring something by later. Unless," and she has some misgiving even as she says it, "you'd like to visit, and choose something?"

[saltwaterlungs]

...

"Do you want me at your house?" because Darcy does not want to be at Cass's house.

[not_the_last]

"I," oh that's very clear, and very awkward, "not if you'd prefer not to."

It takes her some effort not to rub her forehead, but it feels very much like that would make things worse.

[saltwaterlungs]

"I don't want to be if you don't want me there?"

Which was the vibe that Darcy was getting anyway.

[not_the_last]

Why is this always so difficult --

"I feel it would be insulting," she says, trying to choose her words carefully without sounding overcareful, "to withdraw the invitation, particularly after you invited me in. I also don't wish to press you to come if you don't care to. I -- don't know if you would like to see it or not."

That last, despite herself, has a tinge of wistfulness. It wasn't that long ago, after all, that Darcy expressed some interest in the fact that she lived in a castle.

[saltwaterlungs]

A sentiment that everyone who has ever encountered Darcy has thought at least once.

"It's literally not even a big deal. I don't do, like, manners shit about invitations or whatever. No insult. It's fine."

Cass seems to be playing by a set of rules that Darcy was never given and has no interest in following.

[not_the_last]

"All right." The moment of wistfulness is gone, barely noticed. "I'll bring something by, then."

A breath, and she glances in the direction of the Green Dome.

"After this breakfast, perhaps. Will you be going?"

[saltwaterlungs]

"Nope."

Popped p.

"This may be shocking, but I have a temper. And if whoever runs this place is as shit as his fashion sense, I will try and punch him."

[not_the_last]

I'd like to see that, she almost says, but it sounds too much as though she means I'd like to see you try, and before she can work out how to phrase I'd like to see you succeed, the moment has passed.

"After, then. Possibly I'll be able to tell you if he really is that bad."

Not that she's in much doubt of that.

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy would also like to see Darcy try, but Darcy would also like to be able to face their loved ones and say they didn't stick their head directly into the lion's mouth this time without lying.

"Dude got a realm, somehow I don't think the Captain's given one out for spreading the most smiles. Also, putting us in our own houses? Tacky and a dick move. Dude's going to be an asshole. I'd put money on it."

[not_the_last]

"If you could find anyone willing to wager against that chance," she sighs. "Thank you again for the pot. I'll come by later."

[saltwaterlungs]

"Sees being you," Darcy offers as they get back to sorting through the kitchen.