come_sailaway | say something, do it soon, it's too quiet in this room

Who: Vi & you!
When: A few days during and after Camp
What: belated intro log, vi being a grubby possum, make friends with a scary ex-con, etc
Where: Chatterbox, hallways, adult pool
Warnings: mentions of prisons and stabbings maybe, it's a firm G rating rn

i. let’s smash shit

[ During the quiet hours of Camp days, Vi has slowly started getting oriented on the ship, learning which routes and rooms and places make her feel marginally less exposed. No matter where she goes, it’s all overwhelmingly bright and sanitised. She gets the feeling that even if she did want to hide, it would be impossible simply based on the fact that the gleam exposes everything.

She tells herself that she starts her experiment based on something Jinx had told her days prior: the ship regenerates no matter what damage a passenger dishes to it. While she is genuinely curious to see this in action, the other half of the truth is to purposely push her luck. See how far disturbance can go before consequences start rolling in. There’s no better way to test the leash you’re on than to strain at it. Over the next few days, she starts to subtly prod and poke at the ship’s interior. ]

⇢ a [ To start, Vi finds a deserted hallway with a panel installed in wall. She’s no inventor or mechanic like her siblings, but any sump-rat knows how to at least unscrew something like this. Using a coaster she found at one of the bars and a pair of tweezers from a gift shop, she is able to wiggle it open. Inside is a series of hanging wires. Putting on a pair of rubber gloves found in a cleaning closet, Vi gathers the wires and yanks, hard. The lights in the hallway flicker, then go out, leaving the space pitch black. ]

⇢ b [ Phase two of the experiment happens on the top level, outside. Vi skulks around the poolside, scoping out the deck chairs. She shoves at one with the toe of her boot, and it moves fairly easily. Doesn’t seem to be bolted down. But it is a wide open space. One she’s not entirely certain she can keep her eyes trained in all directions for a look out.

She backs up and whistles at the person standing closest to her. ]

Hey, I need your help with something.

ii. float on by

[ Sometime in the early hours when late night meets morning, Vi sneaks out to the pool once again. This time though, instead of causing a mess like she had days prior, she strips down to a tank top and boxer shorts, storing her clothing and new bracelet safely away to the side. She lowers herself to the shallow end of the massive swimming pool, the feeling of the water lapping against her shins giving her a small thrill. Bathing in a bath proper is a special occasion in Zaun, and a coveted privilege in prison. All her life she’s always had to share everything, in some capacity. Whether it be because resources were low or communal or she willingly gave it thanks to some deep rooted maternal instinct, she’s never gotten to have something just solely hers. A large pool to float and soak in all by herself, for a few hours pretending she's the only one in the world is too good to pass up.

She dunks under the surface and stays there for as long as possible, enjoying the feeling of her heart beating against the pressure of the water, holding her breath until her lungs start to burn. Only then does Vi pops up quickly, spraying water everywhere, and on anyone who might be lingering a little too close by in that exact moment. ]

iii. achy-breaky heart

[ Eventually, one of the brightly lit bars does catch her attention. Vi figured she'd end up there following the urge to drown some sort of complicated feeling with heady burning liquor, but what surprises her is the fact it’s music. The Chatterbox has its nightly karaoke machine rolled out, blasting a midi-tune melody, the lyrics of the song flashing across the screens. The songs are completely unfamiliar to Vi, but she can recognise that it’s meant to be sung along with. She lingers around for a bit, curious to see if anyone will go up and sing, but so far, no takers. So, she flags down the first person she sees walking past. ]

Feel like doing something stupid? Stupid, but fun?

iv. wildcard

( make something up or shoot me a pm to discuss, etc! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tendi is on her way back to her room after a meal over at the Drunken sailor, still carrying leftover chips in the traditional newspaper wrapping when she pauses, looking over at the figure. It's a bit hard to make out in the darkness of the pool deck, even if the running lights make it a bit easier to see.

"Hmm? Who's there? And you need some help? What's wrong?"