MARCH OPEN LOG

[sailmods]

[a soft chime of unplaceable music at 7 AM sharp. Friday's voice going over the daily weather (it never changes) and the daily schedule (it barely varies, though Friday does mention a "welcome party" set for later in the month with increasing amounts of poorly restrained glee. the mic is passed so that the captain can make his usual announcement. after a minute, it is passed back, so that Friday can wish everyone a fun and fulfilling day.

it's easy to fall into routine, on the serena eterna.

the spirits, or whatever they are, seem to have calmed down. they are still there, of course, but the plates are carried to tables instead of thrown, and any movement of the furniture is the kind that comes from normal use. wonder what they were so upset about. maybe someone talked to them.

an unfamiliar face in the hall balks at how their legs stop working suddenly. new passengers seem to arrive every other day or so, and it's always the same exact process. did you keep your lei?

the sun is shining. the air is warm. the sea is placid as a lake. you never meant to end up here. you certainly don't want to be here.

but, you can try to make the best of it.]

[ooc note: if any character decides to do some more than casual investigation of a location, be sure to ping the mod! there may be hidden treats! or hidden tricks! or maybe nothing! the best kind of prize is a SUR-PRISE!]

Comments

Malcolm Bright | Prodigal Son

[prodigalmess]

I. HURIKANE

It's a few days in and Malcolm has decided that his mother did not drug him and send him on a vacation against his will. He's also decided that this isn't a psychotic break. For a while, that solution was winning. One only has to take a look at Gal Friday to know that something is very, very wrong here.

Having accepted that this is neither a real life cruise nor a hallucination, Malcolm has settled on... no explanation. Not one. Most things in life have a plausible explanation. What he needs is information.

A bar serves two purposes for him. It's usually a good place to get information, whether from the bartender or the other patrons. Malcolm also needs a drink, because somehow, this ship even even more batshit crazy than his life was.

He orders a whiskey neat at the bar, requesting the top shelf whiskey and hoping that it's decent. He has a feeling that he's going to be needing a lot of alcohol in order to deal with this place.

While his drink is prepared, Malcolm turns to someone sitting a few seats down from him. Might as well start his questioning somewhere. "Have you ever been on a cruise like this before?" he asks.

II. EXPLORING

After questioning a few of his fellow 'vacationers', Malcolm is ready to start exploring the ship. They might be able to glean some information from the public parts of the ship, and Malcolm is happy to have a look at those. If, however, his partner in crime wants to check out some places that might be less public, Malcolm is down for that also. He doesn't catch killers by taking the easy road every time.

He turns to the person joining him on his expedition. "Where would you like to start?"

III. WILDCARD

[ Wildcard options are always on the table. Feel free to PM your idea to me or hit me up at sparks_fly. ]

Hurikane

[lightconductor]

Watson looks up from his brandy, eyebrow raised. He's here because he also just really needed a drink, after everything that's happening, but sure, if someone wants to ask questions, he could be convinced.

"Sir," he says, in a tone that just barely touches on ironic, "I have not even heard of such a ship as this, let alone laid eyes on one."

Dr. Watson | Sherlock Holmes | tag how you like, but I'm sticking with prose

[lightconductor]

1. THE DECK

Watson has not, in fact, kept his lei. The moment he was first able to, he disposed of the dratted thing in a convenient rubbish bin and stormed out on to the deck, in hopes of fresh air and answers and maybe some land in sight. Instead, he has only questions. The shake in his hands betrays his anxiety as he takes out a silver case from an inner pocket, removes one cigarette, and he begins to smoke, glaring at the horizon as though it, personally, has done him terrible wrong. He leans on the rail, his cane hooked over one arm.

After a moment, though, he heaves a deep sigh, and covers his eyes with his hand. Out here is the sea, and that's calming in its way, but inside is quite a lot of unfamiliar nonsense, and eventually he'll have to go in and face it again.


2. THE DRUNKEN SAILOR

This? This is ridiculous. This quaint little pub doesn't fit on this ridiculous ship, it has no business being here, and it ends up feeling almost a parody of itself, at least to Watson. But also, there was a pint of ale and a meat pie, and he was undeniably hungry. One cannot live on indignation alone, and honestly his anger was quick to pass.

Still, he pokes dubiously at the pie, as though he expects it to be poisoned, and if someone comes in, he's quick with a wave.

3. WILDCARD

(hit me up on zerothlaw if you have another idea!)

1. THE DECK

[serpentinthegarden]

There was a man who had the look of one who was about to be sick, over the rail hopefully and not all over the deck. The last thing he needed on this less than stellar cruise he had found himself on was mess all over his snake skin boots.

"Oi," he spoke if only to save his wardrobe, "Ship probably has a med bay if you need a seasick tablet."

Anthony J. Crowley | Good Omens

[serpentinthegarden]

Breaking in the Cabin

It must have been a wild party. Crowley woke up in bed with a fluted champagne glass in one hand, his other arm looped around a lifejacket and no memory of the events that had led up to him waking up on a boat. He half considered he might have been shanghaied but he had never heard of a cruise liner... even a small budget option like this one must have been (who doesn't have a working TV in this day and age??)... being so hard up they had to kidnap guests. Nah! It was more likely that he had gotten so polluted at his and Aziraphale's victory at the Ritz dinner that he hadn't even remembered making this last minute boarding. And why not? After the last few rollercoaster days he could use a vacation. He set the champagne glass on the little side table and rolled over to carry on with his nap entirely unaware that he was meant to be sharing this small space with another.


Guest Services

One can only sleep for so long. Eventually Crowley slithered his way out of the sheets and after failing to find any sort of signal with his cell, he wandered down the hall to guest services.

"Hey you, what did we do sail into the Bermuda Triangle? How come there is no cell service? What is something blocking the satellite?"

He didn't seem to noticed the odd lady behind the counter's haunting smile as he instead continued to fiddle with his phone.

"And no TV? What sort of cruise line is this anyway?"


Wildcard

Feel free to wildcard Crowley anywhere on the ship. He will be wandering around and poking his nose into things, gotta find that trouble some how.

Guest Services

[diana_abel]

Diana was behind the man with violently red hair in line. The problem was, she hadn't quite figured out what it was she wanted to ask. The obvious question ("How did I get here?") would probably go unanswered. And she was trying to figure out some other, sneaky way of asking.

Arty would know how to do it. And Selene would just punch an answer out of someone. Diana, not smart enough, not brawny enough, felt kind of stuck. Her charms weren't exactly working on the screw.

She glanced up from her MP3 player when the stranger spoke.

What sort of cruise line was it anyway?

"The voyager of the damned?" she asked, with the smallest hint of a smile.

Master Ebalon | Elsword | Will match format!

[selenokinesis]

☾ Photos at Sea

[Frankly, Ebalon isn't a fan of the fact that people seem to have painted him.

That's what he thinks is happening, anyway; they don't exactly have cameras where he's from. It's all about posing for portraits for three hours and letting your neck get stiff, sitting out in the garden on a hot summer's day and sweating half to death wondering when the sun will dip below the horizon so that it'll cool off a bit.

He would remember things like this being painted (read: taken) of him, he thinks. Especially if said pieces contain him and others aboard the ship. This is more than a little concerning — not enough to ruin his day, but enough to make him wonder... since he doesn't remember waking up here, does he perhaps not remember posing for photos with others? Yes, that's possible... hmm...

Ever the scientist, he stands in front of the display case for a good five minutes, tapping his fingers against his cheek, one arm folded in front of his chest and the other using it as something of a stand. Tap, tap... tap...

He glances up when you approach, frown transforming into something much friendlier. Before you can say anything, with the hand that was previously tap-tapping his face, he points to a particular photo.]

Is that you and I in this painting?

[He hasn't fully lost it yet, has he?]

☾ Infirmary

[There's a particularly loud clattering coming from the infirmary, the sounds of metal objects being moved around and pill bottles being shaken. Should you choose to investigate said sounds, you'll find Ebalon with his back to the door, getting into stuff he probably shouldn't be getting into.

There's no one in here, so it's fine to just dig around, right? That's what he thinks, anyway, and no one will change his mind. He'll put everything back the way it was when he's done.

Holding up a very questionable-looking scalpel, he remarks with an uncanny sense of calm,]

My, are these the kinds of tools used here? How antiquated.

[The scalpel gets set aside next to an intimidating pair of forceps. Ebalon keeps digging, remaining silent for a bit longer, still with his back to you—]

Do you intend to gawp all day?

[—but it seems your presence never escaped his notice.]

☾ Wildcard

[Hello hi! Hit me with anything or poke wolfchan for plotting]

infirmary

[skaikru]

( where clarke had been attempting to quietly sneak down the halls to get to the infirmary without arousing any suspicious ghosts, it seems someone's already beat her there — and beat her to the punch, with much less abandon about being caught. after initially freezing, she redoubles her effort to stealth. takes her time drawing up to the doorway, and peering inside to take stock of a figure, back hunched and busy with a cupboard, a mop of white hair on his head.

okay, so definitely not friday. but not someone she knows either. there's no urge to draw attention to herself before figuring out exactly what sort of interaction she's stepping into, but he takes the choice from her with a question, tossed as casually over his shoulder as the ancient scalpels had been discarded at his side.

oh, damn. caught. a moment to reign in an instinctual sort of panic, and smooth composure back into place. ) No. Just didn't want to interrupt you.

( but she's taking that acknowledgement as an invitation. officially stepping into the infirmary and making a beeline for cabinet, with the hint of bottles hidden behind the hazy, opaque glass windows. )

Ava Starr | MCU

[decohere]

1. EXPLORATION

Bill's talking to her about the upcoming end of the semester, the possibility of plans now that she's safe and able... and then there's dust in the air, either she's disintegrating or he is, but all she can recall is his look of horror reflecting her own before she wakes up with a terrified shout in an unfamiliar yet comfortable bed. Each night after the same nightmare, or had it been real? It's the last thing she can recall before waking up here. Nothing makes sense, and Ava is used to particularly strange phenomena. She is one.

But she's initially more concerned with trying to locate Bill than understanding what's going on, figures out the general layout of the ship as she frantically rushes through it and its endless collection of entertainment spaces. Shouting for Bill across each deck, hoping he can hear her, that he's not hostage or in any danger. She catches glimpses of others who are decidedly not Bill, nobody she knows nor wants to, disappearing the moment anyone glances her way too long.

She becomes aware there are other ghosts in the ship, real ones(?) unlike her, and she's not above using their presence to blend in. But she leaves behind a strange static in the air, that others paying attention may notice. And the glowing red eyes of her mask aren't the most inviting, the only color to her otherwise white suit.

The last thing she expects is anyone trying to speak with her. She hesitates, flickering in uncertainty. "What do you want?" Her voice crackles through the modulation to disguise it, stance poised to either fight or flee.

2. HOT TUB SANS TIME MACHINE

Bill is nowhere to be found, not Janet nor Lang or Hope... even Dr. Pym in her desperation to find an ally. Ava slowly accepts by the end of the first week nobody she knows is onboard and maybe that's for the best. But she is, with no way off but the obviously bad one. She could be mad about it, except Ava is Tired and has burnt through the remainder of her energy. She's been living (and dying) on edge for far too long, the stress fraying at her nerves. And in the absence of the pain she's recently been freed from, Ava faces the tempting opportunity to simply... relax and enjoy herself as the setting openly invites her to do so.

It feels like a trap, to lull her into lowering her guard for a purpose she can't yet settle on. But she pokes a toe into the empty hot tub, wearing the leggings and light shirt normally under her Ghost suit she's finally stripped out of. Not as paranoid at being seen in public after catching a moment of less activity in the middle of the night. As preoccupied as she's been, Ava hasn't bathed in the last week, and it shows. Her pigtails lopsided and tangled, and she sighs in relief as she fully slips into the hot water to rinse away the sweat and stress.

Eyes close despite her usual vigilance as exhaustion melts away, and it's already too late when she realizes she's no longer alone by the sound of steps against the wet pool deck.

"Take one more step and I'll rip your throat out," she threatens without even opening an eye, but there's no real energy behind it. She's probably bluffing.

3. WILDCARD

[you know the drill~]

Hot Tub

[businessorlibation]

"Is that really necessary?" But Johnny does stop. He wasn't planning on getting into the hot tub fully, just maybe soaking his feet. After all, the only shoes he brought with him here were dress shoes. But he was hardly going to strip and get close to a complete stranger.

clarke griffin | the 100

[skaikru]

i. i wanna swim away but don't know how ( deck )

( a few days have passed since waking up here, and no matter how hard she fights against acclimating, a routine starts to take shape regardless. every morning, clarke's up with the announcement, listening intently for any changes (and appropriately alarmed every time the captain takes the mic from friday), then leaving her room and immediately ending up at the aft of the ship. it's like a vigil, leaning against the railing and focused on the horizon — like maybe if she stares hard enough, a landmass will manifest and offer some sort of escape.

sometimes it's the frothy white edges of the serena eterna that catch her attention again. a grim line of thought carved across her brow, white knuckling the safety bars, and one foot on the lowest rung of the railing. the very clear evaluation about the pros & cons of jumping into the water below in some desperate, poorly formed attempt at escape. but again — no land in sight. no other ships. clarke can't even recall seeing the shadow of a bird cross over the bright and beaming sun.

inevitably, she'll have both feet back on the deck.

and sulk. doesn't take very long for caged animals to get cagey themselves. )

ii. cake by the ocean ( buffet & dining hall )

( it's an absolutely huge ask to trust the food that just, yanno, randomly passes through walls and floats towards placemats. even now that the plates aren't trying to smack passengers upside the head, clarke still sits so she can see the main wall behind the buffet, and squints at each dish as it arrives. like maybe if she stares hard enough at the wall, she'll catch a glimpse of what's happening behind it, or a doorway.

it's been three days, and she hasn't eaten anything that's not vacuum sealed from the gift shop. she's totally fine and not at all hungry as a well cooked steak waltzes past her head in the dining hall. instead of empty growls, her stomach is still too twisted with anxieties, which eventually drive her to stand from her table and move to the edge of the room. creep along the wall until she's standing right in front of the salad bowls and bread baskets passing through seemingly solid structure. after each new dish, clarke brings up a hand to press on the wall, like she's trying to slip through to the other side.

she even tries to catch a plate halfway through the wall, and push it back, but almost with instincts of it's own, the plate slips out of her reach and carries on its way. frustration mounts, and it's just a matter of time before she's full-body pushing on the wall.

then hitting it with a closed fist and a sense of angry, broiling defeat. ) God dammit.

( ooc: she's going to do this in both the buffet and the fancy dining hall, feel free to wtf at her in either location. )

iii. water based pun about las vegas ( fate's design )

( alright. look.

one cannot claim they've done full and thorough research about every oddity they've come across on this ship without... taking advantage of the amenities. clarke's never set foot in a casino, but the bright chime of the the machines cashing out has a certain kind of draw. eventually, in a moment between twisting herself in mental pretzels over unanswered questions and trying to find the next thread to pull on, she'll end up in the casino. staring down a slot machine like it might explode, but still reaching for the lever and pulling.

only to be greeted with a screech of victory bells, and an aggressive avalanche of chips shooting out from the dispensing slot below. if what the actual fuck had a picture in the dictionary, it would be clarke's face in this exact moment.

but there's the immediate instinct to try to catch all the chips rocketing out of the machine, and clarke get's a good handful of them before dragging herself back to composure, and letting the rest just fall at her feet. )

iv. i've got a nautical themed pashmina afgan ( shopping )

( drop a girl on a boat with just the burns and clothes on her back — pull her from a post apocalyptic world where you just made due with what you had, wore 100 year old hand-me-downs, and went hungry — and give her unfettered access to a general store? that's just asking for things to get a little wild. penniless, first clarke tries to smuggle out travel packets of tylenol and dried fruit. but after a quick correction by friday, and learning she can pretty much take whatever she wants so long as she pretends to pay, it's open season.

she makes several trips between all and sundries and cabin 108 that second day aboard. first with an armful of prepackaged snacks, at least three mini first aid kits, soap, and as many bottles of water as she could carry — only dropping a few. yes, this is survivalist hoarding.

secondly, with a blank notebook and a packet of pens. a roll of scotch tape, a survival at sea for dummies style book, sunscreen, and a travel box of dryer sheets — that last item just because she'd never seen them before, and even the box smelled good.

the third time, with snorkel sets, duct tape, a lighter, any item that looks like it might be the slightest bit flammable (nail polish remover, hair spray, isopropyl alcohol, screen cleaners, etc), and pool noodles. nothing to see here, keep walking.

last but not least, one doesn't have to be a fashionista to know that bulky hazmat suits are not meant for everyday wear. she's a sweaty mess by the end of the day, and eventually finds herself at bric a brac, walking out in horrifically floral boat shorts, a long sleeved shirt with serena eterna plastered across the front in elegant writing, and white boat shoes. don't judge her, there were not a lot of options, literally no one is less happy about being here than clarke griffin, but a shirt is a shirt. )

v. clarke griffin vs. doors, round six, FIGHT! ( outside the bridge )

( ah, her prize. the goal she'd settled on from that very first day, from that very first conversation with gal friday. once she's most of the way through investigating the main attractions of the ship, clarke finds herself on the seventh deck, a ways removed from the spa and sports deck, staring down a firmly secured door. this has to be it. behind that sealed door had to be the captain, and by extension the ships wheel, and whatever god forsaken magic or technology had brought them all here.

so clarke camps outside the door her forth day on board the ship. sits huddled outside the door deeply inlaid in the bulkhead, staring intently for a few hours until her eyes begin to ache with exhaustion.

the fifth day, she's back for a few hours in the evening, notebook and pen in hand, and impatient for anything to change so as to make notes about it. nothing happens, clarke ends up doodling plantlife and friday's featureless face in the margins of her notebook before giving up, resolved to try again.

sixth day, she's worked up the nerve to try knocking. beating on the door, more like. and trying in vain to twists the handle on the outside. it doesn't budge, which ultimately leads to be a bit more beating, and aggressive demands. ) Open the door! I just want to ask you a few questions! ( before giving up in a huff, and storming back down to the main areas of the ship with absolutely no care for who she accidentally shoves out of her way. futility breeds ferocity.

on the seventh day, she's maybe losing it a little. lunch time will find clarke griffin standing opposite the door to the bridge, stony faced and holding a handgun at her side. she's staring at the immovable metal barrier like it's done her a personal wrong (it has) and occasionally brushing the safety of her weapon on and off. she knows better. she knows better than to shoot at heavy door in a tiny, enclosed, metal hallway. it won't break through, the bullet would just ricochet and maybe hit her. it'd be loud. there's no declaration of maritime laws posted anywhere she's found so far, but breaking into a locked door seems like it'd absolutely get her in trouble with at least friday.

but all logic aside, the drive for answers is absolutely eating at her. and patience has a limit. )

vi. wildcard!

( chances are, clarke is going to be all over the place. other ideas i had for her were: trying to steal sharp instruments from the infirmary, and trying to sneak past friday to rifle through the guest services desk — both things she'd probably need a partner/lookout for. also feel free to: stop & gawk at her burnt & blistered face, be waylaid and interrupted from your own investigating to be asked what you've learned so far, feel like someone is watching you (because yeah, someone is absolutely trying to size up all passengers), etc. if we had a tdm thread carry over into game canon, it's safe to assume clarke would drop whatever she was doing to say hello to someone she's already met in the name of forming a (rebel group) sense of community. also feel free to pm or hit me up at inb4circlejerk for any plotting or hashing out specifics. or just excited screaming about this game! i default to brackets, but have no problem with prose if that's your pref. )

iii

[diana_abel]

Diana had always had a deep fondness for casinos. No windows. They were some of the safest places in the continental U.S. for a vampire. It sucked that the vampire population of Las Vegas was a little disorganized, but she'd spent many vacations--they could be called that--roaming through the endless hallways of the Luxor or Excalibur, enjoying the sounds and the lights and the feeling of security.

So it was only natural that she gravitated to the ship's casino. She'd never actually been on a real cruise ship before, but from everything she'd heard, the casinos had super terrible odds and even worse problems with smoke.

But then again. No windows.

She smiled slightly, when she heard one of the slot machines hit, and gravitated over to the blond girl, who seemed totally bewildered by her windfall. "Groovy," she said, leaning against the side of the machine. "I mean, I know, like, the machine doesn't require any skill and it's all just luck but...good job?"

Jinx •【Arcane】• im an action brackets girl but write how you wanna write.

[opheliac]

I. STELLAR.

( Jinx is completely and utterly confused. So much had happened to her which felt like in a span for five minutes. First, she found that her sister had been alive all these years, reunited with her to only see the rumors were true about her being with an Enforcer. Then right in the middle of it all, they were ambushed by those pesky Firelights and then the next thing? Vi vanished. )

( And if that wasn't enough, suddenly she woke up here - on some ship she didn't sign up for. A place where things looked vastly different from what she was use to. It was almost as if she got teleported to a whole new world entirely. Although...with her fiddling with Hextech, it was possible she somehow triggered some magic-y gateaway without realizing. So that would mean...she was alone. No Piltover, Zaun, Silco...Vi. The thought of her being in some strange place with no one but herself was enough for her to hyperventilate and she had been for the first few hours. )

( But time helped soothe her and she managed to pull herself somewhat together and wandered around the cruise ship. Jinx found herself at the Stellar; taking a seat at her supposedly assigned table. Well...she might as well grab a bite to eat, right? It wasn't as if Zaun provided a lot of luxury when it came to food. Unfortunately, the voice in her head began to nag her. The said voice belonged to her deceased friend, Mylo, that haunted her ever since his passing. And the more he hissed into her ear, the more Jinx groaned while tapping her nail against the table. )

( Finally having enough, Jinx sharply turned beside her to "Mylo": )

I told you. I didn't lose her! Or my weapons. They got...taken.

( If there were any bystanders in this said place, it would just look as if Jinx was speaking to no one. Out loud. 'So what are you going to do now? You're stuck. You screwed up and got stuck. How are you going to get back? I told you to be more careful with that gem. You're such a --' )

( Jinx, whom had been holding her head the entire time Mylo been speaking, abruptly slammed her hands onto the table. )

Just shut up!! — I'm tryin' to think. I can't think if you're gonna be a blabbermouth...!

(And it was then, things at last fell still for her. Jinx slouched back into her seat while exhaling out a sigh. )

II. PLAYBACK.

( After some more exploring, Jinx found herself approaching some sort of arcade room. Pretty intrigued, she slipped right in and took a glimpse of all the games the ship had to offer. A lot of them she had never seen before - in which definitely confirmed wherever she ended up was a different time period. Despite hearing a laughter on occasion, it didn't necessarily disturbed her. After all, voices was something she heard on a daily and she immediately assumed it was Cloggor or Mylo getting excited. )

( Her eyes become fixated on the foosball table; her fingers brushing along the wood and the handle. Huh. It appeared to be a two-player type of game. That's a bit of a shame. But...maybe she could still play it on her own, somehow? )

III. PROMENADE.

( Now this was a little more like it! Sure, everything seemed way more colorful for her liking but the atmosphere was as close to Zaun as one could. With her hands behind her back and fingers entwined, Jinx hummed casually as she pondered with herself which place she should pop in first. )

Huh. Here we gooo~ ♫.

( She said out loud to herself in a small singing tone as she spotted Hurikane. It wasn't exactly The Last Drop but close enough, right? But because this wasn't The Last Drop, she wondered if they would even allow her in due to her age. Unfortunately for her, the pistol on her hip lack of ammo. Although...no one else knew that but her. So if they won't let her in, she could just force her way in if need be. )

VI. WILDCARD.

[ hello! idk pick or come up with something else! if you wanna chat about other options, hit me up at buttlet ]

i

[vibing]

[ A buffet is just Yuri's speed right now (is it a buffet? Who knows, it is now), and he has a plate piled with food, more than one might think one guy can eat. Maybe he won't eat it, he doesn't know, but he just kept choosing things until the plate is heavy and laden down with dinner and desserts. He could care less about his assigned table, but isn't really one to eat alone.

He spots this kid, who seems to be saying something... to him? Maybe? Well, either way, he slips his plate down onto the table and sits across from her ]

Hey, have you seen this stuff? They have everything--

[ But then she bursts out with that "shut up" and his eyebrow raise, fork poised halfway to his plate ]

Jeez, alright. An eat-alone type? No biggie, I can just... [ eat in silence, he supposes. He doesn't really mind, even though he's used to have Repede with him. Even as a silent companion, he's still nice to have around ]

Bucky Barnes | MCU | OTA

[worthallthis]

I. Systematic Exploration

The first step to any operation is good intel. So the thing formerly known as the Winter Soldier explores the ship, from top to bottom, and he does it more than once. Once, to map it out. Twice, to find the best places to hide should hiding be necessary. Three times, to see what faces show up where at what times.

After that, he prowls through it twice a day just to make sure nothing's changed, and no new dangers crop up. It's more like a regular patrol than a casual stroll, and he can be found making a circuit of each shop and eatery on each deck-- not shopping or eating, just watching. Quietly.


II. Trying to Find Purpose

After dark, in just the lighting on the deck, he goes up to the sports deck and... sets up obstacle courses to run. Meets Johnny to show him how to fall without hurting himself and break a hold. Experiments with tennis rackets and hockey sticks as weapons, which mostly looks ridiculous, as he treats the sports equipment like batons or staves or occasionally a knife.

He seems entirely un-self-conscious of people watching him, though he always positions himself to where he can see whoever does show up.


III. Not Really a Big Kid

There aren't a ton of kids on the ship. There aren't a ton of people on the ship, period. In his prowling, he finds the indoor playground in Playback, and he treats it like the makeshift obstacle courses he sets up: he systematically scales the netting, eels through plastic tunnels that look too small to fit him, and walks across the monkey bars like a balance beam when he finds he's too tall to swing under them.

And he gets stuck from time to time at the arcade games. Never the first person shooters, but Pac-man and Tetris and the pinball machine. It's something to do, anyway, though should anyone else express interest, he'll duck out of the way to let them try instead.


IV. Persistence of Memory

Those hiding places he found? He does in fact use them. Not to ambush, or to lay in wait, but literally to hide. Someone might stumble on him huddled on the floor behind one of the bars with his arms over his head, or wedged into the space between two cases in the back of the jewelry shop staring at nothing, or crouched in a dark corner of the theater frantically scribbling in a cheap spiral notebook.

Care to approach and try to talk him down from whatever spooked him?

IV.

[fortify]

Zhongli is always in the jewelry store, completely and utterly fascinated by the selection of gemstones. This also means it's quite difficult for him to avoid noticing an individual that isn't a ghost employee hovering around behind the til. The first few times he spots the other he leaves him be but eventually he becomes concerned the young man's well being. This place isn't ideal, but if the other is spooked by something and planning to avoid eating and sleeping in the process, he wants to do his best to attempt and assist him.

Zhongli approaches that hiding spot of his eventually but will stop a good distance away, calling out to get his attention but otherwise not enter what seems increasingly likely to be some semblance of safe space.

"Hello... I cannot help but notice you have been there for some time now. Is everything all right...?"

Ravi Chakrabarti | iZombie

[boutofthezombies]

I. The Morgue

Well, he has a job to do. And since he rather doubts anyone else is going to try and make a claim for it, here Ravi is, in the morgue.

And honestly, it's actually quite a nice one, all things considered. Bigger than he expected, frankly, considering they're supposed to be on a cruise ship, but it just means there's more inventory to take.

So, most of the time, Ravi can be found there, cheerfully talking to himself as he struts around the morgue wearing the lab coat that he'd been wearing on arrival, exploring every cupboard for the supplies on hand and every drawer for signs of previous use. Seeing if he has the supplies he'd need for an autopsy if it becomes necessary.

II. Enjoying himself?

He hangs up his lab coat in the morgue before he leaves, leaving him sweatered and impossibly British as he takes the time to explore the rest of the ship. He picks a different dining hall for pretty much every meal, because why wouldn't you when the option is there, but he can be found on every point of the ship at least once.

[sailmods]

[during his investigation, Ravi will find that the morgue is pretty well stocked. not only will he find just about every tool he'd need to complete a full autopsy, he can also find items necessary for preserving and displaying a corpse, such as wax and fluid. but, there are no signs of use; everything is pristine, and if this room ever had records of the people that had been in it, they aren't there anymore.

also, when he opens one of the drawers, Gal is in there, curled up on her side and using her arms as a pillow. she is wearing pajamas and is otherwise entirely still. of course, she doesn't actually breathe or anything, so that's normal.]

Natsuno Yuuki | Shiki

[neverleave]

I. Can’t swim away from your problems (deck)
[One unexpected revival is bad enough - a second revival is almost too much to wrap his head around. It’s not an end,” Friday said. So many shiki had died screaming, trying to cling desperately to their cursed existence, but Natsuno chose differently - why is he the one who keeps sticking around?

He doesn’t know what the hell he’s supposed to do now, but he does know he wants off this ship. So after some contemplation, he packs some food and water and a pile of floaties from the pool area, and throws himself into the ocean. Maybe he can make it somewhere else, or maybe he’ll starve to death or drown instead. Can he die by drowning? Who the hell knows. Both options are fine with Natsuno…

Fast forward a day later. Were you trying to relax on the deck? Too bad, because a drenched teenager just dropped over the rail and right next to you, still hugging the floatie Friday had to throw him, much to his humiliation.

Creatures like him have great stamina, but even they can’t break an invisible barrier.]


II. More supernatural bullshit (wherever there’s poltergeist activity)
[The ghosts have calmed down. Somehow it doesn’t make things any better. Natsuno is always scowling when he watches objects moving on their own, going about their duty. The supernatural ruined his life - and unlike shiki, the invisible staff doesn’t even have the decency to have a body.

They don’t speak, but maybe he can still get a reaction out of them. When an object moves, Natsuno touches it, dropping plates to the floor, pulling back chairs or slamming a hand on piano keys (sorry if you wanted to enjoy Billy Joel songs).

None of it seems to work, though, until he shoves away yet another plate, to which the invisible waiter replies: “May I take your order?”

Natsuno pauses. All emotion disappears from his face and voice before he replies:]

Sure. Your passenger records.

[When he notices someone watching, he shrugs.]

Worth a shot.


Wildcard
[Hit me with whatever! sillysymphony]

I.

[selenokinesis]

[Imagine his surprise when a kid practically splats next to him while Ebalon is merely standing there gazing out over the sea, wondering where the hell they're even going. He doesn't jolt, but he does manage to look mildly surprised, blinking stupidly down at Natsuno.]

My my, did you go for a swim?

[Clearly a mix of entertained and curious, Ebalon leans against the railing, propping his elbow against it and his chin in his palm.]

Flynn Scifo | Tales of Vesperia

[thinkfirst]

1: investigation // around the ship

[ Flynn Scifo cannot leave well enough alone.

Yes, he has been told that he can't leave, and yes, he's tried and failed. That isn't going to stop him from poking his nose into absolutely everything he can to try and get some answers. He's never done well in contained spaces as it is, particularly not when the world is on the verge of ending as far as he knows. Despite feeling very much like a caged monster being held for a Coliseum fight, Flynn is methodical about all of this.

He spends nearly a day in the library, pulling books off shelves one-by-one, looking for maps or any indication of what sea they're in or how this ship works, muttering to himself. Reading is slow-going, after all, and this isn't his strong suit. Maybe one of these books triggers a hidden door...? If you're sitting and reading, Flynn might come up with a polite tap on the shoulder to ask you a few questions.

The various bars don't seem to offer anything better: Flynn goes to those thinking of his time in Dahngrest, how people flocked around him easy and open, but the shapes out of the corners of his eyes don't seem to be forthcoming with any information, when he's poured any kind of drink he immediately shakes his head and turns it down. He'll corner anyone in the bars, though, with a polite smile, to ask if you know how you got here and what you've left behind.

He even sticks his head into the brig, which is a concerning thing to have, and knocks on a few heavy crew cabin doors asking if anyone is in, that he only has a few questions. He's very polite about the whole thing.

Given that during most of this he is wearing full armor and a sword, he looks... pretty out of place. ]

2: contemplation // adult pool, at night

[ Naturally, all of this investigation doesn't get Flynn any closer to being off the ship.

He feels trapped, small and useless and full of anger with no place to go (on this cheerful ship, with its helpful director, it has no place), and his cabin is nice but really just a fancy prison cell as far as he's concerned, and so Flynn, annoyed at his lack of progress, escapes.

To the deck.

To the pool, specifically, with all the notes he's gathered over the course of a week. They're arrayed around him in a half-circle, white against the gleaming wood, while Flynn himself sits on the edge of the pool in gift-shop shorts and his bare feet in the water, staring up at the stars. ]

The ocean isn't even that large.

[ He is saying, half to himself. ]

We would have seen Zaude, or the Coliseum. No map gives an indication of where we are. There doesn't seem to be a real crew. No one knows how we got here, we haven't run into a single monster, and there's no blastia on this ship. How is it running?

[ As soon as anyone approaches, though, he'll sit up straighter, his posture visibly changing, and offer a small, polite smile. ]

Oh, I'm sorry. Don't let me disturb you. Were you looking for the pool?

3: and some food crimes to cap it off // the buffet

[ It isn't every day you see an actual crime being committed right in front of your eyes, but maybe today is your (un)lucky day!

Flynn Scifo, wearing several items of novelty clothing from the gift shop (a floral shirt, and some Extremely Boat Dad khaki shorts), is standing in front of the condiment station with a plate. On this plate is cake. Onto the cake he is very delicately swirling what... can only be mustard. It has already been doused in a reddish sort of oil that is definitely not on the actual cake.

When he sees anyone nearby, he looks up with a small, cheerful smile. ]

I'll be through in just a moment. Have you tried any of these? The mustard really helps liven things up!

1: investigation // around the ship - Library

[serpentinthegarden]

"I'm glad some one thought to look through the Library!"

Without any sort of introduction a large stack of books dropped from the sky on to the table Flynn was temporarily seated at reading one of those he had much more carefully collected. They kicked up a stormy haze of dust and old book smell when they landed leaving poor Flynn in a pigpen-like cloud.

"Here, these are the oldest and moldiest books I've found in the place. Read through them and tell me if you find anything interesting."

Luke Crain | the Haunting of Hill House

[neverreallyalone]

ARRIVAL
[ The first few days are spent wandering like a lost sheep. Luke roves from top to bottom, drifting aimlessly, not entirely convinced he isn't still in the house. In the red room, just another trick because the tea party wasn't working.

Although it was, if he was being honest. Any longer and he would have gone along with it. Might as well have.

At least he's got Nellie back, even if he's still reeling from it. Even if it only further cements the idea he's still trapped. ]

SETTLING IN

[ After a while, he starts to accept his fate. He still assumes he's trapped, but it's a different kind of strangeness. He can deal with being in limbo. He can deal with being a ghost. It's the only direction all of it was going anyway, so he aims to make the best of it.

He takes meals with everyone else, tries to make friends. Smiles more, still nervous and fidgety but slightly more sure. Explores the ship properly, trying to steal smoke breaks wherever he can because he needs some semblance of normalcy, and ghosts aren't the kind of normalcy he wants in his life. ]

2

[the_infant_death]

Finding creepy little girls in the halls after dark is probably not the kind of normalcy Luke wants either.

But here comes Claudia, walking briskly down the hall, completely certain of where she's going. Not the wandering lost little girl: no, her stride is a woman's jaunty, straight-backed walk and her expression is cool and collected. She's still wearing her silk dress, but held between both her hands is a rather incongruous to-go coffee-cup, with a plastic lid. The hot liquid inside is very much not coffee.

Claudia hasn't the faintest idea where - or who - it came from, but she's not so flush with dinner options that she will turn down fresh hot blood.

eleanor vance | haunting of hill house

[90secondsafter]

Room 104

[LOCKED TO LUKE CRAIN

At 7AM, Eleanor's eyes pop open, frozen in confusion as she looks up at the unfamiliar ceiling. It takes her a moment to move, not because of the sleep paralysis, but because she still can't believe she's still...here... Wherever here might be in the middle of the water. But at least she's not alone anymore.

She turns her head, pulling her blankets up under her chin as she looks at the other bed in the room. Luke had insisted on the couch-bed. But she was very much of a mind that they were going to be alternating every night. At least until they got tired of it. He's still sound asleep, or looks like it anyway, when she glances over. It was actually kind of nice... Nostalgic in a way, having the two of them sharing a room again. And last night after the conversation they'd had...it had been very comforting. Definitely not a night to spend alone.

Nell rolls onto her side, the mattress creaking slightly as she shifts her weight. She doesn't really want to get out of bed just yet, despite the captain continuing his morning spiel. Moving seems to just feel like it's going to hurry her time here, maybe hurry her back home and home...home means death right now. Or is she already dead? It's kind of confusing, the timing that they both have.

The captain finishes the announcements and she heaves a sigh, sitting up.] Think I need to find something else to wear.

[Something other than mom's dress. Nell gets out of her bed, shifting over to sit on the foot of Luke's bed. She kind of doesn't want to go alone, at least not out into the main hallway, but she also doesn't want to wake him up.]

Bric A Brac

[You'll find Nell standing in front of one of the shop's mirrors, holding a sundress up to herself. She seems rather indecisive about it, glancing from the mirror to a solid red version of the dress still on the rack. (Even here the House is still influencing her...)]

Where's Theo when you need her...

[She hems-and-haws just a few more moments before she notices you in the reflection. While slightly hesitant about asking a stranger... Someone's additional opinion is better than just her own.

Nell turns around to face you:] Which do you think? This or the red one? [She gestures towards it on the rack.]

Laundry

[You'd think that she wouldn't be doing something so mundane right now. But honestly... The mundane is kind of grounding.

She's still wearing her mother's dress, sitting on one of the chairs cross-legged as she watches the dryer spin. Not really thinking about anything as she waits for her new clothing to finish up. Might be able to see that she's doesn't have any shoes on if you peer close enough.]

Wildcard

[Various other locations you might find her—now dressed in whatever sundress was chosen...possibly both—are the Atrium, Scoops, the Library, and possibly the Infirmary. Feel free to spin your own yarn!!! Or we can plot on plurk/discord/PM.]

Laundry

[decohere]

Not having checked out the shops out of a stubborn avoidance of consumerism, all Ava's been wearing for the last week is the same shirt she's arrived in. And while she went hot tubbing in it, there was a bit of a smell beginning to linger. Enough for Ava to notice, but not particularly do anything about it. Until she tries getting herself some self serve icecream by the pool and ends up dumping it right down her front, a chocolate smear on dingy white.

She scrubs at the front of it with a handful of napkins, but it's not helping much. And so Ava makes her way back to the laundry room she came across in her initial scope of the ship, after a few wrong turns.

It's not empty, but at least not busy. She doesn't want to disturb the other woman, but after poking at a few of the buttons of a machine in confusion, she glances her way with a silent plea for help.

Rita Mordio | Tales of Vesperia

[myagic]

I) mundane modern marvels
[So many things are this ship are completely unfamiliar to Rita, and she wants to change that.

She spends a long time parked at All and Sundries, sitting on the floor with a pile of miscellaneous items she's collected from the displays, including but not limited to shaving gel, air fresheners, chewing gum, and tape. She also tends to think out loud.]

Wait, this language isn't even... I haven't even seen it before, but I can read it...

[She can't decide if that fact disturbs or annoys her—which is itself annoying, but it is helpful in reading the various labels. She pops open a permanent marker, grimaces at the pungent organic smell, and—

--she draws a messy cat face right there on the floor, then rubs a finger over the drawing. The smudging is barely there, and she gives it an impressed look.]

Hmm...that's actually not bad.

II) in the name of science

[In the buffet, Rita is again sitting on the floor with another eclectic collection of items: some dirty plates, magnets, keychains, lint rollers, glue, even a roll or two of toilet paper, among other things. She alternates between staring at them in thought, scribbling in her notebook, and shuffling the items around, and sometimes initiating an actual experiment.

Experiment one: she tapes the loose end of the toilet paper to a plate, which she then leaves on a table and waits for a gho—for whatever it is to collect. She holds the cardboard tube and lets the toilet paper unroll, just to see what happens when the plate goes through the wall.

Experiment two: this is the one she spends most of her time thinking and fussing about. Eventually she takes a pair of tacky ship-themed magnets and glues one to a plate. Once the glue sets, the literal magic happens—the floor beneath her glows with a magic circle, and she inscribes another circle on each of the two magnets. Even when she finishes, the shimmering magic remains on the magnets, and like before, she sets the plate on a table and waits. She's attempting a spell to track the plate's destination this time, but it's not something she's done before, so she may be in for some trial and error here.]

III) it's still science, kind of

[Seriously, she just wants answers, and information, and a solution, and to get back to things she needs to be doing, and she isn't exactly known for her patience.

Sooner or later she does find the sealed door leading to the bridge. Naturally, she gives it a tug or two. And she spends well, little to no time weighing the pros and cons of attempting to bust it open before she decides to do exactly that.

A bronze magic circle appears at her feet, and she twirls, using her sash to rapidly inscribe more formulae around her. The magic coalesces in the form of a stalagmite that seemingly erupts right from the corridor's floor and slams into the door; afterwards, the rock itself evaporates into the air once more.]

III

[sailmods]

[a piece of paper slips out from under the door.

there isn't exactly a gap under the door for anything to slip out through, but it's fine, it's friendly.]

venti | genshin

[wimdy]

1. morning
[ so, a surprise unexpected cruise vacation: that's a first in venti's long millennia of life, he'll admit. but he's the kind of person (or ex-god) to roll with the punches (or kicks, even). he took his time to read the note, to explore the little cabin a bit, to go through the drills, to head up to the deck and admire the view of the ocean and feel the sea wind, taking a long moment to just collect his thoughts for a while and decide on what he might do.

and then he scampers off through the boat to explore cursorily. ghost-strewn as the place is, he's not exactly a stranger to spirits. on occasion he can be seen trying to chat with some, or for instance he can be found this morning, sitting underneath one of the loudspeakers playing the captain's message, eyes closed, head gently atilt to the cacophony of screaming, frowning as if intently listening to try to decipher a meaning or... ]

Hm~m, I can't deny dissonance can be charismatic, but! Surely you could play a more pleasant song to wake our passengers up to, right? Something like, maybe--

[ he plucks idle and wistful notes on his lyre, humming then singing wordlessly, lightly along to his own melody. something like a flicker of wind kicks up around him, smelling faintly of a foreign flower that doesn't quite seem to belong to the lei he still wears about his neck. something of the song is like a small, sweet hymn to bring a bit of peace or calm to whoever may be nearby or simply himself if nobody is, when music can be his solace. ]

2. any bar
[ anyway, the places venti will frequent the most are...

the many bars on the ship. the drunken sailor, topy, you name it, he's right there, looking for all the world like a ridiculously irresponsible teenager drinking his liver to failure. knocking back a frankly obscene number of shot glasses, with bottles or mugs surrounding him as he sings folk songs or bawdy shanties or even some of the pop songs he's picked up from the playlist at john's and rischie. often he seems to be serenading any ghosts that may be a quiet and unresponsive audience, no matter how he tries to strike up a conversation with them; if you happen to be nearby he might beam and approach or even buy you a drink--with the absolutely no money he has, but at least you don't seem to need currency on the ship right?

and if you happen to be at rischie he would definitely want to dance. ]

3. anywhere
[ and i mean anywhere, he's a curious and explorative little idiot who would explore just everywhere he can. browsing books of poetry in the library, trying to figure out how these new-fangled laundry machines work, hunting down the ice cream scoop in the ice cream shop, floating in a pool napping in a ridiculous looking floatie, etc etc. or hit me with a wildcard option. ]

1. finally I can tag this yee

[fortify]

[ In such an incredibly chaotic atmosphere of ghosts and unsettling energies and sounds, Zhongli can't help but follow the music to its source once he has picked up the faint but extremely familiar sounds of the lyre and the voice accompanying it from somewhere else on the ship. At first, he assumes his wandering will be a bit of a waste, that he will search to find no one and nothing and be a victim to little more than auditory hallucinations on his part concerning the current predicament of all unwilling passengers.

When this does not turn out to be the case, Zhongli approaches from below, silent as he listens and watches, reveling in the comforting sounds (especially so after what tends to come out of that loud speaker when the Captain speaks.)

The retired archon will not interrupt his friend, simply watch and silently admire, instead, waiting for Venti to finish or otherwise notice him prior. There is no rush, afterall: they seem doomed to be in this ship for some time. To interrupt such beautiful song prematurely would be something of a crime, especially here. ]

Claudia | Interview with the Vampire | Open and Closed

[the_infant_death]

1. Waking Up with a Stranger: (Closed to Diana Abel) Claudia knows, even before she opens her eyes, that she is not in Paris. The rumble of the ship's engine, so unfamiliar to her, has slipped into her dreams. She is familiar with the motion of the waves on the hull of a ship, but no ship she's ever been on, driven by sails, has been so smooth.

She finds herself fully clothed, atop the covers of an unfamiliar bed, and sits up with a gasp.

Movement from the corner of her eye tells her she is not alone, and the lack of a mortal heartbeat means...

With a hiss, Claudia whirls to face the other vampire, tiny pearly fangs bared, skirts whipping as she leaps to her feet.

2. Alone in the Dark: (Open) After that first eventful night, Claudia has taken to exploring the ship, and seeking safe places to hide or sleep that do not involve being around her cabin-mate. Her trust is hard won, and she is vulnerable without a protector. She does gently investigate the morgue and infirmary and noses into the shops and restaurants. A tiny petite five-year-old girl in silk and lace, ruffled skirts and petticoats, little silk stockings and tiny leather slippers. Her golden curls hang in a heavy mass down her back.

She is utterly baffled and rather intrigued when the ghost server in the buffet serves her hot blood in a to-go coffee-cup with a plastic lid. Claudia has encountered nitrocelluloid film, but not actual plastic, and is fascinated as much by the cup as the fact that there is actual human blood in it, and still hot.

Since her other options on ships have been rats (of which there are none?) and fellow passengers slowly dying from repeated nightly drinks, Claudia takes the cup.

She walks the ship silently, dark blue eyes bright in her round-cheeked face, cool expression hiding her emotions, her thoughts. She is equal parts curious and confused, outraged and excited. An adventure - but how came she to be here, without Louis or Madeline?

3. Nose in a Book: (Open) Claudia has discovered the library. Her favorite kinds of books are noticeably absent - no philosophy or histories - but she can certainly make due with fiction. She spends hours reading rapidly, devouring books with the singular intensity of a vampire on the hunt, the coffee-cup of blood cooling gently at her elbow.

1

[diana_abel]

Diana liked to wake up with her eyes closed. It was her way of holding onto dreaming. She always had amazing dreams. Not always good, but always amazing. And she liked to hold onto them. But dreams were smoke from a dying candle and they always slipped away.

So it was a little weird when she woke with a jolt, her eyes popping open to an unfamiliar ceiling with truly tacky lights. And a hissing...cat?

No, not a cat.

Diana rolled onto her side, her long hair getting tangled in her strings of love beads (Why had she gone to sleep with her beads on? And her go-go boots?). She pushed herself up on her elbow, staring in shock at the sight of what looked like a porcelain doll with Cainite fangs. Quickly, she held up her free hand, palm out completely empty. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she said. "Who are you?"

She would have remembered a Cainite like that. Child vampires were...memorable.

Reigen Arataka | Mob Psycho 100

[techniques]

Deck Two; Cabins

[So after the initial meeting of one Miss Friday and a few others, the first plan Reigen makes is part of a technique that we like to call the "Stubborn Boulder" move.

This technique is where Reigen stubbornly decides not to leave the assigned cabin that he's been given here. The goal of this move is that, by not playing along with Friday's little vacation scheme, this strategy may potentially annoy his captors enough to send him home. So true to the plan, he does not leave the room at all, using the time he is stuck in the room to investigate the room top to bottom for anything that might be useful.

He will at least answer the door if anyone knocks on it, but otherwise he sticks to his guns and does not step outside of the room. He is as immovable as a boulder. His will can not be deterred...]

Deck Six; Buffet

[... That is, until four days later when he has suddenly burst out of his room and planted himself at the buffet to fill up a plate of just about everything available, and proceed to shovel it down his throat so fast he nearly chokes on it.

Turns out, "Stubborn Boulder" technique doesn't work nearly as well if you don't eat anything, nor stock up on food beforehand so that you don't risk starvation in general. So as a result, he's left his self-imposed exile to finally eat something for the first time in days, so don't be surprised if he snatches something before you can have it and shoves it immediately into his mouth.]

Trust me, I need it more than you do right now.

[(He says, rather rudely talking with his mouth full)]

Any Bar

[Eventually, he decides he needs a clear head in order to proceed further since the "stay in room and never leave" strategy didn't work... and apparently this means checking out the bars to see what they have available.

Specifically, he's checking every one to see if he can acquire his preferred drink, which he requests as a "lemon sour, extra on the sour", and taking notes to see if all of the bars on this ship (there is a surprising amount to be honest) give the correct drink at each one.

... Granted, he should be spacing out how many of these drinks to consume here given that he is a lightweight, but listen, this is important information to have depending on how much longer he is meant to be stuck here to know which bar makes the best version of his drink. Feel free to join him if you so desire?]

Wildcard

[Here's the wildcard option! Hit me up if there's any threads you want that don't fit the above prompts. You can PM me or find me at wailords!]

cabins

[sailmods]

[exciting cabin finds: every passenger gets a fluffy white robe. the en-suite bathroom has travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that replace themselves daily. sometimes the TV randomly plays what is supposed to be a view of the front of the ship, but it never seems to actually match what's going on out there. leaving the main room at any point during the day will result in the room being serviced and turned down for the night, with a chocolate on the pillow and a delightful towel animal on the bed; this includes shutting the door to the bathroom for even a microsecond.]

Murderbot - The Murderbot Diaries - OTA

[serialskiller]

1. The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
One evening, the movie screen above the adult pool is not blank. Instead, it seems to be playing some sort of space-age TV drama called The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. If one looks for the projector, one might see a figure standing next to it, with the aux cord borrowed from Friday apparently plugged into the back of its neck.

Look, while Murderbot could just watch the serials in its own head, it's somehow just better when projected on a huge enough screen that the actors are somehow life-sized.

2. Having Fun Isn't Hard
While Murderbot spends its days exploring and patrolling, when the ship is quiet(er) at night, it often drifts toward the library to dive into the books. All of them are fiction, and all are new to it, which means it can escape into stories that are almost all historical fiction to it. Find it sitting on a chair, a stack of everything from schlock romance novels to poetry beside itself.

3. But a Pilgrim Must Follow in Search of a Shrine
There is something incredibly wrong about a casino with no computer system and no surveillance cameras. It's kind of like a bathroom with no running water, just entirely wrong and likely to end up ruined in short order, at least as far as Murderbot figures.

But it's going to spend some time trying to figure things out--starting with one of the slot machines toward the back. Don't mind the bot trying to get inside the machine to see how it works with no computer...


X. Wildcard
Hit me at darkersolstice or darkersolstice#9463 to plot!

3

[sailmods]

[okay so specifically how is he going to try to get this sucker open. the machines are solidly the chunkier mechanized models than the nicer, more digital ones.]

Kara | Detroit: Become Human

[deathroadtocanada]

[A: Androids don't dream | Cabin 108]
[Okay. She's still here.

Still confused, disoriented, and a little sad, Kara's chosen to make the most of her time in this... trap. Because it's a trap, isn't it? A trap for Androids? What else would it be - oh gods, if they knew about her then they HAVE to know about Alice and Luther-

Stress at 35%...

Nope. Stop, just... stop. Breathe, even though she doesn't have to, it's a calming motion for her just as much as it would be for a living being. So, she's just going to sit on the edge of this couch, in this room that's apparently hers, still as a post and try to control her rising stress levels.

Barring that, she'll be rooting around under the bed itself, or... frankly, she'll even tidy up in here. She's a busybody like that.]

[B: Nightfall | Deck]
[Sufficed to say, the stress doesn't end, because Kara's still here, stuck alongside a group of people she only barely knows. And she could only be cooped up for so long.

Finally, it pulls her out of her cabin, yanking her through the ship and out onto the main deck. Where she sort of, simply... wanders. Adrift, as it were. Lost in her thoughts, and the general unusualness of her situation. The pools, the bars, the everything, it's all very... It's nice. Very nice. Too nice. Too much for her. It's exorbitant in ways Kara could only fathom.

But the ocean trumps it all.

Kara leans against a railing, hands in a white-knuckled grip - if that were only possible. She peers down at the endless sea, battering against the liner, knocking up foam and spray. Internal sensors pick up the smell of brine.]

It's... beautiful.

[She's hypnotized. So much so, that Kara doesn't even begin to notice that she's leaning a bit too much over the railing...]

[C: Read between the lions | Library]
[Now, here's somewhere she could destress.

While she's been exploring the ship, some human part of Kara was drawn to the most common human pleasure of all: doing absolutely nothing. What's more, this place was a veritable goldmine of fictional stories! Shelves upon shelves to pour through, it put even her own internal library to shame.

...It's just a shame that she hasn't actually. Picked a book to read, yet. Rather, Kara's combing through the shelves, adding one book after another to an impressive stack of tomes she's trying to carry in her arms. If approached - or she, unintentionally, swerved into you - you'll get the closets thing to 'chipper' that Kara's expressed so far:]

I've never seen this many stories! Especially not in paper form!

B

[serialskiller]

[Right before she's about to lean too far, a hand catches at the back of her shirt and yanks her back enough so her feet are back on the deck, before abruptly letting go.]

It's not worth falling into the ocean for.

[The voice is very neutral. So is the expression on the stranger's face who grabbed her.]

Conner J | Original

[defensemechanisms]

This is how I show my love

( Conner's one of the later arrivals, a few days after many have already trickled in. After the prerequisite freak-out and subsequent gentle explanations, he wanders into Windjammer — less for breakfast and more to scope the population. At 7 a.m. the voices start floating in over the intercom, and it gets only half of his attention as he studies the room.

Until the captain's morning announcement, at which point all of his focus drifts up to the nearest source of sound, expression slipping into something mildly incredulous. Half-way through, he peels eyes away to seek out the faces of anyone nearby, as though checking to see if they're hearing the same thing.

Once it finally ends, he can't keep his befuddlement in his mouth. It escapes, directed at nobody in particular, in the form of: )

What the absolute bloody hell was that?

I made it in my mind because

( Exploration; it's paranoia and habit to comb his new surroundings. Years of training, years of combat readiness, years of expecting to be watched by something just shy of Big Brother — checking his phone for trackers, checking for tails, seeking out privacy and safety. Conner spends most of his second day wandering. He can be found:

○ scoping the morgue, quietly and intently — even quickly checking for eyes before pulling open a morgue drawer or two
○ covertly popping over the guest services desk to peek about behind the counter
○ flipping through library books without reading them, fanning out the pages for anything penciled in — or scoping for any cards at the back that might have check-out names )

I blame it on my ADD baby

( Wildcard — I'm an avid fan of impromtu off-the-wall starters, so feel free to hit me with absolutely anything. You can find me at paingravy for any questions or general chatting! )

Room 114

[decohere]

She's gotten used to the slow swaying of the ship in rather unexpected ways, like how it lulls her asleep and keeps her so for a stretch of hours she can't quite manage to keep track of. It's strange, not sleeping in the stabilization chamber she'd grown use to, surrounded by the energy and soft humming of the machine built to keep her alive... which is what catches her attention as she slowly drifts back into consciousness and stretches out her aching arms.

Something sounds wrong, her mind registers, and Ava stills her breathing only to become acutely aware of somebody else's. She's not alone. And she sits up with a sudden jolt while the rest of her body flickers to catch up with itself. Her pale eyes blinking rapidly to bring her eyes into focus against the dim lighting, looking around for the source of it.

Ava doesn't get out of bed so much as she simply lowers her feet through it and to the floor, takes a wary stance and a grab for a book she never started reading but stayed with the intention of doing so atop her nightstand. She can't get a good view of their face, but by the pitch of the breathing and bulk of the body beneath the blanket, Ava suspects it's a man.

And she had not invited anyone, especially not a man, to stay in her room. A drunk, she suspects. The ship is full of bars and not much else to do but drink the days away. It's probably some simple mistake of wandering back to the wrong room, but it's a mistake that Ava is ready to demonstrate to her intruder not to make again.

She yanks the blanket off for a rather rude awakening, teeth bared as she gets right up into his face. Sniffs for any lingering evidence of alcohol to confirm her theory. "Who are you?!" she demands.

Jade Curtiss | Tales of the Abyss

[fonomena]

A; walk walk fashion(???) baby
[A couple days in with no immediate egress options in sight, Jade has to concede that this impromptu vacation may in fact be lasting for quite awhile yet. It's not a notion he's accepting particularly happily--being unceremoniously plucked from one's work and dropped in the middle of an unknown ocean isn't a great experience in anybody's books, probably, and he was quite busy back home already! For the record!

Still, the fact remains that he didn't exactly get a chance to actually pack anything for a surprise ocean voyage, which means eventually hitting up the shopping centres available for the more basic goods one needs on these sorts of extended stays. Midday finds Jade in the Bric a Brac, idly thumbing through the racks of available clothing options with an expression hovering somewhere between vaguely amused and vaguely utterly exasperated. He likes his uniform well enough--and he's still wearing it at the moment, all teal layers and sharp lines in the military fashion of its cut and buttons, utterly out of place in the idyllic sundries of his surroundings--but still, it's not the most comfortable thing in the world to sleep in for days at a time, and clothing changes in general are always nice when they're actually available! Except...]

My my, is this what the world of fashion is coming to these days? Maybe there's some sort of cultural context I'm missing here... [He holds up a shirt practically doused in tropical flowers and neon colors; part of him marvels at the audacity of its existence, and another part of him kind of wants to set it on fire???] Well, I guess if someone were ever thrown overboard, they'd be quite easy to spot in the water wearing something like this!

B; obligatory magic science experiment attempt #1
[Really, it'd be more egregious if he didn't at least try! Jade has been putting off more convoluted tests for a lack of decent materials to work with, but his earlier shopping adventures do eventually yield fruit in smaller ways, and he's getting some mileage out of a pack of large markers about now. Out on the deck with the sun on his back, he's spent the last fifteen minutes or so meticulously outlining a circular fonic glyph about the diameter of a round picnic table on the planks, drawing it out with the measured strokes of someone that's done this more than a time or two in the past already.

Once the drawing part's out of the way, he stands at its edge and seems to simply consider his surroundings for a long moment; gauging the rocking of the boat and the intensity of the wind, mainly. Calm as the day is overall, it's not long before he can pick out a decent lull in overall motion, and when he does he.....still doesn't do anything, actually? Well, not in the way of moving, or even speaking--his hands remain idly tucked in his coat pockets, even--but as soon as he's refocusing attention on the drawing at his feet, the marked lines start to emit a vague glow! And a small fountain of light particles begin to well up in the center of the glyph, swirling and spreading out until they're constrained by the edges of the circle. The particles remain flickering about at floor level, not floating much higher than an inch, and after half a minute or so, they...still continue to not do much of anything, really, but swirl about aimlessly in there.

Jade studies the activity with a critical eye and a slight frown, slowly pacing around the circle in its entirety; at length, he draws to a halt and laughs, shaking his head at nothing in particular.] No direction at all! I suppose there's at least some consistency in that...

[But around this point he does seem to notice he has an audience, or at least decides to acknowledge it. He turns to you with a pleasant smile, and a cheery warning:] Oh, but do mind where you step! If you get your foot in this, you might not get that foot back out! [This is a complete lie, actually, but who's around to call him out on that??]

C; stargazing
[Or maybe you find him slowly pacing about the railing on the pool deck late one night, a paper cup of something warm in hand. Sometimes he's gazing out at sea; other times he's craning his head to peer up, at the clear night sky overhead. Maybe you're joining him, or maybe he's joining you, should he happen to spot somebody else taking the same sort of walk. Either way, the question is the same, asked with a wry sort of smile and tone.]

Say, if you'd pardon me asking--does this sort of sky look familiar to you? Constellations, any other particular features?

Cabin 109; just little vampire shiki things (for neverleave)
[Jade isn't exactly a homebody by nature; combined with the strangeness of the circumstances, he's hardly been staying put in his assigned cabin, far more interested in taking a proper canvass of the rest of the ship as soon as possible. Several hours after his initial arrival, though, he is finally coming back around to 109, if only so he can drop off a small shopping bag of accrued trinkets from various places on the ship, maybe take his bearings on a next course of action someplace he can sit out of the immediate public.

Walking his way up to the cabin door in question, he offers a pleasantly polite smile to a young man lingering about nearby as he pauses to reach for his room keys, as one does when bumping into complete strangers in transit.] Good evening! If you've just woken up, I imagine you won't be able to go anywhere but a muster station until you're oriented and such. Things get quite mundane after all that's said and done, though, if it's any reassurance for you. At least so far! [Huh, maybe it's kind of rude to assume this is a new arrival though?? Idly casting out for the next possibility:] Or perhaps you're enjoying the air out here?

Wildcard; (Feel free to bring a prompt of your own! Or if there's something you'd like to plot out, feel free to hit me up! I've got an intro on the ooc mingle post here and can also be reached on plurk at rainbell!)

cabin 109

[neverleave]

[Natsuno's having a bad time. Escape proved impossible, investigating for clues left him with more questions than answers, and he's half-expecting the captain and/or Friday to flip and try to kill them all.

He returns from his latest "shopping" trip (lighter, aerosols and boxcutters in a Sundries bag, plus another steak knife stashed in his oversized hoodie) only to find himself locked out of his cabin. He can't even bring himself to try the handle - there's a distinct hostile aura around it, letting him know he's not welcome here. The same as with all other cabins.

What the hell? Natsuno glares at the door like he's trying to set it on fire with his eyes, startling when Jade addressed him.]

What? I'm not -

[Just woke up? Enjoying himself? Probably both. Then Jade reaches for the keys and it clicks - a freaking roommate. And like things aren't bad enough, this new presence is enough to kick him out.

All traces of emotion disappear from Natsuno's expression. He gives Jade a flat look and says in an equally flat voice:]

This is my cabin. But I lost the key.

[This is a lie, but he's gotta make it back in somehow.]

Beetlejuice | Beetlejuice the Musical

[creepyoldguy]

Cabin 112

Beetlejuice flopped onto his bed, and beamed. "This is great! I love the decor. Very you're our prisoner and yet still very tropical. Do you like the bathroom door open? That's cool, screw convention, am I right?"

The demon sounded as if he'd smoked twenty packs a day since birth and gargled with sandpaper and razors. His entire demeanor though, was like a kid on a sugar high after downing a Red Bull.

On Deck

Beetlejuice was still wearing the lei. He rather liked it and it had been a "gift" of sorts, so he was determined not to lose it. Currently he was sporting a truly awful Hawaiian style shirt under his striped jacket and an equally awful pair of striped trunks.

"Hey! Wanna chuck things at people on the lower decks?"

on deck.

[fortify]

"'Chuck things,' you say?" Zhongli asks, looking mildly intrigued. Is this some type of foreign sport, perhaps? "Things such as...?"

He is looking over the railing, however, now curious just how many people are available to be 'chucked at' with items, whatever that word means.

zhongli • genshin impact (ota, tag however you like, will match.)

[fortify]

o n e .

visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.

Guess who not only still has his lei but apparently has decided to deck out full in ridiculous Hawaiian style shirt and not Hawaiian but stars are good enough did he get these out of the kids section?? sunglasses to look like a complete and absolute vacation tourist on this boat. He can be found at the pool, sipping umbrella drinks (that he probably barely realizes have alcohol in them because they're so sweet) and hanging out in a sun chair people (... ghost and pool float) watching(??).

He's probably one of the only occupants actually treating this cruise like it's a vacation, at least—visually— but what else is he supposed to do after listening to Miss Friday and the captain every morning over the intercom with screams of death and torture? This situation they're all stuck in can only be bad, and as of right now (as well as the foreseeable future,) absolutely nothing can be done. So he's going to sit here and enjoy the weather while he still can as well as this free stuff. Feel free bother him/judge him/cry that someone on this boat is actually taking a vacation at the pool like everything's fine and normal.

t w o .

It is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing please do not read this notice.

Zhongli keeps returning to the Gem store. He keeps trying to purchase gems, as well, and still does not understand why it works in every other store except the one he wants precious rare rocks from. This storefront is the most suspicious to him, but that may also just be his interest is incredibly focused when it comes to rocks and gems.

Anyway, he can be found wandering around the gem store a lot, even at the most random of hours (so long as it's actually open for him to wander around, but I guess you can just find him staring through the windows like a weirdo if it isn't). He's also observing, looking deep in thought, and sometimes—only sometimes, though— like a child that is not allowed the most wonderful and amazing puppy he has ever laid his eyes on.

Someone please help grandpa get a new hobby.

t h r e e .

You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

The expression on Zhongli's face would be generally expected by most if he were visiting the morgue, but instead he is standing in the middle of the buffet area looking pale and unwell. If he has any food, one might believe he ate something unappetizing, but the plate he holds is empty as well as clean. He always lets people by, making his best effort not to be in the way, and when he finally makes a decision it's.... putting the clean plate on top of a bunch of dirty ones floating on by to the kitchen. The dark-haired man will instead move away from the food entirely, getting a hot cup of water to drink and sitting down as far away as possible without leaving just yet. He wouldn't have to be here if he could understand what a black ink spot meant in terms of dining time for him to go to the more proper dining area. In all honestly, he's actually too spoiled sophisticated for this level of dining, not to mention there just happens to be seafood everywhere and not ground down into unidentifiable pieces. He's anticipating the hot water to settle his stomach so he may leave. If he can't figure out his dining time, he may just have to go elsewhere on the ship looking for food. Luckily for him, he doesn't have to necessarily eat human food.

Eventually he will wave someone over who gets close enough, sliding his dining card with the black ink blot where the time would normally be.

"Excuse me, would you perhaps be able to read this?" He's assuming there must be something wrong with him that's he's unable to read it rather than it actually being unreadable.

w i l d c a r d .

Sorry we're not closed.

3

[acutabove]

[ while Zhongli may have some reservations about the buffet, it's pretty apparent that Childe has no such misgivings when it came to eating the food laid out before them. he did have some confusion the first time over where it all came from, but since it hadn't killed him the first day he'd deemed it safe enough to eat on the second.

he's here now, layering some crab legs in a neat little weave over his plate, making his way to an unoccupied table when he spots Zhongli. at first he doesn't quite recognize him, but there are a few key features of his that stand out in a crowd that set him apart from everyone else.

Zhongli's waving at him, calling him over and while at first he thinks maybe it's not anything particularly important it's not going to stop him from wandering over anyway. he maneuvers the little plate of crab legs out of the way to squint at the card presented before him, then looks at the old god in confusion. ]

Are you trying to make a joke or something?

Kore to Diana, continuing our TDM

[withinhandsreach]

Option two: This girl thought she was Philia in a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

And Diana might have gone with that, if the chick was a Cainite. Except she wasn't. She was a living, breathing person. A living, breathing person who was clearly acting out some Roman epic fantasy. In all fairness, Diana had been through the golden age of Hollywood and had been super into movies like Ben-Hurr and Quo Vadis. Mostly for the pageantry and the costumes and the romance.

She got it.

But seriously...what was she supposed to do with this? Was it a joke? Was it serious? Something in between?

"Yeah," she said, aiming for diplomatic. "Well, I'm not a fan of killing innocent animals..."

"Nor I. I'm not a fan of the games, even less so with now. I respect the gladiators, they have to train and they are talented - quite so - and proud. As they should be. I've seen a handful take down many Romans in battle, and even my Dominius oft lost to Hilarus while he was training him. And Hilarus was a champion for many years. And well-loved. Even by our Dominus. He spent ten thousand denarii on a statue of him when he died."

[diana_abel]

Diana was vaguely familiar with the Tomb of Hilarus Fuscus, the funerary monument near the Appian Way. Just one of a thousand glossy photographs of places Diana would never visit, outside of a book, most likely. A retire Gladiator? Maybe Greek? She couldn't exactly remember.

It was ancient history. Literally.

Except...she wasn't exactly talking about it that way.

"Out of curiosity," she said, trying to find the most subtle way to go about asking, "how long ago did he die?"

Dr. Senku Ishigami | Dr. Stone

[10billionpercent]

I. Arrival

It was a curious thing to find himself somewhere unexpected, and Senku was not prone to histrionics so however he felt about it was likely difficult to tell. He might look out of place on a cruise ship, considering he was dressed for work in a suit minus the jacket, a labcoat instead. Remarkably, he had a cape with a leather fastener around his shoulders and if someone were perceptive they might notice a bit of rope dangling under his pant leg. He was a young man, presumably, in his early thirties even if that was far from the truth.

The lei is somewhat festive, and he wasn’t afraid to keep it on for the time being. At least, until he sorted out how long it was he would have it.

For awhile, he leaned against the railing as he looked out at the body of water before him. An ocean? Perhaps. Who knew?

He was merely ruminating. Was he there yesterday? Probably not.

II. Exploration

Perhaps someone might be interested in taking a stroll with Senku, filling him in on what they knew, or even just taking a look around.

He was likely to go to every place he could without distraction before he settled in anywhere.

Most likely he’ll end up at Hurikane and Mikado because Japanese food is definitely his favourite kind of food.

III. Wildcard

[Choose your own adventure.]

Exploration/Wildcard

[businessorlibation]

At some point, Senku's exploration takes him through the sundries shop, where Johnny's stocking up on supplies for the room he shares with Dr. Watson. You know, a box of bandaids, antiseptic cream, tweezers--repaying his roommate for a trip he'd taken on Johnny's behalf.

And a bar of chocolate. That's important.

When he sees Senku, though, there's a flickering once-over glance before the man from Gallery smiles crookedly. "So we're still getting new arrivals in?"

Johnny is, himself, a short man--5'4", dressed in a suit with a white dinner jacket and a black bowtie, his hair slicked back out of his face. He seems to be very deliberate in presenting himself as tidy, put-together, suave.