TEST DRIVE MEME #4

[sailmods]

1. you will survive being bested

[you wake up.

it doesn't matter where you were before. going to bed? dying? opening the door to face a great evil? same result. you wake up in a soft bed with starched sheets in a cool, darkened room, sunlight peeking out from behind thick curtains. maybe you're alone; maybe you aren't. maybe you immediately notice the folded paper on the bedside table near your head. if you don't, you better fix that real quick: you won't be able to even open the door before you read it.

the note itself is written in a neat hand on white card stock; there is a stylized logo of a ship with the words SERENA ETERNA printed underneath. the note reads as follows:

Dear Passenger(s),

As your cruise director, it is my great honor to welcome you aboard the Serena Eterna, your destination for fun and adventure! We know you could have chosen any cruise line for your vacation, and we're very grateful you chose ours! On behalf of the Captain, I would like to assure each and every passenger that will we do whatever it takes to fulfill all your needs and desires during your journey with us.

At your earliest possible convenience, please attend the mandatory lifeboat drill by the end of the day. I'm sure everyone is very eager to get started on all the fun and sun, but safety always comes first! You can find your life jacket in your cabin's closet; carry it to your assigned muster station on deck one, where I will take you through the drill. If you can't find me in the crowd, just look for the gal with the winning smile!

See You Real Soon!

Sincerely,
Gal Friday

you walk to deck one. you have no other choice: every time you try to step in a direction some unseen being considers "not towards deck one," you find your legs no longer move, staying stock still, frozen. whether compelled quickly by curiosity, or delayed by pure stubbornness, the result is the same, and you are left milling around with other similarly curious or stubborn people.

you see someone in uniform near the front of the crowd. she seems to be a gal, but is missing the winning smile, along with most of her other features. she seems to see you, though, rushing to your side and placing a lei around your neck with great formality. a voice, cheery but artificial, sees to come from nowhere and everywhere.]

Welcome! We're... I'm very glad to have you aboard!

[you touch the lei. rooster feathers, lotus seeds, and a carved circle of something white and hard, linked onto a silk string.

after the drill is completed, you are seemingly free to go. or, well, your legs work, now. and maybe that's as good as it's gonna get.]

2. think about how many times I have fallen

[for the most part, no one has given the elevators much thought. they've all done their job reliably and dutifully this entire time, never so much as being blocked off for maintenance.

until today, when the doors close behind you as you enter, and don't open again.

for the most part, that's all that happens. the doors can't be pried open, or broken with force or magic, and though the glass walls remain stubbornly shatterproof, you can look through them and try to get the attention of anyone outside. (Friday, down in the atrium, sees your desperately pounding fists and gives a wave, but does nothing else.) the elevators don't move... except, when they do. going up two or three stories, and then dropping, sometimes as many as five stories at a time, stopping just as suddenly.]

3. it was the easiest thing to do

["physically assaulting people is an easy way to get attention" was probably a very bad lesson for the neglected locations to have learned, but it they did it anyway.

this time, it's the sushi restaurant on the promenade, Mikabo. it turns out, the conveyor belt can go faster than one would assume. much faster, actually, with the apparently ability to stop on a dime. both of these factors have combined to create what is functionally a pitching machine, but for dragon rolls, wads of wasabi paste, and exceedingly sharp steak knives, all of which are being aimed at anyone foolish enough to walk by the doors of the restaurant without coming in.

its aim, at the very least, doesn't seem to be the best. for now. because it very much seems like it's getting better.]

Comments

ayaka | genshin impact

[grus_nivis]

I. that was weird (narrator voice: like every other orientation known to humanity.)

( by and large, kamisato ayaka is operating on the working theory that this is the most outlandish dream she has ever had and, probably, ever will have. the other theory is much less savory and overall she soundly refuses it on principle. certain things she counts herself fortunate for, dream or no: the clothes on her back, the blade not in-hand but prepared to be at any given second, and all the diligently trained senses she's honed over the years to keep her even-keeled.

still.

she can't quite remember the last time she had such an odd dream. never, really. this ship is unlike any ship she's ever seen or read about, and the inability to do anything other than what she was told is...disconcerting. but now that she has the freedom of movement again, she finds she isn't sure what to do with it. the lei around her neck feels heavier than it ought to for what it appears to be made of, but little details like that must be tucked away in favor of the more immediate and direct question: what now?

not prone to clumsiness, it says a great deal about how unsettled she is that she bumps into the person coming around the next corner she takes. her response is to both reach out for that person to make certain they do not fall as well as to say, )

My apologies. I was not paying attention as I ought to. Are you unhurt?

( as slight as she is, one might be caught off guard by how strong ayaka is, and depending on the stranger, the surprise and the unintentional force could easily send someone stumbling. when she looks at them, her gaze is kind and as apologetic as her words, the gentle downcast to it all equal parts respect and poise. even if it is a dream, never let it be said that she fails to at least conduct herself with the behavior befitting of the kamisato clan. )

II. people in glass elevators shouldn't throw...anything, probably.

( of mechanisms such as this, ayaka has only seen ones made of wood. the glass is a curious choice. she questions its strength, but someone or other assures her this is the way she wants to go. she trusts them with a grain of salt, that she can simply get off if she changes her mind at the next floor.

not so of course.

the first time it drops a few floors, it is her training and instincts that allow her center of gravity to shift with the plummet. her timing of a soft upward leap, air crystallizing beneath the soles of her shoes, is such that when the lift jerks to a stop, ayaka lands neatly. even so, her heart is in her throat, eyes darting widely as if to discern the cause; unable, of course to find it.

not prone to panic, but a few more repeats of this rather than causing her to panic, are starting to make her feel...ill.

the next time it stops, as it seems to not jettison off again blessedly, she knocks on the glass as hard as she dares. she does consider simply breaking through it, but this place has so-far proven outside her realm of knowledge. it wouldn't do to cause it to behave even worse. so she bangs her hand against the glass harder. )

Excuse me. May I ask your assistance? Please...

( despite the repeating scares, her tone is level and her volume gentle. the main tell of how she truly is doing would be found only in the slightly wan nature of her complexion, the pallor of someone who may or may not be about to be quite sick but is trying against all odds, to hide it. )

III. this is what all that swordsmanship is for, right?

( of all the things ayaka might have thought she would use her training for, defending against a bizarre machine flinging food and condiments was not one of them. so much for predictions of course; because here she is. the wasabi is nearly as concerning as the knives when it nearly goes for someone else's eye-level. part of the time she uses her cryokinesis to simply freeze things before making impact. but the machine is a machine and ayaka, despite all her years and discipline, is quite human. it grows tiresome. she looks for an opportunity to simply shut down the apparatus, but it is hard to pinpoint with so many knives and dishes being flung out. not just at her, but anyone else daring to even stop to inquire much less truly see what goes on.

and using kamisato art soumetsu feels a bit extreme. it wouldn't just take out the machine, it would take out the restaurant at its mildest. modest whirlpools of blizzard activity tend to do that.

so no.

with a soft sigh, ) Kamisato art: Hyouka. ( she draws her fan at the same time as her blade. a rush of upward cryo energy freezes everything in place, and hopefully the machine too, but not before three stray knives arrow out towards her at the same time. )

I. (gonna say this is after he gets back from camp so it makes sense shh)

[pillaroffortitude]

[It's certainly good to be back in clothing of his own choice once more, and Ayato can confidently say he doesn't miss those accursed little shorts in the slightest. It's also nice to have the small comforts that being aboard the ship provides in comparison to roughing it out in the woods, despite... Well. The Serena Eterna often feels a bit like a glorified prison boat, though a gilded one all the same.

He's on his way indoors, aiming to spend his afternoon in the lounge and admittedly not paying enough attention to his surroundings either. She collides squarely with the center of his torso, and there's only a split second of indignant surprise before recognition takes over at the sight of her silvery hair.]

Ayaka--! [He cant help but feel equal parts relieved and concerned at seeing her here. It's enough, he decides, to know that she's alright. That she's safe. Besides, the matter of escape will certainly be easier to deal with now that they are once more reunited; separate, their skill in battle is all but unmatched. Together?

The captain better begin to sleep with one eye open.

Ayato has never been one particularly prone to physical affection, but given the circumstances he's not overly concerned with decorum or public images right now. He's wrapping his arms around his sister and pulling her in for a tight hug.]

xiao / genshin impact.

[alatum]

I. YOU WILL SURVIVE BEING BESTED.

[ trapped is not a feeling xiao, the conqueror of demons, is fond of.

the chasm is still too fresh in his mind, phantom pains of bodacious' blades stinging his skin, that brief moment of acceptance as he fell─ he feels his muscles tense, small threads of resentful energy bleeding from his shoulders and drifting upwards. it is an unpleasant feeling, not akin to being submerged in a pit of mud, but not intolerable. any other situation xiao would be able to handle it, stomach the feeling as he searched for a way to free himself. but here? here he finds it far more difficult.

he has no love for crowds, for the busy bustle of places liyue harbor, like this ship. too many bodies, too many souls susceptible to the influence of his karmic debt. he avoids such places for that reason, and for the silence. there is none to be found here, not amongst the boots of other passengers, the faint resentful whispers in the back of his mind. it all leaves him feeling unsteady, as though he may just suffocate on the noise and the debt snaking its way up his throat. ]

Stay away. [ footsteps grow too close, snapping the yaksha from his thoughts. glancing to the source of the sound he digs his fingers deep into the skin of his crossed arms. ] You will not come any closer if you know what is good for you.

II. THINK ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE FALLEN.

[ gods curse this metal contraption.

the moments it closed its metal doors xiao sought a method of escape, summoning his spear in an attempt to open the doors by force. that, immediately, proves ineffective. mere moments after did the elevator begin its sudden descent downwards, only to stop so suddenly that xiao felt his stomach lurch in protest. even the glass proved to be incapable of breaking despite his many attempts to leave by force. he finds himself unable to even teleport from his predicament, each attempt placing him in the self-same spot he initially vanished from. ]

Dammit. [ the elevator lurches, as though to warn or threaten its next move. ] You! Get me out of here!

[ xiao really, really, doesn't want to be in this thing any longer.]

i

[ricordi]

[well, his body isn't working as well as he would have liked, and he believes he should reboot-- though his pathing isn't optimal because cassius finds himself not where he thought private rooms would be, instead coming across someone small and... angry.]

I mean no harm. [because that is the most logical conclusion to come to with such a reaction. cassius knows he's much taller, and bears a spear for himself, he must look like a threat.]

I am only looking for some space.

2

[wimdy]

[ so...... yes, this is definitely new, for the elevators. which venti does actually ride on occasion because they sure don't have those in teyvat, and he does like exploring the little technological novelties of the future here on this ship! he'd probably spent a few hours pressing buttons at random and happily just riding the silly thing to random floors, exploring so happily and carefreely as a bird the first few months he'd been on the ship. then later of course he could fly wherever he needed to go, but he does still take the elevator on occasion just because it's rather cute to ride the little box to go places. technology sure goes a long way in the future...

he hops into the elevator without even realizing (or even recognizing??? because do they even know each other really?!) the yaksha in the elevator with him, and then the doors slam shut and the elevator drops down so abruptly he nearly floats in the air with the delayed inertia of it, he's so airy like this. ] Wha-- [ and then xiao goes and tries to spear the door and flash-step out and oh that definitely is a liyue yaksha! wait, it's one with a vision from the wind, it's-- ]

R-right, let me try! [ the skyward harp manifests in his hands but... well, do you really think shooting the elevator door would do anything. it doesn't. panic kicks in a little more when he summons a wind domain as if the wind could possibly buffet the doors open, but the updraft has him inadvertently crash into the top of the elevator with an undignified yelp and a painful looking impact. whoops. sorry for being a useless god. ]

taro sakamoto | sakamoto days

[diefuku]

i. you will survive being bested

[ Behind the typically stoic face of Taro Sakamoto, there's a whole bunch of irritation. He had just been discharged from the hospital, had been planning to open his store as normal, and suddenly... all of this. His instinct was to leap from the deck and swim back to shore, wherever that may be, but then his legs betrayed him. Try as he might, he wasn't able to move literally anywhere else and had to attend this whole thing...

The idea of a vacation even sounded nice, but on his own terms... and with his family! At the sight of the gal, he was planning to at least ask what was going on, but the fact that she was able to disguise herself right in front of him was just a tad unnerving. Even if he were to make anything out, once she was out of his sight, he completely forgot about it.

He stands through the drill, trying to do anything he can to will himself to move, and once he's done he stumbles for just a second. Hm.

He mulls his options, and then finally... ]

Do any of them have a face? Creepy.

[ Despite his annoyance, he's remaining calm, so there's that. ]

ii. think about how many times I have fallen

[ Speaking of calm, you'd think he'd freak out a little bit by being trapped in an elevator. Yet here he was, mostly waiting with the other person he's stuck with for the door to open before it suddenly jolts and drops, causing him to drop to a knee to wait it out.

Which does it.

When it stops, Sakamoto presses the "door open" button a few times, before finally cracking his knuckles, winding up, and delivering a thunderous heavy punch right to the door. If the elevator could shake, it would--

But naturally, nothing happens. All that happens is that he pulls his hand back, quietly murmurs "ouch", and looks at whoever's with him. ]

Is there something else we have to do?

[ Preferably one that doesn't involve killing? ]

iii. it was the easiest thing to do

[ Speaking of killing--

You may have actually seen him get close to the sushi restaurant, walking by a bit absentmindedly. His mind was on literally anything else, and with him being a large target, it's normal to feel the slightest bit nervous when he doesn't notice the knives coming at him. You may not expect then, for him to swiftly dodge a few of the knives, collecting a couple as they pass by and catching one in his mouth-- wait no, that one was a dragon roll. Which he immediately scarfs down. ]

...delicious.

[ Okay, he's interested. Mostly as he gets a good look at the knives, and decides to head in, maybe seeming a bit determined. Honestly, with how things have gone today... it may not be a bad idea to follow him so that he doesn't commit a crime. Or, suggest that he does. I ain't your mom. ]

iii

[ktizo]

[Hythlodaeus had been about to enter the restaurant anyway, having found it previously- and he's about to call out to the man before he dodges those knives and catches the dragon roll in his mouth. After a moment, Hythlodaeus claps.]

Oh, bravo! And here I was worried that I might have to heal you!

[Since he was already on his way inside, the knives don't seem to come for him. Which is just as well, because Hythlodaeus surely cannot dodge the knives quite so artfully.]

i.

[opheliac]

(it seems to be another round of new shipmates on the boat in which this time, jinx is highly interested in tuning in. the last batch had her sister so whose to say this next few ones would be more people she knew personally? so up above, she is sitting in her usual spot in the rafters -- gazing downward at all the "newbies" until she spots a rather large man.

'giant'. before even speaking to the man, jinx already picked out a name for him and it seems rather fitting by her standards. swinging her legs, she decides to answer his question:)

If they didn't, what would ya do?

Izzy Hands | Our Flag Means Death

[ninetoes]

You get one option.
To a man like Izzy Hands, the idea of a modern ship is ludicrous. It's made of metal for starters, with no sails and an incredible amount of unnecessary weight. The bed he wakes up in, is far too nice and far too different from his bedroll which was, in his opinion, not that bad actually. The Revenge is a young ship built with a stupid amount of comfort in mind but not surprising when you look at the man who commissioned it.

Stupid fucking Stede Bonnet. Izzy can not, will not, ever admit that some of Stede's choices were pretty nice.

But in any case this is not his bed. This is not his room. This is not anything to do with where he should be and that thought is terrifying.

He reads the letter and scoffs, tossing it aside. Passenger. Cruise Director. What the fuck does that even mean??

He's on a ship, that much he can tell from the gentle bob of the ocean around them, but this (as he leaves and attempts to make his way...somewhere (only one way he can go despite all the fighting on his part) this is not a ship. It's more of a barge if anything. An ugly, useless barge that he's clearly been taken prisoner on.

Except he's fully dressed with his sword on his hip and not a shackle in sight.

Who takes prisoners and doesn't, at the very least, do that? Amateurs.

Right. C'mon, Izzy. Make a plan. As disoriented as he is, and largely ignoring the directions in his welcome letter, he heads towards the deck (of his own violation thank you very much! The locked knees if he tries to go another way are very clearly some sort of poison or a weakness in himself brought on by this newest experience of capture. He's never been captured before. That's clearly what's happening so.. don't question it. Whatever, piss off.

The plan: get to the deck, kill whoever has done this to him, find Edward if he has also been taken, steal and flee in a dinghy, and get back to their merry fucking lives with a possible stop for a well deserved pint. It's a good plan.

Once he gets to the drill it is no longer a good plan. How are you supposed to fight and kill a woman with no fucking face. It's shocking enough to stop him from launching a head on assault, fear crashing through his excellent plan as Gal gets way too close and put the lei around his neck.

Yep, no, he hates this. He fucking, fucking hates this.

A new plan is required immediately and the second he is free to go he retreats to a private space- anywhere that isn't remotely close to Gal- to think. Izzy doesn't believe in demons. No, demons are just violent men with vision and effective strategy execution. He's been the right hand and bloody blade of one, happily, for years. Ghosts, on the other hand, and fuck right the fuck off a cliff.

And the horrible, slimy truth of the matter is that he's been captured by ghosts onto some disgustingly perverse excuse for a ship with no land in sight. Amazing. Love this.

Izzy can be found lurking around corners with his sword at the ready, attempting to explore the vast contents of the ship on the hunt for his only friend. As he steps around the corner he jumps, thinking you're one of the ghostly crew. If you are one of the ghostly crew, he won't stop to think, just run you through. Or try.

Timey Wimey He's not currently camping or something.

[draughtsman]

Lucius is still trying his damnedest to finish carving this stupid traverse board. He's not good at carving, has no tools, and only a vague idea how one goes about constructing an item like this, but he's doing it. And it's going to be fucking gorgeous because Blackbeard had mocked him and spite is a hell of a motivator. So, he decides to enjoy the sunshine outside as he tries to whittle with the steak knife he stole from one of the fancier restaurants, and heads toward the deck.

The upper deck is probably better for this, more light and less trouble, but he approaches the stairs with an apathy bordering on resentment. He hates the stairs but they're definitely better than the elevators. His grumbling, or potential grumbling, is cut short as he pushes the door to the stairwell open and is instantly confronted by the wrong end of a very sharp sword.

"Holy Fuck!"

Lucius shrieks, throws his hands (and subsequently both his carving and the knife he'd been holding) into the air and stumbles back until he hits the door and shoves it closed. A moment later his carved slab of wood hits the metal stairs and clatters, loudly and terribly, as it tumbles down, down, down. The knife makes no sound until it hits a railing a deck or two below them. At least it's not in his shoulder, so that's nice.

He's staring at the sword so intently that it actually takes him a long moment to realize who is holding it.

"Wh--how--Izzy?"

Kickback | Transformers G1

[batterdippingyourfriends]

i) bugfet table

One drill and a happily eaten paper note later (the life jacket was considered too, but then there was the weird human with no face, so maybe it was a good thing he decided against it), and Kickback has already decided that all his other concerns can wait. Sure, he's alone for the first time in forever, but he's okay so the others probably are too, right? The others will find him later. Probably.

So! First thing's first? Food!

A few errant snacks of wallpaper later, and the endless buffet table has acquired a new addition: a giant robotic grasshopper chomping away on salads, tofus, and - most importantly - crab legs. It never ends! He's in heaven! And far too engrossed in chowing down to notice if anyone's actually spotted his gluttony.

ii) and the reigning mid-air eating champion is...

As if the buffet table wasn't good enough, the somewhat shrunk Insecticon has finally found the other restaurants. Mikabo has found a new patron- Unfortunately, said patron refuses to come in, instead sitting cross-legged there on the floor in his robot mode and eating everything flung at him directly out of the air.

Including the knives.

One goes a little off-course, but before any bystanders can be impaled, Kickback leaps up (just as well as he does in grasshopper mode, thank you very much) and eats the offending sharp implement before you can say 'Insecticon'.

He tilts his head to one side as he chews, and declares, "Bit heavy on the chromium, I think. But not bad."

ii. so much timey wimey

[millay]

Maeve hadn't truly expected, when walking into a food establishment, to find herself nearly impaled. It wouldn't have done much harm, but certainly more than she cared to deal with. She glanced up to see who had saved her and noted something more robotic than the others on the ship. As a Host, Maeve kept the part about her being robotic mostly silent. It was interesting to see how many could not. She hoped they were not mistreated for it.

"Well, thank you all the same for the save, darling. I'd hate to know what it might have felt like to be impaled." As if she'd never been impaled before, hadn't felt the sting of death over and over. "What are your preferences? Perhaps I could get you something as a thanks."

Pyrrha Nikos | RWBY

[pyrrhacvictor]

i) you haven't survived at all

It takes a long while before Pyrrha feels the urge to move at all from that warm, peaceful bed. She just wants to sleep for a few years, in this space where maybe she's dead and maybe she's not. Before Beacon (before its fall), she thought that it wasn't possible to feel this bone-deep, existentially tired.

Being disintegrated can do that to a girl.

But, eventually, she reads the note and goes through the motions. The life jacket, the drill, all of it passes in kind of a numb haze; the Invincible Girl, the 'Invincible' struck off her name, is more and more sure this is some afterlife. It's a strange afterlife, but... She's learned of Maidens and magic so very recently, so somehow this doesn't seem so weird alongside that.

But as going through the motions as she is, the end of the drill means the end of purpose, and the start of listlessness. Pyrrha... Wanders, mostly, and in her state of mind it's probable that she'll bump into someone by accident, or trip, or- Something.

"I'm sorry," is what immediately tumbles out of her mouth, one hand tightly grasping her other arm's elbow, "I... I guess I wasn't looking where I was going."

ii) a silver-sharp wake-up call

Wandering all over takes her down the promenade, past those restaurants. Most just... Fade into the background, a dull haze like everything else. But as she passes Mikabo, her aura twinges with danger and reflex kicks in. Swerving suddenly and reaching for a sword and shield she no longer has, her semblance - Polarity - flares- And the volley of knives that had been flung at her and anyone close by stops dead in the air, surrounded by a dim, barely noticeable black aura.

"...Is everyone alright?" Pyrrha's eyes are brighter, now; with a single stroke of danger, it seems she's shaken off some of the air of sadness that had settled around her.

iii) wildcard!

[ Hit her up wherever! Pyrrha can also be found on the deck, the promenade, or in the library. Feeling a little lost and sad still, but she'll be alright. Hopefully. Bear with me, this is a new voice. ]

i) aka time for CRYING and also timey wimey nonsense

[littlefairytale]

Ruby's on her way back from the sports deck—it's the best place on the ship to really train with Crescent Rose, the only place really since there's plenty of open space—when she bumps into someone. Which, well isn't that just kind of typical, huh? Being around this many new people, she's been awkwarding it up all over the place, it was about time she did something as silly as run into someone.

She doesn't look at who it is, at first. Just immediately starts awkwardly blabbing, waving her hands wildly, "No, no, it's fine, I wasn't looking either, clear... ly..."

And there it is. Ruby's eyes go wide, it'd be almost comical if it wasn't immediately followed by those same wide, silver eyes welling with tears.

"—Py-Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha could be forgiven for not recognising Ruby immediately. She's two inches taller than when they last saw each other alive, and two birthdays older. Her hair's changed, she's not even wearing any of her usual style of clothes—well, except the red skort, worn with a generic white tank top from Tommy Bahamas, but even that's less floofy than Pyrrha's used to.

But it's her. It's still her.

Deadlock [IDW transformers]

[you_look_weak]

I.[Too bad Deadlock can't read otherwise he'd say something snarky about how he, personally, doesn't do mandatory. He's also not a huge fan of waking up in strange places without any memory how he got there, either, so he's just in a completely fabulous mood.

[What's worse is that his attempts to bail from this tin can full of way, way, WAY too many organics (so squishy! no armor at all!) end with him standing on a deck, listening to some chirpy organic talk to him about a drill and coming at him with some floppy thing she apparently wants to put around his neck. ]

Who the frag are you and what the frag is this? [He jerks back, so the lei ends up hanging off one of his helmet horns. ]

III [Assault IS the best way to get attention, as Deadlock has learned, both the pluses and minuses of. It's how he got his name from Megatron himself, for one thing. So he doesn't take it personally. Violence is his love language.]

[After the first knife pings off his leg armor, he decides it's game on. You like knives? he has fists. And guns, but it hasn't escalated to that, yet. It is time, right now, to practice his knife throwing skills, tossing the knife right back into the restaurant.]

It's called crossfire, noob. [He is an expert]

i

[touchofcashmere]

Wow. That - you- [he has no idea what he is looking at if he's honest]

Erm...lei. You've been-- [a faint distracted chuckle] lei'd.

bruce wayne/batman | the batman [2022]

[batinacave]

{ ooc: for this, bruce is his regular self sans tech or batsuit

#2 - ELEVATOR

[ this is exactly why bruce hated elevators. it wasn't just the confined space and lack of control, it was so many other anxiety triggers as well. he was managing to keep a pale, poker-face for now but his patience was rapidly depleting.

and of course he had to be stuck in a haywire one going up and down without relenting or letting him off was putting him in a really bad mood, especially since he didn't have any of his tech on him or a suit that would potentially allow him to punch his way out (it wouldn't, but he couldn't find out, because he was here in a suit as a regular, exposed man).

he banged his fists on the glass barrier again, wondering why no one would help.

somehow it was worse that he wasn't alone. the only thing that made riding an elevator more awful was when someone without a dog who he could divert his eyes to stepped in. until now.

in a flat, unassuming voice, bruce inquired: ]

Any suggestions?

[touchofcashmere]

Oof. Good question. They've been a bit out of sorts lately... [it's too bad this hadn't happened the last time he'd gone in a lift with someone tall dark and handsome, though might have been a bit more embarrassing if he'd caught on to the transparency of them earlier.]

Well, maybe take a few deep breaths, try to relax and enjoy the music? It's a rather catchy isn't it?

[someone will be along eventually to rescue them he's sure]

I'm Stede, by the way.

robin buckley ▶ stranger things

[decoder]

— one

❰ none of this is normal, but things being not normal...seems kind of par for the course for robin, lately. the smells of this place isn't so dank and acrid, nor as dark as the upside down. breathing in doesn't make her feel like she should be wearing eight gasmasks stacked one on top of the other...so that's a plus! definitely an otherworldly experience on the opposite end of the spectrum.

not a conformist, robin does try her hand at doing something other than the directive, but eventually the curiosity compels her to just go with the flow: what is it that is so important that every direction she walks that isn't correct leaves her totally incapable of movement?

upon complying, robin is adorned with a lei, which illicit a small laugh. then it grows into a much larger one, full of disbelief and bemusement. ❱ Okay, this one was definitely the winner before, but now— oh my god, this is insane. ❰ she continues to laugh, turning to the person next to her, ❱ I cannot believe I'm trapped in some freaky Magnum P.I. universe and the ocean — well some ocean — is just...there, it's just right. There.

— two

❰ contrary to the prompt, robin isn't pounding on anything. for as little deja vu as the boat had given her — she's been to a local lake a few times, a river at camp, but the ocean? nah — this is actually an experience she's been through before. the sudden dropping and stopping and rising and falling is...not great, not something she's as used to. it's making her pretty nauseous, but so far she's been able to swallow down any potential...messiness.

after the most recent halting, right after another five story drop, she speaks up from her place flat against the wall, voice tight. ❱ So. I'm not gonna make it through another one of those without ruining my shoes. Yours too, probably ❰ her stomach turns again and she has to take a moment to make sure its contents stay firmly in place ❱ if that's any inspiration for coming up with a game plan.

*fangirls so hard* ONE

[you_look_weak]

[Deadlock is not freaking out, at least, on the outside. Inwardly, he's just Straight Up Not Having A Good Time with all these organics. Not to mention the boat/prison/whatever they're on and the safety brief that suggests that if the boat sinks, he's somehow supposed to not sink right to the fraggin' bottom of the water. He's a car as his alt, for frag's sake. He needs roads. Or at least ground. This whole thing fraggin' sucks.]

[...and this organic seems downright giddy about it. No one's that giggly. Not even Wing.]

You get hit in the head or something? [It's a logical theory.]

Alex Mercer | Prototype

[mercerless]

I. Amongoose

[It's strange and disorienting... Opening one's eyes after a swirling epicenter of agony to find yourself upon a plush bed within an enclosed space. His cells still feel like they're burning, roiling and writhing beneath his exterior as they attempt to absorb and negate the remaining traces of nuclear radiation still within his system.]

Ouch.

[It's a dry comment, spoken to the empty air as he lifts a hand above his face, turning it side to side to examine the semblance of flesh stretched across his digits. Whole. Seemingly. That was most likely a good thing. With a grunt he shifts to lift himself from the bed, feeling uncharacteristically heavy as he finds his footing. He paces for a few moments to test his motor skills, pausing after a while to consider the words on the letterhead beside him. Pale blue eyes scan the words, unease growing with each written syllable.

This feels like a trap. Unfortunately, he's not entirely sure he has a choice for anything otherwise.

One round of confused stumbling to a safety drill later, none of his uncertainty is alleviated in any way. The faceless woman is certainly... Strange, but not the most unorthodox thing he's seen within his short second life so far. He remains completely still at the bestowing of the lei, only half listening to the drill in favor of letting his eyes scan those gathered. No traces of infection, no irregular heat signatures... Scanning the area also reveals no viral detectors in the immediate vicinity either.

If this is a Blackwatch trap, it doesn't seem to be a very good one so far.

As the drill draws to a close, Alex slinks off into the shadows on his own for more investigating. The sight of the open ocean beyond the decks makes him--

...The one piece of good news is that it seems the virus is incapable of crossing large water bodies, leaving it stranded on --

Can't disarm the bomb, have to get it away from--

He has to fight to claw his way out of the memory, blinking away flashing visions until his sight settles on the water once again. Being out here is a bad sign, and being him right now in the open is probably worse. A quick, cursory glance is thrown about his person. He's not as thorough as he should be, and as a result it might be possible to catch him mid-shapeshift if the corner is rounded at the most inopportune moment. His overall form dissolves into nothing more than a mass of wriggling, black and red tendrils. Rearranging for a few moments until stiffening and taking the shape of flesh once again. Now, however, he looks distinctly less like his usual hooded self and more like a petite, unassuming blond woman dressed in smart-looking business attire.]

II. Dodgeball but with Knives

[A good amount of hours later, his snooping and exploring has led him away from the deck and inward to the various storefronts. He's once again in his usual, default form - sans the lei, which he had long since left behind inside a potted plant. He's found that he's still too weak to keep his usual disguises up for too long, though that doesn't quite seem like it will be a problem considering... No one here seems to be hunting him.

He's never experienced what it's like to not have to run about from place to place, dodging gunfire and military personnel. The peace and quiet is somehow more unnerving.

Said peace is promptly shattered as a knife is promptly launched out of one of the nearby restaurants, lodging itself into his left shoulder. He stops mid-stride, eyes narrowed as he examines the doorway for any hidden assailants. He finds none, and after a moment he reaches up to promptly yank the blade out of his arm; there's no blood, and after a moment of looking it over he simply tosses it onto the ground beside him where it clatters for a moment before lying still.

Another projectile, though this time it's one that he catches before it can strike him. Which is unfortunate, because this one is definitely not knife shaped and is in fact a dragon roll that is now a squished, obliterated mess in his grip.

Gross.]

I

[millay]

Maeve is out, walking around to get used to being on the boat again. She already misses the forest and the lake, but at least there's still the pool. She frowns as she turns a corner, finding herself face to face with...she isn't entirely sure what. But the next things she knows, it's a blonde woman.

"Are you all right, darling?" She studies the woman for a moment.

rui kamishiro | project sekai

[hyperfix]

i. you will survive being bested
[Considering that he and his friends are probably what one would considered 'affluent', waking up on a cruise ship...isn't too disgustingly weird. At first, he thinks that perhaps Emu and Tsukasa have kidnapped him for some wi-- okay, maybe only Emu would have kidnapped him, with the help of her mascot bodyguards. But he's woken up alone, and there's no loud voices approaching within the 10 minutes he waits for them.

Hm.

Okay, now it's a little weird. But weird is good, for him; he finds the card eventually and turns it over in his hand, before meandering along to the orientation of his own will. Better to learn straight from the horse's mouth, and better still to get a free gift! Even if it's. Weird. Clearly the featureless Gal thinks it's worth gifting, so that means that Rui thinks it's worth keeping, even going so far as to tuck it under his shirt for protection.]

...I wonder how she can see, without any visible eyes. Perhaps, if I ask politely, she'd let me peek inside?

[i
inside her face, that is
behind the skin

oh god]


ii. think about how many times i've fallen
[When the elevator first drops suddenly, Rui shrieks.

It doesn't sound entirely genuine, mind. More like this than a genuine scream of surprise.]

It's like a rollercoaster! [He turns, face lit up with sheer delight, and laughs as the elevator starts rising once more, slowly slowly.] The anticipation is unbearable, don't you think? And the view!


iii. it was the easiest thing to do
[The pitcher strategy has worked well on Rui. A little too well, actually; he's sitting at the conveyor belt, trying his absolute best to grab plates off without causing a pile-up.

He only looks up from his test of reflexes/meal when someone else gets targeted and steak knives start whizzing past his ears.]

It'll stop if you humour it and have a bite! Come in, join me! It's actually alright, for Westerner sushi! [Not that he's eating anything with any sort of vegetable on it; catch him pointedly dodging plates that have a hint of wakame or cucumber. Tamago only, baby.] I wonder if they have desserts or candy for sale, too...I'd love something ramune-flavoured.

1

[makesomedeals]

[Maximilien can't help but overhearing that incredibly odd request.]

Inside? Inside of her head? No, I highly doubt she'd allow that.

[His voice is soft and mechanical, fitting for someone made of metal. But the diodes of his eyes glance between Friday and this newcomer. Wondering if he's about to witness someone try to dissect Friday.]

the daycare attendant | fnaf

[nychthemeron]

I. you will survive being bested 🌞

[It's very, very strange for an animatronic jester to be tucked into bed. Especially when there's such bright sunlight filtering in through the window! Sun flails a little bit, rolling and flopping onto the floor in a tangle of limbs and sheets. It's not very quiet.

It takes him an embarrassing amount of time to notice the note and actually make his way to the deck against his will - at one point, he tries walking away from the deck on his hands, thinking that maybe it's just his feet that seem magnetically charged. Instead, he just sits in the middle of the hallway, locked in a handstand. He stays like that for a good few minutes before he gives up and heads to the deck.

The lei almost cheers him up, but he still picks at it almost anxiously.]

What a great craft idea! The kids in the Daycare would love these. Speaking of which, new friends, we should really be getting back!

[That last part falls upon deaf ears.]

II. it was the easiest thing to do 🌙



[Moon is... doing okay, all things considered. His security protocols are a little wonky, considering that this is definitely not the Pizzaplex, but he sticks to shadows and dimly-lit areas whenever he can and gets some time to explore. Why are lights on all the time? It's so annoying.

At one point, he does manage to creep past Mikabo. Imagine his surprise when a little dish of wasabi paste splats against the window. He pokes his head by the window again and gets a plate of crispy crab roll barreling towards him.]

Okay.

[Catch Moon jauntily dodging various supplies tossed his way as he purposefully dances past the restaurant doors. Listen, it's impossible to enforce bedtimes when it's never properly lights-out. He has to entertain himself somehow.]

Tohru Mutou | Shiki

[dragula]

You will survive

[Tohru did not wake up in his bed, or even his room. After some panicking, he could add 'not in Sotoba' and possibly even 'nowhere near Japan at all'. On a cruise ship. Somehow.

But that's in private. In public, he can be found in one of two places:

• Just outside his cabin, clutching a life jacket and looking scared to move.

• In the deck, looking more disturbed in addition to scared, periodically lifting the lei and dropping it quickly, on the off chance it might summon Friday back from wherever she went if he takes it off.]


The easiest thing

It's...not supposed to do that, right?

[An athlete Tohru is not, and dodging knives is not part of his daily life, so he's wholly unprepared to dodge anything launched at him from an innocuous-seeming restaurant.

Which so far includes two orders of sushi and four knives, one of which nicked his shoulder as it went past. He's got a knife in his hand and looks like he might be preparing to attack the machine himself. Maybe.]



Wildcard

[Choose your own adventure! A cruise ship is an entirely new experience and he's going to explore it! Because the alternative is to hide in his cabin and that's very boring when one doesn't have any video games to keep one company.]

the hallway option

[skaikru]

( man, how many times has she seen this song and dance play out at this point? it wasn't really something clarke ever thought to keep a running tally of but it might be time to start. another new face, showing up with absolutely no warning and forced to swallow their new reality, fingers crossed no one chokes too hard on it. it's getting old. it's getting exhausting, and with how many newcomers actively reject the notion of how much danger they're truly in, she's running out of patience with them as a whole.

she doesn't have to stop. nothing is forcing her to, and it gets exhausting dealing with the shock and fear of others as they try to parse out just how many degrees their lives have been flipped by arriving here. but at the same time, she can't not stop. not when the fear is just so plain.

so like a fishhook settling in her heart, clarke backtracks the few paces she'd gone past him. wheels back around, and makes a point of showing both her palms — a casual approach, no inherent threat. )

You're going to be fine. ( encouragement first and foremost, followed up with the unnerving evil magic mumbojumbo. ) When your legs start to drag you towards the deck, you're not going towards anything dangerous. It's just a meeting, and it'll be easier for you if you don't fight too hard, okay?

1

[mistertwister]

Okie was downright terrified wakin' up here, but settled into a grim readiness as he read the note and felt the his legs froze up when he tried to walk somewhere else. He was in Arcadia again. Some way, somehow. He had to be.

After the drill, feelin' that he could make his way around now, he decided he needed to wander about to take stock of things. First step to breakin' a cage is knowin' where the walls are, after all.

He walked up to the nearest person to 'im that wasn't the lady with the leis, and decided that its probably better to play the part for now.

"'Scuse me, friend. You been on the cruise long? 'Cause I ain't been, and I'm hopin' someone who knows where the fun is might show me around."

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy pulled a headphone from her ear- the dude was still wearing his lei, so he must've been fresh from the muster. Also was that. A fucking cowboy hat? And why was his face all... stormy? And glowy? Weird.

"Uh. I don't know if they have faceless people in Texas, but you know this place is weird, right? This isn't like, a regular cruise? It's important to me that you know that."

Surely he had to know if he was also weird.

Dylan Lenivy | The Quarry

[lenivy]

(1)

Dylan opens his eyes. He'd only closed them for a minute, but what he sees is not what he expected to see. Granted, it's nicer. (He expected to see a steel kitchen with the bloodied corpse of his friend, so this is a definite upgrade.)

For a moment he thinks he must've passed out and woken up in the hospital, since that's what would make the most logical sense. But as he sits up and looks around, he's pretty sure this isn't a hospital bed. Especially since he's still wearing the same blood-soaked clothes, including his shoes. He gets to his feet and pulls aside the curtains to let some light in. The bed is stained with blood now.

He in no way has the brain capacity to process or analyse all of this. He's just going to assume he's in a coma or something, and this is all a strange dream. It's what makes the most sense.

He picks up the note and reads it. Yup, definitely a dream.

Dylan sees no need to disobey. He's just glad someone is telling him what to do. Especially in his current state of mind. He goes and grabs the life jacket, then heads outside to try to find the deck. It's simple enough, since he seems to be led by some kind of dream intuition, where he just doesn't want to go in any other direction.

He's somehow not even surprised by being greeted by a faceless woman. It seems pointless to question at this point. "Thank you," he answers softly, when she puts a lei around his neck and welcomes him.

The presentation happens, but Dylan barely absorbs any of it. Though when the loud noise plays, he has to cover his ears. It's almost unbearable. (Which probably means the werewolf infection has progressed pretty far, he realises.)

And then the drill presentation thing ends, and... Dylan's not sure what to do now.

So anyone who's around may notice a lost-looking teenage boy, splattered with blood, wearing a lei and holding a life jacket in his right hand. His left hand is missing, the wrist ending in a stump that's covered in bloody bandages. He definitely looks in need of some assistance.

im screaming beecause fuck yeah the quarry!

[opheliac]

(whenever there's a swarm of new shipmates arriving on the cruise ship, jinx always take her time to sit up in the rafters to view on the "fresh meat". so far, no one really catches her attention until dylan. because for starters, whoa, he is covered in blood and missing a hand.

so instead of jumping down and startling him (because if he is armed, she doesn't want to be next. and besides, she isn't armed right now), she calls out to him from above.)

Well, well, well!! — Looks like someone's already gotten a head start on the killin' shtick...! Who was it? Better not be someone I know.

beta » horizon forbidden west

[nobetawedielike]

a. you will survive being bested

[ if Beta had thought that moving from the isolation of the Far Zenith to the mostly empty Gaia base was a difficult transition, the ship is something else altogether.

her own legs force her to the deck, where she sticks out like a sore thumb. Bright white clothing, arms crossed as she folds in on herself, barely seeming to actually watch the muster drill. for someone raised with minimal human contact, a tool with a purpose to be trained for and nothing else, even the small number of people crowded around is overwhelming. as soon as the drill is over, she's bolting, stumbling her way to somewhere dark to wrestle with the odd feeling of unreality that comes with the removal of her Focus. not as bad as the implanted device's removal, but-- the Focus had been to help ease the unreality in the first place.

she has a hand on her head like she's in pain, not watching for anyone that might come stumbling by. ]

b. think about how many times I have fallen

[ NOPE SORRY, SHE'S YELLING AND HOLDING THE WALL. no help to be found here, someone please get her out. ]

c. it was the easiest thing to do

[ she hates this place she hates this place she hates this place-- now she's stuck in Mikabo, surrounded by food she's never seen before and doesn't even know if she wants. if she tries to leave, she might get knife'd. this has been the worst day. staring down at one of the dragon rolls in complete confusion, trying to figure out what exactly it is, Beta just...sighs. deeply. ]

b

[configuration_birdwatcher]

After nearly falling on their ass at the last sudden drop, Bastion's not risking it again and transforms into sentry configuration, where it's at least unlikely that they'll tip over and crush the human. They previously tried punching through the glass when Friday gave that little wave, and all they got for it was a bunch of annoying notifications of compression damage in their manipulator arm. Shooting their way out isn't likely to work, and could injure the human.

They pop their head up and say, // The glass is impact-proof. I could try to cut it open?

It's up to the translation magic whether Beta hears Bastion's spoken omnicode as beeps and whistles that form intelligible words in her mind, or as an entire synthesized voice speaking a familiar language. If she parses what they're saying at all while panicking about how the two of them are being shaken like a cocktail in a mixer, anyhow.

Number 6 | The Prisoner

[be_seeing_you]

Over His dead body
Waking up in an unfamiliar place is nothing new to him at this point. Not that it makes him any less boiling with rage over it. And that note only makes the steam rise higher over his head. So, they're doing cruises now? How novel. And using days of the week for names instead of numbers, too. What won't The Village try? He obstinately ignores the suggestion to bring his life vest with him. But the order to go to their mandatory drill is less easy to ignore. When did they gain the ability to paralyze him if he won't go where they say?

He can be found in the halls, not very far from the cabin he woke in, frozen in place with his hands balled into fists at his sides absolutely seething with rage. His entire body trembles with the force of it. He knows what he has to do to get unstuck. He'd experimented with taking a few steps forward and back. But will he go where he is directed? No. Never. He'd rather go red-faced in this hallway waiting for their unseen will to control him to run out than take one more step. Even if it takes hours.

Don't Look Down
After, presumably, someone convinced him to finally just go do the god-forsaken drill, he thought the worst was over. How naive of him. He steps onto the glass elevator and reaches to hit the button. But nothing happens. He tries again. Still nothing. No movement. Turning to the person beside him, whom he has failed to acknowledge up until this point, he asks, "Does this happen often?"

There won't be time for a reply before the elevator quite suddenly lurches up one floor, and then drops. His stomach rises into his throat and he desperately puts his hands out to grip the side, fingers squeaking on the slippery glass, as they careen down, down, down!

Then stop.

He's thrown from his feet, landing hard on his side with a grunt. But rather than worry after himself, he's turning to catch sight of his unwitting partner on this ride, asking urgently, "Are you all right?"


Since When Did the Food Fight Back?
"What in blazes?" He exclaims as a knife goes soaring past him, followed quickly by a roll of sushi and the whole plate too.

He turns in shock to see the conveyor belt, seemingly with a mind of its own, winding up for another throw.

"Who is running this place?"

Food Fight!

[serialskiller]

"Get behind me."

Tall, broad and built like the platonic ideal of a dangerous person, Murderbot's already moving to place himself between the presumably-human man and the entrance of Mikabo. No, it's not wearing its armor, but if it gets hurt, it can be repaired with relatively more ease than most vital human organs. Besides, they don't need to beat the whole restaurant up, they just need to get away.

It pushes up one of the sleeves of its hoodie, exposing a metal plate along its forearm that pulls aside to reveal some sort of laser gun.

Captain Sabertooth | Captain Sabertooth

[sabeltann]

I.

Standing near the atrium, there's a black-clad man with a white-painted face, wearing a fantastic hat adorned with skull and crossbones, on top of some very long curly hair. He's very obviously a pirate. He's also very obviously very angry.

He's tightly gripping a sword in his right hand, and a pistol in his left hand. He also appears to be growling softly to himself, in a staring contest with the path ahead. Engaging with him is not necessarily recommended.


II.

Something apparently gave in at some point, because Captain Sabertooth has made it to deck one, though he looks deeply unhappy about this. Thankfully he doesn't look close to shooting anyone. Currently.

When Gal Friday approaches him with a lei, he lets out a short scared angry yell, putting his sword between himself and her blank face. She seems to compromise by putting the lei onto his sword. He tosses it aside then raises the sword again.

When the drill starts, he looks around baffled, and deeply impatient. He makes it about a minute, trying to figure out why the hell he should be listening to all of this.

"Enough of this!" he barks loudly, at anyone and everyone. "I demand to know why I've been brought here!"

I

[actuallyawolf]

Ylva keeps a safe distance, which she guesses as being just out of the range of that sword. The pistol is harder for her to judge. But a growl is a growl, and she respects someone else who communicates in such a clear and obvious way.

She draws her own sword, a curved blade, and growls back, deep in her throat.

Kuruto Ryuki | AI: The Sommnium Files, Nirvana Initiative

[halftowhole]

A). Wake from your dream


Snnnzzzz...snnrk.

[ Waking up in a strange room with a pounding headache hadn't really registered in Ryuki's mind. Another day, another hangover. It was weird to not hear Tama comment, but Ryuki figured she was just letting him muddle around until he got some water in his system. He skimmed the paper by his bedside without comprehension.

By the time he's reached the deck, he's half asleep again. At least until the PA sounds and he jolts awake with an apologetic bow to the nearest person in eyesight! ]

Ah! I'm sorry Boss! I didn't mean to sleep in! Don't make me grovel on the floor again, please!

B). It has to come down eventually, right?


[ There are people who struggle in a quickly moving elevator, and there are people who give up. Ryuki put in a good effort for about 40 minutes, but at this point, he's just lying on his back staring up at the ceiling with a distracted expression as the elevator moves around him. You get less dizzy when you do this, you should try it!

Upppp. Down. ]

Does this kind of remind you of a Ferris wheel? Or that other ride...ah, I'm forgetting what its called?


C). Drown your sorrows.


Ugh...

[ Screw everything else about this place. You know what they have? A bar. Barbarbarbarbarbarbarbarbarbarbar! Fuuuuck he wants a beer! Screw solving a mystery for once. Wondering if your coworkers sent you on a cruise for "mental health" is bad enough, he doesn't even want to comment on anything else going on.

Ryuki gets a Sapporo, and then, because this bar seems fairly empty, adds a few shots of whiskey to it. Perfect. ]

I used to hate the taste of this, but it gets way easier...

D). Wildcard!

[ Hit Ryuki with anything you got! He's a pretty short guy in his mid twenties with a bit of an unstable vibe... but he's friendly and enough of a pushover to put up with anything you got! ]


~~~ Hi! As this game has only been out for a month I will be playing Ryuki pretty spoiler free so if anyone is playing AINI rn please do not worry about me bringing up any plot details! He's just a worthless little cop, nothing to see here. TY!

C

[actuallyawolf]

Hi, have a half-elf in leather armour.

Ylva grins from where she's perched precariously on a bar stool a few seats down. "It looks fancy," she says, which probably doesn't mean much as she's drinking a big mug of ale, and can only judge based on shiny labels.

Ylva | OC (Dungeons & Dragons)

[actuallyawolf]

1.

This place is obviously magic. It's full of strange smells and strange sights and strange materials, and that in itself doesn't disturb her. She's been a lot of strange places and done a lot of strange things, and bitten a lot of strange people. What does concern her, maybe, is whatever spell currently has her under its control and she can't seem to find a way to wrest herself free of it.

Ylva wears some pretty medieval-looking leather, and her feet are bare, heavily calloused, and grubby. There's a definite point to her ears, if you can see it under the tangle of reddish hair. With her arms full of lifejacket, she's had to leave her sword and shield behind her in her room, but that's never been something she needs to feel safe. Useful, but not necessary.

She struggles against the compulsion, snarling, and finally, in the hallway, just sits down, cross-legged, refusing to move.

When Ylva does make it to the drill, there is a very real chance that she'll attempt to bite Friday.


2.

Elevators are clearly some sort of wizard magic. Fucking wizards. Still, the process is pretty clear and easy to grasp. Go into small, claustrophobic glass room, press button, be brought to that floor. She's already ridden it a few times by this point and she's even starting to get comfortable with it!

Until the doors spontaneously refuse to open and the little room refuses to obey orders.

Ylva does not take this well.

She starts banging on the walls, yelling -- there's that weird Friday person down there, doing nothing, while she's trapped in this awful little magic room. Fists do nothing, magical fire does nothing, and honestly she's starting to panic a little bit so she does what she often does when she finds herself in a bad situation: she shapeshifts into something bigger.

So if someone calls the elevator to their floor, when the doors slide open they will discover that the elevator is full of panicky allosaurus, snarling and kicking and scratching at the walls and doors, the feathery mane down its neck bristling up in distress.

3.

By this point, Ylva's returned to her room for her weapons -- a scimitar sheathed at her hip, and a round wooden shield carved with wing-like patterns slung over her back. It's best to be armed in this place, at least until she has some sense of what's going on. She still has the lei around her neck. She might not know what it's for, but it's probably magic, and she should probably keep an eye on it for the time being.

In her explorations, though, she's found the buffet. And she is hungry. Half the food is unfamiliar but that doesn't concern her very much. She shuffles up to the table and starts sampling. Barehanded, she reaches into a spaghetti dish, sniffs the noodles cautiously, and stuffs it into her mouth. After taking a moment to lick her fingers, never mind the sauce on her chin, Ylva moves down the line and picks up one of the endless crab legs, which she starts cracking apart and eating right where she is.

She's happy, deliriously so, enough to entirely miss someone coming up behind her. When she can no longer fail to notice them, she turns with a defensive growl, deep in her throat.

2

[pineapplesalmon]

Ding!

César had been reading a book and glances up as the elevator arrives. It opens. He stares for a moment, and then his eyes go wide.

"Oh, wow, an allosaurus!" César sounds excited, because wow, it looks amazing! "A real one!"