week 0 - arrival

[vicedirector]

seven vices arrival ♫ saturday & sunday 36 players remaining You remember happening upon something awful and nauseating. What it was, precisely, is lost to you, but you have the instinctive feeling that by escaping from it, you've avoided something terrible. When you open your eyes, you find yourself laying in bed in a dark, dusty room, facing a digital alarm clock. Its face, reading 12:01, is one of the only sources of light in the room. The other comes from the window, shadows flickering about. Opening the blinds will reveal that it is nighttime, and what looks to be a massive bonfire has been lit in the street at the front of the building. A wooden talisman hangs around your neck, with one of seven symbols carved on the back. Attempting to take off the talisman will result in a wave of intense dread, and the all-too-familiar nausea. A brass key engraved with a unique room number lays on the bedside table beside the clock, as well. But you won't get any answers just sitting in your room all night. >Investigate? This is an open mingle for arrival in the town. Waking up just after midnight on Saturday, characters will have the weekend to explore and socialize before the plot begins. The profiles and IC rulebooks (both the personal ones and the public one at the chapel) have not been revealed/given out yet. The kitchen will still 'prepare' breakfast on these days, and the bonfire will burn continuously into the daytime. Per items: smaller items that a character could easily carry with them will be in their rooms. Animals and larger objects will either be waiting outside or in the hotel lobby. cast setting

Comments

[stupidly]

[He definitely doesn't seem surprised by the answer, so Break was likely right - Gilbert's known him for a long time, and this is one of the benefits(???) of getting to know the way Break thinks.

...Not that he doesn't have his own share of paranoia. He may find it difficult to pick out liars, but he's not as trusting as he once was.]

It's better not to be caught off guard, right? [SOLID LOGIC.] ...They'll reveal their hand soon enough, anyway. It isn't as if we can just be kept here indefinitely.

[crazily]

Precisely.

[ There's no chiming in his voice on that word, though Break's smile is definitely knowing. It's a very different setting (he assume), but the basics of subterfuge are always the same. They're both agents of Pandora, so this should be something they're experienced enough to handle.

He starts to lick the syrup off his fingers once he's finished up his piece of toast, though after that one, serious word, his tone at least lightens up quickly again. ]

Ah, by the way! When you're done cooking, would you mind walking with me around the place? I can at least trust you to help me get my bearings. I have a fairly good idea, but I would rather not be caught off guard, as you said.

[stupidly]

[Ah, Break. A constant even in this weirdass environment... Gilbert's so glad he can rely on someone so super unsketchy and dependable.

As for the request - "request" - it's not like he'd turn it down even if he had a reason.]

Mm— But there isn't a lot to see. [Just as a heads up. THE PLACE IS USELESS.] ...There's one thing, though. The edges of the town ends in a shadow that loops back from one side to the other.

[He assumes Break's probably already heard about it, but he also knows big shadowy abysses don't hold quite the same meaning to others as it does to them.]

[crazily]

Ah, yes... I overheard that.

[ But he had purposely stayed away too. More than most people, Break had a reason to fear such an abyss, so he didn't want to give any reason to be dragged back to one. That's an implicit understanding that the two of them have, since it's not hard to guess why the usually annoyingly inquisitive Break would stay away from such an oddity knowing his background.

With his fingers clean, he finally picks up his fork, but he pinches it between his fingers showily as he uses it to gesture towards Gilbert. ]

Did you sense anything strange about it? For how it would relate to us, I mean.

[ Because Break certainly has his suspicions. Considering his connection to Mad Hatter has been thoroughly blocked, he has his own guesses, but he'll go one piece at a time. ]

[stupidly]

[He's not surprised at all that Break had overhead it, and he would be more surprised if he had gone looking around, all things considered.

As for the question:]

I didn't sense anything at all. [WHICH BRINGS HIM TO HIS SECOND POINT, as per the one piece at a time thing.] ...I can't sense anything, though.

[Which would be vague to anyone else, but he knows Break will understand what he means. He casts a glance down to his own wrist, where his carcere is still kept, even if it's little more than a bizarre decoration now.]

[crazily]

Mmm, I was worried that was the case.

[ He stops twirling his fork so that he can continue to eat, though his expression has quickly shifted back to serious. Losing his connection to Mad Hatter wasn't something that Break felt a huge amount of loss over, since its application was very specific, and also something he wouldn't want to waste. But he had been hoping it was different for Gilbert, since Raven was much more useful. ]

It's as if summoning Mad Hatter has been sealed away again. [ He just got it back damn it... ]

[stupidly]

—Again?

[AND HERE WE GO down the dark road of "where am I and what is this"... Gilbert's brow furrows further still, and he looks away from the stove more fully this time. Did he miss something at some point... When was Mad Hatter sealed away the first time??]

[crazily]

[ Again, yes. Break misreads the tone here, and he thinks that Gilbert is making fun of him instead of being genuinely confused as to what Break means. His expression shifts to one of mild irritation, but it's only half serious. ]

Very funny. It wasn't like I intended for it to happen, thank you.

[stupidly]

[?!? WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN... Break could actually be referring to some other time he lost his contract with Mad Hatter, or-- maybe... it's just a weird Break... Break-ism??]

No one would intend for something like that to happen!

[Maybe he's just talking about the here and now, even. WHO KNOWS. Why is this a recurring problem to begin with...]

[crazily]

[ Break opens his mouth to retort, but before he does, a thought occurs to him, and his expression softens slightly. It's more like a physical "ah" of realization, since even if he's confused too, he feels the need to point out one thing here. ]

...You know, I do believe Oz would, if anyone.

[ smh oz ]

[stupidly]

—He isn't that reckless!

[That brief pause is very telling, though...]

[crazily]

[ That gets Break to laugh, at least. OH YOU, GILBERT. ]

Ha ha, that's what you'd like to think, at least~! That pause says it all.

[stupidly]

[HIS HEADACHE IS INCREASING EXPONENTIALLY!! He also has to resist the urge to flip bacon at Break because he knows his stupid anime blind ass will catch it anyway.]

I'm serious, Break! There's a limit to what even he would do.

["Even", ah, his confidence in Oz's lack of hooliganry is so inspiring.]

[crazily]

[ And in turn, Break just laughs like a hooligan... ]

Your faith is truly inspiring! But, well, I just can't agree. I can definitely see Oz purposely getting himself kidnapped~. Just with the right circumstances, you see.