And with the sweat of your brow...

[bathymetric]

Fun Fact: Did you know that if the multiverse is real, there could be an almost infinite square mileage of completely unexplored ocean out there?

No reason.

...

You wake in one of 25 rooms with a sense of unease that doesn't quite track with how nice the accommodations are. Maybe it has something to do with the giant window leading out to the sea. The temperature is low, which might make you wish you had woken up under the luxurious covers instead of atop them. The lights, too, are low. But next to your bed is a small personal radio, and it's playing a song for you. There's also a small note printed on folded cardstock next to it.

Dear Prospective Citizen,

Welcome to the Helios Suites at New Rapture. The time should currently be 12:00 PM. Please take a moment to get your bearings and become acquainted with your new environment, then meet in the hotel lobby at 1:30 PM sharp for an orientation with Mayor Fontaine.

With only that for guidance, there's only the one thing to do: get out there and start exploring... well, it's hardly a full city, but it's something! And in the halls (or on the wall of your suite or the lobby), you very well may find up to 24 other captives.

What you do until your meeting with Mayor Fontaine, well... that's up to you. Every room certainly gives you something to talk about.

Comments

[timegazer]

[Adaman is a simple kind of guy, all things considered. He usually knows where he is and how on Almighty Sinnoh's green earth that he managed to get here, but he has to say; waking up in a place so unlike all he's known after giving Melli a wakeup call isn't exactly how Adaman expected his day to go in the slightest.

As Adaman exits Suite 4, there is a great sense of unease about him. A whole lot of nervous energy as he walks about, looking all around and generally doesn't seem to be inclined to stay in one place for very long. Pacing, really.]

What kind of place on Almighty Sinnoh's earth is this...

[Give him. A little bit to adjust, this is all so much.

At any rate, though, he'll eventually leave the suite and travel around various places--the lobby, in particular, seems to catch his interest. It's quite lavish, it's more than Adaman has ever seen, it's...

Well, if he happens to see you, some of the nervous energy dissipates from Adaman as he gives you a kind grin, and walks over. Hope you don't mind the company!]

Oho! So it would seem that there are more people here after all. [He uses a thumb to point at some of the more...tacky decor.] Tell me, have you found anything interesting, looking around this place? Or perhaps you have an explanation for why this place looks so...

[...]

Well, it seems like a waste of perfectly good material and time making it, when it doesn't even look that good in the first place!

[Adaman's laugh is jovial, but he at least seems to be trying his best to be at ease? He's. Doing something at least.

Of course, you might just also find him poking around anywhere in general--feel free to pick a place for him to pop up, and let's be honest, he'll be there kind of turning it upside down trying to find some kind of way out! Someone please tell him not to make so much of a mess--]

suite 4

[allatonce]

Sinnoh. Huh. I don't know that one.

[It's said almost to herself, but then Joy seems to remember that other people can hear her? Or something, because she looks up.]

Sorry, I'm not used to talking to other people any more. I'm Joy.

[timegazer]

Hm--?

[Adaman turns from his (admittedly rather fervent) pacing, and once he sees Joy, there's something of an instant shift. Relaxing of his posture, namely, and something of a warm smile crosses his face. The words are concerning, but all things considered he doesn't seem suspicious...?]

You do not know of Almighty Sinnoh? I suppose you must come from a faraway land indeed. [There's nothing derisive in Adaman's tone, though, when he says that, gesturing to the air a bit with a smile.] But that is quite alright! You can call me Adaman; it's great to meet you!

But tell me, what do you mean by unused to talking to other people? [Adaman's head tilts.] Do you live here? Are we among the first to fall into this rift...?

[allatonce]

You fell through a rift?

[She seems to perk up immediately. You know that way a person's whole demeanor changes when they suddenly sense a topic change that they're really comfortable with? Yeah. That's the way she's acting about this hint of multiversal talk.]

Sorry, I'm Joy. The... where I'm from is really, uh. Post-apocalyptic, so I don't talk to people a lot.

[She's gonna have to ask about Sinnoh later, though. Pin in that.]

suite 4

[onemillion]

[...What is a Sinnoh. You know what, that's probably not the point and Rossiu isn't going to get distracted by it.]

I'm wondering that as well. It isn't familiar at all, and I have no recollection of agreeing to come to a place like this.

[Which he wouldn't have done in the first place so like ????]

[timegazer]

[i mean if rossiu really wants to know adaman will be glad to talk about it at length--

Either way, Adaman turns from his rather fervent pacing to face Rossiu, and a grin crosses his expression. Ah, another stranger in this strange place. Better than waking up alone, at least!]

That is curious, but our circumstances are the same then, stranger. [Adaman nods his head.] Curious indeed. I can only wonder just what sort of rift may have taken us all away...

But there is something else I am curious about as well. [Adaman looks Rossiu over, tip to toe for a moment.] Are you familiar with a land known as Hisui?

[onemillion]

[A rift...? Well, Rossiu leaves that alone for now and instead focuses on the question.]

Hisui? No, I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with it.

[Considering how often he's stared at maps studying the known underground villages, it does seem unlikely he could miss something like that... but there's always the possibility that he's wrong.]

That's where you're from?

suite 4

[withagun]

[ Hodaka is inclined to give Adaman space. He doesn't know him, after all, and he looks to be...like, some kind of cosplayer for an anime he's never seen? But as he slinks out of his room, he can't help but notice the pacing, the general nervous energy, and it draws his eyes. As a result, he's left sort of staring as he drips on the tile, the very picture of a suspicious youth with his cuts and scrapes and bruises and one wrist handcuffed. Not that he realizes this, he's just watching, wide-eyed like a cat, until—

Oh. The instant Adaman glances in his direction, Hodaka freezes up, also much like a cat. Maybe, if he's very, very still...he won't be acknowledged. ]

[timegazer]

[It's slowly becoming obvious that there isn't a way out--at least, in this very room. No strange rift, nothing that would imply that this is a trick from some kind of Pokémon...it's curious. Curious indeed, and truth be told, Adaman doesn't like it. He's already wasting time as it is fruitlessly searching, but perhaps he ought to bark up a different tree instead. Almighty Sinnoh would certainly never forgive this--

It's when Adaman is turning around, that he catches Hodaka staring at him--and more importantly, he catches Hodaka freezing up. As Adaman looks him over, quick and curious, he doesn't...quite ease as he's done with others; no, if anything he starts to walk over to Hodaka, looking him over with a slightly surprised look--]

Well, hello to you as well! [Just kind of. Looking Hodaka over for a moment, good lord boy did you not go gentle into this rift--] Are you alright? You look like you didn't come into this rift as gently as some...

[withagun]

[ Oh no. Oh no he's not just looking, he's approaching— ]

Hhuh— ? Oh- no, no, this was- I was like this, before.

[ Yeah, like that makes it all hunky dory. Hodaka swallows. ]

What...rift?

Lobby

[pairtner]

[Aiba had barely managed to project herself into Adaman's eyes and moved to talk to him, when he asked the question. Oh, good, someone is considering stuff. That's always a relief. Aiba hopes nobody at all will go with the flow]

The entire area is full of points of interest, from the name of our suites to the strange state of abandon. Consider narrowing down what you wish to talk about.

[She's not talking to Date but she figures she can be nice and give advice if it's needed, yup. They're all in the same situation, after all]

[timegazer]

[Adaman has to blink back a little for a moment--he can only assume that he saw some sort of trick of the light for a moment, but then, all of the sudden, here is an interesting sort of woman indeed.]

Aha! Well, you aren't one to waste time; I like that. [Adaman's expression doesn't quite ease, but his body language relaxes a bit as he looks around the room...before pointing to the profiles, tilting his head.] What do you make of all of these, then? They seem quite detailed, but I must confess, some of the information on here...it seems rather unusual.

[...like how are you 5, Aiba explain--]

[pairtner]

The majority of the profiles are plausible and seem to be accurate, as far as I can tell. The physical information such as height for everyone I have met is correct.

But it seems some of those with more unusual information are cagey about explaining what it means. There might be a reason for the secrecy. It would be odd to write nonsense about a few of us, so I'm inclined to think it's all true.

[She's talking about Nandor and the such, and apparently doesn't realize that fits herself as well, haha]

lobby

[dullshooter]

Buddy, if this is your first experience of tackiness in the name of excess, then I've got bad news for you. [He sweeps his arm across the horizon.] It's only downhill from here.

[timegazer]

[...Oh holy shit, sir, what are you.]

Ha! Well. I must admit that Hisui's culture is not one of excess; it is not something that we are accustomed to in our land. We make due with what we have, and what we have is usually shared among our people...this is quite the shock indeed.

[...Okay no, he's gotta ask--]

I must say, I have never seen a... [He takes a moment to consider how to word this. Only a moment.] ...Being, quite like yourself, before! Might I ask what you are? Are you some sort of Pokémon...?

[IS THIS SOME NEW MAGNEZONE FORM HE'S NOT YET AWARE OF]

[dullshooter]

Huh?

[Misfire raises an eyebrow, tilts his head.]

No…? Or - maybe? Yes? Depends, if that’s some kind of specific thing or another name for ‘mechanical life form’ -

[His face, currently, is just ‘??????’]

You know what? Let’s make this easier. Less complicated. Skip out on all the cultural guesswork. [He steeples both forefingers together, then points them at Adaman.] What’s a ‘Pokémon’?

lobby

[inaclearing]

[This guy's got a definite Look, doesn't he? But he's one of the more ordinary people Brett has seen walking the halls around here, so he's happy to be approached.]

I think it must have been set up by someone with too much money and time on their hands. Who else would do something like this?

[Which leads to a rather more sobering point:]

You've seen the rules on the walls, right?

[timegazer]

[Ah--this one is an interesting one, it seems. Plain looking, but sort of like one of the girls he met in the suites...but if nothing else, Adaman seems to ease from such words, laughing easily.]

Aha! Well spoken, stranger. Truly, the person in charge of all of this should face great punishment for wasting the valuable time granted to them by almighty Sinnoh, if this is what they have to show for it. It's quite laughable!

[The next words, though...that actually gives Adaman a pause. He admittedly hasn't given this room such thorough inspection, but...]

I...have not; not yet, at any rate. [Adaman's posture goes a touch tense, at that.] ...I take it that it would be quite prudent to read them, then? I take it to mean that they have expectancies of us that are unfavorable.

[He will. Go over and give them a read in a moment, but he is kind of just trying to steel himself here. Best to be prepared, right?]

[inaclearing]

[The almighty Sinnoh? Brett's immediately curious - but then Adaman asks about the rules, and that's far more important.]

You could say that. [...] I can summarize, if you want?

lobby

[prompocalypse]

[She huffs a laugh.] Oh, thank god, if I had to listen to one more person talk about how fancy and cool it all looks, I might have bashed my head against the wall.

[She gives him a wave of her hand and looks around, specifically at the profiles on the walls.]

It's a lot of work, right? All of this is. I guess I just don't see the point.

[timegazer]

[...You know what, that actually manages to get a laugh out of him. Bless your blunt honesty, okay.]

Nor do I, all be told. Whoever controls this strange place seems to have gone to a lot of trouble, and for what end? I am quite simply starting to hit my wits end in attempting to understand...

[Despite it all, though, Adaman is doing his best to put on a good face.]

Or attempting to find a way out of this place for us all. If only to spare us further sight of the misuse of almighty Sinnoh's time. [Still, his head tilts in consideration.] Have you managed to find anything interesting?

[prompocalypse]

[The somewhat formal and stilted way of his speech makes her quirk a smile, whether it's to resist the urge to laugh at him or not, who can say. She's met all kinds while traveling so she is at least aware that Solace is actually the odd one out.]

Not much, yet. I'm not going to like, drive myself crazy looking for clues on our first day. Who knows, maybe some plucky rebel party will come and storm this place. Or some of our friends from our own world.

But I'll probably do a more thorough check if we're still here come tomorrow with the game intact.

[She cocks her head.]

Shinnoh's your god, I'm guessing? [He does sort of give off paladin vibes.]

lobby

[howveryglib]

[...yeah like.

he likes things lookin' cool, but...]

Those prone to excess will very frequently overindulge in excess. Admittedly, 'tis not the sort of look I would have expected from a place of this sort...

[timegazer]

[Oh...this one looks like an intimidating customer. Nevertheless, though, Adaman nods his head a bit.]

It's a strange concept, truly. But perhaps that is due to not being so used to excess; usually we make due with what we have, where I come from. But I do see where it could lead to such things...

[Though, he seems rather annoyed with it.]

Truly, if they've been given this much by almighty Sinnoh's blessing, to see it wasted so frivolously and...garishly, it truly puts a bad taste in my mouth.

But truly, I agree. Though much about this place is unexpected; how did they get all of this under...what appears to be water?

[howveryglib]

...they are natural processes, not anything worth attributing to any sort of "god."

[he is so fucking done with gods. all of them. but there are more pressing matters.]

Regardless, I am sure it is an impressive work of engineering. I do not know if anyone of the present age would be able to create something like this, but it does not seem out of the realm of possibility for Allag or some other civilization from ages past.