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

[onemillion]

[Of all the things Rossiu was expecting, this is exactly none of them. He spends a long moment after waking up staring at the room in complete confusion and then he gets distracted by the radio for a moment before he finally makes his way out to see what exactly is going on here.

Rossiu heads out to the living area of suite 4... where he finds both the rules and the profiles. While his expression is as intense and stoic as ever, that doesn't mean he's taking this well. Once he notices your presence, he'll address you!]

Do you know what this place is or how we arrived here?

[Straight to business as usual. Though it doesn't quite sound like an interrogation, it's obvious he needs answers now.

Of course, he's not going to be getting any answers from his fellow captives, so later on you'll find Rossiu exploring. Thankfully he doesn't need any introduction to the concept of elevators, so you may come across him in the restaurant! His expression is definitely far more baffled now as he stares at the menu.]

This seems... excessive. What is the point of all of this?

[You've got murdergame rules but then a really nice restaurant with no-expenses-spared food?? Why. What's the point.

Or maybe you'll find him in the lobby, where he's actually focusing on the profiles this time as opposed to the rules. He's quiet as he studies them, but it definitely looks like he's going through them all. He'll nod once he notices your presence, but he's not going to speak up.]

suite 4

[allatonce]

Pretty sure my answer to that question and and everybody else's would be different.

[She lets out an amused huff.]

What's the last thing you remember?

[onemillion]

I was seeing my... friends off; they were undertaking a mission in space.

[Which is y'know. Not at the bottom of the ocean.]

You don't have any memories of arriving here either?

[allatonce]

Not really.

[She shrugs, turning to read over the profiles until her eye catches on her own.]

Oh, that's just rude.

suite 4

[bootyhunter]

[Instead of providing Rossiu with something of a reasonable answer, such as a theory regarding their arrival or an honest to god, "I don't know," Dandy chooses (verbal) violence-]

Damn.

You've got a big-ass forehead.

[onemillion]

[................wow it's like kamina all over again.]

Thank you for your valuable contribution.

[bootyhunter]

You could get surgery for that, you know!

[The statement is exhaled, a breath that he was almost unwilling to draw.]

If you're rich, anyway. Are you rich?

You look like you've got a shitload of dough! And a stick up you're butt, but who's askin'?

[DANDY...]

Restaurant

[pairtner]

It's quite luxurious, for something you do for prisoners. You would think you would be greeted with gruel and rice -- focused in providing only the minimum sustenance.

[A few tables away, Aiba finished reading the menu, memorizing it, but Rossiu sees her human form peeking from over his shoulder, as if she just read it from right behind him]

Re: Restaurant

[onemillion]

[He starts at that, but settles quickly. Hi, didn't see you there, that's a little spooky.]

My thoughts exactly. If the goal is to keep us prisoner, then such expensive measures are hardly necessary.

[Of course, that may not be the actual goal, but he wants to believe that the goal isn't "kill each other"...]

[pairtner]

[aiba the walking jumpscare awesome]

You should order some and see if this menu is accurate or if it's nothing more than deceit.

[Information is always good to have! Still, she didn't suggest eating it, just ordering some]

restaurant

[dullshooter]

[Misfire is also staring at the menu, also baffled, but probably for different reasons.]

Now, I'm no expert, but I'm gonna say 'sustenance'.

[onemillion]

[Huh. So the profiles really were accurate, there's a tiny gunmen here... who can talk........ this is So Much.]

Well... Yes, certainly, but it is much more expensive food than would be required solely for sustenance.

[dullshooter]

[Misfire looks around, hands on his hips.]

I'm getting the general vibe of this place being a show of how much money this Fortune [Not his name] guy's got. Makes sense that it'd apply to the food, too. Either that, or we're being pampered.

[Which is a pretty sweet deal for a kidnapping situation]

suite 4

[withagun]

[ In the face of a rather commanding presence, Hodaka finds himself frozen in place. ]

Uhhhhh.

[ He fidgets, the handcuff hanging from his left wrist clinking and clanging. Rain water runs down his arm and drips to the tile below.

Hodaka shakes his head. ]

No. Uh, no, sir.

[ He hasn't even read the profiles or rules yet. ]

[onemillion]

[Oh... Perhaps he was a little harsh... It's unfair to expect a civilian(?) to know what's going on here, right?]

My apologies. I wasn't expecting... any of this and I would like to determine what happened.

[His tone's softened, at least!!]

[withagun]

[ ...an apology? That seems to catch Hodaka more off-guard than anything else. All at once, he moves on instinct, bowing his head quickly once, twice, sending little droplets of water off his hair and...toward Rossiu. Oops. ]

N- no, no, it's- fine! More than fine! It's fine. Um. I just- don't have, uh, any information, that could help you, sir.

restaurant;

[vholran]

A valiant attempt to appease us for the kidnapping.

[ At least, that is his personal opinion. Which, you know, isn't quite enough to make up for stealing him away from something...important, but details. ]

[onemillion]

...I would say I can't see that working, but I suppose if they went through with all of this to begin with, I doubt they have much in the way of common sense.

[And then again, given some of the people we're stuck with... Hmm, no maybe they have half a point with this.]

[vholran]

It's clear that they do lack common sense.

[ Vholran will not praise them for their efforts, even if he too can imagine some might be at least a decent level of 'appeased' by the generous selection. ]

But, they'll be lacking something else by the end of this.

restaurant

[inaclearing]

Maybe they want to feel better about themselves. Like - sure, they've kidnapped us and locked us up here. They want us to murder each other. But at least they treat their captives well. They don't have to do that - they're being generous.

[Brett, from his tone, doesn't agree with this assessment himself. What does the food help? But he can imagine people thinking that way, especially the kind of people who can set up something so opulent in the first place.]

[onemillion]

I hadn't considered that.

[...Hmm. He doesn't like it!]

I suppose that is possible, and while it looks incredibly ridiculous from where we're standing... we can't exactly rule it out.

[Are their captors really that much of a disaster... yeah, probably tbh.]

[inaclearing]

Who sets something like this up in such a fancy hotel? Or at all? It's like The Most Dangerous Game.

[Which he references blithely, because while he's already figured out that they're all from weird alternate universes or something thanks to waking up to find a big talking robot in his living space - well, Brett hasn't fully digested all aspects of that!]

no one let rossiu eat (restaurant)

[daimakaicho]

Aside from the obvious, I think the excessiveness is the point of it. With as much effort as they've put into this place, skimping out on food choices wouldn't really be a great look.

[ Naturally, that's why she's here. There's probably some good stuff here, right? ]

no food for him......

[onemillion]

[There certainly are a lot of very fancy options!!!]

I suppose it does fit with the general appearance of the place. "Excessiveness" is a good way to put it. Perhaps the purpose is to flaunt their wealth...?

[daimakaicho]

[ There's a slight shrug. ]

Wouldn't you? When given as many resources as whoever built this place seems to have, humans are no stranger to showing off simply just for the sake of showing off.