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

Suite 2

[kninja]

[Was Obi about to shove a snack from the kitchenette into his face? Maybe. That doesn't matter in the face of this new, loudly and suddenly presented information. "Information."]

Atlan-wha? Wait, never mind. You know where this is, then?

[sixthnonsense]

[Finally, a kind soul who will actually believe his bullshit.]

Not like, exact location or anything, but Atlantis is a city that sunk a loooong time ago and no one's been able to find it since! A lot of people say it never existed in the first place!

[His tone gets all conspiratorial.]

But that's just what they want you to think! Clearly someone found it and repurposed it into what we're seeing now! And they're probably looking to utilize the wealth of mystical power said to dwell within the city!

[kninja]

[...Okay. That all sounds profoundly fake, but Obi's not gonna question it at this juncture. It's not like a city existing under the sea is any more impossible than, y'know, suddenly finding yourself existing in a city under the sea, so sure, why not. The important thing here is--]

Well, if it sunk, do you know what body of water it sunk into? That's a starting point, right?

[Just. Not gonna address the whole "mystical power" thing.]

[sixthnonsense]

That's true! Okay... It's said to be somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Which is like, nowhere near where I was last. What about you?

[kninja]

...Nnno, I wasn't near any ocean. [A beat.] Where exactly is this Atlantic Ocean of yours?

[sixthnonsense]

...huh?

[Surely he didn't hear this guy correctly, right? Not knowing where the Atlantic Ocean is?]

[kninja]

[Yeah, uh.]

I've traveled all over Fortisia. Never heard of it.

[sixthnonsense]

[UHHH.]

And I've never heard of that. The heck is going on here?

[kninja]

Hang on, we gotta get to the bottom of this. Where are you from?

[sixthnonsense]

[At least Obi is staying calm here because Hagakure is so confused.]

Ja...pan...? The continent of Asia? Earth??

[IS ATLANTIS ACTUALLY IN ANOTHER DIMENSION ALTOGETHER.]

[kninja]

Riiiight. Okay. Well, last I remember, I was in a city called Lilias in the kingdom of Clarines, and I get the feeling that doesn't clarify anything for you, either.

[After a pause, he finally puts his cracker in his mouth and chews. No sense trying to puzzle this one out on an empty stomach.]

[sixthnonsense]

Sure doesn't...

[His eyes land on the cracker before he realizes there's actually a kitchen with food in here.]

At least there's food again, I guess... Got any more of those over there?

[kninja]

Uh-humfh.

[--He says with his mouth full, handing over a box of saltine packets.]

'Ey're awwight.

[sixthnonsense]

Thanks!

[He fishes out a packet and munches away at some crackers of his own.]

Mmph. 'ea, weast e'yre not stawew.

[And this conversation just got incomprehensible for a moment. But once he's done...]

But yeah, I really got no clue what's going on with our geography problems here...guess there's way more layers to this kidnapping than I thought.

[kninja]

If a kidnapping's even what this is. It doesn't make any sense to kidnap me...

[At least, not when you factor in the company he'd been keeping.]

[sixthnonsense]

I mean, same... And yet this is the second time it's happened to me. I don't think they're very selective sometimes.

[kninja]

The second? Really? [Obi frowns a bit at that.] You sure you can't think of a reason you'd be a target?

[sixthnonsense]

[When Obi puts it like that, a look of dread appears on Hagakure's face.]

Nnnnnoooo...

[He says, obviously thinking of a reason now.]

[kninja]

[Bro.]

You know that kinda sounds like a "Yyyyyyeeeaaahhh," don't you?

[sixthnonsense]

L-Listen! I'm sure it's got nothing to do with the yakuza! They don't got enough money to take over Atlantis!!

[Nor would they do it just to kidnap this idiot, but that's another matter.]

[kninja]

[Bro.]

Hmmm? Sure you're sure. Am I supposed to know who these guys are, too, or is this another Alanta Ocean kinda deal?

[sixthnonsense]

The less you know, the better.

[HOW IS THIS HELPING.]

[kninja]

[B R O.]

You're making a seriously suspicious case for yourself, pal.

[sixthnonsense]

L-Listen- I know how bad it sounds, but you gotta hear me out! This had nothing to do with the first time I got kidnapped, so I'm really hoping it doesn't here either!!

[He is no less suspicious though.]

[kninja]

You know that's worse, right? You can hear how you're making it worse? There were two different reasons to kidnap you already?