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

[allatonce]

[Joy manages to catch the bobby pin as it flies out of the lock and laughs. It's not mean, more amused.]

Okay. She's your not-girlfriend, I get it. Hopefully you'll get to talk to her about you feelings soon—shit's scary, but...

[She pauses, and turns her attention back to picking the lock.]

... love's one of the few things that doesn't suck in the world.

[withagun]

[ He feels like his face is burning. Love...

But he's not going to deny it. That feels like it would be the worst thing he could possibly do. ]

Y-yeah. [ Hopefully soon. Hodaka tries to hold his arm still, now. It's the least he can do. ] I'd...just be okay knowing...if she's alright...

[allatonce]

[Normally she'd say something vaguely placating and then feel fine about that. The situation is weird enough that saying "I'm sure she's fine" feels... bad. So she doesn't.]

We'll find out. I don't know how, but we're gonna get through this together.

[The handcuff lock pops open.]

See? Already helping each other out.

[withagun]

[ A platitude would definitely be a misstep here. That's what adults always do. It's fine, and then dismiss it. Let themselves be ignorant, as someone else suffers.

But, she's not doing that right now, is she? Especially since his wrist is now free, leaving behind only a set of bruises. ]

Oh, wow. [ He turns his hand around. It's sore, a little, but not much. ] ...Thank you, miss. If- if there's anything to repay you, ah...

[ He's calling her miss but he's like half a foot taller than her, this is Hodaka-core. ]

[allatonce]

[Her instincts scream at her to downplay what she did, say that anyone would have. Make herself small and invisible, the way her mother raised her.

Instead, Joy pats his shoulder.]

I'll let you know, huh? My name's Joy, by the way. [She pauses.] I'll show you how to write it later, yeah?

[withagun]

[ And just like that, Hodaka's endeared. His cheeks flush, and he can't really hide that since she's so much shorter than him, but he manages a nervous smile. ]

Ah- okay. I'd...like that, Joy-san. I'm Hodaka.

[allatonce]

You can show me how to write yours too, then.

[Japanese people do that, right? She's pretty sure Japanese people use hanzi too, on account of sometimes she sees them in anime and tries to read them.]

And then I'll tell you how you'd say it in Chinese, if I can remember.

[withagun]

[ Judging from his little nod, that's a yes!! Were he not...kind of frazzled, he'd probably default to telling her what kanji to use—but ah, if she's talking about Chinese... Yeah, it'd sound completely different, to her.

Later Hodaka will realize she's not just speaking Japanese back to him and wonder about how weird that is. But for now, he's just grateful. ]

Ye- yeah. Yeah, okay. Sure. Definitely.

[allatonce]

[She thinks he's speaking English, so like... everyone's going through it here.]

For right now, though, let's go see if we can find out something about your not-girlfriend. Or a way out of here.

[Honestly? The former is more likely than the latter, but she's not about to say that to him.]

[withagun]

Ah- Pl-please just call her Hina-san...

[ Awww he's embarrassed. ]

[allatonce]

[She stifles a laugh. Oh, he's so smol. This is hers now. This is her new sibling and she's gonna be very angry if he dies.]

Okay. Let's go see if Hina-san is here.

[withagun]

[ Now why would anything like that happen? ]

Thank you, Joy-san.

[allatonce]

[idk ashley it's almost like one time you told me to take a nap and woke me up with BETRAYAL!! something something opened myself up to joy there's a glee joke in here somewhere]

No problem, Hodaka.

[withagun]

[ we're gonna be old and gray and you will still have not forgiven me huh-

That's all Hodaka has to say, it seems. Let this lapse into awkward silence- but maybe not that awkward? It could be a lot worse. That's what Hodaka eventually comes to realize.

It could be a lot worse. ]