Week 1

[bathymetric]

Good morning, New Rapture. A new day is dawning.

There may not be much light to differentiate the days here, but the lights of the part of the city you're in change enough by the clock that you can almost believe there's a sun somewhere. It looks like Mayor Fontaine has no intention of going back on his deal, and for the time being? You're all stuck here. But there's plenty to do, and... maybe not plenty to see, but there's enough. There's something, at any rate.

Especially if you're willing to look beyond the surface.

And if you spend enough time around others, you might find something neat!

No matter what, it's time to start getting to know your fellow captives. You might be here a while.




MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
FRIDAY | SATURDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to the first week of Unknown Seas Round 3! We're very excited to have you. Please make sure to mark any investigation toplevels accordingly, and you can reach either Mayor Fontaine or Eleanor for conversations! ]

Comments

pool

[withagun]

It smells like pool water to me.

[ Hi, Forrest. Thankfully, unlike when he showed up here, Hodaka doesn't look like he's taken a swim in the pool with his clothes on, as he has begrudgingly taken advantage of a tie-dye t-shirt and jeans. So he's not really keen on swimming in it either, it seems? But he's out here, peering into it. ]

Not that I've been to a lot of pools, but... That's probably what that is.

[visiblepattern]

[Good on you! You look decidedly less soaked today.

That said, eeeeeeeeeh...]

It smells like something Midori would put together... Clean, but not in a way I'd say is really natural...

[It smells like chemicals. That's what he's getting at.]

[withagun]

Well... I mean, yeah, that's probably just the chlorine.

[ ...Wait. ]

Do you...not know what chlorine is, Forrest-san?

[visiblepattern]

I'm afraid I don't... Is it common, in worlds such as this?

[He seems more curious about this than embarrassed at his lack of knowledge; after all, it's not like he could really have known any of this? Might as well learn!]

[withagun]

[ At first, Hodaka nods— and, then he hastily corrects: ] Well, I mean, I've never really been in one like this before, under the sea in a weirdly empty city with a fancy hotel, but, well, you know, in worlds with luxury hotels, I guess?

[ Thank you for clearing that up, bud. ]

They, ahhh- in all...man-made pools, where people can swim, it keeps things...clean? I think it's to keep it clean.

[visiblepattern]

Oh! It's for sanitary purposes, then...

[Still smells weird! But it's at least giving him less of a massive pause.]

If we're going to swim back where I came from, there are lakes and ponds for that... Interesting that people just make their own here.

[withagun]

Yeah!

[ Thank goodness Forrest isn't asking him how it works, because Hodaka has no clue. ]

I think it's...to build 'em in places that don't have places to swim? Like...a lot of the time they're at parks for kids, or...well, hotels, for relaxing.

[visiblepattern]

Oh! That would make sense, yes - and such a lovely use for them, besides.

[Swimming is fun! It's good to let people do it that aren't normally near a place to do so.]

Would you like to come in with me...? Though perhaps you should change clothes first, should you decide to.

[withagun]

[ Sheepishly, he scratches the back of his head. ]

Ahh, if I decided to jump in as is, I think some of the grown-ups would be a little annoyed at me...

Umm, I...guess so, though. You wouldn't mind?

[visiblepattern]

Of course not. If you don't want to change, I'm not going to insist.

[He at least moves to take the bathrobe off before making a move back toward the pool; the swim trunks he's been granted are a little...well. Color-wise at least they're on brand.]

[withagun]

[ Oh, the theme of the clothing here is radically strange, isn't it. Hodaka peers at the water, actually taking a moment to think this over. ]

...Mm, you know...soggy jeans aren't really fun. Especially if they're soaked all the way. [ He knows a thing or two about being completely soaked. ] I think... Yeah. I'll be right back, 'kay?

[visiblepattern]

Of course!

[...Yeah, the. The jeans weren't looking like they were going to be too fun, there, but he's also not really one to complain if people want to just jump in in their clothes.

...As for the general theme here, Forrest knows what modern swimwear is and he's perfectly fine in it, but he's going to think Velcro is absolute witchcraft. So says Fire Emblem.

Anyway, in the meantime he's going to kind of pick his way down the steps? He can swim a bit, or at least he won't drown immediately, but he's going to be staying near the shallower areas.]

[withagun]

[ So bikinis are normal, but Velcro is something from another world. Got it.

Hodaka doesn't take that long to get up to his room and back. A few minutes, tops. When he does return, however, he's got his towel wrapped around his waist and a pretty fierce frown. Coupled with the slight red tint to his face... Embarrassment? ]

I'm back... [ With little enthusiasm. ]

[visiblepattern]

[I mean this franchise is kind of a waifu simulator on top of everything else, so of course bikinis are normal.]

Oh! That's good - is everything all right?

[withagun]

Uhhh...

[ He kind of shuffles toward the pool. He's not very self-conscious about the various bruises his lack of shirt reveals—a few days old, healing, scattered on his chest and just one on his back—but he's very determined not to let the towel fall. ]

The trunks they gave me are...a little bit...

[ Garish. They're very garish. ]

[visiblepattern]

...Are they horrible.

[Like, you know, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING ELSE HERE.]

[withagun]

They're really horrible, Forrest-san.

[ That doesn't look like the face of someone who's going to laugh, however, so... With a heavy sigh, he drops the towel to reveal just the most neon swim trunks there ever were. ]

[visiblepattern]

[There is really only one thing to say to that, isn't there.]

Wow.

[He's never seen anything like that before? Like somewhere between this and the tie-dye he is learning all sorts of forbidden 90s knowledge.]

If we can manage to find suitable supplies somewhere, I'm going to make things to wear for people. I don't know what yet. But anything would be better than what we've been given.

[withagun]

[ As he dips a foot into the water—cold!—his eyebrows raise. ]

You can do that? I mean- I know people can do that, I just haven't met many who make their own clothes... Wow.

[visiblepattern]

I do! It's something I learned while I was growing up; I've always enjoyed it.

[He sounds pleased, though; it's a good topic, it seems.]

I tend to make women's clothes, but I could dress you like a boy if you preferred that. You don't really seem the skirt type.

[withagun]

[ A very sheepish expression. ]

Nnno, I, ah, don’t think I could really pull it off. [ He wonders… ] Did you…learn for any special reason?

[visiblepattern]

Oh - growing up, I had to live separately from my family for a while; they weren't able to visit me, and it wasn't safe for me to go to them. So I found myself bored, and quite often lonely. This gave me something to do with my time, and I found out I really loved it.

Besides, I like being adorable.

[withagun]

[ An awkward almost-laugh. ]

That's... Wow. I'm sorry, I didn't know. Are you... I mean, were you able to visit them, before?

[visiblepattern]

[His expression remains gentle; he doesn't seem bothered by any of this, it just is what it is.]

I've been able to spend far more time with them recently. It's been nice to have the opportunity to get to know them a bit better now.

[withagun]

[ Hodaka uses this opportunity to slip into the water fully. A little shiver’s easy to cover up, like that. ]

I…see. Well… That’s good. If it’s going well, you know?