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

[honeyedtea]

If nothing else... it wouldn't be impossible to convince them to help us, should we find the right person.

[ She knows better than anyone just how fickle maids and servants can be, after all. ]

But what sort of message would even garner a response, do you think?

[inaclearing]

"Is anyone there?"

[A pretty basic response. Brett thinks for a moment.]

Maybe if you just asked for a modification to a recipe, to start? The punchcard makes it seem like it's an automated system - if it is, it wouldn't be able to read requests.

[honeyedtea]

Something relatively simple, such as removing the sauce from a dish, or substituting an ingredient.

[ Easy enough for any maid or cook to do, but not something she can imagine a contraption like this being able to manage by itself. ]

And if there's a change, we can proceed assuming someone is managing things in person.

investigation....?

[inaclearing]

Yeah, exactly! Let's give it a shot.

[He wasn't looking at a menu himself, but he wanders over to snag another one.]

[honeyedtea]

[ And Mielle totters after him, at least willing to hop on the 'giving it a shot' train if nothing else. ]

What adjustments should we ask for? I suppose something we'd be able to take notice of as soon as it was delivered...

[inaclearing]

Maybe a substitution with the mushroom risotto? We can say we're allergic to mushrooms.

[honeyedtea]

That would be simple enough... And I imagine it would come through to us fairly quick.

[ She manages a tentative smile. ]

My, I'm becoming quite curious to see if our efforts will bear fruit.

[ it's not much, but being able to try something makes things just a little more tolerable. ]

[inaclearing]

Me too!

[Brett fills out the card, writing a note, and goes to submit it!]

Maybe if we ask nicely, they'll send up some ingredients. I wouldn't mind cooking something myself sometime.

[honeyedtea]

You can cook?

[ Mielle sounds, perhaps, a little more surprised than she should but then she gives a thoughtful 'hm'. ]

Oh, I suppose coming from where you do, it's something more and more people are doing for themselves...

[inaclearing]

Yeah. I wouldn't say I'm a great cook, but I eat out enough when I'm on the road - I'd rather have something homemade when I'm home.

[Ah! The risotto! It's...it's clearly still mushrooms, rip.]

Oh. [Brett picks up the fork to poke at it.] Well, that's disappointing.

[honeyedtea]

Oh...

[ Mielle deflates visibly. ]

I suppose we've been stopped in our tracks...

[inaclearing]

I can't believe it's actually automated.

[He pokes at the risotto; he didn't even really want this.]

Or someone's just ignoring us.

[honeyedtea]

Our alterations made no difference at all...

[ She peers down at the risotto, with a look as if it's personally offended her. ]

Or perhaps we were overheard? If there are living waitstaff tending to us, is it possible they were listening as we discussed what we planned to do?

[inaclearing]

That's possible...but if it's true, it means they don't want to be found. Maybe they never would have given us a sign.

[honeyedtea]

Or they're under orders to not reveal themselves to us under any circumstances...

[ Mielle sighs. ]

Surely there must be something we could do to confirm this.

[inaclearing]

Maybe if we had some cash to slip them. Or some other kind of bribe.

[honeyedtea]

I can't imagine what we could even try to bribe them with that's more appealing than whatever would have them at work in this miserable place...

[inaclearing]

From what I've found, a lot of the previous workers were probably prisoners. I think what we really have to outweigh are threats.

[honeyedtea]

[ Mielle shudders. ]

How horrible... at the very least, he must be holding their freedom above their heads, if not their lives.

[ And she knows from firsthand experience just how frightening that is. ]

But if that is the case... surely they would want to be our allies? They're just as much his captives as we are.

[inaclearing]

Maybe, if they thought we had a chance. But what do they know about us now?

[It'd probably take some convincing, he thinks. Assuming there is someone on the other end.]

[honeyedtea]

If nothing else, they should know it's wrong for all of us to be trapped here against our will – least of all with those dreadful 'rules' of his hanging over our heads. Would that not be enough to motivate them to help us...?

[inaclearing]

Maybe not, if they think they'd just be punished for it. Maybe they've been here a lot longer than we have.

[honeyedtea]

[ She's unable to suppress another shudder at the thought. ]

What a wretched place to be stuck for such a long time... we must make sure we put forth every effort to free ourselves as soon as we can.