COMMENCE VOYAGE

[bathymetric]

Fun Fact: Did you know the Atlantic Ocean has a surface area of 41.1 million square miles? No reason.

...

There's something uneasy in the air as you come to.

Well, "come to" is an interesting word in this case. It implies waking up, which is not exactly what happens. None of you are in beds, nor are you really asleep in the traditional sense. One moment you're somewhere else, doing something else with your time, and the next? You're somewhere on board a massive cruise ship - maybe lounging on a deck chair by the pool, maybe getting some Gains in the exercise room, maybe enjoying the tasteful décor in the buffet - and you have no idea how you got here or how you might get back. This is not your beautiful house. If you have a beautiful wife, she isn't here.

What you do have, apart from 25 other unlucky souls, is a small smartphone-like device in your pocket with only a handful of things on it: a clock reading 11PM, a pdf of a ticket in your name on a special Atlantic Liners New Year's Eve Cruise, an app labeled Passenger Profiles with some basic information on your traveling companions, and a message:

Welcome aboard, passenger! Please feel free to partake of any of the facilities while you wait for the big event! Remember: when midnight comes, you better make your way to the theatre at the back of Level 1 for the main event! The Captain and the First Mate will be there to take care of you all personally, and to help you ring in the new year in style!

Well, that's a start. But what you do until then, it seems, is up to you!

Comments

[wheremst]

[ Carmen comes to in the vending machine room, mid-bite on a pre-packaged pastry she promptly chokes on for a minute. ]

Player? ... Player?

[ She brings a hand up to her ear, and finds... nothing. Okay. Normal things. She takes another bite of pastry, while she's here. ]

Okay, this is not normal.

[ She then goes on to look through the whole ship, searching for... something? In particular, she appears to be looking for logos and branding on anything.

Or, if she sees someone around: ]

Hey, did you sign up for this cruise voluntarily?

[oceangirlfriend]

I did not. I didn't even enter a raffle for tickets of any sort.

[wheremst]

Hm.

[ She looks at... some object nearby. ]

You haven't seen any weird greenish Vs on things anywhere, have you?

[oceangirlfriend]

[Adeline shakes her head.] I haven't. Is that the symbol of some villainous team from your home region?

whole ship - library

[scouserer]

[Constantine can be found in the library, inspecting the shelves for any hidden compartments or secrets.]

Of course I'd willingly consent to being kidnapped and having all my belongings filched--wouldn't you?

[If it wasn't clear, he's being sarcastic. He runs a finger across one of the book spines--Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar--and looks back towards Carmen.]

You ask me, it's better to just wait and see what the captain has to say.

[wheremst]

[ You know, it's a fair point to say that question was stupid. Cool jacket club meeting one is already off to a rollicking start. Carmen sighs. ]

I guess so. You... get kidnapped a lot? You seem calmer that I'd expect.

[scouserer]

Let's just say I've got a running list of enemies who've either already tried once or would love to try it.

[Cool jacket club probably needs more than two members. He crosses his arms, leaning against the shelf.]

I wouldn't worry too much--yet. It's clear that if they wanted to kill us, they would've done so already. Takes a lot of effort to round up a lot of people onto a ship like this.

whole ship

[paucipan]

[Congrats, Carmen, you'll be finding Plumeria out by the deck and staring out into the sea like it's wronged her. When Plumeria turns, it's with a bit of a sour, contorted expression, but--]

No? Absolutely not. As if I would willingly fraternize with a bunch of filthy human excess?

[...Jesus christmas, Plumeria.]

I'd be surprised if anyone did.

[wheremst]

[ Well damn, girl, that's one hell of a thing to lead with, alright. ]

I... guess? I mean apart from the kidnapping, it is just a cruise ship.

[paucipan]

...You're deeply clueless.

[i am legitimately sorry, have i said this enough yet]

Cruise ship or not, I'm not supposed to be here. And certainly not with a bunch of filthy humans--that these freaks even managed to whisk me away from Dökkálfheimr is concerning enough.

[To say nothing of her Lady, but this human doesn't need to know that.]

[cethflayn]

[Hm, don't know who you are, but that's a very good question considering the situation.]

No, I did not. Did you?

[wheremst]

Nope.

[ What a thing this is!! ]

And I'm really hoping we dock somewhere soon, because I was kind of in the middle of something that was really not this.

[cethflayn]

So was I...were we all doing something different before we arrived here?

[That's not super descriptive, but-]

I had only went to sit down, and I blinked, and I was here. Was it much the same for you?

[hellahighwater]

[ Chloe shrugs. ]

No, but... I don't think in my situation that's really all that weird?

[wheremst]

[ Well, that's... closer to a lead than anyone else has been able to give her. ]

Yeah? How so?

[hellahighwater]

[ ...Oh wait, now she has to explain— ]

Okay so...I take it since you don't immediately know what I mean, you weren't...doing some high quality sci-fi shit right before all this?

whole ship;

[deathmagnetic]

No. Have you found anyone around who has said that they have?

[ A low chance, but if she's asking him, she's bound to have asked others or will do so after him. ]

[wheremst]

None yet. Or any members of the crew of the ship, or anyone other than the people on that VIP list.

[deathmagnetic]

How promising.

[ If anything it's stranger still regarding the situation with the crew. But maybe it's also entirely on purpose. ]

I doubt the crew can manage to hide themselves for long, however. This is a large ship that would require constant maintenance and vigilance from more than one individual.

the whole ship - library

[guffawsungraciously]

[He doesn't look away from the books to respond, but...]

As much as I was in the mood for a vacation before this, no. Furthermore, I remember being in the middle of something fairly important before arriving here.

[wheremst]

That's one thing a few people seem to have in common.

Vending Machines

[sharddrive]

Yeah, I hear they load those things with all kinds of preservatives, that CAN'T be normal.

[Also probably not normal, one very un-disguised robot trying to look as nonthreatening as possible.]

[wheremst]

Probably not, n-

[ Sees the robot hedgehog. Oh. ]

Okay, that's one point of evidence for me having fallen asleep on the plane.

the whole ship

[magycks]

[ I could try to transcribe the evil British laughter that bubbles up from the throat of this duck, but honestly, it works better just to say that she laughs, and it might be a bit ominous if this weren't a fucking duck in a dress standing next to a vending machine. ]

— Oh, you were actually being serious. No.

[wheremst]

[ She rolls her eyes. Like damn, okay, Countess Cleo's fursona- ]

I don't know, you seemed like you might be the cruise type.