WEEK 1

[bathymetric]

Happy New Year! ... You're still here. Looks like The Captain wasn't lying when he said the murdering is now up to you. That, or you can all live here on your own. Regardless, it's time to settle in. The days start passing much less eventfully after that first one, and, well... on it goes, huh?

There might not be a whole cruise ship to explore just yet, but there are a variety of amenities available to all of you! Who ever heard of a boring cruise ship, anyway? As the week goes on, you might even start to see some of those strange coins appear for you!

Better buckle down and get to know your fellow passengers, though, if you want to stand a chance of weathering this storm.



MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
FRIDAY | SATURDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to peace week! Feel free to mingle (and investigate, if you like) to your hearts' content! Please ensure all investigation toplevels are marked accordingly, and otherwise enjoy! If you wish to talk to The Captain or Davy Jones, look here for the former and here for the latter! ]

Comments

[thisaroma]

Well, yeah. [ pause ] You don't?

[ahelpingpaw]

[Filbo shrugs]

I know I don't have much in the ways of defending myself, but...it's not like I have done anything to warrant getting killed, right? As long as I can be helpful I don't see why I'd be targeted.

[It doesn't sound great when put it like that, and he knows it. Obviously he doesn't want other people to be targeted instead! And everything Filbo does comes from genuine good intentions and wanting to be helpful.

But still, he may be downplaying a little too much to himself why he's a more feasible target than other people on the ship. He's well aware of that, he just...is trying to not think about it. Helps sleep at night, you know]

[thisaroma]

[ Oof. ]

Buddy...

[ Setting aside his spear collection, he sighs, and places a hand on Filbo's shoulder. ]

I guess you haven't known things like us long enough to have learned this, but some of the things we're especially good at are targeting weak people we know won't fight back and treating anyone who's different from us like they aren't people at all. I mean, I'm not saying everyone's like that, but... there are lots of times where deserving it has nothing to do with it.

[ahelpingpaw]

[Filbo is silent for a moment. It's...hard to get it told to his face like that, but it's nothing he didn't already suspect. A tad foolish to try to look the other way, probably]

...I figured.

[He mutters that]

Trust me, I saw people were kinda...surprised, or maybe even weirded out? When I met them? Even you reacted like I was going to try to bite you or something. I'm not gonna say I didn't react the same to you all, because I wasn't sure what'd happen.

I have known all this time I'm one of the odd ones around here. It's rough, knowing you'd be a target for other people. I know.

[...]

But at the same time I just don't wanna live suspecting any of you is going to kill me. Because if I do, then...what am I even supposed to do with myself? At least by trying to go on alongside you all I'm actually doing something of use.

[...even though it may end in him getting killed. Good grief]

[thisaroma]

[ ...Well, better that it's conscious denial instead of a legitimate lack of knowledge. ]

Yeah, I get that.

[ He does. Which is why he's even been making the effort to communicate this point, when really, it works in his and Alice's favor any time someone else makes a more tempting target than they do. ]

It doesn't mean you can't still take a few precautions, though, right? Like... all right, maybe look at it this way. You were brought to this ship by some unknown power, and we're supposed to be in that... triangle thing. So when you're carrying around something to defend yourself, it's not to protect you from anyone you consider a friend here, but to protect you from whatever mysterious forces are floating around that might decide to take hold of someone and make them want to hurt you. Then you don't have to suspect us, exactly.

[ Even though you kind of should... ]

[ahelpingpaw]

That sounds kind of farfetched.

[Golly, Filbo, mince words a little next time, will you.]

But...I see your point, I really do. Thanks, Decus. I guess it's better to be told all this to my face.

[Seriously, thanks]

I'm not planning to die, but I also would like to do anything I can to help you all survive, so if there's anything you need just tell me and I'll do what I can.

[thisaroma]

[ look as someone who has been borderline possessed by a centurion's core before IT'S LESS FARFETCHED THAN YOU MIGHT THINK ]

Hey, no problem.

[ Odds of us both making survivor pool are probably terrible, but let's do our best!!! ]

And I'm pretty sure my only request will always be to help protect Alice if she ever needs it... though as her knight, hopefully I'll always be able to fulfill that on my own.

[ahelpingpaw]

Of course! I'll help you with that, although...I don't think she likes me that much, anyway.

[Not that it'll stop Filbo from helping protect Alice, but still, he can tell Alice doesn't exactly hold Filbo in high esteem. Or Decus, he thinks]

[thisaroma]

Oh, that's fine, she's like that with most people.

[ In that... she thinks most people are trash... ]

[ahelpingpaw]

[An abrasive person, alright then]

Oh, right! She told me you found her before I did! Nice job with that. And then she, um...

[...say, a bit of a question:]

Does she know about...you know...about what you think of her? I didn't say any of it because it's really embarrassing to be saying that stuff to somebody I don't even know, but does she know?

[Because she sure didn't see very pleased when Filbo mentioned Decus, and also she called him her slave, which kind of has Filbo concerned. Everything okay in paradise, Decus?]

[thisaroma]

Of course, I tell her every chance I get!

[ She doesn't actually like when he does that, and she's said before that she doesn't trust anyone including him... but he sure does his best to prove himself every day. ]

[ahelpingpaw]

[Huh. Maybe that's what's going on. Maybe the reason why she was already dreading what Decus said is because...]

Maybe you're coming onto her too strongly.

[Yup, that. Still, don't get involved into other people's relationships, Filbo, you're not exactly a romance guru]

[thisaroma]

[ IT'S A REASONABLE POINT TO MAKE but ]

I've heard that before, but I can't just pretend to care about her less than I do. And I still think it's important for her to know she has someone she can count on. If I say it enough times I'm sure she'll believe it eventually.

[ahelpingpaw]

...I think she believes it already. I don't remember exactly what she said, but she pretty much made clear she wants and expects you to be by her side for a very long time. That's got to be a sign she believes you care about her, right?

[Yup, he's definitely not saying she called Decus her slave. Still...this can't be healthy, thinks Filbo]

[thisaroma]

[ He already told her he'd be happy being her slave, so it's... fine......??? (unsure) ]

She said she wants me there?

[ahelpingpaw]

Something like that. [It's all in the implications!] You better know what you're doing, though, because she seems like...a tough person to be with.

[TO PUT IT LIGHTLY goddamn Filbo is pretty much twisting himself in knots trying to be tactful]

[thisaroma]

Mm, I've known her for over a decade now. It might look that way, but every minute we've spent together is one I've cherished.

[ahelpingpaw]

Really? Then you're childhood friends?

[He's not 100% sure if less than 14 is still considered a child by human standards, but still! Maybe it does]

[thisaroma]

Sort of?

[ Not in the cute, idyllic sense, anyway. ]

We were in the same orphanage together for a couple of years. I stuck around with her after we left, and eventually we joined the Vanguard together.

[ahelpingpaw]

[Oh, that definitely isn't the cute idyllic sense, but still...these two have been together for a long while, it seems. That's plenty of time for Decus to see something about Alice nobody else does, Filbo figures. Maybe he really does know what he's doing, going after someone like her.

But still...goodness, Decus, are you really, really, really sure about it]

I dunno Alice that well, but she doesn't seem like the kinda person that'd want to have someone near her unless that person really is worth it, one way or another -- and you have been around her for more than ten years!

[Well, that's quite the optimistic way of looking at it, Filbo]