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[ The fog gives away, and the floor rocks beneath you.
Where there was once an absence of light, there is suddenly crystal chandeliers. Glitz. Glamour. Cigarette smoke so thick that you might choke on it. The four of you sit at a table, the round kind with the pearly white table cloth. Around you, there is the clamor of forks and knives against fine china, flits of conversation that reach your ears. (For whatever reason, your table is empty. You haven't been served yet.) Whispers of 'which team do you favor' and 'certainly not that one' with less than subtle glances to where you all sit. Though as you glance at the other patrons, you may notice a few... oddities. Entirely golden eyeballs with no pupils. Small pairs of horns sprouting from their foreheads. Forked tongues and taloned hands. Though there are a few... human-seeming people about, always dressed better than the rest, best not make any assumptions.
And within you... a new, unfamiliar power lays dormant within each of your bodies. The feeling is still percolating. Not done cooking, if you would. You will understand what you are capable of soon enough.
In the center of your table, a beautiful, crisp envelope with its wax seal already broken. The note inside is simple:
To Our Honored Invited Guests,
We are pleased that you have accepted our invitation to this year's Dark Tournament. You have our word that your loved ones will be safe and sound as long as you comply with our time-honored tournament rules.
Please elect a Team Captain and decide on your Team Name before we reach shore.
A simple ballpoint pen, some shoddy thing that's had one side already chewed on, is left on the table.
As you get acclimated, you may all begin to speak amongst yourselves. You do all remember and yourselves, and each other. However, your memories are fuzzy—recalling them deeply leads to little white-outs, like when you stand too quickly and get dizzy.
Basically, you can't share any details about the graveyard or death or whatever DON'T DOXX STUFF but you can chat. This is a safe(?) space. ]
Where there was once an absence of light, there is suddenly crystal chandeliers. Glitz. Glamour. Cigarette smoke so thick that you might choke on it. The four of you sit at a table, the round kind with the pearly white table cloth. Around you, there is the clamor of forks and knives against fine china, flits of conversation that reach your ears. (For whatever reason, your table is empty. You haven't been served yet.) Whispers of 'which team do you favor' and 'certainly not that one' with less than subtle glances to where you all sit. Though as you glance at the other patrons, you may notice a few... oddities. Entirely golden eyeballs with no pupils. Small pairs of horns sprouting from their foreheads. Forked tongues and taloned hands. Though there are a few... human-seeming people about, always dressed better than the rest, best not make any assumptions.
And within you... a new, unfamiliar power lays dormant within each of your bodies. The feeling is still percolating. Not done cooking, if you would. You will understand what you are capable of soon enough.
In the center of your table, a beautiful, crisp envelope with its wax seal already broken. The note inside is simple:
To Our Honored Invited Guests,
We are pleased that you have accepted our invitation to this year's Dark Tournament. You have our word that your loved ones will be safe and sound as long as you comply with our time-honored tournament rules.
Please elect a Team Captain and decide on your Team Name before we reach shore.
A simple ballpoint pen, some shoddy thing that's had one side already chewed on, is left on the table.
As you get acclimated, you may all begin to speak amongst yourselves. You do all remember and yourselves, and each other. However, your memories are fuzzy—recalling them deeply leads to little white-outs, like when you stand too quickly and get dizzy.
Basically, you can't share any details about the graveyard or death or whatever DON'T DOXX STUFF but you can chat. This is a safe(?) space. ]
[I'm on the bus so i guess he's just :man_sitting: for now like hwhat]
Edited 2024-07-08 05:00 (UTC)
[ well i am not on the bus or hiding from hei so cloud is looking around the other three with a frown on his face, trying to think of why this is weird. unfortunately if he thinks too hard on fuzzy details he gets a headache, which he thinks is normal, because that is actually something that happens to him regularly. the only thing you should all note is that he looks around wildly for his sword and makes his face when he can't find it:
>:(
but also alright fine dumped in a random scenario with some people he hasn't seen in a while, shit happens, let's FOCUS UP IMMEDIATELY AND ACCEPT OUR FATE: ]
Sounds like we're not shoe-ins for winning whatever a dark tournament is. [ he is so good at listening in on people's conversations. this is canon. he's looking at instructions and just going over things so he's picking up the piece of paper ] ...Think we're gonna have to play along, but we need to try to figure out what the hell this is.
[ mouthing "team name" to himself like it's a curse ]
>:(
but also alright fine dumped in a random scenario with some people he hasn't seen in a while, shit happens, let's FOCUS UP IMMEDIATELY AND ACCEPT OUR FATE: ]
Sounds like we're not shoe-ins for winning whatever a dark tournament is. [ he is so good at listening in on people's conversations. this is canon. he's looking at instructions and just going over things so he's picking up the piece of paper ] ...Think we're gonna have to play along, but we need to try to figure out what the hell this is.
[ mouthing "team name" to himself like it's a curse ]
[ ...Great! He opens his eye and looks at all of this with the vaguest sense of disorientation. The noise of utensils against finest porcelain and china is familiar to him even though he hasn't heard it in a good while. And then he looks at the three people around him, and his gaze drops to the letter at the center, at least until Cloud picks it up instead. ]
Ah.
[ So it's his turn now. He doesn't question Cloud's and Aventurine's presence too much, because he's heard certain things and just assumes they're not real until further notice. ]
I'm getting pretty sick of tournament-style things.
[ Tilting his head a little bit. Team captain... who wants to be a team captain... ]
Ah.
[ So it's his turn now. He doesn't question Cloud's and Aventurine's presence too much, because he's heard certain things and just assumes they're not real until further notice. ]
I'm getting pretty sick of tournament-style things.
[ Tilting his head a little bit. Team captain... who wants to be a team captain... ]
[ There's a brief adjustment period where Aventurine notes the faces at the table, the other patrons, and their surroundings. What a strange occurrence. A small understanding begins to form in his head as he remembers some of the things he'd been told, though when he tries to recall the exact details, he just gets blasted in the brain.
Well, in any case, he reaches over to pluck the letter from Cloud's hands so he can take a closer look at it himself. This letter helps in zero ways, but may as well play along. ]
I nominate Kanda or Cloud for team captain.
[ Sorry, Daan, you are just too obvious of a choice. ]
Well, in any case, he reaches over to pluck the letter from Cloud's hands so he can take a closer look at it himself. This letter helps in zero ways, but may as well play along. ]
I nominate Kanda or Cloud for team captain.
[ Sorry, Daan, you are just too obvious of a choice. ]
[Similar to Cloud, once he's done dissociating, he immediately starts looking around for Mugen, and he looks severely displeased that he can't find it. Aventurine and Cloud being here--whether it's a dream, or a mind game, or something else entirely, that can wait until they get out of here to a safer location.
He's about to stand up and say he's going to go hunt down their weapons, but then Aventurine says his name and he has to pause and go ???]
Why.
He's about to stand up and say he's going to go hunt down their weapons, but then Aventurine says his name and he has to pause and go ???]
Why.
[ daan got the information so. can cloud do a tour of the room to find both its approximate size + any kind of exit, and if there is one see if he can confirm this boat life (can he get on deck and see where they are right now?)
if there isn't an obvious exit he can go through can he find windows ... to confirm boat life... ]
if there isn't an obvious exit he can go through can he find windows ... to confirm boat life... ]
[ briefly closes his eyes with a sigh as aventurine tests him once again. but also. yeah maybe not kanda. ]
... Since we need to nominate someone, I don't mind doing it, but maybe we should find out what we need a team captain for first before we start throwing names around.
... Since we need to nominate someone, I don't mind doing it, but maybe we should find out what we need a team captain for first before we start throwing names around.
[ there are smatterings throughout the nearest tables conversations! daan can eavesdrop...
one of them is talking about how the steak was prepared by an amateur. it's not nearly bloody enough. don't they know how to serve demons? if they won't let them eat humans, they could at least prepare a good alternative.
others are talking about betting pools on the tournament, which teams of are favored and which ones will likely be thrown out with the wash. there's also the team with humans on it, imagine how pitiful that display is bound to be.
another one still is talking about some experimentation they've heard whispers of. souls and bodies reanimated. they're quickly told to quiet down because that's not dinner conversation.
the last one doesn't know what caviar is. they're arguing about it. fish eggs? fish balls? fish poop? ]
one of them is talking about how the steak was prepared by an amateur. it's not nearly bloody enough. don't they know how to serve demons? if they won't let them eat humans, they could at least prepare a good alternative.
others are talking about betting pools on the tournament, which teams of are favored and which ones will likely be thrown out with the wash. there's also the team with humans on it, imagine how pitiful that display is bound to be.
another one still is talking about some experimentation they've heard whispers of. souls and bodies reanimated. they're quickly told to quiet down because that's not dinner conversation.
the last one doesn't know what caviar is. they're arguing about it. fish eggs? fish balls? fish poop? ]
[ He doesn't care, he never thought of himself as a leader anyway. ]
...Seems wise. Doesn't look like we have to stay seated until whatever this is begins. If you want to wander around... scope the area... might be smart. Take a moment to think of a "name" too.
[ Glancing off at the others milling about. ]
I might listen in on some conversation.
...Seems wise. Doesn't look like we have to stay seated until whatever this is begins. If you want to wander around... scope the area... might be smart. Take a moment to think of a "name" too.
[ Glancing off at the others milling about. ]
I might listen in on some conversation.
[ it's a fairly large room, the type you'd see for the dining hall of any cruise ship. have any of them been on a cruise before. this might be their first one, yay. :pleading_face:
there's a reasonable exits with the emergency signs indicating them and everything. but also like, if an emergency happened, where do you go... there's only water.... the deck would probably be its own investigation, but cloud will be able to see through the windows that it's quite dark outside. ]
there's a reasonable exits with the emergency signs indicating them and everything. but also like, if an emergency happened, where do you go... there's only water.... the deck would probably be its own investigation, but cloud will be able to see through the windows that it's quite dark outside. ]
[ Don't mind as Aventurine grabs this nasty ballpoint pen to fill in Cloud's name for team captain. ]
We can do two things at once. Doesn't a tournament sound interesting to you guys?
[ Neatly prints Cloud's name, then taps the pen against the table as he regards the space left blank for a team name. ]
Mr. Daan can check out the gossip while we come up with a name.
We can do two things at once. Doesn't a tournament sound interesting to you guys?
[ Neatly prints Cloud's name, then taps the pen against the table as he regards the space left blank for a team name. ]
Mr. Daan can check out the gossip while we come up with a name.
[ Interesting. He ignores the demon that doesn't know what caviar is. Although important to question whether this demon is eating the caviar despite wondering if it's fish balls and/or poop (this is not important).
Also how many of these other guests are there, like... so they're all sponsors, are we the only table in this place? How many of these demons are loitering around?
If he approaches a particular demon(s), will they seem judgmental or dismissive of him? If they seem amenable to conversation he'd like to strike up a casual one, asking them what team they favour and why, what's on the line for favouring a team. ]
Also how many of these other guests are there, like... so they're all sponsors, are we the only table in this place? How many of these demons are loitering around?
If he approaches a particular demon(s), will they seem judgmental or dismissive of him? If they seem amenable to conversation he'd like to strike up a casual one, asking them what team they favour and why, what's on the line for favouring a team. ]
Edited 2024-07-08 06:08 (UTC)
[I'm sorry he's uselessly wasting one of his chances to look for his and Cloud's swords. Are there any suspicious looking doors he can try to investigate? Or are they confiscated and on display somewhere? He does have 2% common sense so he's not going to get into a fistfight if someone tells him politely to knock it off but he also just does what he wants so he'll definitely start checking rooms if there are doors around.]
[Gets up and leaves to go look for swords
He figures this is fine because he won't leave their line of sight probably]
He figures this is fine because he won't leave their line of sight probably]
[ WATCHES AVENTURINE WRITE IN HIS NAME AND KANDA JUST LEAVE FOR SWORDS AND. well that's fair. he accepts this. ]
Just write whatever. Team name isn't the priority here. Daan's right. Let's try to gather as much info as we can before whatever we've been signed up for starts.
Just write whatever. Team name isn't the priority here. Daan's right. Let's try to gather as much info as we can before whatever we've been signed up for starts.
Edited 2024-07-08 06:04 (UTC)
[ this is not his first cruise and hopefully this one ends better than the last
night time at sea ... i have no idea what else to investigate so you know what he will exit the dining hall to go outside and try to see what he can see of the ocean and the deck and whatever else he can investigate while being outside, instead of monitoring kanda so he doesn't get in trouble like he should be ]
night time at sea ... i have no idea what else to investigate so you know what he will exit the dining hall to go outside and try to see what he can see of the ocean and the deck and whatever else he can investigate while being outside, instead of monitoring kanda so he doesn't get in trouble like he should be ]
[ i love you so much kanda your swords aren't here. there are no suspicious looking doors, simply the extremely normal doors to the outside and then the kitchen! this is the dining hall?
he will be told to get out of the kitchen—uh, rudely. they shoot him a dirty look and look like they want to spit at him but that's not unhygienic in the kitchen so they don't. ]
he will be told to get out of the kitchen—uh, rudely. they shoot him a dirty look and look like they want to spit at him but that's not unhygienic in the kitchen so they don't. ]
[ Aventurine would like to wander toward the kitchen area/anywhere the staff may be congregating. Can he overhear conversations? Would he be able to take aside a staff member who doesn't look too busy and ask them about this tournament, what it entails, who all these patrons are?
he's just a silly little guy who got a little too forgetful maybe he had too many drinks on this cruise oopsie. ]
he's just a silly little guy who got a little too forgetful maybe he had too many drinks on this cruise oopsie. ]
Just need to get it in before we "get to shore", elsewise we might be disqualified -- and given everything we've all experienced so far, we wouldn't want to see what that might entail, do we?
[ OK we can reconvene with our invest info in the next tag round maybe. He's gonna be doing his eavesdropping for a bit before leaving the table temporarily to go chat up some folk, you guys can leave early if you want. ]
[ OK we can reconvene with our invest info in the next tag round maybe. He's gonna be doing his eavesdropping for a bit before leaving the table temporarily to go chat up some folk, you guys can leave early if you want. ]
[HE CAN TELL THERE'S NO SOBA BASED ON THE FOOD AT THE OTHER TABLES IT'S FINE he comes back. He can't read bracket text so--]
I don't see our swords anywhere. [Tch]
I don't see our swords anywhere. [Tch]
Yeah, I figured. [ kanda gets a brief nod of thanks for looking for both swords though because. cloud also care about it. he stands up to follow daan because he can't read the meta text but he can be mega bossy ] I'm serious, whatever name for the team is fine so long as we've got something on there. I'm gonna try to see if there's anything that might tell us more about where we're at. You guys look around too.
[ he was elected leader but this is also just what he'd normally say. he defaults to it. ]
[ he was elected leader but this is also just what he'd normally say. he defaults to it. ]
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