Lunar Interlude 5 — Part 2

[balancemod]

FINALLY. NAVIGATION 1. IN THE NOT-SO DISTANCE: A TRAIN A. GET YOUR BOARDING PASSES READY As your friendly neighborhood interplanal technomancer mentioned earlier, a pocket dimension the Bureau of Balance had been using for storage got kind of ... well, infected is probably the most accurate word for it. And for a multitude of reasons, most of them for her own gain, Miss Zarves has unlocked the door and guided you toward the entrance. It's contained on one of the locked floors above your quarters on the Moon Base. And once you step through the entrance and get a load of what she's been yammering about ... boy. That is most definitely a hell of a train. It's parked at a single solitary station, the air both smells and exhudes a general sense of unease and steam, and the cars seem to stretch on into forever. Much like infected was the most accurate word earlier, "demonic" is probably what works best right now. Best steel yourself. And hang on tight to that diamond Miss Zarves told you to bring along (Dr. Tank is throwing a fit over having to dole them out, btw). You've got a director to fetch, after all. B. THE TRAIN'S CARS This bad boy (evil boy, demonic boy, whatever you're in the mood to refer to this thing that is definitely not Doomtrain (but probably is Doomtrain for those in the know)) comes equipped with the luxury status that befits its 5* Zagart rating. As you pull up to one of the many compartments, you'll notice that the landing zone is pretty much the same for every car that's currently parked at the station. Down the line, of course, you can't even make out the beginning or the end of this monstrosity, and as you touch the edifice (that is, if you're brazen enough to do so), you can can swear you feel a warm, beating sensation under the literal ton of steel facing you. The rules of this train ride of the impossible are written firmly on a neat placard across from the entrance way. Doors will remain locked until you agree to the ToS set forth by... well, who you can only assume is the Conductor. Decided to enter? Well, there's a lot to do here! Go be lazy somewhere else! ○ The Seating Cars. They're perfect for sitting in on long journeys. If you look outside the window you'll see neon lights swirling around in the distance. No matter where you go or what you do, it doesn't actually look like this train is going anywhere. You wouldn't want to go anywhere anyway, right? So just have a seat! You'll find yourself feeling pretty chill about sitting. So much so that it might be hard to get up. Thoughts just tend to slip away while you wait. And wait you will. Forever! Unless someone can snap you out of it. Loot table: Sleepy time tea set (a set of 6 teabags that when distilled and imbibed have the same effect of the Sleep spell), any book from your home world, a memento from someone you knew before coming to the Bureau, an unsolvable crossword puzzle ○ The Art Gallery Car. You've wound up in an empty car with paintings to your left and right. Some of these cars have portraits of stuffy old people watching you, wherever you go. When you pass one, you'll hear one of them say something incredibly insulting towards you that strikes a deep nerve within. Turn around to get a better look, and guess what? It's just a painting, what were you actually expecting? Other Art Gallery cars will show idyllic landscapes, that ripple when you touch the paint within them. Can you pass through to the other side? You certainly can. You'll notice that everything in these vast, barren wastelands contains ridiculous things that were once deposed of by the Bureau of Balance. One of them might have an industrial sized dump of old uniforms. You can see that Lucretia absolutely had a fashion designer come in and spruce up the digs. You'll find endless, and we really... really do mean endless fields of pizza sauce vats that sprawl entire pocket-within-pocket dimensions. Other ones will contain, as you guessed it, Fantasy Costco flyers. They're of varying quality. Entire pockets of failed machinery that was once met for the Bureau's sustaining devices on the moon are located here as well. If you can think it up, and it's garbage... there's a highly good chance that a painting can lead you here. The worst type of Art Gallery cars will let you enter a painting that spits you out on another side of the train. Or worse, commit you straight up into an MC Escher landscape of winding stairs leading to nowhere and are nearly impossible to escape out of. Even worse than that? Paintings that you step into that show you a complete reverse of everything on the other side. Colors, shapes, sizes- it's Picasso all the way down from here. At least it's fun to look at it, albeit mostly harmless. Loot table: Painting supplies, Blank canvases, Jars of pizza sauce (one tablespoon is as filling as a whole meal, 24 uses), Clothing already on your body but in complete color reversals ○ The Club Car. Eventually, you'll find your way to a car that's brimming with the sweet and sultry blues sound of the Runaway Five, a group wearing suits and neat hats that seem to play some of the best music you've heard in a while. Upon entering, you'll notice that your wardrobe has been redone into the flapper style of the 20s. This is one hell of a speakeasy. Take a load off, grab a drink, socialize. If you manage to get a word in with the Runaway Five, you'll find that the Devil Went Down to Neverwinter was quite a literal thing here. They might've sold their soul for fame, but for one and one night only, they're here to liven up the joint. Too bad this place seems to exist in a perpetual state of night. Oof. Be careful with who you make contracts with. Loot table: Music sheets, handheld musical instruments (ocarina, flute, kazoo, etc), one bottle of extremely potent alcohol, your flapper outfit ○ The Dining Car. Towards the front of the train... or what you can assume to be the front of the train, is a dining car that's absolutely disproportionate in every sense of the word. As you enter, you realize that you're about the size of a safety pin in comparison to everything else in the room. Giant swaths of cheese boards make walking on the moon look like an easy task. Goblets of wine can appear to be a hot tub of drunken goodness. Take a stroll on the pillowy soft landscape of the bread flatlands. And, eventually... make your way to a literal mountain of Jello. There's something dark and shadowy on the inside of it, if you'd like to get digging. Who knows what could be under there, though? Loot table: Weapons in the shape of utensils that never rust or dull, slices of cake that never seem to go bad, small jello pet that seems sentient and fits in the palm of your hand, a jalapeno pepper that when ingested allows you to breathe fire once ○ OOC/Etc. We're really open to seeing how you go wild with this log. Feel free to make up any sort of car you can imagine and throw it together. The key element here is leaning on the absurd, if you haven't gotten the idea yet, and we'll be keeping an eye out to see what you all end up creating on this hellish train ride to... well, you'll see. Notice that there are loot tables up there? Well, if you've read the ToS Agreement, you'll know you're allowed to take one item out of here. It's yours to keep! Lastly, if your party winds up truly lost and can't make heads or tails of the train (and even as you get to the very front, where you think the Conductor's car is, you'll eventually get sent back to the very first car on the train), you can always follow a mouse with a sign. It'll lead you on a maze of forward and back shenanigans until you find yourself... at the station where you began. Wait, was this thing ever actually moving!? C. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON At some point, though, assuming you don't get lost, you will approach a painting that is a chaotic mess of bright colors splashed across a dark black canvas. This is the last stop before you reach the Engine and, presumably, whoever it is actually conducting this thing. And considering all those other paintings you probably stumbled through on your way here, you know what to do with this one. The other side of the painting, at first, is pitch black. Then, like flashlights blinking on, a splash of color. Then, another. They spread out like a web to reveal an entire second Moon Base, contoured in neon lights. You're not going to find some Other Side Garfield running the Other Side Fantasy Costco (we don't want to torture you quite that much). But you will find that the layout of the domes, of the trees, of the buildings, is correct down to the last detail. And you're not going to find any other living creatures — you are going to find nothing but monsters. Art that melts off the wall and springs at you. If you happen to wander to where your room is supposed to be, you might find that the item that's most precious to you has suddenly sprouted limbs and is attempting to shatter your bones. Yes, you can fight the moonside version of Bender (we don't particularly recommend it, however! He's stationary and tough as nails — you can bypass him easily). If you wander down to the Voidfish tank, you'll find that the Voidfish itself has been replaced by a giant violin. You'll have to fight the violin, too. While all of this is happening, though, there is a voice booming through the entire neon base; a man speaking through invisible loudspeakers. He runs through the aforementioned Terms of Service, repeatedly, before his tone suddenly shifts, presumably addressing whoever has made it this far: Get out. Get out. Get out get out get out get out

Comments

FETCHING LUCRETIA

[balancemod]

If you'd like to have a shot at finding Lucretia amid all this nonsense, comment here! We will RNG two entries — one to locate Lucretia, and one to [redacted].

Whoever's selected may bring one or two pals along. You'll also net yourselves a gacha token.

Keep in mind that these teams will need help clearing out a path through the train! Even if you are not selected, Miss Zarves has promised you a reward for helping out.

We'll close signups on Saturday, August 17, at 6 p.m. EST, and draw two winners soon after.

[unrecovered]

Signing Wash up!

[protegge]

slams mista in here. slight preference for [redacted] if that matters because that sounds pretty painful.

[diffidentive]

signing shuichi up!

[gambolshroud]

Blake would like to try!

[ribticklers]

Signing Sans up!

if redacted involves miss zarves I double sign up

[feytality]

sounds like fun

[mccreehaw]

Signing up McCree!

[dialetheism]

what could pawsibly go wrong-

I mean, signing Lion up pls

[seasaltkeys]

Roxas is here to help!

[petsthedog]

signing shinji up!

[epistemologies]

also signing up battler!

[erlebnisse]

signs maki up bc why not

ota

[gambolshroud]

a. art appreciation

[Trains will always summon up painful memories for Blake, even after all this time, but this one is so strange that she doesn’t have time to dwell on it. The terms of service she’d been asked to consent to had been ludicrous, but all things considered— well, maybe she shouldn’t be expecting sense out of this particular caper. They’re here to do a job, and she intends to do her part.

It isn’t long before she finds her way to one of the cars that seems to serve as an art gallery. There are a few other Reclaimers nearby, she notes, keeping an eye on them through her peripheral vision just in case, but overall the car is quiet— until she hears a voice behind her.

”What ten-copper shop did you find those ears at?”

She frowns, turning on her heel towards the source. The insult itself is lacking, but it sounded like the voice had come from one of the…

No. No way.]

Ha ha, very funny.

[She turns back to head further down the car when another voice to her right adds:

”Well, I certainly thought so!”

She turns back, only to find herself almost nose-to-nose with a particularly stuffy-looking portrait of a knight.]

Did anyone else hear that?

b. railroad blues

[The music in the club car is catchy, but even without the wardrobe change that Blake suddenly finds herself going through upon her arrival, the whole thing feels out of place. Of course, she figures that might very well be the point, but as someone she doesn’t quite get a good look at puts a drink in her hand as they pass, she frowns and gives her glass a dubious look of consideration before she sets it aside on the nearest table.

Probably better not to trust it, and besides:]

We don’t really have time for this, do we?

[Directed to any and all fellow Reclaimers who might be allowing themselves a few moments of respite in this place, although the feather sticking out of her newly-acquired flapper hairpiece means she doesn’t appear anywhere near as no-nonsense as she would like.

The idea of taking a break is tempting, but…]

This thing is probably counting on us getting distracted and wasting time.

[They can’t give the Conductor what he wants— assuming he is the one responsible.]

c. dark side of the moon (closed to sun)

[If she’s going to find herself somewhere with monsters, it’s a relief to know she’s with someone she absolutely trusts to have her back.

The reverse moon base— or whatever they want to call it— manages to be haunting and eerie despite the bright neon lights, the sound of things moving unseen in the dark pricking at her ears as they go, closing in on what looks like the residential area. It’s so much like the place they’ve come to call home over the past several months, and yet not at all, and the rules being repeated over what sounds like a loudspeaker are recited in a way that makes her skin crawl for reasons she can’t really define.]

How long has this place been here? Do you think anyone—

[She stops as the disembodied voice shifts in tone, its message changing abruptly.

”Get out. Get out. Get out get out get out get out—”

Her brow furrows as she looks to her friend, pausing beside him. She reaches to put an arm out in front of him, encouraging him to pause his progress, as well.]

Someone really doesn’t want company.

B

[seasaltkeys]

[Roxas is used to suddenly changing outfits. It had happened a few times to Sora in the different worlds, courtesy of Donald's magic. He's a little surprised to see it here, but it's not much of a stretch. Though, the suit he's wearing is a lot nicer than anything else he's worn.]

Probably not. Is there a way back to another car?

How does all this even fit in here anyway?

Maki Harukawa | Danganronpa V3 | Cleric | OTA

[erlebnisse]

[A. Train Cars -- Club Car]

[This is it. This is her punishment for being curious. She should've just stayed in one spot and not moved, but after escaping the clutches of the seating car she'd thought it best to just keep moving.

And now she's in a deep red flapper dress in this car. There's even a feathery boa draped over her shoulders and the crook of her elbows.

Which, at least the dress is her signature red, so small blessing there, but really?? She looks down at herself, twisting this way and that to get a full view, then looks up towards the ceiling and asks for no one in particular:] Why is this place like this?

[B. Train Car -- Seating Room

[Maki isn't getting caught up in one of these things again, it's all a trap. She wouldn't have even stepped foot back in this room except somehow she'd gotten turned around and waltzed right back into it again.

She narrows her eyes, annoyed, and glances around before she spots someone who seems to be falling under the influence of the sleepy-time chairs.

Probably Maki should do something about that, right? She stands there for a couple seconds before sighing deeply and wandering over to the poor lost soul just trying to be comfy in their chair and...promptly just straight up shoves them out of it.]

You'll thank me later.

[Excuse??]

[C. Combat Ready]

[Maki was born ready for this. She doesn't particularly care about rescuing this Director or fighting the demon thing or...Whatever the hell it is they're supposed to really be doing over here, but she's got this.

She's got this a little too well, actually.

If one follows the sounds of fighting and screaming, one might happen upon the tailend of a battle, Maki taking down some monster or another with deadly grace and precision, backflipping away from a blow only to land her own finishing one.

All the while her expression doesn't change, stoic, almost bored. She's covered in blood, wiping her face off with the back of her hand and using a clean spot on her shirt to clean off the knife she has.

After a moment she goes and picks up a bloodied staff from the ground that... That's definitely a healer's staff. Hm.

Noticing an audience, she looks up, tensing, and eyeing them suspiciously.]

...Do you need me to heal you or something?

[Definitely a healer, apparently. She puts the knife away and tightens her grip on her staff.] Well?

[D. Combat 2 Electric Boogaloo]

[Oh no! Maki is in trouble! She's cornered! Whatever can be done to help this poor damsel in distress?

That's where you come in, kind, brave soul, swooping in to save her! And perhaps you do manage it, taking out the nasty monster trapping her in. Surely the gratitude will be worth it, the applause, the fawning--

Except said damsel in definitely-not-distress in staring at you like you just took her candy from her or something, an expression that seems to encompass annoyance, slight disgust, and a sense of 'why the FUCK'.]

You're an idiot. I didn't need your help. I had it where I wanted it.

[She doesn't seem the least bit traumatized or upset by any of this, least of all grateful for the rescue.]

[E. Wildcard!]

[Maybe Maki is rescuing your character from monsters instead, maybe she's trying to climb a literal mountain of cake and failing, who knows anything goes!! PP me or hit me up at ovals if you want to start something specific, or just hit me up here w/whatever and I'll roll w/it!]

b

[eastofeden]

[ Excuse?? is right. Aziraphale tumbles gracelessly to the floor, startled into full awareness as soon as he makes contact. He stumbles to his feet, brushing himself off, and gives Maki an offended, even wounded look. It isn't only that the chairs here are the most comfortable he'd found since he'd left London, or that he'd been calm and at peace. Sleeping still isn't something that comes naturally to him, even now that he needs it, and this had been the first time he'd been able to drift off without difficulty.

Now, of course, he's wide awake. ]

I beg your pardon!

[ He shakes himself, trying in vain to recover some of his dignity, and glares at her. ]

I most certainly will not. What do you think you're doing, young lady, pushing people out of their seats? Frightfully rude, I don't know what you were thinking.

[ He's already trying to move around her, to get back to his lovely soft seat. ]

Shuichi Saihara | ota | will match format

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi had had no intention of investigating the space above the dorms...mostly because he missed Ms. Zarves's post. All he wanted to do today was his homework and more plant research. But when Kaede showed up at his door and told him it was time to go find the director, how was he supposed to turn her down? Finding lost people is TECHNICALLY something he has experience with, and she DID bring a diamond for him so...he guesses it's time to go on a rescue mission, despite his misgivings.]

[Misgivings that only increase once they're actually up in the pocket dimension and staring down that demon train. This...this is an absolutely terrible idea and he really does not want to get on that train. But he already said he'd help, so there's no turning back now. Onto the train they go...]

a. Don't Get in a Flap
[Shuichi manages to move through the gallery and seating cars with little difficulty, though neither really yields any clues as far as the director's whereabouts. Mostly because there weren't many people in either to ask...pictures can't talk (or can they?) and it would be incredibly rude to wake people up from peace naps. The club car, however, is a completely different story. This one is full of people, making it an ideal place to truly start his investigation...once he gets over the mortification of his sudden wardrobe change, which takes a good minute or two.]

[Look sharp, stranger, you may find yourself approached by a slightly embarrassed-looking, soft-spoken girl(?) with a small notebook in hand:]

Uhm...excuse me? I don't mean to bother you, but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions...

[Or, perhaps you'll be the one to approach her(?), because not everyone in this speakeasy of perpetual night really cares about answering a detective's questions. Some of them definitely have other things on their minds, and with his androgynous features and soft, effeminate voice, Shuichi makes for a rather convincing girl in his slinky little flapper dress.]

L-let go of me! [He tries to wrench his wrist free of the drunken stranger's grasp, with minimal success.] I told you, I'm just t-trying to find someone...and I'm n-not old enough to drink anyway!

b. Observations in Zero-G
W-waugh!!

[Shuichi has a split-second view of a carriage with a clear, domed ceiling that's comprised of almost nothing BUT windows before he suddenly finds himself hanging upside down. In midair. Apparently this observation car has no gravity, which he supposes fits well with the scenes of space outside the innumerable windows on the walls, though he can't say he's really cheered by the thematic matching. Because he's finding it very hard to move without anything to keep his feet connected to the ground.]

[He manages to spin around in place so that he's upright again, noticing as he does so that even the floor is made of glass, allowing one to see not only the view of space around this car but also the wheels and various mechanical bits on the underside of the train. Now for the hard part: getting out of here. He sighs and attempts to swim through the air, trying to reach the nearest wall to use as a kick-off but moving only minimally thought the air.]

[This is going to take a while...]

c. More Like Wrong Side of the Moon
[This was...not at all what Shuichi was expecting to find on the other side of the painting. And for a moment, all he can do is stare in awe at the neon Moonbase around him. This is...incredible. Or, at least, that's what he thinks until a monster comes charging at him out of nowhere.]

Ah!!

[All he can do is run, because he certainly wasn't a fighter BEFORE he came to the bureau and the path he was given did nothing to change that fact. He's still not a fighter. He doesn't even have a weapon. So his only hope is to run and hide, which is exactly what he does. One can find him either running or hiding all over the base as he tries to find his way out of this hellish nightmare. Help?]

[Or, perhaps he's the one who finds you. While he can't fight, he CAN heal, at least a little bit. And the sight of an injured Reclaimer is one thing that will get him to stop his running and hiding. He has a potion that might be able to help with what ails you!]

d. Wildcard
[Hit me up on plurk (robokatar if you want to plot out something else. I'm down for pretty much anything.]

C

[seasaltkeys]

[Roxas immediately doesn't like this new moonbase. He prefers the old one. That one's normal and this one? Well, it comes a little to close to a few places from his past. Like something pretending to be the Moonbase, in the same way that The World that Never Was pretended to be a city. The dark does not help.

But monsters are at least something else to focus on, as is protecting others, so as Shuichi passes him, Roxas is going to aim a Strike Raid at the monster following him, and activates his Aura of Courage as well, causing a circle around him to light up in an almost comforting glow.]

You okay?

Ogata Hyakunosuke | OTA

[snyaiper]

[ART GALLERY]
[The first Art Gallery car that Ogata had wandered into had been one of the ones with those strange paintings with a surface like water. Ogata had stuck his entire hand into one painting of a tropical island, felt the warms and humidity on his fingers, and immediately decided he wanted nothing to do with pocket dimensions inside of pocket dimensions. So when he comes upon one of the cars again, he elects to ignore the painting and simply head to the next car. But then-]

Isn't that Hanazawa's boy?
            Can't be, he died in the war.
[Ogata stops dead in his tracks.]

No, no, the older one.
            You can hardly call a bastard-
[And the voices stop as Ogata whirls on his feet, raising his rifle in one fluid motion to point at the other person in the train car. Maybe you saw the painting of an older, well dressed Japanese couple talking. But Ogata certainly didn't, and his finger's on the trigger.]

[GAMBLING PARLOR?]
[This room has been outfitted rather strangely. The underpinnings of the sleek classical style of the trains seating cars is visible, but somehow all the benches have been pushed aside, leaving room in the center for the tatami mat that's been laid out. Along the edges, some attempt to conceal the benches and windows has been made alternately with sliding rice paper doors and groves of bamboo that seem to grow directly out of the floor like stubborn weeds. On the far edge of the tatami, a low chabudai table sits in front of a folding screen that's in the midst of being painted. The painter in question looks up from her work as if caught off guard.]

Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you so soon! I'm not at all prepared-
[The woman makes a show of hurriedly organizing things at the table that certainly weren't there a moment ago. Her dress seems to be somewhere caught between Taisho era Japan and the flapper style the rest of the train cars seem fond of. Her face, however, is weirdly difficult to focus on. In the distance, tinny muzak plays as if piped through a bad radio in another room. She gestures to two cushions opposite her.]
Fancy a game of dice? If you win, I can tell you anything you want to know. Such as, say, the location of a missing person, perhaps?

[Ogata's face holds a twinge of amusement as he glances sidelong at the person who entered the room with him.]
So. This is obviously is a trap. Not even a well prepared one.

[OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON]
[You might be too frazzled to think much of Ogata sitting crouched behind one of the benches in the courtyard. You might not even notice him, with how dark everything is. Neon's not a great source of light, after all. But whether you notice him or not, he's reaching up to yanking you into his hiding place as you walk by.]

Keep your head down.
[The hissed command is punctuated by the crack of a rifle and the thunk of a bullet sinking into a nearby tree. It... probably wouldn't have hit you if you'd still been standing, but it was clearly aimed in your direction.]

How brave do you feel like being today?
[Yeah, apparently he's not going to offer any explanation up front. However, if you're sharp eyed enough to trace the shot to its source... You'll see a rifle in an open window in the dorm building. The strange part is that no one seems to be holding it. Rather, the gun is perched on the windowsill by a pair of wiry legs that seem to be sprouting from the gun barrel itself? Weird.]

art gallery

[feytality]

[ see, maya heard it too -- she's been hearing strange things all throughout these train cars, some of which mean something to her, and some of which don't. she's been doing her best to tune them out, anyway, especially the ones directed at her. ]

[ but uh then this guy is pointing his rifle at her. that's a lot harder to tune out. ]

[ she puts her hands in the air immediately ]

Woah! Take it easy, I'm on your team.

[ that's not the issue, maya....... ]

Mia Fey | ota for prompt 2

[doubledsofjustice]

Mom-mento Mori (for Maya)

[The sisters keep meeting and un-meeting in this strange arrangement of train cars, and by some stroke of fortune they meet again on a seating car. Mia's attention is on the loot table instead of the seats, however, already holding something in her hand.]

Hey. Sis.

[Comes MIa's quiet beckon. She looks to her sister when she approaches and gives Maya a view simply by tilting her cupped hand past her shoulder, further beckoning Maya closer, so they can look at the object and shield it from prying eyes.

The object in her hand is none other than their mother's bright green magatama, cold and powerless, a simple piece of carved jade. It's the same weight, color, shape, and wear, though, very identifiable to the sisters.]

Do you think...?

[She doesn't finish her question, instead questioning with the analyzing look on her face as she searches Maya's for a sign of recognition. Or of confusion, because at this rate, she wouldn't be surprised if this was some sort of trick.]

I'm a Damsel, I'm in Distress, I got this. (open; monster fighting)

[The aesthetic of this crazy Moon Base might be slick as hell, but its denizens don't seem interested in friendly partying. While Mia's out she isn't really expecting to get in a tussle, but unfortunately for her all that's living here is monsters. Her curiosity gets the better of her when she reaches the quad to investigate, where there are fewer places to hide and all the more places to be seen.

ON the quad grounds Mia spies a strange amalgam of colors and shapes that seem to be hunched over in a pile-- but as she approaches it for a better look, one figure lifts its head from the pile to... Well, assumedly, stare at her. It's hard for MIa to tell, as the figure has no face or really any features; it's just a limbed and headed form patterned head to toe with spiralling nouveau motifs. With widened eyes Mia gives a tiny gasp- and to that reaction, the other three nouveau beasts raise their heads.]

Oh, what the--

[And yet, Mia doesn't get the chance to say fuck, as she's startled into a short shriek when one of the beasts starts limbing toward her. Turning to run, she executes an unpracticed shadow step, only gaining about half the possible distance from the fast moving creatures and keeps running on pure instinct. Over her shoulder, however, she can see them chase her still, fast on all fours. She's going to have to face them-- and so she does, she waits until the closest one is close enough to turn and face with a radiant bolt punch! It works, sending the closest one a foot or two back and stopping the others short when they've realised their prey has stopped as well. But it's no longer Mia's turn to fight as Mia cools down from the hit, there's still two monsters ready to attack alongside their recovering one.]

(Aaaaand now would be a great time for some convenient help.)

[Maybe her plucky sarcasm will summon it?]


Wildcard

[Anything specific you'd like to do with Mia? Go for it! Or plot with me on discord (lucifine#8125) or plurk love_struck!!]

2

[rougerebelle]

[Carmen was set on laying low for this particular investigation. This whole place had really caused her to reevaluate the notion of a 'crazy train.' She knew eventually stealth was only going to get her so far and she'd have to drop it, Carmen just didn't think it would be happening so soon. She's behind one of the trees when she notices Mia and several beasts begin their fight.

Guess time was up. Before she revealed herself, Carmen glanced around the tree, spotting one of the beasts about to swipe at Mia's torso.]

Time for a little case of bad luck.

[Her target in sight, Carmen snapped her fingers, glad she had managed to find out a little about how magic worked in this world, and cast a Hex spell. Instead of attacking Mia the creature stumbled over it's own two feet and landed on it's face. Carmen slipped from her hiding space, her coat billowing behind her.

Guess she'd get to find out what this whole 'Dancer' thing was about.]

Michael | OTA

[eudaimonikos]

a. seating car

[Michael, normally, is all about staying on the move. He came here to help, and he can't help by sitting down in some dumb train demon's weird train body to watch some pretty lights.

But the thing is - Michael has self-inflicted chronic insomnia, and he's a little bit tired all the time these days. He didn't mean to sit, really. He certainly didn't mean to lean his head against the glass and doze off a little. But that sure is happening!

Someone may want to wake him up.]

b. art car

[The insulting paintings were annoying, but not really any worse than living in hell with a bunch of demons who hate you. The garbage paintings were meh.

But the Escher paintings? Oh, those are fun.

This was probably meant as some kind of horrible trap full of winding stairs and strange gravity effects, but Michael seems like he's having a blast, cackling and bounding up/down the staircases.]

Oh, hey! You ended up in here, too? [He steps off the edge, letting gravity flip him back up and over to the other side.] This is fun, right? It's just like iHop!

c. vs. monsters

[Michael isn't, perhaps, the person best suited to fighting an endless horde of monsters.

He has been working on combat training a little lately. One or two probably would have been fine. But as it is, there's a roll of thunder, the ground shakes, and then Michael teleports in close to you from somewhere else.]

Oh, hey! [He smiles, not apparently that stressed.] There's a ton of monsters coming this way, just fyi.

b

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi has no idea HOW exactly he wound up here but...he sure has. And getting back OUT is proving incredibly frustrating.]

[He'd followed the sound of laughter, hoping that source would be someone who could give him a hand in finding the exit (this mystery person seemed to be having fun after all, rather than feeling frustration), only to find himself hanging upside down above a slightly familiar face.]

Uhm... ["Fun" is clearly not the word he would use to describe the situation, judging by his expression. But Shuichi doesn't voice this. Instead, he chooses to address what Michael says afterwards.] What's iHop?

Sayori | OTA

[hxppythxughts]

♥ 1 - take a seat! ♥ (closed to first 2 responders)

[Like a stupid moth to a brightly-colored neon light, Sayori has to look out the windows of the seating car, her hands pressed up against the glass for a moment as she watches.] Whooooa.

[And after a few moments of watching, she sits down so that she can watch more comfortably. And watch, and watch...

After a while, her gaze goes glassy. The last thought she has about the whole situation is that it feels like the days when she can't get out of bed. And then, nothing at all as the colors outside the window dance in front of her eyes.

Eventually she simply falls asleep. Please save her.]


♥ 2 - let's misbehave! ♥ (OTA)

[Dim lighting, jazzy music, inexplicably smoky atmosphere--this sure is a speakeasy. It's missing the crowds characteristic of jazz clubs, but there is at least one person who seems to be enjoying herself!

It's Sayori, twirling around in her new wardrobe and doing her ToS-mandated snapping to the music of the Runaway Five. She has a good sense of rhythm, but her moves are pretty goofy--unrestrained and boisterous, and clearly someone who has never, ever learned anything else about dancing.

When she spots a fellow Reclaimer, she lights up and boogies on over to them. Her grin is excited and imploring.] Hi! Do you know how to dance? [And then, rapid-fire, regardless of the response to her first question:] Do you want to dance with me?


♥ 3 - wine & dine! ♥ (OTA)

[Normally, the phrase "her eyes go as wide as dinner plates" would be appropriate for Sayori's reaction to the dining car, but considering the size of the plates here, it's not really adequate.

Still, her eyes do go pretty wide, as does the opening of her mouth when her jaw drops.

She lifts both hands to her cheeks as a pitched, airy giggle starts to escape her.] Oh my gosh.

This is amazing!

[She turns to her companion and grabs their hand to start into the car properly.] Where should we start?!


♥ 4 - art appreciation! ♥ (OTA - CW: DDLC spoilers and unreality)

[Sayori likes to draw, but overall the visual arts are not her area of expertise. She wanders in awe of the paintings, occasionally stopping in front of one or another to stare at it with innocent wonder and contemplation. It's hard to tell what's going through her mind--though in the case of all the portraits, she's probably just wondering who the heck these old geezers are.

And, while she's wondering that...

"You know, if your world isn't real, neither are your friends."

She turns, suddenly, a sharpness of alarm in her expression as her eyes begin to quickly scan the portraits on the wall behind her.

"Neither are you."

And again she turns, back to the painting she'd been looking at before, with something like rising panic on her face.

But then she notices she's not alone, and her expression pinches to nervousness as she addresses the other person in the car. She laughs uncomfortably.] These paintings are awfully mean, huh?

Come on, let's go look at this one instead! [And, pointing, she leads the way to another painting--preferably one they can disappear into.]


♥ 5 - wildcard! ♥ (OTA)

[Y'ALL KNOW THE DRILL. Sayori can be found all around the train doing all sorts of things, especially the wacky things! Contact me at ceesawaseesaw or on Discord if you want to plot something or just hit me with a prompt.]

i went with food so the girls can have fun before everything goes to hell next mission

[korekara]

[ Sometimes it's hard to tell when Honoka is really really hyped up about something because her base level of general enthusiasm about most things is just so damn high already. But right now? It's impossible to miss that she's absolutely beside herself. She looks almost fit to explode. ]

Ohmygosh, there's too much choice! I can't decide! [ of course, she says that but then immediately follows it up with: ] Let's see if they have any bread!

[gotyourbach]

[Even if Kaede questions the Director's decisions, there's no question as to whether or not she's going to go with everyone to try to save her. Are there others who are more qualified? Of course! But even if the Director weren't in danger, Kaede would want to explore the 7th floor anyway. Armed with her music-playing Cloak of Accompaniment, her violin, and her rapier, she's ready to investigate, and, if need be, fight. She has more friends than ever to protect, after all!]

A. Club Car

Oh my God!

[Jazz isn't Kaede's strong suit. Sure, she can play jazz piano, and she spent time before Vista Virs was destroyed learning some of their particular jazz-like styles of music, but she'll take a waltz over a rag any day. But even she has to admit that everything about this car is just fun. She can't even be bothered about her new old-fashioned black and red dress that's replaced her usual adventuring gear. It doesn't look like anyone's fighting, and it's probably all just waiting for her outside, anyway.

Instead she's exploring the car, eyeing that jazz piano, and every now and then, grabbing sheets of music off the tables or the floor.]

Excuse me, sorry-- [And reaching right past you to grab another piece of sheet music with a delighted hum. This is... evidence gathering, probably?]

B. Dining Car

[Kaede was hoping to find a classical music car. Or, well, she should be hoping to find the Director, but in the back of her mind she was kind of expecting a ball or something with waltzes. Instead, she's confronted with food of mind-boggling proportions.

It's while exploring the car, holding a comically-large cup of tea in both hands, that she stops short and asks aloud,]

We're not... expected to like, eat our way out of here, right...?

C. Other side of the moon - Music Room (Beethoven's Kreutzer for Violin and Piano)

[She really, really should have seen this coming. But seeing an entirely other side of the moon base? There's no way she could resist checking out the music room to see what it's like, or if the piano is still there. And, well, it's there alright.

It's a little difficult to see what's going on through a tornado of sheet music. The lid is opening and closing like a mouth, and what are normally wheels on the bottom of the upright piano are now hundreds and hundreds of insect-like feet. Sheet music flies through the air from the magic in the air, Kaede's bow dragging across her violin with ever-increasing intensity to try to match the piano's own keys.

She's too focused on projecting Shield of Faith to stop stray sheets of music from slapping her in the face to do anything about her hair flying wildly around her. Where her skill with violin fails her, her cloak picks up the slack, playing in harmony with her violin to carry the parts where she's weakest.

Maybe someone else should step in and force a stop to this magical battle, though. It could probably go on forever.]

D. Wildcard!

[yall know what to do, if there's anything we talked about or that you wanna do different, use this space! or hit me up @jaderhade for plotting.]

[doubledsofjustice]

[Also investigating the club car is Mia, though admittedly it's for a much different type of evidence collecting. Mia leans out of Kaede's way, but as Kaede reaches, Mia catches enough of a glimpse to recognize her.]

Oh! K-

[and suddenly there's a voice in Mia's head that sounds very much like Maya's.]

--Kaede!

[That's right, isn't it. oh god. anyway- With a quick glimpse at what Kaede's grabbing at, Mia segues.]

Busy, are we?

[refusedtoleave]

The seating cart
[In all honesty this seemed like a load of nonsense. So the rules only got a passing glance before she's on and wandering. If she'd been here longer, she'd have thought to bring something to defend herself with, but all she knew was the person with answers was kept here.

Or that was the plan. Until she saw the familiar maroon blazer, folded and placed on top of one of the tables. Her hand only brushes the embroidery on the lapel for a second, then she's unfolding it.

It's...It's the right size. Not for her, but for a grown man, it'd fit.

She's just going to sit down, just for a moment.

Except she's still there neatening creases out ten minutes later.]

Dining cart
[At this point she just sighs, why even be surprised anymore, the jacket still held in one arm. It's only when she spots the shadow moving in the jello that she darts forward grabbing a dagger off the table. It's a tiny, little thing. Which is why she grabbed it instead of one of the larger things she had no idea about.

She has no intention of keeping it. But until she sees what that thing is, she's keeping it. Bringing her arm in front of her to rearra-

That was fire. The knife is on fire and she screams tossing it straight out in front of her.]

dining

[doubledsofjustice]

[There are definitely other things to pay attention to on this car, but it's hard not to be distracted by someone throwing a flaming knife nearby. Mia, shoulders stiff in alarm, rushes to Natsuhi's side to see what's the matter.]

What-- happened?

[Should they be putting it out???? they should probably be putting it out what even happened oh god]

Kokichi Oma | OTA

[slieght]

A: Dining Car

[If you happen to be in the dining car, minding your own business, enjoying a bite to eat, you could be rudely interrupted by a horrified shriek. The source of this sound is Kokichi, who looks horrified, though he’s not staring at any sort of enemy or monster. He’s staring at you.]

H-how could you?! How could y-you just...e-eat that?! Don’t you know who th-that is?! Monster!! You’re a m-monster!! My son is t-traumatized now!!

B: Club Car

[Is Kokichi bothered by the fact that he’s suddenly in a dress? No, he’s not. He’s lounging in a corner, playing with the black boa hooked around his elbows as he chats with the NPCs. On his shoulder is a little jello creature with a black feather - clearly from Kokichi’s boa - stuck to the top of it.

If he spots a reclaimer, he’ll start waving to try and catch their attention. And if you’re someone he knows, he’ll actually call out your name. Come lounge with him!]

C: Wild West Car

[When you enter this car, it almost seems like you’ve been transported back in time. It’s definitely decorated like it’s from a much earlier time at least, and the build of the car doesn’t seem to be nearly modern enough to be safe. Or cars, from the looks of things...at the other end of it is an open door, leading to a car that looks identical to this one, and at the end of that seems to potentially be the same. It’s full of rich, posh, upperclass passengers, decked out in suits and gowns you’d expect out of an old west film…

But maybe that’s not what you notice first. After all, when you step into the car, it’s in utter chaos. There are sounds of gunshots coming from what seems to be outside (though outside of this car is the same scenery you see from any other car), and the passengers are screaming or cowering in fear, clutching their pearls and money purses. Some of the men have pistols they’re holding close to their chest, ready to shoot at any nefarious bandit looking to steal their valuables.

The bandits in question are a few cars down, so you have some time to plan for their arrival. Or maybe you want to go meet them head on and take out this problem immediately? Protect these poor NPCs?

That may not be an option though. Because suddenly you feel something cold press to the back of your neck, the owner talking quickly in a sinister tone:]

Hand over your gold and valuables and I’ll let ya live…

Wildcard

[Have any other ideas, or want to plot something else with me? Here’s your prompt, or hit me up on knittybitty for plotting!]

b

[diffidentive]

[Oh god...that's perhaps the very last voice he wanted to hear while stuck wearing a dress and heels. Why couldn't Kokichi fail to recognize him the way Kaede had?]

[Maybe if he just...doesn't turn around and pretends he didn't hear him, Kokichi will give up and turn his attention to someone else. That's a totally viable plan, right? It'll definitely work.]

[janthony]

The Club Car
[Despite having slept through this decade, Crowley looks perfectly at home in the fashion of the era.

He had to use his daily miracle to update the rest of his appearance to match the wardrobe update, from silky Hollywood-smooth legs to blood-red lips and hair lengthened from his normal coiff to impeccable auburn finger waves.

His sunglasses didn't actually change that much, but they are smaller and rounder, and lacking the shields on the sides. He sits at the bar with a martini glass in hand, legs crossed at the knee and encouraging the band.

Sometimes as he makes his way around the room, he's wearing a 5' boa draped over his shoulders.

Well. Actually, it looks more like a viper.

The snake is very much alive, as she'll lift her head and watch with slit-pupiled golden eyes, and sometimes he extends an arm and lets her slither off his shoulders to drape over one of the chairs.]

Looking good! Come sit, have a drink.

[It doesn't count as "taking an item with you" if you're smuggling the contents of a bottle of very strong alcohol out inside your body, right? Right. Besides, it's sharing!]

Wildcard!
[Got somewhere else you want Crowley? Come at me!]

club car

[coolranchbaby]

Daaamn, look at you. [Eleanor is never one to pass up a free drink with someone pretty She plops down next to Crowley, wearing her own flapper finery with no further tempting needed.] You're really making this decade work for you.

[coolranchbaby]

a. the art that judges back

[Eleanor doesn't Get art. She can't tell a Monet from a Monae (something that scandalized Tahani when Eleanor asked her when Janelle Monet started painting landscapes) and just the thought of going to an art gallery makes her want to set herself on fire so cutting through this train car as fast as she can is really the best option-]

"What makes you so special to be here?"]

What? [Eleanor whips around. No one there but the walls of creepy paintings.] ...Okay. I've seen enough b-horror movies at 2 am to know where this is going. Time to go-

["Really, she should have saved any of the others. They would have actually been worth it." She freezes, an all too familiar sinking feeling forming in her stomach, but looks around one more time for anyone else who might be in the car.]

I cannot be the only one being harassed by the opening spiel for The Haunted Mansion, right?

b. time to miss the point of the great gatsby

[Oh. This is a new one: jazz music she doesn't immediately hate. On top of that a new outfit, quite extraordinary amounts of alcohol and some time to kill? She'll take it.

Eleanor's heels click against the hard wood floor as she makes her way to the bar, swishing her hips to the rhythm of the music in a not-quite dance then plops into a chair with flourish next to whichever poor soul is already there.] What're you drinking?

c. wildcard

[hey, ya'll, if you have any ideas you want Eleanor for hit me up at slothbless or on discord (SlothBless#5857)]

[doubledsofjustice]

[The poor soul that Eleanor sits next to is none other than Mia Fey, all dolled up for the ride too. She's a bit surprised at Eleanor's sudden entrance, but it only shows in how she raises her eyebrows.]

I wasn't, actually.

[They do have a mission here, even if it isn't a mission. That said, for some reason, a drink does sound nice...]