MISSION: THE SUN NEVER SETS ON AMARYLLIS GROVE

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   1 7 . 1

UNIT-Y • PLEASANTVILLE • AFTER DARK • FYI

// INTRO. UNIT-Y  

Over the course of the station’s downtime, even the least astute observer will notice the sudden influx of crewmates aboard the station. Before you can further inquire and investigate this anomaly in your usual routine, your earpiece will ping! with the familiar sound of a newly received mission file. Viveca’s voice immediately follows.

// VIVECA

“Hi everyone, you’ll find details for your next mission are ready. This time the orb has been located somewhere in a town called Amaryllis Grove, and based on my research, the best way to start looking for it will involve blending in with the towns-folk who live there. Just like our last mission, those of you who don’t have natural humanoid forms will have Degar’s potion available for you to help with that. See you on the platform tomorrow morning.”

After reviewing your mission file and gathering all of the necessary supplies and clothing options, those who are well prepared might have enough time for a decent night’s sleep. If you aren’t the sort to sleep before a mission, well … carry on.

When morning arrives, you’ll make your way to the teleportation platform to join your fellow crewmates. Viveca and Degar are already standing by, the latter passing around the aforementioned potion to those who will be needing one. Finally, when the entire crew has assembled, Degar starts to speak.

// DEGAR

“You might have noticed by now that there’s a few more of us than usual – there’s a reason for that, and it’s good news! I think. You see, according to our readings of all the orb shards collected so far, we’re actually coming up to the last couple of orbs. That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? For that, we’ve been getting a few more crew members to provide a little more support as we near the finish line. But we can talk more about that after you guys get this orb back here.”

Viveca nods from her place.

// VIVECA

“Good luck, everyone. I know some of you will have questions, and we’ll be here when you get back to try our best to answer them.”

Degar lifts both hands to give them all a cheesy little thumbs up. Without further ado, the hum of the platform, as it begins to power up, grows louder and louder until it’s impossible to hear anything else but the machinery thrumming in your ears. Soon enough, you’ll feel the familiar tug at the pit of your stomach as you’re whisked away from the station and towards your destination. But for a moment that feels both too short and too long, you hear it: whispers, echoes, voices that speak to you in several tenors at once, all of them providing you with a goal in exchange for their help.

Before you have a chance to answer, your surroundings begin to paint a clearer picture. You’ll be found in your usual place of choosing: whether that’s your own household, the park, or one of the several locations in and around town.

Welcome, Orbers, to Amaryllis Grove.

TOP

// PART I.PLEASANTVILLE  

On the day of the Orbers’ arrival, the weather is crisp and sunny, the trees still lush and green with only the barest hints of the leaves beginning to yellow and redden at their tips. As the summer months slowly transition into cooler autumn temperatures, the entire town feels pleasant, even cozy. The clouds in the sky provide gentle overcast conditions and you might think to grab a light coat, or wear a longer sleeve but it is by no means chilly enough to feel anything but pleasant.

Depending on where you decided to arrive, you’ll want to begin your explorations and familiarize yourself with the Grove, which will be your home for the next little while.

1.0   The town of Amaryllis Grove will feel spacious and sprawling while also being cozy and compact. Cleanly paved streets wind in and around residential pockets and cul-de-sacs, threading through the community’s amenities, goods, and service buildings. The community centre, the library, the government offices, and the Mayor’s office can all be found in the main core of the Grove. The police station and television station (playing news and sitcoms in classic black and white) are situated nearby, and are all within walking distance of each other, and the neighbouring retail streets are located just past the block. This includes clothing boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery and general stores (which will sell all manner of hardware, cleaning supplies, and simple, household magical items). Having a vehicle will certainly help to get around town if you’re in a hurry running any errands, but a bicycle works just as well, and the walkability is pleasant for those wanting to take a stroll.

Everyone here is well-dressed in crisply ironed slacks and button-downs in neutrals, or colourful A-line skirts and dresses with delicate detailing for their tops. Children and teenagers are likewise found in school uniform consisting of dark blue pleated skirts or slacks, and white shirts. With the weather beginning to cool, a well structured jacket may also be a part of the ensemble.

2.0   Once you’ve explored some of the town, familiarizing yourself with the backstory and family history you and your fellow crewmates have corroborated together, perhaps you’ll want to explore your house. Lined up in rows of pleasant, homogeneous pitched roof structures, each house in the neighbourhood will come equipped with all of the necessary spaces to live a perfectly suburban life, the most ideal environment to raise a family and grow old amongst generations of familiar faces. Each one-storey house, in either brick or ship-lap siding and in various colours, will have 3-4 bedrooms, an attached garage for the family car, a living room, bathroom, spacious kitchen, and enough yard space to require both a lawn-cutter and a green thumb for the garden. Interiors have already been furnished with all of the up-to-date items for the time, resembling Earth’s 1950s era to an almost eerily accurate degree.

Say hello to your neighbour when they greet you or wish you a pleasant day. Many will look perfectly human, while others may seem more alien with vibrant skin, an extra limb, antennae, gills, and the like. Some also possess magical abilities which is not seen as strange or abnormal here; however, the magic used in Amaryllis Grove consists of simple household magic to aid with cooking, cleaning, and keeping the house perfectly pleasant – otherwise known as ‘petty magic’. Whether you’re used to such sights will likely depend on where you’re originally from, but no matter who lives next to or near you, they seem friendly enough. They may even invite you over for dinner, or inquire when you plan on hosting your next party.

You’ll cook, clean, sleep, and host parties and dinners with your neighbours of Amaryllis Grove within the walls of your quaint abode so it’s best to get to know the space that will undoubtedly become second nature to you.

3.0   While the concept of ‘Halloween’ does not exist in Amaryllis Grove, other such Autumn festivities are highly anticipated, namely the annual gathering of the harvest. It is otherwise colloquially named ‘the Harvest’. It won’t come as news to any of the residents, as the season ends and food is plenty, the Harvest has been a long-standing tradition to celebrate the closeness of the community, and to express one’s gratitude for the people that you surround yourself around.

Your neighbours may inquire whether you’ll be bringing the same mash potatoes as last year, or perhaps the spiced meatballs that the Alkherns simply couldn’t get enough of — they were just so delicious! Either way, you may want to start coming up with a special dish to bring to the community gathering or find someone to snag a recipe from, as it’ll gain you admiration or admonition, depending on the popularity of your offering.

TOP

// PART II.AFTER DARK  

Sunsets are beautiful, picturesque moments that conclude the end of a perfectly spent day, and the sunsets in Amaryllis Grove are certainly no different. As the town winds down and residents return to their homes for the night, you and your fellow Orbers will follow suit – as is the way of things. The nights are a little overcast during this time of the year, with cloud-cover masking out the stars and the glow of the moon. It’s quiet. Only the sounds of night-insects chirping can be heard, and the soft, occasional coo of a bird asleep in its nest.

4.0   Perhaps you’re catching up on some late-night reading, or grabbing a late-night snack or a night-cap. The last of the evening hours are usually spent in the comfort of your own home until a new day begins, although there is a town speakeasy that remains open until late, if you can find it. Once you climb into bed, there really doesn’t seem to be a reason for anything other than a soundless, well-deserved rest.

You’ll be tucked up in your own bed, or perhaps the bed you share with your backstory-spouse, when you hear a shrill scream that wakes you up from your sleep. High on the adrenaline, you may want to don a robe and your slippers and step outside past your front door where you’ll be joined by other neighbours on your street. They exchange glances with each other, and then may meet eyes with you, and they look scared, with their wide eyes and clenched fists, some of the husbands and wives holding each other’s hands for comfort. It isn’t outside of the norm for such a startling cry. The house in question will be fully lit, with Mrs Myrsdin sobbing into her hands, mumbling, ‘I told him not to say anything! I told him to keep quiet! It came for him–’ as the AGPD (Amaryllis Grove Police Department) approach her, one of the officers patting her shoulder in consolation. Another officer moves towards a cluster of concerned neighbours, assuring them that this will be taken care of, and when they spot you, they’ll tell you the same.

It might seem difficult now to head back to sleep, but the crowd disperses and the AGPD lead Mrs Myrsdin back into the house. The lights remain on for another hour, maybe two, and then the entire block quiets again, the AGPD preparing to leave for the station once more. It seems there’s nothing else to do but get as much rest as you can before the morning ... but everything about this doesn’t sit quite right. Maybe you'll linger behind for a moment, see if you can ask a few questions, gather a bit of information, as it seems that after the brief moment of shock none of the residents seem to be particularly surprised by any of this.

5.0   The skies are blue and the sun is bright, and as Amaryllis Grove wakes up to a new day, everything feels as though Mrs Myrsdin never screamed into the night, with no signs of the AGPD having visited, and not a whisper to be said of Mrs Myrsdin's husband disappearing. If you try to investigate what happened at the house last night, Mrs Myrsdin will conveniently be absent, and any neighbours around you may either greet you with the most firm, reassuring smiles, or an outright aloofness to ignore anything you say. They’ll interject by telling you about the Harvest festivities, or make a comment about the weather. Some might sound snappish and dismissive. One thing’s for sure: everything feels tense.

But as the skies gradually shift to an overcast, one of your neighbours may gesture to the sky with another plasticky smile, commenting about the brightness of the sun. ‘It sure is bright today,’ they might say, the comment seemingly so off-handed. It’s casual, polite, and a little strained. ‘It’s got a far reach.’

It’s too bright to stare directly into the sun without damaging your eyes, but as you glance up just past it, you might notice that the sun looks a little … too close. And it doesn’t look a whole lot like a sun either, though it is bright but it looks like a large whitish sphere with a piercing, golden iris and it seems to be watching. This certainly wasn’t in the morning’s weather report.

6.0   As you continue to settle in Amaryllis Grove, you may begin to pick up on other strange things that you hadn’t noticed before – not surprising, considering the whirlwind of events that have taken place in such a short period of time and having to grow accustomed to the daily lives of the residents in Amaryllis Grove.

There are figures that resemble people scattered around town in all shapes, sizes, and races, replicated with excruciating detail, all the way down to their expressions and poses. In their everyday wear, they stoically fill in corners and take up empty spaces, and while it can’t possibly be true, their eyes seem to follow you as you move past them – even with the empty gazes of their glassy eyes. They’re made of metal and clad in something soft and pliable to make up their skin. Once you know what you’re looking for, they almost start to make themselves more visible to you. But if you study them for too long, you may begin to feel a little nauseous and queasy, and temporarily experience vertigo. Or you may start to have feelings of paranoia settle in, making you short-tempered and twitchy.

These figures can be found almost everywhere around the town, but they will mostly be populated in and around the residential blocks, looking as though they’re busily living their lives in passive background poses. They’re easy enough to miss if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, and they’re so life-like you almost feel rude staring for too long, in case they turn their heads towards you.

And on the next night, you might catch the glimpse of a dark, stationary silhouette of a man in the Myrsdin house just before Mrs Myrsdin draws the curtains closed.

TOP

F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of October.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

TOP

▶ NAV

Comments

QUESTIONS.

[ximilian]

For any questions regarding the events or information on this log, ask them here.

[dispassioned]

Are there any medical clinics or hospitals in town?

SEARCH REQUESTS.

[ximilian]

Speaking to an NPC? Exploring any of the locations? Poking around for information? Tell us what your character is doing to gather information and we'll let you know what they happen to find out.

To limit the mods' workload, each character has one (1) search request. Please remember that multiple characters can combine their search requests and form a mini-team to be able to search areas or speak to people that one character would not be able to. For those doing a search in a group of 4+ characters: in case that the search will yield no results from the start, you will be given a chance to re-do the search.

Note that not every search request will necessarily yield a point of plot relevance, and some of these search requests will wind up with dead ends. Despite this, the mods take care to try and give everyone something to work with. In the event of a search request yielding no further results, the mods will clearly explain this during the search request exchange.

More info on search requests can be found HERE.

Search requests will remain open till OCTOBER 19, 6PM GMT.

[legalcy]

Minimus's cover story has him as the strict househusband that is obsessed with cleanliness and safety, especially that of the neighborhood children. He spends a few days chatting with the other house spouses at their get-togethers and starts discussions on what concerns they have for their families, what upcoming issues they are most concerned about, and bringing up his own ideas on adding curfews and regulations for garbage collection, driving in residential areas, etc. Basically, he's getting a feel for what the people here are most worried about and what they think is important to improve in their neighborhood.

Shuntaro Chishiya | Alice in Borderland

[dispassioned]

[Open and closed starters below. If you want to plot something specific feel free to hit me up in PM or at etceteras ]

—For Arisu

[dispassioned]

[Chishiya isn’t sure how he feels about the news that they’re almost done collecting the orbs. He knew he was on borrowed time but it seemed for awhile, there might be more of it.

He doesn’t really know how to unpack it all right now. And so, of course, he doesn’t. Instead he focuses on what’s right in front of him. The mission. And Arisu, who he still feels he owes something to. This is a chance to do better than the last time he proposed they work together on something.

So, once the initial disorientation of the teleportation passes, Chishiya doesn’t waste time in approaching him.]

We should look around.

[Might as well start by getting the lay of the land, right? And maybe some coffee.]

ryohei arisu ♣️ alice in borderland

[alternatives]

( open and closed starters to follow. if you’d like to plot, feel free to hmu over pm or at trashmouth !! )

CHIRISU DINNER PARTY ( you're all invited 💌 )

[alternatives]

( born from the idea of getting a collective group together with the hope of a greater chance at intel on some of amaryllis grove's domestic elite, the arisu household ( husband one, arisu "househusband" ryohei, husband two, arisu "breadwinner" shuntaro ) decides to throw an AESTHETICALLY NIGHTMAREISH DINNER PARTY within the first two weeks of the mission. it can be considered nightmareish from several different directions of analysis — a.) the conglomeration of modern japanese cuisine meeting the cetty brocker cookbook of pleasantville alien america, b.), the fact that arisu has never had to cook for himself outside of an apocalypse survivalist scenario and is therefore very slightly out of his depth when it comes to cooking impressively for a large group of people, or anyone at all for that matter, or c.), the very real possibility that whatever is wrong with this place will continue being wrong while arisu has a panic attack over his pink azalea cake with red bean filling miserably burning in an unreliably janky oven.

so, what can you expect? of course, the domiciliary espionage towards locals, networking and schmoozing along the buffet table, featuring onigiri and tamagoyaki and panko fried vegetables and a truly alarming pile of instant noodles served up in a "build your own" kind of way with toppings and add-ins left in little gravy boats on the side. it's all on the same table as such winning dishes as meatloaf, coleslaw, and salad, along with some questionable dishes that seem undefinable by recipe or word. of course, it's all subject to scorch marks and burnt edges, with parts of any individual dish being extremely hot in one bite, and undercooked in the next. but — hey, you brought your own dishes right? right???? it's what a good neighbor would do.

if risking food poisoning is less your style, there's always sloshing up people with overly generous cocktails, a prepared batch of some yuzu and ginger infusion that is strong in all flavors but especially mighty is the punch of vodka in it. a bar cart is there to serve yourself, with the fix-in's of such popular cocktails as vodka red bull but without the red bull, and malibu sunrise but we only have dark rum, is that okay? or rum and coke but — well, actually, we've got everything it takes to make those. and, naturally, no party no matter how very classy and rich it appears on the outside is complete without jungle juice — a huge vat of near radioactive looking pink liquid that, if asked what went in it, will earn you a hapless shrug and a look of confusion. i didn't make it, everyone seems to say, as if it is the primordial goo that always was.

for those looking for a more holistic approach to reconnaissance, no dinner party is complete without entertainment, this time in the form of games, board and otherwise. join a group of charades that seems to be heating up in the living room, or a very intense game of monopoly taking place over the dining room table. drunk enough to feel like twister is a good idea? get to know your fellow orbers and upsettingly cheery locals through the sweaty embarrassment of physical activity in stuffy, tailored clothes. more important than orb hunting is the friends we made along the way, so before any missions are completed, make sure your number one priority is having a great time ( and eating jelloed desserts ).

leaving so soon? be sure to take a slice of something edible from the dessert table — you have about a 50/50 shot, if you're willing to risk it. if you choose poorly, there is a guaranteed doctor in the house, so at least there's that? )

fitzchivalry farseer 🦌 realm of the elderlings

[buckkeep]

( open and closed starters to follow. if you’d like to plot, feel free to hmu over pm or at trashmouth !! )

Wildcard!

[singlelogbridge]

[It's by chance that Wei Wuxian and Lan Sizhui happen by Fitz just as Wei Wuxian is saying goodbye to the (very slightly) younger boy near the community center. Despite their barely existent age difference, Wei Wuxian is smiling at Sizhui like a proud father as he brushes some hair back from his forehead and then leans in to kiss him there prompting a stutter and a blush from Sizhui and a laugh from Wei Wuxian. Eventually Sizhui heads off to do whatever it is "teenagers" do in this world and Wei Wuxian turns his grin on Fitz, wandering over.]

They grow up so fast, don't they? [He laughs and his gaze turns to watch Sizhui's back fading into the distance.]

Is your daughter already grown or is she still young?

Leonard McCoy

[homeostatic]

( open & closed starters itt; hmu via plurk or mccoy's plotting comment if you'd like anything specific. )

OPEN

[homeostatic]

Pleasantville

I. Everyday

( The Grove is quite familiar in a way McCoy hadn't expected. Back home, it wasn't uncommon for the colony worlds of Earth to be structured after a mid-20th century small town aesthetic, with a Main Street of red brick shops, a town square, white sidewalks and cozy houses with manicured lawns. It's homey, and so charming he lets himself relax, just a little.

Over the next handful of days, McCoy can easily be found out and about, biking into town – expect to be coaxed along for a ride if he sees you – at the grocers picking up things for supper ('what are these, radishes?'), grumbling as he searches the general store with noticeably wet shirt sleeves ('do they have drain snakes here?'), and paging through books at the library and taking a few home.

He gets a trim, shops with Qingxuan, stops for coffee every morning, and can even be found one afternoon digging in the front garden, flanked by several pots of vibrant red flowers, close cousins of roses, by the look of them. )

Hey! ( he waves to passerby, which means you, and nods to one of the pots a fair bit away, near the edge of the driveway, ) Mind draggin' that closer? That one's the showstopper.

II. Come on, Let's Go

( Do you like sports? No? Well don't worry, little of this tailgate party is actually about the Friday Night football game. It's actually about the food- and there's plenty of it, if you like it served on paper plates with a cold drink. Invitations don't matter- set up your own grill, come over to his, flop down with a beer on a folding chair he dug out from the garage )

You made it! Here, try this.

( 'This' could be anything– pulled pork sliders, pimiento cheese sandwiches, spicy wings, deviled eggs, stuffed peppers and potato salad.

Every so often a cheer goes up from the stands as one team or another makes a goal. Touchdown? Whatever, that's worth drinking to. )

yennefer of vengerberg | the witcher (netflix)

[choicely]

[ open and closed starters below this! if you'd like to plot, feel free to reach out via yen's plotting comment or via plurk @ favoritings. ]

open + closed starters;

[choicely]

pleasantville

[ While Yennefer has adopted the guise of a dutifully doting wife before, this might represent an even starker shift in terms of the role she's intended to play. She also barely has the opportunity to wrap her head around the fact that they're nearing the end of their search for all of the orbs needed — that the conclusion of this mission could very well be in sight now — before their surroundings change and coalesce into their intended destination.

Although the fashion that's been made available to them leaves a little something to be desired, that doesn't mean that Yennefer hasn't found options that are more suited to her personal preference, choosing to don light cardigans over collared blouses and other shirts and matching them with a skirt bearing some sort of distinct printed design. Given the changing temperatures and the fact that nights seem to be notably cooler, she has fewer qualms about donning a longer nightgown and a robe for sleep — and not just because she can't sleep uncovered the way she might have preferred back in her own room on the station. At present, it appears that she's been tasked with looking after two of the younger orbers, who have apparently been assigned the role of her children — to say nothing of the man who she has to play the convincing part of wife to.

Exploring the town under the guise of running a simple errand seems to be a viable option, but it also allows her to get in contact with other orbers if she happens to spot them during her trek through the neighborhood, the heels of her shoes audibly clicking against the pavement as she wanders past well-manicured lawns and the locals who are outside tending to them. By the time she runs into a more familiar face, she's carrying a bag of items from the grocery store, some of which she intends to examine when she's in the privacy of her own home, and she greets someone through the tightness of a false smile, lowering her voice so as not to be overheard by any nosey neighbors: ] Have you heard about this Harvest celebration they're planning?

after dark

[ Yennefer's ability to sleep at regular intervals has always been tested on the station, and not just because she's occasionally indulged in polishing off a solo bottle of wine before unceremoniously passing out in her bed for a random length of time. Here, the neighborhood proves to almost be too quiet, sans the constant hum of the station's power, a lack of underlying noise that would otherwise soothe her, and it's left her sitting down in the living room with a book in her lap, legs tucked up underneath her as she absently stares off into the distance.

On nights like this, it's difficult not to dwell on recent disappearances, on the question of why she hadn't returned alongside Ciri. Her self-imposed reverie is broken by the sound of that scream, startling her enough that she stands to her feet quickly, the book falling to the carpeted floor with a soft thump.

At least she's dressed enough to emerge out into the street, though she takes a moment to gather her robe more carefully around her frame before opening the front door and walking outside. It isn't a local she'll attempt to make polite albeit reassuring conversation with, but another orber, someone she either recognizes as a close friend or merely a familiar face from the station, her brow knit slightly in confusion. ] Did you see what happened?

picture-perfect family (closed to the darkling, shinn, and hagakure)

a. for aleksander: [ The fact that she's been paired with a very particular person for this mission doesn't escape her notice — nor Aleksander's, judging by her own interpretation of his willingness to embrace their respective roles. While she's not opposed to playing the part of a spouse, and has elected to do so before, there's something distinctly different about it in this context — the two of them partnered not just as husband and wife but as parents, albeit the ones in the neighborhood with the darkest colors in their closet.

There aren't many opportunities for them to be entirely alone, but sharing a room, sharing a bed, certainly allows them to share what they've each learned, respectively, both as they settle in for the night and wake up the next morning. It's during one of the latter, bright and sunny outside with a crisp herald of autumn air, that she finally decides to broach a certain subject with him, only making mention of it when she's standing in front of him keenly focused on figuring out how to knot his necktie. ]

What do you make of all this so far? [ Not merely their objective, not even necessarily the location of the orb — but the family they're having to pretend to be. ]

b. for shinn: [ Truth be told, Yennefer hasn't tried her hand at driving the car that sits gleaming and polished in the house's garage. Although her skills behind the wheel are rudimentary at best, the neighborhood is small enough that she more often elects to walk, and she'd even prefer doing that over portaling between the house and the grocery store, regardless of whether Amaryllis Grove seems to be more accepting of magic than other worlds they've visited in the past.

However, her reticence isn't necessarily shared by the other members of this unexpected household, and while Yennefer hadn't expected to be the one who has to establish some rules, her relative insomnia has apparently worked in her favor for this particular night — she's sitting downstairs in the living room when she hears the rumble of an engine, the creaking of the garage door, and someone's attempt at covertly sneaking back into the house while everyone else is unawares. ]

Are you going to tell me where you were, or are you going to make me guess at it first? [ Turning on the closest lamp next to her seat might be somewhat dramatic as far as confrontations go, but it doesn't mean Yennefer doesn't enjoy catching Shinn off-guard a bit if she can. ]

c. for hagakure: [ Given the makeup of the neighborhood, with those in the surrounding houses often possessing non-human appearances, Yennefer hopes that Hagakure hasn't been feeling like too much of an outsider by comparison. She has firm memories of being a similar age, looking distinctly different from everyone else around her, and the pain that had accompanied her desire to be perceived as a normal girl.

Perhaps there's also a bit of compassion that stems from wanting to guide someone else in Ciri's stead, a younger woman with power of her own that is already quite impressive based on what she's glimpsed thus far.

It's no wonder, then, that she's tried to take the girl who's meant to be playing the part of her own daughter under her wing — and it's why they're at one of the clothing boutiques in Amaryllis Grove today, Yennefer sitting outside the changing room to wait for whatever Hagakure feels comfortable enough to try on next. ] You're going to have to come out and show me sometime, you know.

wildcard

[ if you want a more specific prompt or to run into yennefer elsewhere in town, feel free to hmu on plurk at favoritings or DW PM with alternate plotting ideas! will match player-preferred format in terms of prose or brackets! ]

joric | original character | ota

[drawsblood]

PART 1
1.0

[ Arriving in town, Joric wastes no time exploring to pick up various supplies. To his fellow Orbers he appears a little different, sporting short hair to better fit in. It's definitely something he's trying to ignore because the lack of weight on his head makes him feel all light and floaty. He's not a fan. His sword would be far too suspicious here, so a trip to the hardware store to get a heavy wrench is a compromise he's willing to make. After that there's a stop off at the grocery store because when does this man not like to eat? He can be seen walking back towards his home while carrying grocery bags because berserker man from the mountains doesn't know how to drive. ]

2.0

[ Back at the house, Joric puts away the groceries and takes a look through the bedrooms. They're all rather fussy, with frilly curtains and too many pillows on the bed. He'll let his daughter Yelena pick first. With that, he heads outside to mingle with the neighbors and examine the lawn and garden equipment in the shed. When he spots an Orber out for a walk, he flags them down and beckons them over towards the shed. Keeping his voice low, he asks: ]

How do I use this thing?

[ While nodding towards the lawnmower. Please teach him so he doesn't slice off any appendages. ]

3.0

[ Days have passed and he means to do some searching through the neighborhood, finding it's incredibly easy to be approached by neighbors. Having a cover story is always difficult for Joric, because his people don't lie as it's deemed cowardly in the eyes of their gods. So as housewives and househusbands grill him about being a single father, he merely has to take it and barely give any indication that he's lying as he answers. ]

We will see.

[ More questions, more assumptions, more plans to get him a spouse at the Harvest trotted out before him. One makes a snide comment: "Unless you already have someone you're hiding away," and his glare in return is all the proof they need as they smile smugly. ]

I have to go.

[ He heads down the street, coming across an Orber in the process. Giving a nod, he murmurs: ]

Watch out for that one.

[ The woman in question is thankfully heading back up her driveway, an odd smile plastering her face as she waves. ]

PART 2
4.0

[ After the crowd disperses and poor Mrs. Myrsdin enters her house, Joric walks towards someone familiar. ]

Want to come inside for a drink? I don't think I can fall back asleep for a bit.

[ Naturally he wants to discuss what they just witnessed behind closed doors where the neighbors can't eavesdrop. Whatever just happened must have something to do with the orb. ]

6.0

Don't look.

[ It's said as Joric leans against a building on Main Street, hat pulled down low across his brow. He's holding a newspaper and appears to be reading it, but he's actually been observing the strange people placed around the town. ]

Last time I stared, I nearly fell over I was so dizzy. I keep them in the corner of my eye when I turn a page. And theories on why you think they're here?

WILDCARD

[ ooc: feel free to write a starter for us or contact me to plot at contessas! ]

closed starters

[drawsblood]

[ are going here somewhere... ]

Brandon Carver | The Walking Dead

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Open and closed starters below. Plotting comment is here or hit me up at mirrorfaded. ]

1.0 — Open

[fortitudosalutis]

[ It’s been a long time—a long time indeed—since Carver’s worn slacks and a button-down shirt. He’s wearing them now, though not happily. Notably, he wears a wedding ring on a chain around his neck to complete the illusion. Sometimes he touches it, rubbing his thumb along the surface without thinking, and then frowns. He cleans up well but there’s something awkward about how he holds himself, how he stares at his surroundings and reaches for a knife he certainly shouldn’t have hidden up his sleeve.

But then, needs must.

He can be found working at the library, giving patrons the evil eye but treating the books with—perhaps—a surprising amount of care. Or staring dumbly at the sheer amount of food and supplies at the grocery store, utterly lost. At night, or very early in the morning, he can be seen going on a run or patrolling the town. Maybe the neighbors assume he’s cheating on his fake husband, or going on an oddly timed run.

Mostly, he can’t sleep. ]

Natasha Romanoff | MCU

[deaddrop]

[Open starters below, and closed if anyone wants them. Hit me up at sarosaron for planning, or just toss something at me here.]

PART I.PLEASANTVILLE

[deaddrop]

1.0

[Natasha does her best to blend in—and considering her experience, her best is pretty good. There's a part of her that almost enjoys the transformation. Smooth, curled hair. Buttoned up sweaters. Smart skirts.

She doesn't bother trying to find a job on this mission. Instead, Natasha takes on the role of the house spouse and does her best to infiltrate the ranks of stay at home mothers, fathers and otherwise gendered guardians. She attends dinner parties and luncheons, smiling and making charming light conversation, always subtly turning the questions around on her hosts.

Staying in the suburbs, it also provides her plenty of opportunity to keep up with her exercise routine, inviting both locals and orbers alike to join her for jogging or stretching routines.

As far as exercise clothes go, it's short shorts all the way down.]

2.0

[At home and in the company of just her little "family", Natasha relaxes a little. She scrubs the makeup off her face, trades her sharp, vintage styles for slouchier, more comfortable clothes (especially shoes) and pulls her hair into a crooked braid.

She's not much of a cook, so it's probably a good thing at least one of them doesn't eat.]

I could make some popcorn.

[She offers in the kitchen on an evening in.]

Watch whatever's on the TV—I assume it's going to be Invasion of the Body Snatchers or the Blob.

Poison Ivy | Harley Quinn Animated Series

[greenpower]

[Open starters below, and closed if anyone wants them. Hit me up at sarosaron for planning, or just toss something at me here.]

PART I.PLEASANTVILLE

[greenpower]

2.0

[Dinner parties. Socializing isn't Ivy's least favorite method of finding out information, but actually honestly it sort of is. She's gotten better over the years, and even more so working with orbers who she doesn't hate at a significantly higher rate than she hates, say, members of the Legion of Doom.

But hey, if they're going to do this, they're going to do this. She doesn't host anything—hell no—but she does go to parties when she's invited, and she keeps her drinking light. Not enough to be unpleasant. Definitely not enough to be, you know, too friendly.

She does breathe a sigh of relief when she runs into someone familiar.]

If someone else asks when Harls and I are going to start popping out kids, I'm going to burn the house down.

[No jury would convict her.]

3.0

Festive.

[Ivy's brows quirk together as she tugs at the leaves of a calico corn that make up a Harvest decoration.]

It's not just me, is it? The whole harvest thing seem a little...

[Ivy trails off ominously, not quite making a spooky wooOOOooWOO sound, but thinking it very loudly.]

johnathon ohnn/the spotless rn | spider-man: spiderverse

[supercollided]

[ open/closed starters y'all know the drill! hmu via PM or his plotting comment if you want to hash something out! ]

( open )

[supercollided]

A (pre-mission)

[ He has hands again.

Not the sketchy outline of them, the faint grooves where fingernails should be (but aren't), but hands hands. A little pale, nicked and dotted with scars from decades of bitey machinery and the occasional wire that was a teeny bit more live than he thought, familiar. His own hands. He has a chest that inflates properly around organs that aren't lost in the quantum void somewhere, a pulse that thrums giddy and achey behind his eyes. Real eyes. Wet eyes.

He'd necked that potion so quickly he'd nearly choked on it, squeezed his not-eyes shut and genuinely, honestly expected it to be a big joke at his expense. Most things have been as far as the past year is concerned. Honestly, sitting up out of that puddle of dark matter to a sea of pointing fingers and raucous laughter from people that should have understood kind of scarred him right down to the soul. Doubly so when he'd showed up at his parents' door with a hey it's Johnathon, I had a little accident and ended up sitting on their couch in a room that always been cold but never quite this frigid, all but begging them to just look at him.

But here he is, whole and hale. Maybe a little sweaty? Long brunet hair and green eyes and a neatly-kept beard with a little nick out of the side like he always used to do and just. Flexing his hands, thrilled to be anonymous in the milling pre-mission crowd again.

Anyway yeah the weird hole guy is now a weird normal beard guy. And when he lifts his hand, fingers flexing experimentally, a weird inky spot still flickers to life in his palm. ]

Oh yeah.

[ oh hell yeah. ]

B (3.0)

Uhh, quiche?

[ Here's Johnathon (he's going to go by Johnathon again, he's decided - makes way more sense than Spot when he has no spots) dressed like your average chemistry teacher who may or may not make meth on the side, raising his eyebrows at some would-be neighbors when they talk at him.

It kicks in a minute later what he's supposed to be doing here, other than getting his mail. Right. Blending. ]

Oh yeah! The quiche! Haha! Yeeeup, just. Gotta get the recipe down this year! Gonna win for sure! [ They look at him oddly. Win what? ] I mean win the hearts of the neighborhood. For sure.

[ Have a good afternoon, Johnathon, said as they walk by, eying him. Said man laughs frailly, a ha ha ha ha that quickly turns into anxiety when he stops the next passerby abruptly. His voice comes in a stage whisper. ]

How do you make quiche?

C (4.0)

We gotta get in there.

[ That's Johnathon, watching in his boxers and hastily-tied robe as the AGPD swarms the Myrsdin household. Not the house, of course, he doesn't mean that - he means that the cops are all out here and that means they're not in the station, it means there's a skeleton crew guarding it, if anyone at all. Small town, probably doesn't have a huge force. They certainly don't give off the impression of jackboot thugs packing major heat should anyone, say

portal into their station.

The problem is that he can't do it alone. He's not some anonymous white blob of a man anymore, he's got identifiable features - has a so-called life he's slotted into here, and hell if he's going to risk this shot at being looked at like a person again rotting in a jail cell. He'd need at least one person willing to help him, maybe cause distractions. Maybe more than one.

He could do it. He could make it so easy. ]

The station, I mean. [ He recognizes a few folks nearby from the ship. Keeps his voice low enough that they could hear him, if they're listening. ] I could - we could get in there. Soon.

[ An audible swallow. ]

But it'd have to be soon.

WILDCARD

[ lay it on me!!! or hmu to plot something out! ]

ahsoka tano | star wars | ota

[unjedi]

( 1.0 — humansoka )

[ it seemed like a smart idea to play it safe and take the potion. she looked human enough, certainly, but the lack of ears and her montrals might make her stand out a lot more than she wanted to. besides, she thought it might be interesting. she’s spent years around all kinds of people, but humans especially.

now that she was here, she was fascinated. hair had so much feeling and it got all over the place. and ears. she couldn’t help tugging at them and wincing when the noise got loud. sometimes the wind would cause her hair to fly into her face and she would splutter. ]

People live like this?

[ and then she would struggle to pull it back away from her face. ]

( 3.0 — the harvest )

[ while the name of the festival was odd to her (though she can imagine plenty of rim worlds having harvest festivals, they’re usually a little more creative in naming them), she liked the idea. it reminded her a little of what people do on life day. not that she has ever celebrated it or considered it, but now . . . perhaps.

she visits a shop, looking at recipe books. her cooking skills were basic and some of the terms were unfamiliar to her. she holds it up to whoever is nearby. ]

Do you have a favourite? Something you make for friends and . . . family?

( 4.0 — a scream in the night )

[ she had gotten up quickly the moment she heard. ahsoka wrapped a robe around her as she headed over. the neighbours were whispering to each other, eyes darting back and forth. she catches what mrs myrsdin was saying, her brow furrowing. it came for him. what did? and why? she moves away from the crowd, looking for other ship mates. once she spots you, she comes closer, her voice low. ]

Do you know what she meant? Did you notice anything?

( wildcard )

[ got a prompt in mind? hit me up @ timmtams or my plotting comment. ]

4.0!

[lostdestiny]

[ A robe is more dignified than what Shinn's got -- he's in a shirt and loose pajama bottoms, no shoes. There are a few twigs and dead leaves on his legs, accumulated in some shortcuts through bushes. Unfortunately, those shortcuts didn't get him here early enough to see "it." ]

Nothing until that scream.

emily dyer | identity v | ota

[medicative]

part one - 1.0 - 3.0.

[blend in. it's an easy request, and also a hard one. Emily takes to it with the dogged determination that she put forth towards learning the new medical techniques she had been witness to aboard the station. absent her tasks, she sets to the mission itself, and works to make sure no one questions her or this...family.

it's common to find her at the library, poring over the stacks and trying to scour the nonfiction for hints about this place, particularly after the incident with Mrs. Myrsdin, but she can also be found near any of the shops, going about trying to act normal. still, she's twitchy and easily startled, until she recognizes another orber, and then her expression softens into something welcoming, subtly beckoning them over so they can talk and collaborate. and around the houses, she's decided to play a little at gardening - though she's making far less progress, instead using the position outdoors to try to eavesdrop on the residents. that's the same patch she's been at for the last couple of days.

of course, at night, when all should be abed, there is a low light in one of her house's windows often enough. someone isn't sleeping, and if she's not sitting up inside with her earpiece in, she's out on the porch, observing this place. there's just...not enough time.]

part two.

i - 4.0.
[fortunately for her night observations, there are moments where it pays off. it means she's there swiftly when the incident with Mrs. Myrsdin happens, but not that she knows any more of what happens than anyone else. drawing near to another orber, she definitely looks more alert than someone roused in the middle of the night, but the concern on her face is real.]

What do you think happened to him?

[low, so they won't be singled out next for whatever the mysterious something is.]

ii - 5.0.
[when Emily notices what's up with the sky, her blood runs cold. she's out and about, and going home immediately would be more suspicious than not, but the tension is obvious, even through fake smiles and conversations. talk of harvest festivities, games for the children, how many people have already put forth their contribution. she's doing her utmost to stay unobtrusive with the native residents.

and then, a message will come through to an orber she sees nearby.]

un: emilydyer
We're not safe here.

iii - 6.0.
[they're everywhere. going home isn't safe. she's acutely aware that the figures are scattered through the homes, but they're still dispersed in different places. Emily's just waiting for one of them to do something. she refuses to take her eye off the one nearer to her, willing it not to twitch. she feels worse, and worse, and finally has to stumble back, leaning against a wall. the ground feels like it's moving beneath her, and it will take a bit before it's steady. the rush of vertigo, her stomach twisted in knots, and she's got her hand on the side of her head, pressing against something - the glint of the earpiece shows through cracked fingers.

that pale, she looks like she's going to be ill. hopefully, she can find somewhere to sit down sooner rather than later.]

wildcard.

[ooc: happy to match format of tag-ins! mission plotting here if you need, or hit me up on moonjelly. fully open to prompts and ideas not listed here - go for it!]

Part I: Mooooom... I had a bad dream 8(

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock should be thankful that he managed to get over that illness before the mission started. Going around on bicycle and playing the violin for hours on end each day tires him more than he expected, and he would have hated contending with a cough as well. Sleep comes to him uninvited, but he settles down on his bed before it fully takes hold. Just a few hours and then he'll...

Regrets floods Sherlock as soon as his familiar night terrors arrive. He sinks into an endless watery abyss with those glowing eyes watching him from the depths. Shadowy tendrils or tentacles wave about. Ymg' ah nafl lloigog llllw'nafh l' mgah ahf' l' ah nog. It feels like pieces of the world sink with him. Someone's calling his name. Sherlock reaches out towards the surface. The light and voice grows fainter, farther. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn! ]

Watson! Jon! Help! Please! I can't!

[ Sherlock tosses and turns, muttering nonsense syllables and whimpering, until he wakes with a cry and Watson and Jon's names escaping his lips. He curls into a ball and muffles his sobs before he manages to calm his beating heart. There's no friendly, understanding face to ground him.

Well, now that he's up, Sherlock strives to remain as such. He scrubs at his eyes, gathers his casebook and that damned occult book and makes his way towards the kitchen for a coffee or tea to help him stay awake. ]

Oh, you're up too, Ms. Dyer?

[ He wasn't expecting company. ]

... I didn't wake you, did I?

Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes The Awakened (2023) | OTA

[astudyinviolet]

Part I: 1.0 - 3.0: Musician in the Grove

[ Amaryllis Grove's fashion mirrors Sherlock's. He fits right in and cuts a dashing figure since he's cleanly shaven again and applied makeup to hide the exhaustion around his eyes. The technology is still advanced for him, but he takes to riding bicycles well. He mentions his fake family (his "parents," Emily and Kanan) only if he must and does so as briefly as possible. The musician cover story allows Sherlock to observe while others pass by. On days when there's no musical event in the park, Sherlock picks a spot to linger in the main core of the Grove and play with his violin case open should anyone want to give him a tip.

However, his performance shines during the Abbey Park music events because he performs. When his turn comes to take stage under the gazebo, it's like a glimpse into who this young man might have been had he been given an instrument of music instead of an instrument of observation as a child. He deftly plays a few Mendelssohn pieces while taking long sweeping steps which spin him around on stage in a solitary dance. Using those movements, Sherlock's grey eyes observe the entire crowd.

Although, if asked to play something people could dance to, Sherlock pivots in a completely different direction. His personal task has him to confess to a teammate an unachieved dream of his; it might have been a child's dream. Still, he and Jon had wanted to be pirates when they weren't capturing make-believe bad guys. He'll never be a pirate for multiple reasons now.

There is just one problem with his musician cover story. Amaryllis Grove wants to pair up the eligible bachelor. Sherlock could normally deflect such attempts with ease by being himself and rejecting the proposals outright. However, he can't do that when he's supposed to be blending in.

"I think you would make beautiful children with Ms. Jordan."
"No, no Ms. Simmonds would be must better. They both have that certain something about them." ]

Th-there no need to--

[ "Oh, look how cute he blushes. I don't think he's been with a single person in his life."
"Well, perhaps his tastes run differently. Mr. Coban and Mr. Wincott are both handsome fellows. And single at the moment."
"Yes, I think either of them would suit you nicely. So kind too." ]

I...? Pardon me?

[ Did they just...? Sherlock had noticed such relations on the station, but he hadn't expected such public acceptance to something deemed illegal back home. (What a waste of resources for that when there are real crimes needing attention.) Regardless of how he feels about relationships involving himself (deduction not found), Sherlock looks for any Orber nearby, pleading for help with his eyes. Get. Him. Out. Of. Here. ]

Part II: 4.0 - 6.0: Darkness takes hold

[ Nights at the family home are spent going over his notes and trying not sleep. The locals seem convinced that he can make a good stew, but every attempt looks quite disgusting. Perhaps he'll bring it anyways and convince everyone to never let him near a kitchen again. He may have taken to burying his attempts in garden. Maybe the plants will find the stew palatable.

However, even Sherlock can't stay awake forever. He tosses and turns in his sleep, muttering words both unintelligible and odd. The nightmares don't stop. Each time he startles awake with a scream. ]

Watson! Jon! Help! Please! I can't!

[ Although, one night, it's not him who screams to break the dark silence. Sherlock barely stops to grab what he needs as he dashes out into the street. He's in his element here, magnifying glass and notebook ready. Sherlock's already sketching out the general scene when it's clear he cannot get closer while the police are present. He'll linger after the crowd leaves to gather as many facts as he can. ]

5.0 - 6.0 cw: paranoia, mental illness

[ Sherlock is too observant to overlook those strange figures in the background. He notices them, sees them everywhere more and more. He has been detached from reality before, and his case opened his mind to things no mortal can comprehend. Sherlock easily feels the paranoia and the way his world seems to shift beneath his feet to make him feel ill as he tries to understand.

The sun taking the appearance of an eye does little to calm him. Sherlock begins to withdraw from others and question what he actually sees. Is this the actual world around him, or is he losing his mind again? He thought he could keep it together. His regret was that he's losing, lost his mind. He can't have others thinking him mad. There will be nothing left for him then. ]

I'm not the one you need to gain information on. We have a mission to do. I'm fine.

[ He is not fine. ]

Wildcard: Choose your own adventure

[ Want to do something else? Write a prompt or drop me a line at Sherry's plotting comment, aviekokyre, or Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out! ]

Musician in the Grove

[minuteofangle]

[ This part isn't exactly out of Gabe's wheelhouse. He can play undercover when he needs to. It's all about smiling and sticking to the script, improvising as necessary, and boom. There you have it. Dress up respectable, wear a respectable name, and then like magic, you are, indeed, respectable. He's got long sleeves on covering the majority of his tattoos and nice respectable clothes and thus: he is One of Them. And if the locals tut over the tattoos on his hands, no one asks about them. Not even the crosshairs.

Then again, why would they around here? They wouldn't want to be those people.

He wanders around. Makes friends, makes conversation, gets it done. He goes where the people are. And if he happens to wander by while Sherlock's getting flustered, well. He just wanders up, swings an arm around Sherlock like they're old friends, and grins. ]

Don't let him wander off, folks. That'd be a shame, wouldn't it?

[ And, with a nudge, Gabe does just that: he wanders off, and leaves Sherlock to the suburban wolves with only a murmur. ]

Suck it up. Gather some intelligence while you're at it, hmm? We'll talk later.

Miles Edgeworth | Ace Attorney

[onesingletruth]

Part 1

[onesingletruth]

1.0

Miles was swiftly learning that he'd underestimated the sound level of the prosecutors' office in this sort of small town. He was used to his place on the twelvth floor with its bookcases, its sofa, his considerable desk, and quiet that was easy to concentrate in. Here, in this small, third-floor office, there was a constant movement of humanity, including the cacophony of the typing pool. There were still bookcases and a desk, but everything else was...

To say "lacking" felt as if it did it a disservice. Not to mention that he'd been quite right about his wardrobe choices. His usual suit would absolutely not do here. When he'd caught sight of himself in a reflection as he'd walked into the office, his breath had caught. He'd thought he'd seen his father.

All the same, it was time to get to work, and one of the typists handing him a file folder was just the beginning. He looked through it, thoughts percolating as he looked through what passed as evidence here for cases that mostly looked like speeding citations, petty theft, and maybe, if he framed things right, vandalism. Surely there would be a reason for him to step out and begin making connections within the police department or at least - if he'd heard right - the medical examiner's office. Hopefully his memory was on his side.

2.0

It had taken him aback, the first time he'd caught sight of someone who wasn't wholly human. Now, to see them just walking around, accepted - it was a very vivid reminder that this wasn't time travel. This was very, very far from home. Still, as he parked the car and climbed out, he was waved at by a few neighbors, one whose skin was scaled in shades of teal and violet, as they mowed their yards in a pattern that echoed in every blade of grass along the street - except for his.

Miles supposed he would have to change that. He'd have to actually mow the lawn--

When he figured out how to mow. He'd lived in an apartment with his father. In a kept house with von Karma. Then he'd bought his own and paid people to mow for him. His hand paused on the doorknob as he realised he had no idea what it took to mow a lawn. A mower, obviously, but...

A shake of his head and Miles pushed the door open. "This town," he said, figuring he was in the privacy of his own home, "is ridiculous."

3.0

Why was everything here so social? He was absolutely not a social person. Admittedly, he very occasionally showed up to fundraisers, but the entirety of a... what had they called it? Some sort of communal hotpot? Pot-something. For all he knew, they meant repotting the plants for winter except with the addition of a buffet. The only fact he was certain of was that they were supposed to bring a dish of some sort, himself and Phoenix. What sort of dish did they expect? He supposed he could just boil a number of lobsters to provide those, but that, he thought, would be a little... ostentatious.

Thus why it was him walking through the aisles of the grocery store, comparing what was available with the recipes he most often made. He supposed he could manage enough Bombay aloo for the community, but he'd have to leave out the chilies. He didn't have a tandoor here, so that negated quite a few dishes. Maybe a simple chicken or lamb pakora... Or a biryani was-- Yes. He was going to make a biryani. Chicken and mushroom if he could find it. Even if he would have to see if the spices were even available here.

Miles wasn't even thinking when he pulled out his reading glasses and squinted at the back of a spice mix bottle, hoping it would do to approximate a garam masala.

murderbot | the murderbot diaries

[constructually]

[open prompts below! starting with part i for now but will likely add some part ii stuff soon.

hmu for wildcard options or any plotting @ batsecretary or my plotting comment!]

part i: pleasantville

[constructually]

clothes shopping

[Murderbot arrived on Ximilia with a single set of clothing and it hasn't felt it necessary to acquire more, until coming to this stupid fucking planet. The clothing from Preservation makes it stick out like a sore thumb in this town with its strange, outdated fashions.

Unlike the booths that it's used to, Murderbot is confronted with the mortifying ordeal of shopping. It has been to shops with pre-made clothes on offer, it just prefers to use the fabrication booths. That isn't an option, here, and it isn't sure how to navigate this new process.

When someone from Ximilia Station happens to enter the store, Murderbot is relieved enough to approach them.]

How do you know which size is correct?

dinner party

[All attempts to avoid social gatherings have come to naught; there's finally been an invitation that Murderbot can't avoid, to a dinner party hosted by one of the natives to Amaryllis Grove. Natasha helped with the clothing, simple brown slacks and a pressed dress shirt, the sleeves long to hide the seams on its arms, so Murderbot knows that at least it won't stand out like a sore thumb.

Everything else is the problem.

Any other Orbers invited to the party might notice Murderbot hovering awkwardly at the edges of conversations, trying to do its best to blend into the background, and studiously avoiding any offers of food. It does accept a glass of wine, pretending to take a small sip before it attempts to sneakily pour some of the wine into the nearest plotted plant.

No one saw that, right?]

routine

[Murderbot hadn't spent long on Preservation Station before the assignment that led to the whole kidnapped-by-ART thing, and the days were varied enough that even before then it hadn't fallen into a routine. This is — new, somewhat unfamiliar. There's no one specific to watch over, no direct tasks to complete, only the search for an orb, which is vague enough right now that it doesn't help, much.

So it does what humans do: it figures out how to just go about a day to day life, and searches for the orb around that routine.

The backstory provided it with a job in the local police force, which is nothing like the small investigative force on Preservation Station but is a fairly simple job to complete, giving Murderbot plenty of time to watch media in the feed and use its drones to poke around town. Mostly, being a police officer seems to involve walking around to make sure no one is committing any crimes, and that is very familiar, it's much like being a SecUnit with a governor module.

If it happens to see any Orbers during patrol, Murderbot will acknowledge them with a small nod or, if they're up to something that they shouldn't be, will very much not acknowledge them, choosing to look the other way.

A week in, Natasha introduces Murderbot to exercise. Not that it hadn't seen humans do it, but it had never thought to apply the concept to itself, as its body doesn't need that type of maintenance, and no amount of extra muscle that it might put on would make a noticeable difference when its strength comes from the mechanical frame. But Murderbot does have enough of an endocrine system to get the benefits of endorphins.

So every morning, as soon as its socially acceptable to be awake, Murderbot is out jogging through the streets of Amaryllis Grove. It won't say no to company, so long as they aren't too chatty.]

the murdersassin house + guests

[The thing about SecUnits is that they don't require sleep and aren't really capable of it, not in any way that a human would understand. It leaves Murderbot with a lot of free time, since it doesn't want to draw attention to itself or its 'family' by wandering around at night when all the locals are asleep.

Mostly, it uses this time to watch media. There isn't a good display screen available, so this is primarily done internally, via the feed. In an attempt not to freak out the humans sharing the house, Muderbot makes a point to sit down on the couch while watching anything, so that it appears slightly more natural, more than it would standing stock still in the corner of the room. Couches are comfortable, it's starting to learn,

When not watching media, Murderbot is willing to assist with chores around the house, even if it finds it ridiculous how little automation there is. Sometimes it will come its housemates with questions about clothing, technology, or social customs, to make sure that it doesn't stand out too much amongst the locals.

Overall, aside from the fact it doesn't like eye contact and is very socially awkward, Murderbot is fairly easy to live with.]

Ziggy Berman | Fear Street

[shadysided]

I. The Winchester Girl | Pleasantville

["Oh, that's the troubled one, isn't it? That Winchester girl, still out of dress code."

"I heard her mother isn't in the picture — how horrible, to not have a mother figure! It's no wonder she's had such a history of acting out. I've seen her crawl out of the windows to leave in the middle of school. She'll go nowhere at this rate.."

"Best keep your eye on her if she enters your shop. You know how delinquents can be."

"I swear I saw her playing with a knife the other day. Who knows what goes on in that head..."

The small gathering of PTA-approved mothers outside of the school seem to not at all hide their gossip about Christine 'Ziggy' Winchester, not even around fellow orbers; they're more than happy to include them in their unkind commentary, but Ziggy just rolls her eyes as she passes. She hadn't exactly meant to make her real life part of her cover story, but... well. The heart says what the heart says. This place only serves to remind her of the home she'd left behind. And besides, it's easier to fake things when you sprinkle a little truth into it.

So, outside of the orbers? She seems terribly isolated, avoiding most other students and teachers and adults alike. It's a little uncomfortable now, two years into all of this, to be that person entirely... and it occurs to her that maybe that's a good thing?

Maybe it's good, that she feels weird being the outsider.

It's why when she ditches school just to find you at a park bench or cafe, she slips into a seat and says:]

So? How are you liking Creepsville?

... Or the big, freaky eyeball in the sky?

II. Stardust | After Dark

[When the sun sets, she finds herself switching to something a little more familiar these days: patrol. It means donning the jetpack Peter had given her, and the full facemask Emry had given her, and flying around through the sky in secret; it's easy enough to fully mask her telltale hair and be completely incognito to anyone who isn't more familiar with her as an orber — and in that way, she can live a two-sided life.

There's nothing much to find yet, but she'll keep at it. The worst things tend to happen under the veil of night, after all. When she comes across a crewmate doing the same, she touches down onto a nearby roof and crouches to peer over the edge at them — as they move to inspect some of those strange figures around town that replicate different people.]

I'd be careful getting too close if I were you.

The closer you are, the weirder the stuff that happens to your head.

[She may or may not know from a little bit of experience.]

III. Closed Starter / Wildcard

[Got something in particular you wanna do? Hit me up at simpledog!]

( 1 )

[offseers]

The eyeball's new.

[ he seems rather tense. his shoulders are squared and he has a strange look in his eye, distant and unseeing. ]

Daisy Johnson | OTA(w/one closed thread)

[morethan084]

Arrival

[Daisy’s still reeling from what Degar said on the platform, just before they ended up here. And while she does her best to just focus on the mission, it’s hard. All of these people she’s grown to know and care about, and she only has a few missions left with them. Soon after their arrival here, Daisy exits the house she lives in with her ‘family’ and spots some familiar amongst the people walking down the street.]

Hey. I feel like I’m in Leave it to Beaver.

[Dressed in more era approriate clothing, Daisy smooths out her dress.]

Who’re you staying with?


Cooking? In this economy?

[Daisy’s just got done talking to someone who says they can’t wait to eat their world famous quiche again, and the smile leaves her face the moment they walk away.]

I’ve never made a quiche in my life. Have you?

[Please. Help her.]

Officer Johnson

[Smoothing out the skirt of her police uniform, Daisy’s just finished putting a ticket on a car parked in an illegal spot when she sees a fellow orber staring at one of the weird figures for a little too long. Looking both ways, Daisy walks across the street towards them.]

These things give me the creeps.

[She says, making small talk until she realizes that they haven’t stopped staring.]

Hey. What’s wrong?

Closed to Andy

[Daisy’s night was pretty restless, and not because she was sharing a bed with Andy. But because she keeps thinking about what Degar told them, and it brings on a lot of different emotions that she can’t ignore. She’s not sure when she fell asleep, but the morning sun shines through the window and Daisy instinctively pulls the blanket over her head.]

Wildcard

[Have something else in mind? Feel free to write something below or PM/message me on morethan084!]

( cooking )

[offseers]

Sorry.

[ he's not familiar. ]

We could go over the recipe again. See what we've missed.

noah | xenoblade

[offseers]

( 1.0 — human nature ) cw: discussions of grief, loss, death

[ at first, it was nice. he kept comparing to the city that had to hide away in the great sword. a city of dim light and darkness, but still full of life and homes and . . . families. this was very different.

he thought he had gotten more familiar, spending time in the cities in the last mission but it was worse here. everyone seemed so happy, displaying their joy so publicly that it hurt. he was angry. furious. he wanted to tear it down. but he couldn't. all he could do is watch.

it was too much. he breaks away to find himself a quiet spot where he curls up, holding his knees tightly, trying to breathe as the tears slipped free. in front of him, lying on the ground is a flute. ]

( 2.0 — surburbia )

[ noah eyes the houses. so neatly in rows, with the same lawns, same layout, same lawnmowers. everything so uniform, it was . . . unnerving. surely he can't be the only one finding this unnerving? even the colonies were not so uniform in their approach. yes, they were all similar, but they never mimicked each other to such a degree. ]

This cannot be normal. Can it?

( 6.0 — observation )

[ noah deeply missed the use of his iris. the ability to scan something and immediately have data on hand, to pull out whenever he needs to is an ability he always took for granted. he's not as comfortable with pen and paper, but thankfully his schooling covered some of that at least. his writing may not be incredibly legible, but it'll serve as notes.

he tries to link the matches of people to these other figures from a distance with a frown. this reminds him of . . . N. and noah doesn't want to think of N. N, who was a match for noah. N who . . . forced them to see mio go.

his jaw tightens before he notices someone nearby and compartmentalizes his anger for now. ]

Did you find anything?

( wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? ping me on timmtams / pm this journal or hit up my plotting comment. ]

2.0

[oiorpata]

[ andy lets out the most melodramatic, annoyed sigh. she was probably not the best candidate to be a suburban parent to a child who knows nothing of suburbia, and yet here they are! ]

I don't find it normal in the slightest, but there are those who do. Some towns get designed this way. On purpose.

shinn asuka / gundam seed destiny / all open

[lostdestiny]

6.1 (the bummer one!)

[ A few sleepless hours after midnight, Shinn throws on a jacket and slips quietly out a bedroom window and up onto the roof. Part of it is to keep an eye out for any more late-night disturbances… but mostly, it’s to get out of the stifling, unsettling feeling of a house that simultaneously feels completely alien and too much like home.

There’s an endless list of differences between Onogoro and Amaryllis: a subtropical island versus whatever landlocked temperate thing the town has going on, a dense urban area surrounded by forest versus suburban uniformity, a few hundred years of technological advancement versus pre-space tech, casual happiness versus filler-people and creepy eyeball sun what the hell. But there’s overlap, too, and that overlap is all things that haven’t been in his life since the Federation attacked Orb three years ago—mingling with civilians instead of cadets and the Minerva’s crew, the easy cheer of people who hadn’t spent the last few years at war or expecting war, children playing in the autumn leaves. Families, even fake ones. There’s an endless list of differences between Onogoro and Amaryllis, but the things that do overlap hurt in ways he hasn’t had to deal with while living in ZAFT’s military bubble.

He stretches out on the roof, and with the same motion pulls a battered pink flip-phone out of a jacket pocket, thumbing it open and shut out of muscle memory. The technology here doesn’t match up with the phone, so it’s long out of battery. Maybe it’s better that he can’t scroll through Mayu’s old photos in a place that feels so much like home, but not being able to hear her voice makes him feel lonelier than he has in a long, long time.

6.2 (the irritating one!)

[ At first, getting a paper route had seemed like a good excuse to survey the residential area early in the morning, before the teenagers were hustled off into school—maybe even to see the next Myrsdin-napping, or whatever, while it was happening. But nothing has happened since the Myrsdin-napping, and now every morning Shinn is stuck with a bicycle (which, unfair that it is not the car, there is no universe in which he is not the best driver in this fake family), a pile of newspapers, and nothing interesting to do while delivering them.

In his boredom, Shinn has turned this paper route into target practice. The drill is simple: while biking as fast as possible, pick a target on the porch—the door knocker, the a flower pot, empty milk bottles—and chuck a newspaper at it with maximum force and accuracy. Reload and repeat! From his perspective, he is great and only getting better, good job turning something useless into something semi-useful.

From your perspective, dear orber, you have possibly been awakened at an ungodly hour by a newspaper slamming into your door (flower pot, milk bottles) with unnecessary force. Maybe even two days in a row. Maybe even three days in a row. Maybe it’s time to tell the paper boy that newspaper delivery is not a bombing run. ]

6.3 (zzzzzzzz)

[ .... of course, staying up all night and waking up early doesn’t bode well for energy levels the next day. And so anyone attending or working at Amaryllis High will find Shinn passed out in the middle of class on top of a math textbook. ]

6.2 (the irritating one!)

[greenpower]

[One day, Ivy could forgive. She wouldn't have been happy about getting woken up at the asscrack of dawn by someone destroying one of her flower pots, but you know, they're all a little tense here. Everyone's one the same side. Doing their best. If she could put up with Bane's nonsense, she can forgive one rude awakening and/or damaged goods.

Two was pushing it.

The third morning, Ivy is waiting and if it weren't for the fact she's not supposed to be using her powers for this mission Poison Ivy would have shoved some English ivy through the spokes of Shinn's bike at high speeds.

Since she's not, she's waiting at the gate of her white picket fence, leaning against the mailbox, an unfriendly expression on her face and a rock in hand in case she needs some help getting Shinn's attention.]

andromache | the old guard | ota

[oiorpata]

PART I. PLEASANTVILLE
1.0 🗡 THIS TOWN THAT DON'T EXIST

[ since the invention of it, andy has always hated the suburban style of living. the uniformity, the gossip, the othering of outsiders. she would rather a life not contained by a picket fence. yet here she is, but it brings her a small amount of delight to say she has a wife. skirts elude her once again, with andy sticking largely to slacks, vests, and button downs in another personal vendetta that doesn't have the same effect it would have back home. ]

[ she does a cursory exploration of the town, mostly lingering in the grocery and general stores, trying to gauge what she thinks she needs versus what suburbanites think they need. ]

All this shit is so fucking new. [ she mutters it under her breath. she thought she escaped the 1950s. and yet here they are, at least in aesthetics. ]

[ she likes abbey park well enough, spending a lot of her downtime when she's out of the home wandering its trails on a walk or jog, using it as a temporary escape from the cookie cutter hell. sometimes she stops to listen to some of the music shows, to just hang out in the park and try not to think about what degar said before they departed. she pulls a flask from her pocket and takes a sip (bottles, presumably, would be a little more suspect). ]

2.0 🗡 THE BIBLE OF NONE OF THE ABOVE

[ if andy must suffer suburbia, she is going to make the best of being outside. the house she shares with daisy and noah is just like the rest of them, but when she's home alone she's often in the yard. she prunes and weeds the gardens, both of the vegetable and flower variety, and even if it isn't perfect, it's alive. the important part is the veggies are edible. she comes around with a basket full of them and gives a sarcastic wave. ]

I'm making soup for dinner, if you want to come in. Apparently we're supposed to invite people over, but you can just take a tomato or two instead.

[ the worst part is mowing. she does it, mostly. one day the lawnmower sits off to the side, the grass only partially finished, but andy has temporarily given up and simply sits down at the curb of the sidewalk, pulling a flask from a pocket and knocking back a sip. hopefully anyone walking by is an orber and not a local, lest her alcoholic reputation begin anew. ]

I hate lawns.

[ the grass should be NATURAL and BOUNTIFUL. of course andromache the scythian would be anti-lawn. ]

2.5 🗡 STEADY DIET OF SODA POP AND RITALIN

[ one thing andy does know how to do is schmooze. does she enjoy it? sometimes. but a 1950s style dinner party sounds like a personal hell, one that is best served with alcohol and a nice suit. who ever owns the house or is throwing the party, andy's decent enough at mingling to make a good impression, though always with a glass in hand. she can be very personable if need be. ]

My wife and I are fine, thank you. [ and she exits the conversation with Mrs Whatshername under the guise of getting more food to bring to the wife, because they have some of her favorites here! that's the excuse, at any rate. otherwise she socializes with a breeze, charming her way through conversations with husbands and wives and occasionally any children that might pop up. ]

PART II. AFTER DARK
4.0 🗡 HURRICANE OF FUCKIN LIES

[ andy is awake when the scream pierces the neighborhood, because she might prefer following the sun for time, but it doesn't mean she sleeps with regularity. like any good neighbor, she runs out of the house at the sound and joins the congregation in the streets, though she's forgotten to throw on shoes or a robe. at least she's wearing pajama pants this time, though her sleep shirt tank top probably leaves much to be desired. ]

[ the entire exchange is nothing but suspicious, but somehow the crowd's reaction seems like a standard one for a town like this. ]

What is this, the fucking CIA? [ the utmost suspicious organization she can think of! they kidnap and disappear people all the time. ]

6.0 🗡 CITY OF THE DAMNED

[ she's riding her bike and paused at a crosswalk when she catches sight of one of the odd figures at the other side, like a placeholder person. the more she sees them, the more she hates them, and given she's stuck here for a few moments, andy finds herself really staring down the figure. they're strange enough to warrant some kind of investigation, but it seems a little tricky given what happens bodily. ]

[ the vertigo hits her unexpectedly, and she isn't even drunk. she stumbles, only just so, and catches her balance on the handlebars, closing her eyes even as the light changes to allow a crossing. ]

Fucking knew it would be haunted.

PART III. STEPFORD HOUSESPOUSES
0.0 🗡 DOING SOMEONE ELSE'S COCAINE

[ hit me up for wildcards, closed starters, etc! communism or romanitas @ disco! andy is a nebulous part time job/part time housespouse idk we're working on it. ]

1.0

[coordination]

[ Trying not to think about their little heads up before departure seems to be a common feeling among the crew. And for good reason. All for various ones, too. Yzak's never quite stopped feeling like there was a constant whirlwind inside of him; sometimes slow and harmless, sometimes powerful and raging. With news of this all being over soon, it's kicked up again, a maelstrom of confusion, conflicting thoughts that just serve to irritate him when he tries to reach down into it to try and sort and make sense of them.

This is one of his rare days off from the AGPD and he's decided to head to the park. He and Ryunosuke have both actually decided to head to the park together. And they're friends, so they spent enough time together there to at least give the impression to others who've been spreading rumors about the happiness of their marriage that they don't hate each other or anything. But eventually, Ryunosuke gets a tap over their earpieces or something or other and the two part ways for the time being.

Out of uniform Yzak takes on a fancy sort of casual which is something he does anyway. So he seems comfortable enough, not out of place. ]

If I were on duty you'd be in trouble.

[ He steps up to Andy wherever she's decided to put herself while she listens to the music and relaxes a bit. ]

Wei Wuxian

[singlelogbridge]

[Closed starters to follow, but please feel free to wildcard me or PM for plotting if you'd like something!]

Yuri

[singlelogbridge]

[He sees her beelining for the police officers before they do, and he doesn't even stop to think before he darts after her, only briefly sending Itachi a message through the network to let him know what he's doing. When he gets there, the police are just turning towards her and he wraps an arm around her shoulders to hold her back, an overstepping of physical boundaries that he wouldn't normally partake in but that feels necessary in the moment.]

Forgive my rudeness Yuri, but we can't make a scene here, something is wrong. Beyond the obvious. look at the neighbors. [If she does glance at any of the non orbers watching the scene, she'll see what Wei Wuxian is seeing too. Although they're obviously unnerved, none of them seem especially surprised or confused.

Aloud he only says] Forgive us officers, my sister 's greatly upset by all of this.

yujin mikotoba | the great ace attorney | clopen???

[softshoes]

[open prompts & closed starters threaded below; feel free to wildcard me, too!

if you want to plot out something specific, hmu at smithsyndicate, my plotting post, or by PM.]

open

[softshoes]

part 1 - around town

[The handful of worlds Yujin's visited thus far have all been vastly, impossibly different from one another, from the bright little towns and cheery creatures in Ankata to the dizzyingly advanced technology in the Ndeira Complex. What is remarkable about Amaryllis Grove, however, is how unremarkable it is... intentionally. The neat rows of uniform houses and tidy green lawns may be clean and well maintained, but they're so featureless Yujin can't help but to find them unnerving. How or why a world with aliens and magic has managed to make itself feel this mundane is beyond him.

So when Yujin isn't working in the morgue, he ventures out. (On bike. He's not even going to bother learning cars right now, they definitely don't have time for that.) The library is an easy first choice; even when he runs out of luck researching Amaryllis Grove, he does come home with a few leisurely reads to pass the time on this mission. Abbey Park becomes a frequent haunt as well-- at least it isn't all lawn-- where he's found reading by the duck pond and listening in on the musical events. And for how much he's earnestly enjoying the food and drink at the local restaurants and coffee shops, he's also people watching, attempting to pick out just what it is about this strange town that the orbers will need to delve into deeper.]

2.0A - it's not easy being green

[He's not gonna mow that shit. This is tragic. Now more than ever, he misses his actual garden, with actual non-grass plants in it. Looking at that empty expanse of green is just so discouraging.

Fortunately, he's found a decent workaround: caring for the flowers his house does have, while paying some local kid to tackle all that lawn. He doesn't need the money when he leaves, the boy does, he doesn't have to mow. Win-win.

Enter Little Robin: no more than 12, unfailingly enthusiastic, and also a green frog boy. He's going to town on the grass, slimy hands slipping over the lawnmower's handle, as Yujin supervises from the porch with vague concern. If this is uneven, he doesn't really care-- he'd just like to return this young man to his parents down the street with all his limbs intact.

When the boy sees a neighbor walking by on the sidewalk, he brightens up and rapidly waves a webbed hand at them... immediately losing his control of the mower.]

C-careful, now! [As the poor kid chases the escaping mower, Yujin looks entreatingly out at the passing orber. Help.]

2.0B - party

[open starter @ arisu and chishiya's party - or wildcard him at another dinner/potluck here!]

part two - network
text; un: y.mikotoba

We've all seen the figures by now, correct? Observing them for too long will harm you, so please don't push yourself beyond your limits.

[Really. Don't be a hero.]

Unfortunately, this likely means that they ARE worth investigating. Has anyone else uncovered any other leads?

Yzak Jule | Gundam SEED

[coordination]

#01: Hot Goss ( ota ; anywhere )

[ It's abundantly clear that Yzak wants no part of this whole fake family backstory thing from the moment the mission file drops. He can easily put up with literally everything else - he'll be someone's brother or cousin or doctor and can pretend he knows what he's doing in nearly any job because he's smart and adaptable and picks up on things fast. But relationships, romance, marriage? All it does is dig a knife into still-raw wounds and dredge up feelings that are always simmering just beneath the surface already. That's why it was somewhat of a godsend that Ryunosuke was in a similar enough boat that they could both agree to pair up for the sake of the cover story and nothing more; united in their distaste of acting along with something like this.

Of course in a town where not much happens so the locals end up in each others' business, that causes rumors about the Jule-Naruhodo union. They don't seem to spend that much time together - not as much that a wedded couple should, anyway. There's a complete lack of any sort of affection or intimacy (not even holding hands! (but holding hands is too lewd for Yzak to pretend anyway)). Are they having troubles? Are they in an unhappy marriage? Have they tried a couples counselor? Sometimes late at night Yzak decides to take a walk because he's feeling restless - did they have a fight? Did he get couched or kicked out completely? It's so easy for people to let their imaginations run wild and come up with ridiculous conspiracies. Yzak being Yzak, of course, means that if any citizen of Amaryllis Grove actually asks too many questions or gets too nosy, they will be, very bluntly told, to essentially fuck off and mind their own business.

They don't, of course. If anything, it's cause for more speculation.

Any Orber that overhears anything and approaches Yzak about it will get his feelings on the whole situation. Whether it's while he's sitting in the park reading a book while out of uniform, knocking on his door, or if they just happen to be passing one another while he's on patrol in his AGPD uniform. ]

I know already.

And I don't give a shit! These people are nosy as hell! But at least it gives them something to distract themselves with so they're not nosing into what we're here to do instead.

#02: Hot Gaze ( ota ; anywhere )

[ Much like the above (sitting in the park reading a book, knocking on his door, passing one another while he's on patrol in his AGPD uniform), wherever one runs into Yzak is when he'll speak to them about one of the following: ]

A. I assume you know by now that the sun is actually some giant eye staring down at us. But why the hell is there one?

B. Don't stare at those things for too long. [ With a nod of his head in the vague direction where one of those creepy figures is standing. ] They start to mess with your head.

[ And then C. is specifically on a pleasantly cool night with a gentle breeze, outside of Yzak's backyard where somehow or other you ended up stopping by and agreeing to hang out for a while, have some tea. You sit and relax on one of the benches around the small gardens and watch the stars above as they peek through openings in the clouds.

Yzak takes a sip of his tea, and brings the cup down to his lap, both hands encircled around it though only one can feel the heat through the glass. He stares down into it, quiet, pensive for a few minutes. And then, without shifting his gaze from where it sits: ]

You heard the Commander, right before we were sent here. We've only got a couple more orbs to recover before we complete our mission.

...

How do you feel about that?

[ A question, genuine and curious because Yzak is here with this person in the first place because he likes them, has worked with them whether it's been for a couple of weeks or a couple of years. But also because his own feelings on the matter are an awkward sort of tangle that he doesn't know how to unknot. Perhaps hearing other perspectives can aid with that. ]

#03: Hot Wildcard ( ota ; anywhere )

Always open for a nice wildcard or mashup of any prompts above. ♥

2 / A

[blindrun]

...Why there's a sun, or why it's a giant eye?

[ He's mostly being a shitter about the question, sitting on the bench next to Yzak and trying to blend in. This means idly reading a newspaper with no interesting information in it, but looking so very immersed to the unknowing eye. ]