ximilian: (Default)
ximilia mods ([personal profile] ximilian) wrote in [community profile] ximilialog2023-10-08 08:05 am

MISSION: THE SUN NEVER SETS ON AMARYLLIS GROVE

M I S S I O N   1 7 . 1

UNIT-YPLEASANTVILLEAFTER DARKFYI

// 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

dispassioned: (pic#16302411)

[personal profile] dispassioned 2023-10-11 02:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[He turns his head as Arisu slumps down in his seat and ends up kind of…nuzzling his hair as he rests his head on Chishiya's shoulder. He huffs softly, somewhat flustered, but he supposes it makes a good show for everyone else in the diner. They definitely look like newlyweds now.

He turns back to his coffee and sighs. Arisu isn’t wrong that Chishiya is good at hiding what he cares about. But that’s only when he does care.]


I haven’t often let myself care.

[And that’s a kind of apathy, isn’t it? To emotionally dissociate because it’s easier than giving a fuck. He’s pretty sure it is.]
morethan084: (Default)

[personal profile] morethan084 2023-10-11 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Does the mayor need a secretary or an assistant of any kind? 👀
coordination: (buxom lass with which to correspond)

[personal profile] coordination 2023-10-11 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Can one be in the ranks of the AGPD as one of their fake/implanted backstories?

If not, can one join said ranks?
astudyinviolet: Scruffy Sherlock playing violin (⩑ His Hesitant Bow)

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

[personal profile] astudyinviolet 2023-10-11 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)

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, [plurk.com profile] aviekokyre, or Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out! ]
Edited (Making the nightmare cries match) 2023-10-12 07:40 (UTC)
alternatives: (pic#16666484)

[personal profile] alternatives 2023-10-12 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
( really, arisu doesn't believe that, either. it takes a whole lot of care to become a doctor — to work a job on a spaceship without pay that no one asked him to do, while people like arisu continue to contribute absolutely nothing. that can't be apathy. if arisu was the doctor between them, he'd diagnose chishiya with a case of thick, impenetrable walls built up conceal something soft inside.

but, what does he know, really. he's given the benefit of the doubt to people who haven't deserved it before, but he's decently sure it isn't misplaced in chishiya. he's sitting here holding his hand and cuddled up to him after all.
)

Why?
deaddrop: (pic#15038457)

PART II.AFTER DARK

[personal profile] deaddrop 2023-10-12 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
4.0

[Natasha acts on instinct when she hears the scream, stepping into her slippers and appearing out on the lawn of her shared house to assess the threat. Assess the threat, because there's no other option in her mind. Whatever's happening, it is a threat.

Nothing she sees outside as she calms down changes her assessment of that.]


Did anyone see what happened?

[She'll ask, among other questions like:]

Was anyone still awake at the time?

[Or maybe most importantly:]

Does it kind of seem like everyone local knows what happened here, or is it just me?
drawsblood: (33)

closed to newt

[personal profile] drawsblood 2023-10-12 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ With this mission Joric has now been doing this for a year, and in that time he's come to care for these people more than he'd expected to. The news from Degar that they're nearly done is giving him mixed feelings because of course he wants to undo what was done to him, but at the same time it's bittersweet to have experienced so much with these people only to lose it all.

Add to these feelings the fact that his personal goal isn't great. Sometimes he does them, sometimes he doesn't, but with the knowledge that nearly all the orbs have been retrieved he feels he doesn't have the luxury of ignoring this one. Since it's on his mind here at the bar tonight, he feels he can speak to Newt of it. They're "brothers," after all. And so as Joric examines the pool table in a quiet corner, he decides to discuss it. ]


Let's play pool. I want to talk to you about something with a bit more privacy.
dispassioned: (pic#16613849)

[personal profile] dispassioned 2023-10-12 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Chishiya isn’t sure why Arisu seems inclined to disagree with him. He should know better than anyone how heartless Chishiya can be. Then again he also insisted on nursing him while he was sick and then agreed to pretend to be married to him.

He sighs and fiddles with his coffee cup with his free hand.]


Because it’s easier.

[Easier than caring and getting let down over and over. It felt safer to keep his expectations low to better avoid the inevitable disappointment.]
homeostatic: (106)

OPEN

[personal profile] homeostatic 2023-10-12 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
After Dark

I. Midnight Shift

( Woken from a dead sleep, Leonard hurries to join the clump of neighbors on the sidewalk, watching the scene unfolding at the Myrsdin's. Instinct would have him push past them and make his way to the distressed woman, but the arriving police keep him rooted, restless and uneasy to be a gawking spectator to someone else's pain.

Seeing a friend, he draws near, wrapping his flannel bathrobe more snugly around himself against the nip in the air. )


You alright? What happened?

II. On Days Like These

I don't like it. It's unnatural.

( He's been unhappily muttering into his sweet tea for the past few minutes, occasionally lifting his gaze to something over his companion's shoulder, only to quickly look back into his drink.

Leonard had passed the...the figure, the statue, the Damn Well Not A Person when he'd gone to the restroom in this little restaurant, squeezing by her table in the back corner. He hadn't registered her at first, too preoccupied, but he sensed eyes on him when he emerged afterward, a sensation that made the hair on the back of his neck stand right up.

She – It – was looking at him.

But it couldn't be. Its head was turned away, as if it were gazing at something interesting behind the lunch counter, and all he could see was its face in profile, the eye he expected to find focused on him instead hidden by a fallen blonde curl. One hand rested loosely on the table, the nails polished a pale pink to match its dress, unassuming and delicate. The longer he stared – because he was staring, past the point of rudeness, drawing closer all the while to study this strange anomalous thing – the more odd he felt, a lurching sensation, until he was close enough to reach out and brush aside the lock of hair.

--

He had returned to his seat, paper white, asked for their check and muttered and fiddled only with his glass of tea thereafter. The figure has done nothing in the meantime, sitting silent and motionless in the same spot, and where is their waitress, exactly, how long does it take to tally a couple sandwiches and soups and it hasn't moved but it's still looking at him— )


The Hell with this.

( Wallet out, Leonard counts out more than enough currency to cover their meal, drops it beside his plate, and bangs his knee on the underside of the table in his haste to get going. Ouch, but also hurry the Hell up, friend, because he's starting to panic, and will (un)happily drag you along with him. )
Edited 2023-10-12 14:16 (UTC)
deaddrop: (hexathele ramsayi)

II. Come on, Let's Go

[personal profile] deaddrop 2023-10-12 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[Natasha isn't here for the game so much as the company. The beer and the food aren't exactly hurting either. The football game is mostly a good excuse to socialize.

She leans close, peaking around McCoy's shoulder to eye the grill curiously, a beer bottle cradled in her hands, wearing a cozy sweater and a fond expression.]


Looks good.

[A little teasing.]

You come all the way here just to make sure we were well fed?
constructually: (036)

[personal profile] constructually 2023-10-12 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
If Murderbot performed a scan on the stationary figures, would anything interesting show up?

(Not sure if this would count as a search request, but if it does I'll move it there!)
alternatives: (pic#16666469)

CHIRISU DINNER PARTY ( you're all invited 💌 )

[personal profile] alternatives 2023-10-12 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
( 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?
)
Edited 2023-10-12 06:08 (UTC)
astudyinviolet: Scruffy Sherlock looking out the window (⩑ A Problem of Reason)

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

[personal profile] astudyinviolet 2023-10-12 07:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ 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?
onesingletruth: (Pensive)

Miles Edgeworth | Ace Attorney

[personal profile] onesingletruth 2023-10-12 10:10 am (UTC)(link)
Edited 2023-10-12 10:10 (UTC)
onesingletruth: (Thinking)

Part 1

[personal profile] onesingletruth 2023-10-12 10:11 am (UTC)(link)
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.
onesingletruth: (Serious)

Part 2

[personal profile] onesingletruth 2023-10-12 10:11 am (UTC)(link)
4.0

It came for him, she said. With his eyes narrowed, Miles didn't hesitate to start across the street, despite his being clad in pajamas and a robe. He was, after all, the prosecutor. He was meant to work closely with the police department, so why wouldn't they talk to him if he went to speak with them? Why wouldn't they answer his questions? It was literally a part of their job.

5.0

Usually hearing someone say ' an eye in the sky' meant that there was a helicopter with surveillance capability on the scene, especially on something like a traffic accident or police chase. This...

This had Miles firmly closing the door after he walked back into the house from where he'd started to the car to go to work. He was never a vividly coloured person, but now he was even paler than usual. Despite knowing that his best chance to get answers would be to get to the office and look at police records, he was (understandably, he thought) reluctant to go be... seen.

6.0

He was not a waif. He could, in general, take care of himself. That didn't mean he liked these... living mannequins, for lack of a better word. He hated them, in fact, and fought to control the churning in his stomach each time he saw them. There was a term for these things, but damned if he could remember it. Something about things that didn't quite look human.

A familiar tension had returned to his shoulders - one he'd not felt for quite a while. He tried to ignore it as he did the requisite trip to the mailbox (figuring he'd find some of the same inane articles in the newspaper about what someone's daughter had achieved in school - nothing of consequence). He even shook the paper out to begin reading, giving himself something to look at to take his mind off of them. If someone were to tap his shoulder, he might just scream.
alternatives: (pic#16725696)

[personal profile] alternatives 2023-10-12 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I can't really deny that.

( of course it would be easier to just not care about anything. arisu certainly tried to do it in his life outside of borderland — to not care about his father's disappointment, or his brother's scorn, or his friend's success. it left him hollow, like the carapace of a dead turtle. so, he knows, probably better than most, how much easier it is to not care about things, but also how the caring doesn't really go anywhere but deeper inside, morphing bleak and gray and heavy. gradual resentment. caring so much with a passive look on your face, and headphones over your ears. )

As a doctor, do you think it's a good solution?
legalcy: (Default)

[personal profile] legalcy 2023-10-12 01:52 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
morethan084: (listening/empathetic)

[personal profile] morethan084 2023-10-12 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[Talk about a whirlwind of a day. It’s late into the night when Daisy knocks on the door of where Joric is staying, having spent the majority of their first day here trying to get everything settled. She’s been thinking about what Degar said this morning the on the platform all day long, and there’s a pit in her stomach every time she’s reminded that their time here is almost done.]

Hey. Did I wake you?

[Daisy asks softly, afraid that if she were to speak any louder she’ll break.]
morethan084: (eyebrow/listening)

[personal profile] morethan084 2023-10-12 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Daisy enters the library in the hopes of finding more of the town’s history, and it’s not long until she spots someone organizing books.]

Excuse me, hi. Can you tell me where-?

[She cuts herself off when he looks at her, and there’s no hiding her surprise to see him working here of all places.]
drawsblood: (50)

[personal profile] drawsblood 2023-10-12 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Daisy will see the progression of lights turn on as Joric makes his way from the bedroom to the door. Sporting a typical 1950's dad look in striped pajama bottoms and a robe tied shut, the most drastic change is that to his hair, which is now shorn even shorter than it had been on the mission where he'd been an orc. Despite this change to his look, the smile he gives her is the same as always and he quickly ushers her in. After the nosiness he's experienced from the neighbors on only the first day, he's sure a few are standing at their curtains, peeking through. ]

No, I was lying awake in bed.

[ Kept up thinking of the same things as her. ]