MarinaNova Asylum

[You won't hear them coming. You won't see their snare. The mistletoe bots are out and they're hunting you, two by two. You can run and you can hide, but eventually you will be caught, and then there's nothing left to do but kiss your way out!]

(OOC: Mingle until your lips are chapped! Information on mistletoe bots event.)

Citizens of Marina, I have a serious question for you.

Who would win in a fight? [She holds her adorned hands up one at a time.] Lobster claw oven mitt or shark oven mitt?

I know the shark seems obvious, but the lobster wants it more. Also, I think the wardens might have been drinking when they stocked the store. So, let me know if you're aware of a good AA program for AIs.

[Kitty will be milling around Bull's Eye if you'd like to find her there or on her way home.]

[ elena's going to make this short. she opens a feed late in the day, her expression measured to limit the pain of loss she's feeling right now. her voice is frank, as frank as she can manage. elena's never been convincing. ] Caroline Forbes is gone. [ she takes in a deep breath. ] So is Stefan. And Tyler Lockwood. [ what else is there to say? there should be more, but there's not. caroline's room is empty. stefan's apartment too. no one's answering any calls. their best friend is gone. she and bonnie are alone. ] They're gone. [ it's said with terrible finality. she feels tears warm her eyes. ] Cheerleading is cancelled for now.

{ private to eric northman. }
[ she barely pauses before connecting to eric. ] I think I could use another drink.

{ private to damon salvatore. }
I'm coming over.

[ Today is a day where most would be at risk of oversleeping.The dome lies dark like in the dead of night. The sun hasn’t risen today, streetlights casting a dull yellow glow and occasionally flickering out into nothing, only to spark back to life a moment later. There is no electric flicker from the kiosk. The Wardens are still. The wardens are silent.

The dome isn’t silent. There is a rustling of leaves, a snapping of twigs. Claws, scraping against concrete. The inhuman screech of an animal in peril, an animal hunting, an animal hunted. A screech that promises sharp claws and sharper teeth and blood.

The dome isn’t still either. There is something moving, thick as a shadow, tangible as a chill down your spine. Something that doesn’t belong here, something that snuck in when no one was looking. A boogeyman under the bed. A ghost in the closet. A will o’ the wisp, blinking in and out of existence under the flickering streetlights. Whatever it is it’s moving, leaving a trail of cold, dead fear wherever it passes. Something dark. A shadow so pitch black that it blots out the very lights in your heart, dragging your fears out screaming and kicking, reducing even the strongest, toughest man to a blubbering baby.

Perhaps best to stay in bed today, Marina. ]

((OOC: Event information HERE. We ask the winners of the raffle to fill out a simple survey and then tag into the Vapor thread HERE! Happy mingling, Marinanites! ))

Anyone keep their pictures?

[The feed coming on, Yuuki is sitting at the DF headquarters, and from the view it's clear she's flipping through a scrap book. She's made it herself and decorated it all up. After her past year at home she's gotten used to scrapbooking, so while she's no artist, she can patch things together to look cute. There isn't really any reason for her addressing the network, other than being a little bored and curious.]

Some of the pictures really, genuinely bothered me, but over all there's some I want to hold onto. I'm kind of irritated though. I had to spend a number of rehab points on getting a picture before, and suddenly all of these turn up. The wardens really are unfair.

[HUFF HUFF]

Anyway, I have an important message! Attention anyone on Team Zero! [She means anyone who works under her in Sector Zero. Sitting up straight she'll be 'professional' for this!] Meet me at headquarters at [TIME]! Hot chocolate and snacks will be provided. And don't worry, I've left our sector with a babysitter, so it'll be all right while we're gone. Probably.

[Look what a responsible leader she is]

It's super important so try not to be late, okay?

[OOC: Backdated to a little earlier in the day]

[There are multiple peg boards set up in Sector 0 today—some tall, some short, some on wheels, some long, some magenta with glitter! But what do they all have in common? They are covered in pictures with familiar faces.

Maybe the face is many years younger and surrounded by family or maybe it's a shot taken in Marina (version 1 or 2!). Maybe it was a time when no cameras were present and yet here is the evidence of that moment in all it's candid glory.

You could have grabbed that really embarrassing or incriminating one and thought you were safe only to find out there were three duplicates! Sweet, horrific, sad, casual, posed, past, or present—the wardens are good at variety, so enjoy!]

(OOC: Plotting post for sharing pictures people might find on the boards.)

[ caroline is feeling the effects of the wonderland event, The Dormouse to be specific. so when the camera comes on, you see her face, her expression a tiny bit crazed maybe just because she's having a great time doing whatever.]

So... Guess what guys? [ she makes a face and suddenly vampire teeth click down from her actual teeth.] I'm a vampire! [ yeah, she says it like she's admitting her favorite color is blue or something.] Don't worry though, I don't eat people or anything.

open action / sector three.

[ the drone of the wardens announcing a new day isn’t jarring to elena in the least. it’s the day’s number, through her fog of sleep, that snags her attention. the repetition of her list of crimes. she awakes slowly and all at once, her eyes on the ceiling of a quiet apartment, in a familiar room. she seats up with a start.

she ignores her welcome basket with a burst of disquiet in her gut, her mind already adding this up despite her reluctance to believe it. she gets up out of her old bed, devoid of sheets. moving into the hall, into the living room and adjoining kitchen doesn’t help. it’s empty. she made sandwiches with damon in that kitchen that first day here. curled up on that couch with caroline countless times.

it’s the thought of caroline, damon, everyone she’s left and who isn’t here -- that prompts her to abandon the emptiness of the apartment and recheck the morning messages for one thing.

day 245. she’s been -- where? lost in the stabilizer? -- for three days. her jaw tightens around the belated fear, anger, and frustration towards this place clawing her throat. the devastation of knowing she’s returned or even that she hasn’t gone anywhere. she squeezes the communicator in her hands, nearly hard enough to break, but she doesn’t. can’t. wouldn’t.

she slips it onto her ear instead and heads for the building’s exit. ]

( { private voice to caroline forbes, bonnie bennett. } )

( { private voice to stefan salvatore. } )

( { private voice to damon salvatore. } )

-

open video.

[ it’s after she’s back at her apartment and talked to everyone she needs to that elena curls her feet under herself on her bed and makes a network-wide video. her eyes are glassy from all the reunions, but her smile is as reassuring as she can make it. ] Hey. It turns out I’m back. I guess the wardens weren’t done with me yet. [ there’s some weak wryness to lighten the mood. ] I thought everyone should know. [ and considering it’s newbie day: ] For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Elena.

( { private video to zatanna zatara. } )

[Eric has been in a panic since he was woken by the incredibly distinct lack of the squishier emotions inside of him. He couldn't feel Sookie or her emotions and that had been a void deep enough to awaken the dead. Literally.

A check of all his abilities assured him that he was still a vampire and there was no physical reason for the bond to be broken. After a daylight search that had left him with a case of the bleeds and a certainty that Sookie was gone whether he wanted it or not, he'd gone to the Blood Shack. Walking into the familiar building had given him some hope. Sookie's scent still lingered there, but it was residual and nothing new. He walked to the bar, sorting through his emotions in the most distanced, analytical way possible in an attempt to control a rage and a pain that he'd only experienced once before: during Sookie's 'vacation' to fairyland. He filled a glass with blood and took a sip. That sip was enough blood to fuel the rage that bubbled so close to the surface even on a good day. The self control that Eric was so terribly proud of crumbled and the vampire broke apart in ways that he'd forgotten was possible.

It was easy to forget that Eric could be a weapon of perfect destruction. He was good at smiling and pretending. He was excellent at maintaining control of a frightening strength and rage. He was good at hiding the fact that he felt the negative spectrum of emotions so much easier than the positive ones. Through his bond with Sookie, he was able to tap into her emotions, able to feel them as if they were his own. He had gotten accustomed to what happy felt like and the complete lack of it left far too much space to fill with rage and anger, loss and pain. He hurled the glass of blood at the wall and screamed at the top of his lungs. There wasn't anything human or controlled about the way he began ripping things apart, tearing the building to pieces as an outlet for rage he didn't want to feel. It was difficult to tell because blood was still seeping from his eyes, ears and nose, but those were also blood tears running down his face.

He had so few people in this world he would weep at the loss of. The dome had managed to take away one. ]

[ooc: approach with caution. before the event. ]

So, aside from throwing the occasional costume party or dealing with an influx of confused strangers, what's the best way to keep busy around here? Asking as a confused stranger, obviously. Less confused than the other day, but still kind of at loose ends.

[The dark-haired fellow cracks a wry grin, which doesn't last too long. After all, sudden life sentences take some time to get used to.]

I guess you've got to find something to keep from going crazy, right? Or crazier, maybe. I'm trying to stay optimistic about this situation, though I'm not sure whether actually being in an underwater prison is better than hallucinating an underwater prison. I thought about trying to find work but everything seems to be in the capable metal hands of robots, so. I get the feeling my specialization's not in high demand.

[A shrug.]

Oh, and thanks to whoever sent over the big Cracker Barrel kind of basket. It was a nice gesture, even if it didn't have a ticket home in it.

So what do you recommend? There's only so much sight-seeing you can do, after all.

[ those who know caroline and know her well, will be able to notice the tremor in it as she comes on the comms. she's quiet and subdued. and for good reason. her best friend, her rock, the person whose friendship they just got back on track is gone. she still has bonnie and stefan, she loves them just as much, but elena is elena.]

Cheerleading practice is cancelled today. [ she's barely holding it together now.] For those who knew her.... Elena Gilbert is gone. Trust me, I've checked and doubled check. I'm sorry. [ and with that, she turns off her device before she can start to cry. chances are, if she doesn't know you, her response will be delayed by a few hours. ]

[Open | Video]
The name's Kitty Pryde for those who don't know me. I'm the current leader of the Defense Force. It's a group that works on ensuring the public safety whether that's from each other or our robot overlords. [Not to mention putting an end to this whole prison thing. She figures it's no secret from the wardens, but it still feels a little too brazen to be that specific in the public announcement.]

We're accepting new members in combat, investigations, and dispatch. There's an interview process if you're interested. I'll make up answers if you make up questions.

[Private | Defense Force | Video]
Seems like we've lost some people recently. We may have more joining our ranks soon. Until then, Data, I want you to lead Sector 5. Hopefully, we'll have more for you to lead soon. My team will back you up until then.

I want to talk to members of Sector 0 and 4's teams to see who to appoint as leader or temporary leader. [Spoiler alert: she is not picking you, Sougo.]

If anyone else has anything to report I'm listening.

[Open | Action]
[Find Kitty at the Defense Force headquarters today or maybe even heading into a certain bar she once burned down, The Devil's Compass.]

(OOC: DF Roster)

[ As mentioned by the wardens yesterday, Eric is hosting a costume party. The Blood Shack is lit by candles for the evening (he remembers the last party he had being interrupted by a power outage) and a small buffet of sorts has been erected. It furnishes mostly hors d'oeuvre and finer foods, things that Caroline picked out as Eric hasn't a clue about human food.

There is blood on tap (naturally) as well as a full bar. Eric has made certain to include water, sodas, tea and various non-alcoholic drinks.

The jukebox is playing a variety of music, but patrons are always invited to pick out their own music. The dance floor has a disco ball and there's the ever present 'dancing' pole on stage if someone gets brave. Tables are scattered about as are sofas and chairs so that people have a choice where they sit.

Enjoy yourself, mix, mingle and admire everyone's costume and everyone is required to have a costume in order to be here. ]

[ooc: I've turned off replies so if you want Eric's attention please tag his thread. Mingle here, have fun and be merry? Everyone is invited, including and especially newbies. ]

[It really wasn't in Trowa's nature to draw such attention to himself. He tended to be secretive in nature. However, there were two problems with that. First problem, he didn't have the access to the systems that he normally had aside from the communicator thing. Second problem, how was someone supposed to be inconspicuous when they were suddenly wearing a bright orange jumpsuit.

And for the record, he didn't appreciate the latter. The former was a challenge.

The message he had received over the communicator had him concerned. A prison? This certainly didn't seem like one based on what he could see. What could this possibly mean?

So against what he would normally do, he has to use the communicator to try and get information. So he turns it on. Anyone really paying attention might be able to tell he's sitting in a tree. Not having full abilities didn't mean he couldn't manage that. His features remain completely calm as he speaks, almost no outward emotion coming through]

Is this a joke or is that message serious? A prison? In this kind of environment?

[He knows prisons. He's been the one in charge of his own teammates prisoners before]

I would appreciate any information anyone can offer about this place.

[Arriving at a strange place isn't new to Catherine Halsey. Her life has been full of odd occurrences and this shouldn't be any different. But it is, more mysterious than anything else she's been through. Prison? Again. Not rightfully so; hasn't she served her time? Hasn't she suffered enough, properly atoned without being put in a jumpsuit?]

This isn't the chain gang...

[It's muttered as she fumbles with the device, starting up a voice communication.]

To anyone who is listening: An explanation would be helpful, something more relevant than what I've received, a detailing of events and the essence of this situation. Additionally... [She pauses.] ...if anyone is near gardens and a series of greenhouses, I require physical assistance as well.

[Because newly arrived, stolen away only minutes after her life-saving amputation, she is now stuck in a greenhouse with a rather stubborn door.

At least the view is nice...?]

[ caroline's sitting in the park with a happy sort of smile. she's feeling good about things for the first time in a long time. she's wearing her work out gear, probably doing stretches.]

Want to be a cheerleader? Yes, this place has a cheer team and you can be a part of it. Come to signups today at 1pm here at Två Park!

Also! Everyone should come to the costume party that Eric Northman is throwing tomorrow. Whoever has the best costume gets a prize!

[private to elena]

Tomorrow's the party, you're going right? It's normal. We need normal, right?

[private to eric]

So what are you dressing up as at your party? Because wearing all black and being all lurky so does not count.

[ liz is one of the lucky few who didn't spill her guts to the class yesterday, but that doesn't mean she feels entirely comfortable with everything that's been going on. So, in an effort to help get herself back on some sort of a schedule, she's taken to patrolling the dome today. she probably should just keep to one little area, but habits are hard to break and she's slowly coming to see this prison as her new "town." that means the whole place needs to be protected and that's what she's doing.

so she can be found wandering just about anywhere in the dome except sector 6. ]

[ locked voice to the mystic falls crew ]

[ later on, she leaves a message for everyone from mystic falls, just to check up on them. ]

Everyone doing okay today?

[Anyone brought to this group will find that there are tables set up around the perimeter of the room, one with snacks and drinks, some even with art supplies on them, while the chairs are all pushed into a circle in the middle. There is a projector set up to one side and it flashes images every so often onto the wall. Images of children, adults, the elderly with the young--some of them more formal, posed, others candid as the brief moments of life they were. Some of these images might even be familiar to certain inmates. It shouldn't be hard for them to pick out their own families after all.

In the center of the circle of chairs is a table with a large bowl of treats, wrapped candies of various sorts. Hard candies, caramels, chocolates, taffy. Beside the bowl is a set of cards with instructions written on the back of them.

"Select a card and read the question aloud to the group. Whoever answers the question gets to choose a reward from the bowl and then select the next card. Continue until all of the cards have been viewed or the bowl is empty. More than one person can answer--the first to respond gets to select the next card. If no one volunteers, the card picker gets to select a person."

The cards themselves have a variety of questions and tasks, but they all have a very similar theme.]

( Possible Questions )
{OOC: Mingle! These questions are not the only ones. Feel free to come up with more. Also the candy in the bowl is spiked just like the pastries and coffee, so the more characters eat...you get the picture.}

[ the adjustments of the last few days haven't exactly put elena in a social mood. she's been out and about after transitioning, after that morning, and it's been through force of will.

get up, get dressed, get through the day until it doesn't hurt anymore. she told jeremy that, after jenna died. they've - she's - lived that over and over again. believes in it because it's the only thing that will (has to) get her through.

well. that and finding a way to control and satiate this sometimes overwhelming thirst.

run into her grocery shopping in the afternoon, browsing at the library, running and working out some at the athletic complex, or virtually anywhere else. ]

[ when you're feeling down and all else fails, nothing lifts your spirits faster than... PUPPIES. that's right, caroline's at the pet shop, sitting on the floor, letting little puppies crawl all over her. she's holding one in particular, stroking it gently before she addresses the camera. you may notice that caroline is not her usual bright, shiny self.

guilt tends to take the luster away from life, doesn't it. and this whole forget by playing with puppies thing isn't exactly working.]

So I'm thinking about getting this one, maybe, if my roomies are okay with it. [ because something to focus on other than what's going on seems like a great idea. she'll see about applying for ownership.] I'm open to name suggestions.

[ she runs her hand over the puppy's back before she seems to remember something--] Oh! By the way, for all the new people, who do have a cheerleading team, if you're interested, contact me here, I can tell you more.