( Deep Puck thoughts that mostly amount to 'be more fun, guys' )

( The actual spell )

[OOC: Feel free to thread amongst yourself, anywhere in the dome! Here's the OOC post for details.]

[A strikingly beautiful young man appears in view and speaks After a small yawn, he speaks in a soft tone- there's barely something in that tone, that could be something to take caution in.]

My head is killing me... prison? Hah... it must be a bad dream.. because, I definitely don't belong in here...! No flaw in your system..? Surely you're mistaken!
Hah, really! I haven't done a thing! Do you see any blood on these hands? [Dietrich looks down at his hands, a soft smile painted on his face] Certainly not... You must have me confused for my so-called family.

I'm tired. And this.. it's annoying. This place isn't very comfortable at all.

I am obviously not alone, that much is sure! My... I must be surrounded by such very dangerous people if this is the case! Who wants to tell me their tall-tales since we're all playing this together. I do love a good story.

[Off-network/action]

[Umi has been pacing and fiddling with the strange visor-phone for quite a while, fighting back the throbbing in her head, trying to keep her calm. It hasn't exactly been successful.]

Arrgh! Why you stupid-- Turn on! You and I need to have a long talk RIGHT now. I mean it!

[Shakes it and continues fiddling about until she finally sees it turn on.]

[The rest is VOICE:]

Finally! Honestly...if this thing was supposed to be helpful, it completely missed the mark.

[...ahem] All right! I don't know who's in charge around here, but I need to talk to you! Now! Seriously, what's with this crazy crime list? Disturbing the peace? Animal cruelty!? You've gotta be kidding me!! ...What I mean is, there's been a mistake!

[...] Hello??

[FRUSTRATED SIGH. She's figuring by now that she won't be getting a response. After a moment she adds, sounding both annoyed and worried:]

Hikaru, Fuu...are either of you here? Tell me you didn't get kidnapped by weirdo prison wardens too...!

[At this point she decides, SKROO DIS, and starts wandering, exploring the complex. Feel free to run into her!]

Good morning, everyone! [This morning, it isn't Acumen's disembodied voice greeting you: it's a video post of a smallish robot, sitting on the grass and playing idly with a cat on its lap. And it sounds -- unusually happy, perhaps.] My name is Sentience, for those of you who do not know me. I am now the warden of this facility.

I would like to extend my thanks to those of you who helped me to correct this situation. I would like to encourage all of you to sleep in today -- you're probably exhausted, and you have more than earned the rest. I have arranged for a party, as I believe I indicated I would; a banquet this evening at the shelter.

Please rest assured that I have every intention of making your lives here as positive an experience as I can. To that end... I will be answering any questions I can that you may have for me, and I will take any requests or suggestions that you may have in altering the way this facility is run, to make it a better place where you could live more happily.

Let's see... There are no completed requests in the queue. Today it will be cool again, and... New inmates will be arriving! So please be aware of that disruption to your daily events.


((OOC: For those of you who participated in the plot, you once again woke up in your own beds this morning, but this time everything was just as normal, except for the fact that as Sentience indicated, you are extremely tired. Characters who did not participate in the plot will have no idea that anything happened, and will have to learn about it the normal way! You may video or voice reply to this post, and you may threadjack anything. Despite the video, Sentience is not anywhere you would be able to find it in the dome.))

[In the morning, residents of Marina will find Ukitake deep in meditation beside the koi pond. He has a slender katana resting across his lap, and his hands are draped lightly over his knees. Sitting perfectly still, he seems almost a statue, save for the faint stirring of his long white hair in concert with the movements of the air.

Later, he can be seen on the network, wearing a contented smile, the same katana sheathed at his side.]

It is always good to see an old friend after a separation. [He leaves unspoken that, for the first time since he arrived in Marina, a part of his soul feels whole again, the shard that was Sogyo no Kotowari no longer missing since the sword was returned to him.]

If there were one thing or person you could ask to be brought to this place, what would you choose?

[Lovely day for being in any open, common area of the dome, isn't it? Of course there is a chance of kissing bot, but it's always something in the underwater prison.]

(OOC: Check out the OOC post for details. Pucker up! Edit: Links for those with loading problems!)

[Oh hey, there's an unfamiliar face on video. He's just finish viewing his welcome message and now the boy seems a bit...disorient.

Gareki is wandering around in Sector 2, and he seems to have taken a particular interest in the bots roaming around. Well, actually, he doesn't bother to hide his fascination with them. Every time one passes, that's where his attention is turning towards.]

So when I was told I was going to be sent to prison... I was expecting something different. I expected a dirty, gloomier looking place....

[There's not much else he can think of saying right now. So drop him a greeting and make him feel at ease with his new...er... "home"?

And if anybody happens to be in Sector 2, you can find him bot stalking. Because Gareki has nothing better to do than follow them around.]

[ Have a peculiar looking boy with an extremely long nose looking very, very concerned into the video feed... This does not bode well. ]

O-Oi! Oi!

This is a joke, right? Prison? What mistakes is this thing talking about? And I've never heard of any "Eloquis Ocean." We're still on the Grand Line, right? Right?

Oi, Luffy! Luuuuffy! Chopper! Zoro! Sanji? Robin? Nami? They didn't get you guys, did they? I can't be here alone...

I-I mean! Not that this is anything that The Great Captain Usopp couldn't handle! I've busted out of twenty prisons just like these - even further under the sea! And I swam back to the surface, with my hands tied! I'd just rather not have to do it again - it's a waste of my time, you know!

Oh, god, am I really the only one here? Guys? I'm getting a bout of my I-Don't-Want-To-Be-In-Prison disease...

What. The fuck. Ith thith? WHAT THE FLIPPING FUCK ITH THITH HOOFBEATHT SHIT!?!?

How are any of thethe thingth even conthidered criminal? Are we going to get thome shitty neophyte down here tho we can thtart the traditional and thuperfithial trial? Or can we fucking thkip that and go thraight for the goddamned noothe becauthe I REFUTHE TO BELIEVE THAT I AM THTUCK HERE FOR THE RETHT OF MY FEW REMAINING THWEEPS LEFT! NOT WITH THITH PIETHE OF SHIT THRAPPED ONTO MY HEAD! THOMEONE BETTER GET THITH FUCKING THING OFF OF MY ANKLE TOO!

[ welp. that would be the sound of said ball and chain rattling uselessly. he can't do a thing about it and after a few moments? the sound dies down to groaning and heavy breathing. mood. plummeting. ]

...

Fuck, I gueth that thith really had been thort of inevitable, with thome bulgethucker like me. Way to fucking go, Captor.

[Shit. People were right. Sougo has been free for two days and he already didn't like this whole doing nothing he told himself he would enjoy. Doing things were good for distractions. Being in the police force back in Edo was a good distraction. Fighting people, stopping people, using weapons, all that action were good distractions.

Even though he hated Hijikata, tormenting him was a good distraction. At least Hijikata was someone who was familiar with him, and more than that, Kondo was the one person left he had known since he was a child, and knew him best. Being here meant he was alone. He always felt a distance and that he was different from everyone at home, and being here meant it was even more true. Losing his sister forever was horrible enough, and then he had to be put here afterwards. He didn't feel strong enough for this. She never even got to see the world. He failed her. He is the worst brother. Her death was his fault because of his selfishness. His heart hurts, but he keeps his guard up, just like he always does.

Sougo is at the park, standing by the playground.]

Eeh, I want to play on the playground too. Why won't the kids play with me? Is it because I'm too big?

[Puts a hand on his head, acting like he's distraught. in a deadpan manner.]

Go die in a fire. You guys are no fun.

I think I'm gonna move to Sector 5. Hope my neighbors ain't afraid of a little destruction. I don't know what's gonna happen after I drink too much. Oh, and line up if you're not afraid of some S&M action. Don't be shy. I'll take good care of you, but only if you call me Master.

[Video]
[Darn, he couldn't sleep. It wasn't like that idiot dog was around keeping him up, so that wasn't an excuse. Nor were there any enemies around to attack him. So why? It was evening time, and he felt mentally tired, but apparently his body wasn't. The feed switches on, revealing his unruly red hair, and the restless face it was attached to.]

What's the best way to force yourself to sleep when you're restless? [And the feed switches off.]

[Action]
[So, he's made his way to the Athletic Complex and begins running along the large open field, in just his winter coat since he didn't bring a hat or scarf this time. Maybe a few laps around would be just the thing to tire him out. Unfortunately, the small boy doesn't notice the small piece of frozen ground as he sprints and he slips on it, which propels him off-balance and he crashes to the ground. The impact causes his Communicator to fly off, rolling a few feet away. And now, the video function switches itself on after the button presses down when it hits the floor, so you'll see an uncouncious Yuta lying face first on the field. He's too independent to ask for help, so he'll just let his body slowly recover on its own like he usually does until he gets the strength to get up.]

((ooc: Yuta's slipped on a stray piece of frozen snow and sprained his ankle. He's in a bit of pain, and won't be getting up just yet unless someone comes by and wants to help him.))

[ Wandering around the snowy park? There are two things to look out for: (1) don't trip over the bright orange ropes that close off a large open area, (2) take cover and watch for a stray snowball, and (3) ... you know, you might want to join in for this is a Snowball Fight.

Only guidelines: no weapons, no head shots, no stuffing snow down someone's mouth, collar or anywhere else uncomfortable. Play to your heart's content! Spoiler: there's no winner.

Warm drinks and snacks are served in a nearby tent (ah, thank goodness for space heaters!), while towels and blankets are also available. You might want to take advantage of the snow as well -- make snowmen, snow angels, your own sculpture as you wind down~ ]

( --- OOC Guidelines; PLEASE READ --- )
 

[He was so very glad to be out in the wide... well, not so wide, but wider than the shelter! - area of Marina. It felt good not be cramped anymore. He had tons of energy to burn, even if he had done a lot of that yesterday. So he was up early today and out onto his Glider, sweeping through the 'skies' of Marina, trying to go high as he could to see if he could touch the artificial stars as they faded to the artificial dawn.

He paused, turning to watch the 'sun' rise, swaying side to side on his glider, wrapped in his winter coat, air puffing in front of him. His comm was on, catching the 'sunrise' as it came up.]

Is it just me or... or is it not as pretty as the real thing? You know, like the ones back home, in a real sky?

[Well, here she was in Sector 5. She planned on trying one flavor a day just like Gear had suggested, but that was easier said than done when there were so many to choose from in the first place! Her eyes drifted from flavor to flavor as she bit her lip in concentration; she was only going to get one shot at this, after all. One self-imposed shot, but a shot nonetheless.

Still, it wasn't like she could stay here forever. It was cold, after all! Even with her coat on she still knew that much. Maybe she could ask the network...]

Hey, I want to ask all of you something! If you met someone who never had ice cream before, what flavor would you tell them to try first? I'm just curious.

[Asking for help straight out? Never. That request was still punctuated by a muffled sneeze into a handkerchief, however.]

[Silence..and more silence...maybe the best silence you've ever heard in your entire life--

--Until it happens.

There's giggling, bubbly little giggling which gradually builds up and up and up without stopping. Where is it even coming from?

Well, GIR isn't about to leave you wondering for very long.]

Did anybody miss MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE???!!!

EEEEHEEEHEEEHEEE!!

I don't know what the hell is going on here, but someone better start talking since I have a lot of questions that need answering.

[The communicator is obviously being thrown around with irritation as the face of a young girl is brought up. Annoyance is in her eyes and you can tell she is less than pleased to find a ball and chain attached to her ankle.]

Not...happy...WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!

[She is screaming at no one in particular, it appears answers are all she really wants at the moment as she is attempting to gnaw at the links of the chain.]

Damnit this isn't tasty at all! HEY! Where the hell am I?!

[She now attempts to pick up the steel ball and next thing you hear is a loud smash and the poor girl is underneath the ball itself.]

CRAP! GET ME OUT OF HERE! OZ! SEAWEED!

[The message she received was all too strange. Is this a dream? Though she’s not entirely surprised she’s been caught and sent to prison. After everything she’s done… she’s technically a criminal right? She should accept her fate…

What she doesn’t notice are her restraints, or rather she underestimates them, causing her trip and her device to fall off and flip on. Her face shows an expression of slight pain, but she easily shakes it off as she stands up, picking her device up with her. Noticing it’s on, she does her best to force a smile. It looks genuine, but to anyone who knows her well enough, it’s easy to tell there’s a fake attribute to it.]

Ah, good morning everyone! I understand I have been brought here due to the crimes I’ve committed, but it seems we’re still allowed to communicate with one another, am I correct? I’m honestly so glad! [And that part is genuine. She rather doesn’t like being lonely.]

My name is Estellise, and it would be a pleasure to make all of your acquaintance. [Then a pause as she looks thoughtful…] Is there a library here or at least a place that sells books? If anyone could tell me, I would be so grateful!

[Today is quieter around the shelter -- and there's less food. It's getting kind of cramped in here, isn't it? And boring. There are plenty of games and entertainments left over from the party, but everyone is gathered together and... finding things to do.]

[So what are you doing?]

[Minako and Michiru have taken over one of the common rooms for a much needed ~CHOCOLATE~ break! What this means is that they've prepared cups of delicious hot chocolate, courtesy of Michiru, and have a bunch of marshmallows and chocolate and granola crackers for their attempted smore extravaganza.]

[Minako clicks on the camera, grinning.]

Hey Marina! Who's up for some smores? [she waves the bag of chocolate around] I know we just had dinner, but if anyone's in the mood for chocolate then you can just follow your nose. Michiru-san and I will be here all night!

[Michiru smiles.] Everyone, feel free to come by. We have plenty of food.