MarinaNova Asylum

[The camera clicks on, showing a small bit of the cherubs' apartment, specifically near a window; there is a trash can in which something is burning, and the smoke is filtering out. Mostly. The glass is gone, but it has since been cleaned up, if the lack of shards anywhere is any indication. However, it looks like the room is a mess.]

[It is Caliborn who speaks, off-camera as he may be, and his voice is ever-separated from Calliope's by his spitting harshness.]

Hello, fuckheads.

So. Since it might be pointless to firebomb the kiosk. Tempting as it may be! We will play a different game today. Today, we are appeasing the bad rule-breaking juju. With a sacrifice.

[He dips a drawing in front of the camera—done by Calliope, and thus competently rendered and recognizably Aradia.]

Oh. Look. My sister's ugly art. Where did this come from? [He moves, still mostly out of frame. But his arm is briefly visible, and bandaged. He drops it into the wastebin.]

Good riddance.

Wow. Look. What a find! [He shakes a sheaf of papers filled with computer-typed text.] An entire essay on troll romance. Complete with horrific details about their reproductive rituals. Icky barf. I know just what to do with this.

[In it goes, too. Along with, apparently, a USB stick.] Ahh. That smell, those noxious fumes? That is the smell of the juju turning back to our favor. And, bonus? We are not sharing the same air as such horrific filth.

[He walks over to the communicator and ends the feed—for the prison at large.]

[Filtered to the Family Issues Therapy group.]

If you tell anyone our secret. I'm biting off her drawing hand. I don't even care.

Am I fucking clear.

[ It's something she wanted to do since she arrived. Something she'd needed to do since long before she even knew about underwater prisons and therapy sessions that make you spill your guts more than you ever wanted in your life. She doesn't like lying and yet she's so very good at it... but no more. Ned isn't here to tell her no. Emerson isn't here to give her That Look. She can do whatever she wants here and she wants to do this.

Of course, that doesn't stop her from fidgeting, eyes kept off the camera. ]

Hey, so... some day yesterday, huh? It kind of got me thinking... and I have a confession to make.

When I first arrived here, I introduced myself as Kitty Pimms. That's not my real name. Back home some people know me as the Lonely Tourist, but my name is Charlotte Charles. It's a long story. Actually, maybe it's not a very long story at all. [ A beat. ] I was murdered and then I came back. Almost everyone thought I was still dead and apparently you can't just go up to people and say "hey, guess what? I'm alive!" even though you really want to and so I had to go around pretending that I'm someone I'm not just so...

[ Just so, what? She's still not sure of that answer. ]

Anyway... hi. I'm Charlotte. It's been very nice to meet you all.

[After yesterday, Megan is not quite herself. She'd had to tell others in the therapy group she had been put in what she actually was. So there was really no point in hiding it anymore, was there? Those outside of her circle of friends already knew. How could she possibly keep it hidden if people she barely even knew knew her secret?]

Good morning, Marina. That was quite a day yesterday wasn't it. I'm sure we all said some things yesterday.

But there was something I revealed yesterday and I can't keep it hidden anymore. It isn't right.

[With that, her pale skin turns green, quite clear green]

My real name is M'gann M'orzz. I am a Martian. This is how I really look. I didn't want to deceive you anymore.

[ooc: if your character was at the "accept yourself" therapy session, feel free to assume that they heard her admit this already]

[ The Accept Yourself Support Group is told to report to one of the rooms in the Sector 4 art center. The room is cosy and warmly lit with a bunch of plush armchairs set in a circle around a low table. On the table is a basket full of photographs, a stack of handheld mirrors and a card with the instructions. The photographs are all of inanimate objects, abstract patterns or landscapes, buildings or nature. ]

• Find a photograph that you feel represents you as a person. Take turns in the group to explain why you've chosen that card.

• Look at yourself in the mirror for five minutes. Take turns in the group to explain what it is you see in your reflection.

• Discuss why you see yourself this way. Discuss how you see those around you. Discuss the differences. Discuss how you can be more honest with yourself and your potential.

[ For those that are not yet ready to get going on the activities, there's plenty of delicious snacks and refreshing drinks available, as well as soothing music to ease the awkwardness. Let the self-examination begin! ]

[Anyone summoned to Time-Space Shenanigans Group Therapy will wander down to the Education Center in Sector 2. Specifically, to a large physics lab, which has been outfitted for a day of scientific learning. The first table, near the entrance, has pastries, cookies, endless bowls of fruit, and jugs of lemonade, water, and various sodas. There are bots hovering around the table, as they know that one (or possibly more) of their guests has an endless appetite. Just ignore them - the bots are pretty much there to re-stock the food table.

The other lab tables each have a stack of cards, with instructions to get into pairs and answer them as honestly as possible, making sure to give everyone ample time to answer questions. The tables also have demonstrations for various physics experiments on each table, though they require 2-3 people to get started. Each lab table - except for the one with food - also has a small bowl of candy hidden inside each lab experiment. Although there is no music in the background, there is a soft 'tick-tock' from multiple clocks on each of the walls. Each clock, strangely enough, reads a different time than the one next to it. Not a single one of them is in sync, despite the harmonious tick-tock sounds coming from them.]

( Possible Activity Ideas )

[OOC: Yet another mingle! These are not all the questions - feel free to make some more up if you desire. Also, the questions and lab demonstrations are merely suggestions; if there is another topic that would fit well for you, make it a reality. Today is a day of learning about the horror stories that come with messing with the 4th Dimension, after all.]

[ the warden-required therapy that aradia was pushed through today didn't bother her much. in fact, it was even a little enjoyable, being able to meet new people and to empathize/sympathize with them.

what was weighing heavy on her was the incident with calliope a few days ago. as soon as the therapy was over, her head was quiet again, and all her mistakes and feelings became a jumble.

her night brightens significantly, though, when she remembers she has plans. so she fiddles with her communicator, shooting out a quick locked video to roxy. ]

Ready when you are!

[ mind-altering substances are clearly the best way to cope with difficult things. who better to learn that from than roxy lalonde, anyway? ]

[On screen, he has a white bandana tied over his hair.] Just to inform my fellow instructors and students, I wanted to let you know that I will be beginning to deep clean the Education Center cooking labs in advance of my classes beginning in a few days. I do not anticipate making a lot of noise, but it may occur. [This is where most people would apologize, but Lelouch is not most people.] Of course, I would not turn down help.


[Later, in the education center, you'll find some of the cooking labs that have probably stood generally empty for some time. And since someone is making plans to start his own class in there, it's time to get rid of that dust.

He'll likely be found in bandana and apron, doing dishes, folding towels, or half inside of a lower cabinet giving the shelves a good wipedown. Behold, a domesticated prince in his natural habitat!]

[The voice that speaks is uncertain, and a little confused. She's new to this place and still startled by the fact she's no longer a ghost.]

Hello? Can anyone hear me?

Am I alone here?

[She doesn't think she is, but she's been alone so long and so many times that the idea that's she alone again genuinely frightens her. She'd walked away from Jeremy for his own good, but now she didn't really understand what was happening.]

I'm Anna.

Can anyone hear me?

[The voice cuts on to someone whose voice is fading in and out in volume, as if they are moving the microphone closer and further from them. The girl hasn’t seen something this advanced before, but it doesn’t take much to realize that it is transmitting her to somewhere.]

Oh how interesting. Is this like one of those radios I’ve heard speak of? I had never imagined they were this…small. Certainly something capable of wave communication would need to be much bigger to catch the right waves? How do you fit all of the wires into such a small package?

And what does “video” mean? [Obviously she is looking at the side of the communicator only to flick the button. Suddenly the screen is full of golden brown eyes and pale blonde hair. She pulls it back a bit more.] I’m not quite sure how I came to be here, but this place is full of curious things. It’s nothing like any prison I have heard of. Your country must be very wealthy to afford it. How does the shield around the prison stay intact? I haven’t seen a Mage since I woke—

--Oh, I’m sorry, that’s very rude of me! Good morning, my name is Toul. I hope I’m not bothering anyone, but I do have some questions that it would be very helpful to me if I could have them answered. Has anyone seen a pale girl with brown hair and eyes and a dark tattoo over her left eye?

[Toul has been wandering for hours, trying to figure out whether or not this is a truly creative dream, an illusion, or if she is truly stuck in a prison. It's nothing like one she's ever heard of herself. She manages to come by the clothings shops in Sector 4 and is searching for things close to what she's used to. The jumpsuit just isn't comfortable. Too restrictive. It would be easy enough to run into her as she walks and expect that she'll definitely greet and introduce herself to anyone she sees.]

... So I either slept long and hard or I just fuckin' up and made like mist and evaporated for a bit there.

Either way: orange's still not my color. Noooo thanks. Baggy ass jumpsuit does nothing for a girl's figure. I look like a breadstick. A cheese breadstick, exactly 666 calories from the depths of hell's kitchen. Off the hook and uncontainable, the hard and fast starch diet of kings coming your way with a side of pasta. Mom's spaghetti. Luckily I don't give a rat's ass about shit like that, so I'll eat everyone's share. All of it. Fuckin' mine.

In other news, the god damned weather: what's shakin'? Looking all kinds of stormy gross today on the day that is also day 236. Days.

[Here is the self-proclaimed King of the Planet of Sadists, looking extremely tired. Dark circles and bags under his eyes.]

31 hours later, I beat the game... I am the master.

[He holds up his DS proudly. Then he sets it down and holds up a finger.]

This wasn't how I was gonna spend my day, but I decided to be a nice guy and give everyone a day off from living in fear from my torture and sadist ways.

You're welcome.

Hello, everyone. Now that our temporary neighbors have departed, I have a proposal for those that remain.

If the smells I've encountered in some of the apartment corridors are any indication, then some cooking classes are in order for some of you. And I guess I have some 'rehabilitiation' to do. [He takes that concept with a grain of salt.]

So I will be beginning formal cooking classes soon. Before I can arrange a location and supplies, I will need a head count of how many are interested in attending. I will be beginning at the basics, with knife skills and other basic techniques that I learned at home. There should be something interesting for experienced cooks as well, particularly if you are more used to a different style. If you're expecting something more like baking, I believe Ms. Jane Crocker was conducting those kind of classes at one point in the past.

I will expect effort and commitment from my students. Of course, anyone is free to come and go as you please, just like any of the other classes here.

If you'd prefer to discuss this in person, I'll be doing some shopping in Sector 2 this afternoon.

[ aradia's been quiet lately, both on the network and in terms of face-to-face social interactions. she'd even kept this going on through the influx of accidental arrivals.

but that entire ordeal has reminded her of something -- something important, something she feels like an absolute idiot for not looking into sooner.

the video is focused on her face in a manner that very clearly shows her grey skin and the curve of her horns. it's for a reason. ]

I've a favor to ask of everyone. Have you seen a girl around, recently, that looks like me in, ah, species-specific features? She would be a little more blueish whereas I look warmer, and her horns extend upward.

Or I could just ask if you've seen Vriska, if you know her.

[ it's been a while since aradia has seen the other troll. she'd marked it off to that just being part of her nature, going off on her own, but too many days have passed for her to be without suspicion (or, admittedly, a small amount of worry). she's got a vague hope that she'll hop on and respond with something somewhat abrasive, saying that of course she's still here, but ... aradia knows what happens to the inmates here sometimes as well.

it would be very nice to still have someone from alternia around, after all. ]

[ It's a sweltering hot day under the sea! Luckily the wardens have provided the necessary means to keep cool: whether you're sunbathing at the beach, sniping your fellow inmates with a fully loaded super soaker or just cooling off under a tree with a cold treat, this is the place to do it! ]


(( ooc: Mingle away! You are of course encouraged to make your own posts and mingles for this event, should you want to! Event information can be found over HERE! ))

[ Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening! A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland inside-out snowglobe at the bottom of the sea!

The prison is sparkly-white on this fine, crisp day, covered in a thick, fluffy layer of pristine snow. Bots are keeping the walkways free and safe for organic travel, but it isn't hard to find spaces fit for snowball fights, fort-building or snow angels! If the chill gets to you, there's plenty of hot, seasonal beverages readily available, along with other christmas-y snacks. Maybe you'd like to visit the Santa exhibit at the museum, or do a little last-minute shopping for presents? Perhaps you're already set to celebrate the holiday!

Whatever it is you want to do, this is the place to do it! ]

(( ooc: Mingle to your hearts contents! Event info can be found over here! ))

Good morning, inmates. Today is day [ 225 ] of the first generation. The weather scheduled for today is [ chilly with dropping temperatures over the afternoon, followed by steady snowfall come nightfall ].

In the spirit of [ rehabilitation ] we will observe an Earth Holiday during day [ 226 ]. For this occasion, the stores will have a temporary stock of suitable gifts, decorations and clothing suitable for cold weather. We encourage you to [ enjoy ] this celebration and invoke the spirit of generosity and gift-giving commonly found in organics.

The following inmates have been found guilty of breaking the [ facility rules ]. Full details of their punishment will be transmitted to their devices shortly.

Zelgadis Graywars: Injury
Caroline Forbes: Sex
Stefan Salvatore: Sex

[Mail delivery of the day: Postcard from Yuuri Shibuya to everyone ]

Requests for inmates [ Penelope Garcia and Aidan Reilly ] are now available for pickup at the Kiosk.

Have a nice day.

[ And like always, we end this message with a jaunty tune! You're welcome. ]

((OOC: Kiosk requests will be handled by Conscienti unless otherwise requested! The Christmas/snow event will be sneak-starting this dayweek so make sure you've read up on the details! ))

[ aradia was thrilled to hear about today's museum exhibit. after all, she is the maid of time -- just because she's been plucked out of the practical application of her purpose doesn't mean that connection is gone.

wandering around the exhibit provides her with a sense of familiarity, one she hasn't felt wholly since arriving at marina. and so she can be found here for most of the day, a strange alien girl looking fondly at the same timepieces over and over. she'll happily engage anyone who approaches her. ]

[ well, shit.

he's been here for nearly a full day now without saying anything. and you know what? he's tempted to keep it that way. but eventually, he's going to have to say something - gotta make his presence known. gotta enlighten the masses. gotta post within a week of being accepted. what? a third reason? there is no third reason. dave strider works entirely within the framework of double parallelisms. he's just that kind of guy.

and so, for entirely non-meta reasons, dave strider clicks on the audio feed, clears his throat, and begins his speech. ]

Well, shit. Looks like it finally happened. No real surprise here, right? The RIAA always needs new victims – they're corporate bloodsuckers, and they've got to find cattle somewhere. I mean, fuck, they're literally the man. The men? Shit, is the man really a collective noun here? That's fucked up, yo.

[ is he getting off track? maybe. will that stop him? NO SIRREE. ]

Anyway, so. We've got a bunch of suits sitting at a table Dr. Strangelove style, discussing who to sue next, right? And they're like, how about this rad dude, all pointing at an IP address on the holoscreen, since he's just too cool for us to handle any longer. And a few of the guys in the back, Connors and Jenkins - fuckin' Jenkins, man, just started here last week, doesn't really have his bearings yet - have the balls to ask well, what exactly makes him special? And see, here's the thing - he really is a fucking menace. Dude downloads like an LP a week. He got himself a free copy of Photoshop, without even paying for a student license. And you know what the worst part is? He keeps his seeder ratio above one point five.

[ he has the audacity to give a vaguely apathetic gasp. ]

What, one point five? You're fucking with me, right? Nope - dude's just a fucking paragon of shitty internet pirates.

[ ...he clears his throat. this got out of hand quickly. ]

...anyway, that's basically how I got thrown in fucking underwater prison for piracy and goddamn cyberbullying. Take notes here, kids. Don't make the same mistakes I did - drink your milk, don't do drugs, stay in school and all that shit.

[ ... ]

Oh, and try to avoid multiple counts of genocide if you can. I mean, that kind of takes a backseat to forging a digital signature on porn site splash pages, but its gotta count for something, right? Right. I'm out.

[ click! ]

[Calliope clears her throat. The arcade's first-floor cacophony can be heard in the background, though muffled. Even though she sounds like Caliborn, she's so very much kinder and warmer.]

Sooo... This is "Callie"! Thank you to everyone who donated or traded your chocolate to me while we were at the other place, and to those of you who offered me kind words. I hope everyone is alright, and made it back safely! [Though she hasn't heard from Roxy.]

... on that note, has anyone else noticed bruises and the sort being in different places than they were yesterday? It's rather peculiar...

Um, but, anyway. [She sounds a bit more nervous, now, voice a bit shaky and laugh with an edge of giggle on it.] It's not as though there's currency worry about, but if anyone would like to be repaid in kind and company, I'm on the second floor of the Arcade with some snacks. It's the one with the tables and the card and board games.

Maybe we could also play something together? Oh- and we can also go to one of the other floors, if anyone prefers a different game! This just seemed the most fitting place to start at, with the candy and soda...

[Calliope really wants to spend time with everyone and anyone.]

[This is a bigger deal to her than it may be for most; she's so convinced of her own horrific monsterly-ness that she feels like asking people to spend time with her is imposing. Part of her doesn't even expect anyone to respond or show up, beyond maybe her friends from home. Still, after she learned about Caliborn's little frypan rampage and constant attempts at upsetting people, she feels a need to try and cement herself as the green-eyed cherub who just wants to make friends.]

[That is why, true to her word, Calliope is camping out at one of the game tables. She's wearing a hoodie tugged up to somewhat disguise her appearance, but she's on the lookout for people who appear to be looking for her. There are long moments of keeping busy by shuffling skills and snacking on her small assorted collection of candy, too.]

[And, before she tries to put it off any longer...]

[Private | Filtered to Aradia]

Umm. Hello, dear. Would you like to, ah... [She trails off, realizing there are approximately two dozen ways to end that sentence, and she can't pick one.]

[ The nap only seems to make her feel worse. The headache is pounding in a steady pulse, and even as she lays in bed she's shaking. The pain in her head is just awful, and it makes her feel nauseous. But she doesn't feel like she's going to puke again-- she just can't lay around in bed anymore. Sleep is gradually getting harder and harder, and she thinks it's just that she's been sleeping a lot today.

When Roxy crawls out of bed, it's quiet in the room and no one's around. Calliope must be sleeping right now. Dirk is probably looking for the others. So she just slips her shoes on and shuffles on out. She's not sure how she gets there-- she can't really remember-- but she's in the sports field with the coarse grass and she can look up out of the dome from here. The storm raging outside is pretty cool, so she sits and watches it for a while.

After that, she decides to try and make something to eat. So she'll be slowly preparing rice in the kitchen, generally looking like complete shit: flushed red, bags under her eyes, visibly shaking. ]