MarinaNova Asylum

[Morning - Stefan's Bedroom - Closed to Caroline]

[It hits him at all at once, the memories of the past months rolling into his brain. It's overwhelming, as they overlay with the memories of his life here, but one thing in particular sticks out among the rest.

Because it feels endless, constant, and horrific. The agony of being trapped in a small space, drowning over and over, the water filling up his lungs and sending him spiraling into death.

He sits up straight in bed, his entire body soaked in a thin layer of sweat, his heart beating so fast he feels like it's going to burst from his chest. He sucks in a shuddering breath, and even though the air goes into his lungs, he still feels like he's drowning there beneath the water in that dark, dark, safe.]

[Afternoon - Blood Shack - Open to All]

[Alcohol is the only thing that numbs the pain, calms his nerves, and he's certainly had his fair share today. It's easier not to think under the weight of intoxication, to hide from the confusion and the disorientation of layered memories, good and bad, with an unsteadiness that he's in control of, that he caused himself.

It's the only semblance of control he's had since he woke up that morning.]

[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. } )

[ 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. ]

[ 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.

Good morning, inmates. Today is day [ 240 ] of the first generation. The weather scheduled for today is [ overcast with occasional showers ].

In an effort to promote [ athleticism and simple gravitational enjoyment ], certain areas of the dome have been temporarily redesigned. Please take this into consideration as you go about your daily [ rehabilitation ].

Due to recent events, [ Merlotte's ] is no longer inmate run. [ Maintenance robots ] will operate the establishment until further notice and the name will revert to the previous name of [ Rusty Spoon ]. Inmates interested in operating said establishment are encouraged to contact the kiosk. We appreciate your cooperation.

Inmate [ Eric Northman ] will be hosting a costume party tomorrow. The stores have been stocked with material for [ artistic arrangements of accessories ] and [ clothing worn to portray a persona ] for this particular purpose. Your enjoyment is very important to us.

[Mail delivery of the day:

Postcard from Dirk Strider to Calliope
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Aradia Megido
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Peter Parker
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Helen Magnus
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Seven of Nine
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Tyki Mikk
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Artemis Crock
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Saetan SaDiablo
Postcard from Dirk Strider to Euphemia li Britannia
Postcard from Dirk Strider to M'gann M'orzz]

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! Mail submissions go here! Information about the bouncy-castle mini event can be found here! )

[ Considering the nature of the group, it's unsurprising that it is being held in The Blood Shack. There is a sign on the door announcing that the bar is closed for therapy adding that if you're here for the 'Struggling with my humanity of the lack thereof' therapy session, please come in and make yourself at home. Someone (not Eric) has made over the bar so that it looks a great deal like an AA room rather than a bar. The tables are arranged into a square shape (yes, the way you used to sit in school). The bar is open, but the alcoholic beverages have been locked up. The blood taps are available and there's a selection of bottled blood sitting on top of the bar. It is clearly self serve. There's also a selection of pastries on the bar for those that like a little nibble with their blood. Next to this is a large fishbowl filled with folded slips of paper. There's a small sign next to it that urges each participant to take a question from the fishbowl, help yourself to some refreshment and have a seat.

On their folded slips of paper, participants will find such questions:

Were you ever human? If so, when was that? What are you now?
How do you define 'humanity'?
What is your opinion of humans? Why? How did you develop this opinion?
Discuss the relationships you currently have with humans.
What is the most important factor in maintaining your humanity? Do you feel it's important to maintain?
Has there been a change in your humanity, for the better or worse? What prompted that?
Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of humanity.

Just in case anyone has any doubt that we're here for business and not pleasure, the jukebox has been locked down as well.]

ooc:as with other posts, don't feel limited by these questions. Feel free to add your own and assume these are just some of the questions in the fishbowl. Mingle, make new threads, interrupt threads and enjoy! Note that your character does not have to be non-human to be here! Humans struggle with their humanity sometimes too!

[ With Pepper the puppy in tow, Caroline makes her way to Stefan's place. After the most awkward group therapy, she kind of just wants a break, honestly. Therapy can do that to you, give you clarity, make you realize what you want or what, really, you need. Because while her mind still aches thinking about how complicated everything is, she's pretty sure of what her heart needs, what it wants now, even if it's selfish.

Standing at his door, she takes in a breath before knocking, glancing down at Pepper and hoping that Stefan's home. Normally, she'd bring a bottle of something or maybe some food, but right now, she feels to anxious to eat and well, drinking is probably not the best idea considering the black wrist band on her arm and the one that matches it on his.]

[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.}

[ 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.

( private audio → damon & stefan salvatore | rebekah mikaelson | tyler lockwood )
» ACTION | MORNING | TVÅ PARK ► OPEN

[ this morning finds matt out jogging, making his way in and around the hedge maze at två park. he's got a lot on his mind, so forgive him if he doesn't see you or answer you at first. today's going to be a day for sure, and it's barely even started. ]

[There is a very tall, pale, blonde man on the screen. He's wearing dark clothes and his blonde hair is slicked back. He gives the camera a charming smile. ]

I understand we're to be inundated with visitors today. I also understand that a sudden arrival here can be a disconcerting and that often requires a drink. I invite everyone to come have a drink at the Blood Shack in sector four. We've got a wide variety of drinks, both ordinary and unusual.

Come spend your day with us at the Blood Shack. We'd be delighted to have you.

[ The video clicks off.

Those that decide to take Eric up on his invitation, will find the Blood Shack up and running. During the day, a few bots can be found doing some of the mundane things like delivering drinks to tables, but during the evening Eric will be behind the bar and the presence of bots is reduced. The bar itself is dimly lit with small tables and booths places about. There's a dance floor and a stage with a pole at one end. The other end of the stage is occupied by what can only be called a throne, which Eric occupies when Spike is behind the bar. There is also a jukebox that customers can play. ]

[ooc: feel free to use this as an open mingle. I've turned off comments so if you want to speak directly to Eric, comment there.]

[ threads will be started in the comments! also! if anyone wants to poke caroline this is where you can do it! judge her on her poor life decisions!]

[ she wakes with a gasp. it's a dream for a moment, the nightmare she's never been able to shake, if not repress. the water in her lungs strangling her, reaching out her hand to say goodbye to her dad, knowing her mom was dead and they were going to die.

the peace she felt, that one moment, letting it all in.

but she doesn't remember only that, waking up.

( closed to caroline forbes, bonnie bennett, and anyone in else in their apartment: )

[ the video clicks on and a confused and very pissed off guy comes into focus. tyler had been running from klaus for weeks and being stuck here, wasn't exactly the plan. ]

What the hell is this?

If I don't get some answers, someone's goin' to get hurt. I don't have time for this crap and honestly you don't want to piss me off!

[ too late for that, but he's using his 'intimidation' technique. ]

And what is with this list? What the hell is wrong with this system? Are you kiddin' me? Dude...way to make me out as a bad guy.

[ he thought things were slowly falling into place, that soon he would be able to come back home to Mystic Falls, but this wasn't the case. an underwater prison was going to be torture, controlling his anger will be harder than he thinks. ]

[ when liz turns on the feed, she is as calm as she can possibly be. with everything else that's been happening lately, she honestly didn't expect to be thrown into prison, especially when that prison was one she was unfamiliar with and buried deep under an ocean. she's not entirely sure how she feels about that.

either way, her expression is one of determination and she's ignoring the prison garb. that can come later. ]

My name is Sheriff Liz Forbes. [ because she definitely doesn't go by her full name and these people need to know that an actual law enforcement officer is present among them, not whatever these wardens claim to enforce. ] I've spent enough time listening and watching to know the basics. What I'd like now are more details. If anyone has information they'd like to offer... I would appreciate it. I can't offer much in return, but I'm sure we can come to some kind of agreement.

[ with firmly pursed lips, she turns the feed off and waits to see if anyone will bite. ]

[ this is her first time doing one of these without gran, and something she thought was going to be difficult for those very reasons is actually rather therapeutic, heartwarming -- a glance back at her roots, back when she was just adele stackhouse's weird granddaughter and not that fae who mingles with vampires. sookie contributes a few dishes from her gran's old recipes, along with something lafayette taught her to make. she's got all the tables in this part of trois park covered with checkered table clothes of varying colors, lots of plastic silverware, paper plates, cups, and napkins at the ready, and a stack of picnic blankets folded up on one of the benches for those who wish to sit on the grass instead of at a table. sookie even brought a long a mesh bag full of sports equipment -- or rather, a couple frisbees, a football, soccer ball, basketball, and even some hacky sacks. (she's not the sports type, but jason would always be off playing something with the other guys.)

hopefully she didn't leave anything out. hopefully this will help cheer everyone up some, both the new arrivals and those still dealing with the days they spent in that other prison. ]

[Caroline comes on camera, she's at the Blood Shack. Seriously, what's the point of really hiding it anymore? She's a vampire, if people figure it out, they figure it out. But for now, nothing she does really screams I'M A VAMPIRE. Her thoughts have turned darker as of late but somehow she manages to ask this in her usual perky tone--]

So my fellow prisoners, question. If you had only a few days left to live or something what would do with that time? What's your, like, 'My last day on Earth or in Marnia' bucket list?

When I said I wanted to get out of Mystic Falls for a while, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Ruins of some ancient prison in Italy or China, maybe, but not underwater and in some alien dimension, or however the hell that's supposed to work. [ if he's getting the gist of this right. he's going by video game logic here. ]

And what happened to a trial by a jury of your peers? Is that not a thing on Planet X? Too human a concept for you? Is throwing eighteen-year-olds in prison for skipping a couple of classes back in high school [ and eradicating an entire vampire bloodline via staking finn mikaelson, but shhhh ] just something you do for fun around here?

[ just when things had calmed down and the world was returning to normal (or as normal as the world was capable of getting after everything that happened back home), this happens. it's just his luck, too. nothing ever stayed good for matt donovan. his life sucked, and it looks like graduating from high school meant it was only going to get suckier from here on out. ]

So much for the world tour.