[it's a clear day, and they've put it off for one reason or another long enough: Ven and Roxas are meeting up for the contest to end all contests, the glider race!]

[Roxas has been practicing with his keyblade glider regularly to try and get more skilled with it, and he thinks he's pretty good. but Ven has been at this for longer than he has -- if not too much longer; he knows Ven has only been trained for a year, right? -- and so he isn't confident he'll win. but he's determined to at least make the match close]

[and that's the story of how two identical boys have gathered in the park with keyblades in hand...]

[ click! a young woman, seventeen or eighteen at the oldest, is peering expectantly into the video feed. after a moment or two of fiddling with the communicator, she starts talking - to herself. ]

A network-interface device of some sort, huh...? Might be worth looking into, assuming I can put it back together.

[ she grins at that, cracking her knuckles like she's accepting some sort of challenge in the process. ]

Anyway, looks like it's on, so- [ she clears her throat. ] Greetings, fellow inmates! My name's Lucca, and I... [ she pauses for a few moments, awkwardly adjusting her glasses before continuing. ] To be honest, I'm not really sure how to introduce myself here. It's a prison, right...? On second thought, maybe that's all that needs said right now.

[ she flushes a teeny bit, barging on nonetheless. ] Anyway - I understand the need to remove all weaponry upon arrival. It's a sensible approach, really! But just in case our robotic captor is listening... I don't suppose I'd be able to bargain for the return of my Wondershot? Even if it's converted to a non-operational state - an easy fix! - I'd still kind of like it. The thing's got sentimental value, you know!

[ there's a bit of a pause after all that. and then- ]

...Robo, Ayla- Crono- heck, anyone, just let me know if you see this. Until then, guess I'm getting used to this place.

[ and with that, she shuts off the feed. ]

[Here, have a very peeved Caroline. She doesn't like being kidnapped. At all. Been there, done that but at least she's not in a cage or some sunlight tortue dungeon, and she's not being shot at. Her voice is deceptively sweet as it is firm but her frown speaks volumes as well.] Look, Klaus. I'm grateful for the whole saving my life thing but... I never said I was ready to go 'see the world' or anything.

And no matter what you think, kidnapping is not romantic. [She's wrinkling her nose] Not even when it's to some underwater hotel.

[Hiling is resting up at the hospital today. Her surgery went well and she's already anxious to leave, but she'll be good and stay a while. She loves visitors.

The screen shows Hiling in her bed with bandages wrapped around her chest. She's looking a little less... flat today, and she's just so happy about it, she has to tell everyone.]

Sentience is the best! Guess what? I just got a boob job! See how nice? They're perfect. I can't wait to get these bandages off.

Good morning, everyone. Today is the 170th day of the third generation, and new inmates will be arriving in the facility. Please consider yourselves forewarned about the appearances, and I encourage everyone to help out if they're so inclined -- your consideration will make it easier on them.

Today will be cool and clear once again. After some discussion and inmate suggestion, I've decided that tomorrow it would be nice to hold a small event... for both all of you, and for the animals in the pet cafe! I will be relocating the animals to the park for the day, and interested parties can come and play with them, or even adopt them. I'll make sure it's nice and warm.

[It was early. Way too early. The kind of early that should've been illegal.]

[Ironic, given her current predicament.]

[Then again, she hadn't really been able to sleep anyway. Nothing was wrong; just a rare, but no less annoying bout of insomnia. Leftover adrenaline from everything that had happened the last few days. Oh, she'd managed to claim a few hours here and there...but by the time 7 a.m. hit, Zatanna had declared the night to be lost. A glance over at her roommate showed he was still sleeping; not wanting to disturb him, she quickly slipped out of bed and grabbed the nearest pair of workout clothes she could find in the dim, morning light: black shorts, and a matching sleeveless top.]

[The gym was nearly empty when she arrived, which suited her just fine. She was on a mission, determined to work whatever it was out of her system. What she might've lacked in actual hand-to-hand combat, the 14-year-old more than made up for in stamina and endurance. And the treadmill was calling her name.]

[For a brief time, it was just her and the machine. A pair of rented headphones blasted workout music directly into her ears, drowning out the rest of the world. No thinking about being trapped. No thinking about the fate of her powers, to be decided in just a few days' time. No thinking, period.]

[Only the sound of her heart pumping in time to the beat.]

I'd make some joke about how they finally caught up with me but I'm usually on the right side of the law so this doesn't really make a whole lotta sense.

[Derek's going to pause here a moment, mess with the video a bit so it goes off then on again as he figures out how it works. Then he smirks, shakes his head.] And I'm supposed to believe we're under the ocean? Honestly? I gotta say I feel like I'm being pranked... no matter how elaborate all this is.

[There's a new female voice on the network, Marina, and she sounds pissed. Not that this isn't business as usual by now, I'm sure.]

How dare you entrap me like this! Whoever you are who has done this, it is unforgivable – taking me from Alaitoc in her hour of need! Whatever you are; human, chaos, dark ones, necrontyr or something else entirely, you will be punished for this, make no mistake.

Hello – is there someone who can hear me? Is what the brochure in the basket said – is it true? We're considered criminals here?

[ She makes a quiet 'mm,' sound, acknowledging and pondering the situation all at once. ]

If that's the case… Is there anyone here who can tell me, have you seen a young girl with a pink ribbon in her hair, named Marlene? She might have had a boy with – [ You can almost hear the slight smile in her voice when she speaks. ] – light brown hair, a bit long, with her. They were with me, not too long ago... Surely, they could have been brought here, too... [ She's concerned, but also very hopeful. It's possible, right? Completely possible.]

I would be grateful for any information you could offer me! I need to find them as soon as I can. [ And then another thought occurs to her. Marlene and Denzel weren't the only members of her family there in the church with them. What if some of the people she knows are already here, and can hear her? ]

Barret? Are you here? [ And, of course... Though he's doing so much better than he was before, she is always concerned for his well being...]

Cloud?

[The video feed turns on significantly more gracefully than the first time she tried this; if nothing else, that should be enough of a sign that she remembers. Arianna looks pretty disoriented despite her usual polished appearance.]

It's warm. I suppose I must have lost some time, then. It was winter...what happened? I thought Acumen was the warden...

[She puts a hand to her head, wincing as over a year's worth of memories continue bouncing around. Something important...something time sensitive. What was it?]

If anyone has seen an elf with silver markings, a gnome, or a man with a lightning bolt on his chest, please let me know. I think it's important.

[The feed turns on to the sound of someone snorting and then taking a deep breath. That is your only warning before the scream echoes and quite possibly leaves your ears ringing, if not out right deafens you. Whoops.]

VOOOII!

[He lets the scream echo for a moment before snorting again. His tone carries the sneer perfectly.]

Let's assume for a moment I'm willing to play along with this bag of unparalleled bullshit. So.

[A pause.]

Who else got themselves caught in this fucking mess? Because regardless of whether I'm guilty or not of what-the-fuck-ever nonsense this overeager computer insists I'm guilty of, I can name a good deal of idiots more deserving to be stuck here. And if I'm here and they're not, I'm calling bullshit on the concept of Justice as a whole.

[SNORT]

I was in the middle of something fucking important, goddamnit.

[And then the feed dies.]


[ACTION]

[Should your character investigate the scream, they might end up locating Squalo in the graveyard, perched atop a tombstone, with his gift basket on the ground by its side. Squalo himself is eating pretzels and browsing the network. Like a Boss troll.]

[ a small bit of static, but it isn't too long before a man's face slides into view-- perplexed, and somewhat amused. the feed turns sideways, upways, upside down; all before the man grins and gives a low, appreciative whistle before he mutters in a quiet voice. ]

Niiice comlink tech we have here. New Republic model?

[ a beat of contemplation, looking at the welcome message before sighing. slight frown as he shrugs, taking another survey of the area before turning back to the feed. ]

Well, another prison. Why is it that everywhere I end up, I get thrown into one cell or another? I guess I should be happy that this is a step up from a force cage, but for some reason I'm not. Basket's a nice touch, though. Quaint.

Uh. Am I supposed to introduce myself? S'Atton, if anyone out there actually, y'know, cares. If this comlink actually works and if anyone can see this.

[ another.... thoughtful pause. he bites his lower lip for a moment, spacing out for another before stretching and cracking his neck. ]

Guess I should look for Surik. Or anyone, really.

[ he fiddles around with the communicator a little longer, murmuring a final "or maybe a deck of cards" before the feed shuts off with a click. ]

[Luke already privately had his freak out, and had a frantic read through of the brochure. He's all caught up, and once he's figured out the communicator (THREE BUTTONS ARE KINDA HARD OK) he's right up on the network]

This is the worst. I'm not even really sure where I am! I mean, one second I'm walking up some stairs to go do something really, really important, and then I'm here. I'm really worried about everyone. I'm pretty worried about myself, too. I don't even have my sword.

[he looks through the welcoming basket, and idly snacks on something]

I'm going to go talk to that robot in charge. I don't know if it'll do anything, but it must be worth something.

[It's entirely possible to run into him, too. He's just on a street corner, sitting on a window sill for a shop in sector 5]

[Some greasy fool in latex-looking overalls is trying to stare into the lens-portion of the communicator and not doing a good job because he is extremely walleyed and holy crap look at this dude.]

Hmm.

[He fiddles with the buttons on the thing on his ear, and the video feed phases in and out a few times. Visuals fade back in after a few more moments of him dicking around.]

Are we tuned in?

[Pause.]
[Then weird lopsided smiling.]

Hi there~

Am I the only one around?
The brochure says there's a "baseball" team, but I'm not so sure how old the brochure is, so. Sometimes you find old relics in weird places.

[The "brochure" is in a wadded-up ball behind him on the floor, so it's safe to assume he didn't do much reading.]

Could someone maybe set me straight, if anyone is around? I think I got a little turned around. Maybe sometime last night.
[Sure.]
And I need to get home.
[Right.]
Or I'm never going to hear the end of it.
[Whatever.]

[Her head’s pounding, but not even the headache or the branches in her hair can take away the cheer her memories brought her.]

I did it! I really did it. Kero-chan and Yue-san are safe now! And so is Tomoyo-chan and Syaoran-kun and, and everyone in the city.

I’m sorry for disappearing! I must have worried some people, but it’s okay! Even though I’m not at home, I helped everyone! I don’t have to fight Eriol-kun any longer or put anyone else in danger. [she takes a deep breath and smiles] Everything will surely be alright now.

[ His head hurt, he couldn't get up. Well actually, that was lie - he could, he just didn't want to. The device was propped up on what looked to be a bed and behind the messy head of red hair, there was the view of a blanket pulled up, blocking off the rest of the room.

Using the weight of his arms to sit up, he addresses the feed with a face full of guilt and it almost appeared as if he were on the verge of tears, but he wasn't crying. He didn't really feel in the mood to do something like this, but the fact that he'd awoken only to be reminded of what transpired the other day, this wasn't something he could just easily toss aside.]

…Everyone that I… [ pauses and looks away a moment before forcing himself to finish] …that I worried…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble like that. I never meant to say those things and act like that… [ he couldn't bring himself to say anymore so instead pulls the blankets over his head and he reaches out a hand from the blanket, shutting off the feed abruptly.]

[ quinn stares at the pamphlet for a moment, skimming the pages, then tosses it aside like it was a piece of trash she'd picked up by mistake. ]

If this is some sort of freshman hazing, I've seen better. [ like how the football team used to trap artie in the porta-potties. ] I've done better. [ things she'd rather not think about; that's not her anymore. ] I'm not impressed, and I'm not joining whatever sorority you're trying to recruit for. My answer's no, so you can let me out now.

I've got orientation in an hour and if I miss, I won't hesitate to turn you and everyone else involved in this to campus police.