[The video switches on to show a grumpy and disdainful looking cat yawning as he stretches out, taking his time. He looks annoyed by the restraint, tail swishing back and forth abruptly. The bell on his strange collar chimes and it's a strangely resonating sound.]

Well, isn't this unexpected. If this is a prison, not only is the timing terrible but I would have thought that my collar would have been removed if I'm going to be restrained. I don't suppose anyone could oblige?

[He tucks his tail in close, looking bored now if not a bit irritated.]

But as long as I'm going to be stuck here, I don't suppose there is any decent fish to be had besides those swimming above out of reach?

[ Working dispatch was just as tedious as he had expected it to be. It was also just as informative. But working twelve hour shifts still made it difficult to keep the kinks out of his back. Lingering after his shift just long enough to nod to the morning staff and clean up his dishes, Hei will be making his way to Sector 5 for some breakfast at the café before heading home for a few hours of rest. You can’t sleep on an empty stomach after all. It just growls all night day long. ]

[ It has a been a long, painful day for the Colonel-Commissar. Starting with the scramble call to the dojo, on to rather unexpectedly violent sword-training session with Cain, in which no less than 3 separate students saw fit to go blade to blade with him, to some painful memories which had recently come back to him, Gaunt just needs a bit of a rest. So here he is, storm coat, returned cap, and camo cloak all wrapped around him, sipping lemonade in the rain during the evening.

He looks very tired, all 50 of his long years weighing on his lean, tall frame. His lips are set in a thin, pale line, and he just stares out into the middle distance, as though staring at something that no-one else sees. And... oddly, there's a white Columbine flower peeking out of the gold frogging on the front of his shirt. So there he is, out in sector 4 near the memorial Gardens. ]

[Link got an early start on the day. After all, there was much to learn and record, and Walker knew far too many people. They would each require at least some investigation, but he hadn't been able to remove the idea of eggplant pie out of his mind following his conversation with Walker yesterday.

Walker's plants were too young for produce, so Link had to seek the ripe vegetable elsewhere, and since a big kitchen is preferable to the one in their apartment, he simply stayed in the shelter's. Which is exactly where he is now, carefully making one eggplant attempt after another as well as some tried and true traditional cakes and pies. Some of the eggplant-infused dishes are very good, but nothing has met his high standards yet.]

You will find various cakes and pies in the sector 0, shelter kitchen. Limit one per criminal. [No, this doesn't apply to you, Walker.]

I would also be grateful for any recipe or advice on using eggplant in a sweet pie or pastry.

[Itachi leaps from the roof of one building to another, keeping a quiet pace, shifting in and out of the shadows easily as he moves. He is not moving quickly, as speed can make one's eyes less diligent, but he will not be easily noticed.

It's the late shift again, and to be honest, he prefers it. Walking through the sectors late at night, listening to whatever might break the silence. He's more than capable of giving enough attention to outside world and his own thoughts at the same time, and thus the quiet solitude of the night is beneficial to him.

Usually. Perhaps he would prefer the distraction tonight, when thoughts do little more than annoy him with their uselessness. Such as thoughts about Kisame and his strange presence--someone from his future who knows is past. Someone who knows far too much.

A distraction may be suitable for the occasion.]

[Voice]

Can one truly be incapable of intentionally killing a friend under any circumstances?

[ Around noon, the robots that had been swarming the beach scatter, leaving a transformed landscape in their wakes. There are volleyball nets set up in the sand, along with colorful umbrellas and blankets beneath them. Part of the water has been sectioned off for water polo, while inflatable rafts in fanciful shapes are ready for use in the open area.

Ringing the beach are food stands serving street and festival foods: chin chin, takoyaki and taiyaki, aloo tikki, sabikh, empanada, hot dogs, ice cream and shaved ice, and suchlike. There is one stand where a robot serves an alcoholic punch not completely unlike sangria. Several of the other stands also serve non-alcoholic drinks. Clean up robots zoom from place to place, picking up garbage. ]

[For some reason Saya's feeling energetic, so it's time for a different kind of training. Look up and you might see a lithe girl in a Japanese school uniform, leaping over rooftops, one to the other, though not effortlessly as you'll see from the forceful way she launches herself. In her hand is her sheathed katana, as if she's on her way to battle, although --]

[-- listen closely and you might catch a wisp of laughter in the air. No fighting, today.]

[Saya comes to the end of the line of rooftops and leaps from the edge, arms spread as if she's really flying. At the halfway point she backflips and lands feet first, falling into a crouch and then rolling once before coming to a stop. She's breathing hard, but -- smiling. She hasn't felt that free in a long time.]

[Something is in the air! That would be the tempting smell of fresh brewed coffee in the new establishment in Sector 5. The drinks are hot, the atmosphere relaxing -- come have a drink and a chat, won't you?]

((OOC: this is a mingle-style post for anyone who wants to check out the coffee shop! like 4 of my kids are interested, so I thought one BIG post for everyone who wants to stop by would work best! Tag around, tag each other, have fun!))

((OOC 2~: Dani is in the shop, behind the counter, making coffee for all! If you want to order that's the thread to hit up. <3 ))

[ Yes, it's that time again, Marina. Jeanne's smiling face is viewable, with a blank TV screen on its stand to one side of her, and a whiteboard to the other. ] Hello everyone! I just wanted remind everyone -- especially since we have so many newcomers -- that my sign language class is meeting today in a half hour. It's going to be a short lesson, just to see how everyone is doing so far, or to introduce new students, and also...

[ And here Jeanne should have filtered it, but neglects to. ] I'll be hosting another spa gathering for all you ladies out there. For those who've never been, my name is Jeanne Fránçaix, and I do this from time-to-time because I think it's a great way to relax, trade ~gossip~ and just get to know each other better. It'll be at the public baths in Sector 6 as usual, starting at around 5!

[ She puts a finger to her chin. ] Hmm, I think I should try to make these more fun with themes, or something like that, but I don't really have any ideas. I'll look for your suggestions when you stop by. [ A wave. ] I hope to see many of you later!


((ooc: Three sections to this post for contacting her! Voice calls, during Class with Jeanne or to mingle with classmates, and Spa for a thread with just Jeanne.

The entire rest of the post is for Spa mingling, and open to all women in Marina -- or party crashers, since she didn't filter this. Have at it! /o/ ))

[Have a dramatically loud whipcrack, Marina! Fuuma is in the park, showing off just the tiniest bit. He loops the whip back up easily, gathering it around his wrist. It's long and slim, carefully hand-woven.]

--I think I owe someone lessons~?

Oh, and -- where's that fellow who passed out yesterday, while I'm at it? Nena's unconscious friend.

[So, some people just couldn't keep their mouths shut. It's no skin off his back, and he's merely grateful that he'd gotten his restraint off before the warden had decided to have a meltdown over it. If he'd really wanted the restraints to stay on, he shouldn't have made them breakable in the first place, if such a thing was possible.]

[After his less-than-pleasant introduction with Itachi's partner, the boy had been even more of a recluse than normal, and was deliberately going out of his way to avoid most everyone. It was only the flashing lights and sounds of the arcade that finally caught his attention, and though he lingered in the doorway for a moment, he did eventually make his way inside.]

[This was all very, very new. Despite his mostly composed features, he was taken aback, and cautiously began to step among the machines. They were games, clearly, but what was the point? That was what he was having trouble figuring out.]

[The dust surrounding you burns your throat with every breath you manage to take, inhaling the debris from the large building beneath your feet that still came up like smoke from the ashes of a fire. The weight of a weapon at your hand, lifted, targeted. Heavy. Your finger on the trigger, all it would take is to pull it. Pull it and it would end everything.

Yet the gaze that stares back at you is familiar. If you've been in Marina for any period of time, you'd recognize her instantly. Tiny in stature, she doesn't appear to be a threat to anyone but she's likely one of the most dangerous and powerful in the dome. Dressed in a black school uniform, her long brown hair catching the wind occasionally the only movement she makes. The weapon she holds, a scythe that appears larger than she is, is poised to defend herself. Eyes clear. Understanding. Monstrous. Just pull the trigger. Don't think about it. Her gaze never strays, determined to hold your own and not look away. Your hand shakes, unable to gather the strength to pull the trigger.

Don't think about it.

Don't think about it.

And everything suddenly goes black...]


( OOC Notes )

( Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Should I Break You Before You Fall? )

{OOC: This is Alma's world. The mirrors will show each person a part of themselves, whether it be one they know or one they've never seen before. Feel free to do damage to the room! Alma sure is. Event-style threadjacking is allowed as long as permission was asked for first, and your character does not see what other characters see in the mirrors or pools unless the player(s) say so. Also be warned: Violent and disturbing content is possible in these threads.}

[Voice|Filtered from Sasuke and Hidan]

I was informed once that there had been a course for promoting practical use of hand-to-hand combat. It has since been canceled and the problem it would have alleviated persists.

If you wish to control your own fate rather than wait for another to do so for you, be at the training field adjacent to the dojo at six o'clock tomorrow morning. A new class will begin then. Come prepared.

[And if anyone has a problem with a thirteen-year old instructor, they can be his first volunteer.]

Practical demonstrations will be given, though more a variety of volunteers would make this more effective.

[Private to Saya]

I'll be waiting at the training grounds, Otonashi.

{OOC: Action is closed to Saya.}

[It starts with one light at first, lifting itself from a roof nearest the beach--a solitary lantern glowing and drifting away on the light breeze. From one come many, several burning glows bursting to life and rising up above the trees and the buildings, lanterns of all shapes and sizes floating along like a river of lights. They bob and weave around each other, lightly bumping to change their directions, similar to stars high up near the apex of the dome, the waters below sparkling from the glow.

At the beach there are several tables where inmates may receive a lantern of their own to light and send on its way into the sky, joining the others as they burn through the night.]

[The lanterns are all around the dome, but they will eventually make their way to floating above the waters at the beach. Feel free to see them just about anywhere outdoors! If you want the full effect, check out the full scene from Tangled.]

[The artificial sun or whatever it is has just started to peak over the waves. Sasuke has been watching it impassively as he waits for Saya to arrive, seemingly lost in thought though he won't be easy to sneak up on him.]

[It's his conversations with Kitty that have kept his mind churning, but he's ready to shut them up and focus when it gets down to it. Everything else can wait until after practice. He just hopes the girl won't utterly disappoint him.]

( Read more... )

[A mop of green hair lurked in the shadows of the dome as he made his way from the hospital and back to PM & WV's house. The nurse bots were quick to heal the bruise on his face -- it was important to get that one out of the way; not out of vanity, if he can lessen the number of questions on his account, the better.

While the walk to the hospital seemed short as he had left while PM was gone, the road back to his temporary home felt like it had stretched out longer, suddenly wary of those who had nocturnal habits around the dome.

Would this be how a fugitive, or a wanted criminal feels like...?]


(( OOC: Ribbons is out though not for long and is open for being mocked and creeped upon~ ))

[They released him from the hospital, and he took that opportunity to vanish before he could allow himself to dwell on what had happened. 'Avoid the robots', she'd said. Done and done. It was dark out now, and though there was ample opportunity for him to seek out his brother once more--well, Sasuke stayed away.]

[He'd just stood there. He'd taken the blow, and Sasuke... had stopped. He could have killed him, twisted the blade about and done as much damage as possible, but he'd been so shocked that he hadn't done anything. Hadn't done anything but fail, anyway.]

[The boy was standing in front of the tombstones, not really seeing them, but imagining they bore the names of his family, nonetheless. He had failed his clan. He'd failed himself. Itachi had somehow known--and the thought of that was enough to make a lump in his throat that he hadn't felt in nearly five years.]


((OOC: Tragic tsun!princess, coming right up. His left wrist is a little swollen, and idk how talkative he'll be, but here he is!))

[Saya clears her throat, sounding a bit hesitant -- but then a breath, and her voice is as firm as she can make it. She thinks she filtered this to the DF and away from Conrad, but she... doesn't know how to work the thing very well.]

I was wondering if some people would be interested in training with me? I use a katana, but anyone who does hand to hand or other methods would be fine, too. Just... can anyone help me?

Oh -- Mister Kururugi? I should... tell you something. [Like about finding two boys killing each other in the dojo this morning.]

[Private to Jeanne]
...Jeanne? [pause; she hasn't actually thought about what to say...] Are you there?

[It seems he's accidentally turned the video on without realizing, and one can see the teenage boy is quickly taking in his surroundings with frightening intensity. He doesn't seem to be aware of the screen for now, and he thoroughly checks himself over once. No weapons. They were on him just a moment ago.]

I know this is an illusion. [Points out simply, but he seems irked that they're resorting to these sorts of games. When he tries to activate the Sharingan, however--well, his dark eyes widen when nothing happens, and only then does he seem to spot the chain around his leg. This isn't good.]

[His guard is up, and he's ready for an attack. He's currently located in Sector 4, and will be attempting to gain his bearings. Harass him?]