TEST DRIVE MEME: THE SELF TITLED ALBUM

[interdimanagers]

☆WELCOME TO INTERSTELLAR

And welcome to our first TDM! We've got two types of prompts to use this time around: the first takes place while your character is in the process of being captured, and the second is during their first brainwashed rockstar tour. The former is designed to be considered 100% game canon if you make it in officially, while the later is more speculative and will only work if you get lucky during label and band selection.

☆THE TALENT SEARCH

These prompts are design to be kept as game canon after acceptance, and can be used as the official story of how your character was captured. Importantly, the kidnappers entering your timeline causes massive time distortions, which means that the outcome of this scenario will stagger and replay itself multiple times before settling on an outcome. This means that after the fact, you character may remember being captured multiple ways, or going in more than one direction, before the timeline settled on a final path. Or at least, they'll remember this until their memories are wiped shortly afterwards, but that's okay! That's what memory regains are for. Read this page for more specifics on this situation. Any powers the characters have will be weakened and prone to malfunction to the point of uselessness.



►A1) THE SEARCH: It always starts out this way, doesn't it? At some point in your life, you were just doing your thing, wherever you call home. Then, all at once, it's like you've been torn from your dimension by the roots. Time and space displace, and it's like you've been shifted one layer of reality to the left - like some kind of subspace where you can see your reality through it, like a rainbow surrealist image of your home. Even if you can see this ghost image of where you were, you can't interact with it meaningfully. Any friends or family are somewhere else. As you begin to wander, without any other options, you'll find that the scenery gradually shifts to ghost images of other places, other worlds. If you wander long enough, you'll even find other people, lost just like you are. But you probably won't have much time - you've been brought here for a reason, after all.

►A2) THE HUNT: It could happen almost immediately, or it could happen hours later - but, at some point, your dimensional kidnappers start to do their sweep. Space Men in black body suits and gas masks pursue you on foot and in small spaceships, trying to sweep you and the other displaced up like fish in a net. Their guns contain a weird pink gas that will knock out most with only a single breath - and for those more enduring, they have the heavy artillery, like electrical nets and guns. The fallen will be sealed up into stasis pods for transport and loaded onto the ships, which seem like the only way to get out of this place by choice. This is where it ends, but are you going to put up a fight?

☆THE MAGIC TOUR BUS

By default, these prompt aren't considered canon, but if after you are accepted and sorted they can be tweaked into working for you, it'll be totally okay to keep them as a part of your rockstar's personal history. They take place after being kidnapped and brainwashed, on your character's first tour under their new label. As it turns out, it seems like brainwashing aliens isn't the only thing the abductees have to worry about.



►B1) PLAY IT STRAIGHT: It's just another day on the tour bus, in between long stretches of highway. How do you fill your time? Do you practice your instrument, or do you take full advantage of the open bar? Do you sulk and try go to bed early? Do you yell at your bandmates for ruining the toilet? Do you troll people on Twitter? Tours being what they are, everyone is probably at least a little bit tired or cranky. Just don't do anything that will get the Manager on your ass, because that's always more trouble than it's worth.

►B2) THAT'S NORMAL: The Managers aren't here, as far as you can tell, leaving you in a moment of relative relaxation. Something about those guys just make you uneasy, and they're always shoving you around and making you do things you don't really want to. However, these moments of peace don't last long, because it stars to become increasingly apparent that your tour bus might be...haunted? Whether its the bus turning on without a driver and without a key, wine glasses falling off tables, or guitar static sounding like frantic whispering, things are starting to get weird. Yet, at the same time, something in your subconscious is strongly suggesting that you should ignore it, and that everything is normal and fine...

►B3) THEN WHO WAS GUITAR?: These weird experiences eventually culminate in a kind of phantom music bleeding in from the air around you. The source is impossible to discern but it's somehow...familiar? Like something that played at an important moment in your life, even if the event itself just won't come to mind. What's weirder, is that everyone seems to hear something different. It gets to you in a way that your programming doesn't like - but how do you react? Reluctantly take it in, or throw a fit until it stops?

☆HELPFUL INFO

► Follow the mod plurk for updates: interstellar5555
► Check out the game NAVIGATION
► We are still looking for some mod help, so if you are interested let us know!
► Reserves close on SEPTEMBER 25th at 12:01AM EDT
► Applications open on SEPTEMBER 24th at 12:01AM EDT

Comments

Hotaru Kaze | Zone 00

[grindingthighs]

A2

He hadn't gone down easily. He remembered that. He'd woken to the sound of screeching tires, of needing to leave the car; how the smallest of them had been wiped out by pink gas. Them? Who was them? He tried to remember their faces. He couldn't.

But he recalled screaming. Screaming to take the fallen to safety. And while he could have fought, along side his companions, he knew he could protect them. Make them safe.

And...pain, to the back of his neck, limbs going slack. He knew that. And then...darkness.

And nothing more.

B1)

[So far, it's been a long, long day on the bus. But mostly, Hotaru doesn't mind. He has his collection of manga (which he has parceled up into various piles making it into a manga throne behind him). He reads them avidly, thinking of things that he might have done before the tour. Did he? Maybe he read this one...and his phone keeps pinging him about his twitter acount. He doesn't know how to turn it off. Good luck with that score with this technology inapt child.]

B2

There's been some weird going ons in the tour bus, that's true. Most of the time, he's been able to ignore it-everything from whispers to floating wine bottles. But it's when he goes to the front of the bus (they're out of the juice he likes) that he sees the keys turning into the initiation. To drive. No ones behind the wheel.

...that takes a moment before he dives for the keys.

"Who's trying to drive the bus?!"

No one told him about the invisible band member gimmick.

Lenneth Valkyrie | Valkyrie Profile

[nibelungvalesti]

B3.

A woman stood in the center of the tour bus, listening to the distant, distorted bells.

Easy enough to accuse Meril -- or as her fans knew her, 'Lenneth' -- of simply being on board to cash in on the hormones of male listeners. A solid but not phenomenal bass guitarist, Meril served a much more obvious role as the 'ice queen', the cool and unflappable girl who everyone knew (without a shred of evidence otherwise) was inwardly lonely, sweet, and just needed the right person to melt her into the perfect mate. If that had led to tensions with her fellow band members and label partners, Meril never said a word about them.

Actually, she rarely said a word about anything anyway, which just helped to crank up the mystique, and thus, the sales.

But while she normally kept her face impassive and her eyes cold, now she looked oddly at peace in the middle of the van. The usual tension and stress had drained from her muscles in a way they never seemed to even when she slept, making her appear somewhat younger and more innocent than anyone could normally ever imagine her. And still those bells chimed around her, like a distant church heard through a stone wall.

Jecht | Final Fantasy X

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

A1.

"Got no idea what's going on here," growled the tanned, shirtless man as he stalked through the weird fog, sword slung over his shoulder as if the massive thing didn't weight a pound. "Maybe this is that Farplane stuff they keep talking about. Heh, maybe I'm just asleep again. Either way... maybe I'm supposed to be here."

If he had any idea someone'd been listening, maybe he wouldn't have sounded so pensive about the whole thing.

B1.

For someone who could play guitar as well as Jecht did, he sure didn't put much effort into his practice. Also he kept singing to the random crap he was unmusically pulling out of his guitar, which for the record he couldn't do at all beyond backup.

"And then they kicked some butt
And jammed it in the goal
They scored some points
'Cuz the ball went in the hole, yeah!"

It goes on like this.

Also, he was taking up no less than 90% of the open bar, with his feet propped across two chairs, despite the fact that he wasn't drinking a drop. In fact, he'd never drank alcohol in all the time they were touring together. Just one more strange quirk, and possibly his least-offensive one.

Luce | Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

[giglio_madonna]

A1 - The spell you got on me, it's like magic

[Even with the title of the world's most skilled seer, Luce would never claim that her power is all-seeing. Perhaps a distant ancestor would be able to see every little thing in exquisite detail and handle it, but her? No, she's not so arrogant. Still, she has faith in what her power can show her. So when there's a strange feeling in the pit of her gut and she hits a mental wall...]

[Luce takes the appropriate measures that morning, in her Famiglia's stronghold. She writes a letter so that her right hand knows how to contact the appropriate people, her fellow I Prescelti Sette included. She dresses in sensible clothing with sturdy shoes, becuase it's best to always be prepared for these kind of things. She makes sure someone can watch Aria.]

[And she packs a discrete little handgun on her person. Just in case. She is a mafia donna for a reason.]

[It's all caution for good reason, when the world twists and warps. Calm but wary, she starts to make her way through the strange landscape. Sometimes, she sees things that are familiar- various places in Italy- and other times, she has to stop and stare as she finds herself in some place that very clearly isn't like anywhere on her earth at all.]

[As she stands staring, she notices another person and puts on a well practiced smile as she turns to wave her hand at them once they're within calling distance.]

Hello there! Excuse me, but do you know what's going on?

A2 - Turn around, see your back's against the wall

[On your own, against one of those mysterious and intimidating soldiers chasing after you? Cornered? Don't worry- suddenly, out of nowhere, an electrified net suddenly shoots out and traps the soldiers with a crackle of electricity.]

[Standing not too far away is Luce, a hard look in what's an otherwise gentle face as she holds a large clunky gun with more expertise than one would think. She sends a smile at the other person, as if she hadn't just sentenced some people to being pinned down and shocked for whoever knows how long.]

Come on now- let's hurry before they get reinforcements.

Benten | Zone-00 | OTA

[chic]

[B2]

[ Puh-lease.

There ain't no way in hell that Benten's gonna sit idle on his ass and allow this super shitty tour to become even shittier on account of some punk-ass spirit that's gone and attached itself to someone in the squad. Haunting leads to possession, possession lends itself to really, really bad press, and then the manager will be riding them even harder before the next tour's even had the chance to get off to a miserable start, and Benten won't have any of it.

And that's precisely why he's gone and armed himself with a smudge-stick of white sage, smoke filling the already too-cramped confines of the tour bus to simultaneously purify the bad juju away, into oblivion where it belonged, and, in all likelihood, suffocate the rest of the crew. But hey, at least he's considerate, he'd gone through the trouble of kicking the door open before beginning his righteous crusade, and right now, he's eyeing whoever has the great misfortune of being closest to him with a vicious-glossed grin and outrageously fluttering eyelashes. ]

On your feet. [ You're next is implicitly said, and Benten's heel is already tap-tap-tapping in a staccato rhythm against the floor. ] Legs spread, arms out, it's time to receive the best blessin' you've ever had in your damn life.

A2

[tigermillionaire]

[Oh...um. Okay. That's...uh.

Steven definitely seems alarmed by that, no matter how relieved he is that it saved him from being accosted by weird people in space armor. He finds himself backing away from her just as he had been backing away from the soldiers - and then, the trips and falls on his but with a small yelp.

It takes him a moment to find his words.]

Oh, um...uh...thanks? I think...

[He can't help but wince at the soldiers.]

Maybe...maybe you should let them go, now...

Yosuke Hanamura | Persona 4

[punchesyu]

A1:

[The sudden change in the world around him throws him off guard. The bag on his shoulder waves in and out of reality, and he drops it as he's transported away from Inaba, lying on the concrete road next to Samegawa. Fear strikes him, because he doesn't know nor understand what's happening. This shouldn't happen, not in the real world like this. He turns, and finds that everything seems to be a strange haze of where he once was. So instinctively, he yells.]

Wha-What the hell???!!!! [He tries to return to where he once came from, but to no avail. The first thing that comes to his mind, he says aloud.]

Could this be the TV world? M-Maybe some of the others are here! [He frantically looks around again.] Yu??? YU! Chie!!! Yukiko!!! Somebody! [He yells, hoping for a response.] No. No way. You can only get there from the TV, and that totally wasn't anything like jumping in the TV. But if this isn't the TV...

Where am I?

A2:

[Well, now he's sure that this is really just the worst day ever. Freaky people in black suits are here, and after witnessing them knocking out someone else, he's just decided to run. He's good at that.]

I don't know what this freaky place is, but I'm getting outta here! [And he is leaving you behind!]

B1:

[He lies back on one of the couches inside of the tour bus. It had been a long trip, and without a destination in sight on the long highway, he's getting bored. He'll turn to the nearest bandmate, whining.]

Duuuuude, you think they'd give us better choices to eat on here if they were gunna make us sit on the bus without a pit stop! I can't eat half of the crap on here... [His cellphone in hand, he taps a few things on it, before closing it again.]

Pinkie Pie | MLP: FiM

[sailorlaughter]

A2

RUN!

[Look, you probably don't need to be told that the men in black suits and gas masks, chasing a small and obviously terrified pink pony with guns are probably not good people. Pinkie's keeping up a good pace, but she's super lost and she doesn't know where she could hide in this weird place - are they EVER gonna give up?]

B3

[Pinkie (stage name, but she'll answer to it) is known for being a hyperactive party girl. It's kinda her thing, you know? She's always in the tabloids for whatever crazy bash she last got involved in; it's rare to see her ever sit still.

But she's doing that now, while that weird music plays in the tour bus. Her arms are folded loosely around her torso, and she's humming a little. As someone else walks it, she looks up, trying to put on a smile.]

So like, you think that's a weird radio signal we're getting or something?

b2

[connivingbird]

No.

[Yeah, no, Ankh wasn't in the mood to get up, let alone let someone go groping him when he was in serious gossip reading and exchanging mode over his phone. As the bad boy member from a whole list of bad boys, Ankh was one to carry it further and was considered a bit of a hard person to work with. Demanding, controlling and even a lot grumpy, it didn't matter if it was in front of the camera or behind it, he still acted like a complete jerk to everyone.]

It's not it worked the last three times.

[The tour bus has always been haunted. Why spend time lighting shit and then waving it around people anyways when there was more important things like speculate the reasons behind EnStarz's sudden tour cancellation?]

And you dropped burning weeds all over my red satin pillows!

[giglio_madonna]

[The fact that they're going after small children is more than enough for Luce to want to walk over and do a bit more than simply shock those soldiers. As far as she's concerned, even mafia must have standards. Accosting small children, trying to do God knows what... She finds it revolting.]

[Fortunately, she has restraint, so Luce simply shoulders the net gun and kneels down so that she's more on the young boy's level. She doesn't want to scare him more than he already is.]

If I let them go now, there's no telling what they'll do or what tricks they'll try to pull. You don't have to worry. It isn't truly harmful, I think. Someone will find them and get them out of it- [Probably. It's not her concern.] -however, by then, I want to think we'll be far away and safe.

[She offers out one hand in his direction.]

My name is Luce. What's yours?

Greg Universe | Steven Universe

[panspermia]

A1: PROBABLY A REASONABLE EXPLANATION

"Oh boy."

Greg had gone very still, cold sweat breaking over him. Whatever this was, it was some seriously bad news, and he didn't want anything to do with it. Balding, overweight, sporting torn shorts and a nasty farmers tan, he was the last sort of person who needed to get involved with whatever weird magic stuff was going down.

He kept his hands raised, just to make sure he didn't touch anything--not that there seemed like there was anything to touch, in the first place, but this was definitely a case of "better safe than sorry."

"Hello? Anyone? Steven? Uh... Garnet? Someone?" He kept looking around for some sort of indication that this was okay, this would work out, so long as he waited for someone else to handle it. His car wash was right there, he could see it, so he just had to hang out here and keep from getting lost, right?

B1: MR. UNIVERSE

Oh man. He's got a killer headache. Whatever happened last night, it must've been amazing. The headshots stacked in front of him kept blurring, and he would find himself staring, trying to process his own face. It was his face, obviously, he knew that. Young, cleanshaven, pierced. Still, somehow it looked... more awesome than ever. Man, he's one good lookin' guy.

Ego didn't fix the headache bouncing through his skull with each bump the bus took, though. With a low groan, Mr. Universe leaned back on the couch, running a hand through his hair.

"Anyone want to stop for burgers? I gotta kill this hangover, somehow." His workout routine could take a hit, just the once. Greater good or whatever.

B3: MY SPOOKY UNWANTED MUSE

He keeps pacing, muttering to himself, guitar strapped over his shoulder. This tune. He knows it. It's--it IS music, so he should--there's a song coming to him, that's what it is. He should be writing it down, getting it out of his head, because that's what he does, that's what you do when there's music in your head, and that's what it IS, it's in his head, because no one is playing it, so it just means he's INSPIRED.

The problem isn't the music, though. It's how, every time he lifts a pencil to write down the notes, it escapes him. Every time he puts his fingers to the strings to make it real, it shifts and warps, and he goes blank. It doesn't make any sense. He loves music, and he loves making and hearing music, so why doesn't he love this.

[tigermillionaire]

[Well...he guesses that makes sense. If they were trying to kill people, they probably wouldn't be using nets and gas, right? He gives the shuddering soldiers one last apologetic look, before meeting Luce's eye and putting his shaking hand in hers. He nods, biting his lips.]

I'm Steven.

[He still sounds uncertain, but her tone isn't unfamiliar. It sounds like something one of the Gems would say. He nervously starts to stand himself up.]

Do you know where this is? It used to look like Beach City, but now...geez, I don't even know what this looks like, anymore! Isn't it weird?

Bucky Barnes | MCU

[cryogenics]

►B1)

He would have liked to spend his time on the road sleeping, but it was too cramped and too noisy. The quiet was better; he didn't have to worry about distractions, he could just focus on his own thoughts, or think about nothing at all, if he felt like it. But he was crammed into a confined space with other people, so, grumpy or not, he had to make the best of it. At least there was room to stretch his legs out, so he did, occupying most of a couch with his guitar in his lap as he tuned it, his hair pulled back into a tiny bun.

It had taken a lot of practice to get used to playing guitar with a prosthetic arm; he could feel the strings with his metal fingers but he couldn't feel them. It had taken him a while to memorize the way the guitar felt under his hand, how much pressure to use, but now it was as easy as breathing. He felt like he'd been doing it his whole life, even if he couldn't quite remember when he'd started playing. That wasn't the important part though, was it? What mattered was that he was here now, and he was good at both guitar and singing. That was all he needed.

He was quiet, both in person and on the news. They didn't have much to report on him, except when he went out to clubs, danced with people, took them home. There were rumors about what happened after they left the club, how many people he slept with, but he refused to comment. His life was his own, and what he did in the privacy of his own home was his business. The truth was less interesting, anyway.

►B2)

Bucky hadn't been doing anything different than he usually did. He didn't bump into anything or knock anything over. So the glass abruptly falling to the floor and shattering at his feet was really fucking alarming. He jumped back with an undignified shout, pulling away just in time for another glass to shoot off the counter, go whizzing past his head, and shatter against the wall, spraying glass shards across the floor and one of the chairs.

"What the hell's going on?" he demanded of no one in particular. He didn't expect anyone else who'd seen that to have an answer, unless this was some kind of prank.

B1!

[chic]

[ Inept is a word.

And a lost cause are a few more.

See, Benten's been trying to relax off all this while—the couch by the window is a dream, and dozing off as the sunlight filters through the glass, bathing his skin in the warmth of its luxurious caress, would've been his crowning achievement of the day if not for that phone.

That horrific hunk of outdated technology and it's abhorrent slide-to-text keyboard is going to straight to hell, because each and every time Benten finds himself upon the precipice of wakefulness and beauty sleep, the damn thing buzzes and pings! and vibrates with updates and messages and alerts gone unanswered.

Is he cranky when he saunters up to that manga-collection throne? Most definitely. Does he know exactly what he's doing when he neatly slides right onto the crown prince's lap, taking a hold of Hotaru's chin with a wicked grip of forefinger and thumb? Of course. It is with nothing short of expert precision that Benten angles Hotaru's chin down, so that Mr. Oblivious might catch sight of his legs, the way his hotpants ride up his thighs. ]

I need a favor, Hotaru, and I'm certain that you'll oblige.

[ Something dangerous is about to happen, isn't it? ]

Kouen Ren | Magi

[goateeocracy]

[B1]
[Every single flat space within easy reach of where Kouen is sitting on one of the bus's plush couches is covered with something. There are books (which make you sort of wonder where he found them in this day and age), notebooks (which you wonder why he bothers with), and old promotional posters all laid out so he can grab whatever he needs whenever he needs it. Kouen himself has a tablet in one hand that he's glaring intently at and occasionally poking at and his phone balanced on one knee. If all this seems a little excessive, that's because it is, but if you've been in this band long enough, you'll know that when its frontman is at work, he's at work and interrupting that laser focus of his is something you do at your own peril.
Despite that, he hasn't budged for almost two hours now. You might want to make sure he eats or sleeps.]

[B2]
[This is the fifth time his phone has vibrated without there being any sort of message or call of any sort. It's like the thing has a life of its own and it's starting to get under his skin big time. He's tried to ignore it, but it just won't stop. When it suddenly vibrates a sixth time, he yanks up a couch cushion, slams the phone down underneath it, then slaps the cushion back into place.
And the bottle of water he's been drinking out of starts to vibrate just as loudly as the phone. In a horror movie, that would be when the camera would cut to the shocked, terrified face of the protagonist.
There's a reason why Kouen is a rock star and not an actor.]

WOULD YOU KNOCK IT THE FUCK OFF?!

A1

[tigermillionaire]

This must be a gem thing that's happening, Steven keeps telling himself as he runs towards the temple. Definitely a gem thing. What else could it be? It's always a gem thing. Which means if he can just find the other gems, they can figure it out, maybe fight some kind of monster, and then everything will be fine! ...Right?

Except, it seems less and less like it's going to go that way when he reaches the warped image of the temple, and runs through the ghost image of the door more than he opens it. There's no one there, even as the TV seems to flicker and warble from a plane of existence he can't touch.

"Guys?" he calls out. "Guys, uh...something really crazy is happening, and I need your help working it out so if you could...show up, somewhere..."

He trails off.

"...That would be really great."

He spends a while longer looking for them, but when nothing works, the panic starts to thicken. He has a firm second option in this kind of situation, even if the idea of his dad being in this mess at all scares him more than the alternative. He runs out of the temple, and down towards the car wash.

"Dad!" And then, against all odds, he sees him. His eyes are tearing up with fear and relief. "Dad, you're here!"

He plows into his father's body, hugging him tight without wasting a second.

[giglio_madonna]

It's good to meet you, Steven, even if the situation is horrible.

[Wrapping her fingers around his hand steadfastly, she pushes herself up to her feet again and starts to guide him away from the soldiers. Time to make a fast getaway. Maybe this strange place's tendency to warp and shift would come in handy.]

['Beach City' sounds distinctly American, and Steven, she knows, is an English name. She's from Italy, him from (likely) America... This place really is mixing things up.]

I'm afraid not. I was back home, and suddenly everything started to change like this. Soon enough, well...

[She gives his hand a squeeze.]

I'm certain there must be an exit, however.

[tigermillionaire]

[Despite the inherently violent introduction, he does find the way she talks to him fairly soothing. She's taking charge in a crisis, which is something he appreciates, because it makes him feel like he doesn't have to - as a Crystal Gem, he always will try to handle things if necessary, but as a child it's always a relief when it feels like someone else knows better. He holds her hand tight, and tries to run fast enough to not slow her down.]

That's the same thing that happened to me!

[His eyes widen a little, even though it shouldn't be surprising. He's just been so sure it must be gem related...but that never seem to affect anyone outside of Beach City...!

Beach City. Suddenly he remembers something.]

W-Wait! I think I saw my dad here- [He slows down reluctantly. Think? Isn't that something he should be sure of? Man, everything feels weird here, too.] I can't just leave him!

B1

[unrefinedhammer]

[This had gone on for too long.

Way too long. And, after hours of wandering through his world in Minecraft on his mobile, killing skeletons and swearing whenever a creeper ruined his base for the umpteenth time since he had spawned there, the silence -- and all of the paper -- was becoming unbearable. Bored, Kouha resorted to the most entertaining thing around:

Peering over Kouen's shoulder and braiding the frontman's hair.

Warning? No, there had been none, unless the grumbling and the fallen stacks of books amount for anything.]

Amaterasu | Okami

[okami_shiranui]

A1

Her howl had shaken the very heavens and earth themselves, spring erupting all around her and enveloping the world in colors that were so intense and vivid that they seemed unnatural. It actually took her a moment to realize that's because they were. Grass buckled beneath her paws, Issun went missing as she found herself pitching forward into a place that most certainly was not any part of her Nippon.

Then it began to leech at her, and the sun goddess dashed forward with a snarl like a crack of thunder, first in a flash of golden light and flowers before her body began to work against her. It was like running through water, a chill seeping into her fur, weighing her down like the strongest of curses, and she found herself snapping at shadows in case they might be demons.

So it is that Amaterasu streaked through different worlds, head down and dark eyes narrowed with her divine mirror spewing multicolored flames as it spun above her back more slowly with every heartbeat. Yet even with her powers weakened she still ran faster than any horse, and flowers still sprung up in her wake in the strange void she found herself in.

B2

She was trying to catch some sleep. Amaterasu had long since staked out one of the couches as her own, sprawling across it to take up as much space as her tiny frame could, one foot propped up on the cushions as the other leg stretched out into the walkway. Honestly, she didn't care if she was being a nuisance, she was one of the eldest on the bus and had decided it was a perfect time for a nap. Therefore, obviously, everyone else could simply deal with it.

Except she had unnaturally good hearing and something was slowly driving her up the wall. Like someone over-tuning a koto string or dragging a razor up a bass's strings. An annoying insect-like whining that cut through her skull like a knife, forcing her to crack an eye open and shoot a glare toward the back of the bus that could've blistered sheet metal.

"Oi! Knock it off!" Ammy growled, red lips peeling back as she grumbled to herself and dragged the hat back down over her eyes. Whose hat was this one, again? She'd forgotten, likely having pilfered it during the last drinking night when someone had made the stupid mistake of trying to out-drink her. Re-crossing her arms, she got herself comfortable again and was just about to fall asleep when an entire glass of water toppled onto her, soaking her head, the hat, and most of her shirt.

With a wordless yell she was on her feet, shaking it off like a dog as she tried to clear it from her eyes. For some reason she always expected that to dry her off completely but it never worked, and she was grumbling angrily and swiping her thick wet bangs out of her eyes.

"Th' hells was that for?!"

[giglio_madonna]

[A worldwide phenomenon... Luce doesn't have much time to wonder on that when he's suddenly slowing at her side, and she quickly takes a look around to see if she can spot who Steven has.]

Really? [Well, safety in numbers. She smiles down at him.] Lead me to him, then. We can protect him together in case any more of those people in black show up.

B3

[okami_shiranui]

Dunno, cherry cake.

[The woman with the snowy hair and red tattoos glanced at the girl, reaching over to give her shoulder a squeeze. She'd always answered to whatever name people gave her, never really caring for one over the other unless it was derogatory and deserved getting punched for, but for all her coarse behaviour and rough language she'd always looked out for everyone on the bus like they were her own kids.]

Whatever it is, it's botherin' me somethin' fierce. You gonna be okay?

[chic]

Square up and participate, kid, or it'll be your matchin' jammies next. [ Had they been deliberate, the holes burnt into Ankh's precious satin pillows by way of smoldering sage leaf? Damn straight they'd been, and all because the brat refused to be anything but the world's worst handicap, so enamored with gossip and speculation that he's all but forgotten about their crew. But guess fucking what, Benten won't be put on hold, and Ankh needs to learn the lesson that life won't wait for you to live it, even if it has to be beaten into that pretty little undercut of his. ]

I'm startin' to think you're the one responsible for all of this— [ This, of course, is accented with an all-encompassing gesture which settles a rather large plume of smoke over the space between them. ] —take ownership of all this rancid energy, or I'll do you ten times worse.

[ That'll be his first and last warning. ]

[tigermillionaire]

Ah- uh-okay...

[He speaks as if this is something he can do, but then when he stops to look around...he's totally lost. He left Beach City far behind when he started running, and now it feels like it could be anywhere, like he's drifted out into space.

He stops, and then stutters, the urgency of time making him feel like he can't think properly. Where did he go? Where did he go? His eyes begin to fill with tears.]

I...I don't know! I don't know where he is!

[He spins around wildly like he's hoping it will make his father appear, but it doesn't. He looks up to Luce desperately.]

Please, we have to find him...!

B1

[sailorlaughter]

"Oooooohmygod, YES!" Pinkie was right there for all that drinking last night. She doesn't look too hot either as she flops over the back of the couch. "And milkshakes! I think someone told me one time that milkshakes are good for hangovers! Or maybe it was something else. I dunno."

Leaning forward, she slides face-first onto the couch cushions beside him. "Greggggggg, look it up on Google."