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Priority Log - Part 1
Log 05 Priority (Part I)
Have you all been enjoying your weeks at the spa and/or getting chased by dinosaurs? Well, it's time to get a move on! The next car awaits: it's time for a new priority car. Like last time, passengers will not be able to leave this car for two logs, so buckle in!
The Big Screen Car
As characters enter the car, their phones will send them a new notification...
> OBJECTIVE:
>
>
NAME: The Big Screen Car
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT: Earth-ish, 2021
DANGER LEVEL: [ERROR]
AVERAGE CRITIC REVIEW: 5/5 Stars
COMMON DENIZENS: Varied
CUISINE: Overpriced gluten-sensitive sandwiches, overpriced coffee
...What a weird spam text? There's a lot of those going around lately.
Well, time to get to work!
Passengers will arrive in this car believing that they've lived in this car their entire lives. Effectively a modern AU version of themselves, they will have no knowledge of their powers, their past, or any details about their original worlds. Instead, they will believe they grew up in the modern day, that this is a place called DANACA, and that they work with an entertainment management company, FONY, in some capacity.
Maybe that makes you a director, producer, agent, model, singer, actor, idol, musician, sound guy, make-up artist, e-sports hotshot, lighting tech, beleaguered script writer, overworked intern, some dude who delivers sandwiches and ends up as an extra all the time... As a media giant, FONY has it all! And you're expected to work together on a litany of up and coming projects: the FAMA Awards Show, which will preview several hotly anticipated albums, shows, events, and movies! And that means all hands on deck. Characters will have very little problem with their AU skills, even if they never had any relevant experience in canon.
LOCATIONS
When characters get a breather, the car around them is a busy metropolis city with warm, dry weather that welcomes several beaches and pools. (It's literally LA, but with public transpo.) Enjoy all the modern amenities, like you've never lived without them! Passengers can visit any location that makes sense for a modern city, but here are some hotspots:
Club L'Euntaerio: The hottest club in Danaca! They keep the temperature uncomfortably low as they play only Danacan artists, like The Tragically Lame, or Dreka. Regardless, the night life here is vibrant, so it's a great place to let loose a little.
CN Corner: Not a destination so much as the corner beside Club L'Euntaerio, unofficially known to be the place to make illicit connections. Shady dealings happen here all the time, so it's a great place for designer drugs, information on your enemies, and alley-way shankings.
One drug in particular is on the rise. Sand, which provides Denizens with a mild high, will cause passengers to see people as other other characters from their canon. Even if you're not a fan of drugs, it's called Sand for a reason: it gets in everything (e.g. drinks, gummies, cigarettes, etc).
The New Danaca Mall: A newly renovated mall with three floors of your favorite retail outlets like Danaca Moose and Aboots! The employees are all fed up though, and you may end up hired on the spot for a part-time gig, or to hand out samples and promo materials because you're famous. If you manage to avoid retail hell, maybe you can just grab some boba and a pretzel and chill out with your friends.
Zoo: A zoo and garden with all kinds of strange, interesting creatures! You have your stock tigers, lizards, etc... as well as the odd addition from your home worlds. Trying to remember where you recognize these creatures will give you a headache though, so relax and enjoy your time here!
There is also a particularly troublesome goat here that will try to eat your things, or follow you home.
NOTABLE DENIZENS
Denizens vary from your stock humans to aliens and sentient animals. No one really seems to bat an eye at this — it's simply life in Danaca, where people from all walks of life have ended up. Here are some notable denizens that players are welcome to use at their convenience:
Mister Beaton: Beaton is one of FONY's attorneys, and one slip-up away from being arrested for embezzlement. He only works on full moons, but when he does, he often plants suspicious wads of cash on people, leaving them to be chased by FONY's security dogs in his stead.
Eliza Faulkner: The daughter of the CFO's newest wife, who hates everything and thinks the media is overrated. She dresses in sustainably sourced, hand stitched Amish clothing, and often threatens employees into getting her food or other items by using her step-father's position at the company. She will also spread malicious rumours to cause problems, such as claiming that someone had an affair and is now pregnant. :)
Nettle Tale: A power-mom animal consultant at FONY, who sometimes will dump her charges on unsuspecting bystanders whenever parenthood calls. Her usual pets are an extremely amorous anaconda, and a miniature pony that will cry unless held like a baby, but she's known for leaving all kinds of creatures in unprepared hands!
Chad Chadsef: No matter how famous or successful you might be, the head of FONY entertainment, CEO Chad Chadsef, is a very busy person! In fact, you can't ever seem to get an appointment or spot them, no matter how you may try.
OTHER
It's like you've been here forever, but... sometimes, you wonder if that's really the case. Maybe it's a slip-up at work where you forget your lines, or a sense of ill-placed deja vu, or a reflection in the mirror that doesn't match what it should. Characters may experience glimpses of their real lives, but they will be joined by an unsettled agitation and chill. The longer they dwell on it, the colder and more disorienting it gets, until they finally pass out with a fever.
Opt-out: For a few, this 'new' life doesn't seem to take root. Players that would rather opt-out of playing an AU will have their characters wake up in bed, still surrounded by their AU life. However, they won't recognize any of it. Whether it's a call from your mom, a job as a singer you've never had, or the very world around you, you'll realize that it's all a fabrication of the car.
These characters will feel a slight chill all the time, despite the weather. The more attention they draw to themselves, and the more they try to enlighten others of the car mechanics, the colder it gets, as though the chill is physically gripping down on them. NPCs will start to stare blankly at them, and a sense of dread will settle in their stomachs. It may be wiser to try and play along until you know what's going on.
OOC Notes
- AU Plotting: Players are encouraged to AU their CR! Everyone can already know each other, whether in passing or more, so feel free to user our plotting post to collaborate on AU details. Consider also filling out your FONY employee profile in the comments for other players to reference!
- Powers: Characters may keep their powers or not, player's choice. Keep in mind that they will not cognitively be aware of their abilities, and may not know how to use or control them. Think of a "Spider-man discovering his powers for the first time" scenario.
- Transformations: The Halloween curses will no longer be effect this log. Non-human characters can opt to transform into humans, but it isn't required.
- Backstories: For ease of AU purposes, players can make up whatever countries they like, etc. Characters do not need to be from Danaca originally, but everyone should live a reasonable commute from work.
- Items: Characters' inventories will be in a trunk at the foot of their bed, though they may not remember what they are. All characters are allowed one free item from home.
Go wild with it, but feel free to reach out with any questions on Discord!
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no subject
Yeah, we all took a train ride recently. Some of us seem to have forgotten.
[Nanu looks pointedly at Wheatley, he'll understand what he means by this. ] Persian used to have a taste for poultry. [ She is currently enjoying a bowl of whipped cream around the restaurant's back, as requested by Nanu. She'll know to prowl around and tend to herself until he's out because she's not allowed in this fine upper class eating establishment. Maybe it'd be different if she talked but Nanu digresses, gestures loosely to Jill. ]
And I honestly have no idea what went wrong in this one's head.
no subject
Oh sorry what are we talking about?]
Trains? You bet. [She beams at the both of them. Still holding this guy's neck flesh.] And don't worry about me. I've always been like this.
[Which explains nothing, but why should she bother? It's hardly relevant just yet. She's more interested in this back and forth between the boys, and what the waterworks are about.
Then the implications hit her.]
Ooooh! Oh I get it! [Her eyes have blown wide.] You're stuck like this, aren't you?
[At last the skin is relinquished as she pulls back to cackle. Loud and hard. Nanu's efforts on subtlety may be wasted.]
And here I thought you were just one ugly mecha-man! You poor little thing! Hey, does this mean you finally have a, you know. [She cups her chin and waggles her brows.] Figured out what to do with it yet? I can give you a tutorial if you need it. Hands on, lots of diagrams. You'll be an expert by the time I'm through.
[From far across the floor there is a waitress approaching, but she doesn't look happy about it.]
no subject
Ow--hey!
[He doesn't trust that he won't hurt himself by trying to pull away, which means Wheatley has to wait for Jill to decide when she's finished. When she lets go, he hits the back of the booth with a grunt, flashing Nanu a desperate glance that indicates he expects the other man to get things under control. The thought of being trapped in this body for any longer than absolutely necessary (and he finds all of this unnecessary) is almost unbearable. With Jill's needling and manhandling, it seems he's managed to channel at least some of his desire to cry into normal human anger, rising a little from his seat. You know, for dramatic effect.]
I'm not stuck, well, I am stuck, but I'm not--that's none of your business! You've got no idea how exhausting it's been, pretending to be one of you! All the--the maintenance, and the sweating, and the coffee, and-- [He totally has a dick, and he hates it!!! Wheatley gestures at the pancakes, as if that's supposed to explain the rest of his current plight.] We've just got to figure out the exit to this car, and get to the next one. That's all. Have we found anyone else who, you know, remembers?
[Despite present company, Wheatley has to admit that they'll probably have more luck as a team then if he continues to play along and see what happens by himself. Still, he can't say this is optimal, and there's an edge of panic to his voice.]
Is it just us!?
no subject
Might be, might not. Haven't found anyone else yet. [ He frowns. He really hopes these two aren't the only others who know... but that may very well be fact. The red-headed waitress a-hems. ]
That's a good bit kid, but save the rehearsal for the studio tomorrow. Sit. [ He says through some grit teeth, still trying subtlety even if it's in vain, looking between him and Jill. He starts ordering food without their permission; more pancakes, eggs, sausage, slams, shakes, even a steak on a whim. A lot of food. Whatever keeps either of their mouths busy not gabbing and sounding like two lunatics. He doesn't care because he's going to throw the bill back at FONY (definitely work related, he needs to be reimbursed) because none of it is real or matters anyway! After the order's put in he pulls out a flask from his coat pocket and dumps an indiscriminate amount of liquor in his coffee, seemingly uncaring who sees. ]
Those are pancakes, by the way. You'll feel better if you eat something. [ He hopes and prays to every Tapu Wheatley has not been subsisting on coffee alone since they've gotten here... (this would, however, explain a lot.) ] You put them in your mouth and chew.
no subject
When Nanu reprimands her she gives him a saucy wink.]
Oh don't be jealous. I know you saw me first, fair and square! I've still got the marks from the handcuffs to prove it.
[Said just in time for the waitress to catch. She takes their order, but eyes all three with extra disdain.
Those silent pleas for subtlety are heeded, at least until their server is gone. Jill watches her shuffle away with heavy-lidded eyes, sharp beneath the lashes. She closes her eyes a moment. There's something dragging at her hard, though it's abating now. Gloomy'd taken a hit of something. Or a drink. It's sloshing around her system somewhere. Jill's got a damn strong constitution, is capable of more fantastic feats than you'd expect from that slouching, stuttering mess named Toko, but hell. Even she's got limits.
She snatches her complimentary water and glugs it back in one go. There. Hydrating. That'll help.]
See, Weepley? [She gives him a pointed look.] It's easy. Just hork it back and don't choke. He's right about the chewing, though, at least for the food. If you don't mash that up before you swallow, you're gonna die in this hellhole.
no subject
[Hence, the crying. Nanu is more-or-less correct about the whole 'subsisting on coffee' thing--but not even because Wheatley likes it, or wants to! He'd assumed, given the general activities of Aperture scientists, that having coffee was just something one does in the office, and he's been forcing himself to drink the stuff in an attempt to not arouse suspicion. Food has not yet entered the equation.
Wheatley knows, academically, that he has to eat, but he also doesn't necessarily recognize the feeling of hunger, and has, perhaps, been thinking that if he puts it off as long as possible, they'll figure out the train car and they'll get out of here before he needs to do it. Over the course of the last few days, however, things have become worse, to the point where he can only attribute the strange cramping feelings and lethargy and irritability and brain fog and dizzy spells to an increasing lack of proper nutrients. He looks expectantly at Nanu and Jill, with the hope that they'll change the subject and he can continue to avoid eating, but even Wheatley can recognize when his delusions have reached their limits. He lets out a long-suffering sigh and takes a fork in his fist, letting his forehead drop into his waiting hand, elbow propped up on the table.]
I suppose there's no use in asking either of you to turn around, while this happens? Just going to gawk at me the whole time, for no reason? Is that how this goes? Because, honestly, this is going to be hard to do, if you're watching, but, fine. Okay.
[He's more-or-less talking to himself, at this point, sounding increasingly defeated. Wheatley halfheartedly stabs at the pancake with his fork, wrinkling his nose a little and frowning deeply--the smell is not unpleasant, but as someone recently granted a handful of new senses, it's clear he'd rather not be experiencing any of this at all. When he finally, after a few false starts, manages to shove the fork into his mouth, the reaction is immediate--Wheatley screws up his face and makes an mmphgh sound, some apparent combination of surprise and disgust.]
Oh, this is--
[He doesn't have the words for it. He's not even sure if it tastes bad because he has nothing else to compare it to except for coffee, but the combination of flavor and texture and general wet squishiness is perhaps too much for him to take in. Possibly he looks he's going to start crying again, and despite the fact that they are supposed to be playing it cool, he can't stop himself from shouting in disbelief through a mouthful of half-chewed pancake.]
You have to do this every day!?
no subject
The more you do it the more you'll like it, I promise.
[ Not really a promise. More a hope because he's not sure if he can take more than one evening of this. Trying to conceptualize whatever Wheatley is going through is too much caring for Nanu so he focuses his efforts on his own drink. ]
Probably setting you off on a bad precedent with sweet pancakes and other garbage food like this.
[ He remembers what it was like trying to get Acerola to eat vegetables after he'd already spoiled her with treats. Not a mistake he wanted to make again, but here they are. ]
no subject
But her brow furrows at the whining. There's a budding sharpness in between her eyes. What is it? Some kind of...hangover? Geez. If they didn't share a body she'd slap the crap out of Gloomy. What right does she have to hog all the buzz and leave Jill to deal with the crash?
What a bitch.
Her hand, claw-shaped and iron-gripped, comes down on Wheatley's shoulder before he can let another wail loose.]
If you hate it all that much, I can just cut out your tongue. You'll never have to taste anything again! [She gives that shoulder a gamely rattle with one hand and flips a steak knife out of a cutlery roll with the other. Awfully obtuse of the waitress to leave them with anything sharper than a spoon.] Just say the word! Any time. Any place.
[Translation: Nut up and shut up.
She releases the poor boy and drops her elbows on the table, hunching forward, still toying with the knife. Not threateningly! Just ponderously. Flipping it end over end in one hand as her eyes rove over the diner. No one she recognizes. Can't speak for Curly and Moe over here, but that's good enough for her.]
Seems like they'd have been better off dumping you in a landfill. What use is that spiffy human body if you remember not having it? It's not like you're fooling anyone.
[She sighs. Pats the blade against her cheek.]
And they should have done us both in. Last time someone messed with our head, Gloomy at least still remembered who she was. I mean, come on. Who's paying to see this on the big screen?
[She gestures to her chest (or rather, pronounced lack thereof) before rounding on Nanu.]
And you! A cop? Security? The only thing secure about you is your lot in the graveyard. This whole set up is a joke! A total waste of potential! It's insulting everyone else is buying it.
[Her shoulders hunch in, but it's no use. There's a dead of winter shiver taking hold of her, and no matter how hard she braces it shows. Her teeth even chatter, protruding tongue be damned.]
Fuck, that's so annoying...
no subject
[He gives a halfhearted little struggle, but the combination of his unfamiliarity with this body and Jill's conviction means he just kind of has to sit there and take it while she decides whether or not to maim him. It is, on some level, occurring to him that this is not the Toko he took on that cart ride, but without any real idea of what this could be, all he can really do is chalk it up to humans being weird. And murderous? Well, it wouldn't be the first time...
When she releases him, Wheatley hits the back of the booth with a dull thump, sniffing a little miserably. He lets her go on, trying to wipe the sting out of his eyes with his crumpled, snotty napkin before deciding that he should prove all of them wrong. He picks up the fork again and gives the pancakes the old college try.
Now that Wheatley has taken the plunge, he doesn't seem to be having quite as extreme a physical reaction to it anymore, though he can't help but look a little repulsed, the expression only deepening when the waitress starts to bring over their order. Still, this body seems to be deciding of its own accord that it needs more than Just Pancakes, and after a moment of consideration, he reaches across the table and grabs the least-scary, most-not-dead-animal thing within reach (it is the little side order of fruit salad).
Also, if Nanu thought this was going to shut him up, unfortunately Wheatley doesn't know how to breathe and do other things at the same time, so he is absolutely going to talk with his mouth full.]
I don't suppose you have a plan, then? Killing people is not a plan. Killing ourselves? Also not a plan. And, I don't know if either of you have--if you've tried to snap anyone out of it, but for some reason it makes me feel... [He seems to be lacking the vocabulary to describe it and covers up the pause by cramming some kind of bite-sized orange fruit-cube into his face (ABSOLUTELY with his hands). The noise of surprise he makes at the entirely new flavor-texture combination is almost enough to derail him, but he soldiers on.] ...uncomfortable. Cold, I think? Is what the feeling is, plus the train-people start acting a little, uh, hostile. When you bring it up. At first I thought, possibly, that this particular response was because I wasn't wearing any clothes, but I've figured that part out, as you can see, and it still. It still happens.
no subject
Nanu tries to slyly placate both situations the same time by ordering two additional hot cocoas for the kids, something to "reward" them for all the creative ideas they're coming up for on the latest script. You just heard all that crazy nonsense they just came up with? It's good stuff, right? Star material here. Good enough to get her to sigh and walk away, great, but he's not sure that's going to keep lasting. Once she's out of earshot Nanu hisses at both of them, ]
You both need to learn some subtly and play along until we figure out what's going on. We aren't killing ourselves because we have our careers [ He narrows his eyes at Jill. ] and our stomachs [ He slides some steak towards Wheatley, pushing the plate through all the half-mashed bits of fruit that fell out of his mouth across the table. ] to think about.
[ He feels prickles of cold muttering that much. He knocks back the rest of his spiked coffee and grits through it. Time to go over the facts in his head. He'd been chasing Mister Beaton's tail for embezzlement for what feels like years--fake years, he knows-- but he doesn't think that's necessarily out of the FONY picture here.] So... here's what I got. [ He lists off on his fingers, taking his time to phrase things in ways that are as subtle as possible.]
The animals at the zoo are... unique. And arrests I've made with people intoxicated on Sand talked about seeing people who don't exist. [Something something altered state of consciousness. Maybe that's got something to do with it the same way Jill and Toko seem to not be of the same mind. He's not sure how Wheatley figures into that, maybe just by virtue of not being human in the first place and being shoved in a human body now. As for him? He'd chalk that up to plain bad luck. ]
If this is an entertainment management company then that means everyone's got something to put towards the FAMA Awards Show that's coming up. Something FONY wouldn't want to go awry.
no subject
[Jill pulls back with an out and out cackle. She hasn't relinquished the knife yet, it's still threaded in her fingers as she holds her sides.]
No wonder they were pissed off! You haven't got the abs to get away with that, trust me!
[Callous body-shaming complete, she is overjoyed to see the hot chocolates being brought their way. She all but rips hers from the waitresses hands, uncaring about the woman's sour grapes. What should she care? It's not her fault she's stuck in this crummy dead end gig serving freaks like her.
Oh wait is the old guy talking again?]
Subtlety? [Her brows pop high and alarmed.] Career? Oh — you mean this whole show biz-business. Ugh.
[Jill rolls her eyes and takes a test sip of her drink. Still too hot to scarf back, even with her pronounced resistance to pain.]
Well. It's not like I never had to keep it low key before. I just thought my days of hiding in the shadows were over with, I was so relieved to finally roam free. Say what I want, do what I want, frolick footloose and fancy-free. Now I gotta go back to playing like I'm Miss Morose 24/7? And not even the real one at that.
[There's a frosty slap to the face for that one. Jill snarls and takes a sour sip of her cocoa, scalding temperatures be damned.]
Fine. I'll play along. But we better find the way out soon, or I might just slip back into old habits to cope...
[She'll let their imaginations run wild with that one. She feels like Grandpa Joe has enough clues to guess by now. If he doesn't, he's a real shit cop.]
no subject
I just think, given the circumstances, the two of you need to cut me some slack.
[The will not, and it's already been proven that his whining isn't really accomplishing anything. Loath as he is to admit it, Nanu is right. In lieu of any real solutions, they need to lay low and avoid drawing attention to themselves. He leans back in his seat a little and pouts, apparently giving all of this some thought. The zoo, the way people seem to remember their old lives when they're on that drug...it's all a little beyond him, but it does give him hope that there's a way out of this.]
Anyway, preferably sooner rather than later, so if either of you hear anything, or figure anything out, or see the door, or something, let me know. I can't--I can't live like this. [He says, shoving hash browns into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully and keeping an eye on Jill's knife.] Seriously, this is disgusting.