fourside | [3.8★] "Too much water"

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[3.8★] "Too much water" — Yelp Reviewer

THE OCEANARIUM
It's like a fish tank, but bigger.

The sea is a vast expanse of water that covers 70% of our planet Earth. It is also home to various marine life that dwell within the very depths. Then one day, someone decided to bring the ocean to the surface for Reasons. So now everyone gets the chance to see all sorts of seafaring creatures — man-eating sharks, living fossils, and whatever horrors found deep in the ocean trenches all safely confined inside these oversized aquariums.

Somehow, your character got their hands on some tickets. So why not dive right in and spend some of that free time to hang out with the fishes? Learn something about the ocean, pet a cute penguin, or even plot to free a killer whale. It'll be an experience they won't forget.

➤ What is this?

This is just an open RP post with a sandbox-like setting. While there's some scenarios premade for your roleplaying needs, you can mess around with it as much or as little as you want. Feel free to use it for voicetesting, create cross-canon shenanigans, or develop a ship even further. You can carry the story over to your musebox if you'd like too. And you can re-use this post as many times as you'd like (until it hits the comment limit.) So bring your blorbos, your originals, your AUs, your friends and your friends' friends along for the fun!

➤ How to play:

Comment with your character's name and series in the subject.
Follow it up with a starter, and state your preferences too.
Label any warnings when necessary.
Reply to other characters!
Most importantly, just don't worry and have fun!

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Upon arrival, the attendant greets you as she collects your ticket. She hands over a brochure of the park containing a map, and descriptions of each featured exhibit that you can access. Afterwards she explains some guidelines for you to follow while within the park premises:

No smoking.
Don't leave your children unattended.
Don't tap or slam against the glass.
Please keep your valuables with you.
Don't bring food or drinks inside any of the exhibit rooms.
Use of flash photography is strictly prohibited.
Ignore the noises coming from the backrooms.
Keep a safe distance from the pools, otherwise you will get wet.

Once she's done, she slaps a wristband over your arm and gestures to make your way into the main lobby where all of the other visitors are gathered. From here you may begin exploring around the facility on your own, with your partner, or tag along with a tour guide as they show you the way. There's a lot of places to be, and plenty of fish to see!

Scenarios
A Watery Wonderland ✦ Close Encounters of the Penguin Kind ✦ Operation: Free Willy ✦ Submerged in Shadow ✦ Deep Fear ✦ Relaxed, Refreshed & Resurfaced ✦ Wildcard!

❖ A Watery Wonderland

➤ Location: Sea-Through Tunnel

The Sea-Through Tunnel is the main attraction of the Oceanarium, and the highlight in most advertisements you find about this place. And you now understand why after seeing it up-close.

It is a long glass tunnel that passes through the large indoor aquarium, giving you a glimpse of the wonders of the sea. And like an aquarium, the exhibit presents a near-perfect replication of the seabed and the various kinds of marine life found exclusively under the sea. Though it comes with a few bits and bobs you expect from any fish tank like a shipwrecked galleon or a treasure chest. If you peruse through the brochure, you take note of the description of the tunnel as follows:

...The Oceanarium™ has even transplanted seaweed, anemones, giant clams and all from the Pacific and Atlantic depths to really nail in the accuracy of their natural habitat. It's the best place to find sharks, stingrays and other fascinating seafaring creatures from behind the glass without having to dive deep into the ocean itself. So you don't have to worry about that pesky thalassophobia kicking in!

Apparently this exhibit is also popular among families and young couples according to the guide that you overheard. They explained how with the vivid blue water, the colorful coral covering the surface, and an assortment of marine life swimming by, certainly all of these make for a perfect backdrop for any special occasion.

"First meetings, reunions, confessions, wedding proposals, you name it!" the tour guide enthused, "What could be more memorable than having a heartfelt moment or two take place underwater and being surrounded by thousands of fish?"

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❖ Close Encounters of the Penguin Kind

➤ Location: The Cold Spot

Another popular attraction in the Oceanarium is The Cold Spot, showcasing images and dioramas of wildlife that survive within polar habitats. And to really add to the experience, the temperature in the room is a bit lower than usual. So as the name implies, it does get a little chilly inside.

Though what draws people the most is the large penguin enclosure within the exhibit. It's where guests get to see these dapper-looking birds clumsily waddle around on the snow-covered surface or diving gracefully into the waters of the indoor pool. Many of them are seen idling by either at their nests, the fake rocks, or at the edge of the pool with little concern of their spectators standing behind the glass barrier with fascination and glee.

If you're hoping to get a close look of these birds, then lucky for you! For a phenomenally nominal fee, you can feed and pet them at your leisure within the exhibit.* Watch as these little guys will start swarming around you to observe and hope to get some fish out of your hands.

Then you notice some smaller text at the bottom of the Cold Spot's description.

* – The Oceanarium™ will not be held responsible for the animals' behavior, and any injuries or losses gained from them will not be compensated for as per agreement in the terms and conditions written in your waiver. Please take caution when interacting with these animals.

Other than that, if you're not up to paying for meeting penguins, there are a couple of penguin statues and a photo stand-in of a penguin with its face cut-out so you can pretend to be one just for laughs.

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❖ Operation: Free Willy

➤ Location: Aquatheater

Built for family-friendly entertainment, this area is an enriching experience for both you and our finned friends in captivity. The Aquatheater is made to hold more than a hundred guests to view over the stage – a large oval pool where our handlers hold the highly-anticipated marine show featuring our highly trained cetaceans and pinnipeds performing the most captivating acts of acrobatics in and over water.

But as it turns out, there was more to it than meets the eye.

Maybe it's something you caught word of before entering the facility, but you heard rumors that there were plans from the staff behind the scenes about getting rid of one of their poorest performers in the bunch. The Oceanarium has a bit of a seedy reputation regarding the welfare of these seafaring mammals, and have even called into question how they handled them in captivity. You don't know what they'll do to that poor creature, and wouldn't want to think the worst of it to happen. Frankly it's not your business to pry, yet you feel you have to do something if any of that is true.

Now driven to save the creature, you and your partner sneak into the backrooms and make an attempt to set it free.

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❖ Submerged in Shadow

➤ Location: The Abyssal Zone

You figured there's a good reason why this exhibit is called The Abyssal Zone, as it is almost pitch black inside upon entering. This makes it impossible to read the brochure in such darkness. And the only sources of light that you could find are the tiny LED lights embedded on the floor to illuminate your path, and the soft eerie blue glow coming from the fish tanks.

Apparently all of the specimens featured here are mostly found within the deepest trenches of the ocean and are highly sensitive to bright lights. That would explain why the attendant from earlier discouraged you to use flash photography. The tour guide mentions how a handful of them are species that have been around since the prehistoric era. They even proudly boast that the Oceanarium seems to be the only marine park that has the rare "Deep Sea Pucker-Faced Lanternfish" in captivity, thought to have been extinct during the Paleocene era. Seeing how these species of fish managed to survive for over millions of years makes you wonder what else could be lurking beneath the depths.

You then take notice of a few fish that seem to be glowing by themselves. One of them at a distance looked rather... humanoid in shape based on the silhouette. Though maybe you're just seeing things.

"...Oh and did you know?" you hear the guide continue, "Some of these fishes are able to produce their own light naturally – mostly to lure in their prey."

Somehow, you're getting the sense that you're being watched by whatever it is behind the glass.

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❖ Deep Fear

➤ Location: Basement-Level Research Laboratory

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️
 
Slight body horror.

Something's wrong.

Your body swiftly jumps and aches as your nerves begin to connect to your sudden awareness. It's like you are weighted down with lead for muscles, your limbs are uncooperative at every attempt. Not only that, but there's an odd sensation coming from your hands and feet like they felt stuck together. And for some reason, it's become a chore to breathe through your throat as you rasp loudly. And as you awake, bright lights glare before your eyes and you immediately shield them away with your hand. And that's the first oddity you've discovered – the skin between your digits are stitched together, webbed like fins of a fish. The second is finding yourself atop an operating table.

A sharp chill takes over you completely.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary before you got here. But whatever reason you have for visiting the Oceanarium, someone had their sights on you and knocked you unconscious when no one's watching. And now you've found yourself in a strange yet horrifying predicament. Everything about you has changed, and you dread how your life will be like from this point onwards. It's become certain that you've regretted ever coming to the park in the first place.

There's no time to think about this any further. There's only one goal in mind right now – You have to get out of here. And you can only hope and pray the people running this place don't catch you if you're spotted.

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❖ Relaxed, Refreshed & Resurfaced

➤ Location: Gift Shop & Café

Had enough excitement for today? It sure seems like it.

Well, your time here in the Oceanarium is finally over. Maybe you got to learn a thing or two about the sea, that you found some appreciation towards our fishy friends. Or maybe you've just decided for yourself that you're going to stay far away from the ocean permanently. Either one of these is a valid response really. Just don't let the staff know about the latter part.

But before you leave, the tour guide encourages everyone to stop by at the gift shop and bring home a souvenir or two for you and your friends. There's Oceanarium-themed keychains, fridge magnets, bottle openers, t-shirts, baseball caps, and even plush toys of critters such as penguins, dolphins, octopi, a legally distinct clownfish, or the pucker-faced lanternfish that you can have as a new companion on your way back out.

Alternatively you can sit back, relax, and grab some bubble tea or try out some fish and chips at the indoor café. Of course there's more options you can choose from in the menu, with some food items specially catered towards those who are either vegan, vegetarian, have specific allergies, or just a really picky eater.

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❖ Wildcard!

➤ Location: Anywhere

If you're not feeling any of these prompts, or have some other ideas in mind, then go wild!

You can mix and match scenarios or come up with your own. Swap roles where you play the villain and your partner would be the hero or the other way around. You can even expand the setting with new locations, or AU it up and rebuild it into your own version of the setting if you'd like. There's no limits to what your imagination can create. It's free real estate here, and the world is your oyster! (No pun intended.)

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Relaxed, Refreshed & Resurfaced

[After a relatively uneventful day at the Aquarium (killer penguins, killer whale smugglers, a sudden barrage of non-killer ninjas, and so on) Nagiri finds himself at the gift shop. Surrounded by cheap trinkets, he comes to the sudden realization that he forgot entirely what he came here for in the first place. The reason? Same as any hungry vampire that comes to an area filled with humans. That dark deep-sea room would've been the perfect place to strike unnoticed, but he had to get distracted, accidentally saving a kid that was being lured into the depths by a fish...

Come to think of it, he did get a gift card for the gift shop, didn't he? Not like they'd have anything worthwhile, though...

As he thinks that, his eyes widen as they lock on to a row of pufferfish plushies. He gasps in surprise, taken aback.]

Wha... So round!!

Deep Fear

[...If you're headed to the back rooms for any reasons (smuggling a sea creature out? heard someone got kidnapped and taken into the back?) you might hear something... creepy. Echoing along the hallways of the back rooms of the aquarium are thunks of something sharp stabbing into the floor, then scraping and slithering and something heavy being dragged along the floor...

Thck, scrtch, shfffhh... Thck, scrtch, shfffhh...

There's a faint smell of blood in the air. Something out there is furious.]

Wildcard

[Feel free to PM me or give a different starter if you've got something in mind!]

((ooc: Tsujigiri Nagiri, in his late twenties, formerly one of the most feared and dangerous vampires of the world, now a homeless weakened vampire who's focused on survival. A slasher villain who's stuck in a comedy. Grumpy, snappish, annoyed with tomfoolery, karma's favorite chewtoy, keeps ending up in situations where he has to play nice to avoid his identity being revealed... Feel free to put him in a Situation. He may threaten to attack your character, but due to circumstances he won't succeed even if he tries (unless you'd like him to? let me know!)))

[ cats like fish. A cat wandering around an aquarium where creatures are meant to be kept behind glass would be promptly caught and carried out. These two assumptions should be true, normally—unless the "cat" in question isn't a cat at all.

Weaving through the crowds, he doesn't give the marine life in the surrounding tanks so much as a single glance. Similarly, the excited children, weary parents, oblivious couples, and watchful staff don't look at him either. No one notices when he slips through a door with a very obvious AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY sign, following the scent of blood that might as well be a bright red trail to his senses—and hunger. It's different from the dull odor of the thawed, long-dead fish used for feeding the aquarium's carnivores. It's fresh.

Once inside the back rooms, he pauses, eyes dilating and ears pricking. The stabbing and dragging sounds are promising. Leisurely, he pads towards their source. ]

[The sounds pause for a moment as the cat approaches. The creature behind the sounds senses something... something that makes his survival instincts scream.

What you see when you turn the corner is a cornered beast ready to strike. A gangly, lean shark merman vampire, with sharp blades of blood sticking out of his palms, wearing nothing. Two more blades stab out of his head to form horns, as the vampire grits his larger-than-normal teeth into a forced grin, rearing up to look bigger than he is, one hand stabbing into the wall for support. He looks confused for a moment, seeing a cat instead of whatever he expected, but gathers his bearings quickly.]

A cat...? [His voice is raspy and wheezing, a creature that can't get air in his lungs but doesn't need to breathe.] Get out of my way... I've got no time to waste on you...

[ the cat stops at the sight before him. He tilts his head, his golden eyes glimmering in the dimly lit hallway. Rather than the expected corpse—newly made or in the making—befitting the oppressive atmosphere, this creature is here. Neither human nor animal, yet also not a demon—or is it? He'll have to get closer and really look to know for certain.

But those large teeth and protrusions made of blood are enough to make him keep his distance. His current body is one of the prettiest he's ever inhabited, having once belonged to a cherished pet that died in its sleep without experiencing any injury or trauma in its short life. It'd sure be a shame if it ended up being torn to shreds by this thing.

The way it pulls itself along with its arms while struggling to talk is nostalgic. He smiles, then moves off to the side, technically getting out of the way as demanded. When he opens his mouth to speak, the voice of a young boy emerges, bright and curious. ]

Where're ya going?

[-The cat talks?! Ugh, and with a little kid's voice, creepy. The beast - or Nagiri, who hopes he can still be called that - grimaces, glaring at it with disgust.

At least it made way... But whatever that presence is, even if it looks like just a cat, Nagiri doesn't want to turn his back to it, or crawl next to it. It gives him goosebumps. Bracing his back against the wall opposite of the cat, Nagiri drags himself along the wall with his blades awkwardly. The damn fin on his back makes itself known by getting in the way, and his tail flops awkwardly, being no help at all in keeping him upright... But he keeps his head up with dignity, glaring down. (Even if he's shirking away from a damn cat, refusing to take his eyes off it...)]

Away. [Is all he wheezes at the cat in response. "Fuck off" remains unsaid for now, only because talking is difficult, but his tone clearly implies it.

(He does have the complexion and body heat of a corpse, but he's alive, in some sense of the word. But right now, he might just smell more like fish than death.)]

Out?

[ the open hostility in the creature's reply doesn't diminish the cheerfulness in his at all. Sticking to the opposite wall, he easily keeps pace with its crawling, tail held high and swishing gently as if he's strolling down a sunlit forest path instead of this darkened, dismal hallway. Throughout his existence, so many people have regarded him with contempt and suspicion that he's long since learned to take it in stride. So that glare doesn't bother him one bit. He simply returns it with his own steady, watchful gaze. ]

You're gonna scare a lot of people looking like that.

[ just a glimpse of a shark's fin can be enough to send humans into a panic. Or so he's heard. If whatever this being is actually makes it out, a vision from a nightmare spilling out into those crowds he passed through earlier... well, it should be interesting to watch.

Maybe he'll even get a meal out of it. ]

[...Nagiri stops, eyes widening. Shit. That's right, why didn't he realize it before? People would see him outside, and with this body, he wouldn't be able to run away fast enough. They'd call a Hunter, and Nagiri would be brought back here into the backrooms where they'd keep him better restrained, or he'd be taken down to the Vampire Research Center, where they'd discover who he was and their scientists would cut him into pieces, unless he was lucky enough that his fated executioner would find him first, killing him instantly...

Nagiri draws one blood blade back into his body and punches the wall, letting out something that sounds vaguely like a breathless swear. Why is dying instantly the best-case scenario here?! Is that the only way out?! No, there has to be a way to survive!

If he was at the height of his power, this would be no problem at all... Even without legs, his invulnerability and power would let him slaughter his way through this whole damn aquarium. Scientists, Hunters, by-standers, even this cat! And he wouldn't feel a thing! But now... he's this pathetic...?

No, he's still Tsujigiri Nagiri! Even weakened, even if he's a fish, he's the most feared vampire in the world, right?! All he needs is blood! Just enough that he can cut through all the walls in his way and escape into the sewers or something...

...He glances at the cat, considering. Weighing the amount of blood against the effort it'd take, including that spine-crawling feeling he gets... No, he doesn't know what the cat can do. A small body like that barely has enough blood to make it worth it.

Nagiri slides down to sit on his tail, running the bladeless hand over his forehead with a groan that sounds more like choking.]

Shit... If I just had more blood... [He mutters to himself.]

[ having stopped when the beast stopped, the cat sits and observes its distress with mild amusement. Did it really not consider what would happen if it managed to reach a door leading to the rest of the aquarium? Or was it that desperate to escape that it could think of nothing else? Poor thing. The sense of nostalgia returns. Blood, wet earth... the only scent missing now from back then is that of a pleasant, uncaring rain.

Well, maybe the two instances aren't comparable. None of that girl's glances ever made his hackles raise like this one, even if it's just by a little. Then again, this is a predator by all appearances, however sorry it looks right now. Should he really be surprised?

His fur settles again when it sinks to the floor and groans. Ah, poor thing. There's really no reason for him to worry. Plus, the way it's acting all but confirms to him that it isn't a demon. No matter how much fondness it may hold for a certain form, no demon would allow itself to become trapped like this—himself included. To escape from anything, a demon merely has to discard their previous body and become incorporeal again, as uncaged as air or light or shadows. Nothing further is needed. Certainly not blood.

He cocks his head, considering. After all, he's still hungry. While this isn't a human, he might be able to use it like it is. ]

How much blood d'you need?

[...The cat's question has Nagiri raise his hand off his face to raise an eyebrow.]

...What's that question for...?

[Was the cat going to offer to get him blood? Sounds dubious... But if there was any chance of it actually happening, then... He grins.]

If I slashed all the scientists in this aquarium, that'd be enough blood for sure... Kihihi... [He lets out a breathless laugh, imagining it. Those bastards would get what they deserved, and he'd have all the blood he wanted... And after a bloodbath like that, nobody would ever forget the name Tsujigiri Nagiri.]

[ all the scientists? It sounds like a lot. A massacre. A feast. Yet not knowing how many there are and—more importantly—where they are, exactly, make it a pain too.

The cat looks at the creature doubtfully. While he's no stranger to singing for his supper, to borrow a human saying, that usually results in a proper agreement and the subsequent birth of a witch with magic of their own that make getting his next bite much, much easier. But in this situation, when he has to rely on something that can't even move around without struggling... ]

Will you really be able to catch so many, the way you are? How 'bout just one or two of 'em?

[Nagiri raises an eyebrow, mildly confused at the question.]

One or two...? If I can catch one or two, why wouldn't I get the rest of them while I'm at it...

[After all, the more blood he has, the easier it gets to hunt down others. His senses will sharpen, and he'll be able to find them easily, too. It's so obvious to him he doesn't see the point in saying that out loud.

Suddenly, a thought occurs to him.]

Hold on, are you doubting me...? [He leans closer with a glare, teeth exposed.] You think I can't slash even one scientist, just because I don't have legs... Is that how pathetic I look to you, cat?

[Talking this much without air in his lungs sure is a pain in the neck, and wheezing isn't making him look any less pathetic...]

[ he stares up without flinching or expression. The faint briny odor of dead fish is stronger now, as is the smell of earth. Both just emphasize how out of place this thing is here. Maybe in the ocean or wherever it came from, it's a fearsome hunter that has no trouble killing as it pleases. But that's definitely not the case now. ]

Nope. I think you can handle one, or two. But a whole group's a different problem.

[ his voice is flat, all traces of his earlier chirpiness gone. ]

Say they come walkin' around that corner right now. [ with a sharp swish of his tail, he indicates the end of the hallway. ] When you don't talk, you look scary enough that they'll probably run away to get more people to drag you back into your prison. Then it's probably over for you, right? So you can't let a single one escape.

Can you do that, without legs?

Grrh...

[That's... a good point! And Nagiri hates that a cat's making that much sense!]

Don't underestimate me, cat... If push comes to shove, I'll summon all I've got and launch myself at them. Just one slash and then... They can run away and bring more for all I care... I'll be ready...

[He can create blood blades anywhere he wants, including his tail, which should get him enough purchase against the ground to launch himself properly. He just hasn't done it because it's a waste of energy to create more blood blades than he needs, alright? And he's got no need to tell the cat everything about his abilities, either!]

Tsujigiri Nagiri | The Vampire Dies In No Time

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