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

A Watery Wonderland

[Emil has never seen anything like this. The Dynasty Ruins was close, with all the water and fish, but to see the ocean above him like this, with fish all around him? It's incredible. For a moment, he forgets himself, forgets to be self-conscious, as a shark bigger than him swims above him. Emil laughs in surprise and runs after it to watch it.

...Then he bumps into someone, and reality crashes back. He shrinks into himself, smile disappearing.]

I-I'm sorry!

Operation: Free Willy

["Wanted: Rescue! Subject: An innocent Sea Wyvern has gotten captured by a dubious aquarium. Sneak inside and rescue it! PS - For the sake of appearing inconspicuous, the client requests that you pretend to be a family on a holiday."

...And that's the job Ratatosk took with you. He clicks his tongue as he reads the specifics, then regards you with his red eyes. Then, this apparent 16-years-old with a surprisingly deep voice states, completely seriously:]

I'll take the role of the father.

Wildcard

[Let me know if you've got another idea or write a different starter!]

((ooc: Emil and Ratatosk are two personalities in the same body! Emil is the shy and sweet green-eyed younger personality, while Ratatosk is the straight-forward and aggressive red-eyed older one. They can swap places and pop up in each others' threads or talk to each other in their head, too.))

Edited (i forgot the subject line orz) 2025-09-05 14:08 (UTC)

[ Fortunately Agnès is not a Prinny, so she doesn't explode on impact. She does let out a startle little squeak and get knocked down though, since she too was not paying attention. She'd been staring in amazement at the size of the giant shark that was swimming past, and failed to notice the boy running after it. There's a small clatter as her pouch falls with her, sending a few round devices skittering across the floor. More surprised than hurt, she at first was going to rush and grab her fallen belongings, but she looked to Emil first, who seemed...scared? ]

It's all right, I wasn't looking where I was going either. I think I was on the wrong side of the hallway as well, so it's really my fault that you ran into me, My apologies.

[ She explained, sheepishly as she started to her feet, dusting herself off. ]

[ ooc as hilarious as the other prompt would have been, I picked this one if it's okay! :) ]

[Oh no, he knocked over a girl and even made her drop her things! Emil frets and fidgets with his hands, unable to decide whether to try and help her up or not.]

N-no, I'm the one who should be sorry... I shouldn't have been rushing so much. Are you okay? I-I can pick those up for you...

[And he reaches for the Geneses...]

((ooc: omg Agnès! One of my favorite characters from that game! I've only finished up to the intermission in Daybreak 2 so far though :D ))

Oh! Please don't trouble yourself - [ Except Emil was already gathering up the Geneses, to which she gave him a grateful bow. If she had lost those, she didn't know what she would do. ]

Thank you. You were chasing after that shark, right? [ She glanced around, though she was a little disappointed to see it was already long gone. Hrmmm. It couldn't be THAT far away right? ]

I can help you look for it again- regardless of fault, I did cause a bit of a delay.

[ Had he not insisted on gathering up the Geneses, he might have been able to catch up to the shark still. ]

[ ooc: OMG i didn't expect to be recognized :D She's one of my favorites too! (obvs). Daybreak 2 gets WILD after the intermission and I'm slowly dying for the sequel @.@ ]

It's no problem. [He hands the Geneses to her. He doesn't know what these strange-looking things are, but it doesn't really matter. They're hers, after all.]

Ah, um... [Emil blushes at the reminder what he was seen doing.] I-it's not that important. It was just... cool, to see it swimming above me... But, there's plenty of other fish to see... [Even if that big shark was such an incredible sight...]

O-oh, um, m-my name is Emil, by the way. Nice to meet you. [He bows slightly. It's polite to introduce yourself at a time like this, right? And she seems like a really polite, kind person, so it's only right to be polite back.]

((ooc: looking forward to seeing how wild it gets! I should try and finish it before the sequel comes out in english ^^; ))

[ She accepts the Geneses with a look of relief, carefully slipping them into her pouch and zipping it closed. ]

You're right, it really was fascinating! I've never seen one so close -- well, actually, one of my friends caught a shark ones when he went fishing, but other than that.. [ Aheh. Oh! Yes! Introductions. She clasped her hands and bowed politely gain. ]

It's a pleasure Emil, my name is Agnès Claudel.

[ ooc: You have time! The sequel got delayed (sob) until January because devs wanted everything to come out on all the consoles at once :p ]

He caught a shark? Th-that's amazing! I'm not really good at fishing... Well, I did once manage to fish up an Archelon - um, that's a kind of turtle monster that's bigger than a person - but I think that was beginners' luck... I haven't really caught anything like that since then.

[Oh, surnames, right!] E-Emil Castagnier. It's nice to meet you, Agnès. [...He said that already... Emil slumps slightly. Okay, let's say something else and move on from that! Emil straightens his back.] U-um, so... what were those circular things you were carrying in your purse, anyway...? [There, that's a simple subject to talk about!]

((ooc: Sucks for everyone else but I guess that's good news for me specifically :p Too many games to play... ^^;))

Bigger than a person? Goodness - is something like that here in this Oceanarium do you think?

[ Probably not, but she would have liked to see it. She still smiled a little at his awkwardness, figuring he was just shy. ]

Oh? They're - [ Hrm. How to explain orbments - no, better to keep it simple. ] precious heirlooms that I inherited from my great grandfather. They're pretty old, but I never leave home without them.

[ ooc: lol, true. I'm trying to get through as much as my backlog as possible because it will ALL get ignored once Trails Beyond the Horizon comes out :D ]

I haven't seen any so far, but I guess it's possible. It'd be nice to see one. And maybe some jellyfish... [...That must seem like a non-sequitor, huh?] U-um, my friends and I once went fishing for jellyfish, too. I've never really seen jellyfish outside of that, so I thought it'd be nice to see how they swim...

Oh, I see. He must be very important to you, then. [A great grandfather... Huh. For a moment, Emil wonders about his own grandparents. They must've existed, right? Yeah, they must've. Everyone has grandparents, after all.] Those heirlooms looked really well-preserved. You must take good care of them.

[ She nodded cheerfully. ]

I do think there are jelly fish at least -- they have such a strange name, though. Do you want to see if there are any? [ They both can explore and see if there are any aquatic creatures - and they might see his shark along the way. ]

[ She nodded with a faint smile. ]

I've never met him, actually, but .. I admire him, and they're one of the few things I have that connects me to him, my mother and grandmother. They were missing for a long time, but now that I have them in my possession again, I intend to continue to take care of them.

Yeah, it is a strange name. I guess it's because they're... gel-like? [There's an actual word for that, isn't there? Tenebrae would probably interrupt to tell him what it is if he was here... When Agnès invites him, Emil blushes slightly, a bit self-conscious about going with a girl. If Marta was here, she'd probably interrupt and get mad at Emil, but it's just watching fish, right? It's not like there's anything romantic going on... But anyway, he smiles brightly at Agnès.] S-sure, I'd love to! Are there any fish you'd like to see?

Oh, I see... So they're not just heirlooms from him, but from your mother and grandmother. I... don't really have anything left from my parents, so I think that's... lovely, to have that. Um, my friend Marta has these flower hairpins, [He gestures at each side of his head to show the shape of large, round decorations,] that she got from her mother, and I thought it was nice to have something that connects you to people who... [...Is he rambling? Is this relevant? Is he just annoying her? Emil blushes and lowers his hands, looking down.] Um, well... yeah.

[ She nodded. ]

I think that's correct, yes. [ Gel like, Jelly. Works! At the question, she shook her head a little. ]

I thought I'd just have a look at as much as I can in the exhibit. I've never been in an Aquatic Museum --er, Oceanarium like this before. Have you?

[ Though to be fair, the Oceanarium was pretty unique in itself. She internally wince a little hearing that he didn't have anything from his parents, but even lacking that, talking about his friend might have been the most she's heard from him in...ever? She was a little saddened when he cut himself short. ]

She must be a good friend of yours, this Marta. You're right, though, having something to connect to my family...it's nostalgic, in a way, even though I never met my great grandfather. A lot of people knew him, though, so I can learn more about him by talking with him too. [ .. did it seem like she was bragging, knowing he didn't have anything to connect to his family? ]

Erm.. How long have you known Marta? What's she like? [ She motioned a hand for Emil to walk along with her as they chatted, hoping to get him to feel more at ease and less nervous. ]

Edited (fixed that html!) 2025-09-06 23:44 (UTC)

No, I've never seen anything like this before. It's really breathtaking. I'd like to see as much as I can, too.

Yeah, Marta is, um... my closest friend, I guess. [Emil just smiles as Agnès talks about her connection with her great grandfather, not bothered in the slightest.] Your great grandfather must've been a popular person. It's great that you can find out so much about him. Even if you've never met him, maybe it feels like you've met him? Though... I-I guess everyone's got their own point of view about people that might be different from how other people see them... [You never know what somebody's actually like unless you meet them, Emil thinks based on his experience, but that's not something he wants to say out loud when they're talking about a dead person...]

Oh, Marta? Um, it's been a few months now since we met... [Technically, it's been almost a year, but their first meeting was so brief Emil doesn't remember it, so he figures this is closer to the truth. He follows Agnès' lead, walking by her side.] Marta is... a strong person. Strong-willed, determined to do what she can, and always positive. She always sees good things about me, even when I don't see them. Though, um... sometimes she's a bit much. [He gives a small laugh. It's clear he likes her a lot, and he does look a bit more at ease while talking about her.]

[ She nodded with a relieved smile. ]

Yes, actually I also inherited his journal, so I like to read and re-read it now and then. It doesn't have anything terribly invasive thankfully, but it does give me an idea of his thought process and how he felt about his family and disciples, and he wrote a lot of his notes and formulas down - ahah, but I can't really make heads or tales of any of those.

[ She's actually really glad that the journal wasn't very private, or she'd feel awkward about reading her great grandfather's most personal of thoughts. ]

Aww, she sounds sweet. You two must have really hit it off. [ While she gave Emil the majority of her attention, she did scan their surroundings, looking for either the elusive shark or some interesting aquatic creatures, like those jellyfish. ]

A bit much? How do you mean?

Oh, that's great! I bet that gives a good idea of what he was like. So he was... a scientist? Or a mathematician?

I kind of wonder if my journal will be passed down and read like that... That's a bit embarrassing to think about, but I guess it'd be nice if it was read by my grandkids or something... [Though, that'd require Emil to have kids... He blushes at the thought.]

Yeah, I... I'm glad I met her. She encourages me a lot... I'm trying my best to help her, too. [He almost forgot about looking around while talking, but now that he notices her looking around, he does the same. He spots a sunfish. Delighted, he points at it.] Oh! That's a strange-looking fish. I wonder what it's called. Is there a plaque somewhere...?

Oh, she's, um... [How should he say this... Emil scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed.] She's... really open and honest about her feelings. It's, um, I do admire that about her, but I wasn't sure what to do at first... I'd never met anyone who'd just openly say things like "I love you" to someone...

[ Agnès nodded enthusiastically. ]

Yes, exactly! He was an inventor, a true genius for his time, and many of his inventions helped the world progress technologically.

Hm? [ Oooh, new fish! She trotted after Emil curiously, glancing around fora plaque. ]

Ummmm... Oh! Over there - [ SHe pointed to a plaque a few steps away. ]

Let's see... it's called.. a sunfish? ... That's not at all what I would expect it to be called! [ Hold on, what ]

Erm... did you say she said 'I love you'? But I thought you only knew her a few months? [ That's gutsy! She's a little jealous that she could be so up front! ]

Wow, really? That's amazing! What kinds of things did he make?

A sunfish... I wonder why it's called that. Maybe it's a light-elemental? [He mutters to himself.] Either way, i-it's kind of fun just looking at it. I don't know how it manages to be so funny-looking, but still kind of... majestic. [Emil gazes at it with a little smile on his lips.]

Yeah, um... she's been saying things like that since... basically the day we met? [Ah, maybe that's weird? Emil feels the need to defend Marta.] B-but I guess we technically met before that! When I met her, she recognized me and said I saved her before, but I, um, kind of don't remember that at all... S-so anyway, it's not that strange! [~~Emil, that doesn't make anything less strange...~~]

Emil Castagnier/Ratatosk | Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Watery Wonderland

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Watery Wonderland

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