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[3.8★] "Too much water" — Yelp Reviewer
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.
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!
- 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!
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!
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:
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?"
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.
Then you notice some smaller text at the bottom of the Cold Spot's description.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Do you have a favorite? Although I suppose that isn't really a fair question - there are a lot of different kinds of aquatic animals, and each one has its appeal in a way. [ She paused as an octopus swam by, and the 'except that one' was practically written on her face as she watched it pass. Ugh - there was something just so...creepy about those. ]
I think researchers are pretty lucky, being able to learn about the world by studying places that they love, like this. [ Well not THIS museum, but ocean environments, particularly. ]
[ ooc; As long as it's pretty I'm happy, though I do tend to learn towards the 'cute skirts/v-necks/freedom of movement' side of customization. That's interesting! I'm not a fan of dress up games, but I do like customizing my characters in regular games. I usually use base attire too, unless they have better color swaps/costumes, like trails tends to. There was one character I hated so much I was more than happy to put a mask over their face so they would look stupid/I wouldn't have to look at them. I am fully aware it was petty, but it made me laugh and it hurts no one :D There were two characters in Cold Steel that got this treatment, and only one of them improved and grew as a character enough to not get the 'shut your ugly useless face' reaction. ]
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[Researchers... Something about that words causes a sting of anger to go through him, and his expression darkens.]
Researchers are just sticking their heads in places they shouldn't. Some things aren't meant for humans to know.
[[ ooc: When it comes to customization, I've got no real preferences other than "if it looks good/suits the character, it's good". I'm not usually a fan of pure dress-up games either, but Style Savvy mixing it with shopkeeper simulator gameplay keeps it interesting! Having to build a nice-looking outfit out of the stock I've got while sticking to the customer's request and budget... It's a fun game, I swear XD
Being petty at video game characters is fun! I can't say I've ever had a character I did that to, in a game where I could put masks on characters, at least XD But I do remember hating a character in a farming sim so much I always gave him his least favorite thing for his birthday. So I totally get it! ]]
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[ THAT BEING SAID . . .she understood where he might be coming from. She had friends that suffered because of 'experimentation' as well - but they didn't blame all researchers and scientists for it. ]
I do think it's unnecessary [ And even cruel.. ] in certain cases, though.
[ Like human and animal testing. If you want to make a discovery so bad, use yourself instead, jerks! But there were also advancements that were made - particularly in technology - that had a lot of positive influence in the world. ]
[ OOC: LOL! I'll have to take your word for it! But also lol on giving the least liked gift to someone - I've definitely done that before in farming games. Semi related, I accidentally gifted a hated gift to a character in a game I recently FINALLY finished (100 line) and her reaction was *priceless*. I didn't hate that character though, I just found her kind of annoying. I think I only liked.. 2-3 characters in that game, everyone else I hated but I wouldn't even waste resources on giving them something they didn't like during bonding moments, I just avoided them :D ]
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[She's making good points. However, Ratatosk isn't swayed.]
Technological advancements may be good, but they always go too far eventually. Somebody decides to do something just to see if they can, messing with things that aren't meant for humans, and wipes out everything. I don't know what technology is like in your world, but in mine, they only recently stopped using the souls of dead humans to power machines. And of course, the rich people who got used to comfortable lives using those are complaining that their machines are taken away... That's what technological advancement always leads to. Destruction, rebuilding, going too far, destruction again... And it's all in service of the greed in people.
[Ratatosk doesn't know exactly why he feels so strongly about this, but he's certain that what he says is true.]
[[ ooc: I don't know much about 100 line but somebody I follow on tumblr has been liveblogging it! I haven't been following along tbh since it seems like such a long game but it doesn't seem like they're too fond of many characters either. More of a plot-focused and mystery-solving game than a character game, I'd assume? ]]
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That is the case for certain scenarios, yes...and it's awful when someone puts the advancement of technology over the safety of people, but I would personally disagree. Technology where I'm from, has done more to help peole than to harm them in most cases. [ Not counting the cults, and what they did to her friends. She wasn't blaming technology for that - it wasn't at fault. She would blame cultists over anything else. ]
Saying it's in service to greed simplifies the problem too much, I think. It's far too complicated a circumstance. Further, I can see that their concerns are understandable regardless of their financial status. Rich, middle class or poor, when a person is used to living one way, and then they lose what they're familiar with, they're only expected to be left scared, confused, even angry. It leaves them with only the choice to adapt or become stubborn and don't want to give up what they have.
[ Rich people aren't the only greedy ones out there, unfortunately. ]
[ Ooc: oh boy yeah it's definitely a long game - there's literally 100 endings (and not all of them are good), so you have to play through 100 days in game for the story on most of them (some end much sooner), and it can be a bit of a chore at times. Most of the characters have very toxic qualities though, and it gets handwaved as "lol that's just what they're like", since the 'leader' has no spine and everyone walks all over him. I would definitely say it's more plot focused (which is good in some of the storylines!) than character focused, yeah.
also unrelated but I will be off for Turkeybird weekend I might be able to pop in once or twice though! Happy Thanksgiving (if you observe)!]
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[...Losing what you're familiar with, left scared, confused, angry... Ratatosk winces at the thought of it, feeling like there's something there... No, he can't remember anything. Who cares. This isn't about him.]
So it's not just the rich who are greedy, is what you're saying. Tch, of course. Humanity itself is what's greedy... They don't care what they destroy as long as they can have what they think belongs to them.
[[ ooc: With that many different timelines, no wonder! The characters can't develop too much in a single storyline since there are so many, and they've probably got to have toxic qualities so they can act as villains in some stories. Or so I'd assume based on that description without having any context :P
I don't celebrate thanksgiving, no, but hope you have/had a good one! ]]
yay I'm back! I missed everything ;o;! XD
I think it's best we not continue this line of conversation. I don't know your history, but given your obvious hostility towards humanity in general, it would be counter productive to continue to discuss it.
[ When someone doesn't want to hear alternative perspectives and continues to blame the same source over and over with the same generalization in their accusations, it was time to hang up the towel. She knew there were some humans responsible for awful things, but so were non-humans, and they were in the minority. He probably didn't have to deal with that sort of thing and she wouldn't wish it on anyone. ]
[ Ooc: Oh no no.. no, sadly, the toxic traits are even when they AREN'T being 'villainous' (and really they're less villainous than 'jerks who turned against you for petty bs reasons' compared to the actual villains. It's one of those games where the "toxic traits" are framed as "lol look how quirky they are!" so it's just part of their personality, because they're exactly the same in all the routes. You might get a little more detail about them depending on a route, you do get to see more of the background for a few of them, but personalitywise it doesn't make much difference. :D
Thank you re the Thanksgiving wishes tho! ]
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It's not hostility, it's realism. [It's hostility.] But you're right. It's a useless argument. We're not even from the same world, so there's no way we can see face to face about this. For your sake, it'd be nice if your world's scientists really did have the world's well-being in mind.
[[ ooc: well, I guess it'd be bad writing if they only had toxic traits when they're villains, coming out of nowhere XD Based on what I've heard, the protagonist is one of those basic everyman types that has very little reaction or opinion on the other characters and their quirks, other than the occasional mild judging, so I imagine that makes it even more frustrating to deal with those kinds of characters... ]]
no subject
I see.
[ DEFINITELY hostility. Maybe someone treated him the way they did to Quatre or Van, but they had more people to support them so - without those friends they probably would have ended up as awful as Ratatosk themselves. That aside... yeah, there's no way they can see eye to eye when one half of the conversation refuses to see past their hatred. ]
I can assure you, they do.
[ Her great grandfather for starters, and then most of the researchers in Basel - even that poor sucker who got tricked. On the other hand, she doesn't count any of the cultists among those scientists - they may have similar knowledge, but because they were willing to experiment on children for horrific reasons, she would say they weren't even true scientists or researchers. Just disgustingly awful people. Some of which weren't even human. ]
Oh...? Look at that..!
[ Fortunately she is distracted from the topic by the sight of a very colorful disco fish -- wait, no, apparently that was one of the less creepy octopi - one she's never seen before. ]
[ ooc: Yeah true XD. And yeah, the protagonist is the worst one I've seen in a while. I went from "he's boring but tolerable" to "this effing DUMBASS that keeps screwing up and making things worse is supposed to be a leader/main character and everyone around him is JUST as stupid to fall for him/become obsessed with him because there's literally no alternative and they're only alive through sheer dumb luck (i wish I were exaggerating (sob)). I feel like they made him stupid on purpose because otherwise the routes would be fixed faster lol. It's probably the first game where I hated almost the entire cast. MC definitely has very little personality. He's narcissistic and has a hero complex, and I THINK he's secretly masochistic because they have him get all blushy whenever someone treats him like crap. I'm not a fan of the art either, but I never liked DanganRonpa's art. ]
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You can assure that? Good to know you know all the scientists in your world personally.
[He's being more snappish than usual since he feels like Agnès doesn't like him very much.
And thus the everlasting cycle of anger keeps turning.He, personally, counts both the evil and good researchers as researchers, since all of their actions do affect the world, and he'd likely call Agnès a hypocrite for only counting "the good ones". And researchers that aren't human also count, but it's easier to call it all "humanity" than to keep listing different species of researchers. It's mostly humans and half-elves, from his experience.]Hm? What is that, a jellyfish? [It's definitely beautiful. That deep red color feels somehow nostalgic. He turns to give his full attention to it.]
[[ ooc: Sounds like a game that was too ambitious for itself XD I bet any characters would get old in a game with that many routes. ]]
no subject
I already have explained that I have no intention of continuing to engage in that topic of conversation with you.
[ Especially while he was so hateful on it - with good reason or not - that he wouldn't listen to anything else. So she's not taking the bait. In fact, she's so not interested in entertaining his spiteful remarks, she was studying the displayed names of aquatic creatures. ]
It seems that there are lot of creatures like this one, it says, the deeper you go into the ocean. Although naturally not all are as lovely as that. [ In fact, some are even freakier than regular octopi. ]
[[ ooc: UGH, work blocked dreamwidth :P I mean i get it, I shouldn't be tagging at work BUT I WAS STILL GETTING WORK DONE so it shouldn't matter! *huff* ]]
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You're the one who kept responding after saying that. [Ratatosk, you kept responding, too...]
[Ratatosk is, in fact, familiar with the more monstrous sea creatures. He studies the display as well, frowning as he reads some details.]
Artificially colored fish...? So that red color isn't even natural. Hmph. Seems like a regular octopus wasn't appealing enough to display.
[Even in a place like this, they're playing gods. Since that conversation is over, he won't say it out loud, but the existence of disco fish really isn't giving any brownie points to humanity in his eyes.]
[[ ooc: oof, probably shouldn't log in to any non-work accounts on work computers... Not like I haven't been guilty of that though, lol.
Also, Ratatosk sure is a handful, huh? I didn't remember when bringing him in that he's in, like, one of the lowest parts of his life at this point XD I've been rping a more chill post-canon Ratatosk more often recently, so it's kind of good to remind myself of this version of Ratatosk and how frustrating he was when I first played the game! ]]
no subject
There are several fish on display who have naturally vibrant colors as well as ones that don't. I don't think you saw it, [ Since they ran into it when the Meeker Emil(tm) was alert ] - but there was an octopus that we passed some time back in the exhibit as well, and it had fairly muted colors. The aquarium is meant to appeal to people of all tastes, and it does that fairly well, I think.
There's even an exhibit in a different part of the aquarium that has even more fantastic creatures in their tanks. Although that on is a little... unsettling.
[ ooc: Lol, yeah, I should have known better :) And YES! I have other characters that would not put up with his attitude, so I have to remind myself that Agnes was open to talking to people even when they're being jerks (for the most part) but she's not going to be a pushover either. :D
Also apologies for the tiny tag and delay, I have not been feeling well x.x Still kinda recovering but able stay up longer now! ]
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(Or the mun forgot ^^;)He listens to the explanation while watching the artificially colored octopus swimming around, and purses his lips, reaching out to gently touch the glass.]If regular octopus are fine for this aquarium, then why is this one not? Why does it have to go through being colored for the viewers' amusement? It's unfair.
[As someone who spends a lot of time with monsters and has beef with humanity, there's no question who Ratatosk empathises with more here.]
[[ ooc: Yeah, I also have to remind myself that Ratatosk isn't as spiteful as it's easy to write him as, even in his worst moments... He's angry, short with words and aggressive, but most barbs on someone's character should be aimed at his own (other) self, not the people he's talking to ^^;
No worries, I've been slow to tag recently, too! Hope you get well soon! ]]
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(Lol Understandable). She gave him a curious look at that. ]Well, how do you know that's what the situation is? Neither of us can really say why it's red or who it's for. It could just as likely be a modification to protect it from predators. You would have to speak to the curator to find out the answer to that kind of question. It could be kept in a separate part of the museum for its own safety, even.
[ Yeah, she can tell he had a very one-sided viewpoint, and while it may well be a perfectly understandable reason, she couldn't come to terms with making blind assumptions about people without trying to understand them first. Her own response was less insistence on him seeing the other side, and more of her own acknowledgement that she didn't have all the answers. ]
[ ooc: It's fun to see her struggling to deal with his attitude while seeing it from his point of view too :D And thank you! I'm feeling a little better, but I'm probably still going to be slow (especially when Kai comes out next month aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ]
no subject
[It may be a one-sided viewpoint, but he considers her insistence on explanations that assume that the aquarium curators are good people one-sided as well. There might've been a time when he had such a positive outlook, but he can't remember that far back.]
[[ ooc: I'm glad he's not too irritating :D I may not get Kai as soon as it comes out since I've got other games to catch up on, but I'm definitely looking forward to playing it at some point! ]]
no subject
I don't think there's a point in answering that question. For starters, you're not actually willing or open to actually hearing the answer, and secondly, I don't work here. I'm not a curator, and that's the person you should be talking to if you actual wanted an answer and not just a theory.
[ But he doesn't want answers, he just wants to blame people. ]
Besides -- oh, excuse me. [ This as a small chime sounds from her Xipha, and she checks the device. ]
Ah! Actually it looks like I'm late. I should start heading back - enjoy the rest of the exhibits! Um, and tell the other Emil --ah, you don't really have to do that, do you? [ Since he's aware of everything too? ]
Well, see you next time! [ A polite bow follows, and she turned to pace off, cheerfully waving. ]
[ooc: Yes! My friend played the demo and he said I was going to insane with waiting, the jerk lol. I think it's a good stopping point here though! I need to clear up a lot of stuff so I don't accdientally leave people hanging when the game DOES come out ;o;! Also Merry Christmas :) ]
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You have fun too. I'll leave him a note. [Since he's not sure if the other Emil can hear this or not.] ...My bad. I got heated up.
[He gives a casual wave. That was... He's not sure if that was a good conversation or not. He should've just let the other him deal with it, even after he wanted to run away. Did he ruin things? ...Like that matters. But it's frustrating. How is he supposed to enjoy the exhibition like this? He needs to go and beat something up.]
[[ ooc: Turns out Ratatosk disagreed with it being a good stopping point, but at least he got to clear his head a bit at the end XD
Thanks for the thread, this was fun! Merry Christmas! ]]