thevine | ✦ WEEKEND ZERO

✦ WEEKEND ZERO: PILOT EPISODE

REMAINING

Welcome! x

Good afternoon passengers, and welcome to the marvelous Scylla, heading directly for Napalm Springs... We are expected to arrive in approximately a time... Please enjoy your refreshments and entertainment while we make our way through the coral reef...

And with the startling boom of a foghorn, you awake on the deck of a boat. A superyacht, specifically! This isn't where you just were, but you should've seen this coming, right? Whether it was five minutes ago or five years ago, you signed a contract with a representative who told you they could make your dreams come true. Seems like your contract has activated! The OnlyFruits Media Group has collected each of you to shuttle off to a brand new season of The Vine, a reality show where three teams compete against each other for the chance to have their dearest dreams come true. There's always a twist (what sort of fruit would we be if there wasn't some sort of zest), but... you aren't quite sure what that twist might be just yet. Is that anxiety you're feeling, or are you just seasick? Anyway. When you wake up, you'll find that you are all dressed in dapper formal clothing. What a way to make a first impression! To both you and your... fans, potentially, since you get the sense that you're being watched, even if you're not sure how. If you have personal belongings, you won't find them for now - maybe they got sent ahead to your location already? And yes, this includes pets. Oh no. But there's nothing to be done about it. You might as well enjoy your stay on the Scylla, for now. And maybe meet your future potential teammates and rivals, while you're at it?

YO HO HO HO

In the words of Twerking With the Stars season 15 winner, Smdy Aamberg: You're on a boat! (You're on a boat!) You're on a boat! (You're on a boat!) Everybody look at you 'cause you're sailing on a boat!

It's a little packed on this ship, but for the most part? You're not too crowded. It's made to carry about forty people, so there's enough space to spread out. You can even find little places to be alone, should you so wish. Mostly. Again, you think there might be cameras, but you can't see any of them and even if you could, you wouldn't be able to break them. The main attraction of the ship is the cabin on the deck. Inside the cabin is a fully stocked bar, complete with mixers and garnishes. A fridge with pre-made meals spans across the underside of this bar, and there's enough in there for everybody on board to have at least three meals a day. How does it all fit? Just trust us, it does. If you try to take more than your fair share, you'll get electrocuted by a mysterious force, so maybe don't do that. Or do, if you're into that kind of thing.

There are tables and booths inside the cabin to hang out in, as well as a dance floor smack dab in the middle of the floorspace. There is a disco ball hanging down from the ceiling in the center of the multicolored dancefloor. From nine PM to midnight, this plays in the cabin, so enjoy your clubbing. At least it's not able to be heard outside of the cabin itself, so if you want to sleep, you can do so on the deck. There's a bunch of lounge chairs out there, go wild. Speaking of, aside from the lounge chairs, on the deck is a small pool with a hot tub extension. It's perfect for lazing about with a drink, or getting to know your fellow contestants. And why did we tell you to find a lounge chair to sleep in? Well, unfortunately all of the rooms in the sleeping quarters are locked and cannot be opened by any means, save for one. This room has one king-sized waterbed with a funhouse mirror on the ceiling directly above it, an armchair in the corner, and nothing else. The door to this room does not lock, and is weirdly warm. You can sleep here. Not sure why you'd want to, but you can. And yes, there are bathrooms. Public ones, with stalls and sinks. There is one shower. Keep that in mind. At the very back of the yacht is what appears to be the engine room, or something like it. It's locked, but the sign on the door reads:

YOUR CAPTAIN TODAY IS FLYINGWAY. PLEASE ENJOY YOUR TRIP TO THE ISLAND.

No amount of brute force or wits can break into this room. If you try to get in anyway, do let us know.

Special Delivery!

As a complimentary gift for participating on the Vine Season 69, you receive a small canvas tote bag full of goodies!

✦ A small box containing three mini key lime tarts. ✦ A cute handheld fan with a detachable stand. ✦ A pillow that definitely doesn't look like what you think it is (slightly NSFW). ✦ A book about how to deal with the stress of travel! ✦ A colorful OnlyFruits water bottle. ✦ A pack of sesame biscuits. Not cookies. These are legally and emotionally distinct from cookies. You feel this in your soul.

☰ OOC NOTES

✦ Welcome to your Weekend 0 Mingle! ✦ You currently DO NOT have your home item, any canon outfits, or your game-provided phone. Powers are off. ✦ ICly, profiles are still hidden! We will let you know when you can see them ICly. This also means your character ICly does not know what team they are! ✦ Don't forget to turn in your PCs if you start them! ✦ Have fun, and always feel free to come talk to the mods if you have any issues or comments or anything you want to share!

🔗 FULL NAVIGATION

STATUSES // IC PROFILES // LOCATIONS // MURDER PROPOSALS // CYOA SIGN-UPS // AUDIENCES // CURFEW // PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS // REPORTING // AC & EVENT SUBMISSIONS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Including arcana...? Because I am only a bit of a dabbler, but I have seen that such devices can be made fully invisible through illusory magic.

...huh. I hadn't considered magic might be at play here. But maybe it is.

As I said, I'm only a dabbler. But I have read that there when magical means are used to watch people, those means can only be detected with spellcraft - dispelling the invisibility or detecting the illusion.

Unfortunately, I don't have the components that would be needed to do either.

Hmm. I doubt that's true, at least back home, or else everyone would be equipping their spies with magic instead of the usual bugs and cameras.

But that might not be how it works here.

How do you know they don't...?

[they could!]

Anyway, who cares how they're watching us. That's the point, isn't it?

It is. I'd just like to know where exactly we're being watched from, and how.

Why? What will this get you?

Reassurance. Better to know than not.

If you say so. Sometimes, it's better to accept that you have no control than try to cling to the illusion of it. [his tone is pretty mild and genuinely non-judgmental, though.] You agreed to their terms, yes? Though perhaps you are having second thoughts now.

No. No second thoughts. But the terms weren't exactly the clearest and I like to know what I'm in for. Or find out as much as I can about it.

Yeah. It's the same for me. Terms not so clear. Would like more information, even if it doesn't change things.

Wanna help me find that more information, then?

...Yes. If you have an idea other than jumping at that ball.

...well. I've already tried casing everything else that was within reach and that turned up nothing. The disco ball was kind of the only thing left.

And you cannot reach it, no matter what you try?

Nope. Lends credence to the whole "there's magic at play" theory.

True. But you are also right that it is suspicious.

Yeah. But it was always going to be suspicious from the start.

I mean the ball specifically, if there's so much effort preventing you from getting to it.

Oh.

Yeah, if we can't take it down then it might be wise to avoid it as much as possible, before it opens up to reveal 360 lasers that tear us all to shreds.

Good plan. We can't avoid scrutiny, given the terms of all this, but we can try to be cautious.

Time to get out of here then.

[ starts gathering up as many boozle bottles as he can in his arms ]

Yeah.

[takes another one and shoves it under his coat.]

[ out to the deck we go! and once they get there, ]

...oh. I forgot to bring glasses.

[ ...shrugs and takes a swig straight out of the bottle of vodka ]

I am not one to judge.

[although he doesn't open a bottle or start drinking or anything.]

(no subject)

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