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

Dessamori. Let me guess--you haven't heard of it, either.

[jem is catching on quickly to the game of this all. it doesn't visibly bother him.

also i refuse to answer any questions that are for determining his twink nature. never again.]

Mocor? New Tombo? Jamboree? All nothing?

Edited 2026-02-21 00:19 (UTC)

Anope, nope, nope, and nope, I'm afraid.

[ thoughtful, rather than bothered. ]

I doubt you've heard of any of the kingdoms of Rodinia, so I won't waste either of our time with that. Interesting kinda thing we've gotten ourselves into, huh?

Something like that. There were some pretty big offers on the contract.

[jem steps over to the ships railing to lean back against it.]

And if they have the power to draw people from all over, they can probably make good on it. When I tell the party about this, they're going to ask so many questions.

[ugggggggh.]

[ rawiyah nods to that, tilting her head so that her cheek is against a shoulder while she considers him and his terrible outfit. his technicolor pastels. fascinating. ]

Well. Definitely takes first place for weirdest situation I've found myself in, but only beats out second place by a hair, in that kind of way. [ that's for later, though. ] Who's the party? Your friends?

No, they're my pilot's friends.

[a short pause.]

I shouldn't say it like that, it would hurt Anselm's feelings. They're both of our friends, but Valiant's first. [he says this bullshit, then, without skipping a beat:] What was first place weirdest sitch?

[ what's a pilot. decides not to ask and just figures she'll understand later maybe. ]

That just means they became your friends, which is good. [ anyways. ] Waking up in a sea of stars and then watching scenes from the past.

[if only jem had an 'ask me about my pilot' button. he will simply make due with nonstop mentioning.]

A sea of stars--so, like out there, but stars?

[pointing with his thumb toward the water behind him.]

Was it your past or someone else's?

[ looks downthread and nods, don't worry. ]

Hmmm, a little, I guess? It's hard to describe. And a little disorienting. [ her head lolls a bit more on her shoulder to look behind them at the water. ] Mine. But I'm sure that it'd show others' pasts if I was still there right now to explore it.

Did you do a ritual or spell or was it totally random? I've had a group see some of my past...

[jem trails off there. it's not his favorite memory, having other see that he goes quiet, but he doesn't want it to sit there.]

I didn't like it.

It was... I don't know, really, actually. [ hm. food for thought for someone that isn't her. that's above her thoughtgrade. ] I think it was the nature of the place.

[ memshare week ominously approaching jem. gently: ]

We don't have to talk about your experience with that kind of thing if you don't want, though. It's kind of invasive, yeah?

[don't remind me about memshare, i need to write so many things.]

I don't think anyone knew what it would be like before they started the ritual. But it turned out all right. They're mostly good people--our friends.

[see! now it's 'our.' he's adjusting.] Wait, were you alone in the star sea?

[ godspeed, you, gay emperor. because that's not me this time unless i really want to. ]

"Mostly good" works out pretty well, in terms of friends. You want a little variety in life and all that. [ proud of him! but ]

Oh, no. My kids and a new friend were there. But it wasn't really anything I was hiding, even if I'd have rather Maitha and Faycal not have to worry about me.

You're a mom?

[either he's really misunderstanding that 'kids' word usage or he's now wondering what the forces that be want with active parents. seems sort of bad form, and jem knows a lot about forms.]

Do they know you're here? I was snatched out of nowhere. [couldn't even leave a letter, but turns out that's fine.]

Sort of, sort of not - they don't call me mom, but I helped raise them after I found them orphaned.

[ they call her big sister and boss, mostly. but she is basically their mother. ]

... I doubt they know, though, thinking on it. [ frowning a little bit as she considers this. ] But I'll get back to them at the end of this. Same for you getting back to your friends.

[jem gets it.] We have a pair like that in our party, too.

[sometimes to everyone else's detriment.]

There's gonna be teams, right? I've been trying to think of what they'll have us do. With only three, it wouldn't make sense for it to be a tournament, it would end too quickly.

[ there's a moment where rawiyah is quiet, a little pensive, but it passes fairly quickly. hopefully they don't worry... ]

Yeah, sounds like it. But we'll have to wait and see what's ahead of us to make a full picture of the whole thing. It's not the kind of tournament that I'm used to, that's for sure. [ bringing up a fist like. fighting!!! ]

[it's not so nice to think about before they even know the teams, is it? jem copies her fist, lifting it to the same degree in a mirror image.]

Maybe the new fits have something to do with it. [he flicks his own poofy lapel] I'd vote for yours. I like that red.

[ cute. this is a baby. ]

Ugh, it's so weird to be wearing - but it'd be worse if they put me in a dress. I haven't worn one of those since I was a little kid, and I wouldn't know the first thing about moving around in one, y'know? But yours is flashy. Looks warm, too.

So warm.

[someone check the baby pen, one's escaped.]

But yours kind of reminds me of my carapace when I'm a cycle. I wish I could show you it.

[ at least the baby is swaddled while escaped. ]

A cycle..? Paint a word image for me.

Do they have vehicles where you're from? Machines with wheels that take you from one place to another? My main form is one of those.

[this is barely a painting, more of a scribbled sketch, but he's trying.]

✦ WEEKEND ZERO

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject