TDM 007

[etrayamods]

content warnings for this TDM include: violence, potential death, body horror, physical transformation, loss of senses, loss of autonomy ⏵ arrival⏴ Arrival does not happen as Aurora usually plans for it. New characters are introduced to the AI, then informed of a mission that they are required to participate in before they can return to their home base of Etraya. A world called Aphaia is falling apart, and while there is nothing they can do to resolve this broken world, they can participate in the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Their mission is simple: step through the glowing purple portal that Aurora creates once they've had time to listen to her, and survive until a similar portal reopens in front of them, allowing them to return to Etraya. The Gamerunner's Stratagem is something they have been working on building for quite some time. She informs all newcomers that they will not be present on this world that long: their exit will appear to them exactly when it's meant to, allowing them to meet the others who have been recruited to save their worlds. She provides each and every arrival with an earpiece, allowing them to communicate with the other Etrayans. Aurora suggests taking a bag full of supplies along with them, which she will fill with a few generic items as well as any specific items they may need: synthetic blood for vampires, protein bars for those who may burn through calories faster, medication for anyone who requires it. ⏵ aphaia ⏴ Aphaia is a neon-lit, chaotic planet. Cameras are everywhere, every action and inaction is judged by the 'audience'. Towering holograms advertise upcoming events while flashing leader boards track the most "popular" players. Contestants are thrown into challenges, many of which are games of skill, survival, and deception all to keep the viewers entertained. Not participating is an option! However, avoiding playing along and not putting on a show will quickly cause participants' score to go down, and scores that reach zero? Well. Unfortunately, there are only so many resources left on Aphaia. Their wildlife has died off, their planet is falling apart, and most others in this galaxy were either destroyed from the inside out, or warring planets trying to gain control of remaining resources destroyed them to avoid others getting involved. Their natural resources are depleted, and only those who manage to keep their scores up are given the luxury of having any supplies. As soon as one steps foot on Aphaia, as soon as they breathe, they intake nanotechnology which tracks their oxygen consumption, their food, everything they do or need. As soon as their scores reach zero? They disappear. There one moment, and completely gone the next. Their communicators go offline, and while everything they were carrying will be left behind, no one will be able to find them. They are simply--gone, erased from existence. This is a death and counts as a death as outlined in the game FAQ! Please keep this in mind. "Points" that go towards their total score will be assigned to contestants from the moment they drop down on planet. This will be visible using the HUD on their earpiece, and will be randomized at the beginning. For the sake of the TDM, we ask that no one be assigned Paragon initially, but you're free to use other ranks! The possible rankings are: 100: PARAGON 99-80: LUMINARY 79-70: CHAMPION 69-50: CONTENDER 49-30: UNDERLING 30-0: SHADE Ranks may change daily, or even hourly depending on the kind of situation one has found themselves in. Are they having a very public break up in which it comes out that they wronged their ex? They may go from a Champion to a Shade before they can even blink. Did they save a defenseless reporter from the big bad villain of the week? They may find themselves quickly elevated up to Luminary and given all the benefits that comes with being upper class. The world is their oyster, they only need to figure out how they'd like to utilize it! Aphaia is broken up into four districts. The Colosseum is a dynamic battle arena where combatants fight for entertainment, with shifting environments controlled by the audience. Victories earn points, while losses depend on performance. The Symposium is a lavish social hub for top contestants, where alliances and betrayals are made under the audience’s watchful eye. The Agora is the public center of Aphaia, where contestants engage with the audience through polls, interviews, and challenges to maintain popularity. It also houses the contestants in high-rise apartments. And Backalleys provide hidden spaces with intentional blind spots for secret dealings, though the Gamerunner is always aware of what happens there. ⏵ st★rlight soirée ⏴ Something special is happening in the Colosseum. Lights flicker as the arena shifts, rearranging itself into a grand, glittering ballroom - if a ballroom had stadium seating, paparazzi drones, and an ever-changing floor plan designed to disorient those within it. Silver chandeliers pulse with artificial starlight, their glow refracted through the crystalline floors. Music swells, but it sounds - unnatural. It thrums through your veins, setting your blood alight with the urge to dance. Why is the ballroom designed as if intentionally put together to throw off one's balance? Well, it's time for the Panopticon Prom, of course! The Panopticon Prom isn't just an adventure in dancing and impressing your most recent crush. It's a test of endurance, cunning, grace, and charm. The floor beneath your feet moves as if it has a mind of it's own, shifting to the beat like a living creature all of it's own. It tilts, undulates, even vanishing in sections to keep dancers on edge. After all, it's difficult to keep up one's pace if they're falling through a hole in the floor to the foam pit below. Drones zip through the air, catching every stumble, every misstep, and every attempt to throw off others on the dance floor. This is a competition, after all; and what fun is a dance battle without having the freedom to thwart someone else on their road to victory? The rules are simple: You must dance with a partner. This can be an ally, an enemy, or someone you intend on using as a stepping stone to victory. It matters not, as long as you have one hand (or limb) on them at all times. The longer you last, the better your chances. Endurance is the name of the game, meaning one must pace themselves on the dance floor. While epic twirls and impressive moves will garner more attention, it may also hurt your chances in the long run. You may sabotage others by throwing them off balance, but keep in mind: everything is televised, and it won't stay secret for long. The arena adapts to the chaos. Expect sudden obstacles, environmental shifts, and sudden changes in the music's tempo. Gravity may shift, walls may close in, but participants can't let that stop them - they must continue to dance, if they wish to win. The audience is watching. Who will make the final cut and become Prom King and Queen? Everyone is vying for the titles: it doesn't matter what rank you started at when you joined the Panopticon Prom. Whoever wins becomes a Paragon until their points drop. There aren't many opportunities to sail through the rankings, but this is a sure way to do it. As long as they can keep up. ⏵ casino royale ⏴ Out in the Agora, another popular quarterly event is being set up! The Casino Royale has been destroyed countless times, but it seems as if the Gamerunner just can't let it go - every time it gets knocked down, it gets rebuilt. There is one rule. One must take a turn at the revolving wheel just inside the door as their entry fee, and whatever the wheel lands on, they must maintain until they exit the building for the night. Sometimes, this is easier: an effect they have no control over and cannot undo even if they wanted to. Sometimes, this is more difficult: an assigned task they must complete. Failure to abide by the wheel once means receiving a penalty. Twice? Certain death if caught by any employee. The wheel's effects are as follows: 1 You must speak entirely in rhyme. 2 Your body has become unnaturally delicate. The smallest injury hurts like a fatal wound. 3 You must avoid stepping into any sources of light. Doing so causes massive burns to appear on any area of your skin where light has touched. 4 You have been transformed into an animal! You can still think as you had before, but you cannot speak or communicate easily. 5 You have been cursed with supernatural strength, but cannot control it. 6 Time doesn't flow normally for you anymore. Each mistake you make makes you visibly younger, slowly erasing your experiences, skills, or even memories. 7 You can no longer form your own words, but only repeat what others have said to you. 8 You cannot meet another person's gaze. 9 You can no longer turn around, physically or metaphorically. If you try to return where you came from, you'll find that the pathway no longer exists. 10 You are given a specific letter that you must avoid using out loud entirely. "A"? Better hope you know enough words without one. 11 Every time you speak, your words come true - but never in the way you intended. Trying to control this is futile; the monkey's paw curls with every new sentence. 12 Within the casino, you lose the ability to feel anything. No pain, no pleasure, no warmth, and no cold. At first it may feel like a blessing - until you realize you cannot feel hunger, or tell if you're injured. 13 Regardless of if you've drunken anything, you still act inebriated. The effect only gets worse the longer you stay. 14 No one can see you. You are invisible, even if you are still able to reach out and touch or converse with those around you. 15 Any special ability you have is gone. You are reduced down to what an average human being is capable of - regardless of if you are human. 16 Violent impulses become impossible to ignore. You are rage incarnate, and you will be heard. 17 Every time you make a decision - to walk into an area, to start a conversation, anything, a small thread pulls loose from your clothing or your skin. Keep making choices, and you may become entirely undone. 18 You may speak freely, but for every syllable you say, your ability to hear slowly fades. You may want to watch your word count - too many, and you may not be able to hear at all. 19 Perhaps you arrived with a friend, or beside a stranger. It matters not: whoever came in either just before or just after you, you feel a powerful urge to protect them to the point of aggression. 20 Love is in the air - at least it is for you. Every time you meet someone's gaze, you feel the need to try and make them fall in love with you, through whatever means necessary. The casino is alive with the hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, and the steady whirl of the roulette wheels. Golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over velvet-lined tables, where fortunes are made and lost with the flick of a wrist. But something feels. . . off. The dealers never blink. The cards never seem random. And the house always wins - always. Maybe it's just paranoia, or maybe this casino is something more than just a den of chance. Tonight, you're not here just to play; you're here on a mission. You've arrived dressed to kill, blending into the sea of bodies filling the casino's floors. But you're not here to win points or boost your social standing - you're here to win intel. Somewhere in this casino is a single flash drive containing information on just how Aphaia maintains their system. The only problem? The House knows someone is coming for it. After all, they're well-aware of the game: whoever retrieves the flash drive will obtain information on how to flip the script, to change the rules of the game to fit their wants and needs, rather than following the current Gamerunner. After all, this is the Gamerunner's Stratagem that Aurora has sent them out on! Many apply for 'employment' within the Casino Royale in hopes of getting insider information on where the flash drive is hidden and what it looks like. However, it seems that even the employees have no clue where it has been hidden. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ This is an extension of our Aphaia Mission! We have included enough information in this post that catching up to current in game logs isn't necessary to play with it, but you are welcome to use any part of the Aphaia setting in your prompts as you'd like. Current players are also welcome to bring the events from this TDM into their in-game threads. This mission can happen outside of time as needed! Incoming characters will find themselves introduced to Aphaia as they arrive. Current characters may find Aurora calling on them to visit Aphaia after the current mission for the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Characters already in game are welcome to post to the TDM, too! Please mark them as current characters in your header. Threads can be kept as game canon as long as both characters get into the game! Please direct all questions relating to this log to our mod queries comment! All other questions can be directed to our FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

it happened again ;________;

[deviced]

"Yes. It is not that complicated."

He doesn't say this in a dismissive way, or in a way that implies he's offended Henry might think he doesn't understand it or missed anything. It is simply a comment on the situation at large -- the technology involved is complicated, sure, but overall it's pretty clear what's going on. Sure, he doesn't fully believe it all on the surface level, but it won't be hard to go investigating. He doesn't intend to stand around here much longer.

If nothing else, his legs are starting to hurt. Human bodies suck.

A question does occur to him, though: "What rank were you assigned?"

no yeah, this week has been the weirdest week i've lived through (thusfar)

[badfengshui]

Henry dips his chin in a slow, little nod.

He's glad that the situation isn't too overwhelming for Harry. It would make him feel kind of bad if it was; he wouldn't have any words to give him, either. To be honest, the whole thing feels beyond him and he feels like he's barely treading above water.

Thankfully, since he barely ever emotes or says anything, people seems to constantly think he has a handle on things. So - that's good. He thinks. It probably is a good thing, anyway. It's more good than it is bad. Yes, that is what is decided. Objectively good thing.

He blinks the answers. "Luminary." A beat. "What about you?"

[waxen_wings]

[ It doesn't take long at all to figure out, as he's only just gotten done saying her name. Jay wasn't aware of her having family, aside from the general way that everybody does. ]

You and Mrs. Grey-Summers related?

[ That ought to narrow it down, unless Jean Grey's got a sister who ran off and eloped with Havok.

... she probably does. ]

[hurtling]

Okay Henry, I'm James, James Sunderland. Tell me how long you've been here and if....coming apart like that is common.

( james isn't quite as gentle now, a bit concerned and frustrated by the entire situation but at least he does seem worried about henry.

he points at his thread, inspecting it a bit further. surprisingly enough he wasn't bleeding and didn't seem in pain but this wasn't good either. )

At least....if you can answer me.

cw: some body horror

[badfengshui]

I stopped counting the days. It hasn't been too long. Or maybe it has.

[ Henry awkwardly replies to the question about how long he's been in this place. He honestly can say that he isn't sure, but it's because he doesn't really pay attention to days anymore. After being locked in his room, any day outside of it has been a blessing. If he started counting how long he's not been locked up, he might start to go a different kind of insane. So, he just thinks every day is a blessing that he can talk to others and walk around.

While the situation that they're in now is less than ideal, and he's just treading above water with understanding how to survive, he is still surviving with others. He's still around people and engaging in the world in some small way. And that is wonderful. If he lost the means to be able to do that, he thinks that would be the worst thing.

But these are all their own tangents. ]

I don't know if it is common or not.

[ Can he add more information than the question? Hm, he isn't sure. He feels a bit like he's one of those riddle-asking creatures. Only he's more of a command and get answers mythical entity. His head tilts as he thinks that's a funny thought.

Oops; more thread winds up his neck. He straightens his neck and more thread unravels. Sigh. Just as he thought - no moving, then. ]

[internationalrelations]

Hey. Wow. Semi-feral. Please. I'm at least housebroken.

[Most of the time. But the quipping stopped because there was that note of sincerity in Henry's voice and in those obscenely blue eyes. So Alex would take the words for what they said.

He could feel himself smiling, not a conscious decision he made so much as a reaction he could not have stopped if he tried. And okay maybe there was a small flutter of butterfly wings in his stomach.

And his own earnest response.]

Yeah, sure. I'd really like that.

[internationalrelations]

"Is it? Huh... def...ffff..initely smells better on you." The effects were beginning to loosen their hold, and he'd sober up in what would be record timing if it were actual drunkness. But it was still a process, and he was still leaning heavily into Henry.

And he was right there, and higher logic and reason were still out of reach even stretched on his metaphorical tiptoes, so Alex took the opportunity to bury his face against the crook of Henry's neck and inhale as if to assure himself of his conclusion. Yup. Smelled better on Henry. Delicious even. And he hummed a pleased little note at the confirmation.

aren't we just

[deviced]

So do you.

[he has no basis for this, but he is kind of tired of annoying sassy children. is there a discount on them recently, or something?]

...Yes. [harry frowns at her, though not because of anything she'd said. for a change.] Why have they taken a child? Surely that violates many different laws. Also, children are not entertaining. They are just annoying.

[deviced]

[oh, the guy's still talking at him with his false accusations. what a strange little man.]

Why else would you accuse me of kicking someone? [look... he's not incapable of understanding metaphors or whatever, but he's still very new to interacting with people who use human parlance. that one is new to him.] That's an unpleasant rumour to start.

[a pause.]

Did you mean down on their luck or...?

[overconfidently]

( It's more of a loaded question than it should be and, for a moment, he doesn't know how to respond to it because of his having been denied the relationship he's wanted and meant to be nothing more than a temporary weapon in a war he never asked to be part of.

Again, he glances away, blue eyes staring off. Wistful almost. )

She's my mother.

( Or, he would have liked her to be. Thanks, Sinister. )

[sanji]

[ fighting would make all of this that much easier. it would let himself sink into the routine of an old familiarity that could disguise away all the guilt that came with first making that deal with bege, the one that allowed his friends to go free and eventually brought him face to face with a past he'd hope had been left behind for good. it would mean he could pretend that his thoughts then hadn't swirled in circles with the wonder of what zoro would think once he learned of his departure — of his betrayal — and old normalities could brush his detour to whole cake island as precisely that, nothing more than a brief detour from the higher stakes their crew had prioritized.

on any day, sanji would experience disappointment in coming face to face with zoro had a time like this, but the discomfort actually grips tightly in his chest this time, and his craving for the fight gnaws at his insides in a way that he wonders if this is what zoro always feels like before a battle, this want to translate something unspoken into mere violence.

the bite in the swordsman's voice would likely sound normal to anyone else that's been witness to their arguments, but sanji hears the distinction the moment the words leave his lips. where there's usually annoyance, now echoes a sharper bitterness.

when zoro lets go of his sword, the act is nearly as damaging as the slap nami-san had unleashed across his cheek, far sharper than if the man had actually pierced that blade right into his chest.

the flames across his leg simmers away to nothing, his foot carefully placed back into the ground. he holds his own stare, quiet and empty. ]

Oi.

[ a quiet sound, but clear enough even against the surrounding ground. ]

... that all you got?

I can't wait to see where this goes

[devota]

Is that so?

[It's not clear which statement she's responding to. A specific one, one in particular? Whichever one, she doesn't elaborate. She doesn't seem entirely surprised by Heather's thoughts on Vincent. Though that might be because, despite everything, Claudia holds no ill will towards the man whatsoever. His death hadn't even happened because he'd tried to stop her, but because he'd tried to kill her. And Alessa too.]

...as I said, I will leave you be.

[laserguy]

[As soon as the handshake is over, Scott's grumpily shoving his hands in his pockets? Why? Just because. Also he doesn't really like her still. Yeah, she didn't pull a fast one on him this time, but doesn't erase their conversation prior.

Plus he's feeling overwhelmed and that leads to him being a bit more of an asshole.]

Yeah, I've figured that out. [Somehow, that feels worse than no one knowing each other. At least everyone is sort of confused together. Scott's the only person that doesn't know anything with everyone treating him like they know him or have certain expectations of him. He hates it. And thus, defensive mode.]

Now you're here and you can see I'm really different from the Scott you know. [And she can be disappointed again or whatever.]

[laserguy]

[With his strength still out of control, Scott knows this is probably the only real time he could knock this stranger's hand off his shoulder and run off. Create distance from him and everyone else in this casino. It would not only be the best for him, but also so he doesn't hurt accidentally hurt anyone. However, something keeps Scott from just brushing the older man off, nodding slightly and making a point of staying his hands by his sides so he doesn't accidentally push him into a wall.

He has the right idea of leading them away from the crowded floor anyway, so Scott lets himself be guided to a less occupied area. Maybe he can just sit down and sulk until he returns back to 'normal?' That sounds kind of tempting.]

Long as you don't shove me into a cage, fine. Otherwise, I'll shove you across the floor. [Making that clear!! But also. Scott looks at him with a little frown, a flash of vulnerability appearing in the young mutant's face before he's able to fully shove it down.]

Why are you helping me out?

[sophielicious]

(She does not need to pay attention to his thoughts to know he isn't a fan, his entire body posture says it too. That's fine, look, a pet project to deal with, at least someone is gonna keep her somewhat entertained in the sea of doom and gloom that is her life right now.

That means, winning him over first, and while she could do a little thought change here and there, let's go the old-fashioned route of not doing that. Mostly because her powers are currently unreliable, and she doesn't want to fuck up Scott fucking Summers. So, an angelic smile later, she shrugs as she starts walking, a finger hooking to ask him to follow.)

I already knew that. If it makes you feel better, the girl you don't like, yours truly? Been dead for most of these people's mutant adventures. I'm just as misplaced as you are.

(Eeeeeeeeh, more... Or... Less... Kinda... Sorta... Not really. She knows a few, and if they know one Cuckoo, that works. Hivemind privileges.)

[laserguy]

['Fairly fast?' Scott doesn't know what to make of that, but she's saying that she has other abilities and hm. There's that implication that she's strong in some way?? He lifts a hand to his chin, though he can't be seen, just trying to think of the 'challenges' that he's seen so far.]

So, are they more... combat oriented abilities? There's the colosseum, if you feel comfortable with fighting others. Otherwise, we'd might have to do something that is more flash than substance, even if you don't want to use your powers for entertainment.

[...] Although in a place like this, there's probably crime still. Maybe if we stop a robbery or something, that would help?

[querulus]

[When the amygdala perceives a threat, it sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. Sympathetic nervous system floods the body with stress hormones. Heart rate rises, pupils dilate, respiration becomes more rapid as small airways in the lungs open to allow for the most oxygen to be taken in per breath. Trembling next. Pallid complexion. It's all hard-wired, a primitive survival instinct that telepathy can't fully control or prevent, at least not by the telepath who owns the brain in question and not when in the clutches of said instinctive reaction, and later Quentin will be mortified that Julian is plenty close enough see that he's panicking. No matter what his hippocampus is saying—that Keller is all bark and no bite, that Quentin could reach into his brain and make him let go at any time with virtually no effort—his stupid amygdala is screaming no no no I don't want to die, not again. And it's showing.

It takes longer than he would like to admit to reclaim control over his brain, no thanks at all to Keller progressively giving him less and less space to breathe let alone think, and even more time to try and halfway process anything he's actually saying. Quentin projecting his problems onto others? Sure, believable. Most exhausting person in the room? Sounds legit. Self-destructive asshole? Guilty as charged, your honor. And he'd love to give his input on all this whole fascinating character study-slash-roast Julian's decided to give him, but you see the problem is he can't. Fucking. Breathe.]

Let me go!!

[There's no telepathic command behind the words, but Quentin's voice echoes in Julian's brain as much as his hoarse yelling does in the outside world. His "freeze" response of stiffly keeping balled fists at his side abruptly switches to "flight," and he furiously grabs at Julian's forearm and stupid non-existent wrist. His voice, on the other hand, is too shaky to sound truly angry or threatening, with just a slight edge of desperation. Between the adrenaline throwing his breathing a curveball and the pressure on his chest, he can't exactly manage the kind of clear, confident tone he'd prefer.]

Come on, man, I can't—you win, okay? Uncle! I don't want to use my powers on you again, but you've gotta let me go.

[laserguy]

[.......Wow.]

Okay, well, to start with. We're talking about a war long time ago and in a galaxy far away. [Actually, it's better to just be upfront about this.] It's a fictional movie, it didn't actually happen.

[And shit, wars between humans and mutants?? Mutants and other mutants? That's stuff he doesn't want to think about. Each new thing he learns about mutants gets worse each time. It's honestly kind of depressing.]

[shoplifter]

[She shakes her head sadly frowning.]

Someone wanted to see what it looked like.

When a world was dying, the way Aurora and Echo said they were. So they sent us here.

[So there's... nothing. Nothing to be done. No heroism that can fix this.

It is very sad, but Laura — well, she is used to a world where heroes can do little to help. Or worse than that.. a world where most heroes were taken off the playing field entirely.]

st★rlight soirée (captain swinging in late, no Starbucks)

[tensibility]

[Luffy is always down to party and dance with the best of them, but this glittering ballroom and stuffy competition ain't it. He's kind of prefer to be throwing fists right now.

You know, until he's met with a familiar face.]

Sanji!? [The last time this Luffy has seen his cook was Whole Cake. So that smile has a slight edge to it. They had just agreed to crash a wedding--save Sanji's family and get the cook back. The main problem with all of that is, well, Luffy had ended up here before they actually got to do any of it.]

[lordfuckleroy]

Are you house-broken though, really? Your actions at my brother's wedding says otherwise.

[ Not that Phillip didn't deserve to have his wedding ruined a little bit with how insufferable he was in general, both him and Bea agreed on that point quite unanimously. But that was neither here nor there and in retrospect it was funny, and with the flurry of activity that was far more current to him than to Alex, he could appreciate the humour in it.

Alex had a golden opportunity here, that is if he didn't make a muddle of it.

He was blessed with the gift of 'knowing' ] But aside from that little detail which we will officially sweep out the door, I suppose I will allow you to text me; I will give you my username-- as soon as this dance from hell is over with.

[laserguy]

It's just a term. Like. You're a person or hedgehog that just likes Trek, doesn't matter what species you are.

[Is that a good explanation?? That's what he's going with! Scott's never had to explain this much before; he's like Kurt but even more confused about stuff like this. Scott can't give him too hard of a time though, given he crash landed here in a meteor.

Just a sightly hard time.]

And because this is literally the most important thing? [When it comes to being a teenager at least?? Nah. It is just the most important thing. Those are the rules, he didn't make them. Maybe] Can't leave you behind.

[unaliveyourself]

if you're really a psychic, shouldn't you be able to tell?

[unfortunately, it's difficult to call his bluff when he's a living power nullifier. alas.]

[lordfuckleroy]

Yes, Henry was starting to feel those little things and there were tiny receptors in his brain that are waking up but not quickly enough. It was just enough that he could feel Alex's smooth cheek against his neck, the smile. Perhaps even the indentation of the dimple-- it hadn't clocked in yet that this was perhaps not the fairest situation he'd ever been in but here he was.

He still had his arm wrapped around Alex's waist to steady him and it was still terribly needed in this situation, while the fog and haze cleared.

It appeared that Alex's fire ever innate was going to work overtime to boil Henry's water. "You are still drunk.. it is absolutely clear."

Late to the casino party, no treats only chaos

[tensibility]

[Consequences, particularly paying attention to them, was not exactly Luffy's area of expertise. Which meant that he naturally spun the wheel to get in and ignored pretty much everything else surrounding that entry fee and the ominous 20 he landed on. If he promptly got distracted trying to win the favor of one of the workers that seemed to have a round of drinks and hors d'oeuvres, well, that really wouldn't be obviously out of character to anyone.

Not knowing exactly what this flash drive thing was, or where to start looking for it, had him looping back to the entrance more than once. Weird how he kept getting distracted by people--but hey, maybe if they liked him enough they'd help, not that he has much subtly in asking for information.

It's on the third or fourth loop back to the entry lobby when Luffy spots the peculiar cat--and immediately wants to harass befriend it.]

A green cat? How weird, shishishi. [Yeah, no, he's going to try and give scritches to odd cat. Why wouldn't he?]