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

shadow the hedgehog | sonic idw | new character

[limiterrings]

a) well then, it'll be a date to die for.
location: colosseum

[ initially, shadow had no reason to do anything here. the idea of indulging in frivolous games were for children, someone like him has business to attend to. despite his efforts of trying to leave, one of the hosts stands in shadow's way, insisting that he needs to walk the other way since he's one of the many participants.

with a growl, the hedgehog looks off to the side as the host offers him a piece of paper with his opponent's face. ]

I'm not here to be used for your amusement.

[ without a care, shadow smacks it out of the alien's hand, causing the paper to flutter off to another person's feet. they might recognize their own face seeing as they have also been unwillingly (or maybe willingly!) chosen for the royale. ]

b) i'm going to destroy this damn planet.
location: backalley

[ the backalley is more his speed, the less people the better because that means some here are worthy enough to have a conversation with. there's been small talk about trade of weaponry, blackmail, and even information that could help him moving forward. that's why he's here, dressed in a black cloak to hide his appearance and protect his own privacy. the more mystery the better, it gives the hider an advantage from any prying eyes or whoever may try to listen in.

it was all planned: written on a wall looking for information, and in return, they'll be given a great asset if the information met the searcher's expectations. the code being "chaos" if anyone was interested, and coordinates listed. now is the waiting game, arms crossed and his head tilted down to listen to his surroundings of the alley. he hears a few voices here and there, some light taps of movement with someone trying not to draw attention to themselves.

the sound of footsteps come heavier alerting shadow that someone has come. his ears twitch under the hood before they stop, and with his arms crossed, he turns in the direction of the individual. ]

Don't waste my time, say what you have to say.

c) where's that damn singular flash drive!
location: casino

[ he doesn't care much for the casino, the bright lights and the loud sounds are the most unappealing, but the risk of what's here speaks to him more. back and forth between the participants, they speak about some flash drive, and while the technicalities of this world doesn't mean much to him. he knows the more information the better, sometimes he'll get it from others, or he needs to do it alone.

the only misfortune that's fallen upon is when he spun the curse wheel: every time you speak, your words come true. whether that's true or not, shadow scoffs at the aspect and continues moving forward. he's a hog of little words anyway, there's not much he has to say, however the issue that he's having now is the location he needs to get into within the casino. it reads that only two people — partners — can only enter this section, and he's unable to ride solo.

as irritating as it is, he figures that it should be easy to use someone around here, and once he spots someone is when shadow clicks his tongue then grimaces. they'll do. rather than do this the legal way... he waits for an unsuspecting dealer to walk past him where he's hidden himself by a corner and in a blink of an eye disappearing until appearing behind them to swipe his foot at the back of their head. it's with heavy impact (and an audible crack) that the creature collapses to the floor, and shadow pulls them into a closet off at the side. it doesn't take long for him to retrieve the clothes off the alien, holding them in hand that has a bit of blood here and there, but not a big deal.

it's when he comes out from the closet with the clothes in tow that he walks up to the person he saw before, holding out the attire. it's as close as he could get it to their body type, maybe with a few more... alien holes, but it doesn't matter. ]

...

[ this hedgehog appears to want the person before them to wear it. ]

colosseum

[shoplifter]

[This is a very interesting situation that hasn't happened before, seeing Shadow willingly disregard the royale that was supposed to start any minute. It's also interesting because he happens to be the person she'd been assigned to fight, too — as she unfolds the paper to look at it, she notes that he's as grumpy in real life as he is in the picture they'd somehow managed to get of him.

Cameras everywhere. It's obnoxious.

Folding the picture back up, she moves to wander up and see what the problem is between the host and the strange-looking animal. The picture of her — practically a mugshot, with her unperturbed expression — looks back up at her, and she picks it up off the ground in one hand before she turns to Shadow.]

... You do not want to fight?

You could lose points.

[Laura's not really worried about herself; she has almost as many points as you can possibly get.]

[limiterrings]

[ once again, the host is quick to reach towards shadow, and while not looking at the flyer to see who he's supposed to be challenging, he thinks this creature is a fool for even insisting he does anything. it's close to an escalation though, the hedgehog waiting for the host to put one hand on him before a voice breaks through.

the creature ecstatic at the girl's willingness, familiar with her through the photograph, and believes that she'll be able to keep the games going. the mass wants to see a show, it's always nice to have willing participants. it slithers over, pointing to her then over to the hedgehog. ]

Hmph, they mean nothing to me. [ while he doesn't have the entire picture of what's going on here, he appears unwilling simply because he doesn't want to follow any request given to him. ] If you wish to humor these insolent fools, then do so.

[ the host shakes their head.

this won't do, this just won't do. ]

What are you, their lacky? [ he finally acknowledges the girl by glaring in her direction, it fitting the shot that's in her own paper. ] Find someone else.

[shoplifter]

[She shakes her head, not particularly fazed by Shadow's menacing demeanor. If anything, she's terribly used to it — her father had a way of biting back, and the reavers who kept her contained certainly never spared disgust or displeasure in their directions at Transigen.

Honestly, she is more used to it than niceties in her life.

She says simply:]

If you don't fight, you lose points. You will die when they reach zero... but I have a lot of points, so I don't have to fight right now. [She doesn't appear to be lying, considering the rips and bloodstains on her jacket and jeans... No signs of injury, though.

She cocks her head to the side.] How many do you have?

[limiterrings]

[ what an annoyance, she's unmoving, she doesn't get the idea that he doesn't care to play into the hands of anything. though, she talks about points, something he isn't familiar with, but at the concept of death is where he scoffs. ]

I am the Ultimate Lifeform. [ he's quick to add, this reasoning should be enough. ] Death is unable to reach me.

[ his expression never changes, the blossoming anger on his face should tell her enough that he's only growing irritable by the second. eyes managing to catch the tears in her clothing and the stains of blood, even his nose catches it with ease.

she carries herself in a manner that appears separated from everything else. he wouldn't call it empty, but it's something that stands out to him. ]

I have nothing to tell you.

[ while shadow may be unwilling, the device instead speaks loudly up to answer the question recognizing a voice asking about the event at the moment: ]

USER LEVEL: SHADE
POINTS ACCUMULATED: 12

[ his ears twitch, almost ready to smack the device away like an irritated cat. it's now that he stares at her with a look saying she got what she wants, what more does she need? ]

Casino SORRY NOT SORRY

[levelshift]

[Casinos are an overstimuulating nightmare and Accelerator is really, really wishing he had his reflection back up consistently so he could block out some of the noise. And the lights. And the... all of it, honestly. Why the hell adults like these kinds of spaces is beyond him, and he has a sour expression on his face as he wanders through.

He'd heard something about a flash drive, but he isn't sure where to start looking. After being in here for all of five minutes he isn't sure if he wants to start looking. Maybe going back to his temporary apartment and taking a nap is a better idea; let one of the other Etrayans figure this nonsense out.

He's struggling with this very serious inner debate when he's approached, and he very nearly tells them to fuck off but okay, hold up. What.

He stares down at Shadow.]

... Seems really fucking ridiculous for a casino to have a mascot when this planet doesn't have any actual kids around.

sass battle anyONE!?

[limiterrings]

[ and then there's this human-sized idiot.

from the looks of him, shadow notes the difficulties he has when walking, and the frail appearance with a foul mouth that he doesn't too much care for. his brows furrow in irritation, next there's a click of his tongue, and part of him wants to say something unpleasant, but he cannot. whatever curse that's been placed upon him allows for something he doesn't want to deal with, yes, having the ability to make things happen through word of mouth sounds like an advantage, but why would they allow it in a place like this where luck is in play?

he's not an idiot and instead holds the attire up for the other to take. it'll work, shadow managed to get the proper measurements aside from the extra holes. with a subtle shake of his hand with the clothes in tow again for the other to see that these are for him.

now shadow can't say anything unpleasant, but he finds the truth is just as effective. ]

Hmph. [ he's not offended in the slightest considering... ] You'll make the perfect clown for the adults then, here.

[ monkey's paw might have curled, but things seem alright so far. ]

can Aphaia handle this much edge

[levelshift]

[Meanwhile, Accelerator can't shake the idea that if Last Order was here she'd be over the moon. She loves all things mascot and all things cute, and he's fairly sure this guy would at least qualify for the first one. He's keeping a straight face while picturing her flailing her arms, trying to hug him, all MisakaMisakaMisakaMISAKA.

Oh, he misses her.

Outwardly, he rolls his eyes, taking the offered clothing. He's caught snippets of rumours about employees knowing more about this fabled flash drive, so this might not be a terrible idea.]

Fuck off. You think this'll actually work? [He's taking a few steps towards a washroom to change, anyways.]

theyre fine for now until punches are thrown

[limiterrings]

[ with a roll of his eyes, he turns away with a simple "hmph" in response as though he's not willing to answer any questions. he crosses his arms in the opposite direction of the washroom to make sure that no one goes in that direction. if they do, the hedgehog either gives off a look that's telling them to fuck off, or he's willing to act by force.

for some reason, accelerator goes extremely unbothered by the course of changing his clothes. ]

...

[ this reminds shadow of why he doesn't engage with others, the need to constantly talk isn't something he's thrilled about. ]

D... [ he's quick to cut himself off, reverting to keeping words to himself considering the situation he's in.

having spoke before, the hedgehog glances at some of the guests and catches a notepad and pen. figuring that'll work, he zips off over to take it before returning into place as though he never left. he counts the number of sticky notes in hand which is a total number of four.

it'll work. ]

wildcard/in front of the colosseum

[sabigoe]

[ Ideally, Fio would prefer a peaceful method in accumulating points. Yet, she very reluctantly lingers outside of the colosseum, as if considering this might be her last option to boost her ranking to survive. "Peace" isn't the kind of show the audience wants. Her score has been dropping since refusing to deal with the attention from reporters. Her long period of inaction has additionally caused an extra loss of points.

At a glance, Fio doesn't appear to be someone with any proper combat training. She doesn't. What she does have is some form of weaponry and power to defend herself, only it's not visible just by staring. All she has are the clothes on her back and the supply bag provided by Aurora.

From the corner of her eye, she spots a small, dark form exit from the arena and turns to take a better look at whoever the fighter may be. That's... ]

...Excuse me. Are you a cat?

[ ...She wanted to ask about the match, if he participated. Instead, she's completely thrown off guard wondering what kind of animal he is. ]

[limiterrings]

[ as much as he despises being the centerpiece of a person's amusement, the constant griping from the various participants and hosts are started to annoy him. he'd brush them off, respond to nothing about his diminishing points, and his only reason here is to have an understanding of how this place worked.

he's decided to hang back away from the crowd now, eyeing what participants come in and out. shadow has even decided they they appear too weak for him, it'd be a waste of his time and energy. with his eyes closed and arms crossed, he's generally at peace for the moment until the sound of footsteps come closer.

he doesn't brush them off yet since they haven't spoken to him directly or touched him, but words leave from someone's mouth, and they don't make any sense. shadow's ears swivel a bit towards the direction he heard the question before they return to their proper position. ]

No. [ his voice filled with much disinterest. ] Bother someone else.

[ shadow doesn't open his eyes to see who it is, but he's going off the curiosity of the voice and even the question is a sample of what he's dealing with. a young girl, perhaps? it doesn't matter, she won't be the first he's tried to run off. ]

[sabigoe]

[ ... ...

The response is met by a long stretch of silence. However, he won't hear any audible footsteps taking off elsewhere. Fio remains close by, idly swaying her arm and watching him. Unfortunately for the hedgehog, the little girl has taken an interest in him and she's full of curiosity, as well as many questions.

The treatment is almost familiar, actually. Similar to the coldness of a dear friend during their first meeting. And yet, she enjoyed his company... it was better than dealing with the oppression in her old life.

For now, she's entirely forgotten about her goal to boost her rank. She peers around him, checking if there's any nearby company or if he has someone to meet up with. After what seems like a long minute, Fio speaks up again: ]

Are you lonely? Do you have any friends around here? ...Are you afraid to make friends?

[limiterrings]

No. I have nothing.

[ again with the questions and all he has are answers that should drive her away, his personality normally getting the job done, but it does nothing. she remains there with such child-like curiosity which pains him to hear when she asks such things. that's when his eyes open, his crimson gaze staring directly at the young girl that has yet to leave.

he hasn't seen her before, but it's not like shadow goes out his way to familiarize himself with anyone. as off-putting as he is, the look on his face screams that he wants this interaction to be over. ]

If you know what's good for you, you'll go back to your parents, child.

[ in a place like this, she's better off staying close by to whoever she came here with. a quick survey of their surroundings and he tries to see if there's anyone with the same color hair or anyone close to fretting over losing someone. he doesn't see anything like that and then his eyes fall back onto her again. ]

wildcard - guy who just learned about strategos' gambit

[fireboost]

[ it's a risk that she would rather not take to play these games, but one that she must if she wishes to maintain her standing. there's no telling how long they will be here, after all, and blaze is hardly one to sacrifice a life her people value so highly for naught but her pride.

that's how she found herself here, at the stretegos' gambit.

ushered into the room with a good luck wish from the staff, she's ready to get straight to the challenge—that is, until she sees the person waiting for her. ]

Shadow...?

[ ... the question is, which one. ]

learn sumn new every day

[limiterrings]

Took them long enough.

[ he wasn't going to wait here forever, but it seemed like the best spot to rack up points. the more he gains, the better, he can use them for maria's sake to make her time her even better. she doesn't have to do a thing if he's able to take care of her.

that means throwing himself into these games will have to be the cross that he has to bear. ]

Choose a door.

[ before them are two doors. one tells truths and the other tells lies, apparently. it's not that he hasn't decided which door to go through, but there must be a secret to how this game works. between shadow and blaze, she probably has a pureness to her for being a hero that compares to sonic in many ways.

it's about learning what advantages they have or if there's a gimmick depending on who opens the door, if nothing happens when she does then he'll open the next. ]

[fireboost]

[ truthfully, she shouldn't have expected a greeting, but she still shakes her head in resignation when that's the only welcome he offers her. would it be remiss of her to expect more for being a princess gracing his presence?

she supposes that to the purported ultimate lifeform that doesn't mean much, and instead, she steps forward to inspect the doors. ]

I'll take this one.

[ there's no particular reasoning to it, but between the two, it's the left that she finds herself more interested in. if there's little else in this room, then there's no use in wasting time hemming and hawing, and it's more productive to simply get it over with. ]

[limiterrings]

[ he'll follow right behind her, closing the door behind him so whoever is watching through the cameras can see that it's completely shut. first of all, he doesn't know what to expect off this game of theirs, or what will happen because she opened it. so far, it seems like a mildly boring room with only three chairs, and a small toy in the middle.

shadow only acknowledges what they're working with by going to another door, showing that this room has nothing of interest for him.

he'll only stop trying to reach for the door if blaze makes a comment about the three chairs and toy, but why would she? ]

Let's keep moving.

[thelightshines]

[He doesn't know what had happened, how he missed whomever had done this. But it's clear he's been moved off the streets of Aphaia and inside once he comes to his senses. His vision blur, but he can see a light above flickering, his head feeling numb.

The floor feels slippery, hand sliding when he tries to find a grip. It takes him another mnoment to register he's woken up in a bathtub, not on the floor. He groans, managing to sit upright, vision clearing up to survey the room proper.

A creepy dilapidated bathroom, with some blood stains on the floor. What is this, a crime scene or a set of horror film? Or both. He doesn't see any other exits besides the door across from him and...ah. His eyes lands on a familiar dark hedeghog by the toilet. Like looking at a reflection. He frowns, not at all too thrilled by this. Just what are they going to say this time once they see who they're with.

Thinking about it, he gives the room another glance and after seeing no one else, sighs. This was done deliberately. Who wouldn't be entertained to see the same two individuals try to work together?]

[limiterrings]

[ it's that incessant buzzing of a faulty light above him that stirs him from his rest, but that's probably not what he can call it. his ears twitch partnered with his head hurting so bad that he can't even think about where he is, or what he's doing. it's a prolonged pain that only gets worse as his eyes adjust to the light and his surroundings. his arms crossed along the seat of the toilet, one hand brought to his forehead, and it's such a state that he shakes his head with a growl.

this is not where he's supposed to be, shouldn't he be within the casino searching... it doesn't matter, now his main focus is whatever this place is. he hasn't really gotten a good look as he slowly pushes himself up with another shake of his head, quills bouncing as he does so and he looks up to see what's across from him which is a dirty bathroom wall.

his ears twitch again, looking off to the side, and what else he sees only manages a grimace from the older hog.

how annoying.

ever since he's come into contact with the other, nothing good has came from anything, and part of him wonders if this is still a curse from the casino. maybe nothing is real. unfortunately for him, maria's touch was real not too long ago so...

it's with a click of his tongue that he turns his head, looking towards the door finding that in an unknown location with no information that the door is the last thing that'll take them anywhere. rather than acknowledge the other, he'd rather just get out since this is a waste of his mind, but that constant pain in his head feels worse with every step. it'll fade away soon enough. ]

you guys just keep doing your own thing over there

[fireboost]

[ it's hard to find good snacks to go along with a tea party in a desolate and dying city such as this, but blaze has made an attempt nevertheless. with some rather weak tea—more like hot water in this place—and a plate of crackers between them, blaze has taken it upon herself to check on maria.

the problem is that, just as they settle down to share these pitiful excuses for snacks... the channel on the tv turns to static—and then, it cuts to what seems to be cctv positioned in the upper corner of a grimy bathroom. ]

Maria, did you...?

[ blaze spares a glance to the young girl, though she doesn't quite believe that's what's happening herself. after all, if one comes closer to the screen, they can begin to make out two red and black hedgehogs slowly beginning to look around their surroundings. ]

[thelightshines]

[...Well, they didn't immediately attack him this time. That's an improvement. Ignoring him once again is not surprising. Still better than the alternative. So he starts to make his way out of the tub while the other is occupied. His legs feeling like noodles when he finally manages to stand upright. A hand pressed on the rim of the tub to keep balance.

A quick glance to where the other was moving, his own movements, putting some distance between him and the other at all times. The door was closer to them, so if they're planning to leave, he isn't going to stop them. Rather, he thinks about how they arrived in this room, and why. Neither of them were restrained, free to move as they pleased. So what is the point...? He glances suspiciously at the door. The more he thinks about, the more it feels too obvious to him. He says nothing though, as the other made it clear they want to disassociate. If his hunch is correct though, he wonders if they will be able to.]

casino / wildcar..d.....

[fireboost]

[ to say blaze has been in contact with shadow may be overstating it a little bit, but here and there, a text or two does go back and forth. that's why blaze finds herself in front of the casino tonight, waiting by the entrance with arms crossed and tapping her foot until she spots the hedgehog whom she'd agreed to meet.

upon his arrival, she wastes no time getting straight to the point. ]

You said that you had an idea of where it may be?

[limiterrings]

What's stood out to you in this casino?

[ shadow occupies his space with another which is very rare for someone like him, but the elusive flash drive has made the hunt interesting. no video feed, no words from the employees, no hidden room within the casino... then again, he never asked for a map, but he thought doing his own look around would be enough. ]

[fireboost]

[ blaze shakes her head. ]

Aside from the wheel, nothing particularly does. It all seems to be in its place.

[ at least, that's been her observation so far. while she can't claim to have seen the entirety of it, what she has managed to search has been lacking in anything that seems suspicious enough to investigate further. that's exactly why shadow's potential finding had intrigued her. ]