[open/closed] i must be the only one to dance this beautiful dance

[axethrows]

WHO: Rodion & Friends
WHAT: Catchall for May + June
WHERE: Various locations
WHEN: May & June (from TDM#4 prompts to up to end of June)
WARNINGS: various warnings due to June Event; threads/top levels will be marked accordingly

[OOC Note: If you would like to have a closed thread or something else in here, please contact me and we can set something up!]

Comments

the gang goes to neo vegas [travel log #1]

[axethrows]

[original log post]

=================================

▶ 001. A RUDE AWAKENING.

[Unfortunately, Rodya is no stranger to terrible alarms. The ones back on her company bus are loud and ear-piercing enough that it could kill someone if they last too long. This time? The alarm is going off in the oculars in her eyes with both sound and colors that she could get a headache from it as soon as it started.

Teleportation still makes her uneasy due to horrors from back home and witnessing some side effects that people gotten, but she hides any discomfort from her face with her usual smile and she offers her hand out in the moment.]

Ready to go? They will probably push us in there if we don't go in ourselves.

[Forced portal entry may not happen, but hey there is always a chance! Plus if holding hands help make it easier to avoid sickness, she might as well try it out. It's innocent enough.]

▶ 002. WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS.

[Once she figured out what kind of place they were at, her energy spiked drastically. It's hot and it's similiar to J Corp's district, but this is her element!!! Rodya wasted zero time to getWhen it was possible, she did get dressed in lighter clothing that will help her fight the heat through her upgrade. Black sleeveless crop top, matching pants, large sunglasses and her hair is actually been put up in a messy bun for once. It's both trendy yet comfortable and enough to blend in with the common Vegas looks. She can be found in various spots:

a.) Casinos, obviously. She will be at the card tables, chatting and playing away. Anyone is free to come sit with her, watch or even learn how to play one of Vegas' various card games that are used in casinos. She is happy to teach anyone that is interested!

b.) Shopping at various stores, where she may drag you in with her if you are standing around nearby. Look, sometimes you need a second opinion or a dress up victim if clothes are involved. Shops that contain jewelry, gifts, or any other interesting things is also on the table for exploring.

c.) Among the various bars and restaurants, splurging on food and drinks. She's been drinking more alcohol than water all day so that's going to bite her back later.

d.) She will either be going to go crash in her hotel room for either drinking too much, burning out her energy too quickly or both. Or she might end up taking a seat in the hotel hallway since there is a chance that she didn't make it. She's fine! She needs to sit down for a little longer, she's fine!

Of course, she might check out other hotel facilities such as the spa or other activities if they end up in her sights.]

▶ 003. TROUBLE BREWING.

[Among the thrill of gambling and enjoying what Vegas has to offer, breaks are still important no matter where you go and what you do. Taking a break is sometimes sitting in the shade on the Vegas strip (with water this time!!!) and watch the people go on with their lives, even when they are plagued with a bigger problem than usual.

Two locals have gotten themselves into a scuffle, most likely under the influence of whatever it is out there. Their odd behavior and aggression levels very much give it away, but Rodya doesn't jump in to break the fight or anything. She doesn't want to get that sort of attention on her and she is enjoying her break before the concept of work creeps back on her and ruins her brief peace. Observation still has it's perks and who knows, something could happen out of it.]

Soo... I bet the guy on the left is going to knock out the other guy first.

[Girl, quit making everything a game or a joke.]

▶ 004. FOUR FOR THE ROAD/THE HUNT IS ON. (wildcard-ish; closed to ishmael, wriothesley, yuwon, and lucy)

[This prompt is basically open for any van and desert moments that the team gets into as they travel, investigate, or take a break with random chatter.

Rodya will be taking turns to help drive since she did take the crash course, but sorry she will be going mostly max speed and be a reckless driver so have fun with that until you guys ban her from the wheel.]

▶ 005. WILDCARD

[Anything goes, let me know if you want a special prompt or you can throw anything at me! Rodya will be exploring and gambling most of the time during the Vegas stay before everyone goes off in the desert!]

2a

[ignoreher]

[ a professional at work... malkuth can't resist the glitz and glam (it's all! so much! in a good way!) and she plays with her feather boa as she watches rodya play.

wow. she's really got a way with it. she'll tip her head down, covering her mouth just in case. ]

How do you know when they're about to fold?

[ you can say literally anything and she'll take it as gospel ]

[axethrows]

It's aaaall about body language, sweetie.

[She gets a quiet response in once she is able to yet she is behaving to the manners of the poker table. Can't act out of line or the casino staff might get involved. There is only a couple of gentlemen playing with her along with the dealer at this table, so there is room for Malkuth to observe as long as she doesn't interrupt the game.]

Sometimes you get unlucky with your draws, but you can try to make something out of it. You can't let the other guys know though- Eyes are always on the move and on every detail at the table.

[It was time to flip and with one gentleman already folding, the other revealed his hand along with Rodya's and the dealer gave her a small point to declare the winner before collecting the cards and adding Kryptos to her balance.]

Hehe~ Luck may be involved, but confidence still goes a long way.

[ignoreher]

... Confidence I have, but I don't know about the rest of that.

[ bluffing isn't her strong point. she wears her heart on her sleeve, and her impressions on her face. like now, where she's sheepish in her smile. the gentlemen know an easy mark when they see one too. eyeing her up as the dealer starts a new round, clearly intent on asking rodya to give the newborn fawn behind her a shot-- ]

I guess it couldn't hurt to give it a shot sometime though! I'm pretty dried out thanks to the slots, but it does look like a lot of fun.

[ -- good entry point. one of the guys offers up to lay down a bet with his own if she'll join them, grin wide and seemingly friendly as can be. you know, as a show of good will to a newbie to the game. ]

004

[wheft]

[ ishmael needed some rest from the steering wheel, so she's going to let rodya take the wheel for a while. but maybe giving her the reins is a bad idea... ]

Rodya, wait--! Why are you driving like Charon? Slow down!!

[ she swears the RV did a huge jump just now. did they run over something? or someone, even? that's a normal thing to do with mephistopheles, but they aren't on the hellbus right now!!! ]

[axethrows]

Why not?! No road laws out here! I ain't going to flip us over, don't worry-!

[Hopefully they hit a kaiju or something.]

I'll slow down once something stands out from the sand! We got a lot of ground to cover so we better go quick~

[wheft]

Like what? The least you can do is follow the other cars? Don't even think of getting us lost in the middle of nowhere!

[ GIRL we're practically in the outskirts?? hello???? ]

Just... ugh. [ she reaches over to fiddle with the GPS system, checking the map and stuff... ] Here. You can drive us safely to this rest stop, right?

2spa

[plagiarists]

[ While massages are great, Sooyoung has come across a place that feels perfect to hang out with Rodya, namely the Arctic Ice Room in one of the spa facilities. Sitting in a bathrobe when fake snowflakes are twirling around the room feels a little odd, but it's definitely better than dealing with the heat in the desert. While the air is chilly, it doesn't take Sooyoung more than a few minutes to get used to it. ]

Maybe someone could copy the idea and build a room like this in Neo Tokyo... we could use more spas there in general.

[ She's here to learn if Rodya has stepped on Yuwon yet... but that cannot be the first thing she asks, right. ]

what the hell i wanna try that irl...

[axethrows]

[She would never expected ice or cold spas since not a lot of people are a fan of the cold. Some would prefer heat over it or the perfect middle ground, but this? It's perfect. The fake snowfall puts a sense of nostalgia in her, reminded of the calm nights in her home town. She is comfy in her bathrobe and her hair has been put up in a lazy bun.]

Right, right~ I bet if we find the right guy with the money and space, they can make it happen.

[Girl, the things with Yuwon that happened before Vegas... She is keeping most things to herself as always, but who knows, Sooyoung could get lucky.]

What else is on your agenda while we are here? Lots of fun stuff to do around here~

[plagiarists]

Or we could use someone's room at the base for this. [ This is clearly one of those 'easier said than done' things, but is that enough to stop Sooyoung? No. ] Or just break into an empty one.

[ That's not as fun, though. ]

Hmm, hitting the casino is an obvious one... maybe some attractions. Not sure if I should rush it or not, maybe we'll get to travel here again if they figured out how to wrap us from one place to another. They better figure out a way to get us to Neo Seoul or whatever the name for it is now.

[ In the meantime, she can pester Yuwon to introduce Rodya to kdramas. ]

2 da spa → vergilius

[axethrows]

[Just because we went to Vegas does not mean you cannot escape the spa day, Vergilius.

It kind of... works out because there is a group of elderly women in charge of one of the hotel spas and they have been hustling to bring people in, no matter who you are or what you are doing. Their services are actually very high quality, Rodya is impressed as she is getting her nails done. She turns to whatever her boss is since he did get dragged in here with her.]

Hey, Vergil! You still here or did you sneak out on me?

[Like the old ladies would let anyone escape without getting rest and care.]

[immortalpoet]

[Hey, Rodya.]

[Here is an abomination of a sight. A horrible pale face with red eyes rises from the seat next to her and...............it's just Vergilius in a sheet mask.]


[He looks unimpressed.]

I would if I could....

[He actually literally could, but he just knows Rodya will hound him down immediately if he does. Let alone these LADIES.]

84 years later.... looks away

[axethrows]

[Pfft. Hey, boss. Rodya held back on letting out a loud laugh, but she still let a chuckle escape. Sorry, not sorry.]

Looking good there! Nothing wrong with giving your skin a little refreshing every now and then~

[Verg, I know you got a lot going on, but have you tried skin care out? Asking for a friend-]

You will feel a bit better once we get done here. Trust the process~

opens my arms 2 you

[immortalpoet]

Don't laugh.

[STOP HE'S SO DISGRUNTLED]

How many times have you done something like this?

falls in them

[axethrows]

Only a few times. I like the hot springs better as far as self-care places go, but a spa is still nice!

[Having access to a warm bath anytime?? A blessing for her.]

I usually do my own nails and routines, but it's nice to get others to do the work for you.

[immortalpoet]

I don't see the point, but...sure. If you care about your looks....

[He sure doesn't.]

[axethrows]

Hey, it's not always about looking good, but it's about feeling good! Or well, feel a bit better than normal. It's kind of nice to clean up yourself after a long day.

[anyways!]

Sooo~ How's things been?

[gossip sir? any gossip? 👀]

2b

[newphew]

[ hunter went in to the malls out of curiousity, but now quickly finds himself regretting his life choices. even though he could probably use fashion help ]

This is a waste of time...

[ hunter grumbles, but he sticks with rodya, no matter where she drags him to. she can probably foist her bags off on him too ]

wildcard....

[yuwon]

[ despite the conclusion of their last conversation, yuwon remains mostly unchanged in his behaviors and attitude. however, while he dons a similar expression as usual, there is definitely a distinct tension in the air, especially when he's around rodya. this is especially the case now that they've settled into their room for the night.

initially, when he checked in beside her, he didn't think much about the actual details, but when they get their keys and get up to their room... he sees there's only one large bed. while the bed is sizeable and probably won't pose an issue in terms of rest, it is still ... he seems to fall into thought once he places some of their supplies down (assuming, he's carrying them up). even now, he opens up his inventory, and seems to throw a couple of things in, before turning towards her. ]

If you're uncomfortable, I can sleep outside. [ it's not usual for yuwon to practice this sort of consideration, normally he would have simple just acted on what he thought was appropriate without gathering any other opinions or input. but, considering their prior talk, it only felt right to approach this with a bit more delicacy.

maybe he does learn, after all. ]

ty for feeding me...

[axethrows]

[It's no lie that there is air around them lately has a type of tension between them. Rodya has been mostly herself all things considered and she is taking it as well as she could when they end up having to share a room together. It's been an eventful day as they are in a brand new city with it's pros and cons. Something is definitely going on with a lot of the locals acting strange and it's definitely going to relate to their next target.

She stares at the lone large bed for a good amount of time before shaking her head at his comment. She might as well set her belongings down in a safe spot, all the new things she gained in Vegas along with some helpful supplies like extra water.]

Nah. Don't bother. [It's their room after all, they can make this work. She is going to help herself by taking a seat on the edge of the bed before falling backwards to lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.] It's comfy! Plus I think it's big enough for both of us. We each get a side and have plenty of space.

[That is only by what she sees, it could be wrong if they both actually get in the bed at the same time.]

If you are really tired, I can go leave and do something while you sleep. It takes me a long time to fall asleep anyways... Might go get a drink or two downstairs.

[She already had a lot of alcohol today, but a strong tolerance along with carrying a lot of burdens does that to you.]

stop, that's me to you

[yuwon]

[ while she lays out on the bed, he turns to her, giving a quiet hint of agreement. an invisible nod of his head, considering she's looking up at the ceiling instead of him. once he's packed everything within his inventory, he pulls a jacket out before closing it. while normally he did wear it on and off (mostly during missions), he's currently opted to wearing casual clothes instead. while he's been fine thus far, he presumes the climate may affect her more than it does him and his stats. ]

You don't have to leave if you don't want to. But, if you're going to go out— [ he stands right beside her knees by the bed, placing his garment of the four great elements on top of her and over her body. ] You should wear that. I don't really need it for now.

[ until the actual kaiju fight, he thinks. still, he doesn't really offer any explanation for it for now. he figures she could use while they travel to avoid some of the heat. so he supposes even if she doesn't leave, she could just hold onto it for now. ]

... do you usually have trouble sleeping?

[axethrows]

Hm? [She sits up as soon as the jacket fall over her body, holding it up before she tries it on out of curiosity. Yuwon is slightly taller and larger than her, but it still fits pretty well and it's oddly comfortable? Even in the heat heavy climate they are in right now. If Yuwon was hoping deep down for a smile out of her, he got it as soon as she looked at him. There is some tension and a certain wall between them, but it's very thoughtful of him to offer his jacket to her.]

Thanks. How I look in it? Pretty good, right? [She makes a few turns in her body in attempt to model it a little bit.] Even in hot weather, I oddly don't feel a single sweat incoming while wearing it.

[She pauses a little once he asked his question, but she does give him a nod.]

Sometimes. If I get lucky after an exhausting day, I would pass out without problems. [Her eyes glance downwards.] But, yeah... Can't deny that I would lay awake with my thoughts before drifting off to sleep.

[And there is the usual Backstreet dangers that it's hard to sleep since you never know who might be lurking around.]

[yuwon]

It suits you. [ he says easily, clearly finding no reason to mince his response. while it's not exactly filled with an overwhelming amount of energy or anything, it's clear that he means what he says. ] It would have been better if I had my other items, but it should help with the heat.

[ he affirms her observation. he's impressed she could feel the difference out for herself so quickly, and he's a bit relieved that the properties of the items themselves haven't changed. one less thing to worry about, if just because he's never lent anyone any of his items here before. ]

I guess it could be difficult depending on the environment. [ from what he knows of the city, he can comprehend that it probably isn't an easy place to work, live, and sleep in. but, that does also make him wonder: ] Even here?

[ not that he could blame her for still being cautious in an unfamiliar place like this. ]

[axethrows]

Hey, anything that helps out is a plus in my book. I have been to some humid and hot places, but a city in a desert is new.

[Like the trash beaches of U Corp and the seas of the Great Lake to name a few. The fire element Abnormalities also may had an impact on their surroundings when she and the others face them in combat.]

I mean, yeah? [A pause.] Don't get me wrong, it's nice to sleep in a proper bed and that helped a lot all things considered. I'm still not immune to restless thoughts and rude awakenings in the middle of the night.

[Nightmares of various 'what if' scenarios, her past replaying in her head like an unending movie. She has gotten used to rarely getting a good night sleep, even here. Alcohol does help a little, but it's not a huge fix. She still sleeps alone with the cold and she accepted it that she will continue to feel like this, even when she yearns for change.]

[yuwon]

[ he supposed it was a bit of rare shift in climate, but compared to some floors that felt more akin to walking through an environment of an active volcano, this wasn't too bad. but, at the same time: ] It's not my favorite, either.

[ not that he's against it by any means, either. he crosses his arms over his chest briefly, though it does feel weird to stand up looking down at her, even as she now sits up. hence, he eventually takes a seat at the opposite end of the bed as they continue. ]

Are you saying you didn't have a proper bed back at home? [ it still feels a bit off to use the word "home" when it felt like this place was meant to be theirs, however indefinitely. still, he decides not to ponder on it any longer than he has to. ] But, no matter what, you should try and get six hours. Tonight you just need to concentrate on sleeping. [ with his sensory field, it wasn't difficult for him to keep watch, at least.

but that said, it really does make him wonder what her home was really like. if her room was really that different from her place on base. ]