synflux | ( open; ) summer episode part 2?

( open; ) summer episode part 2?

WHO: Any Outsider is more than welcome!
WHAT: Dating shows... I was bullied.
WHERE: Between Okinawa & Neo Tokyo.
WHEN: Throughout the remainder of July (listen, it's a production)!
WARNINGS: Partial nudity, alcohol, potential suggestive topics, and will update 'em as I see 'em!

Throughout the city of Neo Tokyo and even Okinawa, there will be advertisements posted by the hundreds (and spam mail to your oculars by an equal number), desiring candidates for a show. While the aftermath of vegas and other bleak instances might have led way for people practicing some semblance of moderation— opposite to that, the people also need their entertainment, don't they?

Fortunately, there will be an influx of dating shows looking for people to appear. They are offering a fairly decent amount of money and are even offering luxury experiences for free for participants. In this economy and food shortage??? Okay, the food may be lacking, but they do make up for it in various activities they have planned, where people can kick back, relax, and romance?

While there will be any number of shows looking for interested parties, these are the main shows/premises:

SPEED DATING

As the label suggests. People will be expected to sit down and switch through several partners. In their hands will be a card labeling who they encounter and a place to leave a check mark. They will also be given a list of questions that can be answered.

PARTNER SWAP

People can be on a show and swap partners. This doesn't necessarily need to be romantic, either. Have a friend you want to show up with, cool. The only rules are that the pairs who enter together cannot stay together during the duration of the show.

SINGLES INFERNO

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be trapped on a deserted island with other hot singles? Well, now you no longer have to wonder. They will need to cook and fend for themselves here with minimal activities or distraction— but, isn't that the point? All you need to focus on is each other! (* They will be ferried to an outer island by Okinawa). While on the island, which they label as inferno, it's also a rule that one cannot speak about their age, occupation, or any such personal details. All of this will be reserved for "paradise." To go to paradise, two individuals will need to pick one another, and if they do — they are able to go on to completed various luxury experiences together.

For those who would rather find paradise in inferno together, you can presume there are tents that act as shared dormitory quarters where contestants will stay together.

DATE ME

People are free to use this for just general dates. Maybe, you just want to finesse the system and enjoy a fun all-expense-paid for date in which you get to eat like relative kings and enjoy various experiences. Feel free to use anything in the setting to your desire.

SKINSHIP STARTER

... a show where you get paid the more skinship you do. Don't do anything you wouldn't do in a Wendy's though. (That's not how the saying actually goes).

COMMENTARY PANEL

Every good dating show needs those who simply sit and commentate, right?

* It can be assumed any of this is just open to general CR you want to spend time with, too. This is just supposed to be a silly log for chances for characters to get to know one another! Characters are more than welcome to assume they stumble upon this by accident, think it's just a basic job and can't leave, film or unfilmed (minus the commentary prompt), and whatever else! Feel free to tag freely, threadjack, etc!

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A. SINGLES INFERNO

[He looks like he doesn't belong. Like, literally. Everyone is having their fun in the sun, rubbing elbows, getting to know each other, and here Vergilius is, looking like some horror movie prop that was left behind on the set, all red eyes and sullen gloom. He came here, thinking Malkuth was here, too, but they must keep missing each other.]

[Now he has to tolerate all this. The producers are doing their best (gingerly) to encourage him, given that he's not here for the right reasons. He could play along, but even so, he's as morose and irritable as everything.]

[He'll heave a large sigh like an abandoned dog when he sees some couples leaving the island, happy in mutually chosen bliss.]

....I don't think I'll ever reach paradise.

[....Maybe he really does mean that literally.]

B. SKINSHIP

[Who could resist the charms of a grumpy grizzled old man? Clearly, the producers know some parts of their audience is into that, especially with someone as battleworn as Vergilius, and once again the Red Gaze finds himself pulled into a situation he clearly does not like being in. Really, he wishes he could just break some bones and be done with it, but he doesn't want to deal with the hassle of "oh no you can't do VIOLENCE here" either.]

[His neck line of his collared shirt is a little more open, his striped jacket shed, and sleeves rolled up. He's like a tapestry of old scars, scattered and crisscross against a tough, muscular backdrop. Whoever approaches will receive a growl for their troubles.]

Touch anywhere where I don't want you to, and I'll rip your hand off.

[He really does seem like he means that. Want to take your chances? Can you tame this old wolf?, asks a producer anxiously, trying to paint this in a better light. Maybe you can!]

[However....if he does know you....there's no glare or growl, here. But he's rather withdrawn all the same, simply watching to see what you'll do. Approach?]

C. WILDCARD

[Vergilius can generally be found milling around the city. Occasionally, he'll be seen sipping at some fruity drink or walking along the beach with a Charlie Brown sulky walk.....throw whatever ideas u have at me!! PM me @ vampirize on plurk or fridayivy @ discord!]

Edited 2024-07-11 19:41 (UTC)

[ Why was he even here? There wasn't a good answer, because somehow through the machinations others — Silco would blame the two gods he'd arrived with — he was here. He was on this godforsaken island and being asked to... what? Pair up? Silco's eyes could not roll further into his skull, and by this point, he practically was staring at the sky constantly, because of how ludicrous this proposal was.

Honestly? This was the kind of nonsense he would have expected out of Jinx, if it weren't for. You know. Jinx's everything.

Silco certainly had no interest in this, and it showed because he just happened to be nearby Vergilius, and he happened to have a look on his fac that said, in no uncertain terms, that he was having a bad time. Arms crossed over his reedy chest, hunched over himself, he looked like he was considering taking a dive and swimming for it, really.

If you know, a human twig could make it that far, but it was probably more likely that he'd just die, so he hadn't committed yet. ]

Oh? You neither?

[ He asked, in that half-slurred drawl he had, as if they were two castaways. Silco has not considered the alternative yet. ]

Who concocted this torture, I wonder?

[ Had Silco had the opportunity? Of course he had, there had been plenty of ~~people i take inspiration from tumblr on~~ younger types who had asked an awkward question or two before the scarred man had told them to go away.

He clearly wasn't doing himself any favors. ]

I don't know. And I don't know if I care. Unless they're here, and I could easily show them what I think of this, exactly.

[That's a threat, and he knows it. Maybe that isn't good for ratings, but he's no here to make everyone else's life easier. Quite the opposite. He's more than determined to be a thorn in everyone's side.]

[He glances to Silco, who looks just as aggrieved. Maybe misery really does deserve company.]

How long do you think you can tolerate this nonsense? I'm giving myself a few minutes at most.

[ Thank god there are two old men here to be sticks in the mud where they aren't enjoying themselves. ]

I can tolerate a great deal of misery.

[ He said, fishing into his pockets to hunt out a cigar, please tell him he still has a cigar somewhere. Please please please —

Ah, there's one in his shirt. Phew. He pulled it out. ]

And even I find myself ready to leave. How long do you think they will make us stay, if we hold out? If I were interested in... [ He looks like he has consumed a very sour lemon ] dating, I certainly would not choose this.

They must be fools to think this is a wise way to spend their time.

Maybe we can hold out for a few days. We can find a tent. Start fishing. Live the rest of our sorry, sorry lives out in the land.

[He nods at the cigar - he's not one to smoke, himself, but its smart for the man to bring it along. Something to weather the disgrace of the situation, here.]

[A little roll of the shoulders back, leaning his head this way and that as a lazy, bored stretch.]

My idea of a date would be a quiet restaurant with proper company. Not this nonsense in front of cameras and people poking their sticks in to prod us along. What are we, show animals?

[A sigh.]

And yet, they take my annoyance as a challenge...same with you?

Edited 2024-07-13 04:55 (UTC)

That is what they think we are, of course. Cattle for their slaughter before a throne.

[ Silco was, unfortunately, incredibly dramatic. ]

Personally, I have no interest in a quiet life, to live out my days in obscurity. I have too much before me, to remain here.

[ Who knows, a dark little part of him whispers. Is it not possible, that this is all just a way to eliminate him quietly? Perhaps they had all been deceived, and he remains sleeping, beneath the tree where he was in his previous world, and this is all a construction to rid the fight of him for his crimes. Leave him underneath, dreaming, quiet and taken away, because they feared him and hated him. Would it not be easier, put a few friendly faces that recognize him, and spin him up to bleed out in another world.

The paranoia is there, but he quashes it, grips it tight and lets it fall from his fingers. He will not let the temptation to fade into obscurity tempt him into giving up, certainly, and yet another thing like this is just another reason to fight harder. ]

If they wish to challenge me, they will find that they are left behind. [ He said, simply. ] If they want to see me dance on their line, they'll find that I will tug it and force them to dance instead.

[ He puffed at his cigar. ] Unless, of course, they decide to let us go without incident, of course.

[ Silco not make a mountain out of a molehill challenge. ]

Too much before me....I'm in the same pit.

[The same exact hole. Too much to do, and here they are, whiling the time away, forced to do a job neither of them wants. Beasts, left to wither in the wastelands of it all, ill-fitted for this proper, happy life.]

["Force them to dance instead". This man is frailer than him. But the strength in his stature, he knows, reveals the reality. It may have been why he was drawn to the man in the first place. A strength like rope, like barbed wire threatening to dig into skin.]

Heh. [He'll smirk at that.] Perhaps they will. I don't think they want a hassle on their hands. Maybe you should dare me to destroy a camera. Or two.

[ Silco's smile is surprisingly sharp, and there's the hint of teeth that seemed to belong on a different man, one not quite so frail or small, one that was a predator. That knew what it was to slay and kill for more than just necessity. ]

Truly, they are lucky that we have somewhere to be.

[ But, to be fair, that just motivates people like the two of them. ]

Would you, if I dared you? I think there is one oh... [ he drug his index finger down his lips, considering. ]

Somewhere in the bushes over by that structure. They're watching us, after all.

If you dared me...

[He trails off, glancing towards the bushes in question. Hm. He can probably take care of it.]

Wish me luck against a formidable foe.

[He wanders off.]

[There's a nasty series of cracks and crunches. Vergilius wanders back, and drops the mangled camera at his feet, like an obedient dog.]

Good luck —

[ He says it with a jaunty wave of his hand, and watched — or rather listened — as he could hear the cracks and crunches of something coming apart.

The camera is in Verigilius's hand when he brings it, and drops it at his feet.

He can't help but clap. ]

Perhaps he will think twice about taking a job in recording people like us again in the future, hm? [ Silco's foot reaches out to nudge it this way and that.

The only shame is that he didn't get to watch him pull the thing apart. ]

Perhaps he will. If it isn't his camera...well.

[It could be something else. A finger. A shoulder. Paltry little things.]

[He watches as Silco toes over the wrecked thing, like a predator picking through bones.]

I wonder if we could cheat our way into paradise this way.

I'd rather cheat my way to a drink and some peace.

[ He says, as he abandons looking over the camera. It's a curiosity, but he isn't some expert at gadgetry, or really interested in it beyond enjoying the thought of the man suffering for the crime. After all, he isn't the one who would be able to make heads or tails of the innards of the device. LILITH hadn't done anyone any favors, and brought the person who would be interested.

(Silco's opinion, it should be noted, is a bad one. LILITH definitely would regret bringing chaos incarnate.) ]

But if that's paradise, then so be it. Should we go hunting for more? See if we can make ourselves enough of a nuisance to get... booted out?

[ He says "we", but Silco's methods are likely to end in some miserable people. Nobody should let him do anything. ]

I'd like a drink and some peace, too. A very, very strong drink.

[Just to make up for all this bullshit. He rubs his neck, attention already drifting away from the mangled camera mess as he casts his sullen gaze over the surroundings like a bitter lighthouse.]

We can. I'd like to see if you put your might where your mouth is. I can't have all the fun, hm?

Oh? [ His lips curl into a smile that can only be called unpleasant. ]

You might want to be careful, people like these cameramen are on my level. That means I can exercise a touch less...restraint than most. It's not like I can hurt them that much.

[ But it will feel good to take care of the subject of his ire. After all, he's a normal guy. Powerless now. (not that it stayed his hand before.) But it does lend him a touch more...lenience when it comes to taking care of problems. ]

Shall we? Let's see who gets in our way on the way to... [ His tone dips down, derogatory: ] paradise.

Does it look like I'm careful? Some people are quick to call me a brute.

[And that's both right and wrong. He's not entirely one. But he can be one when push comes to shove.]

[The unpleasant smile doesn't deter him - he meets it with a smirk of his own, red eyes creased.]

After you. I'll let you lead this dance.

[ ~~help~~ ]

Well then...

[ He says, and tipped his head, finally dropping his cigar to the ground and crunching it under his foot, the ember dying off as it did so. He turned, and made his way.

He is no hunter, no fighter, but Silco has something others don't — determination. He might not be able to know where the cameramen are, but he's smart, and used to looking for the signs that would lead him toward his goal. He looks at the dirt, at the surrounding foliage, before there's the slightest catch of glass reflecting light far and away, around the corner of one of the squat structures.

Silco's quick to make his way there, and even quicker kick the camera out of the man's hands. There's the sound of a protest — 'no wait' — before Silco pushes him over with a quick, violent shove, and his foot presses to his throat, cutting off any sound of protest. ]

I wonder how many it will take...?

[ He says, his tone idle, as he slowly chokes the breath out from the man's lungs with a foot alone. He's squirming, but Silco doesn't really move beyond pressing harder. He's not that strong, but... he does what he can. ]

[So, the man takes the lead. Vergilius follows. They may not be dancing, exactly, but Vergilius wants to see his moves. He's used to people who have empowered themselves through implants and the like - Silco must not be one of them. Not yet, anyways, else the encounter in the alleyway would've been far different.]

[But Silco can, of course, handle himself. The heel presses into a fragile spot, and the guide bears witness to it all with nary a change of expression, like a black omen who merely stands at the end of a nightdark street.]

[The man chokes. Vergilius allows himself to glance up at the man once the squirming starts to slow.]

Good show. That should do it. [A pause.] Do you always do it that way? When you fight, I mean.

Step on them?

[ He asked, and looked down at the man.

He hasn't lifted his foot yet. ]

No. In fact, it's not how I prefer at all. Though, I have never been much of a fighter, you must understand. [ He spread his hands, his lips curled into a smile, as if he was not choking the man to death. ]

I normally keep out of the fight. What I can offer in a scrap is far less valuable than what I can do from elsewhere.

[ His lips twitched, and the guy stopped moving. Silco lifted his foot. ]

Not that I am unopposed, but why waste my efforts with this when I'm much more effective elsewhere, hm?

[ In short, he's a planner. ]

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( open; ) summer episode part 2?

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a because it's funny

they're like statler and waldorf but even more horrible

"think they found paradise?" "Don't care, I'll find paradise when they're all gone"

sbdndkd EXACTLY

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