bath game

[animusmods]

Characters: characters participating in the bath game
Setting: a shower room
Format: any
Summary: bath time for the tower
Warnings: general horror/creepiness warnings

OOC INFORMATION

MINGLE
RITUAL

The elevator opens up into a huge bathroom lined with independent shower stalls. The room is large enough that there is a stall for every participant in the game. The structure of the room itself is entirely a polished, chrome-like metal with an impossibly sterile feeling to it, not unlike the rest of the bathrooms in the Tower.

The retrieval units lead the players to the stalls. Pulling back the curtain reveals that within the shower stalls are not actually showers, but old-fashioned claw foot tubs. The tubs, in sharp contrast to the metal of the room, don't look like they've ever seen a cleaning product. Rust and mineral deposit cover the taps and faucet. The tub itself is crusted with a build-up of minerals, soap scum, and mold. One threadbare white towel rests folded next to the tub, and a plain white bar of soap sits on top of the towel.

The players are then supplied with a piece of paper including instructions on what they are to do in the stall. If they're not able to read, it will be read to them. Judging by how the retrieval units guard the elevator, there is no leaving until the instructions are completed.

Better get to bathing.

Comments

[myblueskies]

Romeo had gone quietly, having long learned that fighting only made things worse in the long term.

He took the instructions and read them carefully, it sounded really really complicated! Especially if they couldn't open their eyes to check what to do next.

He stood instructions in hand, staring at the bath tubs like they would eat him. They looked scary.

He took a deep breath, punched the air and looked around for anyone who might need help or cheering up. Some of the people who didn't have collars were here, and they would probably be even more confused and scared!

[cullscuttlefish]

Feferi was a whole lot calmer than the last time she'd seen her friend. Her anger at the Tower was still there, but she'd gotten it down to a much more manageable level. When she approached this time, her nerves were as collected as she could get them. She was out to look out for her friends this time around, and when she spotted Romeo's face, she carefully made her way over.

"Hey. How are you holding up? I know these things look scary, but I also know a secret that will help."

She smiled, kneeling down and beckoning him close so she could whisper.

"The nicer you are to a ghost, the nicer it will be to you. Back home, I talked with some beings that were kind of like ghosts a lot. If you follow the ghost's instructions and you stay brave, things will be all right."

[myblueskies]

Romeo was glad to see Feferi, and glad that she wasn't so angry, that had been really scary. He moved closer to here so he could hear the secret.

"I guess the ghosts must be a bit scared as well if lotsa people just keep talking to them." It made sense you should be nice to them, you should be nice to everyone! And if Feferi had done this before then she knew what she was talking about!

"We just gotta keep our spirits up and everything will be okay!"

[cullscuttlefish]

"Mm-hmm. They get a little bit scared, or a little bit upset that people think they're so scary. They're misunderstood, that's all. That's why there are the directions, so they won't be so misunderstood."

Feferi smiled again, nodding her head.

"I know it's scary, being in the dark and all that. It was like that talking to them back home, too. But it was always okay, because I knew all I needed to do was keep being nice."

At that exclamation, she grinned - careful of her teeth - and let out a giggle. "That's exactly right! Things are glubbing to be just fine."

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded solumnly, it must be really sad and scary being a ghost he thought. And so it was important so people did things right so the ghosts weren't sad! He would make sure to be extra nice, even if he was really scared.

He grinned, "They will be!"

[bakegarasu]

A tall, possibly scary-looking man stood near Romeo, before approaching him.

"Hey. You okay, kid?"

Why were there so many kids around? This place was insane. They shouldn't be here.

[myblueskies]

He was very tall, and a bit scary but Romeo grinned at him anyways. He didn't have a collar so he was from that other place, and was probably a bit worried.

"I am sir, we just gotta keep our spirits up, and that way the bad people can't win!"

[bakegarasu]

... He couldn't bear to break the kid's positive point of view.

"Sure. Just be careful."

[myblueskies]

"I will be!" Romeo grinned at him again, "You too sir, miss Ruana's games can get really bad sometimes so you got to try and stay safe."

[bakegarasu]

"Don't worry about me, kid. I'll be fine." He could take a lot of things. He was more worried about the people who weren't as sturdy.

[myblueskies]

"I'm sure you will be." He grinned and looked around again, even if he still didn't like the sight of the baths. "I'm Romeo sir! What's your name?"

[bakegarasu]

Otoha debated on which name he should give the kid for a moment before settling. "I'm Otoha."

He stuck a hand out for the kid to shake, trying to be gentle about it.

[drakenguard]

Yamato was more than a little disgruntled about being hauled here and forced into a room with other people with little to no explanation - even more so when he actually read the instructions on the paper. He didn't even know who most of these people were! So when he spotted Romeo, someone who he at least was aware of...he made a beeline for him immediately.

"Romeo, was it? Do you know what is happening?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo smiled at him, "Hello mister Yamato." He nodded, "It's one of miss Ruana's games. They are usually scary so you gotta try really hard to keep your spirits up!"

[drakenguard]

"Games?"

Yamato looked down at the crumpled paper in his hand. He memorised the instructions already but, this was a game? Summoning spirits was not something to be playing with.

"...I don't really want to play this," he said coldly, waving the instructions about in a very disgruntled manner.

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded, "You don't get a choice sir, they're not very nice games and only fun for miss Ruana but we gotta play them. It will be okay though!"

[drakenguard]

Yamato let out a harsh exhale. He supposed Romeo would know best in these situations, but still, hn, was there no way to escape from this? He had looked at those bathtubs! They were absolutely disgusting.

"I highly doubt it. Spirits are finicky, and enjoy murdering the living if you invoke them so frivolously," he warned. He knew those of the tower were nigh immortal, but he knew some of the people here were from Hinoto-Ri, who were, unfortunately, not immortal, and would stay dead if they were killed.

[myblueskies]

"Feferi says they only hurt you because they are scared, sir, so as long as you are nice to them it will be alright." He hoped that was right.

[drakenguard]

Yamato gave Romeo a long, long look. "Perhaps that is true for some spirits, but most are very dangerous creatures that are jealous of the living. Being 'nice' to them will just end up with you dead."

[relinquishing]

Guy was a bit more grounded in the idea of these "games" when the elevator made its descent. He had already been through one and had felt the uncomfortable sting of death, even if it was in a dream-like state. He had felt the unsettling fog that had come over the whole activity, and he easily recognized it when the retrieval droids brought them into the giant shower room.

He drew himself up with a thin frown, glancing around the people gathered and looking for a familiar face. Hopefully no one from his own world was here. But spotting the twelve-year-old that had so graciously given him a gift on his first day, down here in a game like this? It felt just as wrong.

"Romeo?" He sounded a bit disbelieving as he stepped forward towards the boy. "Hey, what in the world are you doing down here...?"

This was hardly the place for any of them, let alone a child. It certainly wasn't stopping the boy's mission, whatever it happened to be. But were they really expecting a kid to go through this kind of thing, too?

[myblueskies]

Romeo waved and skipped over to Guy. "Hello!" He was still a bit nervous but trying to keep his spirits up as best as possible, and helping others do the same.

"They brought me." He nodded towards the retrieval units, "It's one of miss Ruana's games."

[relinquishing]

"I can see that, yeah," he muttered, cautiously looking over at the units. "But she makes you play these, too? That's why you;re down here?"

He knew the answer was probably yes, but part of him wants to imagine the boy simply wandered down here on his own or that it was a simple mistake. No, no, don't make a boy so young go through something like this...

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded, "She makes everyone play sir."

[relinquishing]

"Mmmn. No wonder she isn't making many friends, then, huh... These games aren't very fun." Inwardly Guy cursed the woman as hard as he could, his jaw setting tightly. Fair or unfair, it didn't change that they were still here to play and possibly to die. And with how calm the young brunette seemed...

His eyes clouded a bit, leaning down a bit with palms against his thighs to be more at eye-level with the boy.

"...Romeo, have you played these kinds of games with Ruanabefore?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded, "Lots of times sir, but don't worry. It's alright as long as you keep your spirits up!" He smiled bravely at him, trying to reassure him it would be alright.