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

[ghostytrainer]

See! Right there, you said it yourself! Something was fucking with your head. I'm guessing it was that stupid tape we listened to on our date. Because I listened to one on my own before the date, and after that I couldn't stop hitting on basically anything that moved. [He squeezes her hands tightly.]

I know you wouldn't have done something like that if you had any control over it, Rose!

[tentacletrainer]

[[She resists the urge to pull her hands away, but only barely. She doesn't mean to raise her voice, but that was all...jarring. That entire experience was extremely jarring.

And the fact that she...doesn't completely disagree with her logic of why she had done that to him makes everything worse.]]

You can be so stupid sometimes! [[It's not said in a condescending way nor does it carry any sound of hostility. She actually sounds...almost hurt.]]

[ghostytrainer]

[Well she doesn't have to worry about it, because at that response, John pulls his hands away, pointing to himself with both hands.]

I'm stupid? Rose, let me ask you something. What if the situation were reversed? What if I was the one who was brainwashed by a murder tape instead of one that just made me hit on everything with two legs? What would you tell me in that situation?

[tentacletrainer]

[[Well fine, because she didn't want to hold them anyway! Instead, they ball into fists at her side.]]

That I still love you, and don't blame you, but there's obviously a problem that we need to address! Because either of us killing the other against our own will is a huge problem! And unlike most issues we've faced in the past, this isn't a big pink Donphan that we can just ignore in favor of pretending everything is okay! Because unlike in Johto, things may not be as okay as we want them to be!

[ghostytrainer]

No shit, really?! This tower isn't as okay as Johto? Golly I never would have guessed!!

[He throws his arms up in the air.]

But I guess I really must be stupid because I don't understand what problem there is to address!! We can't really do anything about being brainwashed, Rose. That's kind of how it works!

[tentacletrainer]

Well excuse me for reiterating a very important fact! I'll be sure to keep any and all relevant, important points out of conversation now because obviously there is no need to reinforce how much impact they may actually have on our current situation!

John, my point is, if something like that happens again what are you going to do? And what will you do if it isn't "brainwashing"?

[ghostytrainer]

[He's all set and ready to snap back at her until she says that last bit. It's like a pin to his anger balloon, and he seems to visibly deflate, his angry replaced with confusion.]

...not brainwashing?

[tentacletrainer]

[[Rose holds her breath a moment and then sighs. She, on the other hand, is still visibly angry. Fists still clenched at her sides and obviously ready to snap at him at a moment's notice, judging by the look on her face.]]

John, did you really think brainwashing is the only way something or someone could coerce a person into doing such horrible things?

[ghostytrainer]

Well no, I mean there's possession too, but the fact still remains that you would be doing it against your will.

[An unsure pause.]

Right...?

[tentacletrainer]

That's what I'm saying John. I...I don't know. The way I justified what I did to you...makes a lot of sense to me. [[Not that she would dream of doing it again, if how upset she is over this entire situation isn't enough proof of that.]]

There's brainwashing, there's possession...and there's very powerful persuasion.

[ghostytrainer]

[He face just falls even more at that. Rose...what are you saying?]

It...what? You what?

[tentacletrainer]

[[She falls silent at that. Admitting it was hard enough. She didn't want to explain it.]]

...we should probably start this stupid game.

[ghostytrainer]

The tubs aren't going anywhere. [He takes one of her hands in his own again, keeping his grip firm. Sorry, Rose. But it is time to Talk About This.]

[tentacletrainer]

[[She remains silent. Apparently this is her last defense against Talking About This.]]

[ghostytrainer]

[He rubs his thumb over the back of her hand.]

Come on, Rose...please talk to me about this. Because I don't want you to keep avoiding me I miss you and I can't sleep and just...please?

[tentacletrainer]

I won't keep avoiding you John. [[Please leave the subject alone.]]

[ghostytrainer]

Good. Now stop avoiding the subject too. [Nope. You can't bring this up as something that needs to be addressed and then try and drop the subject, Rose. That's not how it works.]

[tentacletrainer]

[[Just...more silence to that.]]

[ghostytrainer]

Rose...come on, please. You said it yourself, things are different here. And not different in a good way. We can't afford to keep secrets from each other, who knows how something like that could potentially be used against us!

[tentacletrainer]

It's not...it's not a secret. And it's kind of obvious how this could be used against us. It already has, but I don't know how to change how I feel.

[ghostytrainer]

Yeah it kind of is. I mean you won't tell me what it is, and that's kind of what a secret is. If you just tell me, then maybe we can figure something out together?

[You don't have to do it all alone, Rose.]

[tentacletrainer]

[[She sighs, trying to figure out how she wants to word it.]]

I said that...cutting you up like that made it so that you couldn't give yourself away. I would have you to myself. And while I disapprove of what I had done, I admit to being possessive like that.

[ghostytrainer]

[He rubs his thumbs in small circles on the back of her palm again, silent for a good minute or so.]

Well...you know you have me to yourself, right? I don't want to give myself away to anybody else. Hell, even after I listened to that tape, I didn't really mean any of the stuff I said. I just couldn't stop myself from saying it.

[A beat.]

Well, none of the stuff I said to other people, anyway. [A grin, chuckle, and squeeze of her hands.] Because you really would be fine print if you were words on a page.

[tentacletrainer]

See and that's why I never brought it up before.

[ghostytrainer]

What? Why?