SET SAIL: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

[returnjourney]

SET SAIL: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

January 1, 2022 – January 7, 2022
Welcome to the new year and the Return Journey's opening event! We're starting with something light to get everyone acclimated and so no one feels they've missed too much if they app after the holiday season. We'd like to make it easy for any new players to jump in right away.

If you have any questions about the event, please ask here.

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The Helpdesk

1. What? My name is who? My name is—

Salutations! Now that everyone's respective warden and inmate orientations are out of the way, you've been given a helpful, mandatory name tag. It instantly appears on your shirt and can't be taken off, though where it appears on your shirt is a bit more unpredictable; it's an imperfect science, so it's just as likely to pop up on the back of your shirt as the front. If you try to remove your clothes, the tag appears on your skin; they're waterproof, so a quick shower won't get rid of it, either. What can we say — it's mandatory.

While the tags all follow the standard "HELLO my name is" format and have your name or most common alias, they also include some other information. For wardens, it features a space that declares "I LIKE" and one or two of your most choices hobbies. For inmates, it features these hobbies and "I have killed [x] people" (this may be a specific number or something akin to "a lot of" or "no"). Fun icebreaker, right?

2. Twenty Questions

Speaking of icebreakers, a brief announcement summons everyone to the observatory. Again, yes, it's mandatory; wardens must retrieve absent inmates before any more information is revealed. Better hop to it!

Upon arrival, passengers will discover that the Peregrine's resident bot force has reconfigured the observatory with small, portable cubicles, each with a transparent wall that retains a lovely view of the observatory's massive window. Each inmate is assigned their own cubicle and, upon entering, cannot leave without a warden's say so; the door only unlocks with a warden's CommLink.

Wardens are tasked with interviewing at least one inmate, to get a feel for their prospective charges. They can have as much time as they need to formulate what questions they want to ask, but that might leave some inmates waiting. Maybe that's on purpose, though. In any case, the exercise is over once an inmate is asked five questions and a warden receives five answers.

Archimedes will collect name tags after the interviews for incineration. The robotic owl is, notably, the only one who can remove them.

3. Polite Picnic

The greenhouse doesn't always have enough fresh produce to go around (and often what is collected is frozen and preserved), but given the circumstances — a new mission and new passengers — everyone can reap the rewards this month...if they share. A bot stationed in the mess hall mechanically tells anyone who crosses into range (whether they mean to visit the produce table or not) that they aren't to take more than three fruits and/or vegetables. If you choose not to abide by the rules...well, that depends if you're caught and by who.

The produce available are as follows:

Adalfane: Tastes like cocaine, but very nutritious, especially when eaten raw.
Tuadath: Smells awful, but very hearty when cooked, tasting a little like steak.
Tsanyi: Pure, sugary sweetness. Can be made into a refreshing drink, eaten raw, or sprinkled over a desert.

There are notably fewer tsanyi than adalfane or tuadath. But if everyone's nice and cooperates, each person can get exactly one.

Comments

Agrias Oaks | Warden | will match tag format!

[cleansingstrike]

[My Name Is-]
Hello, my name is Agrias Oaks. I like my Queen and Country.

A touch obvious for her taste, and she wasn't much much of a fan of how casually Lady Ovelia had been mentioned. Still, there seemed to be no away around it. The entire point of this exercise was to introduce oneself to the others. Simple enough. At least, it would've been if Agrias had any real confidence in holding a casual conversation. Her dedication as a knight had left her with some... shortcomings, one could say.

"Ah..." She clears her throat shortly after approaching someone. "Well met. Do these strange times find you well?"


[Twenty Questions]
Okay, this she could do. All she needed to do was to ask a series of questions to get to know the inmates. Complete that, and they would be on their way. The problem was, however, once she and the inmate were together, Agrias simply... blanked on what she could even ask. There were so many choices, she was having difficulty settling on where to begin.

"Forgive me, 'tis my first time conducting an interrogation."

That... wasn't really helping her case, calling it that.

name.

[counterstep]

( bucky offers a quick smile as he approaches, amusement finding its way into his express with the clearing of her throat. )

Honestly? Yeah. ( and he means that for once, which would surprise anyone he knows, but it doesn't make much of a difference here. he offers his hand for a shake. ) James.

What country are you from, Miss Oaks?

[cleansingstrike]

[She shakes his hand in response, a gesture that helps her feel a bit more at ease.]

Ah, I hail from the kingdom of Ivalice. A knight in service of the Queen and the people.

What of yourself, James?

[counterstep]

( ivalice. hm. he's not heard of that before, certainly not in history or of the present. maybe another world? knights aren't so commonplace anymore either, but a honorable position nonetheless. is that commonplace in s a place like this? )

I'm American. Er. From America. I dunno if you'd have heard of it though, cause I definitely haven't heard of Ivalice before. ( it even feels strange on his tongue. ) Who's your queen, if I may ask?

[cleansingstrike]

Her Royal Majesty Queen Ovelia Atkascha. I've been under her service for many years, and she has remained my charge for just as long. My duties and travels have taken me away from her, and... 'Tis my greatest hope that my time here would have me return to her side.

[There's a fondness whenever she speaks and thinks about Ovelia. The two have known each other for so long, after all.]

Ah, mine apologies, James. I did not mean to speak so much for what was but a simple question.

twenty questions

[saklas]

The inmate's got his legs up at a 90 degree angle so he can rest his feet on the wall. It looks uncomfortable. So does the bloody nose. He's been here like less than an hour and he's already gotten hit in the face.

"So make it zero times. I don't want to either."

He looks up from where he's been opening every single app on his communicator one by one to see which ones are bloatware.

"Good costume. Is that from my set?"

[cleansingstrike]

A strange one, this man. Perhaps more unusual than the rest, if it even possible.

"'Tis no costume, I can assure you that much. Much as I can also assure that our time here will only conclude once enough questions have been asked. Allow me to begin."

May as well start with the obvious.

"How did you get injured?"

cw veiled domestic abuse joke

[saklas]

"I fell down the stairs," he says. The tone is sweet and mocking, and he folds his hands over themselves and bats his eyelashes in a parody of sad innocence.

Then he drops out of it, turns his gaze back to her outfit. Hunh. Okay. He still can't trust that what he's seeing is real to other people, so it's probably best not to bring up that he's seeing armor? Let's... just leave it for now.

His voice drops back to a flatter tone, though his normal speaking voice still isn't really what you'd call manly.

"I don't want to play this game. I'll sleep in here, I don't care. Watch me."

[cleansingstrike]

"'Twould seem you're rather set in your ways, am I correct? Very well, I would have your intentions tested myself." She stood there, setting up a spot for herself against the wall before taking him up on his offer. More of a challenge, really.

"I'll not try and dissuade you further. As you've suggested, I'll merely observe and wait for as long as necessary." It sounds likes a bluff, but her tone suggests otherwise. Agrias is wholly serious in what she's committing to.

"I would still expect answering mine questions to yield a more timely release, if that is your wish."

[saklas]

"And to be clear, when you say release you mean you're going to let me out into the larger building, out of this cube, rather than sending me home. Right?"

[cleansingstrike]

"Aye, 'tis as you say. I've no more power than you or any of others brought here when it comes to..." She clears her throat, still needing to fully grasp the idea.

"Returning to our worlds of origin."

[saklas]

"Worlds."

Deeply deeply skeptical of this. He looks her costume up and down again.

"If you don't have any power, why are you here? Why am I even answering questions? If you don't do anything, what do you do?"

This is a quiet, semi-dangerous tone of voice when he's at home and can actually fire people. Why Are You On My Payroll If You Don't Do Anything?

20q

[kaijuice]

"Do you require assistance?" Dry. His stare bores over the desk; an index finger taps its surface, once. "Perhaps I should begin."

This is the third such chat he's had today. It's tiresome. His finger lifts, spirals a casual nod to her nametag.

"Why do you care for your country?"

[cleansingstrike]

"'Tis my one and only home. Full of honest, hard-working men and women. Though it may be flawed, I've sworn an oath to see it protected from those would tarnish its beauty and those who live in it."

Agrias had initially thought it a simple question, yet one that still prompted a bit of... pondering.

"What of yourself? Have you thoughts of your lands that you would give voice to?"

[kaijuice]

"And your queen," Her question goes ignored. Certainly, he has thoughts. "Is she honest?"

[cleansingstrike]

"Aye, the Lady Ovelia... I've known and served under for many a year, and 'tis my greatest hope that I can continue by her side for as long as time would allow. I'd not make such a declaration without complete faith in her." It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Agrias would think of her practically every day.

"Were I to regain my sword and shield, they would be hers to command."

By now, she expects her point to have been made.

[kaijuice]

"But here you are, rather far from her side." One hopes. If someone struts into this little box in a crown, he will have difficulty containing himself. "Why is that?"

[cleansingstrike]

"Duty saw me needed elsewhere, further than she could follow. The lady Ovelia is dear to me, that much I've made clear, yet so is my country. And I would not see it twisted and perverted by those in the shadows." The corruption amongst Ivalice's elite ran deeper than anyone would know, or could believe.

"Finding myself here, I would seek to hasten my return to her side."

[kaijuice]

"Is that what you've been promised of this?" A spindling gesture to the room beyond. "A ticket home?"

Twenty Questions

[lessandmorethanhuman]

Alex was settled in his side of the booth with his legs up (albeit bent) against one and and was leaning his hands behind his head at the other end. Almost relaxed, and definitely casual. He seemed unconcerned.

"Interrogation huh? Well, we're starting off on the best foot then." Would Agrias recognize the sarcasm? Too bad Alex's name tag is semi-obscured where it sits on his left upper chest. Hi my...Alex.....Reading and science....A LOT of people. could all be made out.

[cleansingstrike]

"A learning experience, at the very least." Agrias might have been traveled and battle-hardened, but navigating through a casual conversation was still a bit of a work-in-progress for her. At least she could recognize sarcasm.

Mostly.

Maybe?

"Well then... Alex." She picked up what she was able to from his tag.

"What sort of works do you enjoy reading?"

[lessandmorethanhuman]

"Anything that catches my interest." Piercing blue-eyes flicked to her nametag, then to her. "Queen and Country huh. Where're you from?"

[cleansingstrike]

A more non-specific response than she would've hoped for, but it satisfied her enough to continue with the exercise.

"The kingdom of Ivalice. I expect it to be a name you've little familiarity with, much as I would know next to nothing of your own lands."

[lessandmorethanhuman]

Funny thing was, as much as it was non-specific it was true as well. Alex would read anything that caught his interest. "You're right, I haven't heard of it. You a noble then?" Maybe even a knight.

[cleansingstrike]

She shook her head. "Nothing nearly so grandiose, Ser. I am but a mere knight who longs to return to her Queen's side." A role she was very content and comfortable in, knowing that Ivalice's nobility had left much to be desired.

"What of yourself? Would you tell me of your own aspirations?"