Time for a Cinnabon!

[polymods]

✖ THE MALL

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
You step off the ferry and find there is no beach. No, the concrete wharf opens up to a vast, flat plain of pavement. It goes on, and on, and on. Sodium lights on tall poles are spaced at regular intervals, and as you move forward you notice white lines painted in neat rows.Those of you from a typical earth world might recognise almost immediately that you are, in fact, in a giant parking lot.

Up ahead you can see a vast building, a long rectangle flanked on either end by an even larger square. In the very center there is a large, triangular glass awning hanging over an entranceway composed of several automatic doors. There is neon tubing running along the inside of the awning, lighting up the glass so it is a beacon shining across the expanse of pavement you’re crossing.

That’s right, Travellers. We’re going to The Mall.

The building is huge - it takes a good hour to walk from one anchor store to the other at the opposite end. There are stores selling damn near everything - clothes, housewares, books, kitchen supplies, movies and music, electronics - as well as hair salons, nail salons, and a ton of kiosks. The merchandise being sold seems to be from different decades - anywhere from the 1970s to the late 2000s. You can find almost anything you could want!

The flooring is faux marble, the pillars decorated with brass detailing halfway up their length. Potted palms are set at regular intervals. The mall’s concourse is huge and open, with a glass ceiling criss-crossed with metal supports. A fountain jets water coloured by lights into the air over and over in the center of the concourse.

Escalators and an elevator run up and down to the second floor, where the food court is, which is a heaven, provided you’re too worried about MSG. Food from across every conceivable world exists here - no matter where you’re from, you can find a fast-food version of something you’re familiar with. And there’s an Orange Julius!

Truly, a paradise. Kind of weird that the automatic doors won’t let you out the way you came in, but you have everything you need right here! Just be really careful on those escalators - wouldn’t want to get sucked under. And by the way, what’s that noise…?

Notes:
1. Please remember to mark threads appropriately with Content Warnings when necessary.

2. These prompts are a jumping off point - how they affect your character and their development is up to you.

3. Any food is safe to eat, and is consumable by non-human entities.

4. The people inside the mall are normal humans unless otherwise indicated. Killing them is possible and will affect the colour grading of your Scrywatch depending on the situation.

5. Have fun!

---

Ⅱ. BLACK FRIDAY
CW: violence, mob mentality
One of the mall anchors is a huge department store that sells everything under the sun. As you walk through the empty aisles, you’ll notice that there are signs hung everywhere that read “SALE!” Indeed, prices seem to have been drastically reduced. The place seems eerily calm, however; you can’t see any shoppers anywhere.

But if you walk close to the exterior entrance on the far side of the store, you will see them if you look outside.

Hundreds upon hundreds of people pressed up against the glass doors. With a start you see that all of them, from children to the elderly, are missing their eyes. Black, empty sockets stare sightlessly ahead. Store employees, recognisable by their red smocks, stand at the ready.

“Alright, let’s open her up!” one of them shouts, and the employees move to unlock the doors. Immediately the crowd surges forward. The employees pull each other out of the way moments before they can be trampled. The mob rushes through the entranceways, stampeding towards… towards…

Oh. You.

The mob lacks any empathy; people push and climb over one another, uncaring if anyone falls to the ground. You’re pretty sure several of them are actually being crushed beneath people’s feet. Oddly, they aren’t screaming in pain. People’s mouths are moving, but only to form certain words:

“FLATSCREEN!”

“INTELLIVISION!”

“TICKLE-ME-ELMO!”

They are only screaming what it is that they want. They are single minded in their purpose, and don’t care who they hurt in their pursuit.

Make your way to the entrance that opens into the mall and you’ll be greeted with a nasty sight: the gates are closed. No matter what you do to them, they won’t budge an inch, impervious to brute strength, magic, superpowers. That means you’ll have to find another way out if you don’t want to join in the bloodshed. Maybe there’s a ventilation system or a loading bay...

There’s a chance you could just hide out until the sale ends - a store this vast has more than enough food and drink to sustain you, and you could probably get a good night’s sleep in a camping display if it isn’t torn apart by rabid consumers. Just be careful, because the longer you spend trapped in the department store the more likely you are to turn into one of them: mindlessly screaming what it is you want as you tear the store apart.

Notes:
1. There may be a few Black Friday shoppers loose in the mall, but primarily they stick to the department store.

2. Your character might find a way into the mall again, or the parking lot outside. However they manage that is up to you!

3. If your character does turn into a consumer drone, they can be changed back by being taken out of the department store. Maybe go chill out by the fountain in the concourse or get some chilli fries in the food court.

---

Ⅲ. UNDERGROUND PARKING
CW: potential starvation, dehydration
If the two floors of the mall are for eating and shopping, where do the down escalators go? Unsurprisingly they lead to an underground parking lot. More surprisingly, if you choose to enter the lot you’ll find yourself suddenly transported to the inside of a car. What car? Any car! It sure isn’t yours! It’s locked and you can’t get the doors or windows to open. Even trying to break your way out is futile.

Thank goodness you have a way to call for help: your ScryWatch! Although you can still access the public network, your ScryWatch will also now function as a private one-to-one device like a phone or a walkie talkie. You can ask a friend to come and help you!

The second person entering the lot won’t be magicked away, but a friendly mall employee will stop you and hand you a set of keys. Clearly they go to a car… but which one? Better start pressing that alarm button, huh?

The parking lot is massive. The party in the car would be wise to describe what they can see to their seeker. After all, teamwork makes the dream work! You sure don’t want to be stuck in a warm car for a couple of days!

Notes:
1. Your character can post/call the network or text/call an individual - in the latter case nobody else can read or hear the conversation.

2. The car might have some goldfish crackers or something in the glove box, or maybe an old gatorade bottle on the floor, but there’s not going to be enough to survive on for any length of time.

---

Ⅳ. MANNEQUIN
CW: automatonophobia
As you walk through the mall, you’ll see plenty of window displays. Gleaming cookware turning on pedestals under mellow lights, toys going round and round in fake wonderlands, personalised miniature license plates - although they’re all out of Borts - and of course plenty of stylish clothes draped over countless mannequins.

It’s always fun to window shop, isn’t it? Which is how you will come to notice that some of the mannequins look awfully familiar.

Everyone has, at some point in their life, treated someone like they weren’t real outside of what you wanted them to be. The romantic interest you put on a pedestal, the friend you only called when you needed them, or the poor bastard in the office who never did anything to you but who you hated on because it made you feel better. The mannequins greatly resemble that person or persons.

No matter which window you pass, they’re there. It looks like they’re watching you. But that’s silly, isn’t it?

With every mannequin you pass, the more your unease grows. Eventually the feeling of being watched is so great that it’s overwhelming. A sense of guilt grows alongside your paranoia, gnawing at your guts until you feel physically ill. Maybe if you apologise to the dummies for treating them like objects?

Or maybe if you just break all of them into pieces.

Notes:
1. Stating how you have wronged the person the mannequin resembles and apologising will cause the guilt and paranoia to vanish. But then, so will breaking them.

2. Could the mannequins sneak up on you? Move when you’re not looking? Sure! the floor, but there’s not going to be enough to survive on for any length of time.

Come on Jessica, come on Tori! Let's go to the mall, you won't be sorry!

Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

Comments

[quire]

"At least!? Who wants normal shit?" he pouts a little. He likes his couture subversive.

"Alexander McQueen," he corrects very slowly. Kyle's choice in hats raises his eyebrows. "I realize, given the situation we could next be dropped in a close approximation of Siberia, but like. Between the beaches and the botanicals and the big top, what's drawing you to winter wear? You just think it's past due or..."

"Hey. I bet there's a V's Barbershop around. If nothing else a fucking Supercuts or something. We could get your hair done."

[gravity_grrl]

Roxy gasps and clutches at Kyle, pulling him away from Quentin.

"What?! No! Don't you dare cut off his curls!"

She pulls Kyle down to her height so she can dig her hand into Kyle's hair and give him a few head scritches with her nails, she's very good at them.

"They're so pretty and cuuuute! Don't worry Kyle, I won't let the bad pink man touch them."

[kyley_b]

Kyle stumbles - Roxy is stronger than she looks. He goes bright red when she starts manhandling his scalp.

"He's not bad, and I hate my hair," he points out.

He gives Quentin puppy eyes. "Do. Uhm. Could you tell them to make it better? Because I can tell you now it looks pretty crappy shaved all off, my ears stick out too much."

Yes, Kyle knows everything wrong with his appearance.

[gravity_grrl]

Roxy keeps up the head scritches, moving all over Kyle's scalp and back of his neck.

"Omg you'd look awful with a shaved head, don't do that. And how can you hate your hair?! It's so pretty."

"I guess a trim could be good though, just nothing too short or else you'll look like a poodle."

[quire]

Quentin narrows his eyes at this exchange and folds his arms over his chest.

"Did i say cut? No, I don't think I said cut," he snarks. "He clearly doesn't know the meaning of the word conditioner. I'm talking, protein treatment and some shaping. Don't pretend he wouldn't look great in something a high-and-tight with a good curly pomp up top."

[kyley_b]

Kyle, suspecting that maaaaaaybe his boyfriend might be just the tiniest bit jealous, pulls himself out of Roxy's grasp. He moves to Quentin and leans down to kiss his cheek. "I think that sounds nice," he says. "I trust you, Q."

He smiles at Roxy. "Don't you think? You could get a trim too if you need it. Hey, did you know Quentin's hair is naturally pink?" Sort of, anyway.

[gravity_grrl]

Roxy, oblivious to even the possibility of Quentin being jealous of her manhandling Kyle runs a hand through her hair.

"Yeah I could probably do with a trim, don't want it turning into a mullet."

When Kyle mentions that Quentin's hair is naturally pink she raises an eyebrow and snorts. "Uh yeah, just like mine was "naturally" pink a few years ago."

[quire]

Jealous? Quentin? He'll deny and rationalize until he's blue in the face. "I like your curls too," he mutters. Mostly to Kyle. "I don't wanna change them, I just want you to like your hair more."

"It is naturally pink. I edited my genes. I don't have follicles anywhere I don't want them and everything above the eyebrows coming in pink." He clarifies. "I'm going to look for something more upscale than this. And I think I saw an Orange Julius so I'm stopping there on the way if anyone wants in."

[kyley_b]

"I'd like that."

He nods, shortening his stride so that Quentin can stride ahead. He glances at Roxy.

"He's trying to help me feel better about myself," he says softly. "Plus, come on, with the two of you stylish assholes around you guys won't let me look any stupider."

[gravity_grrl]

"Awwwwwwwwwww! That's sweet!" Roxy says, not softly, because Roxy usually doesn't really have a soft tone of voice.

"And I dunno if I'd call myself stylish but thanks sweets."

She skips ahead so she's next to Quentin again, poking him. "Hey Pinky, you ever hear of a Julius bomb?"

[quire]

He rolls his eyes at that. It's not sweet, he thinks. It's normal and boring. Or maybe it is sweet but if it is the cool thing to do would be not to draw attention to it, damnit.

"Like with vodka?" he asks. Curiosity piqued. "Is there a liquor store around?"

[gravity_grrl]

"You could do it with vodka but the way I learned it when I was young was, okay you know how there's almost a Dairy Queen connected to an Orange Julius?" Roxy explains as she bops alongside Quentin.

"What you do is get an Orange Julius and then you get the grossest blizzard flavor you can think, drop half of it in and then drink it down as fast as you can."

[kyley_b]

"That's fucking revolting!" Kyle says as he catches up. It's easy - his companions are shorter than him.

"Why would you do that? It's like continuing to eat Chipotle when it makes you shit blood."

On their way to the food court he spots a salon. "Q, take a detour with me, tell them what to do. Then I'll catch up with you guys after, you can just telepathically tell me where to meet you." Kyle, veteran of Master Cuts once a year, thinks this can't possibly take very long.

[quire]

Quentin chuckles at the idea. It sounds like an absolutely abomination. But he'll try anything with excessive amounts of sugar. "I don't know any blizzard flavours off the top of my head, but it sounds like a thing worth regretting," he smirks as Kyle reels in disgust.

Quentin's face scrunches at that remark. "Is that just like a weird turn of phrase from South Park or do you have a serious GI allergy when it comes to Chipotle?"

"Kay," he says, easily swayed to follow Kyle wherever. "Ahm. You know it's gonna take a grip right?" he asks. "I mean, not the hair cut, that's pretty short and sweet. But a protein treatment? At least an hour." He warns. "We could bring you lunch though. Drop you here. Get you set up. Go check out the high end stores and come back around in 30 or so with something to eat while you're waiting."

[kyley_b]

Kyle looks at Quentin curiously. "People don't shit blood after Chipotle where you're from? Huh. There's like, a whole cleaning product based around it back home." Disgusting but true.

He has no idea how rare it really is for Quentin to just follow along with anybody, really. He makes a face at the idea of a whole hour, but then he shrugs. "Yeah, that's cool, that's fine. Then I don't have to hold your shit for you in some store where a t-shirt costs more than my Dad's car."

The salon is pretty middle of the road, but the stylist who is available listens attentively to what Quentin tells her they want. Kyle just lets his boyfriend do the talking, having no idea what the hell any of it really is.

With the explanations done, he leans down to kiss Quentin's cheek again. "You're the best, Q," he says. "Okay, you guys go have fun. Roxy, keep him out of trouble for me."

[gravity_grrl]

Roxy snort laughs and motions for Kyle to give her a kiss on her cheek as well, because hello, she also likes smooches. After he does she hooks an arm through Quentin's and pulls him away from the salon, throwing Kyle a look over her shoulder.

"Me?! Keep someone out of trouble? You're asking the wrong girl, sweets."

"Come on Pinky, let's go steal some high fashion threads."

[quire]

"No, that's not typically a side effect..." he assures Kyle. Which isn't to say it's never happened. Just not an on going problem.

Quentin has lots of details and opinions to share with their stylist who doesn't altogether seem to mind. Apart from it being a good deal of information to take in so quickly, they seem to fall easily into some very industry chatter that Quentin likes to emulate because he it makes people accept that he knows what he's talking about it. Or appears to anyway.

"Pamper him! He uses his masculinity as an excuse to avoid self-care! There's a good tip in it for you!" Quentin hollers as his boyfriend is ushered away to be bibbed and brushed and shampooed.

"Let's get a Julius first," he says turning to Roxy as they're left to their own devices.

[gravity_grrl]

"Sounds good." She says and skips cheerfully alongside him.

"So! We must be like a super awesome powerful duo." She states, "Because did you notice that the second we started talking about how we wanted a shopping island we got one?"

[quire]

Quentin can't exactly remember the last time he was in a mall. Especially for leisure and not business, but it's all very nostalgic for a life he didn't live so much as watched in movies and on TV.

He points at the menu behind then pimple-faced clerk at the Orange Julius stand. "The big one," he clarifies as he ruminates on Roxy's words.

"Hm. That's food for thought," he says. Maybe not thoroughly convinced, but always willing to entertain the idea that he's more powerful than even he realizes. "I wonder if anyone else considered it. We should ask around. And then see if we can do it again. You know, recreate the situation as best we can but with whatever we wanna see next."

[gravity_grrl]

"Oooh good idea!" She says and then looks thoughtful. "What would be a good island to hit next? I'd love somewhere with a bunch of dope dance clubs."

[quire]

"Clubs could be fun," he says, watching his drink get blended.

"They're obviously willing to riff off of actual places, times, and cultures," he points out, gesturing to the space around them. "Sooooo... I could go for like. A fun take on the Shi'ar empire. They don't know much about house or trap but I'm basically a God to those people," he shrugs.

It's a very big Julius the clerk hands him and Quentin's eyes light up as that first sip hits him with delicious nostalgia.

[gravity_grrl]

The fact that Quentin wants their next island to be a place where he's considered a God isn't lost on her, the boy sure has an ego but that's not necessarily a horrible thing in her eyes. Sometimes you need a big ego to get by.

"What are the Shi'ar like?" She asks as Quentin sips his drink, motioning that they should move towards the Starbucks kiosk. Orange Julius is okay but she wants an iced latte.

[quire]

He'd tell you it just seems logical really. Who wouldn't benefit from that kind of power?

He slurps on his tasty new accessory as they make their way to Starbucks. He stops briefly at one of those digital mall-maps to see what kinds of shops this place has to offer in terms of upscale couture.

"Imperialist. Aggressively expansionist. Kind of obsessed with bird imagery and specifically lacking in creativity and imagination. But also like... decent landlords? They do a lot of conquering but they're awfully open to letting the people and places they rule over be totally self-governing. So. Meh." he rambles. "All the best parts of their culture are probably adopted."

[gravity_grrl]

Roxy leads them into line at the Starbucks, ordering herself an iced latte.

"Obsessed with bird imagery?" She asks, because out of all of that it's the one thing that sounds interesting to her. "Why birds? Do they worship them or something? Evolved from birds?"

[quire]

"I dunno where that stems from actually. Big feathery head-pieces. Titles like; Raptor. Fearful worship of a big destructive firebird," he shrugs.

"If I had to guess I bet the fiery bird-God came first but I've never seen an Ancient History of the Shi'ar textbook." Which, maybe he should look into before he gets too accustomed to being chummy with their bird God.

"According to that map the bougie shops are on the upper levels," he smirks."