THE MOCK WEEK

[grimgrinningghosts]

[You find yourself waking in a large dressing room, incredibly spacious, but in intense disarray. The bed is comfortable enough, and each room seems to be equipped with a working bathroom and shower, so it's at least livable. But aesthetically, the place has hit the floor.

The horrifying clock mounted on the wall reads 9 am. After enough searching, you'll find a large tourist-y map of the studio on one of the dressers. An ominous note attached to the map with a paperclip reads "12PM WAITING AREA". It's not like you have any choice in the matter, seeing as there doesn't seem to be any way out.

Upon exiting the dressing room, you note a crooked star attached to the door bearing your name. There are 24 others like this, bearing names that you may or may not recognize. A quick tour around the studio reveals it to be in a similar state of disrepair, but something doesn't sit...right with you. Though the place is certainly creepy, you get strange vibes as you explore the building. As you move about the dust-filled halls of the abandoned building, you may spot movement out of the corner of your eye, or hear strange noises from behind you. It's nothing to be worried about, though...right?

At the very least, you'll find some comfort. The projection room and attached theater still seem to be in working order, though you'll have to manually grab one of the reels off the wall and start the thing yourself. In addition, the waiting area and lounge are both filled with reading materials, and the later features a large stage and a microphone. The commissary seems to replenish itself with food whenever you take your eyes off of it, ensuring that we won't be going hungry anytime soon. There are also cabinets full of ingredients and a small kitchen should you not trust whatever your benefactor is placing out for you.

Fortunately for them, the smaller individuals amongst your party won't find a great deal of difficulty moving around. Though their beds remain oversized, there seem to be appropriately-sized staircases and escalators placed about in appropriate spots, so as to make their lives easier. After all, they can't just keep relying on the others to get up to the cabinets and such, can they?

While you're waiting to find out what the deal here is, you might as well come out and socialize.]

(ooc: Welcome to the Foolish Mortals Mock Week! Please follow us on Plurk at foolishmortals for updates, and if you're so inclined, please feel free to join your Discord-inept head moderator as he struggles to set up a Discord chat up for everyone.)

Comments

INVESTIGATING (various; pretend this isn't super late)

[tadaishi]

[Murder is definitely not the way Tadashi plans on escaping the run-down studio. Everyone here is strangers to him, but that doesn't give him any reason to try to kill any of them. There has to be a way out, even if it's a poorly sealed window or perhaps a door that doesn't quite close properly.

He can be found in the theatre, mostly checking around the screen for clues or in the office, at the very least looking for a better map than the one initially given.

You'll also find him in the kitchen browsing the cabinets. He might make you food if you ask nicely.].

[grimgrinningghosts]

[There's actually a good deal of stuff in the office. But since we're looking in the way of maps right now, Tadashi will at the very least find a few papers scattered across the desk in here - including what appears to be a land deed.]

[tadaishi]

[Not exactly what he was looking for, but it's interesting. Hopefully it's not written in legalese, because he's not fluent in that. Are there any names to make note of?]

[grimgrinningghosts]

[Sort of. It's a lot of legal gibberish, but it's relatively easy to parse for details. Basically, all it's really saying is that this cartoon studio was sold to something called Cloverleaf Industries.]

[tadaishi]

[Unfortunately, that name means nothing to him, but after a few moments of deliberating, he's going to fold up and pocket the deed (unless it's like, forty pages).

If he checks the desk drawers, will he find any more information on Cloverleaf Industries?]

kitchen

[pinkflip]

[Kim had really been hoping they wouldn't be here longer than a day. Really. But, unfortunately, here they are, so she's gotta eat. It's really to her advantage that there's a taller boy in here, looking through the cabinets, because she's pretty sure she can't reach some of them.]

'Scuse me! Whatcha find in there?

[tadaishi]

[Tadashi was hoping as well. But they were all still here, and he figured it might be safer to eat a meal that wasn't provided by mysterious means. Especially if Doom's weasel brigade might be the ones to do the preparing.]

Huh? Oh...just sandwich stuff. [Balanced in his arms is a loaf of bread, a couple packages of lunchmeat, a jar of spread, some veggies, and one of those single-serving bags of chips. A cooking show host would be proud.]

I'm willing to share if you're interested.

[pinkflip]

Oh, that'd be so nice, thank you! [She tucks a stand of hair behind her ear.] It's not poisoned or magic or anything, right? Haven't had a bite to eat since we woke up the other day.

[tadaishi]

I can promise it's not poisoned by me. Magic? No idea. Seems normal enough. Anything you don't want on it?

[While he hunts for a knife. Speak now or forever hold your peace.]

[pinkflip]

Uhhh, no anchovies? [That's...pretty much it.] I'm Kimberly, by the way. Kimberly Hart. You?

[tadaishi]

Extra fish, got it.

[Are there even anchovies in here? Probably. He hasn't found any.]

Tadashi Hamada.

[pinkflip]

Wha- hey! [She rolls her eyes and sticks out her tongue, when she sees him looking, and then starts looking around the kitchen herself. Familiarizing herself.

...Even though they're not...going to be here long...] Hope we won't have to get too used to this place.

[tadaishi]

[You're welcome, Miss Hart.

Me too. I just hope we're all able to get out under our own power and not the way that judge wants us to.

[Theatre]

[defyingfrigidity]

[He's not the only one snooping around here today, but for Elsa, it's less that she's snooping and more just... taking in the area. Her brows are furrowed but she looks more curious than scared or worried, eyeing the screen most of all.]

I don't understand. If this is a theatre... why is there a screen like this in front? Why block the stage area?

[... of course the guy from one of the more technically advanced worlds is the one to explain movies from the early 19th century queen. Sorry, Tadashi.]

[tadaishi]

[Just wait until she hears about computers.

He's not judging, though.]

Wrong kind of theatre. This one's for movies. Super old ones, judging by the projector in the other room.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Her poor head would explode if she finds out about those...!]

What's a "movie"?

[tadaishi]

It's...hmm.

It's like a play, only it's recorded so you can watch it whenever you feel like it, as many times as you want.

[Not exactly the same, but close enough.]

[defyingfrigidity]

Really? That's amazing.

[And it sounds so convenient, for those who can't make it out for a trip to the theatre...!]

I wonder why all of this is here, then. If we're supposedly being punished, then it seems odd to have a facility like that where we're imprisoned, don't you think?

[tadaishi]

[Very convenient.]

I suppose even prisoners need some form of entertainment. Even jails have televisions for inmates to watch.

[She probably doesn't know what a television is, does she?]

But this isn't a jail anyway, it's a filming studio, so it makes more sense to have a theatre.

[defyingfrigidity]

A filming studio...

[So that means this is the place that they make those movies. That's... wait.]

... Do you think someone is "filming" us, then? Could that be some part of why we're here?

Kitchen

[pardonmylanguage]

Please tell me we have something other than cereal shaped like cartoon characters.

[tadaishi]

Depends on how well you can cook.

[This isn't entirely a lie, because there are plenty of things that don't need to be cooked, but what's the fun in admitting that?]

[pardonmylanguage]

...I know how to make some fried stuff, at least. Are there any vegetables that haven't sprouted vines everywhere?

[tadaishi]

...I don't think there are any that have.

[Should there be?]

[pardonmylanguage]

[Hey look, some of the places here are in disrepair. Who knows how long those vegetables might have been sitting there.] Well, that's good to know. What kind do they have?