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

MEETING/CLUE DISCUSSION

[hedidit]

[Edgar sets up in the studio lounge today, managing to pull a large table from the commissary in here. He seems rather sing-songy today, a distinct difference from what he was when he first arrived here. He slips a couple of notes under everyone's doors, requesting that they meet up in the studio lounge at their own leisure to discuss exactly what their plan going forward will be.

He's prepared a large number of foods on the table, meats, cheeses, crackers, even a large and hearty pot full of soup. He overlooks this display with an expression of...I guess you could call that satisfaction, and he speaks.]

So. It has come to my attention that we should, mhm, discuss what our plan going forward will be. More importantly, I would like to know if we've found anything that could pertain to why that Doom character has placed us all here in the first place?

[rollerscoater]

I'm terribly sorry, but I haven't. He seems to either truly believe that we are all criminals, or more likely, that he can just do whatever he wants.

[hedidit]

That's outrageous - I've done nothing wrong in my life!

[pardonmylanguage]

Then why were you so excited about that motive, huh? [She will stomp your foot again if that's what it takes.]

[whistlenotchirp]

If he's really a judge, there must be some reason he's gone all... [He makes a twirling gesture with a finger next to his noggin, eyes rolling demonstratively.] He's supposed to be a man of the law, gosh darn it.

[pardonmylanguage]

I don't think he showed us any certification, you know. He seems the type to put some title in front of his name because he thinks it sounds good.

[whistlenotchirp]

I certainly hope that's the case.

Except with the part where he's powerful enough to do what he pleases and also we don't know his real name. [Which is sort of a pattern with assholes he meets.]

[sevenvaginas]

I'll bet he lost somebody important to him-- maybe even his true love!-- and he's doing this to get back at the world. [both romantic and utterly wrong.]

[hitontheheadasachild]

He said he's doing it because he can. I don't think he's a real judge at all.

[pinkflip]

[Kimberly is here, and she has clothes. A wide variety of clothes, actually. ...She's also wearing a pink dress today because she wore the same outfit three days in a row and that is ungodly.]

I found these! [Moment to look proud and then...a little confused.] They were in the big costume room, and they match a list of names Troy found?

[And, well, Jessica.]

[exclamationpoint]

That means they were here then, right? So they were the previous experiment! [...... Wait a sec, that means -] Oh. That's not good.

[rollerscoater]

The clothing was labelled?

ota but also in particular paging star butterfly

[terribibble]

I don't know if it's relevant, exactly, but I was lookin' around the office yesterday and I found some sketches of a woman named Jessica. Might have somethin' to do with that Jess person that was mentioned yesterday by, uh -- well I don't think I caught her name, actually.

[Man he is bad at this sort of thing. Mystery solving is not his forte exactly.]

[ilovepuppies]

[excitable fourteen year old suddenly appearing out of nowhere!!]

You found a picture of Jess!?!?

[exclamationpoint]

Oh! [PULLS OUT HIS LIST] I found this in my room. Does anybody recognize these names?

[kindaruledatit]

.... Yeah, uh. I recognize one of them.

[No points for guessing wrong!]

[returntodarkness]

I recognize most of them, including that of that meddlesome king.

[ Mickey, Alice, Jafar, Wendy, Pete... ]

Perhaps he has kidnapped others before us. A... Test, if you will. Any good scientists tests his instruments and conclusions.

[hitontheheadasachild]

I recognize the name Mickey. Its plastered all over half the food in the E--the...freezing box thing!

[kindaruledatit]

I mean... I've done a couple things that probably weren't legal, but nothing bad enough to deserve this.

[She thinks.... Yeah, probably.]

Maybe we all have committed some kind of weird crime and like, we don't even know it?

[pinkflip]

I doubt that. [Firm.] I think this guy's just on a power-trip.

[pardonmylanguage]

Same here, but there were extenuating circumstances, you know. I didn't even hit anyone while driving. And I'm pretty sure I don't have any gaps in my memory.

[returntodarkness]

I've been able to find no cleaning supplies. He seems to enjoy living in this state. Or perhaps he hopes it will drive us to commit murder.

[ At least Ansem is behaving himself, although he's... Not touching the food at all. Sorry, but unless something has changed, he's actually not the kind who eats human food. Hearts, however. ]

More to the point, however, I do not believe his claims of time travel. While he must have powerful magic on his side to have bound something like me to this place, unable to leave or even access most of my powers, the laws of time are... Absolute.

[rollerscoater]

All this talk of magic does put me a little out of my group [league], but we know we have come from different times. It was 1977 for me, and others mentioned 1995 and 2012. What do you know of "worlds?" Somebody said something about it that first day!

[pardonmylanguage]

Speaking of "this state," the soundstage is a mess. Almost all the walls are smashed and the electrical sockets don't work anymore.

[defyingfrigidity]

I can't say I've been able to understand any sort of motive on his side, but he told me he's done this before, or at the very least, kidnapped others before. I know we can't believe a word he says, but the way he acts, so certain that someone will take him up on that horrible offer of his...

[Brr. That sends a chill down her spine.]

If we can find any hints as to who he's kidnapped before, maybe we can find some sort of similarities between us and them? Maybe that could help us figure out what he wants?