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.)

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TUESDAY

[grimgrinningghosts]

MOTIVE: Back to the Future

[notjustanytoon]

[A formal announcement over the PA instructs everyone to gather in the foyer at 12:30pm. The judge has appeared there, and quietly waits for the crowd to assemble. His weasels flank him once more, though in light of their own incompetency, Judge Doom has decided to bring a sidearm of his own, holding a cartoony pistol in his other hand. He waits for everyone to gather before he speaks.]

In line with my previous suggestion of offering incentives, I have decided to offer you all one you might find to be quite tempting.

[He quietly addresses the crowd of onlookers, tapping his cane impatiently as he speaks. He points to a large clock in the foyer, which slowly begins to rewind on it's own as he speaks.]

Please excuse the crudity of this model, but what I am offering you now is a chance to change your past through otherworldly means. Perhaps you can undo your past mistakes, and rid yourself of the crimes that have placed you here in the first place. Or perhaps, you may utilize this opportunity to save a loved one. There are quite a number of things you could do with this opportunity, and is not my business to discuss what each of you would do with this.

I know some of you may think that this concept is quite "heavy", but rest assured, I have the power to make it happen for you. So long as one of you comply with my previous instructions, I will give that person a chance to have this happen.

Or you can choose to rot here with your peers for the rest of eternity. It is your own choice. I would suggest that you go back to the past, and change what was once set in stone. Your future hasn't been written yet - no one's has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.

[And with that, the judge and his cronies move out the door, disappearing as quickly as he appeared.]

[hatesgreat]

Uhhhh? That's BORING. Everything I did was perfect the first time.

[Lord Hate kicks back, crossing his pair of sneakers over the back of the chair in front of him. He leans back and crosses his arms behind his head. This is not even a remotely true statement, but the cost of posturing is lying constantly.

Not that he even needs extra incentive to possibly murder someone if it means leaving this place. Really, he's just struggling with the part where he has to do it subtly.]

[worldstiniestviolin]

[Excuse you, Basil is just going to look disgusted and outraged]

[pardonmylanguage]

Nooooooo thank you. I've seen the trailer for The Butterfly Effect, I know how this works out.

[returntodarkness]

[ Ansem does contemplate this. Although not for any good means. No, the look on his face is a dark one. It can't mean anything food. He could alter things, come out on top with that wretched brat who ruined so much... Perhaps he could move plans ahead even more... So much possibility, but... ]

...Time travel like that is never without strings attached. Such is its very nature. It has rules. One would have to be a god to remove those rules or otherwise circumvent them.

[ Can you tell his canon point is 3D? Because it is. ]

[ilovepuppies]

[Star was ALL SET to call his bluff, what with being the resident Magical Princess and Expert on Magic Stuff, but he was gone before she could even open her mouth.]

Uh, wow, rude much? Anyway, he's totally bluffing. Trust me, I know.

[hitontheheadasachild]

Change my past?

[She frowns. Its true, there's a lot she wouldn't mind changing. Stop Hans from threatening Elsa. Save her parents from the wreck. Prevent the event that caused Elsa to shut her door to her to begin with.

And yet. And yet. As much as the idea sounds amazing, to have her parents back and have a life where Elsa was always open and happy - she can't. She just...can't. She knows she can't. This guy could be lying, just as he lied about being a judge. Its clear to her.

Still, she's sitting, looking pensive, at the floor.]

[hedidit]

Change...your...past.

[Edgar, who has been a quiet bean for the past two days out of a combination of sickness and fear, immediately lights up. He has to repeat the words aloud to himself a couple of times to let it really sink in, but it does. Technicolor dollar signs flutter in his eyes.

All of them dollars....millions...]

[pinkflip]

[Kim's getting incredibly fed up with this guy and had resolved the next time he shows his ugly mug, she was going to do something about it. However, the audacity of his offer just leaves her gobsmacked. He's out of there before she can even quip.]

That's- okay, no, that is bad news. Don't trust him, guys. Any gift from someone like that's too heavy to take. [That's besides the obvious...you have to kill someone to get it caveat.]

[whistlenotchirp]

[Well that's alarming.

His job could be in danger.]

Now hold on! Without your mistakes, you can't learn what's right and wrong! You'll just be coasting through life like a fool, without any trouble or strife! You don't want that, do ya?

[...Jiminy.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Gee, is it getting cold in here? It definitely feels colder in here, especially for the people are standing close to Elsa. Elsa who is standing very, very still as she listens to his words.]

That's...

[God, that's all she's ever wanted. To go back and make it so that night in the ballroom never happened. To go back and try and defy her father's orders to stay away from others. To at least open the door for Anna. To stop herself from freaking out during her coronation, running away, hurting Anna again...

There's so much she regrets in her life. So much she would give anything to change. But.... no. How could she even think about this? It's one thing for her to sacrifice something of her own, she'd do that in an instant. But she has no right to sacrifice someone else for her own selfish reasons!]

That's ridiculous! [She tries to sound firm, but her voice wavers ever so slightly, showing just as much as her magical flare-up how much this motive hit her.] Killing someone for your own goals... and for something you can't even confirm you can do. You say you can, but where's your proof?

[kindaruledatit]

[Wendy sticks to the back of the group, but she does listen, and her expression turns from frustrated to downright annoyed.]

Uggh, really? After everything we went through....

[She'd be lying if it wasn't tempting. Dipper had already explained to her that time travel was not only a thing, but he had experienced it himself... but it was useless to ask for it, wasn't it.

She kicks at the floor. Take that, floor.]

This is ridiculous.

OTA

[ilovepuppies]

Right after the motive

[With everyone still gathered in the same room, Star jumps into the same spot Spooky McDoom was standing in and clears her throat in the most loud and obnoxious way possible.]

Blah blah blah, look at me, I'm an ugly old guy with a big stick up my butt!

...But seriously, which one of you guys is Jess?

And later still

[Star spends the rest of the day unsuccessfully trying to open the door Doom had exited through. First she tries the doorknob, then she knocks politely, but after a while she's resigned to pounding on it with both fists.]

Come onnnnn, I know you're back there! Oooh, if I had my wand you'd be in so much trouble, mister!

and later still

[notjustanytoon]

[wow that door. actually opens. he peeks his head through.]

What.

Right after!

[hitontheheadasachild]

Not me...

[pinkflip]

[You know, Kimberly appreciates this girl's anger. What a good kid.]

Jess? Didn't see any "Jess" on any of those stars.

right after

[kindaruledatit]

I know, right? It's just a mess what that jerk is trying to push on us.

[but wait, what?] Uhh, I'm Wendy. So... no clue?

Part prompt, part INVESTIGATION

[pinkflip]

[With that out of the way... Kimberly's really starting to get impatient here. She's never been kidnapped for more than a day, and she can't help but feel herself getting more and more nervous by the hour. She has to do something to keep busy.

...And let's be honest, that something can't be "beat up a bunch of weasels" because she's only seen them twice.

So she leans into the mystery aspect of this and starts to look around. This means digging through the costume storage and prop storage rooms, because they sure seem to have a lot of interesting things in them, right? ...Also because she is...a little tired of wearing the same thing, day after day. Okay, really tired, her sundress is comfy but a girl is not meant to reuse the same outfit twice in one week. She doesn't even have makeup to reapply, and most of hers has washed off now.

Kimberly's looking for interesting outfits, therefore, or at least things she could wear in a normal day. ...Or makeup. Or, you know. Something more useful to their situation, like a hidden passage or a clue to where they are besides "haha Doomtown." Prop storage hunting is more devoted to...well, she's a gymnast. She's just itching for a balance beam.

After all that, she'll idly look around the studio lounge. This time's not really for investigation; rather, she's quite interested in that karaoke machine. What's it have? Maybe she could sing a few bars of something to calm her nerves.

[grimgrinningghosts]

[The costume storage and prop storage rooms both have quite a number of things to go through. Where are we going first, Kimberly?]

Lounge

[pardonmylanguage]

[Tip sidles up to peer at the karaoke machine.] What've they got on there?

costume room

[rollerscoater]

[Bianca is carefully walking around the room, inspecting anything that may have been left on the floor.]

Where do they get all of this?

costume storage

[kindaruledatit]

[Speak for yourself. Wendy was taught not to waste, which means wearing the same shirt for a week is fine, right?

Wendy herself wanted to join in the investigating herself, since that seemed to be what everyone was up to, so she strolls into the costume storage, eventually spotting kim looking around.]

Kim! Find a way out yet?

Sort-of INVESTIGATION | post-motive | OTA

[terribibble]

[After the announcement on Sunday, Fiddleford spent all of Monday hididng in his room having a pretty intense crisis. He's turned it upside-down about five more times looking for his memory ray (still with no success). He's finally dragged himself out, mainly because there's only so long a man can go without eating even when his fear is driving away his appetite. He looks even worse than he did on Sunday, if that's possible. He's still wearing the same rumpled suit.

A little bit after the motive is announced he can be found in the commissary eating beans out of the can with a spoon like a fucking adult. Were there beans on the table of actual prepared food? Probably. But this is comfort food, even if it's the wrong brand, and he trusts what's in the cupboards more. There is also a bottle of the previously-untouched alcohol next to him, unopened. It is definitely too early in the day to start drinking but he's thinking about it.

Later still it's time to venture into the office. Mainly he's looking for pencils and paper because he needs something to be doing with his hands and drawing blueprints is always good stress-relief, but it's easy to get side-tracked in a room with so much stuff in it. It seems most logical to check the desk drawers first.]

[grimgrinningghosts]

[Well, the desk drawers certainly seem packed. Though the place is in disarray, there's a lighter and a pack of smokes in here, as well as a flask that appears to be filled with very old bourbon. If we're speaking in terms of things Fidds is gonna find suspicous, however, there's a plain manilla folder stashed inside one of the drawers.]