( 003 » ENSEMBLE ) party time.

[reveriemod]

» WHO? Everyone
» WHEN? July 1 to July 8
» WHERE? Entire Station
» WHAT? 168 hours of being forced to listen to cheesy music on repeat…
» WARNINGS? the mundane and slightly ridiculous becoming terrible, cheesy pop music, forced sleep deprivation, anger, loss of control, emotions, potential for stabbing, hallucinations, mania, memory loss, confusion, seizures, depression.

0 0 1 » LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED

It starts in the mess hall and it starts slowly. At first, it can barely be heard over the conversations that are happening but as the volume increases, it becomes apparent that music is playing. Not just any music: characters from Earth will recognise these pop hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s. They’re the kind of hits one might find on a Spotify playlist titled “Top 100 Cheesy Hits” or “Songs To Sing To In The Shower”. Power ballads. Boy bands. Girl bands. Woodstock.

Soon, the music can be heard all across the station, blasting from every speaker, audible in every room. Characters who were asleep in their quarters will be woken by the music’s volume, characters under the shower might want to start singing along (but remember, the walls might just be thin enough for the neighbours to hear) and if characters clear some chairs, there’s enough space in the bar for an impromptu dance floor.

Some characters have been working on improving the replicators, too, so while the alcohol supplies at the bar are dwindling and all but gone, the replicators are now capable of making something that’s palatable, even if it’s not quite up to scratch.

What’s the harm in having some fun? It’s just a little music, right?

( ♪ )

0 0 2 » I WANT OFF THIS RIDE

It’s just a little music, right? And it is — but it just won’t seem to stop. The first few hours may have been entertaining, at least for those who did not get woken up by the sound of decades (centuries, even) in the past, but the music keeps going long past the point of entertainment.

After two hours, the songs start repeating. After six hours, they’re still playing. After twelve? Still playing. Twenty-four? Still playing.

Sleep becomes all but impossible as the music keeps playing loudly in every room and every corridor of the station. Attempts to shut it down prove unsuccessful.

Forty-eight hours later, the music is still playing.

Characters will begin to suffer the effects of sleep deprivation, in addition to the general irritation that might come from hearing the same two hours worth of cheesy pop songs on a loop: headaches, exhaustion, tremors, irritability and confusion to begin with, followed by lapses in memory, muscle aches, malaise, violent behaviour, hallucinations or mania as cognitive effects set in, possibly also seizures and depression.

And still, the music keeps playing.

( ♪ )

0 0 3 » THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER

The music and the sleep deprivation it causes are the reason for many of the symptoms people are feeling, but something is happening that goes even beyond the music, beyond the lack of sleep: something has changed about the food replicators.

The food is slowly getting better, for one, thanks to a group of individuals who’ve been working on improving them. Beyond that, however, imperceptible, the composition of the food comes with something extra -- namely heightened emotions. Whatever causes it, it’s in the water, too.

Those who are already angry feel angrier and have a harder time controlling that anger. Those who are already sad feel sadder and have a harder time not bursting into tears. Those who are already apathetic feel more apathetic and have a harder time prompting themselves to so much as move. The effect holds for all emotions, heightening them, making them harder to control or counteract. Impulses become action far more quickly than usual. Irritation at the music may become anger at the person singing along under their breath and that, in turn, may lead to someone getting stabbed with a plastic fork.

It’s nearly impossible to keep a cool head, though some people seem more affected than others.

OOC: This part of the plot is completely opt-in. Whatever characters are feeling will be heightened and strengthened and their impulse control lowered. Make sure to get ooc permission for any stabby action of comparable deeds, and keep in mind that non-con is prohibited in game.

( ♪ )

0 0 4 » AFTERMATH

After 168 hours, the music stops. Whatever was in the water and the food is gone again, meaning characters may never know it was there in the first place. After all, some of the effects of it could have been down to the sleep deprivation as well…

Still, there’s something off about the whole thing. It might seem like someone is watching them. Toying with them. But surely that’s just paranoia, right?

In the aftermath of sleep deprivation and poor impulse control, characters might want to get some sleep or try to mend those relationships that were damaged by careless words or people getting creative with the cutlery.

( ♪ )

Please remember to put warnings in subject lines if so required.

Comments

2.

[thingpuncher]

[Midnghter is not having a great time, but, you know. At least someone's having a worse one. A guy starts screaming, and Midnighter's first response is to jump to the call and help him, and as he's turning to do so, bloody-knuckled and breathing hot, the screamer busts out first.]

[He busts out, wet and naked and still screaming. Okay. Okay. Midnighter's been there, though he's sure as fuck not admitting it. The screamer's got his attention, that's for sure. He gives him space, puts his hands up, but he's not a soothing person by nature. Midnighter's job is damage, not damage control.]

I know you probably bring out this kinda welcome wagon for all the newbies, but there're civilians on this thing. You need something to hit? Hit me.

Re: 2.

[resleeves]

( kovacs isn't expecting someone to be right outside his fucking door when he kicks it open so the sight of someone there, big and tall with his hands up, makes him pause. he doesn't even remember the whole naked thing, so comfortable in his own nudity that if others aren't, fuck them. )

You'd rather I hit you instead of an inanimate object like a door?

( that didn't make sense to him. did that make sense to you? )

You one of those fucks that gets off on being hit?

( ...welcome to the station! )

[thingpuncher]

Only if you buy me a drink first. [Wink. Reflexive, aggressive flirting with the guy having a naked mental break in the hallway is surely the way to fix this!]

You hit the wall too hard, you get knocked out, you don't get rid of whatever's in your system. Forced sedation never works. [There's some rueful experience in there, but it disappears in a flash, replaced with a knife-sharp grin, all confidence.] Anyway, you couldn't land a hit if you tried.

[Probably. His computer's been weird since he got here, but he's pretty sure he's faster than this guy. Can probably deflect everything. Probably.]

[resleeves]

You don't know what the fuck I can do.

( it was easy to think of everything coming out of this guy's mouth as a challenge even if it was just factual statements. to kovacs ears, right now, it sounded like a challenge, like he was asking kovacs to try and break his jaw into tiny pieces.

his hands actually curl into fists, fingernails digging into his palms. )

It's not nice to be judgmental.

[thingpuncher]

[Maybe it is a little bit of a challenge. Midnighter was made for confrontation a weapon of war, a punch robot; even when he's trying to be helpful, default settings are default settings. He's not more machine than man, but the thing that makes him a man is mostly machine, and all the programming is for combat.]

[So he squares up his fists.]

It's not nice to run around naked. You wanna go or just talk pretty?

[As an aside, Midnighter's never seen Eastern Promises, but he'd like it if he had.]

[resleeves]

Sounds like a man who's never tried to run around naked. You should try it. Might do you some good.

( and though they've just met, kovacs thinks there's probably a decent looking person under the clothes. he could get away with running around naked and not burn anyone's retinas. )

Can't I do both?

( he's not usually a man made for indecision but he wants to talk and he wants to fucking punch the grin right off this guy's face. )

I do love the sound of my own voice.

[thingpuncher]

Your high opinion of me is adorable.

[Has Midnighter ever purposefully streaked? No. Emphasis on 'purposefully'.]

[But anyway. Still grinning. Maybe trying to rile him up a little. Goodness and kindness and violence, it's all part of the same deal.]

Right now you're only doing one. Guess you think you need my permission. Kinda sad, seeing as we just met and all.

[resleeves]

Savor it. I don't tend to give compliments that freely all the time.

( or ever. )

And we did just meet. The fuck's your name?

( he'll hit you when he wants to hit you and right now, he wants to know your name. he'd said please and ever -- oh wait, no he hadn't.

tell him anyway. )

[thingpuncher]

Didn't know I was talking to such a nice guy. Don't want your name. Gonna call you the Streaker.

[He puts his hands down, settles them on his hips. His grin is all teeth.]

I'm Midnighter.

[resleeves]

( well, he's been called worse things. streaker's actually not so bad.

midnighter, that sounds like some fucking doll's name. but, kovacs doesn't tell him that, he just lunges forward, throwing a jab right at this fuck's smug as shit face.

he'd fought naked a time or two in his life, it wasn't all that awkward to do. just had to make sure you knew where all your parts were when you were going at someone. )

[thingpuncher]

[One of his hands is on his hip, and then it's not. Palm up, it catches his opponent's fist effortlessly, almost too fast to see. He grins, keeps on grinning.]

That all you got?

[resleeves]

( okay.

so, that did not typically happen. kovacs actually stares at the hand covering his fist for a few seconds before he yanks his arm back and glares at the man standing in front of him.

everyone got lucky sometimes.

jaw set, kovacs throws another punch, harder, lower, nastier. a dare to catch his fucking fist this time because, if he does, maybe kovacs can break his goddamn hand. )

[thingpuncher]

[And Midnighter catches it with the same ease. He presses back, pressure not enough to break Kovacs, but certainly enough for him to feel Midnighter's strength.]

C'mon, I thought this was gonna be fun.

[resleeves]

( what the fuck was going on?

kovacs knows that he can't always be the strongest guy in the room but usually, he can at least give someone a challenge and this fucking fucker is acting like he's a goddamn gnat.

it's pissing kovacs off.

murder in his eyes, he strikes out again and again, using both hands to try and land blows high and low. let's see how quick this shithead is now. )

[thingpuncher]

[The shithead is pretty quick. He's left wondering if he should let some blows land just for the sake of kindness, but... eh. He's not feeling particularly kind. Midnighter palms them all, matching force for force, his stance becoming more defensive, more solid.]

Try aiming for the stomach, I hear that does a number on people.

[He's just curious to see if Streaker will try.]

[resleeves]

( goddammit.

growling, kovacs actually tries to kick this asshole in his gut rather than snatch his hands back. can't fucking block if your hands are full, asshole.

that's what he's hoping at least because his next step is going to be finding a chair and trying to crack it over his head. )

[thingpuncher]

Clever! Now you're getting it! [In case you were wondering, Midnighter's having a grand old time.]

[He catches both of Streaker's punches, and twists his knee, so it meets perfectly with his opponent's. The synchronisation could honestly be a little uncanny. Doesn't matter, though. One leg up, they're both off balance; Midnighter pushes back, trying to send Streaker backwards before he returns the favor.]

[resleeves]

( before kovacs has time to react, he's off balance and falling, hitting the floor with a loud smack. he grunts a little, staring up at the ceiling and trying to figure out what the fuck this guy was that he could do all of that so well.

even other envoys weren't that fucking good. even he wasn't that fucking good and it took a lot to admit that.

he doesn't stay down long, pushing himself up and then bodily throwing himself at the guy because he can block punches and kicks but can he block an entire body, especially one kovacs size? )

[thingpuncher]

[He could block.]

[He could also dodge. It'd be funnier to send this guy on his ass again. Quick as anything, he's out of the way, leaving Kovacs to stumble forward with all that momentum.]

[resleeves]

( and, with a head of steam, kovacs basically lunges out of his room and hits the other side of the corridor. it stuns him more than it hurts him and he turns around, dazed and blinking at this fucking horrible shithead. )

What the hell are you?

( not even envoys where that good. )

[thingpuncher]

I told you. Midnighter. [That same grin, knife sharp and full of teeth. A predatory thing. He's enjoying this too much.] You wanna keep going, or you need a nap?

[resleeves]

( that sounds like the name of a porn star. )

The fuck's a Midnighter?

( running into the wall had not been pleasant but he's pushing back to his feet, breathing hard and still itching for more. he can't let this go without at least getting a fucking glancing blow. )

Fuck you.

( even if he needed sleep, how could he with that terrible music blaring?

so now, he doesn't need sleep. he needs to step forward and just -- well, he was going to try and drive his knee so hard into the man's junk that he'd be tasting it for a week. )

[thingpuncher]

Me.

[He dodges out of the way, taking an extra second to tap Streaker on the nose while dancing away. He's playing with him and that's cruel, he knows it, but it's fun and something in his heart says he doesn't care anymore.]

[He'll wonder about that later.]

Oh, trying to play dirty now. Should I be offended, or flattered it took this long?

[resleeves]

( this time, he at least doesn't go crashing into a wall. just ends up skidding to a stop on his knees, breathing harder than he should be. it's fucking impossible for him to be this tired this quick. no. he could go for hours and hours.

he's done that before and this has barely lasted all of ten minutes. )

Don't be flattered.

( he turns around to look at midnighter though he doesn't get up just yet. hasn't decided if he will. )

I don't think there's anything down there to be flattered about.

( dick insults. aww yeah. )

[thingpuncher]

[Midnighter laughs, clearly enjoying himself. It's not mocking laughter. He's having fun. He likes this guy.]

Shouldn't bring that shit up when yours is on the table. Shit, I should have given you a different nickname. Grower, how's that work for you?