TEST DRIVE MEME #4

[penancemods]

ARRIVAL

You remember a dream.

Or maybe nightmare is more accurate.

It was full of hellfire nipping at your skin and a sensation of being pulled down no matter how much you struggle or cry for help. There's a voice that feels like it's coming from all around you at once. Contrasting with the nightmare unfolding around you, it's smooth as silk. It makes you want to listen with every bit of attention you can muster in the moment.

"Judgement has come upon you, but not to worry. It can still be undone."

The voice promises you redemption for your sins. It promises you a better life and everything you could ever want, if only you just stop struggling so much.

And so you do.


Everyone wakes up in the same room initially. The room is done up in red with a cushy bed, a window, an old TV in the corner on a desk, and a few Hieronymus Bosch paintings lining the wall. There's a bathroom to clean up in and any belongings will be sat around the room to be gathered later. There's a duffel bag provided for your convenience.

After feeling a sensation of falling or dropping onto the bed, characters wake up feeling like they've just slept for a week. Their body will feel heavy and stiff, they'll have a massive headache at first.

They'll quickly notice the list of their sins written with their blood on a bedside table on an old piece of parchment. This will mean the list is tied to them and can't be changed or tampered with. They'll also receive their device to connect with others and the network. It won't be anything terribly fancy. As a matter of fact, it looks like a very old Blackberry type phone.

Once characters are ready to leave the room, they'll head down long, winding halls. They're dimly lit and ominous feeling. They may encounter fellow sinners or demonic staff that will direct the newcomer down to the lobby to get their actual room key to settle in. They may be pushy, they may border on courteous. It really just depends on the mood of the staff at the time and how they're treated in return. Eventually, everyone comes to stairs that lead downward.



Once down to the lobby, you'll notice the front desk manned by a demon who looks bored out of its mind. To the side of him is the door to the kitchen where guests may help themselves. To the right is a small duty free shop that seems to have a surprisingly normal, expected stock of items. Look around a bit further, there will be a tiny bar tucked in through a corner door. It seems pretty well-stocked and best of all, self-serve if you want to get away from your demonic hosts for a bit. Of course there's some seating, bar games, and a jukebox tucked in the corner if you'd rather stay and socialize a bit.

Please note that all the songs on the jukebox are appropriately hell-themed. Hopefully Sympathy for the Devil is universally loved.

STAND YOUR GROUND

Prompt I

It seems like not long after everyone has either returned from the maze or arrived fresh to hell that the storms started yet again. A bit more sporadically and not the constant downpour of the previous month, but it's still blood and fire raining from the skies, along with claps of thunder and lightning strikes that seem far too close for comfort. Fortunately, there's not as much flooding this time. Unfortunately, a particularly loud clap of thunder and lightning that strikes close to the hotel seems to leave it and surrounding establishments in the dark. Quickly, the hotel becomes a cold place, urging all guests to to move to the lobby for some warmth.

A roaring fire will be going and there will be hot drinks and snacks kindly provided by the staff while they try to work on correcting the problem.

Eventually, some rather panicked goblin-like demons come rushing up from the basement. They're half-singed and dirty looking from their adventure, so it doesn't seem to bode well for the power returning any time soon. Guests who listen closely will hear the demons apologizing profusely for 'letting them escape' and much more worrisome than that, about how it looks like there might have been some tampering going on down there. The staff is quick to tell the demons to hush and go, not to worry the guests or let word get back to Lucifer.

Once that whole scene is squared away, the staff will be urging guests to volunteer and pushing them into a drafty, creepy basement with nothing but candles and flashlights to lead the way.

It's okay, they reassure, it's not that bad down there! The lights provided all seem to flicker dangerously though, almost completely going out at times, as you descend creaky stairs to a lower level. Apparently the demons are tired of risking their hide to get the power back on, but they're quite happy to risk all the guests'.

The basement is slightly flooded in some areas, bloody rain making its way through cracks in the foundation. It reeks of dampness and mold. There are things that skitter in the corner of your eye as you venture in further. Rats, bugs, and a few smaller beasts.

No one will be given more to go on than they're looking for a breaker box to reset, and hopefully, that'll get everything back up and running again. Unfortunately, there are so many twists and turns that it gets confusing after a while... How come the basement looks much bigger than it has any right to be anyway?

The basement is also jam packed with boxes just begging to be gone through. Most of them just seem to house an odd amount of clothing and what may be personal items left from previous guests, others hold decidedly more satanic and occult items. But if there's anything you're looking for in particular, from jewelry to a coat to a rad new walkman, you'll probably find it down here.

Keep going and you'll come across a room with a heavy steel door. If anyone should venture inside, they'll see a dungeon inside. There are demons chained to the walls in various ways, strung from the ceiling, or caged up that seem to be wasting away and forgotten. If they notice you, they'll try to plead with you to let them out, bribing you with information on Lucifer that no one else knows, but it's probably for the best you don't. There seem to be a few free spaces waiting for new additions after all... and besides, they've got to be locked down there for a reason, right?

Let them go against all better judgement and they'll most likely just rattle something off while they take off running as quick as they can.

Listen closely enough and you might hear tortured screams as they're presumably killed upon reaching the main floor of the lobby. It was probably inevitably, so don't blame yourself.

Anyway, moving on you keep going past the dungeon, and you'll finally find the room with the furnace and breakers to reset. It shouldn't take long to flip them back, but they'll continue to trip on and off for a while and may require multiple groups to make a return trek down to reset them until the demons finally correct the issues with the wiring that is causing these outages.

Speaking of issues with the wiring and what may have caused them... Hang around the bar or lobby enough, or around any area of the community, and you may hear muttering of something called The Veiled Order from beyond the gates. Some of the demons seem excited, others seem nervous. If asked, the demons may brush guests off. If drunk enough or given proper incentive, they may tell a story about a group of rebellious demons that Lucifer tried to cast out. They were damned to live in the burnt forests outside the gates, but sometimes, they still cause trouble.

Apparently, they thought they could be better rulers than Lucifer and were quite discontent with how he maintains Hell.

Some may say they're worried the Order is causing mischief by messing with the hotel, having had ample opportunity to sneak back within the gates. Others will laugh heartily and insist that it's a dumb tale to scare young demons, nothing more. Certainly nothing to worry about.

Another thing guests may overhear or bribe out of demons around the bar or club is talk about the call of infernal nightmares. If pressed for more info, the demons won't give much beyond the fact that it's a miserable thing, entirely miserable.

Prompt II

Apparently what the goblin-like demons accidentally set free are strange demons that possess fungi, dust, and dirt. They don't seem to quite be from this world, but they're called Coal Tars apparently. They're harmless creatures for the most part, but they do have a love of following around people with dark or sinister natures.

The staff will be offering a reward of a gourmet dinner of the guest's choice if anyone around the hotel will help to capture these little pests and bring them to the front desk. Afterwards, they'll be returned to the basement and locked away again.

Otherwise, people are free to ignore them or laugh at the people who can't seem to shake the little creatures following them around.

Careful though, breathing them in can make your lungs rot. Nasty way to go probably.

REACH UP HIGH

Prompt I
Warnings: cutting, blood, torture.

Whether you've been here for months or you're freshly arrived, your demonic overlord expects some participation. You can try and shirk the responsibility, of course. You can bargain your way out of it for a while. But eventually, you may find yourself trapped in a room just off the gym that's been fondly dubbed the torture room. It has all manner of equipment in there, along with an iron maiden even.

But don't worry about any of that right now. It probably won't be used.

You can try the door, but even with super human strength or every lock picking skill in the book, you won't be able to open it.

It soon becomes apparent what you're supposed to do soon enough when someone else is eventually shoved in with you. Both of your lists of sins will appear on a table that's been placed in the center of the room with two handy knives. You can choose to guard these or not care at all that they're on display.

"Know that honesty is a good place to start on your road to redemption. Sure, it can be terrifying at first, but that's why you've been given a partner in this journey. Pick up your knives and carve at least one sin into each other's flesh. Help in the journey to be candid with everyone you should meet here!"

The voice echoes all around you again, just like in the nightmare, and once again there's the pull to give in. This voice really does seem like it has your best interests at heart.

"If you need a bit of encouragement, we'll be giving it shortly."

It isn't a lie or idle threat either. The longer you wait to do what's been requested of you, the more shallow cuts that will appear on both of your bodies. Are you really prepared to endure this pain when giving in would be so much easier?

And more than that, are you willing to let another suffer along with you?

Eventually, the cuts will stop if you suffer them long enough, but you'll have failed this challenge and sustained more damage than if you'd just gone along with it. Satan will also be very disappointed in you.

Prompt II

"A generous nature is an important part of being a righteous person. Greed is a sin my Father frowns on quite a bit. What I ask you to do today is to go out and find a gift for that special someone or friend of yours and give them something to smile over."

With the items available in the basement and the shop in the hotel carrying a few new items, Lucifer would like to spread the good will of gift giving. It doesn't matter if you're not well acquainted with each other yet. You don't need to be! Anyone can spread cheer by giving a gift.

And if you don't, expect to be in excruciating pain for a few hours, and struggling for a breath. If you can't share a gift, then you don't deserve to share all that oxygen, do you?


FOLLOW ME DOWN

Prompt I
Warnings: Alcohol and drug abuse, potential non-con/dub-con.

With all the sinners, new and old, the bar will be lit up with activity and absolutely bustling with guests and demons alike. Food and drinks will be readily available and provided by hotel staff (although they might not always know what humans eat. What do you mean, you don't like fried kitten?), music will be blaring, and overall, there will be an energy to the atmosphere that's absolutely contagious. Even if you aren't typically inclined to linger at these sorts of events, there will be a certain pull to stay and have a bit of fun.

You may not get much of a chance to have that in hell after all. So one drink won't hurt, right? Nor will one more after that.

There will also be every sort of party drug available that might tickle your fancy. There's no harm in experimenting, is there? You're already in hell and the staff is handing it out and so helpfully showing you how to use it, or recommending a type that would suit what you want.

You've presumably done your atonement for the day, yes? So cut back a bit, let loose. Hell might be pain and torment, but it's also a nonstop party in the bar.

There's even a brand new stage and a karaoke machine for those feeling brave!

Ask the staff demons very nicely and you may even get less scrupulous drugs as well. Things that will convince your fellow damned souls to tell only the truth for a fun prank, or perhaps even potions that will make someone so enamored with you, they won't take their eyes, or hands, off you. How dare they give you the cold shoulder earlier, right? You've got them now.

There are also tables set up for all sorts of gambling and various bar games to entertain yourself with. Since currency as most are familiar with it doesn't quite exist down here, most of the demons seem to be accepting bits of your soul, if you're in a gambling mood. You may also get pulled into a fun game of strip poker against one of your fellow guests for a few succubi that are having a night out.

Relax and enjoy your night. Coming here and facing your sins is the hard part, so surely you deserve to have a little fun, right?

Prompt II
Warnings: sex, aphrodisiacs, potential dubcon/noncon, potential kinks.

The club within Penance has always offered many options for debauchery, but now it seems they're stepping things up a bit. There are themed rooms for sex machines (the same that were present at the carnival) that can be controlled by a demon or a partner. If asked, they'll gladly set you up on stage to put on a performance for the entire club.

They won't side eye you for any other kink you ask for either, however depraved it is.

But the succubi are handing out potions again, that can be taken willingly or not. The purpose of them is to strip away all of your inhibitions... or in certain cases, your mind as well as your will. It will leave those who take the potion as a perfect little pet or slave for someone.

It doesn't matter if you're generally strong-willed or not interested in submitting. You'll find yourself wanting to please someone until it's the most important thing on your mind. Maybe until it's the only thing on your mind. It doesn't even matter if you generally hate or adore the person you've attached yourself to, you'll find yourself sinking down on your knees anyway.

This is the perfect time to play out all those daddy kinks, domination and submission scenes, or perhaps a bit of pet play. It doesn't matter what theme of the game you choose, you're suddenly all for it no matter what.

Because you just want to make someone happy, even if what makes them happy is hurting you as much as pampering.

MISC.
Thanks for joining us for our fourth test drive meme, sinners! Reserves are now open for the upcoming app round on August 1st

If you want to speak with Lucifer, you're free to text or pray to him right here

If you let a demon loose in the dungeon, reply here to see what tidbit of info they revealed!

If you have a comment, suggestion, etc. please go here!

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QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS

[penancemods]

[alsoagirl]

so Jessica can finally get a sweet new smartphone from those boxes in the basement, right?

LUCIFER INFO

[penancemods]

[sharktrash]

So as described here, Squalo will try his luck with several approaches and several demons (but it can totally only work once!).

First he'll try to reason and coax and possibly even promise to let them go as soon as they give him something (with no intention of actually doing so).

If it works, he'll move onto another, if not, the same poor demon is essentially going to have strips of skin and flesh torn off their face and neck while he tries to get them to talk to make him stop.

Again depending on success or failure he'll move onto a different demon or keep at the same one and be all like "fine you win" and get the chains off of them, making sure they don't run off without telling him the big secret... or ever. 'Cause he listens and then murders the demon as it's obvious letting them go would bring him more trouble than it's worth.

Anything he'll learn?

NPC - Lucifer

[odaystar]

text;

[failed_antichrist]

lucifer, huh? this some sort of sick joke.

how the hell i get out of here?

camille belcourt | shadowhunters | (crau?)

[bonesoflove]

reach up high; prompt i
Shall we begin?

[ Camille brandishes the knife with a toothy smile nearly as bright as the blade. She seems to have no qualms whatsoever about slicing into someone else's skin. But, as a vampire, and one that's lived long enough to do hundreds of very, very bad things, this doesn't even faze her. What's a little bloodletting between friends? It's not as if this won't heal, in the end.

She pouts if there's resistance and takes a step forward. Her ability to influence through psychic means is still available to her, but she would rather be out of hell than in it. So adding another sin to her long list is not on the menu. ]

Pick a small sin. We'll make this quick and painless.


reach up high; prompt ii
[ This is really quite distasteful. While capable of being generous, Camille prefers her gifts to come with strings attached. Something to benefit her, in the end.

So, in the case of this end, she buys a bottle of vodka. The good stuff. She hangs around in the lobby, waiting for someone suitable to come by. Something pretty, man or woman or whatever, something that looks interested in the bottle that she's holding.

She smiles, leaning back against the sofa as she crosses her legs. (While small herself, she favors dresses, and heels, that add inches to her lines.) ]

Care for a drink?

[ And, once they're drunk, maybe they'll be amendable to Camille having a little sip of them and enjoying the buzz as well. ]


follow me down; prompt i
[ Camille is almost always interested in a party, if not for herself than for the prospect of seeing mundanes lose themselves. They're cute when they're stupid.

The sad thing is she cannot partake in the drugs herself, but she does pocket a vial of something special to slip into someone's drink later. What with her super human speed and stunning appearance, her silent as the dead moves, it should be easy enough to do. Maybe her target is a bit super human themselves though. Maybe not.

It could be a truth drug, it could be a drug to make them enamored with her. Either way, Camille expects something fun from this.

Later on, you can find her at the poker table. Thankfully, tonight she's wearing a shirt and skirt rather than a dress. She's lost her skirt already, the blouse barely covering her ass as she sits comfortably at the table. Her eyes gleam with enjoyment as she lays her hand down, forcing someone to take their shirt off instead. ]


follow me down; prompt ii
[ Camille is not one to please others. Sure, she gives as good as she gets when it comes to sex. But her focus is always, primarily, on herself.

Which is why she fights so hard against the intoxicating fog trying to take over her brain. She doesn't know how she got like this, if she drank from the wrong person, but her knees feel physically weak and there's something taking over her that she cannot describe.

She bites at her lips, choking back a whimper as she leans against the wall. She turns so her back is against it, holding her up, but as someone approaches, she starts to give in. ]

Please.


wildcard;
(( Come at me. PM this account to talk or just tag. ))

reach up high i

[alsoagirl]

Jesus Christ, lady. Buy me dinner first, at least.

[ Jessica's mouth is curled up like she just had rotten meat waved under her nose. Not that it isn't a welcome change to see someone willing to get the ball rolling in this hell of a room, but that sort of eagerness isn't really something she wants directed her way.

She leans back against a far wall with her arms crossed, eyes watching the stranger warily. ]

Gimme a second to think. I gotta pick a good spot for this one and figure out what short sins I got left.

[ So many options, so little time, hahaha... ]

Billy Russo | The Punisher | OTA | cw: cutting, blood, sex

[theprettymarine]

Reach Up High - Prompt 1

Billy doesn't remember how he ended up in the room - a torture room - but he's there now. He tries to remain dispassionate as he looks over the implements; it's not until another person stumbles into the room that he looks at the table between them. Two knives. Two lists.

A voice telling them what to do. Billy's jaw ticks as he looks at the person across from him, sizing them up. He keeps an eye on them as he moves closer to the table and his stomach turns when he sees the list of his sins laid out bare. His eyebrows draw together and he tries-- tries to remember. Treachery, murder, avarice, conspiracy, wrath. Treachery? When did he-- what did he do? He swallows thickly and glances a the other list as his hand drifts over he nearest knife.

He looks entirely willing to use it.

"What's your name?"

Follow Me Down - Prompt 1 & 2

Thank fuck: a bar. Billy is content to hide at the bar, watching other people cajole each other into karaoke and gambling and whatever else they can do to kill time and forget. He'll stick with drinking, though he feels like there might be some weird Tantalus thing at play - forever drinking and can't get drunk. Or maybe not, since someone further down the bar is laughing way too hard and about to fall over.

Someone sets another shot down in front of him and he doesn't even think to be suspicious, though he probably, definitely fucking should. He just wants to get blackout drunk and getting there faster sounds great.

"Thanks," he says before he knocks it back.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea. He feels kind of weird.

[Choose your own adventure: Billy can be on the giving or receiving side of daddy kinks, Dom/sub, or slip him a tell the truth drink. Just let me know in your prompt.]

Wildcard

[Hit me. Billy has PTSD and retrograde amnesia that is slowly resolving so approach at your own risk.]

Reach Up High

[oldtonew]

This place stinks like blood and pain. It's not the first time she's seen such things, but usually Kettara has the opportunity to fight the ones who created the situation. She remembers executing Burning Blade warlocks with grim satisfaction, ears flattened against her skull as she stalks around the room. The door is imposing and stupidly whole, regardless of what she does to it. Magically sealed, perhaps.

The human isn't improving the mood at all.

She growls at him, one hand on her axe. This one is scarred and strong-looking, a warrior despite the lack of armor. She distrusts humans instinctively. This one will cut her throat the moment she lets her guard down. It's their way.

Perhaps she should kill him first. Take his head and then call for the spirits to aid her with whatever happened next. But that wouldn't be honorable, either.

"Human," she spits, jerking her tusks at him in warning. "Why should I give you that?"

Peter Petrelli (future) | Heroes

[spongetastrophe]

Stand Your Ground, Prompt II

At first, Peter chose to ignore the strange floating creature that decided to follow him around. He did hear that some creatures were set free, so he figured that's what these were and that they would eventually go away.

But then the little things kept following him around no matter where he went. He was starting to get irritated.

"Fine. You only have yourselves to blame... whatever you are." He didn't know if these things had any sense of self-preservation, but if not, he would lead them right to the front desk and turn them in. He wasn't interested in the rewards; he just wanted the creatures to go away.

Follow Me Down, Prompt I

[It doesn't take very long for Peter to find the bar and sit himself down for a drink. As long as there's alcohol, he isn't too picky about what he's actually drinking. Mostly he people-watches, though the longer he stays the more he's thinking about taking one of those drugs, too.

And when he finally does, he isn't all that picky about what he's taking. He's already in Hell and things were getting really shitty back home, so he really needs this. He's not all that interested in gambling, but he'll watch]

Wildcard

[He'll be around. He's an angry ball of angst and also an empath with so many super powers. Send me a PM or poke me at seraphjewel if you want to do a thing. Open for sexy stuff if the thread goes that way]

follow me down i

[invicto]

[ James likes to know the people around here. He can practically smell fresh blood across a room, and he knows the moment he spots Peter that he's barely just gotten here. He doesn't approach immediately, though, instead helping himself to a drink too, then another, playing a few rounds of cards and managing to wrangle quite a bit of money and other goods out of the other players. He gets a particular kick out of squeezing the demons dry.

He's been stealing glances at Peter all the while too, so he knows that when he finally approaches him by the bar, he probably won't be all that surprised when James just addresses him directly. ] Buy you a drink? I feel like spending some of my earnings.

Billy Kaplan | Marvel 616 | ota (cw: cutting, scars, sex)

[noassgardian]

stand your ground i

a. Billy can't say he's particularly thrilled to have to go don to some creepy, damp basement because the hotel staff is too inept to keep the lights on, but he'll do it because it's better than freezing his ass off. He might also be a tiny bit annoyed because the power decided to cut out when he was in the middle of a big boss battle in his latest video game venture. The fifth time his flashlight dims to the point it might as well be out, he lets out an irritated grunt and turns to whoever is near him, holding it out.

"Okay, this isn't going to work. Hold this, will you?" And then he holds out his hand, focusing a bit of magical energy around his fingertips. It's enough to illuminate the area as much as the flashlight, only more stable.

"There. Now, let's see... Do we go the way where it looks like a monster they keep chained up down here will jump at us or do we go towards those boxes?" Billy's kinda hoping for the box option because he can't say he's not curious about what's in them.

b. "Yeah, I was joking about the monster thing..." But nope. There are really chained up monsters in the basement. To be fair, they look less like they're kept chained up and fed something freaky like all that baby meat from the carnival and more like they haven't ate in years, but still...

One of them seems to be groaning towards him, trying to coax him over. "I'm not sure I like where this is going..."

reach up high i

"Again? Really?" He knows better than to try magic to get out, but he doesn't immediately move for the knives either, nor does he move to take off the baggy hoodie he's wearing right off the bat.

"... Alright, whatever. I don't want to do this, but if we get this over with, we can both get out of here." Finally, he moves to slip off his hoodie and starts to roll up his sleeves. There's already sloth carved into his forearm that looks like it's been healed over for a while on one arm. He rolls his sleeve up even further for some bare skin.

"You can go first, it's fine. Just maybe pick a short sin?"

follow me down

1. Not even Hell itself can drag him up on the stage for karaoke, but he does watch some other people try their luck. Some of them are good, some of them have him fighting the urge to bury his head in shame, but it's all in fun. Other times, he'll be at the bar striking up conversations with anyone near him, human or demon alike... it's generally about something nerdy. Want to debate Lord of the Rings symbolism with him? How about dumb superhero debates? Because Billy is of the opinion Cap could probably take on anyone.

Catch him buzzed enough and he might be more open to talking magic or showing off a few tricks. He's particularly good at summoning alcohol when the bartender is busy being a jerk about refills, but he can also make other small, random objects too.

Catch him really buzzed and you can maybe talk him into a game of some sort. Just know that he's probably horrible at card games or pool.

2a. He should know better than to go to this club. He should say the hell away from it because it leads to trouble... but honestly, he's in hell with no possible way home and he's in trouble anyway. What's a little more trouble in comparison to that? So Billy takes the drink given to him without much hesitation.

It's just when it starts eating away at him, despite every attempt to fight away the fog in his head that he realizes he probably shouldn't have trusted that succubus. By then, it's sort of too late. Billy has his eyes on someone already and it's too easy to relent the control he keeps so impeccably on himself and just sink to his knees when he gets close to them. "So, how could I make you happy?"

2b. Billy's buzzing from whatever he's had tonight and he's claimed a spot in the club, sprawled on one of the couches. He looks like he's idly watching some incubus grinding on the stage -- and yeah, okay, it's kind of cheesy? But it's also kind of hot in the way both the incubi and succubi are. It's an effect he's sure is riddled with some kind of magic but it's something he's fine indulging in at the moment, wherever it leads him. It isn't until he notices someone else approaching that he tears his eyes away from the stage to arch a brow.

"Hey..."

wildcard

Want something not listed here? Leave a prompt or hit me up at noassgardian

[ooc: For anyone who chooses a smut option, Billy has quite a few new scars, including 'sloth' carved into his forearm, scars from being whipped on his back, plus a few brands if you want to notice any of them. I'm down for pretty much any kinks except anything involving scat or vore. Billy has a male preference.

I'll match prose or action.]

Stand your ground I A

[conjobs]

John is a little more old school, preferring the use of a flaming torch over something that runs on AA batteries but too cold and tired to argue over it to have his way. Maybe they wouldn't be able to see that far ahead but it wouldn't have been crapping out the way Billy's is, and he could have pulled a quick spell out of his arse if he needed it with that little bit of fire so close to his hand.

Anyway, they're too far in to turn back, and John tsks when the light cuts out again. He scrunches up his face and tosses Billy's flashlight aside once he's handed it. The blond isn't really afraid of what they might encounter down here even if the goblins might have given him some pause. He's done this kind of walk before in many worse places than here. If anything, he's trying not to get his hopes up when he sets his sight on the boxes.

"I need a few things." That's the only thing he says before starting towards the boxes, moving ahead of Billy. Still working on his pipe dream of conjuring a portal out of here. Still not that interested in becoming demon food.

Thor Odinson | MCU | ota (cw: potion-fueled sex, alcoholism)

[stormbreaking]

stand your ground i

open;

When Thor first finds his way to the lobby, he's quick to take a cup of coffee. He's found himself more fond of beer or any other drink he can get his hands on lately, but he's still rather fond of coffee as well... and he's rather sure it's safe. Mostly, he watches the demons bustling around curiously, content to nurse his cup and find somewhere to sit.

At least until they're all urged to head down to the basement to try to correct the problem. He's not thrilled with it, and he's not entirely certain what waits them down there, but Thor takes the light offered to him and heads down with whoever offers to follow him. He gives a wry smile.

"Did they tell us where this box is?" It seems as much of a maze down here as the one they just found their way out of, only they didn't get a map at all.

closed to loki;

The fire is the only source of light in the lobby, casting a soft glow on everything that's almost soothing in a way once you've settled in. It's easy to get lost in the flickering of the flames and ignore the demons bustling around. Easier still when he finally locates Loki and invites himself right up beside him, sliding a hand to the small of his back in a familiar gesture.]

I'm cold. I thought perhaps you would have an idea or to on how to fix it. [Not that Loki ever runs particularly warm, or seems that bothered by the cold. Then again, Thor isn't overly bothered by it at the moment either, but that's beside the point.]

follow me down

1. Thor has no interest in the drugs, but he does rather enjoy the drinks. He knows better than to trust this place, but there are also few other choices around here to find alcohol. Thor is not above sharing stories or talking with those around him. Catch him in the proper mood, he won't say no to a fight either -- he's Asgardian after all. Fighting and drinking and making his ancestors proud are all equally part of who he is.

He might drunkenly get up for karaoke at some point, but it's probably a terrible, awful idea and someone should stop him before he embarrasses himself.

2. Thor knows better. Or he should. This place has tricked him one too many times, but somehow, he still gets slipped some odd potion by a succubus. He knows it's not from the alcohol, not entirely. The way his mind starts to slip away from him has him reaching from whoever's near like a lifeline.

"I need to get out of here. I should go--" back to his room, is what he wants to say, but he doesn't quite complete the sentence. As a matter of fact, it's entirely forgotten as the drink settles in fully, and he's filled with another need entirely.

"I'm sorry-- I should have asked what you needed."

wildcard
Want something not listed here? Leave a prompt or hit me up at noassgardian! I'll match prose or brackets.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki huffs, running his hands down thor's arms. ]

That sounds like a terrible, human pick-up line, brother.

Nezumi | No. 6 | OTA

[jelliclerats]

stand your ground

i. prompt i

[ Nezumi isn't religious, but he isn't overly surprised to find himself in Hell. He doesn't remember dying, but life can often be snuffed out quickly, sometimes before you even realize it's about to end. He liked to think he's better equipped for survival, but maybe that was his way of fooling himself.

Still, it takes time for him to orientate himself. The list is no more surprising and long enough that Nezumi assumes the headache is a result of the blood loss.

When he heads downstairs, he's still adjusting, but Nezumi is prepared enough that he can hide it well. At the fire, he sits by himself and ignores the food and drink. ]

"Tell them that you weren't hungry, tell them you followed the pomegranates seeds because they tasted like blood, like love."

[ Nezumi idly repeats the quote as he eyes the snacks offered to them.

Later, even when they usher him into the basement, Nezumi doesn't go beyond the door. Is he afraid? Not in the typical sense of the word. He's been groomed to not take unnecessary chances. Someone will fix the problem, and he can stay safely away from the danger.

As the light flickers, he feels someone bump into him. ]

If you can't even avoid me, you're going to have trouble against whatever they let free.

reach up high

ii. prompt i

[ His sins have been his means of survival, and Nezumi has never shied away from who he is. Without every word on that list, he would have been dead. When he sees the personalized scroll, he makes no move to guard it. ]

murder, theft, trickery, cruelty, lying, seduction

[ His eyes drift to the other side to discover what the other may have committed. Really, this challenge is easy for him. He'll carve what he needs to carve.]

Don't choose trickery.

[ It's the longest. ]

follow me down

iii. prompt i.

[ Drinks only impair your judgment, and Nezumi depends too much on his judgment to weaken it. It's why he rarely drinks, even if alcohol was readily available in his own world. Bars have always been more dangerous than they're worth so he's not sure why he's here. Something about the place seemed literally irresistible.

Throughout the night a few people approach him. At different points, he's offered the chance to sing, but he replies with 'i only sing when I'm being paid' and waves them away. Other times, he's nursing the drink he bought himself and watching the atmosphere. Bars are a good place to get information so he eventually slides out of a booth and approaches the bar to join someone already in place. ]

I thought hell would be worse. I wonder if I'm only at the first level.

[ That's...his greeting. ]

(ooc | Feel free to choose any other options. I'm down for all the prompts. If you want to plan, you can reach me at wrinklesintimes or pm here.. The navigation here provides more information. Nezumi does come with some warnings, as shown here )

I

[styxtoshadows]

[Styx is about to reach for something to put on his own plate when the muttering distracts him.]

Huh? What are you talking about?

[He pokes an elbow out, not even coming close to poking Nezumi, but the movement should get attention.]

Hey, you got some kind of inside information on the food?

Jemma Simmons || Agents of SHIELD || OTA

[bravejemma]

a. Arrival

[Jemma wakes with a start, but she doesn't immediately straighten in the way such an awakening might precede. Her limbs are heavy and her head is swimming. Wherever she is, it's a rather comfortable bed, and the room is dimly lit with an orange glow. One hand moves to her throat -- the chain is still there, and secure on it is Fitz's ring. She releases the breath she'd been holding.

She lifts herself up, moving as quickly as she dared. A parchment inscribed in red lays on the side table, and she feels herself pale when she begins to read. It's a list of things she'd just as soon forget -- every thing she's ever done that haunts her in the dead of night, and some things that should and don't. It sends her stomach sinking to her feet. With the parchment is a device that somewhat resembles the first cell phone she'd ever had, when she started taking the train to the university by herself. Both go in the pockets of her jacket, and she sees other things she recognizes as belonging to her. They go into a nondescript bag, and the ICER goes in her hand.

Outside the room, the hallway isn't much different in mood and lighting, but it looks like a posh hotel you might find in almost any city in the world. The hallway twists in improbable -- no, impossible ways, and she begins to wish she'd thought to look for something to trail behind her. The repetitive but tasteful pattern in the carpet isn't helping matters. Maybe you can help her find her way down?

Or:

She finally makes it to... well, it looks like a lobby, but like the rest of the place it has an ominous air to it. Unsure of what to make of the person behind the desk that she can only describe as demonic, she approaches you carefully.]

Hello. I'm sorry to trouble you, but do you know where we are right now?


b. Stand Your Ground - I
[The flashlight is probably older than her parents, a large clunky model that doesn't always shine a strong beam, but it's something that will serve its purpose... she hopes.

The basement is sort of a fascinating place and Jemma could maybe spend ages going through the boxes of miscellanea, but she's also keen to leave. She can hear screams beyond a door she doesn't dare open -- and keeps walking, looking for the breaker box. She hopes it's a simple matter of flipping switches, because she'll be useless if it's anything more than that. (Fitz would know what to do, she thinks.)

Like the halls upstairs, the basement is a labyrinth and though she thinks she's been through this intersection of hallways before she can't be sure, and she's sure trying to go back is going to end up the same as going forward. But she rounds a corner, not expecting to nearly run into someone.]

Bloody hell!

[You may be scary or you may not be, but being stuck in a maze with only an ancient flashlight for guidance starts to make everything look sinister after a while.]


c. Reach Up High - I
[Even though it has proven fruitless, Jemma is still at the door, banging on her side, pulling at the latch--]

Let us out of here!

[--and yes, shouting. There is a response this time, but it's not how she expects it. The sonorous voice commands:

Know that honesty is a good place to start on your road to redemption...

She's immediately of two minds. One says yes, this is perfectly reasonable. Suffering is good, putting a needle through flame makes it sterile and clean, and why shouldn't she let her sin be on display for all to see? (No, says the other part of her, small and scared and afraid of the person in front of her. What sort of sins might you have to etch into Jemma's flesh?)]

... What do they mean, "encouragement"? [Her instincts say nothing good, but maybe you have a better idea.]


d. Follow Me Down - I or II
[Nice girls who can't get involved in bad girl shenanigans usually know not to take drinks from strangers. But as evidenced by the list in her pocket, Jemma isn't particularly adept at being a good girl lately. She takes a lot of drinks from strangers, each one easier to take than the last. Offer a drug, she might say yes -- or rather, might not have the sense to say no.

Reach her late enough in the night, and a succubi's potion could have found its way into her drink. The strange, bitter taste on her tongue should have probably been a hint that the drink wasn't what it seemed, but it's too late at that point. She's already feeling an anxiety familiar to her -- that she's failing someone by not doing something, that her imperfection is another sin to be burned away. She wants -- god, she blushes to even think about it, in this room full of strangers, before the want overtakes shame -- to satisfy and be satisfied. But without instruction... she's lost.]


e. Choose Your Own Adventure
[I'm good for any of the prompts so hit me up. If you want to chat first, PMs are cool or I'm over here on Plurk: lizimajig.]

follow me II

[hypoxic]

[Every so often, something happens that reaffirms Fitz's theory that they're cursed. They always seem to find one another in passing, a close call that sends them slipping through each other's fingers. By the time he catches a glimpse of her, the succubi have made their rounds, and he's half-slumped against the chair beside his own, lacking the will to sit back up after one of the demons was petting his head like an animal.

When he sees her properly though, she takes his breath away. His mouth drops open, and his heart swells. But he struggles beyond that, glassy eyes squinting as he tries to make sense of the feeling. She's a misplaced angel, but he can't quite gather his thoughts enough to place her name.

The view is beautiful, though.]

Luther Hargreeves | The Umbrella Academy | ota

[paulbunyan]

Arrival

Luther wakes with a start, heart pounding in his chest as he takes in an unfamiliar room after one... odd nightmare. Or-- not quite a nightmare with how his palm aches and the unfamiliar surroundings. A look to his side and he sees the parchment with his blood on it, and everything he's ever done wrong in his life. He tucks it away in an inside pocket of his coat as he climbs to his feet and heads out.

It's hard to not appear intimidating as tall and wide as he is, but there's nothing but confusion and concern on his face as he grabs at the first person who passes him. "Stop-- I just... need to know where I am. How do I leave?"

He has a feeling he already knows, but he's hoping...

Reach Up High I

"Hey!" He all but roars as he's shoved in a room that looks like it was built for torture. The sight of it sends chills down his spine before he turns to pound on the door, hard enough that it rattles but doesn't budge an inch.

Dammit.

The voice in his head has him wincing, even if part of him wants to believe in it. He doesn't. As soon as the reality settles in what he's supposed to do with the other person shoved in the room with him, he gives a shake of his head stubbornly and reaches for his contract. "Forget it. I'm not playing that game.

Follow Me Down I

Luther feels every bit as awkward as he probably looks, hunkered down at the bar with a bottle of whiskey he demanded off the bartender. He looks miserable as he curls forward, taking another swig from the bottle. He's in Hell, and Hell is apparently a tacky bar and hotel. Who'd have thought, right?

Eventually, he might take some drug that's offered to him and swallow it down without hesitation. It hadn't helped his situation the last time, but... what difference does it make now? He's already being punished and maybe part of him just wants to have some fun instead. If not fun, then get so out of his head, he doesn't have to think about anything.

He does think to turn to the person who's closest to him and ask, "You know what that was?"

Yeah... he probably should have asked that first, but he honestly doesn't care either way.

Follow Me Down II
[Let me know if you want Luther for this! I'm fine with either role, but I think it'd be easier to do a dedicated start.]

follow me down I

[ouijahands]

Klaus is pretty sure he's hallucinating when he sees Luther's too-big form hunkered down at the bar like that's somehow going to make him blend in. He stands there and just stares for a minute.

He is absolutely not high enough for this. Of all of them, he expected Diego. Or maybe Five, because Five had apparently like murdered a bunch of people or something? Luther isn't Klaus's favourite person, but he's not the worst of them at all. Who did the deciding here? Okay, Lucifer, but what were the criteria?

He takes a breath and slides into the next seat just in time to see Luther take a drink of who knows what.

"Man, didn't you learn not to take things you don't know anything about?" Klaus asks, affecting a judgmental air as if he has any room to talk.

julian keller ( marvel 616 )

[vexant]

reach up high, i;

( there are knives laid out. there's someone else, and there's an order laying above their heads and while julian would generally go for the whole, try and get on lucifer's good side plan, this isn't a situation in which he really feels that's necessary.

he rolls his eyes, gestures towards his own list on the table and lets his telekinesis take it up towards the ceiling. far out of reach and where it's definitely not going to be a hindrance on him. )

Nah. I don't feel like it.

follow me down, i; ( alcohol and drug use )

( everything here is kind of shit. but this is significantly less shit than everything else. julian's a few drinks in and is having the fucking time of his life. the dance floor is fun, everything is fun and feels hazy but the good kind of hazy. he flits around the dance floor with ease, laughing and grinning and moving from one willing dance partner to the next without ever getting too close.

but he's comfortable. and definitely doesn't mind sliding up behind the next person, keeping a good few inches between them but leaning in closer, pressing his mouth close to their ear: ) Having fun?

( there's a dangerous lilt to his tone, but he's not--getting too handsy so maybe it's fine? )

follow me down, i(b);

( later, after he's had a few too many drinks probably--he takes up one of the demons' offers for drugs. lays out a line on a nearby table and uses a folded up card pressed to his nose to breathe it in. julian coughs, takes a moment to feel it before he's laughing hard, bending over and wrapping arms around himself before stumbling his way over to one of the gambling tables.

strip poker is clearly the best fucking idea ever. why not spend some time proving he's better at this shit than anyone else and humiliate them in the process.

you know, if that's how it goes down. )

follo me down i;

[noassgardian]

I am, sure...

[He doesn't get a real good look at the guy who's come up to him really, other than they're close and speaking near his ear. He's nursing his own drink, enjoying the usual crappy music that plays in this place, and watching the crowd.

He does lean back a bit, trying to get a better look at the guy.]

But uh, you're a little bit too close for a guy who hasn't even got me a drink yet.

Jessica Hamby | True Blood | OTA (cw: blood, cutting, alcohol, potential kinks)

[alsoagirl]

STAND YOUR GROUND

I.

[ It's with a huff and a good roll of her eyes that Jessica decides to trudge down to the basement to try and fix things, if only so she can stop hearing all the complaining. Cold and dark don't bother her, but for the people that it does...ugh. She can't with it right now. Her tolerance for socializing was already low. Besides, how hard could it be to fix the issue? If you hit things hard enough, eventually they started working again!

Okay, she wasn't going to hit things. She felt like she might actually be useful, even with her meager experience from trying to help her human dad with home inspections as a kid. She could see just fine and she knew how to handle herself. What was the worst that could happen?

...Yeah, yeah. There's a lot of bad things that could happen. She's used to it. ]

a. [ You might find her throwing things haphazardly out of boxes. See, she's found something amazing and now she can't stop looking for more goodies. Because a new phone complete with all the emojis a girl could ever ask for? And so many clothes? Yes, please! The pentagram necklace she puts on looks pretty dang neat, too! ]

b. [ In the breaker room, she's very frowny. She hasn't had the opportunity to properly style her hair thanks to the power outages, so she'd like to get it back on pronto. This was her third trip down, evidenced by the half-curled head of hair she was currently sporting. She's grumbling loudly as she hits a switch. ]

I'd sure love to kick these veiled motherfuckers in the ass.



REACH UP HIGH

I.

[ It's crazy how easily someone can get used to things when they happen often enough. Getting bodily thrown into a room might not have been one of those things, but that sense of resignation from knowing something crappy was about to go down again was. After the door slams shut, just one glance at where she is tells her everything. She doesn't even try to fight or yell this time. She just thumps her forehead against the door and sighs so, so deeply, making no immediate effort to move. You know, the typical reaction to getting tortured by a stranger. ]

You better not choose a long sin.



FOLLOW ME DOWN

I.

a. [ It began with a shot. Bad idea. Then she got on stage and started singing some karaoke. Bad, bad idea. She'd planned to do a bunch of "fuck you I don't need a man!" songs, but she spiraled into sappy, needy love songs rather quickly. It's not long before the tears are flowing, nice red bloody ones since she was cursed to be a freaky vampire. By the time the tenth song hits, she's only singing a few lyrics, mostly blubbering her way through the rest. ]

It's a quarter after one, I-I'm all alone and--and--whyyyy?

[ She stumbles to her knees, sloppily taking a drink from the bottle of rum she'd been cradling, then she continues making horrible noises into the mic. She's processing her grief, okay! ]


b. Read 'em and weep!

[ Some other night when she's sobered up and not completely embarrassing herself, she's found herself thrust into a game of poker, a game she has only the faintest of clues about. She's just slammed down a set of absurdly not-winning cards, but you'd think she'd graced the table with a straight flush, pleased as she looks. ]

So, what do I get?

[ Maybe now she'd get to learn this was strip poker. ]


II.

[ The club has always held a certain sort of allure for Jessica, one that so far she's done her best not to give in to. But now that she's older and wiser (haha), she feels like she should be allowed to indulge. She's dressed for the occasion, complete with the type of red high heels that'd make her mama faint, slinking around like she's the hottest shit. After being thrown aside by the man she thought she loved and wasted by another who only seemed to think with his dick, she needed to have some fun.

Yeah. Fun.

The shot she thought she'd downed? Not so much a shot. She shakes her head when it immediately starts to feel fuzzy, thinking it was just particularly a strong one, but then...an insistent yearning grows in her, stronger by the second. Before she knows it, she's walked up to the nearest person, lightly running the back of her hand across their cheek with a doting smile. ]

Hey there. Anything I can do for you?



WILDCARD

[ If you'd like to plot/come up with something else, feel free to hit me up on plurk @ venicebeach or PM me! ♥ ]

( follow me down i )

[dothelokimotion]

[ that's . . . new. and also disturbing. so many feelings. loki approaches, hands out, tentative. ]

Jessica?

Leo Fitz | Marvel TV (crau) | ota

[hypoxic]

stand your ground 1

[Fitz volunteers to head down to the basement early into the process. They mention it ought to be as easy as flipping a breaker, but it's been clear to Fitz that absolutely nothing here is that easy. Simplicity is just not in the cards here. But he'll go, because they'll need someone who knows their way around electric design if issues end up complicated.

The dungeon makes him pause, though. The demons chained here don't look particularly hostile, and they certainly don't look any different than the demons that are everywhere else. There's no reason for this torture. If they haven't stopped yet, they're stopping now. He plants his feet firmly and gives his traveling companion a solemn look.]

Well we can't just leave them like this. They'll die down here.

[And that's all there is to it. What could possibly go wrong?]


follow me down 1

[It seemed like a reasonable idea at first. There'd been some horrendous, dirty work down in the basement. Come out for a drink, they'd told him. He didn't want to be rude, so he followed. But this is a little too much for him, as far as partying goes. His idea of a good party is five friends settled around a Netflix documentary. This is abrasive. He grows silent at once, withdrawn. While other people laugh and dance, he gravitates to the perimeter, pressing himself against a wall. He tries not to look as uncomfortable as he feels, but... This is fun? Why do people think this is fun? He doesn't understand. Hopefully he won't have to stay very long before he can mumble some excuse about wanting to beat the rain before it gets bloodier out.]


follow me down 2

[He thinks he's had too many. Or maybe he had just one shot of something that didn't agree with him. But he's been sitting still for three songs straight by now, and he thinks that's a bad sign. It's just that he doesn't feel particularly motivated to move himself when it occurs to him at all. It's like he's hollowed out somehow, distant and lacking purpose.]

... I must be quite drunk. [He announces it to no one in particular as he slouches down further in his seat. He's sure he'll find the will to get up eventually. Maybe. Surely someone will remind him why that was important. He's sure he could break out of this malaise if someone asked nicely enough. It would be wonderful if he could make someone else happy for once.]

stand your ground i

[noassgardian]

They're demons though...

[Billy doesn't want to seem cold or callous, but honestly... after the carnival, he's a little wary, and part of him doesn't particularly want to show sympathy to demons when they show none in return. Besides If they're locked up, they must have done something bad, right?

On the other hand, he can't quite stomach any type of torture and he can't imagine one worse than starving to death...

Crap.]

... If they try to eat us or something, I get to tell you I told you so.

prompto argentum / final fantasy xv ( crau - ota )

[burstmodes]

STAND YOUR GROUND i.

[ this place is hell.

that's probably the point, but prompto still can't quite cope with having woken up here. it's not as clean and sleek as duplicity, doesn't have that general sense of calmness to it that the city had, and even though a lot of things had been rough, it hadn't been the worst place. besides, he'd made a lot of friends there, and what about the people counting on him? noct, ignis, nero, nyx, ralph, jack, kara... he can feel the ache in his chest already at the thought of her, and he sits for the longest time on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall and trying to figure out what he should do. he'd already ventured outside and down the hall, down to the main entrance of the hotel, and because he hadn't known what else to do, he'd come back to the room to try to collect his thoughts. the few things he'd had in duplicity that were personal he'd found, but other than that...

he drags his hands through his hair and forces himself to breathe. to think.

maybe this was something lies had forced them into. maybe — the thought settles deep until he think he's going to be sick, and eventually, he decides to continue exploring. which isn't exactly the best thing because he exits the hotel and the storm that ushers in is... something.

at first, prompto just gazes upward and wonders if he'd accidentally found his way to the down instead, but the first drop of red against his skin is enough to jar him out of that hope. then, it really starts. he stares at his hands, the tremor slight as he curls his fingers before trying to wipe the blood off them, but it's heavy and stains, soaking into his clothes. he stumbles back and slips, falling and sliding backwards onto the steps of the hotel. the panic is setting in, though no sound leaves him. just the frantic sort of breathing that comes from freaking out, which is in full swing as the "rain" falls harder and harder, and slowly, he curls his arms over his head in an attempt to shrink down into nothing and just disappear. ]

FOLLOW YOU DOWN i + ii.

[ at least the club scene is pretty familiar—or so he's telling himself.

maybe that's why he gravitates toward it a little easier than most other places, finding that he's a little overdressed when he steps foot inside. but the music and the crowd are generally what he's used to, so he doesn't have a problem navigating through the bodies to find the bar. the drink he has goes down a lot smoother than he remembers, and yet, that doesn't stop him from having another. and half of one more after that. he's pretty relaxed then, a bit too much really, scanning the others inside with him before he decides to take his chances and approach someone. he hadn't done this a whole lot in duplicity unless provoked, but he had a lot more experience now. not only that, he might have gotten a little lonely since his arrival, and even if it isn't the best way to cope, it is an easy way to forget for a little while. so, he puts on a brave face – or hopefully one that doesn't say he's had too much to drink – and smiles at the person he "accidentally" bumps into. ]

Hey. [ oh damn. just play it cool. ] You, uh, come here often?

[ ... and he suddenly remembers why he'd never been any good at this. ]

WILDCARD

[ open to pretty much anything else as well! prompto is a crau from duplicity and has been there for almost an entire year! so, sex and bad things happening aren't exactly new to him. he also has experience as both a submissive and a dominant!? his canon point is technically post episode prompto before the end of chapter 13. if you have any questions or wanna discuss things, just pm me or hit me up over @ overcasts ]

stand 1

[hypoxic]

[It isn't long after Prompto slips and shrinks down that someone arrives with a reprieve from the rain, if only in the form of an umbrella. Fitz leans out to extend it over his head. There's really only one reason he could imagine that someone would think huddling out in the rain is a good idea.]

First day here? You ought to get inside. Sometimes there's fire mixed in.

Frank Castle | The Punisher | OTA

[onebatch_twobatch]

Stand Your Ground: I
Frank was maybe focusing more on adventuring the basement then on the mission they'd been pressed into. He was well past following orders these days, seeing where that had gotten him over the years. No, the basement was something new and curious, and Frank wasn't letting that slide. Not when there might be answers down here.

He could be found, at the moment, rifling through one of the various boxes. Never mind why he'd come down to the basement with his duffel bag, that wasn't important. Or that he was definitely putting some things that he'd found into the bag. It's resourcefulness.

Reach Up High: I
Frank didn't like this. It was no better than when he'd arrived himself and been forced to share memories with people. At least neither of them were trying for the door this time. But Frank didn't want to hurt someone, even if this was Hell and they all surely deserved to be there.

For what it was worth, Frank wasn't picking up one of those knives. He wasn't carving his sins into another person's flesh, even if he let them do it.

Follow Me Down: I
Frank had been trying to avoid drinking in Hell since the first night he'd been there, but there were just some points where you had to give in to one thing or another. The bar, though, had been relatively safe for him so far, so he wasn't too worried about it.

Plus, there was karaoke. Should he be getting up and singing? Maybe not. He had a decent voice, but this was fucking ridiculous. That was alright. Sometimes, you just needed something that was a little ridiculous to get through everything else.

Frank got up a few times throughout the evening to sing.

II
Probably, Frank should be avoiding the club. The last time he was here, there had been some poor life choices made. Those choices were made, though, and there was no taking them back. And he kept making them, repeatedly, with relish. He was no better then some of the men he'd gone after, he supposed.

He was considering that drink that was making the rounds. He'd avoided it so far, leery after his last encounter at the club. And besides, he'd been drinking at the bar, and now here, so it wasn't like he needed extra steps to let go.

At any rate, he lingered on the edges of things, watching, sipping scotch for the moment.

Wildcard
[ Hit me up with whatever you'd like! Can also plot with me at besosde. ]

Reach Up High

[oldtonew]

It could be worse. That's not much of a comfort.

She's been stabbed before, Kettara reasons. She survived it. The scars remain, a symbol of her endurance, and surely the ancestors respect that. There were knives, fire, teeth. Even fel fire, once, when a cultist summoned a demon to fight by his side.

There are demons here, too. Just not in the room.

No, there's only a human, and a table full of knives.

She would have preferred the demons, honestly.

Kettara stands up as tall as she can, jerking her tusks at the human. She's considered the door carefully. It won't give.

"We could fight. I won't kill you."

Surely that would spend enough blood to satisfy whatever magic is binding the door. She won't submit to knives. Not willingly.

Kettara Bloodthirst | World of Warcraft | OTA

[oldtonew]

Stand Your Ground: I

[ It’s not the first time Kettara has encountered demons in her time, nor the first time she’s faced an enemy in chains. She dislikes the latter far more intimately.

They’re small. Begging for freedom.

She leans forward, sniffing. Strangely, she cannot smell the fel-taint on them. But these demons are, inevitably, her enemy. That has not changed. ]

I will kill you quickly, if you wish.

[ She glances back, noticing she has an audience. ]

it is the honorable thing.

Reach Up High: I - CW for cutting.

[ Her list includes wrath and murder, the latter of which infuriates her and possibly proves the first. She has not murdered anyone, Kettara thinks, her fists clenched tight. She has taken lives in honorable combat, as her ancestors and pride dictated. She is a warrior, yes, but she conducts herself with care.

She’s not human, after all.

Kettara growls low in her throat, stalking around the room. She’s already thrown herself against the door and blasted it with fire; it refuses to budge. ]

Let us fight. That is a better way.

[ She says it conversationally, hefting an axe. ]

Surely we will bleed enough through that.

Follow Me Down: I CW for alcohol abuse.

[ Kettara isn’t sure what to make of this place, aside from a vague sense of disgust. As such, she’s found a table in the corner near the bar and a large bottle of something that is not mead, and is thus horribly disappointing.

She’s sitting on top of the table, forgoing the chair entirely. Her two axes lay in front of her. She glares out at the crowd, shoulders hunched. This place is awful. It stinks of demons and, even worse, humans.

Why are there so many humans here? The ancestors must be testing her.

She’s less interested in gambling or flirting than sitting back and being salty, so feel free to join her if you want to judge people. ]

I

[styxtoshadows]

[There's a soft chuckle from the dark behind her and a goblin steps out.]

Orc, huh? I don't think honor means dogshit to these guys so either free them or don't. Though...if you do free them you better make them talk first.

Joseph Kavinsky | The Raven Cycle | OTA

[mitsubishievo]

Reach Up High - I
Kavinsky wasn't prone to honesty in any sense of the word, and he was not prone to self-discovery or growth, and he was not prone to revealing himself to other people. In fact, if questioned, he would lie and fabricate and hedge as much as he could. This was a survival technique, but it was also just a thing that he did because he liked it.

He also liked knives. He also liked watching people squirm.

While he was alone, he played with the knife, doing that trick of stabbing into the table between his fingers with increasing speed. And when someone finally joined him and they were informed what they were supposed to do, Kavinsky whistled low.

He pointed at the other with the blade of his knife. "Maybe you should go first. My list is pretty fuckin' long."

Follow Me Down - I cw: underage drinking and drug use
Kavinsky didn't need Hell's drugs to have a good time. He had his own. Plus a little extra for anyone that caught him in a good mood.

There was loud music, people talking like they weren't in Hell, strong drinks. It was the sort of thing that Kavinsky really liked about having snuck into bars back in Virginia and Maryland. He felt bright and alive, even through the milky haze of his drug and liquor.

That was becoming a regular thing for him. Catch him at most any time and he was stoned or rolling, drunk or well on his way. Starting his fourth month in Hell shouldn't make that much of a difference to him. If anything, this was an improvement over Henrietta, and he'd stand by that.

Plus. Karaoke. Who could say no to that?

He glanced to his left, the person that had just rolled up to look at the book of songs as well. "Any requests?"

Follow Me Down - II cw: underage drinking and drugs, potential for sex with a minor (17) - m/m only for smut
Kavinsky loved the club. Bright and loud and thumping, music, people all around. He didn't care so much about the dancers, but he did enjoy the atmosphere, and that everyone just let go even more in a place like this.

There were the machines of course, which Kavinsky was more than happy to investigate, especially if he had a friend at his side. But more than that, he was interested in those drinks traveling around.

Kavinsky didn't need a potion to get into this kind of mindset, but a little liquid encouragement never hurt anyone. And, besides, he could always hold onto it for someone else.

It was a good time, and he was going to have a good night, blissed out or not.

Reach Up High I

[savedbyasong]

Shion was struggling futiley when he was shoved in the room. He still wasn't fully aware of what was going on but he understood enough. He was in hell. Hell apparently existed outside of long banned books and he was here.

Struggling was useless and soon he was in a room, facing another boy with their lists of sins and two knives between them. That voice spoke again, of honesty and redemption and a task. Part of him wanted to believe the voice, to give in and do what it was saying.

The other half was panicking. He threw himself at the door, stumbling back as the door didn't even budge. Then the other boy spoke and he span around, looking at him with wild red eyes, tracking the knife.

"What? No. We can't..." He shook his head. He wasn't going to cut someone. He's not even that afraid of being cut himself but cutting someone else, causing them harm like that. No. His breath comes quicker as he tries to stay calm, to focus.

Draco Malfoy | Harry Potter | OTA

[theonewiththewand]

Stand Your Ground
When the marathon horror of the maze finally concludes Draco is quite deeply exhausted and still a bit sore, no matter how many healing spells he's used. Likely it shows outwardly as well, in his scowl if nothing else. Though he has been keeping his hair properly trimmed now, so in the event of any surprise hair pageants he'll be more than prepared. He's earned a few more scars recently as well, some hell-related, others more sword-related.

And of course the rain is back, so he can't even go flying. It soon becomes apparent however that the returning storms are more than merely a slight inconvenience, when the hotel goes dark.

Prompt I - Lobby
As cold as it is he won't want to linger long in the lobby, preferring to avoid becoming too crowded in. He makes due with some helpful warming charms, and if you happen on him in a chillier, less occupied corner, he may offer to share a spell or two.

Prompt I - Basement - Warnings: blood, horror, language, etc.
Once the demons start herding people into the basement, Draco is suddenly much more interested in staying in the lobby, but he doesn't really get a choice. He tosses out the flashlight they give him immediately, and opts for a more reliable lumos spell.

Still, it smells, and it's dark, and the ceiling is pissing blood, and he hates it.

A ⚜ He will get horribly lost. At some point he will be standing at a cross section of corridor, up to his knees in blood. "This is hopeless. Do you even understand what we're meant to be looking for?"

B ⚜ When he stumbles on an expanse of boxes, Draco forgets about the mission entirely. Initially he only finds a strange mix of clothing, so he might be found looking mildly scandalized by some unfamiliar garment. "What... is it?"

C ⚜ Eventually, he turns up a couple of black candles and a deck of tarot cards. He doesn't think they'll be particularly useful, but... "I wonder what else they're hiding down here."

D ⚜ [ Basement wildcard! ]

Prompt II - Coal Tars
He might be spotted wandering through the library or the hotel, a tiny coal tar at his heels, trying and mostly failing to consistently keep up with him.

Follow Me Down

Prompt I - Bar - Warnings: Drinking, possible drug use, language, etc.
A ⚜ Occasionally Draco will be having a drink at the bar, or potentially in a booth toward the back. He might look a bit sulky, he may or may not be in the mood to talk, but you're welcome to try your luck.

B ⚜ On certain nights, when he's perhaps had something more intoxicating, he may be found dancing, or watching the karaoke with extreme confusion.

Prompt II - Club
[ Might be open to something here, if anyone has a Plan pm me or rainstormsea. ]

Wildcard
[ Same deal as above. ]

COAL TARS!

[flashcat]

[If you pay close attention, you might see a pair of glowing, golden eyes gleaming in the dark, illuminated by the dimmest of lights.

Or, if you miss that, you can't miss the sound of of a hiss, a little shadow pouncing toward the little demon, one paw batting at it like it were a mouse.]

Steve Rogers | Marvel Cinematic Universe: Winter Soldier | (all kinds of horrible things seriously)

[compelledtoprotect]

Stand Your Ground

Prompt 1

It was a given Steve would go below. He didn't let the cold bother him either, he just layered on some more clothes. It wasn't the first time he'd been stuck in a place with lousy weather after all. You made due, but he didn't hesitate to come up to people he knew that looked cold and offer hugs. Even with extra clothes he still threw off a hell of a lot of heat and he didn't mind sharing it. Especially with certain individuals.

The boxes meant little to Steve, not when people were suffering, and even the room full of demons didn't slow him very much. Honestly, he'd seen worse as far as torture went, and he didn't for a moment believe the innocent claims. He'd already seen too much from the staffers to think there was a chance at real mistakes being made in punishments. And maybe a certain space captain was rubbing off on him . . .

All that really mattered was getting the electricity back on. People were counting on him.


Prompt 2

The Coal Tars were adorable! Steve wasn't trying all that hard to get them all rounded up either. He kept trying to keep a couple for himself actually, though none of them seemed to want to follow him. Unlike some people. It was disappointing really. When he wasn't actively spending time with someone, the loneliness of the hotel was starting to get to him. It would have been nice to have a pet. Finding him surrounded by drifting black balls of death wasn't unusual as he tried to convince at least one to stay with him, it was making him cough though.



Reach Up High

Prompt 1

Steve looked at the other person, holding out a blade, "Do it to me. As many as it takes. I think if you just keep cutting, neither one of us will get the extra symptoms." He hoped. It wasn't the first time he'd done the cutting thing, but he wasn't sure if the rules had changed. Their hosts certainly did seem prone to doing that. Steve offered his arm again along with the knife.

"Please. It's the best choice. I won't let you suffer."


Prompt 2

He liked to give gifts period. The fact that his natural inclination was now falling into their host's plans took some of the joy out of the action, but some things couldn't be helped. It would be stupid to deprive his loved ones of the presents he'd been making them just because a voice in his head said it would do him good to be generous.

There were two men in particular who were definitely getting gifts, whether they wanted them or not. He just hoped they'd go over well.



Wildcard

Steve isn't much for the drug-filled parties, but if you want him there it can be arranged. Same for the theme rooms. It won't take much to get him to be kinky XD Write up a prompt or PP and I'll come up with something!

Reach Up High 1

[hiddenobjective]

Cain quickly evaluated the room he'd been thrust into. Knives, list of sins, big guy. His eyes darted back to the knives when they're told what to do, assessing how he might disarm Steve when the man just holds the knife out to him.

He looks suspicious at first, thinking maybe Steve has something up his sleeve. In a quick movement, he lunches forward and snags the knife, twirling it in his hand to reposition it as he got into a fighting stance... except Steve doesn't do anything. It hadn't been a trap.

"Seriously?" He stands up a little straighter, scoffing. He glances over at the man's list, still watching him out of the corner of his eye as he does.

"Killed a lot of guys, huh?" He says it like it's nothing, "You got a preference?"

Spike Spiegel | Cowboy Bebop | OTA

[pococurante]

Stand Your Ground, I

[ To any observer, it would appear that Spike did not overhear the hushed conversation about escapees. He continues to lazily play fetch with his runty hellhound, Zwei. The hound getting more and more frustrated with his poor throws, and the long pause between retrieval and when he throws it again.

Eventually, one of the throws goes wild and Zwei scampers after it. ]

Hey. Stay where I can see you.

[ When the hellhound doesn't return, he huffs and gets up, slouching down the hall after him.

He doesn't come back. Instead, he takes the hound into the basement as he goes to investigate. ]

Stand Your Ground, II

[ Both Zwei and Spike happen to be very food-motivated. It may be the only trait that they share. The problem being that the pesky "something beautiful" in Spike's soul means the Coal Tars are entirely uninterested in him. It makes hunting them much more of a challenge than Spike was expecting.

But hey. He always likes a challenge.

He prowls about the hotel, looking for anybody who might possess that blood of the beast Vicious still thinks Spike has, who might have a few more of the things flocking to them. Zwei, for his part, is nose-to-the-ground trying to sniff them out.

He's not a very good hunter.

Either way, sooner or later they will be hovering a little close with hopeful looks in their eyes. Spike, being the only one of the pair who can talk, takes point. ]

See any sentient balls of dirt lately?

Follow Me Down, I

[ There seems to be more new people around, and Spike goes wandering down to the bar to check them out. Equal parts hopeful and dreading the possibility that he may recognize somebody.

At this point, he is extremely suspicious of anything the oh-so-gracious hosts try to get him to drink. The only thing he will accept from them is unopened cans of beer. What does catch his interest is those oh-so-enticing games of chance. He takes a long drag of a cigarette as he eyes up his options.

Blackjack seems to winning most of his attention, though he can be persuaded to try something else. He glances at whoever he ends up at the table with. ]

Good thing I wore a lot of layers, eh?

Wildcard!

[ Toss something my way, PM or find me at barbeauxbot if you'd like something else from this lunkhead. ]

Stand Your Ground, II

[failed_antichrist]

[The Coal Tars might not be able to get too close to Setsuna, but he's curious in them, and knows where a couple are. He knows there's something gross about them, but he still thinks they're cute and can't help feeling bad.]

[He gives Spike a wary scowl.]

Why you askin'?

Cain | Starfighter

[hiddenobjective]

1. Arrival
[The loud thumping coming from the room Cain has woken up in is likely easy to hear from the hallway. He's ransacking everything, pulling open drawers haphazardly and rummaging through anything, bagging anything that looks useful. He also doesn't seem to care at all if the noise he's making earns him a few curious onlookers.

When he's satisfied he's found everything the room can offer, he pushes past the gawker in the doorway.] Get out of the fucking way.

[He gives the stranger a glare as he passes and walks to the closest room to his, trying the doorknob. If it's unlocked, he walks right in, if it's locked, he'll do his best to force it, barging into the room. He glances around, seeming to look for someone as the door swings open.] Abel?

[When he doesn't find who he's apparently looking for, he promptly walks away, leaving the door wide open.] Shit.


2. Stand Your Ground - Exploring the Basement
[Cain has a slight advantage in the cold, his spacesuit is designed to protect against an array of environmental dangers. His nose and ears are cold but, in general, he's doing okay.

He's not thrilled to be sent into the basement and, since there's no one overseeing them, he immediately detours to poke around in the crates, breaking them open without hesitation.

Breaking into a grin, he pulls out a huge puffy, faux-fur jacket and immediately pulls it on. Wearing a skintight black spacesuit under it makes the getup look even more ridiculous. He fucking loves it.] Oh, shit! [His eyes light up as he continues to poke around in the crate and pulls out a tiara.] Here, this suits you better than me. [Without waiting for permission, he sets the crown on the nearest stranger's head.]


3. Reach Up High - Prompt I
[For the first time since arriving, Cain actually lets his uncertainty show as he takes a few steps into the room. He spots the knives and then his sins appear - deception, lust, gluttony, pride, wrath. The list earns a scowl, but his attention is quickly diverted to the stranger that's suddenly pushed into the room with him.

He looks from the newcomer to the knives before quickly lunging for them, grabbing for both of them before backing up and holding one blade out at the stranger threateningly.]

Stay the fuck back.

4. Follow Me Down
[Of course Cain's not going to say no to a drink... or a smoke... or whatever that demon just handed him. He doesn't seem overly concerned with who's handing him things, he'll continue to partake, getting more tipsy and a lot more sociable, even tossing his arm around the shoulders of strangers.

As he gets more drunk the allure of the card games definitely increases, but for the moment he's content watching. If someone invites him, however, he'd have a difficult time turning them down.]

2. Stand Your Ground - Exploring the Basement

[failed_antichrist]

[Setsuna does have a pretty face - he knows - but the voice that comes out of his mouth is definitely masculine, and his irritation is mostly for play.]

I hope that doesn't mean you think I'm a girl. I'm already having a bad day!

[Despite his words, he takes the tiara off, and instead of snapping it in half, he gives it a good look over before turning back to Cain.]

You see anymore clothes in there? I could use another jacket, in case I ruin mine. [The box he's looking through is out of clothes, and he has yet to find one.]

Setsuna Mudou | Angel Sanctuary | OTA (cw: Sins - Incest, Dubcon, Murder; IC age - 16)

[failed_antichrist]

arrival;
A. Contrary to his actions, Setsuna gets it, his concerns are just different, for now. He doesn't remember right before he arrived here well, but he remembers what he was doing even before that. There's something about pain, fire perhaps. A voice. His head hurts, and he pushes past all of that.

No. The important thing was where he left off at, before the burn licking at his skin. He ignores the list of his sins (but he knows, dammit, he knows), and forces himself out of bed into the hall.

Groggy, he calls out, "Sara. Sara!" He mutters, dejectedly, "She was just with me."

He puts more spirit into the next attempt. "LUCIFER! You ass! You better not die! If you do, I'll bring you back just to kick your ass for an hour!"

Miserable, Setsuna slumps against a wall, head in his hands, and sinks to the floor. Might not be the best time to approach him, or it could be what he needs.

B. Setsuna almost loses his cool with the demon at the desk, but he gets it. Guy is just doing his job. Cool down now, hunt for a way out again, in a bit. Not that he will attempt going outside anytime soon. Ew. Not to mention probably painful. He's not even sure if he can leave, actually.

He ends up at the jukebox, for all of five minutes, flipping through every song choice. He lifts a fist to smack it, disappointed by how much it hurts and how little affect he has on the machine.

"What the fuck is with all of these lame songs?" They're not, he's just pissy. Probably needs a drink, or a hug. Or both. Or a punching bag.


stand your ground;
prompt i
C. Walking through the halls, Setsuna might be a winged nightlight to those who can see auras. His aura is golden, bright and obnoxious. He manifests his wings, just feeling less vulnerable with them unfurled - only two, for now.

After a bit, though, he looks around. It's been a while, and with so many twists and turns, he's not even sure how to get back to the beginning. Setsuna hopes no one is following him.

"Crap. I think I'm lost." At least he manages to laugh at that.

D. The basement is, Setsuna decides, creepy. Creepier than the Hell he traversed through in the world he is accustomed to. He's still not ready to accept this is Hell. Maybe another Hell, or a Hell, but it sure feels like Hell is a good word for the place.

At first, he finds little interest in the boxes, but he catches a glint out one of them and ends up opening it.

"Booze!" He manages the first smile he's had since waking up in this place. It's cheap whiskey, but as long as it gets him drunk, that's all that matters. He rummages through a couple more, taking a few cartons of cigarettes with him, and some extra shirts. He doesn't seem to care about the offered technology.

He hands a sleek device to the nearest person with, "You want it?"

E. At first, Setsuna is appalled. He stops in his tracks, eyes wide as he takes in the malnourished forms held by metal, or stuck in cages. Then he clenches his hands into fists and leans close to one of the demons.

"I'm letting one go. If they got information on where this Lucifer is, then I'm all ears," Setsuna says aloud.

stand your ground;
prompt ii
F. The Coal Tars keep their distance from Setsuna, but he still watches them. He's tempted to reach out and poke one, shown by his hand moving for a bit, before he pulls it back. He manages to keep himself under control.

"I get there's something not right about them. But it seems wrong to turn them in," Setsuna mutters.

reach up high;
prompt i
F. The first thing Setsuna tries is the door, to find it won't budge for anything. Discouraged, he looks at the list of sins on the table. He doesn't bother keeping it a secret from the other person in the room, though. He's done terrible things, might as well just be honest about that. Some of those sins he'll never repent for.

Thinking over the words of the voice, he stares at his list, worried. He can't really bring himself to carve into someone else, especially someone not endangering another person, or at least insulting someone he cares for.

He reaches for one of the available knives and decides to take initiative.

Setsuna, pulls up his sleeve, and dips the knife into his own forearm, just deep enough to draw blood, while staring at the other captive blandly. He makes a decently long line, and it starts to drip.

"I can handle this. So, go ahead and do it. Best to get this over with. Before that encouragement starts," he says darkly, not able to watch someone else suffer, especially if they haven't done anything to him, yet. He turns the blade around and offers it out, handle first.

follow me down;
prompt i
G. Setsuna ends up turning down most of the food, deeply disturbed by the offers, but finds the willingness of the demons kind of adorable. Or maybe it's just the alcohol in his system making him more relaxed for the first time since he arrived.

He's pleased, if nothing else, the demons don't seem to care he's not old enough to drink in most places. Here? It's not an issue. He's quite happy about that.

Still, he keeps to himself, occasionally looking around. He turns down the drug offers, by habit. Only supposed to indulge with his mentor around. No mentor? Don't be a dumbass. But alcohol? Yeah, he's having plenty, and at some point he might get extra stupid.


wildcard;

[OOC: Brackets, [, {, or prose, past tense, present tense - I adapt. Warnings because any of these could come up. Opt-out to go with that. Contact options here to discuss ideas. If it helps, Setsuna can be aged up to 18, but he wouldn't be any different mentally than 16, or different in looks.]

follow me down

[jelliclerats]

Nezumi nurses the one drink he's allowing himself, but he notices that at the bar, fewer people are approached about performing on the stage. Nezumi can sing, but considering what his voice does, he only sings for money. More importantly, someone else seems eager to buy him another drink, and Setsuna seems 1.) around Nezumi's age 2.) to be alone 3.) someone who isn't physically larger. While he is very capable of fighting, fighting is how people died. If he can shake someone off by other means, Nezumi isn't above faking anything.

So, he slides into the seat beside Setsuna and smiles.

"See, I'm already with someone so while I'm terribly flattered, I'll have to decline the drink."

The man, a bit larger than either of them but not horribly large, looks between them.

"You're with him?"

"That's right, isn't it, Honey?"

Nezumi's eyes, unseen by his admiring, are telling Setsuna to play along with him.

squalo ⚔ khr! ⚔ ota

[sharktrash]

-- STAND YOUR GROUND #I cw: potential torture, gore & demoncide

[ At first, Squalo's focused on the mission. Oh, sure, he looks through some of the boxes on the way, but not too many, not too thoroughly, and he's certainly not looking to fill his pockets with anything. Well, if he finds a real nice blade, he might take it, but that's about as much as it goes. They need to restore power, after all. ]

[ His interest is piqued, though, when he comes across the prison. ]

[ You may find him being nice, trying to coax whatever secret a demon is offering via sympathizing and explaining how dangerous it is for him to cut the chains without knowing whether it's going to be worth it. He might outright be swearing to let them go as soon as he hears the words of interest. ]

::

[ Maybe the prisoners were too smart to fall for it, or maybe he's just greedy and the next one isn't all that keen on chitchat, seeing their friend not be released after all. Squalo's taking his sword and starting to draw long vertical lines starting at their face, without even a flinch as if he were raking bread. Depending how successfully it goes, he may be ripping off ribbons of flesh by the time you find him. ]

I'll ask again. What do you know about Lucifer?

::

[ Whether or not that works, maybe just taking too long for his liking, he just might actually free one of the unfortunate souls -- though he will grip them by the wrist before they can run off and remind them to keep up their end of the bargain. As soon as the demon finishes speaking, good information or not, a sword blade runs cleanly through their throat, leaving them sinking to the ground in a pool of blood. Squalo looks down and wipes the blood off as if it's a Tuesday. Some of the remaining prisoners may be expressing disdain. ]

I said I'd let you go. That's what I did.

[ He never specified what he would or would not do then. ]


-- REACH UP HIGH #I cw: cutting, blood, possibly torture

[ Again. This most have been one of Lucifer's more favorite games, then. Squalo is picky about his permanent marks, thank you, but he definitely has double standards where someone else may be concerned. ]

[ By the time you've finished taking in the surroundings, he's already twirling a knife in his right hand, leaning over to glance over your list of sins with, apparently, not too much interest. ]

[ His own list being in the open doesn't seem to bother him at all; if you manage to get a look there's a reasonably wide variety of sins, although the most prominent, repeated over and over causing his list to be strewn down the table and across the floor appears to be murder. ]

[ He's just raising an eyebrow at you and offering a half-grin. ]

Let's start then. Any preferences for your new body art?

[ How kind of him, he just might let you choose. ]


-- FOLLOW ME DOWN #I cw: honestly his singing counts as torture too

[ Squalo's a regular at the bar at this point, although it may be interesting to note that while events in the Carnival had caused him to drink more, dying in the Maze has apparently had the opposite effect. He's less tense, and back to his usual alcohol intake, meaning he's not actually trying to carry glasses (or whole bottles) out of the bar. ]

[ He's still downing those things pretty quickly though, and for a few moments it's almost like he didn't even notice you near the bar. But then he raises his empty glass in a greeting. ]

Hey. What's new?

::

[ Or maybe you're unfortunate enough when he's decided to try out that weird "karaoke" thing. It turns out to be more fun than he thinks, and you'll probably walk in on him half-singing, half-yelling partway through something that sounds vaguely like some popular opperetta or a song from a classic musical. ]

[ There's a problem aside from his way too loud volume, though: he's definitely missing more notes than he's hitting. It's honestly kind of awful. If you had to suffer through his shower singing before, it's definitely familiar, except now he has an actual microphone in his hands that one of the staff members is quite desperately trying to pull away from him. ]

E LUCEVAN LE STELLE --


-- WILDCARD

[ Want to do one of the other prompts or something else entirely? Hit me up here or on jigglyballs! ]

reach up high

[jelliclerats]

[ Nezumi's sins aren't very innocent, either. Murder, theft, and assault seem to be the most prominent, but he doesn't seem to be ashamed of the list. This is his life, his way to survival. While Squalo reads over Nezumi's list, Nezumi does the same. Murder, huh? Without any outward change, he prepares himself for defense in case the silver-haired man plans to add a new sin to the list. There's also a bit of a relief. Likely, he won't be too squeamish when it comes to drawing blood. ]

I hope you're a leg man.

[ Leg or arm is the obvious choice as neither is instantly fatal if attacked, but the arm is much closer to the neck, which is considerably more dangerous.

While Squalo is still some distance away, Nezumi bends to push the leg of his pants up to his knee. ]

Since we're trading, I'll even let you pick in return.

Styx | Of Orcs and Men

[styxtoshadows]

Stand

I

Styx has no idea what a breaker box is but somehow he's down there to fix it. He pads along in the darkness, occasionally looking over at the demons and shuddering. He's not going to let them go on his own...not unless they start promising juicy information. But he is more than happy to rifle the boxes.

II

Later, he develops a coal tar bobbing behind him like an oversized balloon. He swipes at it and his hands just go through. He tries to trick it into a jar with no luck.

"Little help here?"

Rise Up

I

Knife closet again. Maybe this time he'll get out before anyone comes too. Styx busies himself working with the lock, which probably means that if the door gets flung open suddenly anyone thrown in will find themselves on top of a goblin.

II

"Fine, fine. Point taken your Majesty." Styx gasps out the words to nobody nearby.

"I'll get your fucking present." The easiest way to shop for a gift is clearly to steal from someone. He searches for likely targets and then searches for gift-giving targets in the first person he sees.

"There, never say I never gave you anything. Now get out of my head. No, not you."

Follow Me Down

Styx shows up at least once in the lounge. He's not necessarily drinking, but he'll watch others get drunk and note who's talking to who. Out of force of habit he might be retreating to the shadows.

[[LMK if you want something here or just throw up a comment. That goes for everything not listed as well.]]

Stand II

[failed_antichrist]

Setsuna tries to ignore coal tars following other people. When Styx speaks up, he manages to turn away at first, but finds himself unable to ignore the situation completely.

All it takes is Setsuna getting closer and the coal tar backs off some.

"I don't get why they follow some people and don't like others. What type of person are you?"