Realistic or Modern The Five Steps IC

[smolfluffball]

[ Telly, Trent, and Jasper | The play area | Interactions: Everyone / Open. Sage Orion 0312 StaidFoal AreSneksSly RoseAstasia Life. ClownPope peach moon queenbean Kidzait ]
After most participants had gotten their bracelets on their wrists, Telltale turned and guided the ones who were already gathering around him to the play area. It wasn’t a very long walk from the pier, he didn’t think, although he didn’t have legs to properly judge the distance. Jasper kept up with him for a few moments and ignored the searching look Telltale gave him, then instead opted for a huff and a smooth escape. Telltale watched him go to the bright green awning and carefully observed him to make sure he didn’t trip while stepping up onto the platform, but after he had made it back to Trent, Telltale turned his attention back to the newbies.

Trent was already standing on the platform, by one of the five different colored blankets that had been laid out in an x-pattern. Telltale gave no introduction to Trent and also had no preamble to give to any of the newbies. It was time for the first game! Why wait any longer?

“This is the play area!” he announced, hovering over to one of the wooden posts. “We play games here, obviously, but this is also where some challenges happen. Today’s activity is a game that we at the TIES Facility enjoy witnessing so very much. I hope you all will enjoy it too! Now, without further ado . . .” The robot moved to the center of the wooden platform and spun to face the participants.

He hovered for a moment, as if thinking, but then his screen flashed yellow and he pulled up a bright smiley face. What he said after the happy expression, however, was not anything that either guide enjoyed.

Welcome to the island!

Lookie-Loo is a game we play whenever a new set of subjects arrive on the island. It serves as a good observational opportunity for myself and for the TIES Researchers, and it’s also a wonderful way to introduce people to the island! The objective of the game is quite simple: partner up with somebody and find the ribbons tied around certain objects in various locations. There’s a twist, though, and it’s that you have to partner up with whoever you find the most attractive out of the five we’ve selected! Woah, how crazy! Good luck choosing!

The five who have been selected to be ogled and chosen are as follows:
Ramona
Hana
Nat
Trent
Boone

Congratulations, you wonderful five!! You have the fantastic job of simply standing or sitting on the blankets and looking pretty, which all of you truly are!

Please, Ray, make your way to the red blanket. Hana, yellow is for you! Nat, you know what color the ocean is? Boone, green would compliment your eyes very well! Trent, what’s my favorite color? Do me a favor and stand on the blanket that is the color I just said! Once you arrive there, then everyone else can choose who they think is most attractive!

Don’t lie. Don’t choose someone random. Choose who you think is most attractive. Please try to seriously consider it, because it’s incredibly important!

After everyone has partnered up, I’ll let you crazy folks go into the island and find the six ribbons that are hidden around the island. Nat and her partner need to collect the red ribbons, Hana and her partner need to collect the yellow ribbons, Boone and his partner need the green ones, and so on! Since I’m such a kind host, I’ll give you some hints for each ribbon's location!

- I think it might be nice to go for a quick swim. -
- Rocks? No problem for this fruit bearing tree. -
- The café is hiding a beautiful coral. Go take a look at it! -
- The shopping center is where some passions might lie. -
- What has a whole lot of trees? -
- It might look shabby, but it’s still stable! -

There is one simple rule for this game: Don’t ask others where ribbons are located. Use your own wits and converse with your teammate about where you think they might be at. This is a bonding experience, so make sure you talk with each other! You can watch other people, if you want to, but it’s more fun to explore and get to know whoever is with you! Plus, the more you explore, the better you get to know the island! It’s a win/win situation for everyone!

Whatever duo gets all six ribbons first is the winner! I know where ribbons are located, so feel free to ask me over the chatroom ((aka the server)) for clues! Jasper will not be participating in this game, but he has volunteered oh so kindly to assist everyone with locating the ribbons! Feel free to bother him either in person or send him a message on your phone! He is required to answer anything you ask of him during this game (even if it isn’t about the game :0!), so bother him as much as you want to, hehe!

Having ribbons from other teams doesn’t earn you any points, so don’t take them!

The prize for being the winner is… you get to know the island and your teammate! That sounds like a pretty great prize to me ❤❤❤

Have fun, everyone! :>​

Trent wouldn’t meet anyone's eyes but did as instructed and Jasper smirked, then leaned against the pole near all of the participants. He hadn't actually volunteered to do any such thing that Telltale said, but if he could get out of participating in this game, then he'd gladly take the opportunity to do just that. “Sucks to be all of you,” he said lightly, shrugging a shoulder over to the blankets. “Go obey the robot so that we can get this over with sooner rather than later.”

 

[AreSneksSly]

Tobias Winfrey
[#48c758]
Location: Dock > Play Area | Interactions: Hana ( StaidFoal ), Telltale ( smolfluffball ), Boone ( Kidzait ) | Mood: o h g o d | Outfit: Summer Boi​

Toby couldn’t help the light blush that settled around his cheeks as the young woman’s fingertips grazed his skin. It wasn’t intimate, definitely not, yet the man still found himself flushing nonetheless. When the brunette pulled her fingers away, Toby’s embarrassment was briefly replaced with curiosity as he peered at the band, before being interrupted by the beep of a machine. Looking away meant he didn’t notice the tightening of the band around his wrist, focusing instead on the little robotic beauty.

When Telltale said they should leave their luggage for pickup, Tobias couldn’t help his little frown as he looked at his bag. The niggling part of his mind, the one that complained and worried about everything, told him that they were going to look through his stuff. That they were going to confiscate and hide away things without his permission, maybe even study the stuff he brought. Toby shuddered. It wasn’t as though he’d brought anything illegal or anything, he would never. But it was just that… just that he didn’t want his stuff getting looked through is all.

Snapping out of his thoughts (must be a new record by now), Toby returned to paying attention just in time to catch that they were going to play a game. What game? He wasn’t aware, but by the way Telly was acting it seemed exciting. The woman beside him voiced his thoughts exactly, as she turned to him with a grin. “Last one there is a rotten egg?” she asked. Taking off into a quick pace away from him, her own bags trailed behind her before she unceremoniously threw them onto the beach. Toby blinked once, twice, before a soft smile found it’s way onto his face. The woman, whatever her name is, had sounded so much like Kiki in that moment. The excitement, the smiles and the rather unfair head-start; All of them were things he could vividly recall Kiki doing to him in their childhood. Were he raised with anyone else, he might’ve found the brunette’s brush-off to be rude and immature- maybe even a little insulting. But instead Toby just shook his head with a sigh, following the rest of the group in a pleasantly slow pace and a relaxed look about him.

The group gathered at a spot on the beach, led by the ever cheery Telltale. Toby took note of the large wooden posts that surrounded wide platform, as well as the five blankets set up on the floor. A vibrant green awning was spread out over the stage, covering the area with a pleasant shade. ‘Red, yellow, blue, green and teal,’ Toby unconsciously listed as they stepped into the shadow. Telltale turned towards the newbies and began chirping away an explanation. Toby watched, completely focused on his words as though they were some sort of prophecy his life depended on. So when the happy face on Telly’s screen was replaced with a flash of yellow, Toby was taken slightly off guard.

Listening to Telly’s instructions for ‘Lookie-Loo,’ Toby felt his face fall lower and lower as dread curled in his stomach. It started with attractive, then Hana, then is just snowballed into a giant pit of worry. Oh god.

As each of the ‘chosen’ took their places on their respective blankets, that growing dread thrashed inside Toby’s chest. Whoever they find the most attractive. Whoever they find the most attractive. If Toby knew where Jasper was hiding he would’ve been apologizing on his hands and knees. The first game, and they were already pulling stunts like these?

He feared he wasn’t long for this world.

With a nervous look around at his ‘potential partners’ (oh god.) Toby forced himself into a state of thinking. Because if he was thinking about the game he wouldn’t be thinking about the implications, and if he wasn’t thinking about the implications he wouldn’t worry about people’s reactions, their words, them talking after the picking-

On the precipice of falling into a spiral, Toby felt his pocket vibrate. Fishing out the experiment-mandated phone the researchers had given them, Toby scrolled through to read the message, before smiling at the word gurgle. Typing out a response, he turned his gaze to the harried young woman who'd texted him. With a sigh, Toby tried to dispel his worry, affixing a safe smile onto his face before walking towards Hana- when a tiny robot bumped into him. Looking at Telltale, Tobe's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He would've been happy for the chance to talk with the robot some other time, but they were in the middle of a game weren't they? Why was Marshy nudging him away from Hana?

"Hello Toby!" Telltale said, in a voice that resembled a whisper. He moved to block Toby from going to Hana and beeped once at him. "You can't go and talk with the person you already know so well! That defeats the purpose of the game entirely." He nudged Toby's chest gently, pushing his screen against his shirt. "Go make friends with someone else, please."

The man frowned a little. He felt a little guilty. The little robot was trying his darnedest to get them to socialise and him and Hana were… colluding. Trying to team up behind his back. Toby walked back a step or two, looking between the little guy and the poor girl he’d promised to help, his face stuck in concentration. He knew Hana was panicking, and the relief she felt when Toby had agreed to help her… Well, the guy could certainly imagine him feeling the same. But this was a social experiment. If they just talked to each other the whole time they were there, that would defeat the purpose of this entire thing…

Finally, with a reluctant sigh, Toby let go of that expression and looked to the robot with a smile. “Alright, marshmallow,” he said, reaching out to pet the robot’s head- before freezing. Wait, was he allowed to touch the mascot? Pulling back his outstretched arm, Toby coughed into it, averting his eyes as his cheeks warmed. Getting a hold of himself, Toby lowered his hand and returned to smiling. “I’ll find someone else to pair up with then,” he said, backing away from Hana’s mat. He shot her an apologetic glance, before turning his back to her. He felt bad, he really did but… this was the goal of the experiment wasn’t it? He couldn’t spend all his time babying Hana. Plus, maybe this would help her get out of her shell. As much as Toby wanted her to feel comfortable, he knew she would just learn to turn to him in situations like these; he wanted to help her onto her own feet, and if that meant betraying her, then...

Toby let out a tired breath, his face melting into a mix of exhausted, guilty and extremely nervous. But he’s the one who got himself into this mess, so with a determined shake of his head and a few light slaps on his cheeks, Toby got to thinking. After all, he had to think carefully about his choice.

Let’s start with Ramona.

Ramona
24 | Female | Frizzy red hair | Slightly taller [Maybe by an inch or two?]

Assessment
Bubbly, friendly and sweet. She was extremely open in our text conversations, and she seems like the sort to cheer us on if we were to team up.

Attra-

…

Attractive Traits
She’s so jumpy and eager and friendly. She reminds me of a dog. She’s so confident too, able to zip around and hand those bags to everyone without a second thought. That’s so… considerate. Her freckles are also rather cute, and I love her frizzy hair.

Pros
Easy to talk to. She’s happy to carry a conversation, and I wouldn’t have to worry about coming off as too awkward or untalkative...
She doesn’t seem dim, but that’s just my opinion. Hidden talent?
She’s just a nice person to chat with. Having her on my team would be a blast, but...

Cons
Me? I’m too nervous to talk in person, and I probably won’t have much to say... that might make her uncomfortable. I wouldn’t want to force her to pair up with me.
From what I’ve seen, she and The Brunette Girl have been chatting, so maybe she’d prefer someone she knew over me. But then again, I don’t even know if we’re allowed to bring in outside factors like other people...

Other
Loves Grizzly Bears
Traveller​

Toby stared at Ramona’s back, lost in thought. Feeling like he'd sufficiently listed all the pros and cons to having her as a partner, he turned away to look at woman on the blue mat: 'Nat' Toby recalled Telly saying. Nat, Nat… Nathalia! She’s the one who he promised those marshmallows!

Nat
23 | Female | Wavy brown hair, well past her neck | Around my height, maybe a little taller.

Assessment
Strong silent type? I haven’t talked much with her other than my promise to get her to taste the sweet sugary goodness known as marshmallows. She seems to hold herself confidently

Attractive Traits
Her hair is pretty long. She looks like she takes care of it well... And her eyes are really pretty.

Pros
???

Cons
I... don’t know how to talk to her.

Other
Bilingual, Russian and English
Dancer​

Okay. So Nat was just a big question mark. Moving on, Toby almost looked at Hana, but turned away before their eyes could meet. Sorry Han…

That left two people, right? Green and… teal, if he remembered correctly.

Boone
25 | Male | Long sandy brown hair | Is everyone here a giant?

Assessment
Didn’t seem all that talkative in the chat. May just be awkward.

Attractive Traits
His hair is really long. It looks fun to play with. He looks like he works out too, maybe we c-​

‘Oh god.’

‘Oh my fucking god.’

A dark flush spread to Toby’s cheeks as he realised what he just thought, his face finding a comfortable spot buried in his hands. ‘I did not just think that,’ Tobias tried to convince himself, his face getting warmer by the minute. He said he was willing to date a guy or someone who identified as non-binary in his interview but he might’ve been… exaggerating his readiness. He knew for a long time he was attracted to girls, but dating a man was completely new territory for him.

He’d been questioning his sexuality for a long time, wondering whether or not he was actually attracted to those guys at the gym or if he was just admiring their form, but he hadn’t ever… settled on a proper answer. He liked girls and that was all he needed to know. Even the interview was just his nervous babbling, and when the sexuality question came up he’d almost exploded right then and there. But now he was stuck in a situation where he sort of… had to confront his possible bisexuality. Which he sure are hell was not expecting to happen on the island. He’d sort of hoped that maybe he’d never find romance and end up exactly the way he was before, forever alone, but… but this was turning out to not be that.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Toby ever so slowly looked back at the man on the green mat.

Attractive Traits
Tall. Long hair. M- muscley. Tan.​

He was going to melt into the floor. He was going to melt and die and drift back into the atmosphere as a lifeless spirit.

Everything else was a big fat question mark to him. Though it’s not like he would’ve been able to get through the rest anyways, seeing as he was already struggling to come to terms with the fact that yes, he had just found a dude hot, and yes, that did mean he wasn’t so straight anymore. The man could barely even bring himself to look at Trent, the one he probably would've gone with. Trent was extremely friendly in the group chat, so he was for sure the safest bet, but…

Toby glanced at the green mat. He couldn’t even force himself to look up, his face warming at the mere sight of Boone’s shoes. Toby stood there for a moment, just chewing on his bottom lip. There he would've happily stayed, eternally indecisive and unable to move. But life didn't feel like being nice today, and he was on a time limit.

With a determined exhale, Toby allowed himself to close his eyes. Fingernails dug into the skin of his palm. Then, with slow, careful steps, he approached Boone.

"H-hi there!" Toby greeted, his movements stiff when he offered a little wave. Salty droplets of sweat trailed down his cheeks as Toby desperately tried not to explode. "I'm To-Toby. Would-would you like to be partners?" At least he wasn't squeaking out his answers. He was around shoulder height for the other man, so he had to crane his neck up a considerable amount to meet his eyes. The brunette began fiddling with his fingers, trying to keep himself calm as his brain screamed red alert.

 

[Sage Orion 0312]

Location: The Play Area | Interactions: peach moon smolfluffball | Mood: Excited~☆ | Outfit: Boho Outfit & Backpack
​

After a few halfhearted attempts, Jasper had finally escaped Ramona’s affectionate embrace. When it came to social cues the redhead had a tendency of being a bit oblivious. Back at home this unfortunate habit had gotten her into some serious trouble. One of which involved her toxic ex. It was clear to most of the contestants that the grumpy blonde was uncomfortable with any sort of attention. But to Ramona, his stiff posture just meant that he was a little shy.

“He’ll warm up to me eventually.” She thought, taking a few steps away from him.
“We will be the best of friends. I just know it!”

Once again, Ramona’s attention had been diverted. A seagull screeched as it flew over the crowd. She continued to look around the island, almost dazed at all there was to see. Her first inclination was to explore. The gentle swaying of the trees calling her like a siren song. It took all her willpower to remain rooted in the spot she stood. Her common sense told her that the first activity was about to begin.

A gentle, warm sensation caused her attention to return back to the present moment. Someone had taken hold of her hand. When she turned around to see that someone was Jasper, an infectious smile took over most of her face. His bored expression conveyed nothing as he placed a black futuristic-looking band in her palm.

“A gift??” Ray whispered.
"I knew he liked me!"

“Put this on someone, wild child.”

In Ramona's mind, she heard glass breaking.
“Wild child?”

“And not on your newest friend. Go find someone else to be friendly to.”

He walked away from her then, dragging the box behind him with his foot.

“So not a gift then…” Ray murmured to Jaspers back, his focus on a seasick passenger from earlier.

Next to her, Astrid stuck out her tongue in mock rebellion.

“Cute.” Ramona chuckled to herself.
“There’s that fire I knew she had.”

"Um," the brunette spoke, scratching the back of her head.
"It looks like we have to help each other after all... let's just do it while Jasper's not looking."

Ray blinked, the pleasant surprise catching her off guard. Like a proud parent, she couldn’t’ help but feel glad at the slow confidence building in her friend.

“You’re a little rebel after all!” Ray laughed, handing over her bracelet.

Once the accessory was firmly clasped on her wrist, she took Astrid’s band and proceeded to return the favor. She was so focused on closing the tricky thing that she didn’t see Astrid's demeanor change completely.

"Sorry…” Astrid said.
“I don't mean to follow you or take up all your time... it's just a coincidence. I swear."

Ramona’s expression turned sour as her gaze collided with Astrid. Head tilted in confusion. With an eyebrow raised, she stared for a moment, quietly assessing her new partner.

“What had happened in her past for her to think that her company was unwanted? Why does she think so little of herself?” Thoughts swirled around Ray’s brain as she tried her best to relate. To theorize ways of understanding.

“Stop.” Ray said, placing her hand atop the brunette's head.
“Stop… thinking like that.”

She smiled softly, nothing but kindness in her eyes.

“Look. If I didn’t want to be around you, then I wouldn’t be around you. If I didn’t want your company, I’d tell you right away.”

Patting her head, her gaze turned to see Telly signaling the group forward.

“I don’t waste my time sugar coating and mincing words. Life is too short to settle for unpleasant circumstances.” Finally, the bracelet’s clasp closed and began to shrink on Astrid’s arm.
“I literally dragged you off the boat.” Ray chuckled, giving the contestant's hand a gentle squeeze.

“Wouldn’t that mean I like being around you?”

With a sigh, Ramona started to follow the path Telltale had been hovering. Her hand still towing Astrid behind her.

“C’mon silly goose. We gotta move.”

Telly led the crowd over to a nearby pavilion. The area was simply decorated with wooden pillars and a green roof. On the ground lay five different colored blankets. It made Ray wonder if everyone was having a cute communal picnic. On the edge of the platform stood another cute human. One who didn’t seem like a participant... but as someone who worked for the experiment.

“Who are they?” Ray wondered absentmindedly.
“I thought Jasper was the only TIES representative for this trip.”

Her attention dragged back to the floating robot who had begun explaining the rules of the first game.

“Please, Ray, make your way to the red blanket.”

“Ha. I get it… Red like my hair.”

She squeezed Astrid’s hand before letting go. A small bit of encouragement for that activity that was to come.

“Attractive eh? Dang I’m glad I’m not the one who has to decide. I don’t really know anyone here… It would be impossible for me to choose.”

She stepped onto the red blanket and turned her heel, accidentally kicking up bits of the fabric. What had once been laid out neat and flat was now wrinkled and a definite tripping hazard.

“Better fix that.” Ray murmured, awkwardly nudging the blanket with her toe.

​

 

[RoseAstasia]

location: the play area
interaction: Hana ( StaidFoal )
mentions: Telly ( smolfluffball ) Toby ( AreSneksSly )
Tommy follows the group And listens to telly talk about the game. His mind trails off at the mention of the most attractive person and he looks at them back and forth for a brief moment.
He whispers to himself, “The most attractive person… i assume you mean physically… but I should probably take into account their personalities as well…” he thinks for a few more seconds… “I dont really know most of them very well, but based on first impressions…. Hmmmmm…”

he looks back and forth at them and sees Toby walk up to someone.

better hurry or I wont have any options to choose from…

he walks over to Hana with a smile, “Hi there, do you mind if I select you?”

 

[queenbean]

X


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Nat

X


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Nat couldn't help grinning even wider at the girl's flustered look. If Nat didn't know any better, she'd wonder if she'd suddenly grown a second head or something. Exhaling a soft laugh, the brunette reached out to grasp a somewhat trembling wrist. "Don't worry, I don't bite." She winked. "It's nice to meet you, Hana. I'm sure we're going to get along just fine."

Nat kept her touches light and furtive as she clasped the bracelet around Hana's wrist. She held out her own to have Hana do the same, all the while taking in the various pairings. She wondered if anyone found The One yet, or whatever it was in particular that the TIES committee wanted them to find.

Nat hadn't really noticed everyone else was done until Telly was making an announcement from the stage. It was unremarkably boring to look at, though Nat couldn't tear her gaze from the little robot for long. It was such an odd thing to see, but she was sure she'd get used to him sooner or later. Upon the explanation of the next game, Nat slipped her fingers through her curly hair in an attempt to fix the damage the wind was already going to it. It provided little effect, though, so she relented and let the wild curls do as they pleased.

That familiar lick of competitive fire ignited within Nat. She loved a challenge - especially one involving clues and riddles. Hopefully her partner wouldn't mistake her looks for stupidity - something she got rather frequently once she graduated high school where everyone knew how smart she was. Oh, God, what if a boy picked her? That would be fine, she reasoned, she gets along with men perfectly fine. She just hoped he didn't get the wrong idea because Nat still hates having the whole 'by the way I'm gay' speech.

Nat effectively snapped out of her pondering when Telly finished up explaining the rules. This was going to be a piece of cake, she reasoned. She just had to sit and look pretty. She's done that plenty of times before. A lot of times, actually.

Her grin turned teasing as she eyed Hana again. "You heard the bot, cutie. Let's make ourselves comfortable so we can be admired."

Taking long strides toward the blue blanket she'd been assigned, Nat sat primly at first before easing herself into a more comfortable, and slightly more appealing, pose. Propping one leg up and crossing the other beneath it, Nat rested her arm that wasn't scarred on top of it and put on the smile that her mother always told her should 'dim the stars'.

Whoever I get, she told herself, it'll be fine. No need to panic.

She noted, with great relief, that Hana got chosen quickly. The boy who approached her looked pretty eager, too. Another look around the circle and she realized Boone was also paired off. Her eyes fell on Ramona, not far from her, and then Trent. She figured, if she had to pick a guy to run around the island with, Trent seemed the easiest to get along with. Ramona at least would match her energy.

Patience, Nat reminded herself. She had to be patient. (She hated being patient.)

mood: Hot Girl Problems | location: Play Area outfit: x |tags: StaidFoal (hana) / others mentioned

code: s e v e n

Spoiler: MOBILE FRIENDLY!

Nat couldn't help grinning even wider at the girl's flustered look. If Nat didn't know any better, she'd wonder if she'd suddenly grown a second head or something. Exhaling a soft laugh, the brunette reached out to grasp a somewhat trembling wrist. "Don't worry, I don't bite." She winked. "It's nice to meet you, Hana. I'm sure we're going to get along just fine."

Nat kept her touches light and furtive as she clasped the bracelet around Hana's wrist. She held out her own to have Hana do the same, all the while taking in the various pairings. She wondered if anyone found The One yet, or whatever it was in particular that the TIES committee wanted them to find.

Nat hadn't really noticed everyone else was done until Telly was making an announcement from the stage. It was unremarkably boring to look at, though Nat couldn't tear her gaze from the little robot for long. It was such an odd thing to see, but she was sure she'd get used to him sooner or later. Upon the explanation of the next game, Nat slipped her fingers through her curly hair in an attempt to fix the damage the wind was already going to it. It provided little effect, though, so she relented and let the wild curls do as they pleased.

That familiar lick of competitive fire ignited within Nat. She loved a challenge - especially one involving clues and riddles. Hopefully her partner wouldn't mistake her looks for stupidity - something she got rather frequently once she graduated high school where everyone knew how smart she was. Oh, God, what if a boy picked her? That would be fine, she reasoned, she gets along with men perfectly fine. She just hoped he didn't get the wrong idea because Nat still hates having the whole 'by the way I'm gay' speech.

Nat effectively snapped out of her pondering when Telly finished up explaining the rules. This was going to be a piece of cake, she reasoned. She just had to sit and look pretty. She's done that plenty of times before. A lot of times, actually.

Her grin turned teasing as she eyed Hana again. "You heard the bot, cutie. Let's make ourselves comfortable so we can be admired."

Taking long strides toward the blue blanket she'd been assigned, Nat sat primly at first before easing herself into a more comfortable, and slightly more appealing, pose. Propping one leg up and crossing the other beneath it, Nat rested her arm that wasn't scarred on top of it and put on the smile that her mother always told her should 'dim the stars'.

Whoever I get, she told herself, it'll be fine. No need to panic.

She noted, with great relief, that Hana got chosen quickly. The boy who approached her looked pretty eager, too. Another look around the circle and she realized Boone was also paired off. Her eyes fell on Ramona, not far from her, and then Trent. She figured, if she had to pick a guy to run around the island with, Trent seemed the easiest to get along with. Ramona at least would match her energy.

Patience, Nat reminded herself. She had to be patient.

 

[Kidzait]

Location: Standing on a green mat mostly
Interactions: Jasper ( smolfluffball ), Toby ( AreSneksSly )
Mentions: Jasper ( smolfluffball ), Toby ( AreSneksSly )

Boone couldn’t help but notice that a smile spread across Jasper’s face as Boone approached. He assumed he thought of a funny joke and it had nothing to do with the group getting off the boat that he made so clear that he disliked. It never crossed Boone’s mind that it might be Boone making him smile. They had their little back and forth,

“But I guess I can help you with this one thing, Cowboy, since you agreed to be my bodyguard.” Jasper said and, was that a hint of playfulness in his voice.
“ careful jasper, people are going to think you like me or something” he said with a sly smile.
“If you fail at your bodyguard duties, I will be summoning monsters so that they can get you and whisk you away. You have about three chances to get it right.”
“ Oops. There it is” Boone said with a chuckle, “See you around, Jasper” Boone said as he walked past the blonde to follow the group. He was only vaguely aware of the bracelet conforming to his wrist. He was used to wearing a watch so this was an old feeling. Soon, the little Fitbit was forgotten and the sun and sand was at his full attention.

“Once all of you have your bracelets on, please drop your luggage either on the beach or leave it on the pier! There will be people coming by later to retrieve it. They will be delivering your stuff to your rooms in the house!”

Upon hearing this, Boone unclipped his hip belt and dropped his frame bag mid stride. It was not made for the weight he packed into it and the straps were cutting into his collarbones. With the weight lifted, he strode across the sand after the group, realizing that he was lagging behind.

Boone caught up just in time to Hear Telly’s speech about the first game of the experiment: Lookie-Loo. The name itself was enough to spike Boone’s heart rate, the rules were going to give him an aneurysm. Then that little robot said his name. Out loud. For him to go stand on the green mat for the others to look (ie-loo) at and pick based on attraction.

Panic!

Fired off in Boone’s head like a rabbit that saw a shadow. He was going to have to stand in front of everyone, half of which he hasn’t met yet. Boone was suddenly realizing the gravity of this “game show” that he had signed up for. He was going to have to leave his comfort zone far behind. His comfort zone was his favorite zone he could think of. How can he get back on the boat?

Boone had realized in his state that, like one of the sheep he chased around with an ATV, he had wandered up to his mat when the others moved to their spots. He glanced to his left and right at the others. Hana, Ramona, Trent, Nat, and a dusty ranch hand. No brainer there. Did TIES know they were stacking the deck? Did TIES know about middle school kickball?

Boone’s internal panic was rudely interrupted when the dark skinned man in a brightly patterned shirt bravely crossed the sand. He stopped in front of Boone with visible discomfort

"H-hi there!" He asked with a small wave, "I'm To-Toby. Would-would you like to be partners?"

Boone blinked in surprise and glanced around at the others still making their choice. It had not dawned on Boone that same sex match ups would be a thing. He felt pretty dumb for not realizing but he was preoccupied with personal issues. He looked the man up and down, realized he looked like he was checking him out, then looked up at the empty sky for a brief moment. He put his hands on his hips and shifted his weight, also realized that he was being weird by not looking at him. Boone wasn’t sure if he was ready to confront these demons quite yet.

``Sure, Boss. I’ll pal around with you” Boone said after a longer pause than he intended, ” I’m Boone” He gave Toby a crooked smile and quieted his thoughts on the task ahead. Truth was that Boone had a competitive side that had the potential (with enough liquid encouragement) to get ugly. Boone glanced up and down the beach, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun with his hand. So they were looking for colored ribbons? No sweat.

”Let's check the house first” He said, not wanting to suggest a secluded walk on the beach the first day, ” Hope you got a lock on those clues. Otherwise, I don’t mind flying blind.” Boone started down the beach towards the manor peeking out from behind a row of palms in the distance.

 

[peach moon]

Astrid Hale

interacting with: Ramona ( Sage Orion 0312 ), Trent ( smolfluffball )
mentions: Telly, Nat ( queenbean ), Toby ( AreSneksSly ), Hana (briefly, StaidFoal ), Boone (briefly, Kidzait )
outfit: [x]
location: play area
mood: horrified!!!

"Stop." Astrid blinked at Ramona in confusion as she placed a hand rather gently on Astrid's head. She quickly felt more at ease -- despite all the red-head's energy and chaos, it seemed she could be quite a calming presence too. "Stop... thinking like that. Look, if I didn't want to be around you, I wouldn't be around you. If I didn't want your company, I'd tell you right away," Ramona said, giving Astrid a few reassuring pats. "I don't waste my time sugarcoating or mincing words," she continued, her hands returning to Astrid's wrist to finish with the bracelet. The clasp snapped shut with a satisfying clicking noise. The band began to shrink around her wrist until it was snug -- a bit odd, but Astrid was trying to focus on Ramona, so she ignored it for now. "Life is too short for unpleasant circumstances. I literally dragged you off the boat," she said with a soft laugh, giving Astrid's hand a little squeeze. "Wouldn't that mean I like being around you?" Astrid nodded rather seriously, trying to internalize the girl's words at least a little bit. People, in Astrid's experience, were indirect and confusing. They never said what they really meant, always expecting others to read between the lines. Meeting someone who, at the very least, seemed to be very honest and straightforward was so refreshing. "T-thank you! Um... I know we don't know each other well at all, but I like being around you too," Astrid said, giving Ramona a nervous smile and squeezing her hand right back. Astrid was not exactly knowledgeable on hand-holding etiquette, and it was hard for her to shake the feeling that she was being too forward, but Ramona helped to dispel those thoughts by pulling her in the direction of Telltale and the "play area." "C'mon, silly goose. We gotta move."

As Astrid approached the play area with the rest of the group, she noticed an unfamiliar person had already arrived: A medium-height boy with short black hair and very nice brown eyes. She cocked her head, trying to sort out who it might be, but no luck... it was hard to match names to faces when you'd only spoken to people over text before. Before she could puzzle over it further, Telly piped up and began explaining the first game. L...lookie-loo? Astrid listened on in horror, her face looking more and more petrified with every word. "N-no way..." she whispered to herself. How was she supposed to do something like this -- just confess attraction to some random stranger? If anything, Astrid would have hoped that she could be one of the people being chosen rather than having to choose, but no such luck. Telly read off the names -- Ramona, Hana, Nat, Trent, Boone... no Astrid. Though...Wait, Trent...? Trent, Trent... Right, ghost boy! she thought, putting two and two together. I knew he wasn't dead. The small thrill of being correct, however, was not nearly enough to offset the unfortunate task before her. "...Have fun, everyone!" The little bot finally finished his explanation, and Ramona gave the girl's hand a final squeeze before going to take her place on the red blanket. Astrid stood frozen in place, paralyzed. Her eyes darted to each of the five people before her. Her instant reaction was to take a step towards Ramona -- she was practically Astrid's security blanket at this point -- but then Jasper's words echoed in her head as she made eye contact with the fiery-haired girl. "Find someone else to be friendly to." She stopped in her tracks, balling up her fists at her side in frustration. She knew that the whole point was to meet people, make connections, but... But this is so hard... Astrid was so close to ignoring Jasper's annoying voice in her brain, but, almost as if to reinforce it, she heard Telly pipe up again from a few feet away from her, speaking to a short-ish, darker-skinned boy. "Hello Toby! You can't go and talk with the person you already know so well. That defeats the purpose of the game entirely." Astrid frowned. Okay, fine, stupid universe and stupid TIES committee. I will... pick someone else. She looked around, reexamining her options, but her thought process was clearly taking too long, because before she knew it, two of the choices were already taken -- Boone and Hana, she derived from the colors of their blankets. Ramona was out, as Astrid had unfortunately already determined. That left... Nat and Trent. The former was an honestly beautiful girl with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Astrid generally preferred girls, at least when choosing between strangers, but this girl -- Nat -- had an awfully intimidating air about her. Astrid looked over at her and then back at Trent -- Trent, she knew, was friendly, and they had spoken before, albeit briefly, so that was a point in his favor... AUGH!!! This is horrible! How can I choose... She frowned again. She started towards Nat, then paused. She started towards Trent, then paused. You HAVE to pick one. It doesn't matter, okay? Just... GO!" She squeezed her eyes shut and power-walked to her blanket of choice. Opening her eyes nervously, the teal fabric spread out in front of her with the new person -- Trent -- seated atop it. "U-um... could we... pair up?" She squeaked out to him, avoiding his gaze. "I -- sorry, this is so weird. Um, I'm Astrid. N-nice to meet you."

..

code by RI.a

Spoiler: Mobile friendly!

"Stop." Astrid blinked at Ramona in confusion as she placed a hand rather gently on Astrid's head. She quickly felt more at ease -- despite all the red-head's energy and chaos, it seemed she could be quite a calming presence too. "Stop... thinking like that. Look, if I didn't want to be around you, I wouldn't be around you. If I didn't want your company, I'd tell you right away," Ramona said, giving Astrid a few reassuring pats. "I don't waste my time sugarcoating or mincing words," she continued, her hands returning to Astrid's wrist to finish with the bracelet. The clasp snapped shut with a satisfying clicking noise. The band began to shrink around her wrist until it was snug -- a bit odd, but Astrid was trying to focus on Ramona, so she ignored it for now. "Life is too short for unpleasant circumstances. I literally dragged you off the boat," she said with a soft laugh, giving Astrid's hand a little squeeze. "Wouldn't that mean I like being around you?" Astrid nodded rather seriously, trying to internalize the girl's words at least a little bit. People, in Astrid's experience, were indirect and confusing. They never said what they really meant, always expecting others to read between the lines. Meeting someone who, at the very least, seemed to be very honest and straightforward was so refreshing. "T-thank you! Um... I know we don't know each other well at all, but I like being around you too," Astrid said, giving Ramona a nervous smile and squeezing her hand right back. Astrid was not exactly knowledgeable on hand-holding etiquette, and it was hard for her to shake the feeling that she was being too forward, but Ramona helped to dispel those thoughts by pulling her in the direction of Telltale and the "play area." "C'mon, silly goose. We gotta move."

As Astrid approached the play area with the rest of the group, she noticed an unfamiliar person had already arrived: A medium-height boy with short black hair and very nice brown eyes. She cocked her head, trying to sort out who it might be, but no luck... it was hard to match names to faces when you'd only spoken to people over text before. Before she could puzzle over it further, Telly piped up and began explaining the first game. L...lookie-loo? Astrid listened on in horror, her face looking more and more petrified with every word. "N-no way..." she whispered to herself. How was she supposed to do something like this -- just confess attraction to some random stranger? If anything, Astrid would have hoped that she could be one of the people being chosen rather than having to choose, but no such luck. Telly read off the names -- Ramona, Hana, Nat, Trent, Boone... no Astrid. Though...Wait, Trent...? Trent, Trent... Right, ghost boy! she thought, putting two and two together. I knew he wasn't dead. The small thrill of being correct, however, was not nearly enough to offset the unfortunate task before her. "...Have fun, everyone!" The little bot finally finished his explanation, and Ramona gave the girl's hand a final squeeze before going to take her place on the red blanket. Astrid stood frozen in place, paralyzed. Her eyes darted to each of the five people before her. Her instant reaction was to take a step towards Ramona -- she was practically Astrid's security blanket at this point -- but then Jasper's words echoed in her head as she made eye contact with the fiery-haired girl. "Find someone else to be friendly to." She stopped in her tracks, balling up her fists at her side in frustration. She knew that the whole point was to meet people, make connections, but... But this is so hard... Astrid was so close to ignoring Jasper's annoying voice in her brain, but, almost as if to reinforce it, she heard Telly pipe up again from a few feet away from her, speaking to a short-ish, darker-skinned boy. "Hello Toby! You can't go and talk with the person you already know so well. That defeats the purpose of the game entirely." Astrid frowned. Okay, fine, stupid universe and stupid TIES committee. I will... pick someone else. She looked around, reexamining her options, but her thought process was clearly taking too long, because before she knew it, two of the choices were already taken -- Boone and Hana, she derived from the colors of their blankets. Ramona was out, as Astrid had unfortunately already determined. That left... Nat and Trent. The former was an honestly beautiful girl with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Astrid generally preferred girls, at least when choosing between strangers, but this girl -- Nat -- had an awfully intimidating air about her. Astrid looked over at her and then back at Trent -- Trent, she knew, was friendly, and they had spoken before, albeit briefly, so that was a point in his favor... AUGH!!! This is horrible! How can I choose... She frowned again. She started towards Nat, then paused. She started towards Trent, then paused. You HAVE to pick one. It doesn't matter, okay? Just... GO!" She squeezed her eyes shut and power-walked to her blanket of choice. Opening her eyes nervously, the teal fabric spread out in front of her with the new person -- Trent -- seated atop it. "U-um... could we... pair up?" She squeaked out to him, avoiding his gaze. "I -- sorry, this is so weird. Um, I'm Astrid. N-nice to meet you."

 

[ClownPope]

mood

Trying to stay cool

location

Play area

outfit

here

tags

Nathalia queenbean

Charles Andersen

Charles actually managed to listen to the instruction as he made his way over to the play area. His brow raised in mild concern as the details of the game were explained. It wasn't horrible, not pleasant maybe but certainly not the worst they could've done. Charles glanced across the line at the five standing on the colored blankets then stared down at his hands as he tried to convince himself that this wasn't a big deal. Just cause you're attracted to someone doesn't mean anything. Heck, just because you compliment a person on their shoes doesn't mean you wanna make out with them. You don't lick every art piece you find appealing in an art gallery. So just cause you think someone looks nice doesn't mean you have feelings for them...But would they take it that way?
Charles finally looked back up and by then his two first picks were already taken. "Nh?" Well maybe don't put it that way, that'd seem rude. They were all nice-looking...just some were more his type than others. Charles shook his head. That doesn't matter. He glanced again between Nat and Ramona. Ramona seemed like a nice gal, but...she was probably too much for him to handle. And Nat, despite being a little intimidated, seemed somewhat more chill. Clearing his throat, he managed a grin and stepped up to the blue blanket with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Let's not think too much about this and play us a game, yeah?"

coded by reveriee

Spoiler: Plain text version

Charles Anderson [#F05F3B]
Charles actually managed to listen to the instruction as he made his way over to the play area. His brow raised in mild concern as the details of the game were explained. It wasn't horrible, not pleasant maybe but certainly not the worst they could've done. Charles glanced across the line at the five standing on the colored blankets then stared down at his hands as he tried to convince himself that this wasn't a big deal. Just cause you're attracted to someone doesn't mean anything. Heck, just because you compliment a person on their shoes doesn't mean you wanna make out with them. You don't lick every art piece you find appealing in an art gallery. So just cause you think someone looks nice doesn't mean you have feelings for them...But would they take it that way?

Charles finally looked back up and by then his two first picks were already taken. "Nh?" Well maybe don't put it that way, that'd seem rude. They were all nice-looking...just some were more his type than others. Charles shook his head. That doesn't matter. He glanced again between Nat and Ramona. Ramona seemed like a nice gal, but...she was probably too much for him to handle. And Nat, despite being a little intimidated, seemed somewhat more chill. Clearing his throat, he managed a grin and stepped up to the blue blanket with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Let's not think too much about this and play us a game, yeah?"

Mood:Trying to stay cool
Location: Play area
Outfit: here
Tags: Nathalia queenbean

 

[Life.]

Seba Lynn Wan
Location: Island | Interaction(s): Ramona Sage Orion 0312 | Mention(s): Telly smolfluffball & everyone else (too lazy to tag all lol)

She didn't spare a moment to glance back to see if the young man she had been interacting with a few seconds ago was following after her, Seba had become fixated on admiring the structure of the play area. Her eyes occasionally strayed away from the wooden platform and five bright, colorful blankets arranged in an X-formation to the movements of unfamiliar faces gathering around. Finally, Seba rested her attention on Telly, a machine that still left many questions in her head in terms of functionality, origin, mechanics, etc. Seba, like the rest of the group, listened in silence as the robot explained the first game. It dinged quickly in Seba's head that the game was a scavenger hunt of sorts. Seba's eyes widened though as Telly continued to explain instructions. Half of the group was designated to become options for the rest of the group to choose from, but on the terms of attractiveness. A smirk appeared on Seba's face, "These TIES guys are really not holding back."

Getting away to the island, Seba had pondered on the idea before that she could embrace a different side of herself, perhaps be more bolder with her actions and voice, since no one on this island knew her. But her current state of indecisiveness contradicted those earlier thoughts and goals. She remained in the back of the group as she watched the persons whose names were called stand on the assigned blankets. It was at that moment that Seba realized she never introduced herself or received the name of the young man wearing the Hawaiian shirt. Seba softly slapped her palm onto her forehead and mumbled self-criticisms to herself. Additionally, it didn't help Seba's self-esteem as she tried to remember the two gentlemen's names she had conversed with on the boat. "You're doing a real good job, Seba. Already forgetting the names of people you've met. Maybe it was Tommy and Carl? Wait no, maybe Timmy and Carl? Oh, whatever. I'll eventually remember their names. I should really focus on learning them now." She heaved a short sigh as she returned her focus on the participants on the blankets. At least with the five currently standing on blankets, she can add some visual cues of the colorful blankets they stood on to their faces which would ultimately help with remembering their names.

"Ramona, red-head, on the red blanket, easy enough. Hana, yellow, she seems rather timid. Then on blue, Nat. Oh, she's pretty. Boone, green. He seems like someone who knows the forest well. And, Trent on teal. Wait, I don't believe he was on the boat. Is he perhaps the other guide?"

After taking a short analysis of each individual, Seba took a step forward but stopped. Her eyes saw the movement of the robot hovering over to the dark-haired male in the Hawaiian shirt. She noticed a short exchange between them then his direction changing from Hana, who was on the yellow blanket, over to Boone on the green. A short brunette close by seemed to have observed the same interaction as her direction shifted as well. Both seemed very nervous when approaching the persons they picked. Seba couldn't blame them considering how the decisions were made based on attraction, but she didn't know what form of attraction they based their choices on. For her, she didn't want to admit but her choice was going to be based off physical appearance or so she thought until her mind returned to reality and saw that everyone else but her had picked. "Dang, I have to stop spacing out a lot. And being so indecisive. And here I thought I could start changing and being a different person." Seba grumbled to herself as she walked up to the last open person, Ramona. Before reaching the red-head, Seba made sure to raise the edges of her lips into an easy smile. She felt a little relieved that Ramona was the last option open, from everyone else in the group, aside from Jasper, Ramona was one Seba had communicated a bit with over text. "As most people say when they're picking through things, you gotta save the best for last. So you must be the best for me," Seba lifted a hand then for a handshake, "Nice to finally meet you Ramona. How's lil' Leo up on your head fairing in this tropical climate? And please tell me you're good with riddles. Unfortunately, I'm not the best. I take some things too literal at times."

 

[queenbean]

X


X


X


X


X


X


X


X

Nat

X


X

Nat would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit wounded at not being one of the first picked. Actually, she was more shocked than upset; she's never been picked as one of the last options before. Even in gym class, Nat was always at least the first three picked. But when it came to a competition of attraction? Of course she expected herself to be picked first. She didn't want to sound narcissistic, but, Nat was well-aware of her looks and the effect she often had on others. She couldn't possibly look intimidating could she? Maybe she should have worn less black...

Nat's thoughts were cut abruptly short when someone approached her blanket. Oh no. A boy. She's going to have to say the thing she always has to say to boys and that's always so awkward. Maybe she can avoid the awkwardness. He didn't seem so bad. Actually, he looked a little disappointed. Maybe he wanted someone else? Oh god he didn't want her either. She won't let that get to her head. It's probably good neither of them are ecstatic about this. If she was stuck with someone she was hopelessly attracted to, she would never focus on the task at hand.

"Hey, Let's not think too much about this and play us a game, yeah?" At the sound of his voice, Nat hopped to her feet and almost gasped at the headrush. Now that she was closer to him, she realized just how bulky the guy was. Etot chelovek stena... Was he a weightlifter or something? And his height. He easily held half a foot on her. He'd be damn intimidating if he didn't seem so boyishly shy with his hands shoved in his pockets like that.

"No worries! I am an excellent riddle-decipher," she kept her tone friendly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We'll crush them all." She exaggerated her accent a little for that one, if only to ease the tension. "But first, I want to get something straight: I'm... not." It was the easiest way to put it without making it a big deal. "Not that you aren't cute! I just don't want to lead you on this early..." She cleared her throat, a light pink spreading in her cheeks at her dumb rambling. "Anyway, our first clue starts at the cafe. Who keeps coral in a cafe?"

mood: competitive mode unlocked | location: play area outfit: x |tags: ClownPope (charles)

code: s e v e n

Spoiler: MOBILE FRIENDLY!

Nat would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit wounded at not being one of the first picked. Actually, she was more shocked than upset; she's never been picked as one of the last options before. Even in gym class, Nat was always at least the first three picked. But when it came to a competition of attraction? Of course she expected herself to be picked first. She didn't want to sound narcissistic, but, Nat was well-aware of her looks and the effect she often had on others. She couldn't possibly look intimidating could she? Maybe she should have worn less black...

Nat's thoughts were cut abruptly short when someone approached her blanket. Oh no. A boy. She's going to have to say the thing she always has to say to boys and that's always so awkward. Maybe she can avoid the awkwardness. He didn't seem so bad. Actually, he looked a little disappointed. Maybe he wanted someone else? Oh god he didn't want her either. She won't let that get to her head. It's probably good neither of them are ecstatic about this. If she was stuck with someone she was hopelessly attracted to, she would never focus on the task at hand.

"Hey, Let's not think too much about this and play us a game, yeah?" At the sound of his voice, Nat hopped to her feet and almost gasped at the headrush. Now that she was closer to him, she realized just how bulky the guy was. Etot chelovek stena... Was he a weightlifter or something? And his height. He easily held half a foot on her. He'd be damn intimidating if he didn't seem so boyishly shy with his hands shoved in his pockets like that.

"No worries! I am an excellent riddle-decipher," she kept her tone friendly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We'll crush them all." She exaggerated her accent a little for that one, if only to ease the tension. "But first, I want to get something straight: I'm... not." It was the easiest way to put it without making it a big deal. "Not that you aren't cute! I just don't want to lead you on this early..." She cleared her throat, a light pink spreading in her cheeks at her dumb rambling. "Anyway, our first clue starts at the cafe. Who keeps coral in a cafe?"

russian translation: this man is a wall

 

[StaidFoal]

Hana Imai
#F7DA64


Location: Dock > Play Area
Interactions: queenbean (Nat) RoseAstasia (Tommy)
Mentions: smolfluffball (Telly) AreSneksSly (Toby) Kidzait (Boone)​

G-Goddess! The thought popped into Hana's mind as Nat gently did the bracelet for her. She could only nod and set to work on Nat's own, averting her eyes from her face as if it were a gleaming sun. Compared to the little dull her, Nat was sparkling gorgeous. And someone way above my league... Hana bound her lips shut, clicking the bracelet together with the same softness that Nat used; though as a precaution rather than a consideration. "I-It's nice to meet you, too..." Hana backed off quietly with a small bow, and she assumed that their meeting had ended there.

Hana followed the rest of the group to the play area, not entirely sure of what was to come. Telly mentioned a game. Considering the whole experiment itself, it was probably a social thing... The thought of it made Hana shudder, but it couldn't have been that bad. Maybe a short, in-person introduction? Or just a game of two truths and one lie?

And then, flashing on the robot's screen, was the title and rules of Lookie-Loo. And that of the five "to be ogled," her name neatly sat second from the top.

Just when Hana had brought herself to minimum calmness, anxiety erupted in a bright, peachy red of her cheeks. Her gaze darted between the participants, the blankets, Telltale; even to the island's wildlife and shrubbery. Her thoughts had imploded, leaving only a blank void of imaginary screaming and curses. A warm sweat washed over herself, adding to the redness. Hana froze in place, trying her best to keep the diminished strength in her knees throughout the muffled hyperventilating she choked down.

"You heard the bot, cutie. Let's make ourselves comfortable so we can be admired."

Nani, nani, nani? Me?! Nat's quip only made Hana's face sear. She grabbed the hair dangling over her face, pressing it against her cheeks in a desperate attempt to hide herself.

But an idea T-boned Hana's train of thought, derailing it from the worn rails, yet without crashing it. Biting her lips, she discretely turned her back to Telly and the hosts, whipping out the phone, scrolling through the contacts, and finding the only person she felt somewhat comfortable with. And, after a myriad of panic-induced typos and texts, she breathed a sigh of relief, letting a grateful smile soothe her countenance. Confidently, she strode over to the yellow blanket, plopping herself down, expectant.

But as Hana was to learn, nothing on this island went the way of a socially anxious person—especially someone trying to cheat their way out of interactions—when a curious sight caught her half-opened eyes: Telltale stopping Toby in his tracks, keeping him in a hushed conversation. She tilted her head slightly, wondering what the drone could have been going on about. His sorry glance puzzled her, taking away the relief spread across her face. Huh...? Why are you looking at me like that...? Hana's expectations were a promised hope that never came.

For Toby, after a bout of consideration, chose Boone.

Shimatta. Hana buried her warm face in her hands, just as Toby did considering Boone. What have I done?! Asking a gay man to choose me?! I need to apologize—! Telly must have told him to be honest to his feelings! Another thought couldn't help itself, barging into her already distraught mind. Then, my partner... a complete stranger... Today was not a good day.

The heat and sweat of her face made her palms clam up. Hana fanned herself, squirming in her seiza position. There was one last resort in mind. With a deep sigh, she half-shut her eyes. It's fine, Hana. You're plain. You're not pretty or remarkable. Nobody would choose you, so it's fine. Expectations are bad. For a few seconds, the tension in her heart subsided. It's understandable if they wouldn't choose you. It's not like—

"Hi there, do you mind if I select you?"

"PYEH?!" Her eyes shot open; everything was spinning in a blur, but she recognized the figure before her. Violin guy... Tommy, was it...? And he chose me? But why would... Hana froze again, staring straight ahead, cross-eyed at his chest. No! Be rational, Hana! Everyone else, including him, is ten times more attractive than you! He would be talking to... Hana glanced to the side, gaze landing on Nat. Rather than select her, clearly he was actually talking to the exponentially more prettier and remarkable woman right there! Hana turned her head back, zipping whatever she might have said as to not embarrass herself from the close call. Someone like that would have nothing to do with me, nor I with him. I thought he talked to me, but I was clearly imagining it!

This went on until everyone else was actually chosen. Coupled with brief chats that made it abundantly clear just how wrong Hana was, who by then was sweating buckets.

Shimatta. While Nat and Ramona had their partners approach, Hana rose. "T-Tommy, right?" she piped up, unable to hold eye contact with him for more than a few seconds before turning her gaze with a blush. "I-I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. I-I don't mind at all." She gave him a short, apologetic bow.

But what was the—? Ribbons. This was all for ribbons. By ignoring the fact that by some miracle she was not last in line and that Tommy found something of hers attractive, Hana found it easier to consider the game itself. As for the partner himself... Jagaimo (potato)... Picture them as jagaimo... Jagaimo can't hurt you... Fanning herself once more, Hana cleared her throat as she recalled one of Telly's hints. She figured it was best to move on from the partner-choosing area as soon as possible; mostly for her own sanity's sake. "Coral in a cafe..." Something clicked in Hana as she mouthed the phrase a few more times. "A-Anyway, what do you think we start there?"

​

 

[smolfluffball]

[ Trent (and Telly, barely) | Play area | Interactions: Jasper, Astrid peach moon | Mentions: Telly, Toby, Tommy, Hana, Nat and Seba. ]

Trent knew it was coming, and yet it was still completely agonizing. This game was absolutely humiliating the first time he had to go through it. It wasn’t the exploration and hints and scavenger hunt bit. That part was actually kind of fun, and he thought that now he’d have an easier time with the clues, since he had been on the island for over half a year. It was the choosing and being examined part that was dreadful.

Back in his first experiment, he had been a chooser, and he almost melted into a puddle at the thought of having to decide who he had thought was most attractive. How did someone even do that? He still couldn’t comprehend it. There were so many factors that played into attraction, so many preferences and stereotypes and hair colors and eye colors and body shapes and facial structures, and he had hardly spoken to anyone in the last experiment back when he first started in it. Many of the people in the last experiment were attractive, and while he could recognize that, he was so much more attracted to people’s personalities than appearances. His lack of speaking with people did nothing to help him back then and he ended up settling on the person closest to him, who had been some stubborn blonde haired guy with way too many freckles and stormy blue eyes and a surprisingly friendly (although incredibly guarded) personality hidden behind his scowl.

Even though he had spoken with more people this time around, because he knew what to expect, it still ended up being utterly useless. Because he wasn’t choosing - thank God - but this time around he had the completely unenviable task of being the one chosen. He tried to reason that this wasn’t too horrible as he sat down on the teal colored blanket. He just had to sit and look like he wasn’t dying inside, which wasn’t that hard. The majority of his life he’d had to be passive and he was naturally reserved, so he simply let that ambiguous expression fall onto his face, as it did so easily before that last experiment, before he became friends with his Partner and grown into who he was now.

He pulled his legs up rested his chin on them, eyeing Jasper, silently trying to get him to rescue him. His friend was, of course, too busy watching all of the newbies to notice his silent plea. He kept his eyes on Jasper for another few seconds, then hid his frown behind his knees when Jasper pulled out his phone and started tapping away on it. His blond friend glanced at him and tapped three fingers against the back of the phone, and Trent recognized the silent signal.

Telly nudged a boy with brown skin and a light colored leafy button-up and Trent watched the interaction, pulling his phone out from his back pocket as discreetly as he could. He quickly looked at the message Jasper sent him and snorted at the screen, then pressed his lips together.

want to trade places? you look totally freaked and on the verge of a breakdown

I don’t think Telly would be pleased with us if we were sneaky like that. Trent sent back, watching silently as some other guy approached the girl who was hiding her face in her hands. His phone vibrated not even three seconds after he sent his message and he glanced at it.

telly would approve of me being a good friend. yes/no, trent. i’ll swap with you and suffer in your place.

You’d sacrifice yourself for me? Truly a kind act.

He send his message and looked at Jasper, then at the newbies, debating. He knew he should stay where he was, because Telly had chosen him to be here and it would be helpful in the end and he did need to meet these people eventually. Some of them were already paired off though. He wasn’t. He was not. He was not yet paired off and he did not want to be last chosen. He’d rather be no one’s choice than the last choice.

I think yes, Jazzy. No one wants to pair with me Come be my substitute.

He quickly sent that, then noticed a girl with not quite red and not quite brown hair look at him. Oh. Hm. Who could that be? He had been told, along with Jasper, brief descriptions of every newbie who would be coming to the island. If Natalia, one of the brunette girls, was on one of the blankets, then that meant the one who was toeing between him and the curly haired Russian had to be either Astrid or Seba. Telly mentioned Astrid’s hair had a reddish tint to it, and this girls hair seemed more reddish than the other girl who had the balayage’d hair. He had had a conversation and brief interactions with Astrid already and he had been told by Jasper about how Seba was based on his conversations with her. If he had to guess at who the girl was who was approaching him now, with her eyes squeezed shut, then he would say that this lovely girl was Astrid.

He lifted his head from his knees and smiled at her question, even though she wouldn’t meet his eyes. He understood completely. He did. He had been the same way back when he had been in her position. She confirmed that she was Astrid when she introduced herself and he replayed the conversation he had with her over their texts. Yes. He was pretending to be a ghost. He could try to use that to break the tension, possibly. He didn’t think he was that skilled at being funny or relaxing people, but he needed to give it a shot.

“I’m so glad you can see me,” he said, smiling gently. “I thought I wouldn’t get chosen because of my non-corporeal form.” He cupped a hand over his mouth and leaned forward conspiratorially. “Apparently Telly can see me, but I don’t think anyone else can, except for you. It's so strange, but I have to thank you for being able to see me, so thank you for being able to see me.” He scooted over on the blanket and tapped the spot next to him, even though it was now wrinkled from his movements. “You can sit down if you want to. Wherever. You don’t have to sit next to me. I might be kind of icy to the touch since, you know, dead, and all that.”

He picked his phone up and set it on the opposite side of his body, then noticed Jasper was watching him. The blond smirked and tapped on his phone again, but slid it into his pocket and headed toward the house, moving around a couple other newbies who were milling about. Escaping, Trent observed. Telly beeped once at Jasper but was ignored. Trent focused his attention back on Astrid, on the person who had chosen him, out of all of the others.

It was slightly embarrassing to think about. He decided not to.

“Do you want to just talk for a little while? Or I could show you around the island, if you would like that. I am still technically a guide, even if I have become a ghost.” He looked over at the others. “I don’t think anyone will stop us from talking to each other though, if that’d be easier for you.”

“If everyone is paired up, then please start searching!” Telltale announced, spinning three times in a circle and letting out a two-tone chime. “The game officially begins now!”

“We don’t have to listen to him,” Trent said quickly, pouting when the robot zoomed after Jasper. “Unless you want to.” He looked back at Astrid. “I suppose I am your mercy, Astrid. I’m good with doing whatever. We could just go down to explore the beach if you want to. The ocean is pretty calm right now and it’s nice to listen to the waves.”

 

[RoseAstasia]

Tommy

location: play area
mentions: queenbean (Nat)
interactions: StaidFoal (Hana)

“Yeah”, Tommy smirks at the initial reaction. and watches her turn her gaze and smiles reassuringly as she bows, “no need to apologize, I obviously took you by surprise.” He thinks for a second, “we could check out the café, maybe grab a cup of tea while we are there.” He extends his hand for a handshake, but makes sure not to actually reach for her hand as not to come on too strong, “by the way, its nice to make your acquaintance. I suppose the second impression was as good as the first.”, he winks

he looks around real quick, “where do you suppose the café is anyway. I kinda skimmed over the brochure so I kinda know whats on the island, but I have no idea where it is.” he scratches his head, “do you think its in the house or the shopping center..? Er… Where do you think we should look?” He looks to Hana

 

[ClownPope]

mood

Awkward, relieved

location

Leaving play area

outfit

here

tags

Nathalia queenbean

Charles Andersen

Charles patiently stood as she got up, his relaxed smile staying in place as she spoke. "No worries! I am an excellent riddle-decipher,"

"Great, at least one of us will be." He let out a small chuckle whilst she continued. "We'll crush them all." His brow quirked a little. Hopefully, it was a joke and she wasn't one of the extremely competitive types. He was up for whatever scavenger hunt type thing this was going to be but he didn't want to be sprinting across the entire island, throwing around benches and climbing buildings to look for these ribbons.

"But first, I want to get something straight: I'm... not." He squinted a little, his brow still slightly raised in confusion before it finally clicked and his eyebrows shot up, the half grin returning. "Oh!-" He was about to cut her off, holding his hands up trying to motion to pause but let her continue. "Not that you aren't cute! I just don't want to lead you on this early..." Charles waited for her to stop a moment before finally attempting a small explanation. "No, no, it's okay cause um..," He paused a moment, letting his hand tilt slightly. "same."

With the awkwardness out of the way, Charles scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, our first clue starts at the cafe. Who keeps coral in a cafe?"
"Maybe it's decoration? This is an island, it could be beach-themed or something, I dunno." He shrugged before he brought his attention to the surroundings again while he pondered which way to go. "I think the cafe is in that shopping area? And I think that's towards the middle of the island." He said very uncertainly before pointing in a direction. "That way?" He started walking only getting a few steps before he turned back to his partner, he realized he hadn't introduced himself. He knew Nat's name but he was pretty sure she didn't know his. Now thinking about it he wasn't sure if they really talked before this. "I'm Charles by the way."

coded by reveriee

Spoiler: Plain text version

Charles Anderson [#F05F3B]

Charles patiently stood as she got up, his relaxed smile staying in place as she spoke. "No worries! I am an excellent riddle-decipher,"

"Great, at least one of us will be." He let out a small chuckle whilst she continued. "We'll crush them all." His brow quirked a little. Hopefully, it was a joke and she wasn't one of the extremely competitive types. His head started to wander before her voice called him back to attention.

"But first, I want to get something straight: I'm... not." He squinted a little, his brow still slightly raised in confusion before it finally clicked and his eyebrows shot up, the half grin returning. "Oh!-" He was about to cut her off, holding his hands up in a small retreat. "Not that you aren't cute! I just don't want to lead you on this early..." Charles waited for her to stop a moment before finally attempting a small explanation. "No, no, it's okay cause um..," He paused a moment, letting his hand tilt slightly. "same."

With the awkwardness out of the way, Charles scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, our first clue starts at the cafe. Who keeps coral in a cafe?"
"Maybe it's decoration? This is an island, it could be beach-themed or something, I dunno." He shrugged before he brought his attention to the surroundings again while he pondered which way to go. "I think the cafe is in that shopping area? And I think that's towards the middle of the island." He said very uncertainly before pointing in a direction. "That way?" He started walking only getting a few steps before he turned back to his partner, he realized he hadn't introduced himself. He knew Nat's name but he was pretty sure she didn't know his. Now thinking about it he wasn't sure if they really talked before this. "I'm Charles by the way."

Mood: Awkward, relieved
Location: Leaving play area
Outfit: here
Tags: Nathalia queenbean queenbean

 

[AreSneksSly]

Tobias Winfrey
[#48c758]
Location: On the way to the Beach House | Interactions: Boone ( Kidzait ) | Mood: Better | Outfit: Summer Boi​

The man didn’t answer Toby’s greeting immediately, choosing instead to look the other up and down, like someone examining a vexing puzzle. Toby’s cheeks only warmed further under his gaze, shrinking into himself and letting his shoulders bunch around his face. He was aware that he certainly wasn’t the most attractive of potential partners, and being examined like a funny-looking rock certainly wasn’t helping his insecurities. The two shared a silence, with the shorter of the two pondering his chances at making it back to mainland if he were to jump into the ocean at that exact moment. Fortunately, his thoughts of escape were smoothed over by Boone introducing himself, seemingly unbothered by the fact a man had essentially told him ‘you are hot’ right to his face. Toby’s throat clamped up at that smile, the rest of his body freezing. “N-nice to meet you Boone,” came his quiet response after a moment, his fingers moving to wrap around the black band on his wrist.

Boone made a movement with his head, looking to the rest of the island. Toby followed his gaze, catching sight of a large house in the distance. To the small town boy, it was like looking at a mansion for the first time. And this was just the view from a distance. “Let’s check the house first,” Boone suggested. Toby would’ve opened his mouth had he A. the courage to speak, and B. the chance to respond, but by the time he’d managed to muster up the former, Boone was already walking away. He was going to recommend they leave for the cafe first, but... he was already pretty far… Toby felt himself deflate. With a defeated sigh, Toby jogged closer to his partner.

Struggling to keep up with his partner’s naturally longer stride, Tobias found himself drenched in awkwardness. He had no idea how to speak with the guy, let alone look him in the eyes. But just as he was starting to regret his decision, the muffled vibration of his phone alerted him of a message. Instinctively, Toby paused in his walk. He wasn’t the sort to walk and text, so when he realised he’d been sent something, his immediate urge was to stop and answer. “Ah-” Toby started, raising his voice above 25 decibels for the first time between them. The man froze when the other turned to him, reacting almost immediately by turning his face away to cough into his fist. “I, ah, need to answer this…” he muttered, just loud enough for the man to hear.

Shuffling a little further away, Toby shot Boone an apologetic smile before looking back down at his phone, concentrating on Hana’s message. Reading it caused a sharp flush to spread over his cheeks. Which wasn’t all that noticeable to be honest, since he was already blushing, but his face certainly tried to get brighter. Quickly, Toby attempted to rectify the situation by typing out what was essentially a spew of words. As he continued to type however, his grasp on the English language gradually faded away, with his last few sentences mirroring Hana’s panicked messages from before, albeit more readable.

The following few minutes had Toby unwinding the tight grip around his heart, calming down more and more. Finally, with one last message to Hana, he put away his phone, a small smile lingering on his lips. “Hey! Sorry about that,” the brunette told the man he’d left behind, a sheepish grin on his face. He was less stiff than before, thanks in large part to clearing Hana up on what had happened between him and Telly. Rubbing the back of his neck, Toby shot Boone another awkward smile. “Would’ve answered it while I was walking, but I didn’t want you to see me trip over a rock or something. I mean, you’ve already seen me trip over my words, but I would like to limit the amount of embarrassing mishaps I have with people down to 3 a day.”

With one last smile for good measure, Toby finally swallowed the lump in his throat and got to walking. The house wasn’t all that far from the play area, so thankfully he wouldn’t have to struggle to come up with a topic to fill the air with for any longer.

 

[Kidzait]

Location: on their marry way to the Love Shack
Interactions: Toby ( AreSneksSly )
Mentions: Toby ( AreSneksSly ) Ro ( queenbean ) Jasper ( smolfluffball ) #Tied-Together

Boone was barely beating back his inner monologue about the current situation. He was doing anything to occupy his mind, which was difficult on the empty expanse of the beach. It wasn’t the man walking next to him as Boone slogged through the sand, he was perfect as far as he could tell. Boone was worried about the implications. He didn’t want to be shallow because he was attracted to women. Pairing up with Toby sent mixed signals to any other pairings he might have. He felt he was hitting it off with the ballet dancer on the boat.

He was dragged from his personal dilemma when Toby stopped them on the beach. The man pulled his phone out,

“I, ah, need to answer this…” Toby muttered and began tapping away on his rectangle.

Boone, again, found himself looking Toby up and down as he paced away on the beach. He noted that Toby’s face was looking pretty red. ”maybe I have a spare ball cap in my bag. He’s looking kinda sunburned” He quickly caught himself and pulled out his own phone, suddenly remembering he had one. He shot a text to Telly, he just decided to send it in the groupchat.

“Hey! Sorry about that,” Toby said, giving an apologetic smile.

Boone just shrugged , ”No worries, friend”, he said casually. Boone guessed he was texting a friend he made beforehand. Everyone went pretty quiet once the private texts opened up. Boone was never sure what to say and felt a lot of unnecessary pressure when in a one on one conversation. Boone was still worried that his lack of messages would be a detriment to his time here on the island. He hoped he didn't get voted off early.

“Would’ve answered it while I was walking, but I didn’t want you to see me trip over a rock or something. I mean, you’ve already seen me trip over my words, but I would like to limit the amount of embarrassing mishaps I have with people down to 3 a day.” Toby said, rubbing his neck.

Boone waited for the man to catch up before starting towards the house again, Boone felt his phone buzz again. He slipped it out of his pocket and opened the messenger. He smirked at Jasper’s reply. He was unsurprised that he sent something snarky. Guess he had to try to hide the fact he was being helpful. What was surprising was that Toby replied right after. Boone guessed he didn’t hear him when he asked if he knew the riddles. Boone put his phone away and fell into step alongside Toby as he spoke.
”I haven’t noticed. It’s completely normal to be nervous after what they just put us through. I mean, you were the first to move. That bravery alone deserves praise.” Boone said with a genuine smile, ”Now let's get you towards the house. You’re looking like you're getting some sun on your face. I might have a ball cap you can wear.” With the riddles refreshed and in his pocket, they could start figuring out which one pertains to where.

As they approached the white resort, Boone could finally see that the shimmering heat waves were in fact the iridescent surface of a pool.
”Oh damn! Something something swim something! Like the riddle.” he said, revealing more of his excitement than intended. It wasn’t until Boone was right up to the pool did he finally notice the blonde man sitting in the shade of an umbrella. He suddenly felt very awkward, almost as if he was trespassing. He gave him a small wave and glanced back to make sure Toby was nearby. Having a quasi-familiar face around was better than doing this alone ”Uh...ok….Have you met Jasper yet?” he asked, suddenly remembering his semi-duty to steer the others away from him.
”Never mind. Let’s look around for our ribbon.” He said, gazing into the sparkling water in the pool, ”I hope they don’t want us to get wet. I’m not dressed for that.”

 

[peach moon]

Astrid Hale

interacting with: Trent ( smolfluffball )
mentions: Telly (briefly)
outfit: [x]
location: play area
mood: nervous

Astrid's cheeks burned -- she kept averting her gaze but could feel Trent sizing her up. He... I'm sure he's disappointed. So many others could've chosen him and instead it was me. I had to pick someone though... She sighed, lost in thought, when Trent finally piped up. "I'm glad you can see me. I thought I wouldn't get chosen because of my non-corporeal form." He said with a small smile, and Astrid couldn't help but smirk a bit too. His voice was kind and rather soothing, Astrid noted, and a bit of the tension of the situation seemed to lift. She found herself able to at least look in his direction now. "Apparently Telly can see me, but I don’t think anyone else can, except for you. It's so strange, but I have to thank you for being able to see me, so thank you for being able to see me. You can sit down if you want to. Wherever. You don’t have to sit next to me. I might be kind of icy to the touch since, you know, dead, and all that." At this, he was finally able to elicit an actual smile from the girl, and she sat down near the edge of Trent's teal blanket -- not so close as to make him uncomfortable, but not so far that they'd have to shout at each other. "You're awfully visible, for a ghost. I thought perhaps you would be sort of see-through. Are you..." solid? Astrid trailed off, holding a hand up as if about to poke him, but she caught herself. "N-never mind." She felt she was already embarrassing herself, so she quieted down and listened to what Trent had to say. Just talking doesn't sound bad, but what if I mess up or things get awkward? A tour could be good too but it almost seems like a waste. I can wander around another time... Going to the beach seemed like the best option, she determined after a bit of thought.

"Are you sure some sort of horrible consequence won't befall us if we don't play the game?" Astrid said with a giggle. "Sorry, bad joke. Um... the beach. I think going down to the beach would be nice, and maybe we could talk too... Although if you have any favorite places I wouldn't mind seeing those as well... so I guess some combination of your suggestions. If it's alright, of course." Astrid laughed again, this time out of nervousness. Despite her attempt at conversation, the whole premise just made things feel unnatural. She was making good small talk -- at least for her -- but she feared the whole experience could be tainted by the game's implications. "I, um... I just want to get this out of the way so maybe this doesn't have to be quite so stressful... I chose you for, um, for the reason Telly said," she gulped, not quite able to bring herself to say I find you attractive. "But it doesn't, um... I don't have any expectations." She finished awkwardly, punctuating with a rather serious nod. She could only hope this would get the message across -- putting things like this into words was difficult for Astrid, and she was also extremely nervous so that hadn't helped. Rather than pause too long and let Trent dissect what she said, she stood up somewhat abruptly and looked at him. "So... beach? Be careful, ghosts might dissolve in water."

..

code by RI.a

Spoiler: Mobile friendly!

Astrid's cheeks burned -- she kept averting her gaze but could feel Trent sizing her up. He... I'm sure he's disappointed. So many others could've chosen him and instead it was me. I had to pick someone though... She sighed, lost in thought, when Trent finally piped up. "I'm glad you can see me. I thought I wouldn't get chosen because of my non-corporeal form." He said with a small smile, and Astrid couldn't help but smirk a bit too. His voice was kind and rather soothing, Astrid noted, and a bit of the tension of the situation seemed to lift. She found herself able to at least look in his direction now. "Apparently Telly can see me, but I don’t think anyone else can, except for you. It's so strange, but I have to thank you for being able to see me, so thank you for being able to see me. You can sit down if you want to. Wherever. You don’t have to sit next to me. I might be kind of icy to the touch since, you know, dead, and all that." At this, he was finally able to elicit an actual smile from the girl, and she sat down near the edge of Trent's teal blanket -- not so close as to make him uncomfortable, but not so far that they'd have to shout at each other. "You're awfully visible, for a ghost. I thought perhaps you would be sort of see-through. Are you..." solid? Astrid trailed off, holding a hand up as if about to poke him, but she caught herself. "N-never mind." She felt she was already embarrassing herself, so she quieted down and listened to what Trent had to say. Just talking doesn't sound bad, but what if I mess up or things get awkward? A tour could be good too but it almost seems like a waste. I can wander around another time... Going to the beach seemed like the best option, she determined after a bit of thought.

"Are you sure some sort of horrible consequence won't befall us if we don't play the game?" Astrid said with a giggle. "Sorry, bad joke. Um... the beach. I think going down to the beach would be nice, and maybe we could talk too... Although if you have any favorite places I wouldn't mind seeing those as well... so I guess some combination of your suggestions. If it's alright, of course." Astrid laughed again, this time out of nervousness. Despite her attempt at conversation, the whole premise just made things feel unnatural. She was making good small talk -- at least for her -- but she feared the whole experience could be tainted by the game's implications. "I, um... I just want to get this out of the way so maybe this doesn't have to be quite so stressful... I chose you for, um, for the reason Telly said," she gulped, not quite able to bring herself to say I find you attractive. "But it doesn't, um... I don't have any expectations." She finished awkwardly, punctuating with a rather serious nod. She could only hope this would get the message across -- putting things like this into words was difficult for Astrid, and she was also extremely nervous so that hadn't helped. Rather than pause too long and let Trent dissect what she said, she stood up somewhat abruptly and looked at him. "So... beach? Be careful, ghosts might dissolve in water."

 

[queenbean]

X


X


X


X


X


X


X


X

Nat

X


X

Nat's already small frame seemed to shrink with her relief at the boy's confession. Nothing more intimidating than being alone with a guy who can't take a hint. Her smile became more genuine, brightening as he spoke.

"Maybe it's decoration? This is an island, it could be beach-themed or something, I dunno." He shrugged and she examined their surroundings curiously. Truthfully, Nat was awful with maps, but - hey, with someone this tall, how could she get lost? Her hopes somewhat sank at his uncertainty of their direction, but his guess was probably better than hers.

In her moment of pondering, she realized he'd already taken several steps forward and turned back to her.

"I'm Charles, by the way."

She hurried to catch up to him, clearing her throat. "I'm Nat- well, you probably knew that." She laughed a little awkwardly, eyeing the direction they were walking towards with skepticism. There was a large building just off the edge of the beach that a few of the other pairs were going off towards. "I think that's the house. We might have a ribbon in there eventually, and I can't wait to finally see inside. It's been so long since I've lived with others. You'd be surprised how boring a big house can be when-" upon realizing she was rambling, Nat stopped herself and tried to get a hold of her hair again. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Charles. What brings you to TIES? Nothing better to do?"

Nat didn't think Charles would be as 'competitive' as she was, but that was fine. She'd get them those damned ribbons and he'll have a good time, she'll be sure of it. This is how you make friends, Nat, she reminded herself. Probably. She thought about his idea that it was a decoration, but she doubted it was something that simple. Maybe coral was a type of drink? Would she have to reach her entire hand into a fish tank? Bozhe moi they couldn't be that insane?

mood: pumped! | location: to the cafe! outfit: x |tags: ClownPope (charles)

code: s e v e n

Spoiler: MOBILE FRIENDLY!

Nat's already small frame seemed to shrink with her relief at the boy's confession. Nothing more intimidating than being alone with a guy who can't take a hint. Her smile became more genuine, brightening as he spoke.

"Maybe it's decoration? This is an island, it could be beach-themed or something, I dunno." He shrugged and she examined their surroundings curiously. Truthfully, Nat was awful with maps, but - hey, with someone this tall, how could she get lost? Her hopes somewhat sank at his uncertainty of their direction, but his guess was probably better than hers.

In her moment of pondering, she realized he'd already taken several steps forward and turned back to her.

"I'm Charles, by the way."

She hurried to catch up to him, clearing her throat. "I'm Nat- well, you probably knew that." She laughed a little awkwardly, eyeing the direction they were walking towards with skepticism. There was a large building just off the edge of the beach that a few of the other pairs were going off towards. "I think that's the house. We might have a ribbon in there eventually, and I can't wait to finally see inside. It's been so long since I've lived with others. You'd be surprised how boring a big house can be when-" upon realizing she was rambling, Nat stopped herself and tried to get a hold of her hair again. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Charles. What brings you to TIES? Nothing better to do?"

Nat didn't think Charles would be as 'competitive' as she was, but that was fine. She'd get them those damned ribbons and he'll have a good time, she'll be sure of it. This is how you make friends, Nat, she reminded herself. Probably. She thought about his idea that it was a decoration, but she doubted it was something that simple. Maybe coral was a type of drink? Would she have to reach her entire hand into a fish tank? Bozhe moi they couldn't be that insane?

 

[AreSneksSly]

Tobias Winfrey
[#48c758]
Location: OTW > Beach House | Interactions: Boone ( Kidzait ) Jasper ( smolfluffball ) | Mood: Relieved > Cheeky | Outfit: Summer Boi

​

As the two walked alongside each other, Toby felt his pocket vibrate yet again. With Boone looking at his phone, Tobias decided it’d be a good opportunity to take a peek at the chat himself. What he saw was that his own partner, the guy he was literally right next to, had sent a message asking what the riddles were. Oh geez.

With his immediate instinct being to help, Toby pushed aside his desire to apologize for not being a good teammate and telling Boone the riddles beforehand, choosing to fix his mistake by typing out the answer to his question in chat. He sent out one more cheeky response to Jasper’s messages, before putting away his phone. Again. Having successfully sorted out his error, dark brown eyes turned away from the figure strolling beside him. With his cheeks puffed up, Toby could feel himself physically squish down, as though his own awkwardness was attempting to crush him into a flat pancake. A death that- in comparison to his continued existence next to the guy whose question he didn’t bother to answer in real life, but instead chose to tell him through text- was looking a lot more appealing as each painful second ticked by. Dear god, I’m such a disaster. It wasn’t even like he was mad that Boone didn’t ask him, no, he was more angry at himself because the only other possible reason the guy sent a message instead was because he did ask, it’s just that Toby was too busy panicking over his sexuality that he didn’t realize. Again, a disaster.

”I haven’t noticed.” How? “It’s completely normal to be nervous after what they just put us through. I mean, you were the first to move. That bravery alone deserves praise.” Toby had looked at the other man, his face flushed. Boone’s smile only made him turn even redder. Shooting his gaze back to the ground, Toby began to rub at his arm. That was… honestly unexpected. He’d thought that- and maybe even hoped for- the man to laugh at him. Or run back to Telltale and beg for a different partner. But instead, he looked… fine. Not mad, and not annoyed. The unforeseen fourth outcome, one could say. “Thank you,” was all Toby could reply, his smile hidden.

”Now let's get you towards the house. You’re looking like you're getting some sun on your face. I might have a ball cap you can wear.” How was Boone this absurdly nice?

With the two finally arriving at the beach house (This is gonna be a trend, isn’t it...) Boone was the first to pipe up. Toby let out a small snort at his ‘something something swim something,’ his expression betraying his confused amusement. He might’ve been bothered by his own laughter, thinking it could’ve made the man feel embarrassed, but those insecurities didn’t have the chance to rise. Boone was already rushing to the pool. “Ah-” was all Toby could get out before he was jogging after him. When he finally caught up, he noticed a familiar head of blonde hair, relaxing under an umbrella and generally looking chill. ‘Jasper,’ his thoughts helpfully reminded him, as his back straightened. ”Uh...ok….Have you met Jasper yet?” Boone threw at him, and Toby perked up. “Ah- sort of? Not in person, but we know each other,” he replied, smiling. As his partner turned away to look at the pool, Toby peeked at Jasper. “Hey Perry,” he greeted the blonde with a grin. “Sorry to interrupt.”

Returning his attention back to his partner, Toby squinted through the sunlight at the shimmering pool water. “I dunno, maybe?” Toby answered to Boone’s last question. His chest felt a little ticklish at the idea of swimming, and the brunette clamped up with a small blush. It’d been a while since he last went swimming, maybe when he was 18 or so. He hadn’t been on a trip with his family for a while, at least. Not after he moved into his apartment.

Coincidentally, Toby saw Jasper move at the corner of his eye. A smirk found its way onto his face for the first time this trip, and he slowly turned to the guide once again. “Say, Perry, you wouldn’t happen to know where the ribbon is, would you? Being a guide and all.” He had to admit, teasing Perbear was kind of fun, especially to see his reactions. He’d been skeptical in group chat at first, when Trent said the guy was trying his best, but having the man reach out himself was the nail in the coffin for Tobias. And now, catching him at the pool where there was a possibly a ribbon to be taken? Toby was sure that the guide really was trying to help them out. In a weird, roundabout way.

 

[ClownPope]

mood

Panic

location

outside path towards the house

outfit

here

tags

Nathalia queenbean

Charles Andersen

Charles noticed the sizable gap between them as she hurried to catch up, making a small note to not walk so fast. "I'm Nat- well, you probably knew that." The corners of his eyes creased a little sympathetically as she laughed. It was hard not to feel odd around new people, plus he wasn't exactly the most interesting person. She probably wished she got paired with someone else. He scolded himself, don't project onto other people. She seems nice, we're all just strangers meeting for the first time.

He mirrored her as she looked in the direction he was taking them in, then the building off in the distance before looking back at her. It seemed to him she didn't want to go this way. Oh jeez, did he mess up already? No no, it's fine. He internally reassured himself he was jumping to conclusions, he needed to stay calm.

"I think that's the house. We might have a ribbon in there eventually, and I can't wait to finally see inside. It's been so long since I've lived with others. You'd be surprised how boring a big house can be when-" The taller man had been listening quietly, nodding intermittently. Then stayed silent a moment after she cut herself off, hoping it'd prompt her to continue. He didn't mind when someone took control of the conversation. He wasn't a talkative person himself, he preferred to listen. It was nice to know she was comfortable enough to let herself talk, it proved he was getting worked up over nothing.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Charles. What brings you to TIES? Nothing better to do?"

"Hm?" Charles had instinctively questioned as she said his name. "Um, yeah. Something like that I guess." He wanted to keep it short, He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by unloading his reason but found his mouth moving on its own. "My buddy back home gave me the information, said getting out and meeting people would do me some good. He and his girlfriend are having a baby soon so he probably just wanted to get me out of his hair since I'm usually there bugging them." Now it was his turn as he let out a short awkward chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. But his chest tightened. God, he sounded like such a loser. How annoying do you gotta be to have your only friend try to pawn you off on a bunch of random strangers?

He quickly spoke again, trying not to leave a quiet gap in the discussion. He didn't want her to pity him, or maybe she didn't actually care what he would've said. "We can head towards the house if you'd like, it'd probably have a better path to the cafe anyways." Charles had quickly turned to face the building in the distance to hide how flushed his face had gotten, his steps now almost robotically stiff as he walked, forgetting the note he made to himself as he practically tried to run away from the imaginary tension his head had cooked up for him.

coded by reveriee

Spoiler: Plain text version

Charles Anderson [#F05F3B]

Charles noticed the sizable gap between them as she hurried to catch up, making a small note to not walk so fast. "I'm Nat- well, you probably knew that." The corners of his eyes creased a little sympathetically as she laughed. It was hard not to feel odd around new people, plus he wasn't exactly the most interesting person. She probably wished she got paired with someone else. He scolded himself, don't project onto other people. She seems nice, we're all just strangers meeting for the first time.

He mirrored her as she looked in the direction he was taking them in, then the building off in the distance before looking back at her. It seemed to him she didn't want to go this way. Oh jeez, did he mess up already? No no, it's fine. He internally reassured himself he was jumping to conclusions, he needed to stay calm.

"I think that's the house. We might have a ribbon in there eventually, and I can't wait to finally see inside. It's been so long since I've lived with others. You'd be surprised how boring a big house can be when-" The taller man had been listening quietly, nodding intermittently. Then stayed silent a moment after she cut herself off, hoping it'd prompt her to continue. He didn't mind when someone took control of the conversation. He wasn't a talkative person himself, he preferred to listen. It was nice to know she was comfortable enough to let herself talk, it proved he was getting worked up over nothing.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Charles. What brings you to TIES? Nothing better to do?"

"Hm?" Charles had instinctively questioned as she said his name. "Um, yeah. Something like that I guess." He wanted to keep it short, He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by unloading his reason but found his mouth moving on its own. "My buddy back home gave me the information, said getting out and meeting people would do me some good. He and his girlfriend are having a baby soon so he probably just wanted to get me out of his hair since I'm usually there bugging them." Now it was his turn as he let out a short awkward chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. But his chest tightened. God, he sounded like such a loser. How annoying do you gotta be to have your only friend try to pawn you off on a bunch of random strangers?

He quickly spoke again, trying not to leave a quiet gap in the discussion. He didn't want her to pity him, or maybe she didn't actually care what he would've said. "We can head towards the house if you'd like, it'd probably have a better path to the cafe anyways." Charles had quickly turned to face the building in the distance to hide how flushed his face had gotten, his steps now almost robotically stiff as he walked, forgetting the note he made to himself as he practically tried to run away from the imaginary tension his head had cooked up for him.

Mood: Panic
Location: outside the path towards the house
Outfit: here
Tags: Nathalia queenbean

 

[StaidFoal]

Hana Imai
#F7DA64

Location: Play Area
Interactions: RoseAstasia (Tommy)
Mentions: queenbean (Nat) ClownPope (Charles)​

Dear lord, everyone here's so nice... Hana was still too embarrassed to maintain eye contact with Tommy for over one second, but she still heard his polite quips. Even if the "I suppose the second impression was as good as the first," line stung the already borderline mortified girl. Intentional or not... she never had any clue for how to take a compliment. If Tommy had expected to hear anything back for his first few sentences, Hana only offered silence as she kept her gaze away. But what she did see was him extending his hand. She stared at it, taking a few seconds for her to comprehend it.

Hana returned his 'high-five.'

Okay! That was good, Hana! The "success" renewed her giddy smile for his next questions about the café. And, if she had to be honest, she had no idea where to start, either. She'd only started top to bottom, first to last, and the coral thing really snagged a part of her mind, strange as it was. "It might be in the shopping center since that's where they sell stuff, but..." I've heard that some fancy houses have a built-in bar. If TIES can build a sentient robot, they wouldn't cheap out on something like that, would they...? Or am I thinking too... Hana scratched the scalp beneath the piece of hair hiding her eye. The sun made that part of her face sweat and itch; nothing new, but still annoying.

"Anyway, our first clue starts at the cafe. Who keeps coral in a café?"

Hana lit up upon overhearing the model-like Nat. She whipped around to meet Tommy's eye, letting the conscious part of herself flee her mind for the moment as excitement took over. "It sounds like they're also going to the café! Maybe we can follow them?" Truth be told, a part of her wanted to find all the ribbons first. A part of herself that piped up whenever the situation of a competition, apparent or not, settled in. But any sign of that part of her was always overshadowed by another of her thoughts. "Not in a creepy way!" she quickly added, waving her hands in front of her face to try and reassure him. "Just at a distance so they don't suspect anything."

(Outfit)​