Vermicelli

The Taygete Project

Second round of posts is done. I don't know if I should keep posting updates after everyone posts, or if I should make updates individually as you guys post them, but not letting anyone progress too far ahead in the story. If you guys don't mind the wait, I can keep doing updates the way I'm doing, otherwise we can discuss it. I'm open to suggestions.

The Taygete Project

_@Zerflah

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“I take offense to that, Cat. I’ll have you know that all my goods I’ve acquired today were legitimately obtained,” Angelli said, taking a bite from one of her “legitimately obtained” chips.

“Also, I didn’t know your store had a mascot,” she added, meeting the dirty stares of Julie through the windowpane. “What’s your new slogan? ‘Welcome to SuperLife, home of the smoking cow?’ I gotta say, it’s not a good look for business if she’s just going to be mean-mugging customers when they pull up. Tell her if she’s got something to say to me, she can say it to my face.” She sighed and patted the saddlebag holding the microwave. “Good thing we can finally replace that piece o’ shit back at the apartment after the ‘incident-we-will-never-speak-of.’”

The “piece o’ shit” in question was a story all its own, told by the various scorch marks permanently imprinted in the kitchen. Though they had guests over who would ask, the two never explained the origin of the marks. Having nicer things never hurt. Angelli switched on her ignition, while the thought still lingered. “While we’re on the topic,” she continued. “I’m gonna head down to the Galleria. Mama’s got some actual shopping to do—feel free to meet me there. By the way, I fed Zeke and put him back in his cage earlier, so you don’t have to worry about him.”

Angie stopped herself from taking off, the red sunset over Lucetius Peak causing her to pause. The rare moments she chose in silence spoke louder than those she didn’t. Like a fleeting whirlwind chasing cheap thrills, she spent her days loading up on adrenaline and owning the roads, never slowing down. She sat in place, a breeze briefly gusting through her hair before her mind snapped to reality. “On second thought, Cat,” she said. “I think I’m gonna make a quick detour.” Angelli released her kickstand and roared off.

With that, she was gone again.

---

_@Sniblet

---

“Morning?” the figure repeated, glancing around. “For me, it’s hard to tell. Don’t own a watch, y’know. Can’t even hold one. Last I looked at a clock was the old tower we passed… and that one’s only right twice a day.”

He fixed his gaze back onto Cherry and paced around her as if he was sizing her up. In return, she kept her eyes locked onto him. The figure decided to amuse himself further. “You look a little nervous there. I get it, I am pretty gorgeous after all. Or maybe… you’re thinking about hitting me. That scowl you got says it all. Won’t do you any good, I’m afraid. Trust me, I’ve tried. If it makes you feel better, you’re more than welcome to do it anyway. Go on, I won’t get hurt physically nor emotionally. I pass through everything except solid ground.”

The figure squat down, leaving himself open to whatever would happen. “Enough about me,” he went on. “Why don’t we talk about you? You’re the only person that’s ever been able to see me since I got like this, and I’d hate to squander the moment. Odds are I’ve completely gone off the deep end and you’re just a figment of my decaying psyche, or you’re real and this is no mere coincidence. I won’t rule out the former, but for now, I think I’ll take my chances. So just who are you? What makes you so different that you can see me?”

A beat. Seconds passed like there was rot in the air.

“Oh, how rude of me,” he said. “Poor manners to ask about you when I haven’t even given a proper introduction, right? Wish I had a name to give you, but I’m afraid I can’t remember anything before my… ascension. Gazed a bit too long into the abyss, you see. In fact, I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Why don’t you just call me… John. John Doe. I’ve been wandering around this city for God knows how long without anyone to talk to. That is, until now.” John Doe, as he called himself, stood up and took a step forward.

“Now this is the part where you tell me about you.”

---

_{@Guppy Franz}

---

♫

Lights. Music. Drinks.

The Heritage never failed to keep the three coming. Despite sitting in the middle of Carme, anyone could feel like a Chaldene high roller for a night without breaking the bank. Several patrons lined the barstools with undone ties and loosened collars, losing themselves in the intoxicating air of the nightclub. Others made fools of themselves on the dance floor, moving to the beats blasted by the DJ. The bartender left her nest of beer taps and liquor display shelves to Isaac’s booth and set down a plate of the club’s famous steak burger and a new mug.

“Star says this one’s on the house,” she said, her soft voice rendered almost inaudible by the music. “She wants to talk to you.” The bartender was an odd sort, sporting albino hair and a personality a little too reserved for someone in her profession. The nametag on her lapel read “Aurora.” Aurora noticed Isaac clutching his ribs and picked up the serving tray with the empty mug.

“I’ll go get an ice pack.”

Moments later, a different woman approached the booth, dressed in a track jacket with her chestnut ponytail peeking out of her snapback. The hat’s bill hid her eyes, but everyone in The Heritage recognized the owner. It was common knowledge that she only let those she liked call her "Star"—to everyone else she was just “the owner.” Isaac was one of the lucky few. Those she passed avoided meeting her gaze directly, as to meet her gaze was to risk her displeasure. And nobody wanted to risk her displeasure.

“Hey Otto, take a hike for a bit,” she said, her voice exuding authority. “I need to have a little chat with your homeboy over here.” With Otto shooed away, Star sat opposite Isaac. “So,” she went on. “How’d you get from cleaning my tables to spilling blood on them? This isn’t what I imagined when you said you were quitting for better pastures. You should know better by now, Isaac, if you’re gonna bring your work here, you either take it off the premises or you give me my cut.” Star eyed the ashtray and the colony of cigarettes accrued there. “Between your new bosses and your smoking habits, you’ll lose your good looks a hell of a lot sooner than you’d think.”

Star rested her hand on her chin and gave Isaac’s injuries a once over. She didn’t have more than a few years on him, but it didn’t stop her from treating him like a kid. Aurora returned, setting an ice pack and bandages on the table, only for Star to grab them before Isaac could. “I want you to hold onto that pain you’re feeling for a minute. Really stew on it for a while and think about what you’re doing. Remember that pain.”

Once she was satisfied, Star slid the ice pack and supplies to Isaac.

The Taygete Project

Here is a questionnaire you may have your characters fill out if you want. Their answers will be added to their Notion page.

Questionnaire

Hello, and thank you for using the Pasithee Online Services (POS) of Taygete. We ask that you participate in our short survey to help our systems improve in enhancing your experience living in Taygete. Upon completion of this survey, you will receive a 20.00 TC e-gift card redeemable for any Average Joe™ product.

1. How long have you been a resident of Taygete?

2. How satisfied are you with the POS?

3. What is your current profession?

4. What are you most common interests using the Pasithee search engine?

5. What are your favorite locations to visit in Taygete?

6. How would you rate your most recent experience with Pasithee?

7. What improvements would you like to see with Pasithee?

8. What are your most favorite products/services to purchase?

9. How satisfied are you with the social incentive programs with Pasithee?

10. Briefly describe your area of residence.

11. How often do you use the POS?

12. How satisfied are you with the Pasithee online shopping features?

13. How would you rate the Taygete Board of Association?

14. Are you satisfied with our daily video ads?

15. What changes would you like to see in the city of Taygete?

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Please put any additional comments you would like to provide below.

The Taygete Project

@Guppy Franz
A couple of grammatical/spelling errors here and there, but I don't see any issue with the character himself. Feel free to post it to the Characters tab after proofreading, and you can start on your opener.

@Sniblet
I'll try come up with a questionnaire and post it here sometime this week. Anyone who wants to answer it for their character can.

The Taygete Project

No worries about the timing, so long as I do hear from you. I can either come up with a questionnaire for you to fill out in-character, or send you a DM as a columnist interviewing random citizens around the city. If doing the interview, it would have taken place before the events of the story—not that there's been a whole lot established yet anyway.

The Taygete Project

@Guppy Franz

Feel free to submit a character sheet in the OoC tab of the roleplay thread or by DM.

The Taygete Project

Bump. Still looking for more players.

The Taygete Project

Added your guys' characters to the Notion page, as well as several more locations. If you guys need help or want to make a collab post with me, be sure to tell me. I was also considering having an "interview" or questionnaire for your characters to append to their Notion pages for added flavor. Let me know what you guys think.

The Taygete Project

First round of posts are looking good. Can't wait to see where this goes. @Zerflah@Sniblet👍

The Taygete Project

_@Zerflah

---

♫

Got you now, you little rat.

Angelli closed in on her prey, who didn’t realize he was running into a dead-end alley. Last night was full of hazy details—forgotten places, cigarette smoke, and piles upon piles of shot glasses. The morning after the man woke to the sound of a revving engine and his door getting kicked in. Next thing he knew he was being chased out of the window of his apartment, never being frightened more by combat boots and black lipstick. Wandering hands had their price.

“This is just a misunderstanding!” the man cried, realizing he had nowhere left to go. “I didn’t know she was one of you!”

He panicked as Angelli drew closer, biding her time with every step to leave him in suspense. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and made to throw a punch, but stopped just short of his face, the glint of her brass knuckles reflected in his horrified eyes.

“I’m only gonna tell you once,” Angelli warned. “You ever hurt my girls, I hurt your boys. Now get out of here—and change your damn pants.”

“What about my door?”

“Fuck your door.”

She dropped the man and let him scramble off, choosing not to test his luck further. Angelli let out a sigh and took out her phone, staring at the crack on her screen. She’d get a new model soon. Eventually. Angelli dialed a number and waited for the tone.

“Hey Nails, what’s up?” a feminine voice answered.

“Tell the newbie that guy isn’t going to bother her anymore.”

“Ooh, details. How many ribs did you break?”

“None, let him off with a warning.”

“Booooooring. You’re gonna make the rest of us look bad, Nails. Y’know, ever since you started living with that roomie, you’ve been getting pretty soft. You forget why you joined the Valks?”

“Eh, shut up, Lash. Don’t make this a thing. The guy didn’t do anything too serious, so it didn’t need to get bloody. Also, leave my roommate out of this, this has nothing to do with—speak of the devil. We’ll talk later.”

She swiped to read the text Catherine had just sent her about a special sale on microwaves at the SuperLife—one hundred percent off. Angelli mounted her motorcycle and sped off, weaving through the standstill traffic. Many people sat in place, windows rolled down to take in the noise of the city. One unfortunate soul had his coffee splash onto his face as Angelli swooped by. She ignored being called a bitch as she reached the supercenter. Angelli circled to the back and stored the lone microwave Cat had left into her bike’s saddlebag and made back to the parking lot. Now was good a time as any to grab a snack.

“Heya, Bestie.” Angelli waved to Cat as she passed by to the chip aisle. Her eyes scanned across the selection until she found the salt and vinegar flavor. She snatched it, though the cool ranch bag made her hesitate for a second. Cat’s shift usually ended around this time, so she wouldn’t wait long until they’d meet outside. Angelli walked out of the store without paying for the chips as if she already owned them.

Considering nobody stopped her, she did.

---

_@Sniblet

---

♫

In the dead of the starless night, Herse would find its peace at last. Even monsters needed their sleep. Most of them, anyway. The stars may not have been in the sky, but they were closer than anyone would think. A man roamed aimlessly through the vacant streets, with unfettering silence allowing him to collect his thoughts. Crowds weren’t his environment of choice—never were. Despite all the people going about their days in the city, he never had a soul to talk to. He was used to it.

Yesterday had been full of nothing. Today was the same. The loneliness was its own hell, and above that was the boredom. The stark, unending boredom. The man had walked all across Taygete and back by foot, and lost count of how many times over he reached end-to-end of the city’s limits. He stared up at the ruined clock towering above. It was the embodiment of the district itself, stuck in time and missing pieces that kept it turning.

A more interesting sight quickly caught his fancy. The side of an old metalworks storage warehouse defaced by graffiti. A woman was in the process of spraying the shape of another woman onto the wall with frantic words scrawling about. Was this a cry for help, or the rambling statement of a lunatic fringe? Nonetheless, the work was impressive for something that didn’t make use of stencils. Like a deer darting up from the sound of a snapped branch, the woman startled and took off.

What was she running from? Him? It couldn’t be—nobody ever saw him. Indulging in his intrigue, he took chase. It wasn’t too hard to keep up with the woman, as the darkness of night was of no hindrance to his eyes. She turned a corner and entered a shop, and a faint exchange of words could be heard within. Shortly after, the woman returned outside from the back entrance. Looks like they were expecting something. The man stepped into the store, and by which he did not use the door. He couldn’t, even if he wanted to.

He phased into the building, its walls offering his body no resistance. An old man armed with a shotgun stood in wait by the back, watching the woman outside. Curious. The intruder proceeded to step forward without fear, waving his hand at the old man. No response. He didn’t know what he was expecting, nobody ever saw him after all. The woman seemed to be an exception—one in a billion. The man made no effort in hiding his presence, approaching her in full view of the street lights.

He made loud footsteps to see if she could hear him. She could. He walked to the front of her to see if she could see him. She most definitely could, and what a sight she would see. The man’s form was devoid of flesh, appearing as a humanoid-shaped silhouette cut out of a nebula and given life. His face was completely featureless, save for two glowing violet eyes. His body was a gaseous shadow, filled with a tiny sea of stars. If he had lips, they would be smiling. When he confirmed the woman could see him, he spoke.

“Nice to meet you, miss. How are we this fine evening?”