[OPEN]

[daddyscythe]

Characters: OPEN
Location: Outskirts of Nevada
Rating: PG
Time: All day, Feb 27
Description: Shibusen offers a field trip to acclimate the guests to the Madness wavelength.


It's a perfectly pleasant day for the most part, if one is to look at the sky and maybe the horizon. For the attendees of the fieldtrip, however, things are naturally a lot more grim, if also lot more colorful. There are understandably no civilians in the area -- or any other signs of life apart from the group.

As promised, the location is extensively arranged to cordon off various areas of the place where Madness spikes have been identified. They are all properly labeled, both with text and visuals, and discreet agents kept an eye on all corners of the large field. The mirror by which the guest will come in is set in a corner, with some food provided next to it.

People are free to come and go, though the other end leads to the clinic instead of the Death Room. The rules are simple: venture into a level you think you can handle, and if you can't, someone will help.

In the afternoon, a light rain will come to add some variety to the endless desert. Make sure to take shelter in the open tents provided to protect you from the elements!

[ooc: Just put in open tags in the comments, [Character Name | Open/Close | Area/sort of madness targeted/whatever marker you want].

Plotting and information post was here.]

Comments

[Tenten and Santana/Closed/Starting With Low Madness]

[weaponry]

[ Tenten stands outside the area marked Low Madness, holding Santana's hand. The relationship has been easy going since it first inspired in the last moments of Valentine's Night. She figures they might as well start slow since they have no idea what their madness tolerance will be. ]

Do you wanna transform or should we both try this as people? [ It was nice to get a free trip to the middle of nowhere! It may not be romantic, but it definitely can give someone a real time to bond. ]

[heretolookhot]

[Santana was feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing earlier, but now that she's here, it's not so bad. Under controlled conditions, it would be easier to get away if one of them couldn't handle it, and that made the experience valuable. Next time they had to face the madness for real, they'd be prepared.

Having Tenten there is calming, but there's still a small tingle of apprehension brought on by the madness. Still, it's nothing compared to what she felt during the invasion.]

It's easier to control it in weapon form. I'll switch over if it gets hard.

[weaponry]

[ Tenten showed signs of a great amount of composure. Being the most collected and grounded member of Team Guy, she had a high tolerance for eccentricity and craziness. With this, she's a very focused person.

Tenten does have some worry for Santana, but she still expects her to be fine. She knows she'll be a lot better than how she was during the invasion. And, to Santana's credit, they managed to talk things out even if they weren't in the best mental state. ]

All right. I have a good feeling about this!

[heretolookhot]

[Santana nods, and grips her hand a little tighter. During the invasion, she had been better at controlling the madness than a lot of others were. Most of her fear had come from the fact that everyone around her was going crazy, trying to destroy the town and kill each other. Only then had she started hearing the voices that weren't her own, the panic, the terror, the need to run as far away as possible from nothing in particular.

It's just her and Tenten now. Nothing to be afraid of.]

What are we supposed to be doing, anyway? I feel fine.

[weaponry]

[ Tenten only felt sweeping paranoia once the witches came back and it turn out that Guy-sensei was captured. Her ability to build up walls, and deal with the stress by talking to her weapons and ignore the own lingering madness completely collapsed. But, here, there was no such threat. She just stares at Santana with a meek smile before emitting a small giggle. ]

I'm not sure either. I don't feel really nervous, or, hear any voices or anything.

[heretolookhot]

Maybe we should go to a more potent area.

[It was to their advantage that they were expecting it, too. The last time, madness had crept up on them. Part of its effectiveness probably had to do with the crazy coming by surprise.]

[weaponry]

All right. If you want. [ Tenten nods and offers her hand to Santana. Regardless if she takes it or not, she'll walk out of the low madness area feeling somewhat disappointed. She observes the other areas of madness. One with an area between small and medium, medium, an area between medium and large and ....large. The latter area was noisy and one could hear belting hysterics from just about anywhere in the vicinity. Puzzled, Tenten looks around at each area, seemingly unable to make a decision. ]

Uh... [ ...She doesn't want to push Santana into insanity, but she wants to challenge her at the same time. You can't grow without challenge. ]

[heretolookhot]

[Santana is a confident woman, but she's aware of her limits, especially when it comes to stuff like this. The middle area seems perfect; it shouldn't be too overwhelming, but it'll be challenging enough that they aren't wasting their time by coming on the trip. The fingers that aren't tangled into Tenten's tap on the sign that reads 'medium', with an arrow pointing to the designated spot.]

How about here?

[weaponry]

[ Tenten's eyes briefly focused on the occupants in the middle before taking long, narrowed sweeps of the occupants in the ones right next to it. The middle seemed to have a range of reactions, some were in absolute hysterics, while others just merely watched with a blasé expression or calmly look at the rest of the desert. Interesting. ]

The middle sounds perfect! We'll know exactly where we stand after this! [ She's already making her way to the middle. This partnership thing doesn't seem so bad!! ]

[heretolookhot]

Great.

[The screaming from their peers isn't very encouraging, so Santana tries to shut them out. She focuses on keeping her own mind clear, and focuses on Tenten. After a few breaths, she opens her eyes and looks at her partner, their hands still held together.]

I guess we should do some kind of training?

[weaponry]

[ She nods as she starts to take her steps towards the middle level. ]

I think we should learn where we're at in madness toleration, then after we can create a plan on how to increase it. Either by spending more time in the lesser pressing areas, or meditation or something.

[heretolookhot]

Meditation or something. Sure.

[Santana lets go of her partner's hand and sits down cross-legged in the desert sand, careful not to get any in her tennis shoes. She's not a meditation kind of girl, but she can sit quietly and focus on her breathing. The people yelling make it harder though, and it's not the angry Sue Sylvester type of yelling that she's used to tuning out.]

[weaponry]

[ Tenten joins her on the sand. She's proud of herself adapting to Santana's preferences. Tenten doesn't meditate, but she has to be focused to manipulate her chakra exactly as she wants it, especially with Team Guy constantly around her. As a result, she's able to peacefully focus. ]

You're focusing all right?

[heretolookhot]

[She opens her eyes, and turns her head towards Tenten.]

No. What are we even focusing on?

[weaponry]

[ Oh god. Does she even know?

Time to improvise! Tenten's eyes scour the florally uneventful desert to find a sole cactus in the distance. ]

How about that one cactus over there? It doesn't matter what you're focusing on, as long as you're focusing and thinking you're meditating. [ Not exactly, but she's simplifying it for Santana. Who needs all of those technicalities that are just confusing anyways! ]

[heretolookhot]

I thought it was about clearing your mind?

[weaponry]

I thought it was about deep reflection and focusing. Clearing your mind doesn't sound too good here since that would just make it a clean slate, right? And wouldn't that make you more susceptible to madness? [ You can get her meditation for dummies for Christmas, Santana. ]

[heretolookhot]

If your mind is clear, there's nothing bothering you for it to take advantage of, though. Hell if I know.

[weaponry]

Whatever. Just, reflect. If this results in you focusing more, or clearing your mind, whatever it is, it'll probably strengthen your mind. [ She closes her eyes and starts to breathe in. ]

[heretolookhot]

[Santana breathes deep, but her eyes stay open. They're scanning the area around them, making sure it's safe. She knows that the environment is being controlled, and that there shouldn't be anything there, but she feels safer knowing that for herself. Maybe being here is making her paranoid.

That thought gets shut out immediately, and she forces her eyes to close. Sitting around does nothing for her, though, so she starts humming.]

[weaponry]

[ The humming makes Tenten shift her posture to something more upright. She doesn't feel uneasy with the humming, as it's light and tonal enough to be differentiated from a machine, or something else that'd rustle her concentration. She softly joins, complementing Santana's humming. Her hums are higher in pitch though. But, that makes sense with such a naturally high pitched voice. ]

[heretolookhot]

[The humming becomes a song before too long. And if she mentions that thunder only happens when it's raining, that's totally normal.]

[weaponry]

Players only love you when they're playing... [ Her voice is light, airy and soft. It's probably a bit higher than what the song actually is, but, at least she's trying. ]

[heretolookhot]

[She smirks.] How do you even know this song? Spying on me in the shower?

[weaponry]

No! I use my stealth skills for good! I'm not like Kakashi-sensei! [ Clearly embarrassed, Tenten rolls her head forward in hesitation. ] I just overheard it once or twice!