TEST DRIVE MEME #2

[shiftmanager]

Welcome to the second test drive of theelysium!

Test drive threads may be considered game canon if all participants wish to maintain the CR developed here.

The game is invite-only, closed to friends of the moderators and those invited by current players. Current players may submit invitations at any time. If you are interested in joining the game but do not know anyone involved, you may reach out to the mod team to request an invitation for the current app round.

If you have any questions about the setting, here are some links to the game's premise and setting information pages.

Thank you for playing! We're excited to have you.

ARRIVAL When you came to, you were mid-conversation with someone you've never seen before, nodding along to instructions that seem to evaporate into the air after they're spoken aloud. You've been welcomed into the industry, given your ID and uniform, and escorted to the back of house. It seemed natural then to just go along with it, to be cordial and pleasant, no matter how insincere it might have been.

They asked you to sit for a while and gather your bearings, and so you sit. The rest settles slowly as you adjust and find the rest of yourself returning. At least the couches are soft.

The room is dark, lit only by a rotating set of colored lights that move across a determined track, bathing the collected employees in bright shades of blue, pink, and violet. Some tables are internally lit in fluorescent shades, surrounding everything in a hazy glow. Distantly, a thumping vibration shakes the southmost wall, indicating something terribly noisy on the other side.

But at the north, a wall panel springs to life, revealing a mustached man who smiles at them warmly. They can try to interject, but it seems to be a prerecorded message; he doesn't pause or acknowledge them in the slightest as he welcomes them.

"The Elysium is proud of how well the new employees have been settling in! The service has maintained its impeccable reputation, and early performance reviews are returning with high marks. Things are already improving greatly now that they've weeded out the bad seeds with the last round of firings. And after the things they tried, good riddance to all of them.

"But for now, onwards and upwards! The interior design folks should be just about done clearing out the last of the Valentine's stuff, so that should be the last chocolate heart anyone has to stomach for a while. We've got the requests in for next month, and it sounds like the High Roller wants to see his kid have a good time for her birthday. It’ll get busy pretty soon, so we’ve brought on some more staff to help out. We’ll hold on to the good ones and get rid of the rest. Hope you all still fit into your old prom dresses."

WORKING THE EVENT FLOOR This time around, the Elysium's resources are dedicated to a massive sweet sixteen celebration. Event spaces are fully decked out with balloons and banquet tables full of candies and sweets, which are all arranged to be bite-sized without risk of ruining anyone's makeup. There are enormous piles of presents stacked everywhere, as requested by the guest of honor.

The Birthday Girl herself can be kind of a handful. Clubs will regularly find themselves tasked with acting as her bodyguard, a fairly standard affair. The trouble is that she’s a shapeshifter and regularly uses that talent to escape discipline or reproach. She might have been a petite brunette at the start of your shift, but by the end of things you may find yourself chasing after a blonde unicorn who’s impulsively decided to go for a gallop through the lobby. She’s prone to obsessing over something for a short while before discarding it in favor of the next distraction, which might prove beneficial to anyone who happens to be on her security team. Even if you don’t have a particular use for that solid-gold charm bracelet she tried to throw in the trash, there’s probably a buyer out there somewhere. Consider it a tip for having to spend an entire day listening to a spoiled rich girl complain about her first world problems. However, it might be best to donate it to one of your co-workers as an apology after the Birthday Girl has ripped up a deck of cards while denying she lost or disrupted a soulful ballad while yelling about how bored she was. At times, she even seems drunk – How did she even get access to tequila?? Keeping her away from the adult-only spaces might turn into a full-time job on its own.

For some reason, the high roller seemed concerned that their event might yield a low turnout. In an effort to stack the odds in favor of success, the resort has invited some extra guests from a number of other places and times. As a result, the event spaces seem particularly packed with bodies, creating a heavier-than-usual demand for service, particularly when it comes to the Spades and Hearts. Is it worth the time it takes to explain to the man in the powdered wig that he doesn’t need to worry about whether the British are coming? Perhaps your time will be better spent making sure that the waist-high green people stop trying to eat the poker chips. They say that the Squid People like to do simultaneous six-armed shots; best of luck to the bartenders tasked with keeping up with the wide variance of body types and needs. And that’s not even getting started with trying to clean up after the slimy trails left behind by the giant slugs.

Most of the guests have never met the Birthday Girl herself, but all of them seem convinced that she's the greatest friend who deserves absolutely all of this. It's something that some employees might experience firsthand, because any off-duty employee who steps into an event space will find themselves abruptly joining the guestlist. Whatever they were wearing before is suddenly replaced with a gown or suit more suitable for a teenager looking to dance the night away. It might be disorienting for some of the elders, if it didn’t come along with the brightness that comes from suddenly reliving a bygone youth, transformed back to the mentality they had at the age of sixteen. Their bodies might be the same, but they'll shed all that emotional growth and maturity that makes old people boring. If you were a preppy teen, live a little and come celebrate! If you were more of a goth, no one will judge you for stomping around sulking as you take advantage of the free food and spend the next three hours complaining about conformists. The important thing is to get people together having their version of a good time. If you get so caught up that you forget to sleep before your next shift, that's a problem for the future.

Diamonds will face different challenges as they do their best to please guests along this theme. Many of them will be regulated to performing generic pop music and birthday standards, trying to lead line dances and inspire audience participation. Barkers and cigarette girls might have a harder time switching tactics to appeal to a party full of people behaving like raunchy teens. Those who normally play classical music will find themselves booed and jeered, and anyone who dresses with a high hemline or a low neckline will find that the level of catcalling is more aggressive than usual. Maybe that’s what you want, though. It sounds like the tips will be nice throughout this event, at least. The adult-only workers might have it easier, but they might want to check passcards for everyone’s real ages every now and again. With everything going on, it’s a little hard to tell who might be cheating the system.

FEATURED GAME: PIÑATAS AND PONIES What’s a birthday party without some fun on the side? Staff members running the featured games will take a role of either Pony or Handler, assigned independently of one’s normal suit affiliation. Ponies are stuffed into enormous piñata mascot outfits, hunched over and awkwardly ambling with limited sight, all to appeal to the Birthday Girl and her throngs of guests. Handlers are there to act as festively-dressed organizers, charged with keeping order while the ponies and guests interact. Part of these shifts require intense trust between employees; ponies are awfully vulnerable in those outfits, especially when the more chaotic games get going!

On a rotating schedule, Pony/Handler pairs will be called upon to facilitate a number of services. Pony Rides are available to guests who request them. Handlers will help boost up a guest and allow them a casual ride upon a pony’s bright pastel back. This serves as a fun distraction as much as it can become a transportation service. Party shoes hurt, after all! As the party goes on past a week, some guests feel more entitled to demand rides to carry them even short distances.

When not being used as beasts of burden, they are the centerpiece of a running game. During a round of Pin the Tail on the Piñata, guests take turns being blindfolded and sent towards the pony with a long paper mache tail and the intent to attach the tail to the mascot costume. Unfortunately, getting it to fit properly means that the tail piece is fitted with a fairly substantial spike at the end. But it’s fine! There’s no way a guest can get at the person inside the costume even if they miss the cushioned rear end. Probably. Nobody’s actually had a chance to test it before things went live. But it’s most likely safe for employees. Guess everyone will find out at the same time. And hey, maybe if they damage a pony outfit enough, candy might pop out. Fun for the whole family!

Over in the adult spaces, some of the folks on staff have been modifying the costumes to get into ponyplay, but that’s to be expected with those types. They’re always finding a way to have a different kind of fun. (And is that the Birthday Girl trying on a harness?? She shouldn’t even be allowed in that area! Someone should probably do something about that.)

OOC And here's our first event, ready to kick off March with a little celebration and perhaps a few hijinks. If you have questions, feel free to direct them here.

And if you think this game might be a good fit for some friends, invitations are now open for the upcoming app round.

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QUESTIONS

[shiftmanager]

Questions about the way something works? Have a wild idea that you want to run by a mod first? Sampling a new game and don't want to bother with the FAQ? This is the place to ask.

Demitri || NPC

[overhandshuffle]

(back of house, to current employees)
Near the start of the event, a man has grabbed the shift schedule from its place on the wall and is adjusting things with light pencil marks, frowning as he glances up from time to time at the group settled around the common spaces. He mumbles to himself as he edits and adjusts numbers, murmuring about the truckloads that are getting dumped in. Every now and again, he looks up with a small huff, his eyebrows softening in an apology for the ask he's about to make.

"Hey, I know you're not supposed to clock in until later, but is there any way I could talk you into putting in a few extra hours today? It's going to get worse before it gets better, and we're going to need some extra hands if we want everyone to have a minute to sit down today. It's probably going to be bad even with all the new hires."

It might just be the first time anyone has asked for consent since the newest staff arrived. This might be the right kind of leverage to get some other questions answered.

(back of house, to new hires)
The newbies come in usual varieties. Some are frightened and confused. Many are angry and looking for answers no one can give them. When he's off-duty, Demitri lingers around the shift schedule and timeclock, greeting people who look particularly new.

"Hey, I don't think I've seen you around before. Did you just start?"

current employees

[salamanca]

Lalo can usually tell when an ask is actually a demand. Mostly because he himself is very practiced in the art of asking what seems like a question, but is in fact actually an order in disguise with only one right reaction!

Strongly suspecting that his response to this question doesn't actually matter, Lalo decides to take his time actually answering it.

Lounging on the couch with his feet propped up on one of the tables, he doesn't answer the actual right away. Instead, he seems fixated on his self-created game of tossing candied almonds in the air, and catching them in his mouth.

Instead, he gives Demitri a bright grin. "Hey! Demitri, right? It's Lalo. Nice to properly meet you face-to-face, amigo. You're always so busy. Feel like I haven't gotten the chance to introduce myself." He will reach out, to foist the bag of almonds into Demitri's hands. Then he lays down on the sofa, mouth open.

"Toss one! I'm gonna try to see if I still catch 'em lying down."

They'll get around to talking about Demitri's request. Eventually. First, they're going to talk about what Lalo wants to talk about, and the best way to do that, he figures, is to establish just who is guiding the conversation here.

Plus, he really does want to see if he can catch them in his mouth lying down!

[overhandshuffle]

The sudden game is a little unexpected, but Demitri's lips quirk into a small smile. So this one likes to play while he works. It makes sense.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I usually like to be a little more available when folks start flooding in."

If this means that almond-tossing is going to be part of the project, then almond-tossing it will have to be. Some people are just the sort of folks who prefer to live a life with nuts flying at their face. Demitri isn't about to judge as he tosses one over.

[salamanca]

"Don't worry about it!"

Lalo catches the almond, and chews it. Then he grins up from his place on the couch. This guy's busy. He gets it. Running a... whatever this is... has to take someone's full time an attention. Or, well. Maybe not running. He doesn't get the vibe Demitri is ultimately the one in charge here, although he does seem to have some kind of authority. Enough to ask people to get on shift, anyway.

"Say, Demitri. You ever meet the people in charge here? They must trust you if they're, you know" -- he gestures, then folds both hands behind his head -- "putting you in charge of scheduling."

Jane Margolis | Breaking Bad | OTA

[copacetic]

ON DUTY: I.T. (HEARTS ♥)
Jane's not totally in the dark about how technology works, okay. She can work her cell phone just fine, and she can figure out how to install a VCR on her own.

But this shit is next level. Jane is informed she'll be working the I.T. helpdesk today, and despite her protests that this is a level of technology she's not prepared to work with, she's left alone in a room with only a network of various computers and the persistent hum of the fluorescent ceiling lights.

She swallows and sits down. Completely unsure what she's doing, she hits one button.

The entire building isn't affected, thank God, but certain floors loose power completely and go dark as the lights shut off. Unaware of what she's done, thinking nothing has happened, Jane squints at the computer screen and clicks a mouse. Still nothing, from her perspective. However, on some other floors -- not the ones that have gone dark! -- strobe lights appear from the ceiling along with the steady pulse of club music.

Maybe you're on one of the floors affected? Or maybe you've been sent to find her and figure out what's going on. Either way, better knock on the door and let her know what she's doing.

ON DUTY: RESTAURANT (HEARTS ♥)
Jane usually acts as the restaurant assistant manager, most of the time. Occasionally, she's shunted to other places -- the front desk of the hotel, cleaning rooms, one time they even tried to make her do I.T. but that was such a disaster they just said never again -- but mostly, they seem to have decided that the hotel's 24/7 cafe is where she fits best.

Today, it's overrun by unruly teenagers, and she's made the executive decision to kick all of them out. Fuck the guest list, fuck the high rollers, these munchkins all gots to go. She puts in a very annoyed call to security, and if you're a Club, you might find her standing outside the restaurant with her hands on her hips, saying, "Took you long enough," in a decidedly annoyed tone.

If you're off-duty and a customer yourself, she might come up to you and apologize. "Hey. Sorry about all the ruckus. We're trying to do something about it."

ON DUTY: RESTAURANT

[fiftyfiftypartner]

[ Having been a somewhat rebellious teenager himself, Jesse tries to be patient as he notices the restaurant filling with who he can only assume are guests from the sweet sixteen party that they've been preparing for. The restaurant (and Jesse) have been working in overdrive lately between preparing appetizers to be walked around the party on silver trays, prepping trays for the party's elaborate buffet, and baking the huge and over-decorated cake for the guest of honor. It's been nothing short of chaos in the kitchen, but Jesse's been thriving in the fast-paced environment. It makes him focus on the here and now and keeps his head out of the past.

As the night wears on, though, the restaurant remains open for business, obviously still ready to serve patrons not associated with the party in question. However, despite the buffet and abundance of food, some partygoers manage to find their way into the restaurant. It's all manageable at first, if not a little higher energy than usual, but as dishes start being sent back, Jesse can feel the frustration building. ]

The hell d'you mean it's undercooked? Says mid-rare right on the ticket! Warm, pink center just like I cooked it! If they wanted medium or mid-well maybe they shoulda said that in the first place!

[ Luckily there's enough noise going on in the kitchen and the rest of the restaurant not to mention the music playing over the speakers, that his rant goes largely unnoticed by the patrons. The staff, however, can definitely hear it and it's Jane in particular that he's complaining to as she's been tasked with picking up some ready orders whenever the waitstaff finds themselves in the weeds.

Jesse huffs and takes the plate back anyway, chucking it all in the trash and throwing a new burger on the grill. If this one comes back, he's just going to microwave the shit out of it and pray that they burn the Hell out of their bougie-ass mouth. He gently presses the patty down with the back of his spatula before seasoning the burger with salt and pepper, spinning around to grab a bun to toast. He's in the process of turning back to the griddle when an unruly teen goes running past him. Jesse nearly stumbles into the flat-top grill, narrowly avoiding burning himself. ]

Fuck!

[ He turns, eyes steely as he watches the kid run past another sous chef, nearly tripping up someone carrying a vat of sauce to refill the pasta station at the buffet. Jesse whirls back to Jane just as she comes back to the window to grab some more finished dishes and he gestures towards where the kid is, who is now attempting to avoid a couple of cooks trying to catch them. ]

[copacetic]

[Jane grits her teeth as she follows Jesse's eyeline to where the kid is hiding. Ugh. Seriously?!

She slams the plates back down, the glass making a light clinking sound against the window's wooden frame.

Like Jesse, she tried to be sympathetic at first, but enough is enough. She's had it with these rich brats. Who do they think they are?!]

Hey, kid! You're not allowed back here!

[Immediately, she sprints after the little cretin, but he's fast and he goes barrelling through the kitchen, Jane in hot pursuit.]

[fiftyfiftypartner]

[ That's it. Jesse feels his resolve crumbling as he watches Jane whirl around to the kitchen area and take off after the kid in question. He's concerned, to say the least. A bustling kitchen isn't a safe place for anybody to go running through, let alone some kid who doesn't even know the layout of the place. ]

Behind!

[ Jesse yells the word several times as he runs past various cooks, taking off after the kid followed by Jane. It's something of a comedy of errors, the kid nearly knocking over two chefs carrying a huge tray of desserts. They first hold it down, the kid leaping over it and then raise it high above their hands to let Jane run under it. Jesse skids to a stop, letting them pass by before he continues chasing the duo down a corridor that leads to the fridges, freezers, and pantry areas. He knows it leads to a dead-end so he's largely on the defensive, slowing sown as he expects the teen to spring back in his direction. ]

Just stop, yo...there's no way back out this direction. It's over.

[Jesse leans his hands on his knees, panting for air. In some ways he's in better shape than he'd been last time Jane saw him, but in others he's definitely not. ]

Jorji Costava | Papers Please | OTA

[mrpersistent]

OFF-DUTY
Hey, kids!

You know what's a great idea? Go up to the strange adult man who is only beckoning to teenagers and people who look like they might be teenagers. This is surely an A+ plan and nothing can go wrong.

Jorji lurks outside the door of one of the adult-only playspaces, never going inside, just crooking a finger to beckon anybody who looks young enough to not be allowed to enter.

"Pssst," he says, when they approach. "I got good deal for you. You want inside? Take a look." He will open a large brown trenchcoat to reveal...that he's totally normally dressed under there, you pervert, but he reaches into a pocket and withdraws several stolen adult passcards.

"Is good deal! You trade your passcard to me. I give you one of these. It say you adult if anybody checks." He makes an exaggerated show of winking.

OFF-DUTY, PT. 2.
If you definitely are an adult and don't pass for a kid, Jorji may attempt to avoid you. To an absolutely suspicious degree. If you're an on-duty Club, he may take off running the second he sees you.

If he thinks you can be trusted, though, he may approach and gleefully tell you of his scheme. "Hey. Hey, you. Come here. I have business opportunity for you. Good opportunity. Make a lot of chips." He grins at you.

Once again, subtlety and discretion elude him.

[fiftyfiftypartner]

[ Maybe a couple of years ago, Jesse could've passed for a kid, especially when clean-shaven. But the events of the past two years have aged him considerably. If he let his hair grow out he wouldn't be surprised at finding a grey hair or two, even, but he keeps it shaved these days. Last time he grew it out was against his will and he doesn't need anything reminding him of those times if he can help it.

Maybe Jorji thinks Jesse can be trusted out of a sense of camaraderie--they both work similar jobs--maintenance and custodial (though Jesse oftentimes gets shuffled off to the kitchen when he's needed for lunch or dinner rush). It's likely they've crossed paths more than a few times. ]

Good opportunity like what?

[ Color him intrigued, if not slightly suspicious. Forgive him if Walter White made him a little on edge when it comes to jumping at the first shady offer to make money. This guy seems pretty harmless, though, from what he's observed so far, so he's willing to at least hear this one out. Besides, he's steadily building a team of people who are willing to stick it to management and skim a little off the top in one way or another. He's interested to hear what this guy's got in mind. ]

[mrpersistent]

[Jorji is, as it turns out, mostly harmless! At worst, maybe he's kind of annoying. But nobody would ever say he's a dangerous man.

He's used to people finding him suspicious, though, so Jesse being on edge doesn't bother him. Jorji is used to people being suspicious of him, and he's used to barreling right along anyway. Eventually he always finds a way to grease the right palms, or say the right things to the right person.

And if he ends up in custody sometimes, well hey, so be it!

He seems extremely happy that Jesse is at least willing to entertain him.]

Ahh, yes, so, you are seeing how many little kids we have around, friend? Yes? [He puts his hand low to his knee, to mimic a child's height.] They all want in to adult areas. Pay good money in chips for adult passcard.

[He waits, to see if Jesse is picking up where he's going with this, or if further explanation will be required.]

Saul Goodman | Breaking Bad | OTA

[justmakemoney]

A. On-duty

[Look, Saul has seen some things in his time. But squid people and shape shifters? Those are new. He's not even sure how to really communicate with the squid people, if he's being honest. It's easy enough to tell what they want when they bang an empty glass or eight on the bar, at least, but it's weird enough to frazzle Saul just a bit. So the next time anyone who looks to be human, or has the normal amount of limbs at least, walks by--]

Hey. You'd tell me if you're some kind of alien shapeshifter, right? I'm about at my limit here.

B. Off-duty

[Hidden in various lockers or on the underside of tables, where they're less likely to be noticed by someone who might not be the most receptive to it, your character might find a scrap of paper with an address and a message about either for legal help, or for making money. Something quick and vague enough to entice those who are curious.

For those who follow the address, they'll find themselves at some dingy office squeezed in the middle of a shopping plaza. There's a lot of work to be done, a lot of decoration that needs to be moved around and perfected to the high level of cheese that Saul Goodman prefers for his branding, and that's exactly what anyone stopping by will find: Albuquerque's top "criminal" lawyer with his sleeves rolled up, working on his new branch office. That doesn't mean he's not ready for business, though; whether you're in the game, or just looking to sue someone for stripper-related injuries, Better Call Saul.]

C. Wildcard

[Want something else? DM me and we can work something out here!]

A.

[copacetic]

[Jane shrugs, and responds airily:]

I dunno. Probably not, honestly. Pretty sure alien shapeshifters are supposed to keep that kind of shit to themselves.

[She remembers this guy. Her eyes narrow.]

Why? Are you looking to take advantage of people who don't know how things work on Planet Earth?

[justmakemoney]

Yeah? Tell that to the kids trying to look like the cheap fake IDs they bought on their way down to spend daddy's money today. Shapeshifters or cheap makeup, I'll leave it up to you.

[Are they legit shapeshifters or just your normal brand of spoiled kids trying to fool Slippin' Jimmy of all people with a fake ID? Well, he's not even really sure on that end. But the squid people have him on edge.

He gives Jane an exasperated look at her accusation. He's wounded by these harmful accusations. Wounded!]

If anyone is trying to take advantage here, it's them.

[copacetic]

Pfft. No way it's cheap makeup. Only expensive makeup helps you shapeshift convincingly. Trust me on that.

[She would know too, she's a girl okay! Don't tell the men we can shapeshift or they'll tell the church etc etc etc.

She's more annoyed by the spoiled rich kids that the squid people though! Squid people she can handle. The guy from 1876 she can handle (mostly -- he's kinda sexist). But all the spoiled brats really stick in her craw.

Saul's wounded look gets an eyeroll from Jane, although she does soften a little. She leans over the bar and meets his eyes. Her expression is conspiratorial and her voice is a low whisper.]

Right. And you're saying you wouldn't want to get back at them? Not even a little?

[She might not know him very well yet, but from what little she does know, he doesn't seem like the type to just take this lying down.]

B.

[salamanca]

Whoa!

[There's a loud wolf-whistle as Lalo goes inside, looking around the room that Saul has commandeered for himself. No Huell or Mike to act as a bouncer or any kind of muscle means that anyone can just walk right on in, and would you look at that.

Anyone certainly just did.]

Looks like you got some work to do! [Lalo starts picking up and going through any decorations or other assorted random things Saul might have out that aren't stowed away in boxes.]

I tell you what! This is perfect. I just happen to find myself in some legal trouble, and now -- look at you, man, I mean it's like you're psychic! It's amazing.

[Have the full force of Lalo's crazy-ass, shit-eating grin directed right at you, Saul.]

[justmakemoney]

[Oh good his favorite voice to hear.

Saul all but jumps, startled from whatever he was setting up by Lalo's sudden entrance. So Lalo was still here, and wasn't just another fear-induced hallucination. Well, he has a client, and he has to be a gracious host. ...Or something along those lines. So, he composes himself, turns, and greets Lalo with his arms open in a sort of "ta-dah!" gesture.]

I mean, if I've learned anything in my time, you've gotta take advantage when an opportunity presents itself. And let me tell you, business here sounds like it'll be way more lucrative than in Albuquerque.

[salamanca]

[OF COURSE it's his favorite voice!!! Why oh why would it ever not be?

Lalo seems delighted by the "ta-dah!" gesture. He was expecting a bit more cowering, but this is way better! With the energy of an untrained puppy crossed with an unattended toddler crossed with a violent, homicidal maniac, Lalo grins at him and practically bounds over to where Saul is standing.]

Lucrative!!! That's the spirit!

["Just make money," remember?

He pulls Saul into a one-armed half-hug, then lightly slugs Saul on the shoulder when he lets go. Or, well, maybe not exactly "lightly". It's actually a little bit too hard and probably kinda hurts! It's a playful gesture, though, not intended to be threatening.

Probably.

Then Lalo flops into the chair behind Saul's desk and spins it in a few times. He opens drawer after drawer, disappointed when there's nothing in any of them to play with, but then he just grins up at Saul from behind the desk.]

So! What's your going rate here? Must be pretty expensive. Since you're expecting business to be so lucrative.

zari tarazi | dctv | open

[influenceher]

arrival/on-duty - diamond

This is pretty much her worst nightmare. She's stuck in some contract and feels compelled to play along. Truth be told, Zari can't be sure this isn't a bad dream. How did she go from Charlie's show to this? Did they not defeat the Fates as completely as she thought?

It hardly matters. She needs to play along until something does make sense or a rescue comes. That means throwing the best pop show that Dragon Girl can throw together at a moment's notice. Unsurprisingly for those who know her, it looks meticulously planned. In some ways it is. She's reusing dance numbers for songs that are just close enough to the ones she produced back home as a teen or copied back in the day for a fun Catchat video.

It is not like the crowd knows that, do they? She's giving it her all. She invites guests on the stage and lets them sing with her. Zari will even pull in fellow workers into a dance number to get a laugh out of the partygoers when they either fail or succeed at copying her moves. Ultimately she does whatever she needs to keep the energy of the party going. She makes a living as an influencer so this is second nature to her. Inside, she's very much screaming.

off-duty

Eventually, Zari pulls away for a much-needed break. She's focusing on hydrating and trying to get a feel for what exactly is happening here. She does her best to appear bored. Her eyes seem to be following everything if you care enough to notice.

on-duty

[hackedhistory]

Of all the things Zari expected from her afterlife, a weird casino isn't one of them. She thought she would get to practice her mystical ancestor schtick in the totem, or maybe just blink out of existence and there would be nothing there to greet her. That had originally been the most depressing option she could think of.

Weird Casino coming in a close second.

Fortunately, as part of the Hearts crew, she gets to keep moving, doing random odd jobs. She thinks that maybe if she can get herself transferred to Clubs, she might be able to get into the security systems and figure out what is going on here. Maybe that's why she wasn't put on Clubs in the first place. Isn't that suspicious.

As she's bringing up a fresh tray of desserts to long stretch of options - one of which she is definitely going to steal and shove in her face - but she almost drops them when she looks to the stage and sees ... herself? Singing? In public? Not conjured by some kind of Bollywood fever dream?

All she's supposed to do is deposit the tray and retreat, but she can't. She's frozen in place, watching the other Zari as she does her thing - and does it well - and she's starting to wonder if this is her punishment for breaking the timeline. Being really, really confused for the rest of eternity.

Then Other Zari actually makes eye contact, and that seems to zap her back into moving, and she hurries towards the table and tries to escape before she winds up breaking the timeline any more than she already has.

[influenceher]

She nearly misses her cue once she locks eyes with her other self. The loss of Zari Tomaz is still fresh for all of them. She hates that the universe forces them to pick between her and Behrad. It's especially cruel after making it seem like they could both exist without issue. Now isn't a time for dwelling on injustice. She needs to know how this Zari got out of the totem without any issues she knows of.

Zari is a professional. She continues on while watching someone she cares for dearly once again leave her sight. It won't be permanent this time. She won't allow it.

Wherever Tomaz ends up next, her other self will appear out of nowhere in costume. She locks arms with her and leads her away from whatever she is doing. This is totally natural. "You know that was really rude earlier. What kind of big sister bails before the finale? I could have choked up there." She pouts in Zari's direction. Her sharp gaze tells a different story. Play along. "Take a break with me? I'm totally over this scene. I need to recharge with my favorite Zari." She has the audacity to wink at her.

[hackedhistory]

She sees the look to play along and lets Other Zari drag her away, managing to keep her cool until they're alone. She knows that weird things and other Earths are out there. Granted, the only doppelgangers she's ever met have been from an evil Nazi world where she was probably dead slash never born, but this Zari doesn't seem to have come from that world.

Or at least she hopes.

Once they're alone, however, she leans in closer, confused. "Have we met before?" Is there a time travel problem afoot? Should she be waiting for the Legends to come in and save the day?

off-duty

[salamanca]

Hey, it's a new person! Lalo loves new people! What fun!

He slides up to Zari while she's drinking. He's noticed that she's trying to look bored, but the operative word is "trying". There's a sharp intelligence in her eyes, which follow everyone in turn, and it makes her look more observant than bored.

"Looking for somebody special?" he asks casually, glancing around the room, his gaze resting meaningfully on whatever or whoever she was looking at last.

Realizing he must have forgotten his manners, he turns his attention back to her and reaches out a hand for her to shake.

"Lalo Salamanca. It's a pleasure. I'd be happy to show you around, if you've got a minute."

[influenceher]

Zari's eyes flutter Lalo's way. She smiles in a way that probably makes most people feel special; like they're the center of all her attention. Lalo is offering something she wants so it isn't totally insincere.

"There is a special someone I am hoping to find," she answers coyly. Another version of herself. Zari is nothing if not willing and happy to let people draw their own conclusions. "But, I could use a tour." She accepts the hand offered to her, shaking gently. "Shall we?" Zari raises her brow as if challenging him to give his best.