April 7th - Welcome Party

[cartesio]

Welcome Party

Though you've never seen the casino before, it is easy to find today. This is partly attributable to the music spilling from open doors right into the town. The people of Cartesio have made good on their announcement - doubtlessly, there is a party going on here.

Anyone entering will be confronted with a friendly citizen pulling them aside to inform them of their dress rental service. Though it is called 'rental' there is no actual fee to be paid. The townspeople have simply brought a collection of suits and cocktail dresses into the casino foyer and they are offering to lend them out for the occasion. A folding screen to get changed behind is provided as well.

Once you venture deeper into the casino, you'll find yourself in a surprisingly spacious room. Tables that might normally occupy the open space have been pushed to the wall and filled with various buffet foods. Though you might be tempted to spend your whole afternoon trying out the various local specialties, the rhythmic music from the speakers tries to lure you to the dancefloor. A few locals are already swinging their hips to the beat.

Though if you're simply looking for the main highlight of a casino, you won't have to look long either. Across from the buffet, you will find a wide variety of game machines. Pachinko, slot machines.... even a few odd-one-out games that look like they should rather belong in an arcade. Try your luck, try your skill! If you prove successful, an employee is waiting to hand out various fun goods to you.

There are quite a few townspeople in attendance on this party, but there is a silent understanding that you tourists are the VIPs here. Anywhere you go, any game you want to try, the citizens are quick to move aside for you and let you have the maximum amount of fun.

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Comments

[burgerprince]

[There’s a comment on the tip of his tongue, but with Keith’s second comment it gets lost.]

Toyed with it how?

[marmoron]

Jetpack's out of commision, moisture isn't being recycled.

[Translation: the armor is getting grody and sweaty. You're welcome in advance for the overshare...??]

Not sure how he managed it. The guy shouldn't be familiar with Altean tech.

[burgerprince]

Dude- [He blinks back a wince.] gross.

[Nasty as it might be, though, it's pretty important.]

So the Sarge knows more than we think. [A thought.] Or he knows a guy.

[marmoron]

[Shrugging that first part off. He at least takes showers on the daiy??]

Maybe. The guy's got some pretty weird magic up his sleeve. He's controlling what we can and can't see.

[burgerprince]

[Jughead stifles a snort at the concept. Magic, sure. The thing was that, by this point, it was a perfectly credible explanation with all the people here, regardless of how ridiculous it sounds.]

With the whole face thing? And this place appearing out of nowhere?

[He’s fairly sure he would’ve noticed the casino beforehand.]

[marmoron]

[And again, Keith has that blasé, "laugh if you want" attitude about Jughead's attitude there. He, at least, comes from a world where magic and alchemy happen to be quite real and there's been no real adjustment phase for him.]

There's more to it than that. The case records in the police department don't appear to have anything written on them.

[burgerprince]

[His looks takes a turn for the more serious.]

Begs the question, what’s he hiding?

[marmoron]

[There's a general "mm" of agreement.]

He might've tried something like this before and just doesn't want us to know about it. The folk in town -- they're not right in the head. The Sergeant didn't deny that they were being brainwashed.

[burgerprince]

So, basically an admission of guilt.

[Brainwashing seems a little extreme, but he’d like to hope for the best in these people despite his attitude towards them, still...]

Or do you think they’re just complicit?

[marmoron]

Have you spoken to them much?

[He's not evading the question, just looking to see how much of his instincts are going to need explaining.]

[burgerprince]

No.

[Admittedly. It reflects badly on him as an investigator, but who can blame him for wanting to keep a distance? He wasn’t a people person in the best of times.]

Too...creeped out.

[marmoron]

"WHatever it takes to get the story" huh.

[...Yeah, like Keith was going to let this pass without a quick quip. That said, his tone isn't biting or incisive because
frankly it shows Jughead does have some reasonable survival instincts after all. Keith's not gonna fault him for that.]

I doubt they're complicit. These people -- they're really sold on this idea that nothing ever goes wrong in Cartesio. They'd be horrified if they knew what the Sergeant is inciting. If you ask me the people here are all unsuspecting participants in some kind of experiment the military is conducting. That's why the Sergeant specified hurting them was against the rules.

[burgerprince]

I have a very specific method.

[The one that has him talk to as little of these creepy townspeople as possible.]

Makes enough sense. That means whatever their role is, it's vital, otherwise I'm sure Sarge would have no issues with us bumping them off.

[Dude just seems way into the murder thing.]