∞ 01 15 ∞

[cruciblemods]

[it's sometime mid-morning when the Captain's image appears ship-wide and by the sound of it he's not very happy. he makes a hasty salute before jumping right in]

Good morning, passengers. This is the captain. I want to start by apologizing for the glitch in the holographic system, which was only just now brought to my attention. I'd like to remind all passengers that if these glitches start happening all the time again that they should notify me immediately. They will be taken care of.

Our friends in engineering have got the problem all patched up, so the rest of our trip should be problem-free.

[it's bad enough that he sounds so cross. it's a little worse because there's a figure hovering behind him, hands up and ready to strike, that looks exactly like this. in fact, the whole bridge looks exceptionally strange. should a spacecraft really be so...cliff-like?]

Thank you for your time, and have a nice day.


Details

Well! Good thing the captain is on the ball, huh? All the horrible holographic lolita clothing is now gone! However, the target of the wayward holograms appears to have changed, maybe for the worse.

The entire interior of the ship has now taken on the appearance of an old Hollywood vampire movie. Yes, you heard that right. The illusion is, like the last one, exceptionally realistic; all rooms, though they remain about the same in size and contain the same facilities, resemble something like this, with some skulls for good measure; the hallways are looking much foggier; the entire shopping district has been reduced to a rather abandoned-looking village; and if you try to use any of the ship's specialty facilities, such as the library, movie theater, bars, training areas, and swimming pools, ALL of them will look exactly like a creepy cemetery.

There are some exceptions, however! The hospital level, the Enviro-dome, and the holo-suite itself are free of this "glitch"; if a character would like some peace and normality, I suggest taking refuge in any of these places! Dealing with the ship's new appearance is going to be a little difficult because, just like the lolita clothing, the holograms are not real. Beneath the illusion, every part of the ship is exactly the same. Unfortunately, how well things match up depends on the item. If you ask a restaurant for a can of soda pop you might get what looks like wine, in a wineglass, but it is, in fact, a can of Diet Cola, or what have you; you might try to go into the swimming area and see only a cemetery with a puddle of muddy water, but try and walk around the graves and guess what? You'll fall into the pool. A hallway that looks like an open forest that you can travel any direction in is going to lead to a lot of walking into walls. This effect can make navigating and interacting with ship items very, very difficult. Expect characters to have trouble putting on their own clothes when they look like ballgowns and evening coats! EDIT: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII failed to mention that clothes and such, once put on, are freed from the holographic effect. It's just the ship this time, folks, rather than characters! Of course, everything still feels (and smells, incidentally) the same beneath the holographic effect, so if a character makes sure to keep their hands on the walls and things, they'll have an easier time of it. The only things that have NOT changed are doors and ID pads; doors to shops, rooms, and facilities remain high-tech, as do the pads necessary to open these doors and order food.

But it isn't just moving around that's going to cause some trouble. Some very strange people are wandering around; they kind of look like this. They stalk when they walk, their dress is out of style, and they're looking very pale. Vampires? Yep, vampires. In the grand tradition of the black and white days, these holographic horrors are out for blood and brides (or grooms) and will do it in as highly a dramatic a fashion as possible. Fake windows in rooms will blow open and the lace curtains will billow eerily; wolves will howl at the moon; the silhouette of a bat will be seen on more than one wall; and they won't take no for an answer. They're pretty smart for programs, as they will go after virgins, male or female, appear only when the "fog" is at its thickest, and use all their skills to seduce their victims...which is ultimately useless, seeing as they're not real, but they'll hang around and bite your neck anyway if you stay still long enough! All vampires will hiss and flee from anyone with a cross, garlic, or knives on their person, a saintly/priestly appearance or manner, or has a name (first, last, or nickname) that starts with A, V or H; having any of they above will make them permanently label said character as a vampire hunter.

The vampires are player-controllable NPCs, so if you'd like your character to interact with one, you do not require mod permission or monitoring. However, please remember the key aspects of the vampires:


• Virgins are their only targets.
• They only appear in heavy fog or bedrooms.
• They will act in old Hollywood fashion (remember, it's funny to us today, but back then it was very srs horror, so no vampires tripping over their own capes or screaming when they flee; think Batman-like stealth and popping-upness and a cape over the face before turning into fog to get away from someone who just had garlic pizza).
• They can't be touched, and they essentially can't touch you. Basically, vampires - and the landscape - have no substance. Attempts to kill, shove, or bite back are going to be basically useless; vamps are most likely to scoff at most physical attacks from non-hunters, and flee like the dickens from hunters.
• Conversely, what the vampires do is going to feel much like what the clothes felt like: a very faint, warm presence, and not much else.

You're allowed to pick an appearance for the specific vampire stalking your pups as long as it fits the theme (no modern interpretations, which means no Lost Boys, no Buffy villain ensemble, and NO SPARKLES), but Bela Lugosi's Dracula is off-limits. He already picked the captain. ;D In that vein, vampires are NOT gender specific, so guys going after guys and girls going after girls is acceptable!

Players are allowed to get as creative with the new setting and the vampires as they like, with one main rule: keep it clean. Vampires will seduce in a romantic and charming fashion, not a sexual one, and all they'll do is try some face-touching, dramatic holding, waltzing, and biting. Otherwise, use your imagination as you will! If you'd like a primer on the quintessential Hollywood vamp, Wiki's article on the 1931 film works pretty well.

I think I've gone on long enough, so if you have any questions about the plot, please ask them here!