Week 3

[airlockedmods]

[It takes a disturbingly short amount of time for the status quo to be restored. PAL still makes the morning and night time announcements through the PIP on each Champion's arm, and still the Champion unitards are freshly laundered and re-hung each morning in their closets.

There's a new floor to explore, a perverse reward for a trial well done.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your AC for week 2 and submit your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

Monday

[airlockedmods]

[brokencode]

[Sunday is spent continuing to lick her wounds. While Heart and Rhys had managed to assuage some of her doubts, Angel still felt some amount of guilt for what happened during the trial. Moreover, the thought of walking about and not seeing Mai or Mikaela didn't exactly maker her eager to spring out of bed.

Though the memory that comes to her is startling by virtue of it coming to her in the first place, considering what she had learned from Kip, it was hardly surprising. Equally as expected was the memory itself. The Vault Hunters had slain the Destroyer and had discovered the first layer of her treachery. Things were already set in motion for her father's rise through the ranks.

If anything made her uneasy, it was the thought of more memories to come. There were still at least four years of things to remember, after all.

The items received on Sunday come as more of a surprise than anything else. Much of what she received verged on the odd, but one thing stood out in particular.

It was that very device that she was messing with in the dining room come Monday morning. At some point, a realization would come to her, at which point she placed the device to her throat -- which was finally free of the collar she had begun to wear the week previous.]

Testing? Test...ing?

[The small speech resulted in Angel physically recoiling, device held out in front of her. A mix of emotions ran across her face in the few seconds she sat there, ranging from horror to sorrow, even to some amount of affection.

Later in the day, Angel could be found in the garden. Rather than hiding out, she worked idly to tend to the plants, mimicking some of what she had seen Kip do in their previous meeting.

Eventually, though, she would find her way to the bowling alley, fiddling with a very lightweight ball and prodding at the strange shoes. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, but at least it looked interesting.]

dining room

[motherfucking_ghost]

Who the fuck is that?

[He looks around at first for the source and realizes...it's a voice box.] You're definitely not gonna fool anyone with that. Doesn't sound like anyone here, and you're too much of a girl for that kinda voice.

dining room because DUH

[plugout]

[ He's going into the dining room to see if there's any food when Rhys. Freezes. He turns pretty pale and looks like a deer caught in headlights Talking with Heart had helped a lot but he's still really damn jumpy. When the hell did Handsome Jack get--?

... Oh. It's. It's Angel. Okay. That's fine. It's cool. ]

How... how did you do that?

Investigating

[tacomeme]

[Takumi wakes up early, like he usually does. That hasn't changed.

What HAS changed is his mood. His eyes are red and narrowed, and his hair an oily mess. And a snarl stamped on his face. He ties up his hair with only one ribbon, barely making a ponytail, before going out. First checking the kitchen really quickly to make sure the kitchen hooch is burped and to shove some cold pancakes in his mouth.

That done he finally goes upstairs to finally see the new floor. Updating his map he notices something- there is open space where rooms should be. So he spends some time kicking the far wall, walking up and down the hall to do so. Just hard enough to look more like he's taking his frustration out on it more then looking for passages.

Once his map is updated he goes back downstairs, slipping into his room. If Choromatsu is still sleeping, sadly, he won't be for long. As Takumi grabs his stash items that he had bagged up on Thursday night, and stomps back out.

He can be found getting into any hidden corner he can find the rest of the day, taking a few breaks to add more marks to his map. What could he be doing?]

Upstairs!

[everylittlesecret]

[Still in a good mood, Nari is headed for the first aid room when she comes across Takumi. Just... What is going on?]

You know, Rapunzel, I'm not a wall fan either, but at this rate you'll get punished for damaging the walls. You okay there?

new floor

[serrata]

You're going to break your foot before you do anything to the wall, you know.

[ Rii's up here taking stock of everything they've got on this new floor in a big, chunky accounts book that she's apparently carrying around with ease. She's paused in her note-taking though, just long enough to give Takumi a look of concern. ]

Unless that was the plan, anyway. We've got plenty in the first aid room to patch you up with.

[ ... that was probably supposed to be a joke to lighten the mood a bit but she can tell before he even responds that isn't going to work. ]

... Are you feeling alright?

Time for 999 spoilers boogaloo!

[misanthropicprinciple]

[All right. He's sat on this long enough. Two girls are dead, another floor unlocked, and Junpei thinks now they've all got a sense of how this game is meant to be played. This isn't going to be pleasant for anyone, least of all him, but if he doesn't speak now, something worse might happen.

And enough of his fellow Champions have figured it out that he doesn't feel he has much of a choice.

When Junpei retrieves some morning coffee, he leaves the following note on the kitchen refrigerator:]

The last time I participated in something like this, it was called The Nonary Game. Nine of us were selected, kidnapped, and forced to solve puzzles to proceed through various locked doors under threat of death. We had nine hours to find a way out before we drowned. Three people were killed; we found the murderer among us and brought him to justice, but the mastermind got away before we escaped.

I'll be in the dining room all day if you have questions about that game.

- Junpei

[True to his word, Junpei's at one end of the large table in the dining room all day, sipping coffee, nibbling on snacks, and going over his notes. He's also added some junk and underwear to the inflatable pool he left out here last week. Every now and then, when he can't stand to look at his notes anymore, he takes out the eridium fragment and turns it over in his hands, trying to determine what exactly it even is.]

[tacomeme]

[He's tired after his 'confrontation' with Nari. But he feels... a little cleaned out. As much as he'd like to either lay in bed some more or continue his frantic run around the mansion he has to eat. Which is when he sees the note and Junpei in the dinning room. After a moments thought he pulls down some cheese cloth and sets to work.

When he does approach Junpei he sets a cup of something... very fruity and strong smelling in front of him]

It probably isn't even any more then 5% alcohol yet, if that. But you can get an idea for the taste at least. Proof of concept, or something.

and yet no mention of ICE-9

[buddyoldpal]

[ Nishitani is making himself some morning rice when he spots Junpei's note. It sounds like the kind of weird shit you can't make up, especially considering where they're all at now. Damn.

But also he's making rice, so that's gonna have to wait. A few minutes later, he steps into the dining room with his bowl and sits down riight next to Junpei. Look, he doesn't really have any personal space. ]

Saw yer note, Tenmyouji-kun. Sounds like ya seen some real fuckin' shit. Guess it makes sense why ya know yer stuff.

How'dya get out? Ya solve the puzzle?

[serrata]

[ Yuuri sees the note when she comes down for dinner and doesn't really take in what it says for a few seconds. But then she stops and stares. A hundred little things suddenly seem like they're clicking into place, odd things he's said here and there and she feels like an idiot for not asking sooner.

Again, she feels like a bit of a coward. So many of them have come forward since this all started, being open about their secrets even if it hurt. And here Yuuri is, still being cagey and secretive even though people have died.

So when she finds Junpei in the dining hall, she's carrying her accounting book with her, the one that'd appeared in the dumbwaiter on Sunday and the emergency manual Mai had given her. She takes a seat opposite him, sets them both down and has to swallow hard before she can bring herself to talk. ]

... Um. I actually... I'm not really sure where to start with this. [ and as if to underline that, she gives a nervous laugh ] But... I thought it wasn't really fair for me not to talk about this when everyone else has been so honest. So I decided if I was going to ask you something, I'd need to be completely honest about what's going on in my world as well.

[scourgingstars]

[just gonna casually take up a chair nearby, he is here to listen to the shitshow]

I assumed you must have seen something like this before, but that sounds like nothing I could have imagined. Are you certain you're prepared to talk about it?

I need more Tenbroji in my life

[desperateprayer]

[ ...She shows up in the dining room later. She hasn't noticed her own underwear yet. ]

...So that's what you meant when we talked. Isn't it?

[cameupshort]

[Well that's a hell of a bombshell. But Finn's got some other questions before they quite get to that.]

Did you, um. Have any weird dreams Saturday night. Or Sunday morning, I guess.

Following that with some borderlands spoilers

[brokencode]

[Reading Junpei's letter left an uncomfortable feeling in Angel's stomach. They were starting to play the honesty game, and that meant it was time to lay some of her cards on the table. Not that she was particularly eager to do so -- she spent more time bouncing on her heels in the kitchen than she did making her way to the dining room.

She sat outside, waiting anyone in the room to leave before making her own way in. She sat near Junpei, silent for a long moment -- attention otccupied by the odd and unfamiliar piece of rock in his hands. If she wasn't mistaken, she could almost hear it... calling to her.

She shook her head of the thought. That couldn't be right.]

Junpei... You were honest with us. I would... like to return the favor.

[goteachother]

[Queenie doesn't want to know. She knows she should, it might help, somehow. Having insight into what's happening here.

But she doesn't want to know and for once she doesn't have to.

That doesn't mean that she's going to let Junpei just suffer through reliving these awful memories without some comfort. So she brings him a mug of strong coffee around lunch time. There's also a plate floating beside her with little hand made donut sticks dusted in powdered sugar with a chocolate sauce in a cute little cup.

Because donuts and coffee is detective food and chocolate makes everyone feel better... right?]

How're ya doin', sweetie?

[desperateprayer]

[ Like the day before, Clarith will awaken early. She'll take her book and go out to the garden to visit the memorials. And she'll stay there, quietly reading until the morning announcement. After that, she quietly goes to get breakfast and then returns to her room.

She stays there until she comes out for lunch. There, she begins to bake. It's like after the motive. Oh, there's actual lunch foods, but... She's baking up a storm again. Anything to keep busy. To not think about what's happened, about the loss, about the pain.

When she's finally done, and there's about a ton of baked goods again, she's going to leave and go finally explore the second floor. She takes note of what looks like a very fancy hospital and the storage room. Where she stops is the bowling alley where she's curious. For a little while, at least, it seems to snap her out of her depression because she has never seen anything like it. She looks absolutely awed by it. ]

garden

[tacomeme]

[Takumi is also up early, as he is want to do. And heads straight to the memorial with a small bowl. It smells nice- rice and a little grilled fish, and he places it in front of the plants Yuuri planted, making a small indent with the bowl before kneeling and bowing his head.

He stays like that for awhile, before standing again, rubbing at his eyes.

If he noticed Clarith before that, he made no indication of it. But now he does, nodding to her]

Sorry if I interrupted, but it didn't feel right to not leave an offering.

memorial

[serrata]

[ Though it's early, Yuuri's here too -- she's not reading or doing much of anything besides sitting quietly in front of the memorials with her head bowed and her hands clasped in her lap. When she hears Clarith approach though, she lifts her head and gives her a weak smile. ]

... Good morning. Um... would you rather be...?

[ Clarith might need the alone time here more than she does. ]

lunchtime

[motherfucking_ghost]

Holy shit, whoever's cooking, it smells amazing all the way down the hall!

[Guess who's cooking, it's shaking chihuahua flower abused dead-girlfriend girl. Hhhhhhi.]

Hhhhhhi.

[Yes, Church, we covered that much, thank you.]

Special occasion? For all the--everything here.

Kitchen

[brokencode]

Clarith?

[Angel stood in the entryway, unsure if it would be right to enter. Clarith, she thought, was in a sensitive state. And if being in the kitchen by herself was meant to help, then Angel didn't want to disturb her.

Still... she did want to at least check on the woman.]

Do you have a moment?

Garden

[goteachother]

[Queenie's not surprised to see Clarith in the garden. She doesn't want to disturb her but Queenie has additions to make to the memorials. She settles a pair of conch shells with permanent marker lace drawn over them, one in a blue hummingbird design, the other a purple hibiscus pattern.

She doesn't want to bother Clarith, she really doesn't. But she'd barely spoken to Mikaela so in the end she just asks a question so softly Clarith can chose to ignore it and pretend not to hear.]

Do you think she'd have liked it?

[getgood]

[Sunday, Lee woke up from something that she knows isn't a dream: she heard her last words, not just in her brain but in her ears as they came out.

"If you aren't gonna get in trouble, go ahead," she tells Danielle over her shoulder, and the two of them are height-to-height in a way that she's never been to the woman who only ever wanted to take care of her, now that Lee's finally mastered the boots that are going to give her the figure she needs on stage. Dani gets her, and Lee's never been so aware of how beautiful she is, and it's almost like they're equal and maybe they-

Telling her that should have a lot more weight to it than it does, especially after what Dani just offered her, but for the Lee in the memory it must have happened a dozen times before. What that means is going to take more thought than just one day, a day that she tries to fill with action and games and gifts to drive thinking out of her head.

Monday afternoon during lunch, she's got a couple toys arrayed in front of her in an improvised yard sale: a hamburger pillow and a kind of obscene man-and-wolf figure are there, and if anyone talks to her for a second she immediately wants to know what is up with these things. She also made lunch today for general enjoyment - pasta salad, extra vegetables, nothing special - if anyone needs to compress after the joys of Junpei's revelations.

At night, she is back in the bowling alley in hopes of better competition than Arianna can give. She added bowling shoes in her size to the uniform of unitard leggings and bikini top (the only top that lets her nazar air out), and she, at least, is convinced she looks awesome.]

Bowling Alley

[cameupshort]

[Seriously, what is this place. Finn already looked it over on Sunday with no real answers, so here he is again.]

...So you actually know what this stuff is, right?

[At least the clothes look more or less normal to him?]

[plugout]

[ On Monday, Rhys wakes up only slightly better than the previous morning. He doesn't scream, at least; mostly, he's just... confused. How'd he and Jack get to that point, how did he-- ugh, whatever. He would usually have things to do but this place is boring him out of his skull. At least he has friend...s? At least two friends, for sure.

... Right, anyway. Rhys goes about his business, first visiting the kitchen for breakfast and coffee. After that, he goes to the new floor, where he pokes around a little bit before deciding nothing really interests him that much. Hey, at least they have a first aid room, and... wow, that is a lot of medicine. Really strong stuff, too. He stares at the stuff for a little while before going back to the first floor.

Where he encounters.... an enemy. At first, Rhys doesn't notice it, but then-- ]

What the--!

[ There's a roomba with cat ears and... oh god is that a knife. There's a roomba with a knife and it's coming for him. Oh god. This is how he dies.

So basically, throughout most of the afternoon, Rhys is in many places, trying to escape a fucking roomba. ]