week 1

[airlockedmods]

Week 1

[With the introduction to the relationship experiment and their overseeing hosts done with, the Champions are left to their own devices to explore the first floor of the mansion as they please. Cece and Kip will pop-up every once in a while to chit-chat but for the most part they're somewhere inaccessible.

Each morning the Champions are awakened promptly at 7 am by PAL's even, almost laid back voice announcing the time and each evening at 10 pm to announce when the kitchen is closing for the night. Unlike the Overseers, he doesn't seem to be one much for conversation.

Enjoy your week, Champions.]

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday


[ooc: welcome to week 1, everyone! This first week is a peace week which means there will be no murder this weekend! Feel free to start submitting threads for the benefactors]

Comments

Dining Room

[brokencode]

[Angel was no stranger to exceptionally weird displays. Spending her time observing a planet of psychos and other bandits had left her witness to the sorts of things she would have much rather burned out of her brain. Still, considering how innocent the overall display was, Angel couldn't help but creep a bit closer.]

[After Junpei's interrogation finished, however, she cleared her throat, attempting to announce herself as she stepped closer.]

I would say that most galactic laws prohibit the excessive torture of wartime prisoners, but that would imply that I truly believed anyone followed said laws. [She motioned to the face in the potatoes, then to his notes.]

Have you discovered anything worthwhile?

[misanthropicprinciple]

From the potatoes? No, they weren't talki--oh. You mean, in general.

[He clears his throat and scoots his chair in a little, then offers her the seat beside him. She can glance over his notes if she'd like: They're largely hand-drawn maps of the floor, then each room, drawn to scale as accurately as he could without any tools.]

Well, it's not like there's any new information to go over since yesterday. Found out the kitchen is locked at night, though. For what's that worth.

[Not much, says his tone.]

[brokencode]

[The siren couldn't help but crack a smile as she sat down. Despite his initial welcome (hardly unwarranted considering her title), Junpei had shaped up to be an interesting individual. Maybe even a little humorous.]

Any guesses as to why that is? [Trying to limit late-night binge eating, perhaps? Cameras did add ten pounds, after all.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

Well, Ardyn suggested that it's so that, if they come in at night to restock our supplies, we won't run into them and cause trouble.

[Because, let's be real: There would be trouble. Still, Junpei shakes his head.]

But I'm not sure that's it at all. I have some questions about the food in general.

[brokencode]

It would make sense but... [But Junpei seemed to be working with an entirely different theory.]

What are you thinking? Did the potatoes actually talk back?

[misanthropicprinciple]

Well...

[He glances around to see if anyone's listening, then leans in so he can lower his voice.]

If we're really on a space station... how do we have fresh fruit and eggs...?

[brokencode]

[She blinked a Junpei, as if he had asked why the sky was blue, or why water was wet.]

Shuttle deliveries. They are not all that uncommon where I am from. Likely, there is an outpost or planet nearby where this so-called "network" pulls produce from.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Hm, okay. Admittedly, he doesn't know anything about how fast space travel can be, but he's not out of the debate yet.]

But wouldn't we see a shuttle approaching? We've got a pretty wide view through the windows, between the garden and the pool.

[brokencode]

That is assuming that we are, in fact, actually seeing outside, and not being subjected to some sort of visual trickery. [Her left fist clenched and unclenched instinctively. She hadn't practiced it very much, but she knew from experience how possible it was to create an illusion like the one she was referring to.]

And then, of course, there is Roland's theory that we are simply in a mass simulation, period. Though I do not know how much stock I place in that.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei's eyebrows rise.]

Mass simulation...? Visual trickery aside--which is also really worth pursuing as a theory, by the way--can VR technology even do that?

[brokencode]

It... depends. [It was better for her if Junpei (or anyone else, for that matter) didn't find out about her abilities. That said, it was next to impossible to explain how she knew such simulations were possible.]

It is possible. A massive display such as this is a bit beyond what we can do in my time but... perhaps with a bit more refinement? Absolutely.

You... really believe it could be a simulation?

[misanthropicprinciple]

I've... been in situations before that weren't what they seemed.

[Is it a detective's job to detect? No, it is to be weird and cryptic.]

I'm not sure I believe we're in, I don't know, some kind of super-immersive, five-senses video game, but remember, Larimer said this was a show. Shows are usually filmed on set.

[brokencode]

[If that's true, then Junpei is very good at his job. Enough so to make her brows draw together and for a frown to trace over her lips. She thought about asking, but opted instead to hold her tongue, and instead toy over his next, equally as confusing implication.]

I am afraid you are going to have to spell this out for me, my friend.

[misanthropicprinciple]

It's expensive and difficult to film shows on location--the real world isn't built for steady camera work, you know? And it's a pain in the ass to relocate actors all the time if you're shooting scenes in more than one place. So most of the time, the crew builds a fake environment in a studio to make it look like things are real, even though they're actually in, say, a warehouse in Los Angeles.

[...No pun intended, Angel.]

That principle doesn't totally apply in our case, at least not literally. But at the very least--whether we're thinking of this as entertainment or an experiment--it makes sense to assume that we're in an environment that can be easily controlled by the people in charge. A set is exactly that.

[brokencode]

That is... true. [The siren gnawed on her lip a moment, gaze slipping to the side as she considered his words.] And I imagine they already accrued considerable expenses, pulling the lot of us from our respective worlds. That implies, at least, time and galactic travel, one of which is impossible in my world. Doubtless if it is possible here, it is quite the commodity.

[She tapped her fingers against the table.]

The question in that case would then be: how much of this is a set. [She looked to the ceiling, to where she knew the sky rested beyond it.]

How interesting...

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei's quiet for a while, waiting out her quiet, before he speaks again.]

From what you said before about shuttle deliveries, I'm guessing time travel's what's impossible in your world.

[brokencode]

You would be correct in that assumption. [She let out a small, thoughtful sigh.] I will do what I can to look into these theories, then.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Uh, how? I've already looked most everywhere...

[brokencode]

[Angel paused, gnawing on her lip. She had a few ideas, but she wasn't sure if it would be wise, letting Junpei in on them. Still, he had provided her with valuable information. In event of her finding out valuable information, she'd have to tell him anyway.]

Back home, I had a number of powers and abilities at my disposal. Disrupting electrical energy, that sort of thing. My abilities have been extremely restricted since arriving here but... perhaps there are still a few things I can do. [She shrugged] Failing in that, perhaps Cece and Kip might have answers for us?

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei rubs his chin, but at least this conversation is happening post-denial of everything supernatural. God, yesterday was hard.]

I wouldn't trust either of them as far as I can throw them, but they might let something slip, at least. In the meantime... if you find anything, I'd appreciate it if you'd let everyone know. There's only so much I can do on my own.

[brokencode]

Funny... [A humorless smile spread over her lips.]

Everyone is saying that they wouldn't dare trust them, but me? I don't dare distrust them entirely. It is like our surroundings. Nothing is ever quite what it seems. [She shrugged.] That said, they are the closest tie we have to our captors. I won't be trusting our secrets to them any time soon.

You can trust I will tell everyone whatever I find. But sitting on crucial information while waiting for an opportune time to tell the others would be unwise. I have read many a story of people dying with crucial secrets on their lips, never to be discovered until it was too late. Rest assured, I do not expect you to stand alone. Heroes work best in groups of four, after all.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He's following just fine right up until the last sentence. Immediately, Junpei's hackles are up, his fists clenched on the tabletop, expression resentful and shuttered off.]

You stop right there. I'm no hero, Angel.

[Said like angels, like heroes and unicorns and every story of good winning over evil, is a personal affront to his sensibilities.]

And I've got no intention of ever playing that role again. Right now, our chances of figuring this sick game out are better if we work together, but if it turns out it's every one of us for themselves? I'm not sticking my neck out for any of you.

[brokencode]

[The abrupt shift in Junpei's mood had Angel flinching backward. Her eyes widened, a reaction from the sharp pang of fear that shot through her. She shrank away, putting enough distance between them to be out of striking distance.]

That is not what I meant.

[But then, Angel wasn't sure what she was getting at. The mention of heroism had been a general one, more geared toward the casual (if inaccurate) term for Vault Hunters.

Dumbfounded as she was, Angel found herself slinking back a step or two more.]

I... will let you and the others know what I find, then.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Good. Do that.

[He should feel bad, and maybe he will later. But for now, all he cares about is that she gets it.]

And I'll do the same. As long as it makes sense.

[brokencode]

Very well then. [She turned on her heels, gunning for the door and pausing only for a quick moment. Much as she wanted to get out of his presence, she couldn't forget her manners.]

Have a good day, Junpei.