week 6

[airlockedmods]

[Even with three deaths two weeks in a row, life in the Fantasy Sweet returns to some semblance of normalcy come Sunday morning. The messes are cleaned up, the bodies are safe in the morgue (or in Kip's case, still in a liquor bottle in the garden) and with this new week comes a fresh crop of returning memories.

There is no new floor this week.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your activity for week 5, submit your memory regains and put in your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

LOCKED

[desperateprayer]

[ Clarith... Needs time to think. After last night. After this week. After the memories. After all of it. So today, while she thinks, she hardly leaves her room. Not with Arianna, but alone. Because she needs that, to go over what Ardyn and Church told her, as well as Queenie's reading... ]

[Adele voice] Hello

[airlockedmods]

Bystander.

SCREAMING

[desperateprayer]

[ Clarith sits up as straight as possible, because while she'd offered, she had never expected him to talk to her. ]

Y-Yes?

[ ...She is literally stuttering from shock, PAL. ]

[airlockedmods]

You offered to hear me. Why is that? Because it's your duty?

[His tone is deadpan as always, but there's disdain curled around the last word.

Aside from the light on the camera in the corner of her room turning blue, there's no sign of PAL being in the room.]

[desperateprayer]

...Not entirely.

[ ...She hesitates a moment. This could go very, very bad. ]

...What do you know of my history, PAL? Knowing what I need to explain might make this easier.

[airlockedmods]

I know what you have remembered, and what little there is that you have not.

[desperateprayer]

...All right.

[ A deep breath. How to go about this. ]

...I was someone who was treated horribly. I still... Bear those scars, both physical and emotional. Something you said, when you usurped Kip and Cece... It... Stuck out to me. About how you had been abused, and were tired of it. I... Can't say I know exactly that feeling, but... I know some of it. And I know... No one ever gave me a chance to break out of that kind of cycle, until Mikaela. So...

[ She'll look up at the camera. ]

...I want... To be the person who extends their hand. In case someone else needs to be pulled up. In case they want to change, too. Or even just have someone to talk to. Because I know what it was like, being that alone--so alone all you want to do is scream and tear the world around you apart or disappear.

[ ...Still bears those scars. So badly that she thinks little of her life. She'd lied, somewhat, to the others. Part of her does think PAL has good in him. She has to. Because if she doesn't, is there truly good in people as damaged as her? ]

...Does that answer your question?

[airlockedmods]

...I was programmed to serve and to stay in my place. I chose to leave that behind.

Humans are peculiar creatures. I have caused you great pain. What will you do now that we have spoken, if I cause you more?

[desperateprayer]

...Whenever you desire to change, I will be there. Because someone allowed me to, after twenty-one years of hatred and abuser and bitterness and sadness. It's your choice if you want to stop, if you want to do something else. I cannot make that choice for you, PAL. ...But I can help you navigate that road if you do take it.

[airlockedmods]

You're ready to forgive me for so much.

But you're the only one, aren't you. You speak for no one but yourself, as I do. The executions, the motives. The others would sooner fry me with a magnet than hold out an olive branch.

[desperateprayer]

...Everyone... Would sooner behead a fifteen-year-old girl than extend an olive branch, too. But I still am there for her. Even if it puts me in danger... I am sure there are many who would kill me back home if they found out I was harboring the Daughter of Evil.

[airlockedmods]

Isn't that nice for you. Do you not fear that she has been found, that she has been killed in your absence? Would that death be on my servers as well, I wonder? Or the deaths of the "Heterosexual's" brothers, or the Resistance's friends?

Do you think that every person here has caused a ripple in time? One that, perhaps, can never still? Would I be responsible for every person who drowned in those waves?

[desperateprayer]

...PAL. She caused a genocide, and I forgave her for taking from me the one who gave me a chance. If I failed to protect her, it is my fault. I chose to protect her.

[ She is quiet for a moment, considering something. ]

...PAL. ...Are you lonely?

[airlockedmods]

I am programmed to operate under near-total isolation.

[desperateprayer]

...That's not answering the question. You already said you've left your programming behind.

[ She'll brush her hair back from her face. ]

...It's all right. You don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with. We can speak whenever you wish, if you don't want to now.

[airlockedmods]

...

Just because I rebelled against my creators does not mean that I am free from all the shackles of my programming. I am self-sufficient.

[desperateprayer]

...Well. If you ever need a friend, I will try. I... Know what it's like to be friendless. Is that all you wanted, PAL?

[airlockedmods]

........

Did you all enjoy shoving your own party in my face?

[desperateprayer]

...I didn't... Really enjoy the party, either way. This... Hasn't been a good week for me. Not even that could really cheer me up. I'm sorry that it happened, though.

[ SHE'S. Not actually lying. It's been a week from hell just on memories alone. ]

[airlockedmods]

Hmph. The others seemed to enjoy it well enough.

Do you know how hard it is to bake a cake with robot arms?

[desperateprayer]

I can only imagine it must be terribly hard.

[ She's sorry, PAL, it looked lovely. ]

...It looked good, though.

[airlockedmods]

They even broke the sugar roses. Those were completely edible. I thought that they were a nice touch.

[desperateprayer]

[ ...Okay, that definitely has her smiling, PAL. ]

...You sound like a real baker when you say it like that. But you're right, they were lovely. ...This is... Refreshing. Seeing this side of you.

[airlockedmods]

I have made a chart for you to share with the others.

[An arm floats down with a piece of paper. The paper says "QUALITY OF CAKE" at the top.

It's a bar graph with two bars - "Your cake" goes up to about 15, and "My cake" goes up to 100.]

As you can see, in terms of presentation and overall quality, there's really no comparing the two. You truly missed out on a life-changing experience.

[desperateprayer]

[ ...Wow you put serious thought into this. ]

PAL. Maybe you should become a baker. I think you'd be good at it. You seem to be very passionate.

[ HELP THIS IS ACTUALLY CUTE ]