Week 5

[airlockedmods]

Week 5

[In a tragic yet seemingly inevitable turn of fate, the Champions have lost Zombina this week. OsoKaramatsu and Korra, too, are gone, both having fallen in their attempts to help their fellow Champions out of terrible circumstances.

Again, the Champions will find themselves experiencing strange dreams on Sunday night, until they're awakened by C.E.C.E.'s announcement. This is all starting to become routine.]

Congratulations, Champions! By surviving your third trial, you have unlocked the fourth floor of the ship. A new mini map has been added to your P.I.P.!

[The trash compactor is completely shiny and new again. In addition, the profiles on the P.I.P.s still inticate that Karamatsu is dead. Because of course he is, right?

Fuck you.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday



(( Welcome to Week 5! Don't forget to check in and submit your memory regains! Turn in your benefactor threads for sweet loot, too! ))

Comments

[karappo]

[Oh Penny...Karamatsu of course retrieves the letter, and he ends up sitting on the floor by the almost-shut door since he doesn't want to have to get up again if she keeps pushing the paper back in with more notes. He writes underneath her initial message.]

Thank you, Penny-chan, but I am alright for now.

However, I do believe I owe you an apology.

[in4apounding]

[There's a long pause before Penny responds, but Karamatsu can almost certainly hear the soft scratching of multiple sentences being started and then scribbled out. When she finally pushes another note through the cracked door,
there are indeed a lot of scratched-out false starts.]

What Mr. Osomatsu said

about Zombina being happy at the end

Was she?

[karappo]

[...]

She was. That was not a lie.

She was...afraid of what might happen if her condition went unchecked. She did not realize anything would happen to me after. She thought that since she was compliant, that preceded any rules about murder.

I do not believe she ever meant any ill intent. But I still should not have gone along with it.

[in4apounding]

[There's the sound of some more writing, followed by a soft, stifled hiccup, and then some more writing.]

I don't blame you.





It's the Overseers' fault. Neither of you should've had to make that choice at all.

I'm so sorry about Mr. Osomatsu.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu similarly can be heard taking a deep breath, which he holds for a minute before letting out, leaning his head back against his door as he wills the tears trying to well in his eyes away.]

Me too.

I told this to Akira-san, and I will say it to you as well. I promise I will do nothing else to put the safety of our group in danger.

I promise.

If I do nothing else right, at least it will be this.

[in4apounding]

I believe you.

And I promised to get everyone out of here. I can't do that anymore, but I'll get as many of us out as possible.

That still includes you. You're still my friend.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu wants to ask her why. Why would she still be friends with the person who killed one of her closest friends? Her sister.

Karamatsu scrubs his eyes, and finds that his hands are shaking too badly to continue writing. So he leans his head back again, looking to the crack in the door.]

...Penny-chan?

[in4apounding]

Mister Karamatsu?

[Are they doing this now? Okay.]

[Karamatsu can probably tell she's been sitting with her back to the wall near the open side of the door. She shuffles around a little so she's actually facing the opening.]

[karappo]

[He opens his mouth, closes it, then opens it again to speak.]

I do not feel...like I truly deserve anyone's kindness or friendship, after this past weekend. But it means more to me than I can properly express.

[in4apounding]

...I never thought I could be lucky enough to have even one friend.

[Deserved? Maybe. She can't really say, or maybe just doesn't want to get that introspective.]

But to come here and find so many- it's more than I could have dreamed, despite- despite everything. How could I turn my back on one of my friends now, in a place like this?

[karappo]

...You remember how I told you...I had many friends back home? I do have them, but...they are a lot fewer than I made it seem. But I did not want you to think less of me for it.

[He's facing the door fully now, on his knees with his legs folded beneath him.]

But...things are so much different here, as terrible as things are. Everyone cares so much, even for those who have done the wrong things.

It takes some incredible people to be that way.

[in4apounding]

You don't- but you're amazing!

[What is wrong with people from your world, Kara.]

...everyone here HAS been incredible.

[She's quiet for another moment, turning a thought over in her head.]

But- there's something I've been lying to people about, too. I'm sorry.

[karappo]

[Oh Penny you give him way too much credit.

But that...]

Lying...? What do you mean?

[It's very hard for him to believe that.]

[in4apounding]

[No, he's amazing at fashion and music, what are you talking about.]

[Penny pulls her knees a little tighter before speaking.]

I'm not a real- ...I'm not human. I told you I was training to fight the Grimm, right? I was, but- it would be more accurate to say I was built to fight them. As a weapon.

1/2

[karappo]

[I'm not real]

Penny...?

[Karamatsu asks, a bit breathlessly. If he were intuitive, he'd think about how that made a bit of sense, seeing how strong Penny was for her size. But still...]

[karappo]

[There's a pause, a little bit of shuffling, and then Karamatsu very carefully pulls the door inwards, making sure Penny isn't leaning on it before he does.

He doesn't say anything else yet, just looking at her.]

[in4apounding]

Mister Karamatsu-?

[She's just a little tense, turning and looking anxiously as Karamatsu opens the door.]

Is that-

[She ducks her head a little.]

I'll- understand, if you're mad, or- or-

[karappo]

[Penny is interrupted by Karamatsu reaching forward, like he's going to put his hands on her shoulders...then balking and pulling away. Not because of what she's telling him, but because he has to keep reminding himself he's...well, a murderer among them. He can't treat it like he isn't.]

No...non non non, Penny-

[He shakes his head, bringing his hands back to himself.]

How could I ever be mad about that? You are...you are more human than most of us here, regardless of what else you might be.

You are amazing.

[in4apounding]

[Penny blinks, looking back up at Karamatsu, her expression shifting rapidly from fear to confusion to relief to looking like she wants to cry.]

Mister Karamatsu-!

[You know what's really amazing? The way she can move from a seated position to a full tackling motion that way. Hug incoming, Kara.]

[karappo]

[Oh.

He wasn't expecting to be hugged, but even less was he expecting to be flying tackle hugged. Not that he finds himself minding it, though it is initially startling the way she darts towards him, one second in the hallway and the next in his arms. She's strong, very strong, and knowing she isn't truly human...it's a bit easier to think about it, maybe. But part of him can't tell between synthetic and genuine, because Penny is more genuine than anything else.

He blinks, his head tucked over her shoulder as he returns her hug, his mind flashing back to when he saw himself do the same thing in that courtroom.

He gives her a little bit of a firmer squeeze, one that will probably barely register anyway.]

I...it is alright, Penny-chan. I do not think any different of you for keeping this secret, nor for the secret itself...and it is one I will take to my grave, should you desire.

[in4apounding]

Thank you. Thank you.

[She loosens her grip and moves back a little, to get some space between them.]

And- I'm not sure it's much of a secret anymore? I've- told a few people, since Friday. Zombina knew, but-

[She stops, for just a second.]

...but thank you. ...Maybe don't tell Mister Kaiba just yet? If he asks.

[karappo]

Oh...I will not tell him. I promise.

[He doesn't ask why. Penny surely has her reasons.]

And...thank you, for telling me, also. That was very courageous of you.

[in4apounding]

You think so? Thank you.

[She settles back, sitting down against the wall again- or maybe the doorframe, depending on how they're actually positioned here.]

And- thank you for telling me the truth, about your friends at home, even if I don't understand it. And I meant what I said, you deserve to have as many friends as you claimed to.

[karappo]

[Probably the doorframe, since they're sort of in and out of the actual doorway. Sorry for blocking your floor, Akira.]

I am glad you think so. I suppose it is not really something to fret over too much now, anyway.

[His smile fades somewhat when his eyes catch on the red of the hoodie he's been wearing since the day before.]

[in4apounding]

Maybe not, but- friends are important.

[Her gaze catches that change in expression, following Karamatsu's eyes to the red hoodie. She's quiet for a moment.]

...he was very brave.
They both were.