week 6

[airlockedmods]

Week 6

[Six weeks. Twenty-three Champions whittled down to just seven. Where the halls of the station once felt crowded and loud now they're empty and echo when someone speaks too loudly. Again, the Champions will find themselves experiencing strange dreams on Sunday night but outside of the usual wake-up call there is no new floor announcement from CECE.

Like the trash compactor last week, the infirmary is pristine and sterile once again. As if nothing had ever happened.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday



(( Welcome to Week 6! Don't forget to submit your memory regains and turn in your benefactor threads for sweet loot, too! There's going to be no AC this week.))

Comments

[le_mat]

It would explain being able to afford this place- or the maintenance if we're assuming it's a sim.

...hell, it being a sim goes hand in hand with what I said to Petuu. For all we know simulated versions of people don't have legal rights. They could use us as actors with legitimate reactions but not have to worry about any outage.

[le_mat]

[it IS a goddamned shame.]

Show off.

[in4apounding]

That would be sensational, thank you. ...I should ask Mister Bolton to teach me to make coffee, too.


Um- not that I don't think you can't, but with his title-

[playthedamncard]

You have to be showy if you're going to run a tournament or three. If you're going to command the attention of the world with your life-changing technologies.

[playthedamncard]

[It doesn't have to mean they're right, but it's a good conclusion to come to. Puppets for the masses with no recourse?] Our bodies still have to be somewhere. You can't suggest that's not kidnapping no matter what universe we're in.

[But it makes him angry, it makes him restless, and it makes him react. The nearest glass gets hurled at the wall. And after a moment, another glass follows it.]

They've been manipulating us for ratings.

[le_mat]

[He tenses at the crash, sucking a sharp breath through his nose, but otherwise doesn't react: after the Metaverse his nerves are steel. Instead he reaches for the cooking oil, coating the pan]

It's just a theory. Circumstantial at best.

[playthedamncard]

It's as good as anything we've got. [Because they don't have much, in retrospect.]

[in4apounding]

[Early Wednesday morning, a few things happen in no clear order.]

[First, a box of cereal is lying in the hallway by the bedrooms, slightly haphazardly, like it was thrown out one of the doors in a panic.]

[Secondly, a pair of notes have been slipped through the doors to rooms 15 and 4. The first reads-]

Mr. Bolton,
I got something in the dumbwaiter that I think is yours, but I should probably give it to you in person. It's not anything bad, I just don't want it to get lost.
--Pumpkin

[The note slipped under the door to Room 4 is identical, but with a small addendum at the end-]

PS.
Mr Jamie, If Mr. Bolton isn't actually here I'm sorry for for bothering you!

[Penny herself is in the Cafeteria, near the espresso bar with a pile of items laid out on one of the tables.]

Cafeteria

[le_mat]

[akira is out and about too, added to his hoodie is a cute pink scarf he seems rather amused by.

But he pauses, eyes going to the pile of black clothing]

No way!

[He trots over, sounding tickled pink when he picks up the long coat and holds it up to himself]

[lovecolored]

[ Marisa's been feeling pretty "eh" about her memories returning--all it's been is catching glimpses of her life as normal as it ever was, but with the final puzzle piece sliding into place, she somehow feels...disappointed. That's all there was.

They got their asses handed to them at the moon and came back without much to show for it, except Yuyuko stole some ancient booze and she didn't even get to drink any. She and Reimu and Sanae unearthed a flying trip that didn't turn out to have any treasure on it at all, but she got to see Makai for the first time in over a decade. Someone was trying to resurrect themselves and sent the spirits out of whack, and she had to trudge through a graveyard--and she's never going to look at zombies the same way again, and what will she say if sees Yoshika and her stupid drawling?--only to find out it was more politics. She got to see the Outside World for the first time in her life, flying over a cityscape with blinking lights and wheeled carts whizzing by so fast she wasn't sure if she could call them 'carts', exactly. And then that stupid no-name asshole had to try to invade the moon, because that worked out so well for Marisa herself, and Yukari before her, except this time it actually worked. If they didn't do anything, Gensokyo would be flat-out erased by the evacuating Lunarians, and they'd finally reached her, and Reisen actually tagged along this time, and they geared up to take her down, Junko fired off her first spellcard, and--

She woke up here. It's anticlimactic, and Marisa finds herself wishing she just knew if they lost the fight or not. Junko didn't even want to engage in a real danmaku duel, she just wanted to kill them all. Eirin's help be damned, that was shaping out to be one of the hardest fights in Marisa's life. If she lost, and so did Reimu and Sanae and Reisen, then that would be it. Everything would be gone. Junko would invade the moon, and the Lunarians would seek refuge in Gensokyo, and wipe everything clean to fit their stupid fucking obsession with purity.

After the motive, Marisa retreats to her room. She won't be seen for much of Tuesday.

Come Wednesday, she's had a bit of time to think, though. What was it Zombina said to her in her final letter? Keep being the optimism this place needs, or something?

At the holodeck, Marisa is still learning how to fiddle with the controls, but eventually, things settle on a spacious-looking house in the middle of a massive forest. She stares at the front door for a few moments, looking sullen. ]

...home sweet home, I guess. Anyone want tea? [ said to no one in particular. She isn't sure how far these simulations go, if she'll even be able to recognize the inside of her house, given that she doesn't remember half of the junk she has piled inside.

Later on, Marisa's in the zero-g room again, aimlessly flying on her broom. At anyone coming in, she'll fly down the door, and pat the edge of her broom. ]

Hey. Wanna ride? It's more fun than just floatin' around like a baby without their air legs, trust me.

Zero-G room

[airlockedmods]

[When she goes to turn the gravity back to normal, alone and after she’s done, there’s the sound of a girl’s scream, and then a sickening thud.]

Holodeck

[in4apounding]

[As Marisa finishes setting up her simulation, here's Penny. Eyes downcast, shovel in hand, not expecting to find the room in use.]

Oh- Marisa?

[lovecolored]

[ OHHHHHHH SHIT

Marisa instantly zooms down to the ground and takes a look. Is there someone else in here, did someone go splat??? ]

[airlockedmods]

[The body lying still in the middle of the floor is a familiar sight, even though she isn’t laid out the same as she was weeks ago.

After all, there’s no one to pose her this time.

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret is (still) dead.]

[lovecolored]

Sup. Welcome to my humble abode.

[ Marisa tries the door for a second before realizing it's locked. ]

Hey, see that lamp up there? I keep my spare key behind it. Could ya hand it over?

[ The lamp at the side of her door which is easy enough to reach when on broomstick, but not on foot, as without the aid of flight she is still 4'11.

She guesses she could just fiddle with the controls again and make her door unlocked, but this feels...more real, and less like a simulation, if she actually has to unlock her door. ]

[lovecolored]

[ For a few seconds she's silent.

And then Marisa shrieks, trying to touch Luna's head, lift it up, make sure she's real, and not a part of the holodeck, before she panics and calls everyone in over what might be a glitch. ]

[airlockedmods]

[She isn’t tangible, but there’s no glitch or visible change in her, either.

Like a ghost, more than anything.]

[lovecolored]

[ ...fuck. Marisa puts her broom next to ghost-Luna and hurries out into the hallway, yelling as loud as she can. ]

Hey, assholes! Get the hell in here, stat!

[ Though she keeps periodically looking back at ghost-Luna to see if she disappears. She is not going to look like a complete idiot for seeing vanishing ghost bodies with no proof, no sir. ]

[le_mat]

Marisa, are you okay-?!!

[WHAT THE FLYING FUCK]

[lovecolored]

[ Wildly gesturing behind herself at ghost-Luna!!! ...who may or may not still be there when she turns back, but we will see. ]

Right there! [ she sucks in a breath and is suddenly talking a mile a minute ] I was leavin' the room and there was a scream and a crash and--Lunafreya's just there! I-I've seen a lotta ghosts, I lived with a ghost, it's like that, my hand went right through her! There's friggin' ghosts on this ship!

[ Of course it's less 'I'm afraid of ghosts' that's getting her worked up and more 'ghosts have unfinished business and grudges and usually mean trouble," and on murdership there are a lot of fucking people with unfinished business and grudges. ]

diner!

[lovecolored]

[ Oh hey, that's a pretty cool tune. Marisa comes in to get a milkshake and ends up dancing a little. ]

Didn't know ya were into rock, Kaiba.

[le_mat]

I believe that you're right. That all the flash was probably researched and playtested and very effective.

I also 100% believe you like the attention.

[le_mat]

[He puts a hand on her back, keeping quiet while she talks, only standing once she's done]

This... was a good idea, Penny. Way better then letting them just toss them out somewhere.

[le_mat]

Heh, trust me, I know I am but a lowly apprentice in comparison.

[le_mat]

[While the pan heats he turns, lightly touching Kaiba's arm]

It's still something we can pursue, too. Though if you wanna wreak stuff go for it- just make sure no one thinks someone is getting murdered in here.