week 1

[airlockedmods]

Week 1

[After the reveal of their handsome and well-dressed but stern-looking Overseer on Sunday, the Champions were left to their own devices in investigating the mall to their hearts' content. At around 10 pm every night the lights in all the shops will go down and the sturdy metal grates over the doors of the restaurants will go down. The stores will remain unlocked, though.

On Monday morning, a buzzing alarm chirps at them again from their PIPs at 7 am on the dot. There's also a pop-up message waiting for them: a notice announcing Xander will be holding office hours

Enjoy your week, Champions.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Comments

Food court

[misanthropicprinciple]

[UmmmmmMMMMMM]

Are you planning to use that on someone, or what?

[neverheardofhim]

You know, as a matter of fact... [For a moment, Varric almost looks menacing. He lifts the needle up into the air, its point vaguely facing Junpei's direction. His wrist twitches, moves and --

stops just short of his own ear.]

This is a shitty angle for this, you know?

[misanthropicprinciple]

Ahah.

[Ahahaha, we're not nervous about needles here, no sirree.]

You know, game like this is the last place I'd imagine wanting to play with self-modification. We don't even have any proper medical equipment, how are you going to sterilize that before you stick it through your skin?

[neverheardofhim]

[He's admittedly oblivious to Junpei's discomfort but, thankfully, the needle is set down all the same. The bottle of alcohol replaces it, and Varric gives it a little shake, as if it's the answer to all the kid's questions and concerns.]

Besides. My room is full of the equipment to do this.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Is it? Man, I guess I never asked. I figured Spare's was a hardware store or something. It's a piercing parlor?

[neverheardofhim]

Guess so. There's a lot I don't recognize, but that's probably more to do with when and where I'm from than anything else.

You looking to get something done? Might look good with something in your brow, you know.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Oh, no, definitely not. Do I look like that kind of guy? I don't even know how I ended up with tattoos. Tattoos. Multiple.

[neverheardofhim]

At least that you can attribute to too much alcohol.

[Speaking of -- he takes a sip off the bottle, then pours a fair bit of it over the needle.]

There. Clean as a whistle.

[misanthropicprinciple]

I don't think that's the modern medical standard...

[neverheardofhim]

Good thing I'm not from the modern era, huh?

[misanthropicprinciple]

I don't think that'll stop modern gangrene from setting in, but you do you, man. You just feel like adding some glitter to your face, or does it mean something?

[neverheardofhim]

I've been through a lot worse than a needle to the ear.

[Still, he sets the needle down for the time being. Mostly because Junpei's being a downer.]

Had them for most of my life. Then one day I wake up in a strange place and find that, somehow, they're gone and my ears look they've been without anything in them for months.

I'd ask how something like that happens, but at this point? It's the least of my concerns.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...Uh...

[dot dot dot.]

Were you at the meeting the other day? A few days ago, I mean. That was, ah. One of the topics that came up. The time discrepancy.

[neverheardofhim]

Ah. [ He shook his head. ] I'll be honest, I took some time for myself. Mostly tried to come to terms with the fact that I'm thousands of years out of my element.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Yeah, I don't blame you. It kind of devolved into ragging on Ardyn, anyway, but when we weren't being snickering assholes, the possibility--or really, the likelihood--that we're missing memories came up. A few months seems to be the common guesstimate.

[neverheardofhim]

And why's that?

[He could see why Ardyn might have rubbed people the wrong way, but Varric hadn't had a problem getting along with him. Hell, maybe they'd even gotten on a little too well.]

Seems about right. But why make us forget at all? That's what I want to know.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Uh, 'cause he asks for it? If he doesn't want people to make fun of him for being a shit liar, he should learn how to lie better than shit, Christ. Anyway.

[Anyway.]

There's a whole host of possible reasons. To make it hard for us to work together. To make it hard for us to understand why we're here. To make it hard for us in general, period. To mess with our heads. I can't give a definitive answer until I know what it is we've forgotten, you know?

[neverheardofhim]

And... [Varric did his best to keep a note of playful curiosity in his voice. He didn't want to start giving away his own alliances.] What is he lying about?

[He let out a rumble of a laugh.]

Waiting to remember what we forgot Sounds like a shitty serial title if I've ever heard one.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Yeah.

[Junpei stretches, kind of like a cat.]

Anyway, Ardyn's lying about not being a supervillain. Badly. Seriously, he-- [Snicker.] --he started calling us mortals. Can you believe that?