Week 7

[airlockedmods]

[Well that weekend sucked. The Champions are down a dad and a bean and shrinking their numbers smaller and smaller, less and less.

There's no sign of life in the spaceport aside from PAL's omnipresent voice and SIS, the helpful asSIStant who has some control over certain heres and theres in the spaceport. She (and PAL) are available at all times and can appear anywhere if called. There is, however, a new floor to explore. Just hop in the elevator and pchoo.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

(( Don't forget to check in, check your memory regains! and put in for item regains))

Comments

[daughterofthemark]

[It wasn't until late Friday night that Arianna finally got around to reading the letters from Ardyn and Choromatsu. Not because she was too busy or forgot--it was a strategic decision. What if the others needed her? She knew this would hurt her, so she saved it.

The memories that come back to her are even worse, though by now that's hardly a surprise. Talking with Yuuri about her sister, and about a future that seemed more certain. Discovering "Cards Against Humanity." Queenie's party. (PAL's party?) Clarith trying to befriend PAL. The sleepover. Doing an impression of Heart (...where did that fit?). Sir Canaan. Gathering flowers with Yuuri. And... everything with Choromatsu. The confusion, the panic, the relief... and of course the question of who it was that saved him. At this point she'd believe it really was Takumi. She's late leaving her room.

When she finally does, though, and she's ready to explore. Maybe a little too ready to explore, seeing as she leaves without breakfast, but a stop by Spacebucks solves that. She doesn't stay there for long.

She spends more time in the bookstore, searching through the shelves. Some of the books here actually look interesting (better than The Scylla Defense at least), but she ignores them. She's looking for useful books, which... seem to be in shorter supply.]

...I don't suppose I'll find Yl'lb Ein, the Science Mind here.

[Later she makes it out to Concourse 1. Which... sure looks like a memorial! One where she immediately recognizes a name. She starts walking down, paying special attention to a few of them:

She doesn't actually start immediately, first contemplating Gate 1. Should she move the memorial from room 4 up here? Or maybe steal the portrait from here and take it down there? Ultimately she does neither.

Gate 2 catches her interest. This woman, Lucina, is wearing what looks like a tiara in her portrait. Could she have been a fellow Sovereign? She puts her hand on the sword, intending to pick it up, but... it doesn't feel right.

Right next to that one is Gate 4, where something happens I guess. She continues down the even-numbered side, pausing in front of Gates 6, 8, and 10 to ponder the people being memorialized and wonder what they were like. Sir Max liked to read. Sir Thomas loved someone. Someone loved Sir Tsurugi.

...and then there's Gate 12. This portrait doesn't look any more familiar than the others, but she curiously opens up the graduation album... and Yuuri Wakasa stares back at her.

So here she stays for a while, sitting in the waiting area, looking through the album, crying.]

bookstore

[airlockedmods]

[bwoop!]

Are you looking for something, Arianna?

[daughterofthemark]

Aah! --oh, Dame SIS.

[THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE DONE THAT TO HER WITHOUT BEING PROMPTED]

I had been hoping to find something of a more informative nature than these. I enjoy mysteries, but... at present I would prefer to learn.

[airlockedmods]

Oh? [Her eyes sort of light up with a fresh excitement.] There are not many but my database tells me there are a few more educational works sorted in here somewhere.
Is there a particular subject you want to learn about?

[daughterofthemark]

I am uncertain. It is difficult to guess what would be useful. Electricity, perhaps? That was to be the next episode of Yl'lb Ein, the Science Mind in order, before... we arrived here.

[airlockedmods]

Give me one moment. [In a blink she's gone then back again with a paperback book in her hands.] Here we are!

If you'd like to see the episode, Arianna, you may always go back into the simulation to watch it. I have been studying how to allow people to exit and I believe I have it figured out!

[daughterofthemark]

Thank you very much! [She takes the book.]

...oh, we may still enter? I was uncertain of that.

[airlockedmods]

I believe I have figured out how to get you all in and out safely so yes!

[daughterofthemark]

My! I'm certain that will prove most useful. We had quite the expansive range of research materials there, after all.

gate 12

[tokencanadian]

[Everyone's down here, it seems. Including Pyrrha, who was on her way back from another gate.]

Arianna?

[Oh no, those are tears. Pyrrha is quickly at her side.]

Hey...

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna didn't want this. She wanted to use up all her tears this morning, and be strong for everyone else, who'd surely need it today. Now here she is, once again the one being comforted, when--

Allow them to help you not to break, for it is you who needs the support until you can once more stand on your own. She can practically hear it in Ardyn's voice.]

Dame Pyrrha.

[She motions to the portrait.]

She was one of Rii-san's friends.

[tokencanadian]

[She approaches quietly, aiming not to disrupt anything, but she can't stop herself when she sees the tears falling. It's familiar, seeing Arianna like this. That just makes the hurting in her chest worse.]

...Oh.

[It's soft and telling. Yet another person that was important to someone they knew, put into this horrible game for whatever reasons they were currently in it for. Just to suffer? She couldn't think of anything else, by this point.]

...Do you think that.. you could tell me about them?

[Anything. C'mon, princess. Let's talk.]

[daughterofthemark]

I... all right.

[It means going back and thinking about happier times, conversations with Yuuri back when she thought they could be together forever. But... maybe that's for the best.

She points to the one with the cat-eared hat, first.]

This is Yuki. Rii-san said she was always bright and cheerful, and sought ways to cheer everyone up when the stress of their situation became too much to bear.

...Rii-san thought I was similar to her.

[She's never met Yuki herself, but she feels like she could use her advice right now.]

[tokencanadian]

[Better to think about the happier times now than later, it would seem.

Pyrrha takes a seat, leaning ever so slightly over Arianna's shoulder to look at the photos.]

Yuki... Well, that does sound like an accurate way to describe you, in my opinion.

[It makes sense to her. Arianna's always been a good princess.]

By "Rii-san", you mean... Yuuri, right?

gate 12

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika spots the familiar faces in the album and gives a small gasp. Shakily, she steps over to Arianna.]

Yuuri-chan... and Kurumi-chan, too.

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna nods slowly, the tears refusing to stop. She points to a photo.]

Yes. That is Dame Kurumi.

[ratherdoweddings]

...She was one of ours. We... We just lost her.

["Just," as if it hasn't been a year. But has it?]

Yuuri-chan must have told you about her.

[daughterofthemark]

...she was with you. All this time, she was already...

[how does this keep getting worse]

[ratherdoweddings]

Yuuri-chan didn't even know, did she?

[Yurika puts a hand on Arianna's shoulder.]

All I know is that we can't all collapse, even if we want to. But that just keeps getting harder.

[daughterofthemark]

[She shakes her head.]

No, we cannot. I, especially... I must remain strong, for everyone's sake.

[ratherdoweddings]

Not just you. I'll do my best too, okay? With both of us, we'll get better.