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

cw: self-harm references

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Church actually makes it out of his room come Monday. All of Ardyn's and his stuff gets moved back in. He can't decide whether it should be sitting on the bed or under it. On it, for now.

He's not dressed up at all today--no jackets, or shirts, or pants, or hats, or kigus, or his charm necklace. Just the undersuit and nothing more. He looks like he hasn't slept or eaten well in days. Mostly because he hasn't slept or eaten well in days. He ends up in the restaurant, at least, so he's probably eaten something, right?

His sleeve is rolled up, showing the tattoo on his arm. It's strange to see it pristine in a way it hasn't been for weeks, no burns. No cuts where, before the Doctor had done what he had, he'd began to mark off the dead. Even now, he sits with the urge to grab a knife and whittle away at the lines of ink on his skin. How far down does a tattoo go anyway?

He can see the dawn that will awake him in the next morning.

I will see you again, when the sunrise breaks over this long and despairing night.

...How is he supposed to find something to smile about again after all of this? I take it back, he probably hasn't gotten anything to eat yet, maybe someone make sure he does.

In the end, he finally goes to pick up some things in the duty-free, and some of it might actually be useful! And some of it might not. Some of it hurts. He waffles outside room 4, worrying at a big ol' book in his hands.

He does not explore the new areas yet. He's not sure that he cares, not right now. And it'll probably just have something dumb or upsetting or both. But he does end up in the VR room.]

[CLOSED]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[The VR room with Junpei, that is, staring at the row of pods and the machinery beyond it.]

He and I actually asked SIS about it. She said give her a couple days, and, um, that was a couple days ago. So. Um.

Hey SIS, have you figured out how to get people in and back out again?

We wanna go in.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Don't have to come back out. Like, if it's too much trouble.

[But maybe don't listen to Junpei.]

[airlockedmods]

[well hello to you too, boys]

I believe I have it figured out at this point. You should safely be able to go in and out as long as I am here.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Listen. Junpei. He loves you, so don't encourage something that's already on his mind!!! He elbows him lightly.]

Okay. Good. We're going in then. Don't let anyone else get us out unless there's an emergency. We just sit back and relax, and you do all the work? Do we give like a signal if we wanna get out, or imagine a door, or something?

[It's cool it's fine he's just gonna climb into a pod. Breathing mask and everything.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei follows suit, hopping into whichever one's closest.]

Please offer us a red pill and a blue pill. ...We don't need to get back into the specific pods we woke up in, right? I forget which one was mine.

[airlockedmods]

Any pod will do, they are not DNA-locked. I will be monitoring you from here so if you wish to leave just say out loud that you are ready!

Have fun and be safe. I can have snacks ready when you come out.

[motherfucking_ghost]

...You're real good to us, SIS, you know that? Thanks.

[Jack us in, Morpheus.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei makes a heart with his hands before putting his own mask on. Where doin this, man. Where making this hapen.]

[airlockedmods]

[SIS flashes them both a wide, sincere grin before turning her attention to the controls.

Church and Junpei will feel themselves getting all of the sudden very tired. When they close their eyes they'll feel a small jolt of energy and, when they open their eyes again they'll find themselves in one of the all kiosk beds they first woke up in. Whoever the former occupant was, whatever things they left scattered about are right where they left them.

Welcome back to the mall, boys.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Church all but bursts out of--oddly, somehow he actually got dropped in Scarftacular. Huh. Who woulda thunk. All his shit's there, and Heart's shit, and the scarves, and this feels...this feels familiar in a way that's almost actually comforting, but that's not the point.]

Junpei? Where you at, Spidey?

[misanthropicprinciple]

[White and kind of shaky, Junpei pretty much falls out of Bounce House. Because of course. Of course. A few balloons bob out with him.]

...Church, if we do this again, I'm using your pod.

[motherfucking_ghost]

The fuck did you do? You look like you've seen a gho--...hm. Not my best phrasing.

[Look c'mere you're getting a hug, even if it's a virtual hug.] But we're here. It's okay. Maybe we can...get in touch with 'em. Where's the stupid fuck board? Also am I crazy or is the Starbucks on fire?

room 4

[kingshaming]

It won't bite you.

[Says Xander as he leaves the room, voice soft and holding the door open for him]

[motherfucking_ghost]

...It might. The pictures move, maybe the book's alive.

I um. I'm not sure. If I'm gonna go in there.

[He holds the book closer to his chest.] Queenie's. [By way of explanation.]

[kingshaming]

[He nods, letting the door close but making no move to walk away]

Not eager to leave it?

[motherfucking_ghost]

...Guess not. I don't have anything, physically, hers.

[kingshaming]

Than keep it. The room is for reflection, but it's nothing enforced.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Seems...selfish.

[kingshaming]

If so, you are certainly not the only one.

[He lightly touches the necklace he's wearing today- a delicate chain and swirling pendant design clearly meant for a woman.]

We are selfish by design.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Hey, we're not too sexist here, it could totally be for a dude, you rock that pendant Xanny.]

...'nother memento?

[kingshaming]

[he nods]

From the woman I had... have... feelings for. I remembered her death, but knowing they are in captivity... it makes knowing how to grieve hard. If I even should or not. So instead I am trapped in this limbo of tension.

[He looks at Church carefully, as if looking for something]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[There's a flicker of anger across his face, in the deepening frown and furrow in his brow.] Sure. If that's what you wanna believe.

[kingshaming]

You don't believe that they are taken?

[If Church's anger bothers him, he doesn't show it]

[motherfucking_ghost]

Who knows where the fuck they are. If anywhere.