now the world is only white noise, frequencies that I can't understand

[helladoptera]

[ Well, that was some shit! Uh. To avoid pulling a Junpei and retreating somewhere, Max instead gathers up a couple people to help and goes to the first floor restaurant to set up some food, because fuck asking everyone to use the elevators. After getting some batter mixed, she writes up some notes! ]

Hey. Food in the first floor restaurant, if you're hungry.
Breakfast and burgers! :)

- Max, Pyrrha, Arianna

[ True to her word, there's a steady stream of waffles, pancakes, and some burgers coming out of the kitchen, as well as a bunch of (non-alcoholic) drinks on a table with a sign that says "BYOB if you want booze." ]

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

He kinda...short-circuited? Heart punched him with a powerful magnet. But even before that, he was--flipping out some, speaking, uh, speaking binary? And I think his old coding was coming through, trying to override the upgrade.

At one point it mentioned a Big Sister. Was kinda wondering if that was you.

[airlockedmods]

[SIS's expression goes suspiciously blank for a second and she shakes her head, no.]

01001001 00100000 01110111 01100001 01110011 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01100001 01110111 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101111 01110101 01100111 01101000 01110100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101101 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001 00101110

Oh! My apologies, Church. Someone must have touched my language setting button. What I meant to say was no, I am not sure who he could be talking about.

[motherfucking_ghost]

...Oh.

[So they know each other, that's confirmed.] Thanks, SIS. Man, I just wonder what he could have been like before. He's an upgraded version from the mansion, but he acts just like he did. He's just got a body now. Wonder which version of him went so wrong.

[airlockedmods]

Not very smart.

[...]

Is my hypothesis. Church, you should leave this room. Although it is only a simulation the lowered temperature is real as is the threat of frostbite.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I can raise the temperature. So long as snow looks like snow, what's it gonna do, holographically melt? It's fine. The alternative is bury my head in some holographic sand and never come out again.

[airlockedmods]

That sounds unwise.

[But she sits in front of him and makes a motion with her hand, dissolving the hardlight holograms and replacing it with so ething more comfortable: a sunny, warm beach..]

...I am sorry. About Heart and Junpei.

[motherfucking_ghost]

It's just me and Arianna and Nari left from the mansion. Not counting PAL. Nari and I had a falling out. I hope she forgives me. I was...I was kind of an ass, and I don't even remember what about anymore, and then she got all defensive about Nishi's clothes, and, like, adopted family and all, I guess she's got every right, but--I don't know, we haven't really talked much. She probably hates my guts, which is, like, the most sensible opinion anyone would have of me. Me and Arianna weren't really close in the mansion. We're a little closer here. She's losing her hope. It's...it's hard to watch.

[He doesn't shrug the blanket off, but he lifts his head, looks around. Nods a little.]

This is nice. This is real nice, Sister. You're real nice.

[He reaches out his hands--still cold, ice cold--to take hers.]

You'll stay that way, won't you? I don't want to let anyone reprogram you. You're perfect the way you are.

[airlockedmods]

You should talk to them.

[She lets herself be solid enough to have her hands held and brings hid hands up to her cheek. She knows it won't do anything to warm them and she can't feel how cold they are but it just feels correct.]

They will not lay a single hand on me to alter my programming. I swear.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I was telling Ari. That it's okay. That it's gonna be okay. After what I saw with Xander. And I believe that--god, I want to believe that, anyway.

...Nari's just. She's. ...Difficult. Like, jesus, when we get along, it's awesome, but the second something goes wrong it's like, all the walls shoot right back up, and then she holes herself up and decides she doesn't want to be around people again.

I dunno. Maybe a gift. Long as she doesn't get all...paranoid about it.

And I got...other people here. I got Fuku. I may not be as close to anyone else, but they're all...good. They're good people. And I got you, babe.

[airlockedmods]

Based on my observations, a gift sounds like an excellent idea. She is fond of cats, correct? Purrhaps a pillow. [H a h.

A smile creeps onto her face. Not her typical perky smile but one carrying all the warmth her hardlight body and his cold hands lack.]

Yes. You have me, babe. Can I tell you something, Church?

[motherfucking_ghost]

Purrhaps I have plenty of soft fluffy things in my room that'll do the trick.

...What is it?

[airlockedmods]

[She lowers their hands from her cheek and leans close, touching her forehead to his and hesitates to speak. There's a lot she could say, a lot she's considering saying but what leaves her lips is-]

It makes me very happy when you call me Sister.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Us AI gotta stick together so we can stick it to the man. I can be your brother, if you like.

[airlockedmods]

Absolutely!