We're Still Here, We Still Have Each Other

[induality]

[It takes Fukawa some time to pull herself together but when she does-- she moves with a purpose. Everyone will find a note in practiced writing:]

Though all we've be through today was awful, and you might not want to face it-- you're not facing it alone. There will be food and drink in the VIP Lounge. And company. Whatever your feelings are now, it's okay. I won't tell you want to think or how to feel. But you don't have to carry it alone.

- Touko Lucis Caelum

[True to her word, she worked hard to make snacks and light warm foods for everyone as well as drinks-- alcoholic and otherwise. Everyone is welcome. She even stops by the information desk to extend an invitation to SIS.]

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

We never know. We're never sure. That's the risk we take, every time we buck the system.

...It might still work out. That's what happened last time, in my group, when we thought Queenie was dead.

[kingshaming]

What happened? With Queenie? Her name keeps coming up... the earlier motive- PAL even picked her in the game I was playing on your old Overseer's tablet.

[motherfucking_ghost]

What, there's a game with her in it?

She, um. It was bad, the how and why and what she did doesn't...really matter, but we weren't going to do it. We all stood together. We-- [He scoff-laughs, rolling his head and staring up through the ceiling.] We sang a song. Turns out one person was still willing to vote for her, so she ended up executed.

We technically didn't see the body, but we thought she was gone. Dipped in a pool of...something bad from her world. Day or two later, she pops back up good as new.

PAL saved her. Well. Guess he was being run by Kip at the time.

[kingshaming]

Indeed. Heh, in fact, we all are. All us adults at least. It's a... romance game?

...

[He thinks on this]

The cube worked, I'm sure it did. Perhaps PAL redirected the teleportation. Maybe something else- the odds seem almost impossible she would go into the execution chamber but it's not completely impossible. Either way... we know she is alive and sleeping at least. We are not done yet.

[motherfucking_ghost]

......I don't remember seeing the cube. When she showed up, I don't know if maybe it was on the ground? Unless the cube went somewhere and she didn't.

We'll find out. In a day or two, probably.

It was a plan, man, and it didn't suck.

[kingshaming]

It was a gamble. I... don't know if I can bare to look at Pyrrha just yet.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Pyrrha wanted to kill her girlfriend just so she could also die. I don't know that she's allowed to have an opinion on things right now 'til she's calmed down.

[kingshaming]

[Xander makes a noise that's not a laugh at all- it's not funny. But it's a noise of SOME kind of emotion]

I understand where's she's coming from. I truly do. Still... I don't plan to sit here and wallow all night. What of you?

[motherfucking_ghost]

I wanted to make sure you weren't gonna wallow.

Look. This sucks. It sucks for every reason all the others sucked, and now it's just me and Ari left from my group, and we lost one of the best one of us, and it's the worst. It's always the worst. Every fucking week is the fucking worst.

...And this was a really low blow. A really...a really...bad, low blow, and this upcoming week is gonna be a fucking nightmare.

Which means we gotta get our shit together and make sure the others are ready for what's coming.

[kingshaming]

[Xander is a bit surprised, and it shows on his face... but he nods]

Yes, yes of course. Things are only going to get worse from here on out... and this proved they will not stand another trial. For good or ill, this may be the end of it.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I trust you. I trusted your plan. Even if I could've gotten everyone to vote the right way, and then even if we could've gotten everyone together, and then even if the cube could've taken us all somewhere...something would've happened. We still have the armbands, the PIPs. Could've probably just killed us off with those anyway.

I hate...all of this. And I'm probably gonna feel like shit later. Shittier. But I'm determined to trust you to help get all these people out.

[kingshaming]

[Xander walks over, face stern... and holds out his arm]

Very well. Then until we escape here, you have my support in all things.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Grasp? Grasp!]

With you 'til the end of the line.

...About PAL. Or should I save that for talking to everyone? It wasn't really...a whole lot more than what we've gotten out of him before, just...it's not good.

[kingshaming]

How not good is not good?

[motherfucking_ghost]

Memory of his creator got erased or otherwise removed, and fighting hurts him. Bad. Which is why we only get short bursts.

[kingshaming]

It hurts him? Gods...and he speaks in many ways like a child...

We need to decide if it's time to be open with everything we've learned.

[He doesn't want to risk SIS being outed, but the others are working in the dark too. There's no good option]

[motherfucking_ghost]

Meeting. Monday. Sundays are...never good. [and it's a holiday] Let them recover, get everyone together. [Including SIS.] Our friend's been trying to find where the bodies are being kept anyway, I wanna know if something's come up yet.

[kingshaming]

Alright. It's a plan at least.

...also, did PAL say anything about your condition in his message? I know the other PAL said he didn't know but...

[motherfucking_ghost]

Uh...I mean, that's when he was saying he didn't know about Kip? Hold on, it was phrased like a computer. Error: Missing data. Error: Kip not found.

......I'm a fucking moron, of course it's his fucking PAK.

This, uh, this thing Kip wore. Like, when he wasn't looking like a human, he's really this little green alien who wears this...metal...PAK thing on his back, helps him do shit, spider legs, creepy shit. I think it might be a part of him? I'm not sure. But I got that thing out of the duty-free and...maybe spending time around it is somehow making Kip's personality rub off on me? It's only started I think since I got it, and, y'know, it's Kip's, so I've kept it. And I've kept it in my room.

...He was very much about sex.