week 4

[airlockedmods]

Week 4

[Four weeks in and almost half the Champions' original numbers are gone. Eight people in the span of a month and, even with the Overseers seeming increase in empathy for the remaining Champions, there is no end in sight for the Champion Excellence Program.

And again at 7 am on Sunday the mechanical woman's voice chimes to awaken the remaining champions on Sunday morning. After the initial wake-up call the message tacked on:]

Congratulations, Champions! By surviving your third trial, you have unlocked the fourth floor of the ship. A new mini map has been added to your P.I.P.! To access the fourth floor please stand on the teleporter and select the floor you wish to be teleported to.

[And again the Champions are awakened they have regained one new memory from the ones they've lost. Starting again on Sunday, as well, Jamie and Bolton will be back to their usual office hours in their usual locations.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday


[ooc: welcome to week 4, everyone! Check-in has begun and don't forget to submit your memory regains!]

Comments

[damnfourthemerald]

[He thought someone might react harshly, in the back of his mind, but Togami? He didn't expect it of Togami. The surprise of the intrusion as well as the intruder means his grip on the knife tightens, so good luck getting it away from him unless there's some accidental cuts he wants to risk.]

Experimenting.

[imnotfat]

[He's not going to risk getting cut]

What's this supposed to prove to you, exactly?!

[damnfourthemerald]

That I am who and what I think I am.

[Okay. Immediate danger has passed, so he'll just...set the knife down by the sink and prod at the bleeding wound, like something in the blood might divine an answer, or that peering into the cut might shed a little light on his experiment.]

[imnotfat]

[As soon as the knife is set down Togami takes it, as if he expected Shadow to start slicing his own legs in a moment]

Stop that already! At least you could have the decency not to do this in middle of the kitchen.

[damnfourthemerald]

[There's other knives, whatever.] I had considered the showers, but I didn't think I would get that far if someone saw me absconding with a kitchen knife.

[imnotfat]

You could not maim yourself in the first place, you idiot. You could have done this after this all was over, preferably when nobody was around to have to see you spilling blood around like this is a butcher's shop.

[Holy hell, Togami]

[damnfourthemerald]

It's only a cut. [The fiiirst cut is the deeeepest-- Shadow gently rinses the offending arm some, but he looks back at Togami with a squinted and uncertain look.] Why do you care so much? Blood hasn't made you squeamish before.

[imnotfat]

How do you expect anyone to react when one enters the kitchen, and the first thing in sight is someone cutting themselves open?

[It was not like he was particularly concerned about you, Shadow. Well, maaaaaaaaybe a little bit, but not enough to play savior for altruistic purposes. He's still learning this whole 'bonding' thing]

[damnfourthemerald]

I don't expect the likes of you to react with such intensity. [With slightly less blood in the way, he goes back to wound-prodding, like a fuckin weirdo. Hopefully he doesn't get another knife.] It's not like I'm murdering anyone in here. That would be truly stupid.

[imnotfat]

You're overthinking it. It was no more than an instinctive reaction. I'm not some kind of emotionless husk as some around here seem to believe.

[damnfourthemerald]

[He mulls that over, maybe even considering what he might do if their roles were reversed--not that it matters much. He hisses in pain at trying to pry the wound open a little farther, finally removing his fingers from their exploration. Back under the faucet you go.]

Funny how you claim I'm overthinking anything when you're the one who likes to make puzzles out of everything. And plant the seeds of doubt in everyone's minds about a traitor among us, regardless of whether it's true or not.

You're playing a long game, and I wonder how many people know it.

[imnotfat]

With some luck only you, Jane and the Doctor have an idea of my thoughts and plans.

[He's blissfully unaware other people like Rukia and Yurika know inklings about his behavior and the reasons behind it]

Or it could be possible I don't have a long game as convoluted as you're imagining. I'll let you to ponder that.

[...ugh, you know what, enough of this. Here, Shadow, have this antibiotic gel Togami obtained from the Benefactors some time ago. Helps heal wounds 40% faster]

Take this and don't say a word.

[damnfourthemerald]

[He's really not in the mood to ponder Togami's machinations and wheels within wheels, so he's about to let most of that go without comment--heh, of course the Doctor would've poked around after helping to move everything.

The gel is a surprise. He looks warily at the tube, then warily at Togami.]

Why?

[Why the help, not why not say anything. Heaven forbid if anyone find out Byakuya Togami did something for someone that wasn't himself.

[imnotfat]

Dying from an infection would be a stupid way to die. And I told you not to question me.

[Goddamnit, Shadow]

[damnfourthemerald]

[He's 2 edge to follow directions at all times.]

You're the Champion Survivor. Does it really matter that much to you if someone else dies, so long as you're the one left standing in the end?

[See? Just like that. At least he'll gingerly pop off the cap and dab it on. His exploration seems like it's done at least for now.]

[imnotfat]

[Togami pinches the bridge of his nose. He's not going to answer that]

Was this worth it? Spilling blood around for your 'experimenting'?

[damnfourthemerald]

It gives me some more data to work with. You have to appreciate that much, if nothing else.

[Not admitting he's more confused and perturbed now than he was before the experiment. Nope.]

None of us are who we thought we were coming into this. The more our memories come back and the more we're pushed, the more we change.

[imnotfat]

More like our memories are being returned to us. It's happening in the same timeframe every single time, and for everyone at once.

That must be part of the Overseers' machinations too.

[...from them or from those higher than them, the distinction doesn't matter]

[damnfourthemerald]

It's all one big test. Margulis remembered enough to decide his death, and the deaths of the rest of us, was worthwhile. A sick reward, like new floors and items in our dumbwaiters--here, you've happened to survive another week, you get to remember something new.

We can't trust ourselves.

[...Well that's nice and dramatic. He looks back over at Togami aaaand to the knife.]

If you aren't going to sanitize that, I will.

[imnotfat]

Tch. You do it.

[There you go the knife, since you don't seem like you're going to harm yourself again]

What kind of nonsense about not trusting ourselves is that? There's no one else to trust other that oneself.

[damnfourthemerald]

We don't know the whole truth about ourselves. Our memories, they're missing, or who's to say the memories we get back aren't tampered with? We could be clones for all we know. We don't know who we really are. I can't make sense of what I remember, but I can see a clear theory to link it all together.

What happens if you remember the person you're supposed to be, and you don't like who you've become?