...And also these.

[thespaceopera]

[ Calibration Rooms ]
( for N-Z characters )

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ROOMS BY CHARACTER

N - Q Nami Natasha Romanoff Nelkeila Tarid Nux Nyssa al Ghul Octavia Blake One Peggy Carter Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève

R - U R. Daneel Olivaw Rapunzel Remy LeBeau Riku Robin Redbreast Rogue Santanico Pandemonium Shawn Hunter Stefan (Alesci) Salvatore Steve "Orion" Rogers Steven Quartz Universe Souji Seta Stiles Stilinski Syeira Tadashi Hamada Tekhetsio

V - Z Vash the Stampede Vima Sunrider Vision (The) Wanda Maximoff Wrath Yamanaka Ino

Comments

[thezerothlaw]

Indeed. I have no wish to be deactivated, after all, and it is easier to avoid the feeling from rising in the first place than it is to avoid a direct order to submit.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka just laughs.]

What? Oh-- no. Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I don't think we know each other nearly well enough for that.

[onlyanapple]

[Crowley responds to this in the most mature manner possible. He very deliberately, and very slowly flips Tek the bird, before standing with a long suffering SIGH.]

Well, I know when I'm not wanted.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

No, no, that's great! [dfjkl he can't help it, he laughs a little. giggles, really.] I think you're going to be very good at it, one day. You'll make everyone very jealous.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[thaaaat didn't happen last time.

what a bad trip. that's distinctly what it feels like, remembering this familiar thing that isn't even his. like he's got two shadows, or... like a particularly nagging deja vu. he doesn't know if it's the memory or the actual alcohol, but he feels a whole lot more fucked up between picking the glass up and setting it back down again.

but hey, they both want to get fucked up, right? so, he grabs onto that really shitty instinct of his and makes the terrible decision to take that second shot, too.]

[unfulfilledpotential]

[When she does, a warmth rushes over her, not unlike the sensation of a tight bear hug. The road ahead (and the car) fades into a restaurant, with a slightly younger Shawn talking to this drop-dead gorgeous girl in one of the booths.

"So... if you want to be my boyfriend, I think you should tell Cory you can't see him anymore." She looks at Shawn expectantly, as if her word is everything.

"But we've been friends our whole lives," Shawn's saying, the confusion more than clear in his voice as he tries to picture this. (He can't.) "How'm I supposed to say, 'Cory, you're out of my life?'"

Then Jennifer kisses him all over again, pulling him down onto the leather booth and--and he's fifteen, dangit. Of course he's going to listen to her and her sweet kisses, not the big red warning signs in his brain. Which is why, when the restaurant fades, it's replaced by a back room with a phone booth, and Shawn clutching onto that black phone for dear life as he listens to Cory's voice on the other line.

"You know what, this is ridiculous. How can you let some girl tell you you can't see your best friend? It's just wrong, do you hear me? Wrong." Shawn's oddly silent, prompting Cory to ask, "Shawn...? Are you there?"

"Yeah, just... listening to the sound of your voice, and, thinking about the old days."

"I've gotta see you."

Before Shawn knows what he's saying, he blurts out, "No! No, we know that's impossible."

"Because of... HER? You're gonna let her stand in the way of what we had?"

Cory's FLIPPING MAD, and Shawn can't blame him; he would've been the same, had Topanga decided that Cory couldn't see his best friend.

"Shawn, if you won't see me, then I'll come over there and see you."

"NO! Don't come here!"

If he comes, then Jennifer will know about their secret calls, and then where would Shawn end up? Not in a great place, that's what.

"I will not be ignored!"

So Shawn relents, "just this once," for a final meeting, at the library at 8 AM, before Cory steps aside forever. As that promise is uttered, a lump forms in Shawn's throat. A better man would've put his foot down, Shawn knows. A better man would've insisted that his friends stay beside him, no matter who he chooses to date - and yet, he doesn't know if he can do that.

Their secret rendezvous doesn't go well (with Jennifer interceding and getting Cory's present, a fresh cinnamon roll) - Shawn should've seen that coming, he really should have - and neither does him sneaking off to dinner with Cory and Topanga.

So when Topanga asks him to meet her at Chubbies, he doesn't expect to see Cory there. Nor does he expect Jennifer to storm in, and give a final ultimatum - it's Cory, or it's her (sealed with a kiss).

It's funny, in hindsight, how laughable of an ultimatum that is, because Shawn will always know his answer. Girls will come and go, but a best friend is forever. It might've taken him a little longer (man, Jennifer was one gorgeous babe), but he knows his answer now.

"Look, Cory's my friend, okay? And so is Topanga. If you can't be friends with my friends, I'm not so sure I wanna be friends with you."

Jennifer coolly regards him. "Consider yourself dumped, Shawn." Shawn looks at her, up and down, and for the first time, her words have no power over him. So she raises her voice and leans in, "Did you hear me? I said you were dumped."

"Doesn't bother me this time, Jennifer, because I realize - I'm gaining more than I'm losing." Shawn slings his arm around his friends and grins at them. Never, ever will he make that kind of dumb mistake again.

As the memory fades, the road ahead and the car comes back into focus - and so does the track listing for this particular CD. It's in Cory's handwriting, the 'awesome mix tape,' that he and Shawn made out of boredom one day. Shawn's grinning at it as he peers over at Octavia, though he doesn't say a single word.]

[dancingmd]

[There's a small rumbling of outrage on her part, but she does her best to calm it.]

I wouldn't want you to be deactivated either.

[child_of_bhaal]

Not as much as you might expect.

[She's also not talking completely about having tangible things.]

With how you talk though, I'm almost afraid to ask about how much you've gotten rid of, if this is all the newer things.

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ Perhaps it is... Only one way to find out.

He looks back at the picture, then to her -- the picture again, her again... Then he stands, makes his way over, and studies the picture from up close for a moment. He's hesitant, but he does reach to press his fingers to it, wondering if he's about to get another flash of something... ]

[child_of_bhaal]

It's not that one is uniquely illuminated, but uniquely dark. The Restricted section, set behind it's gate, is shadowed, more than it should rightly be, even at the entrance, with all the ambient light from the rest of the library.

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ "Worth keeping? Aren't all memories worth keeping?"

It's the first thing that pops into his head when that question comes - a completely automatic response, because of course, memories are important, no matter what they might be - but then he's wondering why the question's come up at all...

He blinks a few times while everything around him metaphorically falls back into place, and he looks up at Stefan with a confused expression... which melts into a quirk of a smile and a curious tilt of his head. ]

So... I'm gonna bet that catch and that throw go hand in hand with just how fast you were back in that western saloon after the card game?

[child_of_bhaal]

[Okay that needs to stop. She has to brace again, or she might definitely have fallen over that time. This whole place is getting to her, and she needs to get out.

She reaches out and firmly, but gently, takes the drink from him and puts it on the bar top.]

Is there somewhere we can go that's quieter?

[And not geared to make her faint from disorientation.]

[thezerothlaw]

[He looks at her for a long moment, curious.]

Such questions of etiquette aside, Dr. Crusher, is there something I can assist with, or a question I may answer?

[radiantwingedone]

"Understandable-" Duke doesn't turn fully, because.. he's him. But that sure is a ...pair of things, that showed up. Where did the shop get to? Is he even talking to the shopkeep still? Whatever.

Duke looks over the boy, and ... doesn't quite mirror his stance, but he is mimicking how Souji holds the katana.

"As ready as any would be for a field test." He makes a slight bowing motion. He had asked to be taught, please show him how you usually fight with one of these... against giant wheels. That's the weird part.

[mikangirl]

That's not surprising. Worlds are huge places, no matter how much space tries to make them seem tiny.

[She's leaning back in the seat a little. Now she's used to the motion of the car, she's just plain enjoying the ride.

...though she should probably work out how to move on. But this is fun.]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash can't stop grinning like a happy fool as the memory fades. Enjoying just how much love and happiness is filling his being.] This should go somewhere special.

An important reminder of the day your family got even bigger! It looked like a really fun way to celebrate.

[sinuosity]

I am a demon, [ she retorts, primly. ] you are meat. It is simple.

Unless you are something else you wish me to know about.

[weathervain]

[She grins at that. Shifts on the stair slightly so there's room for him.]

He is. I mean, he can be selfish and rude and tends to overstretch himself. [Literally. Hah.] And he'll deny it if you try and say that. But he is. And very protective of his crew. We return the favour.

[weathervain]

[He can find Nami waiting at a small table outside the cottage, peeling the rind off a mikan and settling it into a neat pile.]

This is Cocoyashi Village! I grew up here, but I haven't been back since I joined Luffy's crew for real. Nojiko looks after the orchard now.

Try a piece? [She holds a segment out on the tip of her finger for him. It's sweet and tangy, but no memories attached. About as... nutritious as a piece of dream fruit can be.]

[ricksybusiness]

[Classiness distracts from the main purpose of partying, Crowley: getting absolutely trashed.]

What uuuup! [Rick throws his hands up in the air when he sees Crowley, then slings an arm around his shoulders all friendly-like.]

S-s-soul is putting a pretty hard spin on this whole thing, but yeah, sure, whatever. Let's get wrecked, broh, that's basically why I'm here, right?

[dancingmd]

[She shakes her head.] I... I didn't mean to come here, you know. I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing.

[onlyanapple]

[Plebian.

He'll allow the arm draping, because there's a good chance it will lead to mind-booze, and Crowley is all for that. ]

Can't see any other reason. Atroma might give some bullshit reason about inner searching or whatever, but I say fuck it. Getting wasted is a much better use of our time here.

[ricksybusiness]

[Mind-booze is pretty great. Lord knows if it'll actually have any affect on Crowley, though.

Rick laughs, pushing a bottle (it is actually labeled "Imaginary Liquor," because apparently Rick's subconscious just can't get behind this at all) at Crowley, keeping his arm around him. Where did the bottle come from? It doesn't matter; Rick is already holding one of his own. Just chalk it up to dumb mental space dream room shenanigans.]

That's what I like to hear. You know, for a being whose very existence is steeped in r-religion, you're not as much of a waste of space as most people.

[It's a compliment? Maybe? Anyway, Rick chugs his whole bottle of Imaginary Liquor, throws the empty against the wall where it shatters, then steps away from Crowley with his arms in the air, yelling at the top of his lungs.]

Let's get this stupid party rollin'! I WANNA FUCKIN' DIE!

[The entire party erupts into cheers.]

[onlyanapple]

[Crowley's not sure either, but he is completely willing to experiment to find out. Can't hurt to try, right? He'll take a swig and...knowing Rick it probably tastes of the crap you find swilling at the bottom of a bar gutter at the end of the night, but it's alcohol so he'll have it. ]

I'll take that as a compliment, if you don't mind. ...I'll take it as one if you do mind, of course, but I thought I'd be polite about it.

[He watches the crowd react to Rick and chuckles a little, taking another swig of the imaginary liquor. It's not so bad if you pretend really hard. ]

Probably end badly for you. The dying part.

[truthvalue]

[He laughs again, lazily stretching out his wings before folding them back in. He loves this part, when he meets some unsuspecting soul for the first time.]

Kingpin, [he says, with a small flourish of his hand, knife still held loosely in his fingers, and a slight bow.] At your service.