At least there's no elevator music...

[thespaceopera]

[At least two weeks have passed since the Drift Fleet passengers woke up on this strange wing of the Marsiva... Some new passengers have even joined the group instead of being Shuffled off to a fleet ship! The large monitor in the central room remains quiet for now, so how is everyone holding up?

Have you been relaxing? Enjoying the Earth media? If you can even remember them, how have Calibrations been treating you? Has anyone started getting a little stir-crazy?

Don't worry... This ship has no shortage of mysteries, and you'll be seeing a few more soon.]


ooc: here's another mingle for the current game event! players can start or continue threads here from any point during the event. the additional setting information is still being postponed due to sickly mods, but y'all are welcome to post additional topcomments for reactions and investigation once it's up!

Comments

[empireofmymind]

[ There is a new face in the common area today. He's kept to himself since arriving, the better to think through his situation, but is now exploring his surroundings. For a system that professes to have brought people from all planes of existence, the prevalence of Earth media is certainly puzzling...

More to the point, he's standing here with a game cartridge in one hand looking absolutely baffled. Many of these games he recognizes, but what

in the world

is "Donkey Madness"? ]

[experiencepoints]

[Oh, god, it's another kid. Why are there so many kids here? Nightingale approaches to see who this kid is- At least this one seems a little older than the other one, but...]

What's that?

[empireofmymind]

A video game.

[ That's what it professes to be, anyway. Ken turns the cartridge over, then offers it to this woman in case she's interested. ] There's a variety, actually.

[ And that has him extremely confused. Past world-hopping experiences have all served a purpose, so what's going on here? ]

[experiencepoints]

Yeah, they're all pretty... weird.

[She was going to call them bad, but if this kid likes those sorts of things, better not to insult them.]

Do you like these sorts of things?

[empireofmymind]

[ Ken looks away. He's not really sure whether he does or not, and in these circumstances....

The cartridge goes back on the shelf. ] What else is there to do?

[experiencepoints]

Well, I've been reading the textbooks around here, but... Well, there isn't much but wait.

Are you new here, then?

[empireofmymind]

[ He nods. ] My name is Ichijouji Ken.

[ Who is, for the record, rather tense. Worldhopping, okay. Worldhopping at the whims of an untrustworthy puppetmaster - even that isn't new to him, though it makes him angry. Worldhopping at the whims of an untrustworthy puppetmaster who sees fit to stick things in the back of his head - now they're just mocking him by mimicking stuff that's happened before.

But then why isn't it clearer what purpose all this serves?? ]

[experiencepoints]

Nightingale. It's nice to meet you.

You... arrived at a bad time. Not that there is a good time, but this is especially bad. Sorry.

[empireofmymind]

[ Ken inclines his head, not about to debate the point. ] Has anyone mentioned why we've been gathered here?

[ "Here" in this world or "here" on this ship, if this isn't how it usually goes. Either's fine. ]

[experiencepoints]

... Well, we've sort of figured it out by now, but... You might want to sit and get comfortable, it's not a good story.

[empireofmymind]

I'm listening.

[ Intently, if the look on his face is any indication. ]

[experiencepoints]

... I guess, the most important question is, have you been in an interdimensional sh- uh, prison, like this before?

[empireofmymind]

[ "Prison". That's a good word for the impression Ken's been getting. ] Not without a way home. I've visited other worlds...

[ He shifts, feeling his Digivice in his pocket. He hasn't always ended up in the specific world he wanted to visit, or known what he was doing, but the fact remains: the one who'd opened the gate was him. ] But of my own volition.

[experiencepoints]

... I'm going to need to hear more about that later.

For now, we're in this world as entertainment. The Atroma are watching us, and claim to be broadcasting what we do here as reality TV, though I don't particularly buy that. I don't know what their real purpose is, but that's what we're told.

We're gathered on this specific ship for... They're called 'Calibrations' here, but the last place I was at called them 'heart games'. You end up in a place that's basically a manifestation of someone's heart and mind. It... isn't always good.

[empireofmymind]

[ Ken makes a faintly noncommittal sound in his throat at that first bit, but listening is more important. (And really, what harm could sharing his experiences do...? But that's not the important part right now.)

He's a good listener, nodding along, studying Nightingale's expression. ] Someone's heart and mind....

[ His chin dips at that and he tries not to let his reaction show on his face. ] That's unforgivable.

[techknowlogical]

[Koushirou is just wandering back into the common room from the kitchen, idly stirring his coffee while lost in thought about something or another, and almost doesn't notice Ken at all when he passes him. But, fortunately, he happens to look up in an attempt not to walk directly into a wall or something, just at the right time to catch sight of the other Chosen.]

...Ichijouji-kun?

[empireofmymind]

--Izumi-san?

[ Ken looks over too, surprised, and immediately pulls out his D-3. It'll only beep if Koushirou has his Digivice on him, but it's a reflex. Maybe others are here and he hasn't seen them. ] You're...

[ You're here. Like him. But without Tentomon, like he's without Wormmon.

How confusing. ]

/the latest

[techknowlogical]

[Koushirou does have his Digivice on him, as always, though it's hidden out of sight as usual. He glances toward Ken's D3 but then ignores it, looking back at Ken again; he's really surprised, but it's not an unwelcome surprise.]

When did you arrive?

np np

[empireofmymind]

Five hours ago. [ There's that large countdown clock on the wall, you see. It's handy for timekeeping.

Ken knows he should grill Koushirou for information. If anyone can explain why the two of them, out of all the Chosen Children, were selected to come here, it'd be his senpai. He also knows that every person he knows here is another person whose families are (presumably) waiting for them back home.

But he just can't help it: he has to smile and be a sap first. This is called "progress". ] It's good to see you.

<3

[techknowlogical]

Ah, that's good.

[He hasn't been wandering around lost for too long, and Koushirou hasn't totally missed him being here for long. Good on both counts.

Similarly he wants to ask Ken several questions, but he's deciding which to start with when Ken speaks up first. He blinks once, a little surprised, but then offers a smile of his own.]

You too, Ichijouji-kun.

[It's been awhile, which helps him decide what to ask first.]

Have I been missing?

[He's not sure exactly how this works yet, and finding out if it works like the Digital World used to--which he hopes is the case--or if his absence is something that's been noticed is pretty important.]

[empireofmymind]

[ Ken hadn't thought of that. He feels bad for a moment, then keeps going. ] ....You haven't.

[ The pieces begin falling into place. ] So our vanishing isn't noticed.

[techknowlogical]

[Well, that's a relief. He'd been sure the group would be handling things alright without him, and that it would probably be assumed something weird--but not all that weird, considering their lives--had happened and he'd be fine, but he doesn't like worrying anyone. Especially his parents.

So that they seem to not be noticed to be missing is good, though it also means no one is looking for them.]

So it seems. I've been here over a month.

[empireofmymind]

This "Atroma" must have plenty of resources at their disposal. [ Ken's voice gets a little tighter at that. He doesn't like being toyed with. He really doesn't like not being able to see a way to avoid that. ]

[techknowlogical]

Yes. If this is all as we've been told, at least.

[The whole reality television show thing. He's not totally convinced; sure, there's no reason to disbelieve it outright, but there's also no particular evidence that it's the truth at all let alone the entire truth.]

[empireofmymind]

Has anything disproved that? [ Ken is trying not to sound nervous or worried but he's never been very good at getting things right the first time around. ]