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Who: Yuan Ka-Fai and you!
Broadcast: Fleetwide video
Action: SS First Breath
When: Today

[ This is the second time in less than 24 hours that Yuan has found himself somewhere new that is distinctly not home, and he's looking incredibly nonplussed. Not that he was any happier to wake up - however briefly - on the Marsiva. He glares irritably at the pudding cup and confetti, and looks around the bridge. ]

Now what?

[ It's not clear if he knows he's broadcasting, or is actually waiting for a response; his gaze soon falls on the communications equipment, and he starts poking around at it curiously. The feeling of having knowledge he's never actually learned about how to work this stuff is deeply unsettling, so naturally he's probing at it like a sore tooth. ]

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[Yuan had been one of those people who lived at the castle for years. Allen and him were never truly close, but he was always there- as part of the, well, community that formed out of that place

So, he doesn't even think twice about the chance of Yuan not remembering when he speaks]

Yuan?

[ At the sound of his name, Yuan whirls immediately to look for the source, and finally spots the screen. With a face on it he does not recognize at all.

Given the situation, he's less than inclined to be charitable at the moment. The idea that someone here knows who he is when he doesn't know anything about them or anything else is terrifying...and fear on Yuan looks a lot like anger. ]

Who are you, and how the hell do you know my name?!

[ Nice work, Allen. ]

[Welp. He sees his mistake immediately, even if he feels a bit blown back by the hostile reaction. It's like if your high school chemistry teacher started swearing at you when you run into them at the store. ]

Ah-!

Allen! I don't mean any harm! Promise!

[ Sorry, dear, he's a little bit on-edge, and you get to bear the brunt of it as the first responsive person he's spoken with since getting here.

Fortunately, the very act of responding settles him very slightly, since it's something nothing else has done so far. He's still mad, but at least he's not yelling quite so much.]

Allen. I'm curious about your definition of 'harm', since you've apparently abducted me. What are you people hoping to gain from this? [ He doesn't believe the messaging he's been getting from the screens so far, and can you blame him? ]

Eh?! I didn't abduct you!

[Right, okay- remember this guy has just been brought here. He's freaked out- breathe]

I'm in the same situation as you! Same as everyone else who will communicate over the network. The people who did take you is Atroma. They don't talk to us much.

[ Everything about that makes sense - as much as anything does right now, at least - and he's almost ready to believe he's conversing with a fellow prisoner...

Except: ]

You say you're not one of them? Then how do you know my name?

[Oh...great]

...Look, if I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me.

[ Time to take a chance here - he wants to know how well Allen actually knows him, or if he only knows his name. His expression calms significantly, trying to put the other more at ease. The time for yelling is over, now it's time for mind games. ]

Do you honestly expect that to dissuade me?

Alright, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you.

[He sighs.]

This isn't the first time you and I have been captured by some multi-dimensional force. The last time the kidnapper was a sentient castle that would kidnap people and feed on their souls and emotions.

We were both there for a long time, but your memory got erased when you got set back to your world.

[ His expression doesn't change. None of that makes sense, but really none of what's happening makes sense to him, and if he's going to start accepting absurd things it's hard to know where to draw the line. ]

How convenient for you, that I lost all my memories and you didn't. I suppose you're going to tell me I should trust you because you're my close friend, who has nothing but concern for my well-being?

[Okay that? Gets him to roll his eyes.]

We weren't close friends. I was just answering your question. You can trust me or not, it really doesn't matter to me.

[ With Allen having broken the narrative Yuan had built inside his head of 'trust me so I can keep a close eye on you and pass along all your secrets', Yuan's realizing he now has a choice: believe this outrageous story for the moment, or put his foot down and adamantly refuse to compromise his worldview. Would the latter be a smart move in favor of preserving his sanity, or would it be arrogance to the point of madness, denying reality as it stands?

He glances away slightly, pretending to study something else nearby while he defers making this choice. Maybe if he can get more information... ]

Tell me about the Atroma.

[Were Allen younger, he might've tried harder to get Yuan to believe him. To prove he was a decent kid that wouldn't make up tall tales like that one. But he's grown past that. If Yuan believed him, of course it'd make things easier. If not? Well, wouldn't be the first to treat him with distrust]

We don't know much about them. They're some kind of entertainment organisation that runs a show called Drift Fleet- the reason we were captured.

Any Atroma people reside on the SS Marsiva, but no one's been able to access any decks of relevance there. We know they have two spokespeople: Diamond and Beau....not that they answer any questions.

[ A succinct and useful report, and one that lines up with Yuan's experience. It doesn't seem to be making any attempt to bias him toward the showrunners, either, or justify their actions.

If Allen isn't legit, he's playing his role very well.

Yuan closes his eyes and braces himself slightly before asking the next question: ]

...Tell me about the castle.

[Ah, of course]

Well I already told you the basics. What do you want to know about it?

[ He considers this for a moment. Allen said they'd been there for a long time - the whole story might be more than he really wants to wait around through right now anyway.

Ultimately, he wants to hear something that will prove whether or not Allen is telling him the truth. And he trusts that he knows himself better than anyone else ever will, even if they've somehow been watching him for a while. ]

...Tell me about something I did while we were there. [ Certainly anyone can guess that he wouldn't have just sat around doing nothing the entire time. ]

[He looks a little surprised at the question. And then he rubs the back of his neck]

Something you did?

[He has to...think on that, actually. It's been awhile]

Well, I don't know what you did with your personal time really, I was just a kid back then. [Teenagers didn't really have much reason to hang around the old disgruntled people] But I remember every time there was a crisis, you'd be one of the people who'd help with leading people into action. I mean, you'd jump in and people tended to listen to you.

[ It probably would have been possible to learn that much by watching him at home. But if he concedes that someone has the power to have watched him so closely, through all the upheaval of a year ago, without having been detected, then it's at least as possible that Allen is simply telling the truth. And Yuan's pretty good at reading people when he tries - there isn't anything about Allen's behavior that's standing out to him as a lie.

He really wishes there was. He doesn't want to start believing in this place. ...But he hasn't gotten to where he is by looking away from things he doesn't want to believe. ]

...Hm. [ Not that he's going to let anyone know yet that he's starting to be convinced. ] So...what exactly are we supposed to do here? You said our captors are entertainers - are they expecting us to learn to perform something?

[He shrugs]

Well, everyone gets assigned a job on their ship. Your augment- the thing that's been feeding you information, will tell you what it is.

Other than that...most people do as they like to pass the time. If you happen to do something that is...entertaining, I suppose, you'll get extra money in your account. But it's never clear what will get that.

[ He glances toward the sensor arrays again. ] I guess that explains why I know how to work these, but not the controls for the ship.

It sounds pretty boring. What keeps us from forming an army and going after the big ship? [ That's not sarcasm - he figures there must be something. ]

[Annnnd he's not even surprised]

Well, they have much more advanced technology than what our ships have. And we don't know what else is on the Marsiva. It could be just Atroma, could be an army of droids, or it could be other captives being held there.

[Allen, as much as he loathed Atroma, was completely against doing anything that could risk lives like that]

Lots of people are trying to figure out ways onto the Marsiva. So far, no one's had any luck.

[ He wouldn't be Yuan if he didn't at least try. But also he just figures if a lot of people are bored and captive, of course they're going to be plotting against their captors. ]

I don't suppose you know the names of anyone I could speak to to get involved, or how to find them? [ A pause as a thought occurs to him, and gets answered by his implant before he can ask it aloud. ] ...Although maybe I shouldn't be asking that on an open broadcast.

[He makes a click of his tongue.] I'm sure Atroma watches our private channels too.

[And everything else that goes on in the ships]

Start with a woman named Nightingale. Last I heard, she's been gathering information.

I don't doubt it.

I'll do that. [ He pauses, and looks at Allen with a slightly-rueful smile. ] ...Thank you, Allen. I may not be able to trust your motivations yet, but whatever they may be, you've been helpful today.

[ He didn't get to be the respected leader of a rebellion without learning how to get the most out of his charisma stat. ]

Er...you're welcome, Yuan.

[He supposes that was a compliment. It could've sounded worse.]

I'm one of the medics on the Blue Fish, if you need anything else.

[ Hey, from Yuan to a stranger, that is a startling amount of warmth. Not his fault he can't afford to trust anyone completely just yet. ]

The Blue Fish. I'll remember that. [ Some quick tapping at the console yields a ship name and crew list. ] And I'm the...communications officer, on the First Breath.

[He nods. He doesn't really know anyone on the First Breath, so he can't comment on that] Good to know.

Good luck with settling in.

[Well, well. Wasn't this a turn up for the books? After all the stress of Felix being kidnapped, this is actually...welcoming. Sure, he knows there's a chance Yuan won't remember him, but he doesn't care anyway. ]

Long time no see, Yuan.

[ Yuan stares at the screen for a long moment, wracking his memory to see if there's any clue there to whether this guy should know him. It's the sunglasses that end the internal debate: he'd remember an accessory like that.

But of course he's still Yuan, and has a compulsive need to take control of every social interaction he's a part of. ]

...You should probably be made aware that I don't remember anything about a castle.

[Something ALMOST like disappointment crosses the demon's face for a moment. He soon masks it with his usual indifference, giving a shrug. ]

Figured. That sort of thing is never guaranteed.

[ Yuan's not used to having many friends, really, let alone friends he doesn't remember. And it's ridiculous to feel a distant spark of guilt over not remembering someone he's never met.

...But after all, any ally he can cultivate in a place like this is something useful, right? So some past echo of himself left some groundwork behind he can build on. He can work with that. As long as he doesn't think about it too hard.

He keeps his expression neutral, still studying Crowley as he replies. ]

You know my name, do I get yours, too?

[Crowley's tempted to tell Yuan about the time he cut his ponytail off, but...perhaps not yet. He remembers how...cranky Yuan could be. Save it for another time. ]

Crowley. It's a pleasure- again.

I wish I could say the same... [ He looks around, making a face at his surroundings. ] ...but I really can't afford to be on vacation right now.

I wouldn't have palpitations about it. Time stops back home, so when you eventually go back, it'll be like you weren't gone at all.

It's how places like this always work.

Really. [He looks surprised - Allen didn't mention that part. Also he's not sure he believes it, but he's been at least moved along far enough to start trying to accept reality as it's presented to him.] ...How do you know?

Because I've seen it in other people time and time again.

People go home sometimes, come back with their memories intact, even after going home. They all say the same. It was like they'd never been gone.

Weird, right?

[Yuan sighs.]

Very weird. We're probably back to 'not sure if I'm dreaming all this', except for the part where I'm not supposed to need sleep.

Anything else useful you can tell me? Might as well get all the unreality out of the way now.

Absolutely not a dream or even some weird angel-y bender, I'm afraid.

You'll have all the information you need about living in space put in your head by your Augment. It's sitting in the back of your head. Don't try to pull it out.

"Angel-y bender"? I think you have an odd idea of what angels are.

About living in space here particularly, or just space in general? I'm actually familiar with how space works at home.

What happens if I try to remove it?

Oh no, I have a very good idea of what angels are. I have a lot of experience in that area.

Pretty much living in space here. How to do whatever job you've been assigned, stuff like that.

Crippling, terrible agony, from what I understand.

And so do I - as I suspect you know, since you brought it up - so we must be familiar with different kinds of angels. [His tone is dry, but not unpleasant - despite himself, there's something terribly easy about bantering with Crowley, and he thinks he could get used to it.]

...I guess I'll hold off on experimenting with that, then. [He is tracing fingertips around his scalp until he finds the little node, though, prodding at it curiously.] ...Do they do anything besides give us information?

I do know, in fact, and yes. I've met..a lot of different angels, honestly.

[Crowley would approve of this. He's MISSED Yuan.]

Sometimes they can play silly buggers with you. Change your shape, age, mindset. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it is something that can happen.

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