Calibration Post 1, "Daytime"

[thespaceopera]

[ Not long after the shuffle, there's a ripple of static over the network - loud, sudden, and seemingly with no origin. It's puzzling, but there's no indication that it's going to happen again...

Until a minute later. Another surge of static comes in over the speakers, and then a voice - one some may find familiar, though not necessarily welcome, after all of this time... It's Diamond. Long time no speak, hmm?

Clearly, not all is well. She sounds very far away, for one. For another, she sounds... skeptical, almost alarmed. There may actually be real concern in her voice. ]

Again? Twice in one c--

[ Her sentence is cut short with a strangled gasp, followed by a moment of silence. What follows may be the sound of metal dragged across metal, but it's hard to place. When she speaks again, it's uncharacteristically monotonous. ]

... Bring them in.

[ A blip of lost time passes right after those words, before every passenger mysteriously wakes alone in their own unfamiliar room. The style of decor resembles that of the Marsiva's Hospitality Deck, if any passengers should remember what that's like. It sounds and smells the same as the host ship as well, all clean and chrome, but this set of rooms has only been used once, and for the very same purpose that befalls the fleet contestants now.

As for their hosts, there is no immediate sign of them, though some may recall a series of hideous, half-electronic screams before their memories begin to blur upon arrival...

Welcome back to the Marsiva, dear passengers. It's time for round two of calibrations. ]

[ This mingle will cover all non-calibration room interactions. Please continue to come back to it for the duration of the plot! You are, of course, free to post any other mingles/posts/etc. that you'd like. ]

Comments

Vash the Stampede | OTA

[goldenglasses]

[Vash is easily found during the day. He doesn't hide in his room marked for: Vash the Stampede. Instead wandering out and around the halls and common areas. If he remembers anything or anyone who shows up in his mind at night he doesn't act like he does. He still smiles and speaks easily to people as if everything at night didn't happen.

Except it did. And he remembers.

He spends a lot of time hovering near the television in case their hosts eventually turn up like last time. Find him there, in his room, or just about anywhere. He'll greet anyone with a happy smile.]

Oh, why hey there! How are you doing?

[After their hosts DO show up... in a away and once the glitches start happening Vash will be one of those ones exploring the parts of the ship he can see. Being a pilot he starts playing with those black glasses around the ship. Only Vash can see the buttons and he's pressing away at them.

He's a bit distracted by his activity at first and he doesn't stop if someone will approach him at this point. He doesn't mean to be rude, he's just not sure how much time he will have to play with this computer before it's taken from him or locked up again.]

Oh... hey...

[He will at least try and smile at you. He's just a bit distracted. Call him crazy? Or help him look at some of these files?]

[iattractmushi]

[Since Ginko has a Lab augment, he can't see what Vash is doing at all, he'd just stopped to watch him and try to figure out what the heck is up. Also, he recognizes him.]

...hey.

[Beat.]

Uh... what are you doing, exactly?

[goldenglasses]

Hey... [Vash is quiet for a bit as he continues to tap away at the glass. Not fully paying attention to Ginko at the moment.]

I'm checking out these... [Click. Click. Enter.] ...files I found... [Eyes scanning over some reading.] ...I hope it may... [Pause to read a bit more.] ...help... us...

[Then Vash seems to remember he's being rude and turns to look at Ginko. There's a flash of recognition in his eyes, but he tries to remind himself quickly that he hasn't actually met this man in person and he can't be sure he remembers the "dreams" they have been in.] Oh! Hey! Sorry, I guess I was a bit distracted.

[iattractmushi]

[He'll come closer to try and see what Vash is doing, but as far as Ginko can see, it looks like he's just kind of... poking at a black glass panel.]

Uh... hate to break it to you, but I can't see any files.

[He's not questioning Vash's sanity, just... if one of them is able to see things the other can't, that's not usually a good sign.

Also it kind of disturbs him that he apparently isn't able to see whatever Vash is looking at.]

[goldenglasses]

[Annoying when it's on the other foot, isn't it Ginko?

Vash continues to tap away at that blank black glass.] No, this happened before. Some people could see things and others couldn't. I think-- I think I've seen some of these files before, but forgot it. Somehow...

[iattractmushi]

[Yes, he really hates it.

But forgetting things...? His visible eye narrows at the black glass that Vash is continuing to poke at.]

That doesn't sound good. [King of understatement, over here.] If we had some... paper, or something, you could write it down. Unless... the people in charge here wouldn't punish you for doing that, would they?

[goldenglasses]

[Vash rolls up his long sleeve of his red coat where he's started to write down what he felt might be more important onto his arm. Namely the names and codes next to the fleet members. Curious to see if they're the same as the notes he took last time.

If his notes haven't been tossed away back on the Twin Roses.]

Paper would probably be a better option than this, but I think I tried the paper once and it didn't really work. I can't clearly remember why I feel that way. I just do.

[It also doesn't help that his arm is heavily scarred adding an extra level of annoyance to writing things down on his skin.]

[iattractmushi]

[Ginko's gaze follows Vash's movements to glance at the other man's arm, and he tries not to stare. Those are a lot of scars, bro.]

Too bad.

[He drops his voice a little, just in case someone is listening in.]

So, what do the files say? Maybe I can try to remember it, too.

[goldenglasses]

Well, all our ships outside seem to be going through some kind of maintenance, but I can't figure out what it is.

[passingthrough]

[She wasn't looking for Vash despite feeling like they should talk. There were things to talk about, right? She assumed he remembered because she does. But that isn't on her mind when she comes across him and sees him really intently pressing a decorative black glass plate. She could chalk it up to Vash is weird sometimes, but she doesn't, because there is something so vaguely, hauntingly familiar about this particular brand of weird. Like there is something on the tip of her tongue but she can't really access it. Can't say it. Can't see it. Can't think it.]

Are you...?

Does whatever you're doing have anything to do with this?

[She adjusts her arm, revealing her own handwriting. Three Twins: NO? ?? ???????, Windrose: NO? ?? ???????, Cycle 12, Engineer, *, Winn Schott: inactive.]

I found it when I woke up this morning. [It feels related, but she doesn't understand why and "Winn Schott: inactive" is understandably upsetting.]

(OOC: *She would have copied down the six-digit number too. I just don't know if I should make one up or not without checking with mods.)

[goldenglasses]

[At first Vash just nods a brief greeting. Not really paying full attention as he works quickly. He's not sure if his access will be cut off tomorrow, a year, or in five minutes so he's trying to go quick.

That is until Kitty points out the messages on her arm. He looks down at it and instantly recognizes what he sees.] Yes! [Excitedly he taps at the keyboard and brings up the information on the Windrose again.]

Do you remember writing it down?

[As part of the reason he was so manic to try to look at everything was because he thought he remember seeing it all before, but it was a hazy memory. And did not like the implications of missing memories on his normal days.]

[passingthrough]

[She watches him work, but it continues to look mostly like nonsense to her. Every now and then there's a flash that makes sense and then it escapes her again with only the memory that there had been something there.]

No, so you can imagine my surprise. [She shakes her head, frustrated by trying to see whatever it is that doesn't want her to see it.] What are you seeing?

[She's definitely not a fan either.]

[goldenglasses]

It's a computer. [He taps his finger at the screen. Where he's now brought up Winn's file.] You really can't see this?

[passingthrough]

[She gets closer and squints.] It's like there's almost something but then it's gone and I can't stay focused on it.

But I must have seen it yesterday.

[goldenglasses]

This happened before. Seeing things... then forgetting it again. The last time they brought us here. [Vash unbuckles the straps on his left arm to reveal the hidden metal part of his arm under it so he can also take notes.]

The files of the passengers. I think... I think they're still the same. [Why was it so hard to remember!?]

[passingthrough]

[She watches him with the arm, remembering seeing it used as a weapon in his memories.]

I never heard that part before. Did anyone keep records? Did they get erased? Confiscated?

[goldenglasses]

I had some things I wrote down last time too. Well, back on the ship. I'm not sure what they're doing with our ships at the moment so it may all be gone if we ever get back to the Twin Roses.

let's go with before the hosts show up

[cloakand_danger]

[Yuan has mostly been lurking, trying not to catch people's eyes. It's hard to know who might confront him over a memory he didn't want to share, and combined with the things he's been seeing at night, he's several kinds of out-of-sorts lately. Much like most of the people he's seen around the Marsiva.

Vash doesn't look any different than usual. It's hard to say if that's comforting or irritating.]

As well as anyone this month, I suppose. [A tired smirk.] Mostly anyone; you look like you're doing well.

Okay!

[goldenglasses]

[Vash is lounging near the television set. It's dark as usual. Maybe they weren't going to get to chat with their 'hosts' this time, but that was fine. They rarely gave much away anyway.]

As well as I can be I suppose. [He smiles easily. A century of practice makes it easy.] At least the kitchen is always stocked despite how many people are aboard! Got a bed to sleep in. There's enough air to breath. I enjoy having company around over isolation. And hey! Some of the movies and games here are actually pretty fun! I suppose I don't have much to complain about.

[Except maybe that sleep thing. Although Vash doesn't really want to bring up the calibrations if Yuan doesn't remember.]

[cloakand_danger]

Hmm. Maybe you don't. [Yuan looks away. Vash in the calibration hadn't seemed especially aware of what was going on, and he doesn't remember Vash poking around in his own dreams.]

...So what's the significance of a donut shop, anyway? [May as well start there.]

[goldenglasses]

[It's at the question that Vash's face falters slightly.] Ah. [So Yuan does remember. Crap.]

I'm not sure really. I suppose because I really enjoy eating donuts?

[cloakand_danger]

So you remember. ...When I was there, you didn't seem very aware of what was going on.

[It's hard to imagine anyone freely offering those memories, even someone as odd as Vash.]

[goldenglasses]

Not all of it. [He only has a vague idea of what people saw and who saw what. The more he tried to think back on it the muddier his memory seemed to get at times.]

And you're right; I thought I was just dreaming at the time.

[Ugh. Might as well get this out of the way. He knew at least one person saw it.] Anything you were concerned about?

[cloakand_danger]

I'm not sure concerned is the right word. [It's not as if what he saw is going to affect anything here, after all, and it's not as if it gave him any reason to fear for Vash's motivations.

It's just that Yuan knows he'd hate having someone know something like that, and not at least tell him they knew it.] You told me you were one of the first Independent Plants. ...Was Knives another?

[goldenglasses]

That's right. We're the only two in existence or at least as far as we're aware.