driftfleet | dreams in digital

[ Calibration Rooms ]
( for A-M characters )

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ROOMS BY CHARACTER

A - C

Connor

D - F

G - I

Haggar

J - M

Lup

(last updated: 1/21/19)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Rin? She's a good kid. A bit head strong and doesn't tend to think her actions through, but she's tough. And a good kid. [Opps, did he say that twice? It won't matter much longer as the beautiful mask in your hand morphs into the face of a Rin passed out in your lap. Her face lovingly painted just like the mask. Except it isn't paint on her face; it's blood. What had Manji said just before about her not thinking things through? Here she was again foolishly throwing herself into danger way over her head, but that's part of her charm isn't it?

You look over at the long haired man, the artist responsible for this, as he comes back into the room. The man Rin told you was one of the ones there when her parents were murdered, but had changed her mind for revenge when she saw he had a young son living with him now. Briefly you wonder if this attempt on her life will change her mind. Probably not.] Make up to meet the maker, huh?

Yeah. Something like that. [Comes his reply.]

You got a good kid. You got talent you can turn into cash. [You don't even realize it, but you hold Rin a little tighter to your chest in a protective manner.] Why steal the life from a girl who ain't got nothing at all? [He doesn't answer, but you think you know. He can't help himself.

Instead he changes the subject to ask why you carry a blade. Waxing poetic about the nature of revenge and it's endless circle.] If it was just my problem I could grit my teeth and bear it. But sons, friends, parents, brothers... once they get in the mix, I can't keep my blade sheathed. Yeah, maybe the folk I kill have problems of their own, but if it comes down to their problems versus my problems I'm not going to hesitate. I mean, if that sort of thing bug you, you shouldn't be running around squawking about vengeance.

[As he speaks you lay Rin carefully on the ground. She looks so peaceful asleep like that and you smile down at her.] Yeah. She shouldn't.

[Then man does something strange. He starts moving some of the heavy furniture around the room. At first you can't fathom in the slightest what he's doing until he speaks again.] Hey, Manji. I'm building our ring. Mind giving me a hand here, pal?

[Curious you give a hand to move the heavy items in the room into a weird sort of ring. It's then that he explains the reasoning for it all.] The fact is there are no swords in this place. The boy might have found them, see? So if it's blades you want all I got is your little girl's dagger. [He pulls Rin's dagger out of his kimono.] So to make up for that I've set the stage in my favor. Now, a prediction. With this one dagger I will dissect you.

[You find amusement in this as the fighting starts. He has a point though, the field is in his favor. Your long blades just end up clanging against the obstacles in your way. You both pause as you come to the conclusion that you're both holding back. You throw your large collection of swords out the window leaving you with just a small dagger in your hand. They were useless to you anyway and this way you can match your opponent on even ground. The artist just laughs.] Honest, upright, and a fool. You and the girl both. You know for me, this life I'm living is the real artifice. Once I've killed you both and throw your bodies in the river I'll just tell my boy that she went home. I won't even bat an eye. After all, if I don't keep up the lie I'll lose the most important thing in my life. So I can never let you win.

[The fight continues, but this time you gain the upper hand as you take out a hidden second dagger out of your kimono and jam it into artist's leg. He rushes forward and you block his dagger with your own. Catching it on the tiny hilt on the blade, but he's so much faster than you. You've let your speed dull with your immortality making fighting nearly pointless so he's able to duck down faster than you can react and sink his blade into your side.

The pain is instant as you can feel something rupture. He continues through with the attack by throwing his whole weight into you, dragging the blade in deeper as you both fall to the floor. He manages to get on top of you and you're pinned between the two dressers with your stomach bleeding. He seems surprised as he looks down at you.] Damn it, Manji! You're the guy who killed ten Itto-Ryu! No way you're weaker than me. [You simply smile back up at him. Unable to admit out loud that you're struggling with the idea of turning his son into an orphan, but he seems to know anyway.] Well shit, you two really are alike. [He sinks his dagger in deep into your chest before pulling it sharply across in the opposite direction of the first cut and you scream out in pain.] Sorry, my friend, but I am out of time. You'll just have to let me finish you off. [He slashes Rin's dagger across your stomach once more before pulling it out and placing the blade against your throat. The one spot where a fatal wound actually means fatal. Even for you.] Now die.

[The blade digs in, but before it can get past the point of no return one of those dressers topples over when Rin throws her whole body into it in order to knock it over. The pressure on the blade vanishes and you rip it out as the worms quickly move in to stop the bleeding.

The memory fades out as you struggle to get out from under the crushing weight as your ears fill with the sound of Rin gasping in pain. The last thought that is not your own before you return fully to your body is: that asshole better not touch her.]

Thanks. [Manji continues to clean his blade as if nothing happened. The mask has been returned to the pile of items.] Can you hand me that next? [Manji indicates to another item that seems to call out to you to pick up. Or maybe it's the mask or chain again?]

dreams in digital

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