you need a bloody shower [post-event mingle]

[bloodyashes]

Characters: Any and all!
Setting: Floor 77, sauna
Format: Action-mingle - start your own threads!
Summary: The event is over and everyone who was stuck in the dorms needs a serious bath.
Warnings: Post-event shenanigans? Also baths so p much everyone is at least partially naked.

And so now that you've made your way free of the hell that is the dorm rooms -

This floor mimics a sauna--there are three entrances: one for men, one for women, and one for mixed. Inside each room is the wooden interior one would expect. Outside each area is a small changing room with lockers--if you look, you'll find one with your name on it. The locker will only open up for you. It might be a good place to store things, actually...

- it's time for everyone to take a bath! There's both hot, steamy stalls and large hot spring pools - but you'd better hurry! It's gonna get crowded in here kind of fast.

And hey, keep that towel closed, there's children in here!

Comments

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid jumps when Aleph puts his hand on his shoulder. It's obvious his thoughts are quite far away from the here and now if he is started so much. In fact, the look he gives Aleph is somewhat guilty as a result.]

Aleph. I didn't hear you. I'm here. That is more than others can say. How were things for you? Were you trapped as well?

[alephbet]

[A shake of the head.] I was one of the ones clearing rubble to get to the stairs. I don't know exactly how bad it was in the dorm rooms, but I'm guessing that it was awful for you.

[oathshackledbird]

It was worse, but I think our room got off lucky.

[An uneasy look crosses Diarmuid's face.]

There were screams toward the end--voices I knew--but with the hallucinations and other strange things that were going on, I have no idea if they were real or not.

[alephbet]

What were your hallucinations like? I went a little over the time limit Riki suggested for working, and the feeling of being watched followed me even when I left the floor...

[It freaked him out. A lot.]

[oathshackledbird]

They started off minor. Sounds and talking outside of the doors. I actually thought maybe it was other residents at first, but it quickly became obvious it was...something else.

[Diarmuid shuts his eyes, unconsciously wrapping his arms around himself.]

If people got too loud they would get attacked. Waver had his hair pulled by something he couldn't see. My brother got clawed up by something that wasn't there and then it got really bad...

It was like being trapped in a hospital of some kind, but not a good hospital. There was something wrong going on in this place. Very wrong. There were flashes of doctors, nurses, children...

And then the screaming started. I kept trying to tell myself it was just part of the hallucinations, but I swear I knew some of the voices I heard...

[alephbet]

You should check up with the people you heard. Because that - that sounds awful. Much worse than just what the people downstairs dealt with.

I'm so glad this didn't take longer than it did.

[oathshackledbird]

I am already looking for them. Or at least, one in particular. I haven't seen her yet and that worries me. I just hope I have missed her because of all the people.

[And not because she's dead.]

I am glad things didn't last any longer either. It seemed to be getting worse as time passed. Who knows what might have happened if we had continued to be trapped like that?

[alephbet]

Who is it? I can keep an eye out.

Best not to worry about it, since it didn't happen.

[oathshackledbird]

Her name is Sola-Ui... Mrs Archibald is probably best. I won't inflict her full name on you.

[He laughs and then motions toward the women's section of the sauna.]

It could just be I'm not seeing her because she is staying over there. She is a very proper lady with bright red hair.

But you are right. It seems I am forever borrowing trouble. I need to stop.

[alephbet]

Well, that's one place I can't investigate. But I'll tell you if I see her around elsewhere.

[A firm nod.] Right now you ought to relax. No good will happen if we all go crazy from stress.

[oathshackledbird]

I appreciate it.

[He laughs lightly.]

I am trying to relax, believe it or not. It is just somewhere I seem to have forgotten how...

[alephbet]

Maybe if the tower expands again we should get a massage parlor. Think it could happen?

[oathshackledbird]

A massage parlor?

[It takes a moment for the information from the Grail to define that for him, but once it does, he laughs.]

Perhaps. If nothing else, I would certainly have an amusing time trying to drag Waver to such a place to relax. It would probably be worth him hitting me.

[alephbet]

Not the type to relax willingly, huh? I know that kind of person.

[...congrats, Waver, he's comparing you to the devil.]

[oathshackledbird]

I think I may need to find someone to surgically implant the ability to relax into him.

[Diarmuid laughs self-consciously.]

And then probably into myself as well. I'm not the best at relaxing either as I mentioned.

[alephbet]

Even where I'm from, they haven't invented that, and they have terminals that can transport you across cities now.

[oathshackledbird]

Oh?

[A curious look crosses Diarmuid's face.]

What other interesting things have the people of your home invented?

[alephbet]

Well, obviously they've invented ways to make people artificially and have them grow faster than a human would. [Aleph gestures to himself.]

Besides ways to control demons, they also have a lot of advancements in virtual reality... Hooking someone's brain up to a machine and having them believe they're somewhere else, basically.

[Aleph doesn't seem to be too excited about that part.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid nods in acknowledgment as Aleph speaks. However, when he gets to the part about virtual reality, Diarmuid frowns.]

What is the point of doing that? There is no reason to think you have gone someplace if you haven't actually gone there. Am I missing something? You don't seem to thrilled about the idea either.

[alephbet]

I've seen it used for two things. One, for combat training - I don't have any objections to that. Two....

[A sigh.]

There was a 'city' called Arcadia, a seeming paradise without demons or troubles. In reality, all it was was a virtual reality that its residents didn't know they were hooked into. The one in charge of Arcadia attacked me when I found out the truth.

[oathshackledbird]

Combat training?

[Diarmuid still seems dubious about the use. After all, how can one learn battle instincts when deep down they know they are someplace safe?

However, it's the second use that Aleph explains that really gets his attention.]

Was he just trying to control a large number of people? What did he get from doing that to them? Especially without their permission or knowledge! It's not right!

[alephbet]

'Trying to control the people' is always a good guess when it comes to my world's government.

[Aleph doesn't have respect for them at all.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid frowns deeply.]

That is terrible. You said he tried to kill you when you found out. Were you able to stop him and free those people eventually?

[alephbet]

I did stop him. And I destroyed the systems controlling those people. ...An I hope that left them better off.

[Destroying things attached to people's brains doesn't usually leave them in a good state.]

[oathshackledbird]

You weren't able to stick around to see the results?

[That had to have been hard.]

Freeing them might have been dangerous, but forcing them to live a lie really is no better. Does...that kind of thing happen a lot on your world?