WINTER COMMON ROOM - WEEK 3

[dormheads]

common room.

Similar to the rest of the architecture, the common room in the Winter Dorm is almost more reminiscent of a tea room or parlor that you would find in a manor. A chandelier hangs above, everything in the room glistening in the light that is both welcoming and just a tinge cold. Seating is available for a number of people to gather, adjusting each week to seemingly accommodate a little bit over the number of people assigned to the dorm. A piano doesn't sit too far, and sometimes when the room isn't too full, it's almost like a beautiful classical melody will begin to play itself to make up for the empty space.

Or... is that a showtune...?

Who can say?

This week, we're getting into the holiday spirit! So pop some bubbly, be a little sweet - it's that time of year.

specialty room.

However on the first floor, there's an oddity amidst the serene architecture. One of the rooms opens to a Gaming Lounge, complete with screens that stretch across the entirety of one wall length-wise. Incredible comfortable chairs and couches sit opposite the screen, comfortable enough to steal you away from the outside world for hours upon hours. A series of gaming systems are hooked up to the screens, and a small tower of handhelds sit on a bookcase nearby. Every game you can think of is downloaded and programmed onto each device, though every time you start one up it seems to immediately pull up an otome game or farming simulator. The lighting system changes between a rainbow of colors, and one wall is lined with snacks that are a little less decadent but still just as delicious. The room will adjust based on the needs of the game you play, a wall spinning out to roll out DDR dance pads, virtual reality goggles, or whatever you could need for the ultimate gaming experience.

No, it isn't incredibly reminiscent of Dude Perfect's Game Time Lounge. You're imagining it. (But really, click the link for a better idea of what the room looks like.)

---

Please use this as an open post for members of Winter Dorm. You may post top-levels whenever you'd like and go wild. A new post will go up at the start of each week.

Comments

[supercatty]

[she has her phone out and is holding it close to her chest, gaze flickering around the dorm to take in every person present. after a moment where she seems to come to some kind of conclusion. . .]

I talked to Yamato last week about the dorm heads having their memories tampered with. Ever since then, I've been wondering--

[and she holds out her phone to show the mini-event coupon! one basic mind altering spell, unused]

What if I used this to try and recover them?

[steelo]

[ okay i'm not gonna lie to you he's a little touched that she's showing them all her power. wow. we are gaining trust levels here.

... thankfully that doesn't show on ichiro's face. instead, he raises his eyebrows, surprised. ]

... Kind of like how Dimitri was able to use it on Sunday, you think? Since it looks like he broke out of whatever that place wanted him to do.

[ thinking.... ] It's only basic, so it probably wouldn't last long, right? Maybe we need to have a question ready, or something.

[commandertoolbelt]

Manwol said during the trial that it would only last for two days. But it might be worth trying.

[refate]

... if we test this out, and it works, then that opens up potential to something that I can do. Powers I have that I'm working on getting back. I've been thinking about it, but both of the ones that would be viable here would cost 8 vouchers without discount, and the price might raise to 10 in the case of the mind altering given the nature of it.

But Viola herself told me that if you add specifications, it might not work. So you need to be conscious of how you're intending to use it in more ways than one.

[steelo]

I am definitely down with donating a voucher or two if you need it. [ because that sounds really, really useful to all of them... and to their overall cause. ]

I was wondering if maybe the communication power could be used too, to talk to "Iris" instead of "Viola". [ ... ] But I actually think it'd be better used to talk to the people in the 'daycare'.

[chevaliered]

Byleth was wondering if there's an email address for that place. You think it's possible?

[steelo]

Maybe. I mean, we have phones, right? Why would you need a special power for communicating with people, unless it was something we couldn't communicate with by using that?

[ tilting his head... ] I don't have it, so I couldn't tell, but I was gonna ask Vi-chan about it, anyway.

[chevaliered]

If it exists there's got to be a way to find it, right? If not via messages, then literally, physically.

[supercatty]

[sideyes]

What kind of power are you talking about?

[refate]

It's - complicated to explain in context and out of context? [ he's so tired but at this point, ok, fine. he got outed as a modern ages ago. ]

How much tech do you and Adora have, where you're from? Programing, robots?

[supercatty]

[Catra doesn't even know what constintutes a modern vs what doesn't so she won't even think much of it, don't worry Kon]

[she does hold up her good hand to tick off her fingers as she lists technology from home, though]

Oh, plenty of it. Computers, laptops, robots, airships, tanks, skiffs, automobiles, tracker pads, long-distance communication devices, laser guns. . . plenty of magic too, though that doesn't really count as tech. I don't recognize every bit of tech people here have here-- like "cameras," or whatever-- but most of it is close enough to what we had in the Horde that I can figure it out.

[tail flick!]

And then there's First One's tech, which is a whole different beast. I can't really explain how that works, though. You'd have to talk to Entrapta for that.

[and unfortunately Entrapta is not here :(]

[refate]

[ congratulations you get a less manic pixie terror and more of a sarcastic snarker version of entrapta.

he is not looking catra in the dunce cap. but now that it's w3 i guess kon will just go ahead and share with the class: ]

This makes life so much easier for me very suddenly. [ christ ] So I'm a programmer and engineer, mostly in computer science, robotics, artificial intelligence. Things like that - but also virtual reality. I was brought to Wiwaldi while in the middle of a fully immersive virtual reality simulation - so realistic you could taste food and feel pain, basically. I don't look like this, normally, so I'm thinking that means that I can get access to the things that I had there.

I had written in my own back access to the program. With that, I could rewrite the programming around me. Change the environment, gain access to portions of the world that would otherwise be barred. And that... does, admittedly, include people. Like mind altering, extracting memories like it's data.

[commandertoolbelt]

I'm thinking mine would take about eight, too, but Vi said I could probably get a weaker version for four. We could pool vouchers, too, if we think it could help.

What kind of powers are you going for, bro?

[refate]

Yeah, I'm down for us continuing to pool vouchers where we need to. I'm saving six for memory extraction, but I've got two set aside after that.

[ shrug, but ah. ]

... there's a reason why I jumped instinctively to suspecting that they were overwriting people here, and why I wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of the mind altering spell. [ jazzhhand ]

[repress]

[ dimitri is actually here for this conversation, weird. he looks uncertain at this. ]

It sounds plausible. Though I do not want to give any of you the wrong impression—I was not actually able to negate the force controlling us.

[ so... hard to say if it'd actually work now, though he doesn't sound discouraging. ]

I think I was able to manipulate myself enough for a better outcome, but whether this is possible, or if it may have consequences, remains to be seen.

[steelo]

[ giving dimitri a little smile, reassuring! and also offering him a plate with some bacon on it? please eat, sir. ] Yeah, yeah. Of course, man, thanks.

...What was it like, if you don't mind us asking?

[repress]

[ nah he's good but he won't slap it out of his hands. character development. ]

The execution, or the power itself? It is... [ hmmm ] I wouldn't say it's terribly noticeable. Maybe not at all, for most.

[steelo]

[ our pspspsps-s are working...

oh! he snaps his fingers. right. ] Oh, yeah - that's right, it's still going, right? It'll wear off tomorrow...

[ hmmm... ] You're a pretty observant guy, though, right? Definitely not most. [ heh! with a grin. ]

[repress]

I doubt that is it...

[ he looks increasingly disoriented by this conversation? so he changes tack a bit. ]

In any case, I think it would be worthwhile to consider. Not everyone is comfortable with their minds being affected so, but it sounds like Iris would be all right with any opportunity.

[chevaliered]

... Honestly, I think if we give Iris an opening, she'll take it. I can't emphasise how pissed she was when I spoke to her.

[repress]

I do not doubt it. If anything, I think it is a good opportunity.

We just need to be aware there may be consequences, or that it may not work as intended. Human minds can be... fragile.

[chevaliered]

I don't think springing it on her will work, no. But if we talk about it around her, ask if it's okay, she'd be prepared and Iris would be too. If they know it's coming it could make a difference.

[refate]

To have said she was "furious" would have been an understatement, and I only saw Iris for a minute, if even.

[chevaliered]

Serious understatement, yeah. If we don't get to whoever brought us here first, she won't leave anything left of them for us to shake answers out of, that kind of pissed.

[supercatty]

[YEAH CONGRATS ON YOUR TRUST WINTER!! Catra draws her phone back, slipping it into her pocket as she responds]

I don't know how it works. I guess I could trade the coupon in, and see if it's given any restrictions when I do.

But I don't want to use it without talking to Viola first.

[because obvs she'd use it on Viola]