[Off you all go! The next room you step into is full of more ominous-looking machinery than the last factory, with open, bubbling pools on the floor, a whiff of noxious fumes as they enter.
"Oh, no, this isn't-- pardon our mess, you skipped this!"
It all fades into darkness, then reforms into a hallway with three doors ahead of them.
"Instead, you're lucky enough to have earned a bonus round! Now, you can pick one of these three doors to enter, and you'll play whichever type of game is listed on that door."
Words appear on each: HEALING GAME, ESCAPE GAME, RECOVERY GAME.
Cam looks at these, and he speaks up to say, "Guys, listen, I know you're gonna want out but the Escape Game-- that's how I got trapped here in the first place. Only one person gets to leave, in that one. I didn't want to take the deal, but... she did."]
[i have decided that manwol cannot read, she just squints at all three names. she was about to jump straight out of her skin at the BUBBLING POOLS OF NOXIOUS FUMES but then it disappears just like that? very nice FAKE OUT, VOICES!!!
["Definitely garbage. Sure, it'll get one of you out, but the rest of you are gonna be stuck here basically forever."
As for Taichi's question, his brow furrows as he thinks.
"I mean, healing usually doesn't work in here? It's one of the rules. So however that goes, it's gonna be their way. But if they're separate things, then Recovery probably means, like, recovering something else."]
["Well, we're glad to see you're all so excited to stay!" says the female voice, as the RECOVERY GAME door slides open. Also, yes, Manwol is correct, there's more black smoke.
Inside this room, there's a pedestal for each person to stand on, each with four buttons; on each button there's a picture of each participant's face.
"Now, for this," the male voice says, "you have the opportunity to fix any losses you think you might have made a mistake about. Use your own button, and you can regain something you gave up, but you're going to have to offer to lose something else important to you in order to trade out. If we think it's fair, we'll make that trade for you... but we are pretty deep into the game now, so you might want to factor that into any losses you propose. Better make them good!"
The female voice continues, "If you press someone else's button, you can take on one of their losses. For example, one of you three with reduced vision could help clear up someone else's eyesight... but you'd go blind doing it."]
No one is clearing my vision. I can still see just fine.
[FIRST OFF, JUST TO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY!!! Manwol looks at her pedestal. She assumes that the blob there is her face, and glances at the other pedestals. namely, rita's]
...What if we don't press the button? Do we get a penalty?
["Oh, no, no penalties. It'd just be a wasted opportunity not to do it!" says the female voice.
"The game continues until you've proven your worth, and that you truly want what it is you seek here," the male one adds.
"Bullshit," mumbles Cam, a little black smoke emanating from him.
"But as for that particular loss," the female one chimes in again, "well, it's not a sacrifice at all to lose an ability you never had! You're going to have to lose something equivalent to her magical talent. We can make that decision for you, but since you mentioned it-- sure, make us an offer. It's more interesting that way, I think."]
[Manwol listens closely, her thoughts turned inward as her blind af gaze follows what she thinks is black smoke.
...Taichi is right, she thinks. Rita's power was useful in the last challenge. Manwol had her staff and her ability to move quickly, but she wouldn't have been able to protect anyone if Rita hadn't distracted Claude and then attacked Taichi's clone.
What should she give up? Her fighting ability? Would that matter, when her vision is already dim? She's already hampered. Would these voices take it as a loss? What else does she have? There's only one thing she's truly treasured -- the one thing that's kept her mostly sane after her long years of existence. She hates thinking of it, but Malik's already given something up, and she thinks Yamato would hate her if she let Taichi offer.]
My beauty. I'll offer that up. My ability to maintain myself or put make-up on or look pretty whatever. I'll offer that in exchange for Rita's magic.
[she moves towards Rita's pedestal, thankfully she can discern Rita from the others, and hit her button without asking anyone else's input. hurray.]
...Rita don't swap for it. If you take away physical ability it could end up being something shitty like a loss of focus for casting and then your magic would be a problem for us instead of a help.
[but he could like to be able to move without completely eating shit, so.]
If it's a body loss...[...no never mind.] Forget it. Would taking on Manwol's color blindness leave me completely blind, or just colorblind?
[Manwol slams that button, and one of the voices says, "You know, I don't see why not." She won't really feel much of anything herself, but everyone else who has (or is about to have) vision will be able to see that she's no longer made up, and just... it's hard to put a finger on why, honestly, but she looks a little different. Maybe it's a slight shift in her features, but she just doesn't strike others as gorgeous, and she'll find she doesn't really know how to do makeup nicely anymore either, since she mentioned that.
Malik's decision also gets a, "Sure, that should work!" and, after a moment-- he'll recall the first time he visited the surface, vividly. Then it begins to fade, and he can't quite remember where he went, then he can't remember why, and then it's all just... gone.
Malik and Rita will both be restored by this; his vision is only a little blurry now, and she can now remember most of her magical knowledge and capabilities.
"As for your questions, though-- yes, body is going to be your physical abilities or some sort of related skill, or even just your general health. Taichi, you took your vision penalty fairly early, so adding to it now is going to be harder on you. You'd pretty much be unable to see."]
[NOOO SHE'S NOT PRETTY ANYMORE!!!! THIS IS THE WORST!!!! She can't actually see herself right now, but she's assuming that it's happened. Would rather be a frog, etc etc.]
I'm fine with being colorblind.
[taichi do NOT. please just hold onto muramasa. but asking the question is useful too]
[ and another block of the jenga tower of memories is gone. hm! this is starting to get to him now, and malik is quiet again. i hope everyone appreciates this moment of peace. ]
I've only got one... [she hesitates...] technically two spells left. We're going to need people who can wield a weapon and physically fight. And besides...
[
... besides what? she doesn't finish that thought, she just goes ahead and hits the Taichi button.]
I'm not that strong, but I've got quick reflexes. I'll trade some of my agility to get that jerk back in shape.
[he can't stop her, so the button's hit and he pauses for a moment.
he could argue. he could be stubborn about it, but strategically speaking...]
If Malik and Rita can both see, that puts us at a better advantage. Manwol and I can follow even if our vision's still pretty bad. And if Rita has her magic, Manwol has the staff, and I have the sword we can cover anything we need to, even without all of Rita's agility and Malik not having a weapon.
I'll stay like this for now. [because honestly giving up anything physical isn't a smart move, and he's holding onto his memories because he lost those on a field trip once already, thanks!]
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"Oh, no, this isn't-- pardon our mess, you skipped this!"
It all fades into darkness, then reforms into a hallway with three doors ahead of them.
"Instead, you're lucky enough to have earned a bonus round! Now, you can pick one of these three doors to enter, and you'll play whichever type of game is listed on that door."
Words appear on each: HEALING GAME, ESCAPE GAME, RECOVERY GAME.
Cam looks at these, and he speaks up to say, "Guys, listen, I know you're gonna want out but the Escape Game-- that's how I got trapped here in the first place. Only one person gets to leave, in that one. I didn't want to take the deal, but... she did."]
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She looks at the doors.]
What does it say.
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[ he's not going to embarrass himself by pressing his face all up on the doors. ]
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[guys????
she sighs.]
"Healing Game, Escape Game, Recovery Game."
If we're taking Cam's word on this, the Escape Game sounds like garbage, so that's out. [looking down at the head.] Know anything about the other two?
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What's the difference between healing and recovery anyway? Wouldn't that be the same?
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As for Taichi's question, his brow furrows as he thinks.
"I mean, healing usually doesn't work in here? It's one of the rules. So however that goes, it's gonna be their way. But if they're separate things, then Recovery probably means, like, recovering something else."]
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[manwol can't resist saying, despite the black WISPS that will probably APPEAR from her. She squints at what she's hoping is the recovery game door]
We'll all have to play something in order to get whatever it is, and we've all lost a lot so far. My vote's on recovery.
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[ also if they survive surely there is enough people who will heal them upon return. ]
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I was thinking that one, too.
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Okay. Then recovery game it is.
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Inside this room, there's a pedestal for each person to stand on, each with four buttons; on each button there's a picture of each participant's face.
"Now, for this," the male voice says, "you have the opportunity to fix any losses you think you might have made a mistake about. Use your own button, and you can regain something you gave up, but you're going to have to offer to lose something else important to you in order to trade out. If we think it's fair, we'll make that trade for you... but we are pretty deep into the game now, so you might want to factor that into any losses you propose. Better make them good!"
The female voice continues, "If you press someone else's button, you can take on one of their losses. For example, one of you three with reduced vision could help clear up someone else's eyesight... but you'd go blind doing it."]
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[FIRST OFF, JUST TO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY!!! Manwol looks at her pedestal. She assumes that the blob there is her face, and glances at the other pedestals. namely, rita's]
...What if we don't press the button? Do we get a penalty?
[what if they're actually just fine like this?]
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How long does this game go on for?
[ he doesn't know where cam is so the voices are welcome to answer too i guess ]
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[... that sounds like a win-win? which is why she's unsure.]
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None of us can use magic, so what would be the exchange? Or is that something we figure out ourselves?
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"The game continues until you've proven your worth, and that you truly want what it is you seek here," the male one adds.
"Bullshit," mumbles Cam, a little black smoke emanating from him.
"But as for that particular loss," the female one chimes in again, "well, it's not a sacrifice at all to lose an ability you never had! You're going to have to lose something equivalent to her magical talent. We can make that decision for you, but since you mentioned it-- sure, make us an offer. It's more interesting that way, I think."]
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...Taichi is right, she thinks. Rita's power was useful in the last challenge. Manwol had her staff and her ability to move quickly, but she wouldn't have been able to protect anyone if Rita hadn't distracted Claude and then attacked Taichi's clone.
What should she give up? Her fighting ability? Would that matter, when her vision is already dim? She's already hampered. Would these voices take it as a loss? What else does she have? There's only one thing she's truly treasured -- the one thing that's kept her mostly sane after her long years of existence. She hates thinking of it, but Malik's already given something up, and she thinks Yamato would hate her if she let Taichi offer.]
My beauty. I'll offer that up. My ability to maintain myself or put make-up on or look pretty whatever. I'll offer that in exchange for Rita's magic.
[she moves towards Rita's pedestal, thankfully she can discern Rita from the others, and hit her button without asking anyone else's input. hurray.]
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[ nobody asked you malik. ]
I'd like my vision back... even if it isn't fully restored, I'm getting sick by having this handicap.
[ but what does he have to give up? what else? ]
...You can take more memories. It's all I have anyway. Take another important one, I'm sure you know what they are.
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[rita's eyes widen. look, manwol's objectively gorgeous? this is obviously not a small sacrifice for her.] I didn't ask you to...
--and you! [malik!!] What's with you and throwing away memories!?
[she'll stew over those two for a bit, and then finally bring up what's on her mind.]
... Taichi's athleticism was a "body" roll. What sort of sacrifice equates to that? Something to do with physical ability?
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[but he could like to be able to move without completely eating shit, so.]
If it's a body loss...[...no never mind.] Forget it. Would taking on Manwol's color blindness leave me completely blind, or just colorblind?
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Malik's decision also gets a, "Sure, that should work!" and, after a moment-- he'll recall the first time he visited the surface, vividly. Then it begins to fade, and he can't quite remember where he went, then he can't remember why, and then it's all just... gone.
Malik and Rita will both be restored by this; his vision is only a little blurry now, and she can now remember most of her magical knowledge and capabilities.
"As for your questions, though-- yes, body is going to be your physical abilities or some sort of related skill, or even just your general health. Taichi, you took your vision penalty fairly early, so adding to it now is going to be harder on you. You'd pretty much be unable to see."]
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I'm fine with being colorblind.
[taichi do NOT. please just hold onto muramasa. but asking the question is useful too]
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[
... besides what? she doesn't finish that thought, she just goes ahead and hits the Taichi button.]
I'm not that strong, but I've got quick reflexes. I'll trade some of my agility to get that jerk back in shape.
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he could argue. he could be stubborn about it, but strategically speaking...]
If Malik and Rita can both see, that puts us at a better advantage. Manwol and I can follow even if our vision's still pretty bad. And if Rita has her magic, Manwol has the staff, and I have the sword we can cover anything we need to, even without all of Rita's agility and Malik not having a weapon.
I'll stay like this for now. [because honestly giving up anything physical isn't a smart move, and he's holding onto his memories because he lost those on a field trip once already, thanks!]
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