Audience: Medb

[probe]

Comments

[probe]

[she can see him rolling his eyes since the purple glow briefly disappears.]

I am only concerned since we had hoped this wouldn't happen again. [let him pretend to be factual and not worried. that illusion's shattered, like, immediately though.]

Are you alright?

[fergalicious]

[ At least try to maintain your aloofness more? This is funny, and Medb can't help but smile because that was such a weak protest. ]

I could be better, but I'm alive. I didn't die. [ UNFORTUNATELY. ]

I'm just really tired. That seemed to be a big theme where I was taken. It wanted us to be really, really tired.

[probe]

[he cannot for reasons.]

Then I suppose you win this round. [maybe don't make off-color comments about your own death, greed. strange.]

Sluggish? Or sleepy? [thinking...] Sloth, likely, if it follows the previously-set pattern.

[fergalicious]

See? I told you I'd come out better than you did.

[ And Medb shouldn't be this way either. Greed is alive now, and that's what matters? They've both died at least once now. It's all cool as long as you don't stay dead. ]

Do you think there's a reason why a sin is... a focal point?

[probe]

That you did. [he'll concede to the point. but he folds his arms over his chest and leans his head back against the wall to think that over.]

If anything I can only assume it's meant to be a reminder of what, precisely, you're supposed to be doing here. There's a pattern as well that the host Avatar of each week has their sin prominently featured in each encounter despite the two not being related.

Another recalibration, perhaps.

[fergalicious]

[ When he uses the word recalibration, Medb's head and interest immediately perk up. And then she winces because of her face throbbing side effect. ]

What does recalibration mean here? We were asked that question. If we wanted to recalibrate.

It was on the to-do list we were given, too.

[probe]

[the word "careful" is on the tip of his tongue but at least he doesn't say it.]

...what to-do list? [he sounds...surprised? and he pauses.] What sort of tasks were you assigned?

[fergalicious]

Um...

[ She tries to remember. ]

Collect toe tags, update mini integrated life forms, recalibrate— something. The what was missing. Redacted.

[probe]

[...m...milfs?]

I see. [he seems to be choosing his words carefully.] What did you say when it asked for recalibration?

[fergalicious]

[ STOP I HATE THAT I DIDN'T MAKE THAT CONNECTION there were no milfs in that cyoa though??? ]

I wanted more information first, but yes.

[ She watches him carefully. She sees that deliberation. What with her one working eye and her half-working covered eye. ]

[probe]

[ara your milfs.]

...and then what happened?

[they're on the same "team" because they both consistently want more information and ask questions before giving answers.]

[fergalicious]

I felt a painful transformation. It... felt like it could've been connected to all of you Avatars. Horns, tails, claws—I think there was something for all of you, but it happened so fast but not fast at all.

[ That's the best way she can describe all at once but time freezes.

She saw a memory of his. She knows he didn't always sport his Avatar look. ]

[probe]

[...his hands flex a bit, claws outstretched and fingers stiff as if he's having a hard time moving. she isn't quite close enough, but every now and then she might feel a little draft of cold air blow through the room.

the way she describes it both is and isn't surprising.]

...to recalibrate is to reset. A recalibration here is simply a means of resetting how things are done. The two-person competitive executions are a recalibration. These adventures you disappear to are recalibrations as well. Likely, whatever happens this evening will be a recalibration, too.

But not all recalibrations are enacted by choice. Some happen on their own. [he pauses.]

We chose to recalibrate initially. I believe what you may have experienced is a brief moment of our own recalibration as we became Avatars.

[fergalicious]

[ She eye(s) the movement of his hands, his claws. Curious enough, she takes a few steps closer. She registers the cold air but has no idea what connection there is, but it's a little worrying.

If so much of what's done here is a recalibration... ]

What exactly is being reset? How things are done—what is that?

[ The executions are still happening. The adventures are still happening. The murders are still happening. So what's being reset by each and every one of them? What's experienced for each of them? ]

What were you choosing when you became an Avatar? Did you know?

[probe]

[unfortunately she's going to quickly realize the cold air is coming from miles himself, a standing block of ice even while wrapped up in his cloak. he doesn't move though.]

This place. The base. Operations. All of those are being reset without our knowledge most of the time. What happened that first Thursday when Suoh was killed was the result of a recalibration we did not anticipate or account for. Likewise, the execution that weekend was also the first time we had seen something of the sort.

So long as murders continue to happen, these will continue to occur on a schedule.

[...the claws flex again.]

We didn't think it would be like this I think, no. But I suppose by now it's a bit obvious, isn't it? We were choosing to continue.

[fergalicious]

[ Why is he making things icy?

All of that is really worrying actually, and she does want to address it, but first things first: ]

Why are you making things cold?

[probe]

[ah.]

It's...not on purpose. [sometimes there are side-effects to having freezing, spiderweb veins all over.]

[fergalicious]

Can I have your cloak?

[ She's assuming he isn't affected by his cold generation, but she is? ]

[probe]

[no he's very much affected by his own freezing but she just got mauled so he wordlessly takes off his cloak and hands it to her. now she gets to see he's still dressed like a nerd. though also i guess i should mention he's paler than the last time she saw him without a hood, those veins taking on a slight blue-black color and skin a little stiff. the shadows continue to roll off of him and from his eye sockets in little wisps, hollow and sunken in.

but otherwise he's probably fine, even if when he speaks his fangs look a little sharper and longer.]

Better?

[fergalicious]

[ STOP DON'T GIVE HER YOUR CLOAK, THEN, MILES. I'm in tears.

Wish Medb could be a mean girl about his nerd outfit but her usual trial outfit sports a similar cravat/jabot thing, too. Awful.

She slings his cloak over her shoulders, and she smiles. ]

Yeah, thanks.

[ She looks more carefully at the differences in his Avatar transformation. ]

Did you go through another recalibration after dying? [ ... ] And what exactly is being continued, here?

[ By their choosing to become Avatars... the indulging... their wishes? ]

[probe]

[hate that for both of them. he doesn't quite smile back, but the expression's more one that says he doesn't mind as much as he should.

that question is a bit more difficult though.]

Not exactly, no. [he looks at his hand again.] This started on its own but...it's changing without notice.

[from there, he folds his arms loosely over his chest.]

We chose to become Avatars, Medb. I think you can wager what, exactly, we were trying to continue.

[fergalicious]

[ What does it mean if the Avatars' transformations are evolving? She isn't sure it's a good thing. She doesn't think it's good at all, actually.

She gestures to the space ship at large. ]

This whole thing? Do you have a wish you want granted?

[probe]

[hm. it's probably fine?]

When this originally started, yes. There was a wish I had. [still have, but he's clarifying anyway.]

[fergalicious]

It sounds like there's a but here. Or an and?

[ She tilts her head. ]

[probe]

...no, I suppose there isn't. It's still something I want.

[but you know, being an avatar. etc.]