@anonymous

[bloodbathing]

Who's done this "new universe" shit before?

Comments

[braveoff]

Sounds similar. And you're really good at reducing a sentiment to the fewest words possible. Seriously, this is a talent, I like it.

[bloodbathing]

Haha :)

Old habit. Not a big talker.

[braveoff]

Not everybody has to be, you get the point across.

So how're you setting in? You must still be stuck in the safehouse, if you don't have an ID yet.

[bloodbathing]

Adjusting. Containment sucks. Empathy thing's bullshit.

[ That said: ]

Could be worse. Last place, we were entertainment. Fucked us up for fun.

[braveoff]

They'll let you out soon. And the empathy thing has its uses, I've found. It bothers you?

[ Being entertainment, though... ]

Hadriel fucked us up for food. Somehow yours sounds creepier.

[bloodbathing]

Yeah. Shit's private.

[ There's only one person with whom he's comfortable enough to share such a connection. ]

Food's fucking creepy. How'd it work?

[braveoff]

I agree with that at least.

They fed off emotion. So screwing with us to make us feel specific things was to their benefit.

[bloodbathing]

What the fuck.

[ That's the only message for a moment, but he soon follows it with, ]

What kinds of things?

[braveoff]

Mess with our perception of things or each other, give us visions or hallucinations, sic monsters on us, screw with our memories and dreams... you can do pretty much anything with magic, it turns out.

[bloodbathing]

Sounds familiar.

[braveoff]

Really? My apologies.

[bloodbathing]

Yeah. Same.

This place do shit like that?

[braveoff]

Not to me, yet, at least not in the same way. But they have compulsion drugs which I personally think is worse to deal with than just screwing with you and seeing what you do about it. At least I can control myself in that case.

[bloodbathing]

Experienced those. Woke up, had to obey.

[ He'd wanted to fight. He'd tried to fight. It hadn't done shit. ]

Thought it was VR. Station has advanced simulations. Could forget everything outside it.

[ But he's been trying to wake up for days. It hasn't worked. ]

[braveoff]

Yeah, it's horrible.

There's VR here too but it's not quite that immersive. We're actually setting some up in the Safehouse right now if you want to try it.

[bloodbathing]

What's its purpose?

[braveoff]

Recreation.

[bloodbathing]

[ There's a pause. Maine can't ask what he wants to ask without giving away more than he'd like. And even if he's under the veil of anonymity right now, he knows that his communication style is distinct enough to give him away later.

It's not often that he wishes he was better at asking things subtly, but fuck. He wishes it now.

Eventually, he settles on asking, ]

Why?

[braveoff]

Well it's a little unnerving to me how immersive it is, but the why is pretty obvious if you're comfortable with the tech. You've never wanted to be somewhere else, or just doing something else?

Why don't you come give it a try? I can meet you in the rec room.

[bloodbathing]

[ He's wanted both of those things. Wants them right now, actually. And that's the problem: if this VR is like the tech back on the station, it'll show exactly what he wants.

So Maine hesitates. Asks another question: ]

Does VR pull from user's head?

[ Nothing subtle about that. He doesn't care. It's private, and he doesn't want anyone seeing it. ]

[braveoff]

Pull? No. It's more like you're pushing, telling it what to do, than it's drawing from you. If you're comfortable with creating your own environment, that is. I've only ever tested the pre-rendered scenarios.

...I wouldn't use it if it could pull. This data's probably stored somewhere, too, but at least it can't read your mind.

[bloodbathing]

Good.

[ As long as it's not pulling anything, it should be safe to use. Well, safe as anything connected to an unwanted, unasked for neural implant. ]

Will try it.

[braveoff]

Cool. Most people seem to think it's fun, and it's something to do while you're trapped in there at least.

Or give me a hand hanging dividers between the bunks, if you want to be helpful.

[bloodbathing]

Tall. Can help.

[ He'd helped Angela a bit with a similar project. ]

[braveoff]

[ It's the same project, just done in chunks while they get supplies for it. Things are just about done now. ]

Cool. I've got a ladder but tall's useful.

I'm bringing the last batch of curtains back in about... half an hour?