Palace Game 6/3

[fujimaru]

The Dreamer In The Grand Temple
Humanity Foundation Value: ????

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Comments

THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

When you enter, you find yourself in a large, fairly standard-looking cafeteria. There's the smell of something delicious coming from the food line, and there are various games--board games, card games, a whole-ass VR setup--scattered around, though no one appears to be around playing anything. You can hear voices, though, cheerful chatter and the occasional grumble and argument; even if there's no one to be seen, it sounds like there's a bunch of people having a great time all around you.

It feels comfortable here, welcoming. It feels like walking into a room and seeing beloved friends waiting for you... even though no one is here at all.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[truthliesinspace]

Huh. . .looks like a place Ruggie would like. Wonder if this was like her work cafeteria?

[these better not be GHOSTS. wanders through to a table to see what was being played]

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

Kaito, you're going to have a hard time if you're afraid of ghosts,

But the board games are just that! Normal board games, the kind of stuff that might be pulled out on a family game night. It looks like a few of them were in-progress, like whoever was playing might come back at any moment.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[truthliesinspace]

[LISTEN;;; WE DON'T TALK ABOUT GHOSTS]

[weird :|a

sits....down to wait and see if someone shows up]

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

He has about a minute to sit there, waiting, before a voice says behind him, boisterously cheerful:

"Wahahaha! You're a little bit lost, woof! What are you doing here, huh? Are you hungry?"

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[truthliesinspace]

[JUMPS slightly, turning around to face them]

Wha--sorry, I was just looking for someone who might know what's what, y'know?

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

It's this foxy(?) cat(?) lady. She grins at him, all teeth and good cheer.

"Wohoho! Well, you've found the right person, woof! This Cat'll point you in the right direction, no sweat! Though there was something else I was supposed to remember... huh..."

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[truthliesinspace]

[stares not so respectfully]

--oh! Uh, yeah, that'd be. Helpful. Did I interrupt somethin'?

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

"Nah! I was just supposed to remember, uh..."

There's a long pause of hemming and hawing as she tries to decides, and then she perks up, paffing one paw into the other.

"Dinner! You want anything? This cat'll provide!"

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[truthliesinspace]

Are you really a cat. . .? [but u know what. sure. why not.]

Yeah, I could use a bite to eat. We can talk over a meal!

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

"Of course I'm a cat! A cat's always a cat and there's all there is to it, woof! Anything you request, I can whip it up! But, uh..."

Now she pauses again, scrunching her face up. "There was something else, I think..."

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[truthliesinspace]

Never met a cat that said woof, but hey, never met a talking cat before, so what do I know?

What were you doin' before you saw me? Maybe that'll help you remember.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

"'Course cats say woof! 'Cause I'm a cat, and that's what I say, woof!" She seems particularly insistent on this, for some reason? Huh.

"But as for that, what was I doing, what was I doing... napping? No, no, I was doing... hmmmmmmm... ah!" Another paw in paw punch. "I was checkin' on Master's condition!"

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[eudaimoniac]

[finally a place that isn't SAD ritsuka babe

beelines toward the VR setup. what this is]

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

He just had the bad luck to find the memory-heavy areas first,

The VR setup is definitely just, ye standard VR videogame setup, with the headset, the system, and the TV. Familiar enough to a modern-day gamer who's been looking into it, but it probably looks pretty wild to anyone else. But there's lots of bright lights and colors, and on the screen it's definitely some kind of Beat Saber knockoff.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[eudaimoniac]

[sorry, ring, he is distracted. straight up just gonna touch the lights and colors for a couple minutes.

after that, though, wandering to see if he can find any people]

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

Touching it does not give him a memory, but it is a good feeling--a sense of amused fondness, the kind of feeling you might have watching your friends play around.

But if he wanders into the kitchen area, he will find this man fussing over a bubbling pot. It smells delicious.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[eudaimoniac]

Hello?

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

He straightens, turns, and then gives Des a vaguely befuddled look. "--Hello? It's a little early for dinner."

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[eudaimoniac]

Oh, I won't be eating. I'm actually wondering . . . if you've seen a ring anywhere.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

"A ring?" He pauses, and then his eyes narrow slightly. "...Why would you be looking for that?"

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[eudaimoniac]

To help Ritsuka.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

"Help--" He pauses, and then he nods a little, though he looks vaguely pained, like maybe there's a headache pinched between his brows. "Ah. That's fair. We've been locked out of that, for the moment."

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[eudaimoniac]

It seems like you're all locked out from everything. If you'll allow me to comment.

But yes, I just want to help.

Re: THE CAFETERIA

[fujimaru]

"Normally, we're not," he says. "Master's room isn't generally off-limits to anyone. But, you know..." He grimaces for a moment, silent, then goes on, "We're under some temporary management changes. So it's really only there that we can't reach. The rest is pretty open."