❧ Something To Talk About

[luministimods]

[the first thing people will hear when they arrive in the room with Croix and Wash is loud classical music from the same composer Caligin used to listen to (though that detail may only strike a few.) but the music is a small detail in this room. many will recognise the cold, forbidding room as one they've seen in secret transmissions sent to them via CAT. all lavishness has left it, however. none of the refinery remains except for individual pictures of each and every resident (past and current) left hanging on the wall opposite the collective of screens. all chairs--the two set in front of the screens and the one behind the desk--are empty.

the person of interest is sadly missing.

however, set in the corner of the room behind the desk is a door that stands out from the rest of the room, mostly because its decoration doesn't match the room. but it does with the other labs--and its name "LAB #3" can be seen. congratulations! the lab awaits you!

or does it? if anyone tries the door, they'll find that it's locked. at least this door has a doorknob, even though it doesn't turn.

but suddenly, the music cuts out and the screens flickering into life. the sneering face of the young man in charge of things looms across the many screens set alongside the office wall. there isn't much to see behind him, unfortunately; just a black, leather-like cushion. clearly, he's not entirely amused by this turn of events.]

So, I see you've all made it. [his lips twitch] I was promised quite the show, but overall, I'd have to give your performance a B-. None of you even died! Now that doesn't make good entertainment, now does it? We came close, though. How fitting two of you nearly died for a second time. And we did have some incidents of people disappearing for a time... No matter!

But oh, I can see from your faces that you just want to go home. "Boo hoo! I want to go home to mommy! I just want to see Insert-Loved-One-Or-Pet-Here again. Boo hoo hoo hoo..." [he pouts, wiping fake tears from his eyes. a split second later, his expression is cold and filled with contempt] I think not. You are far too valuable to be allowed to leave. Besides, an entire galaxy is enamored with you! And--[he lets out a little laugh]--you've all made me a lovely bunch of cash as well.

Now you must be wondering, "My goodness, why is he saying all of this?! Aren't the viewers going to hear and write in nasty comments and boycott the sponsors?" Well, the answer's fairly simple: the cameras don't always have to run. The moment you all entered the room, we ended "the season". Talk about a cliffhanger, eh? Mystery and intrigue, and ohh, you all are so damn fascinating! That trick with the things from your worlds coming here? So, so very surprising and we've had lots of requests to manufacture playsets of them, though I do feel that some won't be as marketable as others. No one would want to buy a stupid blue box, after all, unless you wanted one as a shed. But I have plans for you all.

[he leans forward, a smirk slowly spreading across his lips] Would you like to hear them? Or are you too busy trying to figure out how to open that door? Tell you what. Let's have a little chat--you and me. Who's first? Keep in mind I have a busy schedule, so I'll have to keep this brief. And if I tire of you, well, I have ways of quieting you. I'm not above cutting your air supply! And I can, too, if you keep me waiting. [but really, he's doing it for his own entertainment.]


❧ Plot Details: Something To Talk About **Quick-time Event**

Congratulations on making it through the maze! I hope you guys had fun--I know I had a blast, even though I felt bad when I had to send people back to the start... Like, really felt bad. But! We accomplished all four objectives!!!!

Here's what they were, in order of most important to least(ish):

1. Getting through the maze and reaching the upper level, and finding Lab #3.
   
2. Finding Audrey.
   
3. Finding information on the man in charge, aka the CEO, aka Filippo Resarci.
   
4. And last, finding Proctor.

And man, can I tell you how happy I am that we did? Ahhh, I'm so really glad it worked out! And if anyone is interested in seeing the map, this is what I was working with. Does it look familiar to anyone? But yes, for the most part, I had certain rules for the maze. It was a 50/50 chance in most rooms to get the right door or not. If you didn't, you were sent back to start. However, the doors weren't randomly ordered, and the right door didn't shift around or anything. (That'd just get confusing for me too, in the end.) And in essence, each 'team' had their own versions of the maze. Like no one going into the town square would find it half-flooded, like it had during Croix and Wash's time there, but if they were sent back to start? Yeah, they'd have to wade through that water again. This also kept teams from running into one another and you all were able to discover things about the maze as you went along.

Oh, also, for those of you who got to the Botanical Gardens. Do you remember that saying on the wall, "The past is the road to the present and onwards to the future."? The truth is, that was my way of giving you a guys a solution to the maze. It's actually quite literal. If you take the main events from the past--in this case, those in the first season since I didn't want to make it too long--then you would have your path for proceeding through the maze! I'm pretty curious to hear what other people thought it meant. One person actually got pretty damn close with it!

But looking back at the objectives, though, what has happened to Audrey since Sophie left her in the clinic? And where did Proctor go after his chat with Mu and Natsuo? Hmmm...

Anyway, your goal for this final mini-plot, before the end post goes up (and I can reveal all some fun stuff), is to find the key to Lab #3. And take advantage of the time to have a bit of a conversation with Filippo as well! And...you might want to, or else he's liable to kill you slowly. (Really, what a jerk.) He could easily be lying about the cameras being off--and yes, there are cameras set around the room, some visible and some hidden. He could also just decide to screw with you while everyone is searching, especially with the way the maze was with people... We'll continue to do the search text-adventure style (you can continue to do it how you were; I just need to know specifics about what you are doing so I can react accordingly), and meanwhile, conversations can continue as normal~! For a quick reference, here's the coding that I completely forgot to put in in the last post and kept forgetting to do like the genius I am if you'd like to use it and won't have to keep typing all the time!

<font face="courier"></font>

But yes, once the key is found, that's it! Just like last year (and the previous post) I'll answer the last of tags I have in this post, but then I'll put up the final post for this season and officially end this season! I figure we'll keep things to this post! If you want to threadhop and such, I'll allow it! But definitely don't pass up the chance to talk to Filippo. (And if someone wants to keep a list of places that have been checked in the room, please do!)

If you have any questions/comments/concerns, you can still make them here! Have fun, guys!

Once the key has been found, I'll update this:

Status of the Key:
FOUND!

Comments

[manicurious.livejournal.com]

"S-sir! If I may, a small correction - please know that not all of us want to leave!"

[luministimods]

[his lips twist into an amused smile] Is that so? You'd rather stay here, knowing I could do anything to you at any given time, rather than fight for your freedom?

[manicurious.livejournal.com]

That's my preference, and I do realize that I could be the only one who feels this way. Anything over going back.

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie is having none of this. she glares at the screen, arms crossed over her chest] You're even worse than your father! And considering the sorts of things he did, that's saying something. What makes you think you can simply do whatever you want with other people's lives!?

[luministimods]

My father's thought processes are far too limited, so I'll take that as a compliment. But really, what a cliché question! And here's a cliché answer: Because I can.

[fortune_sought]

Oh yes! What a clever answer. And I suppose you're certain no one will ever do something about that. Or maybe you act like a coward because you know they will do?

[grandbellknight]

[Croix looks like he's about ready to kill someone. It's probably very fortunate for the young man in charge that he's only on a screen and not standing before him...

His glare is icy, intense. He remains still, though his anger is practically radiating from him.]

Fine. What plans would those be?

[luministimods]

[Filippo yawns, knowing the threatening look will bring him little harm]

For you and a couple others, we were in process of designing action figures for the children to play with--and grown children as well. There is quite the demographic for toys these days. We are making a few...slight modifications to your design, however. The testers felt there weren't enough weapons and you didn't look fierce enough, which clearly they were wrong about. I'll have to send your current expression to the boys in development and get a face swap going.

[grandbellknight]

[Croix is not impressed.]

That's all this is about? Money for you? This seems like a complicated way to go about it.

[painlessfighter]

> You, NATSUO, are still soaking wet when you arrive - your hair, your clothes, your little kitty ears and tail... not a single inch of you was spared from the FOUNTAIN STATUES, and you are still very angry about this. You take a moment to spin around hastily, hackles risen, trying to regain your bearings so you can go after that damn FOUNTAIN again. Too bad it isn't here.

You see a MAN before you on the SCREEN. Talking. Taunting. .... BOOOOORING.

You don't even wait for his STUPID SPEECH to finish. You start looking around the ROOM First things first, you notice the PICTURES, so you go to have a closer, more careful look at those.

[luministimods]

> <font face="courier>You see pictures of each and every person who is standing in the room with you right now--and several more of those who you probably won't recognise at all. You also see pictures of people like Audrey, Caligin, and Verita; all the important people in town are there. > Sadly though, a towel is not one of the things in sight at all. You'll have to stay wet.

[painlessfighter]

> Well... okay, that wall of PICTURES is just as boring. And that picture of you... well, you kind of want to take it with you. Maybe later, though.

Is that guy still talking? Why are you even asking yourself that? You really don't care if he's still talking or not. If he is, then you'll just talk right over him. If he isn't, then that means he can pay attention to you! Either way, you speak up:

Hey. You. How did you get Soubi's apartment here? Was it harder than bringing a person?

[bonnypiperlad]

> Since the door's locked, you move over to take a look at the desk, thinking that's a likely place to start looking for a key. However, you're distracted by the slight to the TARDIS - and you pause to give the screen an annoyed look, mouth pulling off to one side in a rather vexed way.]

It's not a 'stupid blue box'. It's the TARDIS.

[luministimods]

> In your glance at the desk, you might have spotted a One-a-day calendar, stacks of paper, and pens--but there could be more.

[he snorts]If you ask me, it sounds like an insult.

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, well, ye might, if all ye think it's good for is one of those playset things. [Whatever that is.] I know differently.

> Not that he'll likely care about that either, given his reactions so far. You go back to looking through the desk, starting with those stacks of paper.

[irreversibly.livejournal.com]

[]

Entertainment...? What are you talking about?

[luministimods]

Oh, you really aren't asking such a thing, are you? [rolls his eyes] What do you think those things in the theatre are? Those films are form of entertainment. Entertainment can be anything that provides a distraction from one's spectacularly boring or pointless life and amuse for a short time.

And trust me, you all are very entertaining.

[Feel free to jack - Fuu likes to work in a team ^.^]

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[Fuu gives a small gasp of surprise, then looks around quickly to take in this new room.
Oh, dear. It would seem the final stage is before them.
She is excited to see the door to Lab #3, but also has a sinking feeling after checking the door - there is be no way the Luministi people would have left the key in with them, is there? ]

[When the man starts speaking - really, gloating - at them, Fuu listens patently. But she feels indignant as several things. And would she ever love to know how they got inside their heads to form so many things from their memories. Such a technology is truly frightful.]


> At the end of the man's tirade you look seriously into one of the CAMERAS, then give a thin smile.

I've never gotten a B-minus before. And I'm rather glad that it will not be on my academic record. I have to apply to a high school, after all.

And speaking from experience, your viewers will be upset when the cliffhanger doesn't get resolved.


[The man is arrogant and boastful. Although he likely won't reveal his true plans, perhaps he'll let something slip. Or perhaps he really will brag about the whole thing...]

[luministimods]

> The cameras merely stare right back at you.

Ah yes, you are still a student. I've seen how many hours you've logged in the library. And from a personal standpoint, I can see the drawing power of such a place. However, libraries aren't marketable these days. Haven't been for eons, yet there's always a niche group crying out for them to be saved... We did offer a text option of the show for those loyal to the printed word, but it didn't quite take off as we'd hoped.

And anyway, you underestimate the power of the cliffhanger.

[desertdaggers]

>It's somewhat disconcerting to be pulled out like that, and you spend a moment adjusting to the ROOM before really registering what THIS MAN is talking about. That… hits pretty much everything you've been taught is wrong, and your lips twitch before you force down the snarl.

A show? You mean the doors? Who promised you that?

>You begin moving towards the SCREENS, to see if there's anything you can find around them. Or to take one or two of the visions of that FACE out, you'd be pleased with that.

[luministimods]

> You see screens galore! And a small, sleek remote that somehow operates each and every one of them resting on one of the chairs set before the screens. You see nothing else of interest in that immediate area.

A very, very special person. And no--[he begins to laugh]--I'm not going to tell you the name of said person. Confidentiality and all. Said person wishes to remain anonymous, and so I shall respect that wish. And yes, with the maze, but really with everything else as well.

[lamb_of_gold]

There are no words for how ANGRY you are.

None.

As it were, however, your FACE does not betray your ANGER, but EVERYTHING in a SEVERAL-FOOT RADIUS around you shudders like a SHOCKWAVE has passed through it. Smaller objects, papers and the like may even have FALLEN.

But you don't CARE at the moment.

Terribly sorry to have disappointed you.

No you aren't, but the snarky tone of voice may have conveyed that.

[luministimods]

> Like the face on screen, the objects in the room are nonplussed by the shockwave.

[in a mocking tone (though for him, is there any other?)] Oh, you are? Somehow, I'm having trouble believing that.

[summer-doors.livejournal.com]

We're being graded on life now?

[He's obviously disgusted, glaring at nothing and lightly kicking at the floor before going over to observe the pictures.]

And that's not creepy in the slightest. Man, how many times do you have to get dropped on your head to think any of this is okay?

[luministimods]

Graded? [he laughs a bit] No, this is not school.

[Filippo shrugs] This is just business. I listen to what my client desires and I deliver. You're just unfortunate enough to be caught in the middle of it.