WEEK 8

[bathymetric]

Good morning, passengers. Happy Sunday. Happy New Year.

Your numbers have officially dropped to single digits. One of you managed to kill the first of the major living obstacles to your collective freedom. A ghost or demon or something nearly killed you. It was a weird week.

The cruise continues on, roller coaster back up and running as ever, arcade free and clear of coins. The last free floor of the ship is open, as well as part of the top deck with... well, something you might expect to see way more on a cruise ship than anything else here. One way or another, you get a feeling you can't shake - things are going to end soon.

No rain yet, but the clouds are closing in fast above you. A cold wind blows during the night, sending the ship gently rocking. Around midnight or so, if you head to the deck, you can hear thunder in the distance.



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to week 8, everyone! Remember to turn in AC here and coins for regains over here! If you wish to get in contact with the npcs, Davy Jones is over here, and "The Captain" is over here! And as requested, profiles are accessible here. ]

Comments

CW: The Hallucination Motive

[ahelpingpaw]

[It's one thing to be the one that says you're not as good as you should be, or that you have failed others, or that everyone hates you. It's another altogether when it's the voices of the people you know. And they're saying such things unbearably often. On Tuesday it was a murmur every few hours, stuff he could brush off. On Wednesday voices would come one after another in bursts. Today it's almost constant, as if there was an entire crowd of people jeering him. Doesn't help he didn't sleep much the last two nights. By now Filbo looks tense, sometimes pausing and staring at the floor with a hurt expression.

That morning he is walking around the ship during the breaks from sewing bags, holding a camera from the photo lab. Filbo is taking so many photos of everything! Every room gets three or four photos, showing everything he can find. The minigolf gets special attention because he takes pictures of the courses, trying to capture those little pieces of everybody else's worlds. He even takes photos of the clouds]

You know, I'm glad there's a camera. I have a journal, but photos will make everything easier to remember!

[Both the good and the bad. He's going to take so, so many photos he'll need one of his bags to carry them all, hah.

Still, it's not all perfect because the motive. At some point while he's fooling around with the camera he just...stands still. The voices have been cruel -- and it doesn't help that half of them are memories. 'You're truly are as useful as a beaker without a bottom'. 'I knew Filbo wouldn't be able to handle any of this'. 'Shouldn't have given 'im a chance'. Things he imagined his friends would say because he had gone missing when his mayoral term had barely gotten started. Stuff he was ready to face, really.

Then came one he didn't expect to ever hear so clearly:

'As it stands I intend to kill everyone on this entire godforsaken boat'

Filbo gasps loudly and steps back, slamming his back against the wall and looking around. That was one hell of a bitter memory, even though he had already tried to leave it behind. Still, he knew what it meant:

He was starting to hear voices belonging to his friends on the ship mingled with those from home. They were loved ones, after all. Would he hear repudiation from the friends that were still alive? He really didn't want to find out, but it probably was matter of time.

For now there he is, leaning against the wall, eyes wide open, clutching the camera as if he feared it was going to vanish in thin air]

cw: hallucinations

[scythegun]

[Yeager's been doing his best to seem unaffected by the motive, but Thursday's definitely not a good day. He hasn't managed to do anything productive since the motive, and today's another day spent restlessly wandering the ship like maybe he'll find something different to do today to take his mind off of it.

He hears something and turns a corner to find Filbo looking like he's seen a ghost.]

...Are you alright, Filbo?

[Probably a stupid question given everything this motive's decided to be, but hopefully Filbo's physically okay??]

[ahelpingpaw]

[It takes him a moment to register Yeager's simple question. Was that an insult? No, it wasn't. Therefore it probably was real. Most likely. Taking a moment to notice he was once again hearing people from home instead of anyone on the ship, he shook his head]

...I'm...well, uh...I think I'm not okay.

[If he has to evaluate from now on if what he hears was true or not then he probably isn't 'okay', he thinks. But at least he steps away from the wall and seems able to function. That's as good as he can ask of himself, really]

Sorry, sorry, I just--I guess I wasn't prepared for any of what's happening right now due to the motive.

[scythegun]

...I don't think anyone is, really.

[Hearing loved ones who aren't here is one thing, but the barrage of insults preying on insecurities? It's certainly cruel in a different way from Jack's motives.]

Do you... want to talk about it? Honestly, I don't know if that will help or make it worse, but I'll listen, if you'd like.

[ahelpingpaw]

You'd...you'd listen?

[That actually seems to surprise Filbo. He really holds Yeager in very high esteem, but like he said to Freyja weeks ago Yeager really didn't seem like the kind of person he'd be able to talk about his insecurities with. While Filbo thankfully is in a much healthier emotional state than when he had a breakdown in front of Freyja, the motive is picking at healing wounds and even though he's far better prepared to face them, it hurts.

Still, Yeager is offering. What'd be the harm, he thinks. If it helps, then great. If it doesn't help, well, not great, but certainly wouldn't tear him apart]

I mean, if you're sure then...I guess...I could?

[He definitely wasn't prepared for Yeager of all people to offer such a thing to him, all things considered, hah]

[scythegun]

Of course, Filbo. I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure.

[The one thing you can count on with Yeager is that he only does things he wants to do. Forcing him into doing anything is a no-go. He's the equivalent of trying to put a leash on a cat.]

I may not be able to help much - but it'll be better to hear something other than those voices, ja?

[ahelpingpaw]

That's true. May as well do this before this gets worse...

[Before he probably hears Yeager insulting him in a few hours, really. Can that happen even though Yeager is still alive? He's so not looking forward to finding out. Trying hard to tune out the jeering and disappointed voices from home he's hearing, Filbo shakes the camera he's holding]

I should, uh, get these processed later, so maybe the pub would be fine for talking, since that's close to the photo lab? Probably nobody's gonna be hanging out there.

[scythegun]

Of course. Let's go!

[...he will not put "what's new pussycat" on repeat this time, promise.]

cw: yup, motive

[ahelpingpaw]

[God, I love the thought of Yeager excusing himself to go mess with the jukebox for like five minutes to queue the songs for the next day and half while Filbo sits somewhere like a lemon and watches that happen, hah. Oh well, maybe it happened in some alternate universe.

Filbo does take a seat to the counter, nervously staring forward while Yeager gets comfortable. Oh boy, he has no idea how this will go but it's not like he can back down now, can he?]

...uh...w-well, I guess I should...just say what happened? Well, it was that, uh--I heard Freyja's voice. From when she threatened to kill us all, back then during that meeting.

I really didn't expect to be hearing that again, you know? Because, well, it's...it's something that kinda scared me a lot back then. Maybe I should have known this whole thing the Captain did this week would dig that up again because it knows it...well, it hits me where it hurts.

The nice Camera prompt

[cethflayn]

Oh! That is a different camera!

[In between Flayn's own bouts with the motive, she's snapped up one of the cameras that spits out pictures right away, looking for people to capture in an image like Constantine showed her. She holds hers up.]

Filbo, may we take a portrait together?

[ahelpingpaw]

[Filbo immediately lights up at the question]

Yes! Definitely yes. Wow, it's been ages since I saw a camera like that one.

[He looks so happy about the idea of taking a picture together, heh]

[cethflayn]

Really? Is it particularly old?

[But uh...Filbo's probably taller than her, how are they going to make this work?]

[ahelpingpaw]

It kinda is! They went out of style kinda fifteen years ago? These ones-- [He shows his] --are kinda more like those we use these days, even though they don't give the photos instantly.

[You know, good question, hah. Standing up probably won't work, he is a good thirteen centimeters taller than her. Maybe sitting down somewhere could work?]

[cethflayn]

[Sitting works! Let's find a place to have a sit.]

I see, I see. Those ones require you to use the chemicals in order to process the portraits, right?

[ahelpingpaw]

[Doesn't take long to reach the cafe. Thankfully not the bright yellow one, the decent one, hah]

That's right! It takes some time but that's just how it is. Nowadays there are cameras that kinda show you the photo before you have to print it somewhere else without chemicals? But they're very expensive, so most still use these ones.

[What's the level of technology in his world? Hell if I know. Personally I chalked a lot of it to 'they're on an island with no electricity' but then there are rotary phones in the credits so instead I just chalk this to them being slow to have widespread modern technology, hah]

[cethflayn]

[Makes sense, makes sense. It's all new to Flayn.]

That is truly incredible. Perhaps someday it will become more commonplace, and thus less expensive.

[Sitting in the nice cafe...going to position the camera in her outstretched arms...click! Whrrrrrr...]

Aha! Now we wait for the image to appear.

[ahelpingpaw]

I wish these kinda cameras were around earlier! It'd have been fun.

[And there'd have been more people to take photos of, which would have been even better]

motive

[ltcommandroid]

[Ah. Well. It seems illogical to ask when Data clearly already knows what is wrong.]

Remember that they are not real. I understand that it does not... [help? but data isn't upset] ...stop them, but it is the truth.

[ahelpingpaw]

They're not--they're not real...

[Filbo takes a shaky breath. They're not real, they're just stuff the Captain is saying through the voices of loved ones, they're...

...it's so hard to keep that in mind when you're listening to almost constant jeering, good grief. There he is, repeating that to himself over and over in his head]

This is maddening! I-I know this isn't real but it's so...it hurts.

[ltcommandroid]

I understand. I am aware that my friends would not speak to me in such a manner, but it is distracting to hear nonetheless.

[geez, he even almost sort of alluded to his feelings being hurt, it must suck]

I wrote a sub-routine earlier in the week to identify the sounds and mark them as irrelevant, but I find that it is taking up more of my processing power than I had expected.

[ahelpingpaw]

So even you were getting affected...

[Voodoo magic takes a heavy toll on processors, now that's a thought]

I wish I could do that too somehow -- I haven't even slept much the last two nights. It's so stressful to be lying there in the dark and hear voices in your head!

[And it'd be hella reckless to take anything from the infirmary to deal with this because, well, that seems like a monumentally bad idea given he's not human. All he can do is hope to be so tired he'll fall asleep anyway]

[ltcommandroid]

I am.

[He tilts his head in thought.]

It does not prevent me from hearing it. It is only as if I am reminding myself each time that it is not real - as you are, I am sure. But at least I am not attempting to sleep. [...] I understand that it must be difficult, but I am concerned for your health.

[ahelpingpaw]

I hope this about it taking too much processing power isn't hindering you, though...I mean, if it's taking that much then what if it doesn't leave enough for everything else? You're gonna be fine, right? S-Sorry, I dunno much about androids or...computers, really.

[At least he's sure Data is countless tiers above any computer, but still...

Filbo steps away from the wall, trying to smooth over the fur of his face and head except the tuft right on top -- his fur was already plenty smooth because he made sure he'd look presentable that morning, but still, when Data mentions his health, he just had to ensure he wasn't looking all messy right now]

Oh, please don't worry about me. I'll be okay! Probably. It's not the first time I sleep badly, and it won't be the last.

[ltcommandroid]

It will be alright. I have a great deal of processing power.

[Normally he can run a ton of other processes in the background while doing stuff and talking to people, but apparently people kinda consider that rude...]

Nonetheless, I am concerned for everyone else aboard. Even Magica does not appear to be handling this well.

[ahelpingpaw]

Oh, she is having trouble with it too, that's for sure. I guess there's stuff that can catch her off-guard...it's almost scary.

[...should he have said that? Hm...]

But it could be worse! She was, uh, well, she was very angry but I don't think she's gonna kill someone. The things she's hearing? It's, you know, people from a city near her strange face castle trying to organize a witch hunt against her. Haha...it must be so--so distressing to have an angry mob inside your head...so as long as she's angry maybe she'll be fine?

[He told Magica he wouldn't tell anyone about how she was like -- eating a breakfast of champions sloppily and hearing the voices of 'fake family', it seems. Well, he sure will try to keep that part a secret because he told her he would]