WEEK 3 MINGLE

[foundationmods]

WEEK 3

Week three opens like the other two weeks, but when you wake up, you know there's been a change in the area. At first, nothing is wrong - but when you look at any window, you aren't greeted with the cheery sight of the outside - instead, there's just a cold, harsh blackness. Trying to leave out the doors is impossible, too - if you try, you just find yourself back on the couches in the lobby. On top of that....The Staff are beginning to act even stranger, their glitching out becoming more obvious. Sometimes, they seemingly go blank mid sentence and walk away, as if they were reset, and slur or stutter their words.

The weather is...well, non-existent, except for the courtyard, which is still pleasantly snowy. There is still music playing in the halls, and the cover songs continue with some low-key music for the week.

On Monday morning, another memory is returned to everyone. Another piece to the puzzle, one step closer to finding the truth of this place. Yet, it doesn't seem like you're any closer to solving this...

And time still ticks onwards, regardless if you're ready or not.


PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS | MURDER PROPOSALS/VOLUNTEERING | LOCATIONS | APPRENTICE PC POST

MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

Comments

[resortghosts]

[Archimedes tilts his head.

After a moment, the bird turns to look at Medic and coos again- a short, sharp sound, almost like a command.

It takes a moment, but the eagle on Medic's shoulder reluctantly takes off and flies to a perch elsewhere in the cafe.

You're free, Phil.]

[imstuck]

[Blinks]

Oh. Thanks?

[What the hell just happened.

Well... he guesses he’s going towards Medic now.]

[resortghosts]

[Archimedes preens at Phil's hair. He has accepted you.

Medic holds up a sticky note as Phil returns.]

If it helps, I actually did not remember the eagle thing until you walked in

[imstuck]

[He has been accepted as a bird dad.....

Phil takes a seat and sits down near Medic, still eyeing that eagle.]

Yeah I have my doubts I'll be able to comfortably be near an eagle for a long time now.

... You think the entire animal kingdom has it out for me, Medic?

[resortghosts]

Well, not all of them. Archimedes has decided to trust you, after all.

[Medic can't say one way or the other about rodents, though.]

Eagles aren't really my area of expertise, anyway. I learned quite a bit from helping Soldier, but my preference remains with my flock.

[imstuck]

Are you sure he doesn't just want to make a nest out of my head?

[He's joking really!]

What's the story with your flock anyway? No offense but it doesn't seem normal to be covered in birds like that.

[resortghosts]

Maybe on your head, but not in it. He knows I prefer you alive.

[Phil can't see it, but Medic just has. The biggest goddamn grin on his face at that question. This is one of his favorite stories to tell.]

Well! The short explanation is that I stole them!

The slightly longer explanation is that I stole them from a wedding!

The longer-than-that explanation is that I stole them from a Prime Minister's wedding!

[imstuck]

I'm glad my boyfriend doesn't to use my corpse as a nest.

[He loves you.]

... I feel like I should be used to you saying these sort of things by now.

But every word you said is incredibly baffling.

[resortghosts]

Why would I want to use your corpse as a nest? I'm not a bird.

Also, I killed one of the Chancellors at the wedding. That's an important detail.

[imstuck]

And now I'm worried again.

...I feel like I'm going to regret this, but why were you stealing birds from the Prime Minister's wedding?

[resortghosts]

It actually wasn't intentional, if you can believe it. I just meant to steal the van! I didn't realize that they'd put the wedding's homing pigeon flock inside until I'd been driving for a while.

[imstuck]

[=T]

I guess I should be relieved you didn't kill a man just to have some birds.

[resortghosts]

No, no, it's more like- how do I put this...

[Medic taps his chin with his pen, thinking. Ah, what the hell. If he hasn't scared Phil off yet, he probably isn't going to now.]

Before I became a mercenary, I had a hobby. That hobby was tracking down and killing people who deserved death but had avoided it, usually by hiding their identities in some way.

Still murdering people, like my normal job now, but not for money. The satisfaction.

My friend Soldier and I- we actually met in Germany before becoming mercenaries. We had the same idea, actually. His plan had some, ah, issues, but I helped him along as best as I could.

The Chancellor was one who had escaped justice. My only regret is that he died quickly.

[imstuck]

[Phil reads this over and ponders it.

Well... he would be a damn hypocrite to judge him on killing people who deserved it when his one reason for killing a man (before Medic) was to feel something.]

You're lucky I'm the only one reading this, you know.

[He smirks.]

Are you going to kill me too now that you know that I'm enough of an asshole that the universe had to keep me in one place before I escape.

[resortghosts]

Oh, I don't care what the rest of them think. Half of them probably believe I'm as awful as the men I'd kill. What're they going to do, execute me again?

No. You're not at all like them, not even close.

[imstuck]

[Phil reaches out to hold Medic's hand, and probably misses. He's not concerned or anything, he just wants to be romantic.]

I'm really flattered. You're probably the first guy I've met who's said I wasn't the worst man they've encountered.

[Romantic.]

[resortghosts]

[This is what macklemore died for

Phil does miss, but it doesn't matter, because Medic reaches over and grasps Phil's hand, himself. His hand is warm and he holds a little tighter than he probably means to.

After a few seconds, his grip relaxes, and he rubs his thumb over the back of Phil's hand.

Medic was a bit more nervous he sounded.]

[imstuck]

[Phil takes note of the hand grip and frowns slightly.]

Anyway you don't have to worry about me judging you. I've told you already that I've done more shitty things than I can count at this point. For fun even. If I hated you for killing people, then I might as well hate myself for what I've done.

...

Which I do, but that's besides the point.

i wanna go back in time and tell past me that i'd seriously rp medic/a bill murray character someday

[resortghosts]

[The hand's grip tightens again.]

It's not that, really. I didn't think you would.

I was being serious before- you are nothing like the people I've killed, even at your worst.

You're not a man who deserves to die.

[And Medic's starting to realize that he really, really doesn't want Phil to die. At least not permanently. At least not in a way he can't fix.]

it's beautiful isn't it

[imstuck]

[Phil reads the note and it's his turn to tighten his grip on Medic's hand.

He is silent for a good long while. As if pondering the note.]

... What do you see in me, exactly?

[resortghosts]

[Medic thinks it over for a long time before he starts writing out his replies. There's a few notes he crumples up midway through writing, starting again and trying to wrack his brain for how to put this into words.]

At first, I didn't really know. You were attractive, and funny, and interesting, and you weren't disgusted by me, and that was enough? Then you kissed me, and all of that happened, and I sort of expected you to just. Leave me after that, but you didn't. And you still haven't.

And then you were genuinely upset to see me die, and genuinely worried that I would somehow hate you for it? And actually caring about the fact that I died?

And that's... baffling. I've spent years now around mercenaries, but I still remember trying to date men before that- civilians- I remember how poorly that went. And I actually had better impulse control back then! I managed to accidentally drug you the first time you kissed me and you still kissed me again after the effects wore off???

And that told me a lot. That no matter how abrasive you try to be, you're not as awful as you think you are. And especially after last Thursday-

I trust you. And I really like you. And I'm a little worried about you.

... I think the real question is, what do you see in me?

[imstuck]

"Worried"...?

[Phil reads over the note over a few times (smiling slightly at the mention of last Thursday), amazed that anyone who really knew him would think of him so highly. Under his narcissism, Phil never really thought too highly of himself, and being trapped in the time loop only exasperated that once he was finished indulging himself to death. And reading this makes him feel... happy. Genuinely happy.

He realizes after a good minute that he should respond to Medic, and not keep him waiting.]

... I think you're hot.

[He... he really meant to say more than that.]

[resortghosts]

[[Blank i want you to know this is the absolute best way you could reply to that thank you so much im gonna lose my mind]

It takes Medic a few seconds to process that. And once he does, he just fucking loses it. He pulls his hand away from Phil's and puts his head in his hands, giggling uncontrollably. The birds that are still flocking around him look startled, and a few take off in surprise.

After a few minutes, he manages to write down a single sentence before he puts his head on the table, still laughing:]

YEAH THAT TOO

[imstuck]

[Phil follows suit and buries his face in his hands, but he's more embarrassed than amused by all of this.]

You know what? I changed my mind.

I want to be put back in that time loop so I can try this conversation again.

[resortghosts]

[Medic is fucking wheezing]

DON'T TEMPT FATE LIKE THAT!!!

besides i dont want you getting bored of me after the 200th attempt to do whatever you need to do to get out of the loop