WEEK 5 MINGLE

[foundationmods]

WEEK 5

They said it was a break week, but two of your number were lost anyway last week. While you're all tired and still recovering, the speakers crackle to life with the voice of The Lady.

"Attention, Guests. The game is back on. Break week is now over. Happy Holidays."

The Staff are still like they were last week - only this time, the orders almost always go wrong, if they even manage to go through - the Staff are vanishing constantly. Meals are also getting affected - they're still perfectly edible, but they're not as delicious as they once were, with seasoning and other things occasionally being off. The Sign warning people to not take knives is still on the kitchen door, but The Chef seems incredibly tired, often resting on a chair in the corner.

The Resort is still furnished with Holiday items - but after Medic's christmas protest, there are more items related to other holidays up, and it's much more balanced - objects and colors of multiple holidays side by side in harmony, with the mistletoe still up for any needed smooching. There are, however, more wriggling...things, and there's even an entire 'tree' made of eldritch tentacles with glowing balls of light on them that wink in an oddly hypnotic fashion.

The weather is still nothing, but the courtyard seems to have switched to a much warmer clime, which while still a little cool is pleasant enough to sit outside in. Finally, the music this week seems... almost ominous...?

On Monday morning, another memory is returned to everyone, one more traumatic this time instead of gentle like the others have been. Yet, you feel as if you know a little more about your time in this world, now. Not everything, but...enough.

Enough to see this game through to the end, at least.


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MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

Comments

[xenoqueen]

[The cat purrs quietly, squeezing its eyes shut and bumping its head against Phil's hand. It then starts to lick his hand for some...odd reason. Ripley frowns, resting her head against her hand.]

Maybe they wanted to see how a regular civilian would function under extreme circumstances. I mean, out of the rest of us, you're arguably the most normal. [A pause.] Disregarding the time loop thing.

[Or maybe they just liked to see him suffer, but the idea is just too terrible for Ripley to even bring up.]

[imstuck]

[Phil grumbles slightly at the cat licking at his hand. Great, he's a friend to all animals now in the Worst Way.]

I guess. I just wish I could go back to being a normal human being, I guess.

... Were they exploiting you in some way? You don't have to answer if it's too sensitive to you.

[xenoqueen]

Pretty sure we would all like that.

[Guess that's what happens when you have butter sweat. Ripley pauses, tapping her fingers against her chin.]

Not so much exploiting as just...messing with shit they should've left alone. The Foundation has access to dangerous things and they don't care to keep them safe if it means being able to research them.

[It's a lot better talking about this with a friend and in a relatively relaxed environment. She's noticeably tense, but...thankfully not overly so.]

Did I tell you about the alien thing before?

[imstuck]

[Phil nods, moving to sit a little closer to her.]

You told me that some people you knew died from it. You... compared me to one of the victims, I believe.

[xenoqueen]

[Ripley nods.]

Well, making a long story short and skipping over all the grisly bits, Jonesy and I were the only survivors. [She attempts a bitter smile.] Funny how it didn't have any interest in eating a cat.

[She's got to make jokes where she can, right?]

I remembered working at the Foundation--long enough that I stopped worrying about them trying to come in and attack us all. We were at a party, and we were eating cake when....

[A pause. She snorts.] You can probably guess where this is going.

[imstuck]

[In the most grim voice possible:]

They forced you to eat cake.

[xenoqueen]

[Ripley falls quiet for a moment, and then lets out an incredulous laugh.]

Oh, my God, what? [She sort of lightly pushes him, still laughing.] No! The aliens attacked us!

[Thanks for making this interaction a lot less heavy, Phil. She shakes her head.]

I mean, technically it was only one alien, but it was still pretty shitty. Pretty sure everyone would've died if I hadn't been there to help, but.... [A pause.] Forced us to eat cake, Phil, what the actual fuck?!

[imstuck]

Oh.

[Phil looks slightly embarrassed, unsure if he wants to tell Ripley this.]

They... they forced me to eat cake every day while at the Foundation.

[xenoqueen]

...Oh.

[Ripley stares at Phil, a somewhat concerned expression on her face.]

That explains...absolutely nothing. Why cake, of all things?

[imstuck]

I still have no idea.

[Phil curls in on himself slightly.]

All I have is that they want to see how long it would take for me to break completely.