[OPEN MINGLE]

[justscribing]

WHO: Everyone! It's a mingle!
WHAT: Discussing recent reveals about the simulation
WHERE: Pairidaeza Architectural Studio
WHEN: Feb 3rd morning to evening
WARNINGS: Potential existential crises, discussions of death, memory manipulation, basically everything to do with their actual situation in a simulated environment.




[The actual setup within the garage-turned-studio is away from all the actual workbenches.

On one folding table are copies of multiple documents available around the X: The main document is a summary of a resident from a prior iteration that's clearly been redacted via scanning copies with stuff blocked out. Additionally are copies of the most recent newsletter with the memo on the back and photos of the hotel journal printed in black and white.

Lined up on another folding table away from the one with the documents is an array of finger foods: hummus, chutneys, and yoghurt dips with a variety of sliced vegetables, cheeses, cold cuts, and fresh pita bread. cardamom cookies, panipuri, and both vegetable and chicken samosas take up the other side. Mint water and fresh juice are in pitchers to the center. It's actually a little crowded.

Chairs are set up in small grounds and around the document table. And finally, a whiteboard has been rolled in for people to make use of in group discussions.]



((This is a mingle, so everyone is encouraged to threadjack, make toplevels, etc prior plot mingles have been done. Alhaitham and Kaveh will be around and participating but not taking the lead beyond making sure people stay orderly in the studio and have enough papers.

If you character has discussed the simulation with either Kaveh or Alhaitham, you can also handwave they texted them directly about it.))

Comments

[fauned]

Mm..

( she's here. more out of curiosity than anything helpful, but she has a small pile of panipuri she's picking at alongside the papers everyone seems to be picking apart because she is just shameless like that.

there's some concerns, but, )

So they're just watching us like... Always? ( freaky, thinks the girl who's definitely watched her friends sleep. ) Could you imagine the things they've seen us all do at this point?

( And Then Write About It, )

[justscribing]

Isn't it creepy? [Says the guy who memorizes Kaveh's schedule.] But I've suspected that's the case for a while.

[fauned]

Oh, it's definitely a little weird. I don't mind an audience but like, now I'm a little self-conscious.

( these two.. handshake meme-ing over the worst aspects of being a freak fr. )

I guess that makes sense if they were studying us but like - I didn't think they'd be watching us so closely, y'know? Like, by ourselves? There's so many of us!

[justscribing]

[Perhaps the city should have focused on teaching them shame.]

Either they have a very large team, or they focus primarily on their experiments and anything else that seems to cause significant waves through the city. Even if everything is recorded, it doesn't mean someone's looking closely at it.

[fauned]

( fearne and alhaitham learning shame? what a day that'd be. )

What do you think they're even looking for? Like, what are they hoping to see? I get that it's like some 'community' thing but - that's so vague?

[justscribing]

It is. I don't think they even have their parameters well defined. This whole experiment is what happens when you give too many resources to people who don't know how to utilize them.

[This research sucks! They deserve to know how much they suck at this!!]

They want to understand the factors that drive people to either cooperate or isolate. Social behaviors. Stuff that plenty of scholars have done studies on without resorting to mass kidnapping and control.

[fauned]

By making everything fucked up and weird? The Feywild is fucked up and weird and most of them don't really like each other even then.

( she doesn't know anything about proper research protocols or ethics!!!! she's the wrong exandrian magic man!! )

Besides, if they can just make us do stuff anyway, why not just do that?

( the whole reconditioning thing? the coercion? suggestion? )

Not that I want them to. I very much so like being me - but what does it matter to them?

[limbical]

Yeah, they would've seen how hard you fucked up.

[He's definitely gonna pipe up and be a catty bitch about it okay]

[fauned]

( haha, catty, )

Oh please, everyone saw that.

( hey guy. get a snack. spike your juice. she'll even raise hers? cheers. )

But you're right. They noticed. And they definitely weren't happy about it.

( sip. )

[limbical]

Yeah, but they would've had a frame of reference. Watching everyone's shitty memories and rooms, that kind of thing. Then there's you.

[nah he's good]

[fauned]

( ? )

Hm? I can't tell if you're trying to insult me or what, but I have no idea what you mean.

( which they are they even talking about now... )

[limbical]

Do you really have no idea what you put everyone else through with your little act? Though you are exceptionally foolish so I suppose that's very possible, especially with Argalia protecting your ass.

[fauned]

Leave him out of this.

( a sigh, then the setting down of a glass. )

I'm maybe a little too aware of what everyone went through, almost like someone out there really wanted to make sure I knew - but what am I supposed to do about that? I can't take back what's already happened.

Apologizing now feels like I'm only doing it because it kind of sucks experiencing all of that - and would I do it again? I dunno! Maybe! But I told people I'd at least tell someone what I wanted to try before I do it, so here I am. Trying.

[aceslow]

[ Kim arrives, as though he hasn't been missing for a full month, as though absolutely nothing has changed, and he looms over Fearne a little to read over her shoulder. He could get started on his own pile of papers, but if he's to take on the challenging undertaking of questioning existence itself, he's damn well not doing it alone. ]

Maybe that's the way to get back at them, [ he says wryly. ] Make them see something so unpleasant that they'd rather not watch us anymore. Not that I'm volunteering.

[fauned]

( kim!!!! thank god. someone who DOESN'T want to punch her lights out. hey buddy.

she doesn't really mind that he's peeking over her shoulder, he sure as hell would make more sense of it than she would so she'll adjust so he can see a bit better. )

What do you think counts as something really hard to watch? Like, they kind of are the ones who puts us through the horrors..

[keepgodwaiting]

Reading the dictionary? Paint drying? If we were boring as hell, would that count as revenge?

[fauned]

( she feels miserable just thinking about needing to do it so maybe - )

Would it be worse to watch or do though..

[keepgodwaiting]

Probably do. [ She has to admit that. ] 's the only thing I can think of right now that might genuinely fuck with their data.

[fauned]

( ears flattened: )

Man.

( then, sliding over some of her plate of panipuri.. have some. )

What about the surveys? Do you think they actually take the results of those seriously?

[aceslow]

Anal prolapse?

[ It's really hard to tell that he's joking from his tone alone -- and from his expression, for that matter, as unmoving as stone. But he's probably kidding. ]

Not it.

[ He leans further over her to fish one of the papers out of the pile, placing it beside Fearne's. ]

In all seriousness, they did choose one of our more... colourful members. I don't doubt that they're monitoring us all 24/7, but I doubt they're paying close attention when we're not doing anything of note.

[keepgodwaiting]

I'm with Fearne. If any of them are squeamish, they're probably already gone.

[ Johanna's just going to insert herself into this conversation. Hello, folks. ]

If they're watching us, though, we can communicate one-way. We kind of suspected as much before, but I think this seals it.

[aceslow]

Just attempting at some levity. God knows we need it.

[ Kim taps the tips of his fingers against the paper in front of them. ]

We can communicate with them, yes. For whatever good that will do -- I have to believe that if an attempt at appealing to their humanity or even questioning the lengths of their scientific rigor has been done before.

[abstractart]

Probably not always. I bet they don't have the staff it'd take for that, with how many of us there are... and they most likely just look away if it's too awkward.

[fauned]

So we go for boring or awkward.. What do you think is awkward enough to make them look away? Awkward first dates? Should we set people up?

[cupperty]

Surely they'd get bored, at some point! Most of the time, it's just day to day living, here!

[ apart from the occasional monthly horrors, anyway! ]