[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

[fanstheflames]

Magical Girls... don't really tend to make it to adulthood. We were trying to find a way around that, but that's... not here.

[ And that hadn't been going so hot recently, anyway. ]

If I've been here longer than I thought, I'm a little worried about what state I'm actually in.

[limbical]

Can you try to elaborate what that means? The state you're in?

Are you ill or something from this magical girl business?

[fanstheflames]

No, it's...

[ She hesitates. ]

The older you get, the weaker your magic gets. If I've technically been aging or if I've been going through this over and over without my Soul Gem getting purified, that would be a pretty big problem.

Especially now that the ability's been unsealed here.

[limbical]

[Maybe he's the last person to be fretting over something like this. After all, Daan is familiar with the heavy toll of magic, but there's a sense of dread in his chest.]

...How does your Soul Gem get purified, exactly? Maybe it's... something that I could try to do.

[It's doubtful. Sylvian's healing magic has almost always been for physical wounds. This probably would be no different, but that wouldn't stop him from trying everything.]

[fanstheflames]

One way won't work... I don't have access to it here. The other way is to get a Grief Seed, though that's something Witches drop when you defeat them, and thankfully, they're not here.

[ She says it with an apologetic smile, because she knows that isn't something he'd want to hear. ]

Grief Seeds draw out the impurities.

[limbical]

[It isn't fair. But then, when is life ever fair? He's known that since he was a boy. The world doesn't stop turning for anything, not for a single person or their plight. Daan's fingers curl into his checkered pants, grip tight and uneasy.]

...Let me try to think of something. There... has to be something I can manage to do.

[Daan has never been good at giving up on other people.]

[fanstheflames]

Don't push yourself, okay? I may have... um, freaked out for a second there, but I think I'm okay? [ Probably. She nudges him with her shoulder, lightly. ]

At the very least, there's no real indicator that I'm not okay right now.