SHOWMASTER HEART GAME (SATURDAY)

[showmaster]

A familiar voice can be heard above you, you're not sure if they're talking to you or not but it does feel like you're part of this conversation:

"What a Wonderful Story that you have. I've read it many times when I was feeling sad. You know, I wanted to keep it in my personal collection, but it doesn't seem that's going to be possible. To grant my wish, I'd have to sacrifice what it means to be a reader ... to become the story. That's The End that I'm looking for.

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Comments

[ticketmaster]

[Someone get this girl a shopping bag-]

[As you step through the door, a memory probably hits you to some degree. Inside is what looks to be a socializing event, a part of various families just interacting with one another and mingling, talking about whatever it is that higher ups talk about.

But what's interesting is the one family you might recognize.

They wear clean and proper suits, pinstripes in particular, lines, lines, lines, almost like incision marks for many of them. Most all of them have gloves on as well. Glasses, also. No one has their hair loose either. Very uptight, very professional, very clinical.

And perhaps familiar to Miss Dixie.]

"But whatever happened to the DAMNED?"

"We don't need them. We have a DREAM for a better future."

[tricksyvixie]

[that IS familiar. her ears flatten, with the burst of deja vu. she wore these clothes, once. she walked the walk and talked the talk, once

she’ll sidle up to the talkers]

I happen to notice that’s not really an answer, though?

[ticketmaster]

"You sound like one of those snooty Cirrus's or Holy Order's, haha!"

[tricksyvixie]

Just because I’m out of uniform doesn’t mean you should be rude to a colleague, loves.

[ticketmaster]

The gentleman pushes up his glasses. "And you happen to be...?"

[tricksyvixie]

Head Researcher Tamlin Dicentra of the [xxxxx] Consortium’s First Laboratory; and you are?

[insofar as AV and I worked out backstory she and Rika were both in this lab; Rika was an ongoing human experiment and Tamlin was a top researcher who transplanted from Acidia and supervised said experiments. obviously these were not the experiments centered around the Showmaster and her bro, but still pretty important to the Family and highly unethical by real life science standards; stuff to do with cloning and subject stress testing and related drug developments, among other things]

[ticketmaster]

[They let out a small grin, one that seems to be contemplating a lot and they straighten up their form at the name.]

It's nice to meet you proper, I've heard a lot about you. My name is Bear, I've heard about your research. It did help to propel a lot of useful connections with Acidia Conservatory. You might not know me, but I am a part of the DREAM division, it is a fairly new team but I believe it will be an innovation like no other.

[tricksyvixie]

[smiles back at him, her body language matching the other Awoken in the room now, even if she most definitely is not in pinstripe and glasses]

Pleasure’s all mine, Bear. I take it this DREAM has to do with what the Family values most in this day and age, yes? Or am I presuming too much from the presentation?

[ticketmaster]

Of course! We exist specifically to see if there is a way to give blessings to those who can withstand such powers. That's the "dream" after all.

[tricksyvixie]

Isn’t that the truth?

It’s an awfully bold claim about the DAMNED, though, still…unless you can confidently say you’ve got the results to back it up? I can always respect a good solid dataset.

[ticketmaster]

Well, it’s not much of a secret these days that LEGENDS were once human. Humans aren’t indestructible and so surely, neither are they.

[tricksyvixie]

Of course, of course. But have all the, mm, side effects, been accounted for? Not that there isn’t always a little risk in science, but Legends are such messy business by their very natures, yeah? Including when they disappear.

[showmaster]

Well, we have various test studies, if you would like to witness them, you are welcome to see what we've done so far.

[tricksyvixie]

Of course I’d love to, and I’ll extend you a mutual invite. More knowledge, more progress, am I right?

[showmaster]

[He then motions towards the door that she had walked through earlier.

But this time, the scene is different. It's a familiar one to her.

Inside is a room that looks like a worn-down lab, one that's been used more than it should have been. The walls are covered in scratches and stains that cannot be removed and the floors and ceilings are cracked. It's hard to ignore the fluorescent light above flickering in and out, adding to the cold atmosphere within.

The room smells heavily of chemicals, empty bottles lying about with one good sniff smelling like bleach. The large sink/tub near some of the counterspaces also smells like bleach. Medicine cabinets filled with unnamed prescription bottles and jars, walls covered in sharp gadgets that look terrifying, a metal "bed" in the center with leather straps, obviously meant to tie down limbs . . .

This place looks very unpleasant.

Yes, this is the same lab during Dixie's first subway run. However, there is one main difference. There is a small child there with purple eyes looking at you, holding a book to her chest.]

The DAMNED is a docile legend, ultimately begging for penance to truly be happy, and so that's what we've been working on. They regret the dependency that the Awoken have relied on all this time and support us in making humans self-sufficient.

[tricksyvixie]

[her ears have slanted back, but gently, not pinned flat against her head

does this baby Legend look like the Showmaster?]

Fascinating! So making up for her predecessor serves as her penance?

cw body horror probably

[ticketmaster]

[100000000% no doubts about it.]

Ah no, no, this is little Estoria, she's as human as you and I. Her family wanted us to help her receive blessings but without the powers of Legends. She's already blessed somehow, and we're not sure where it came from. We've already pulled the DAMNED apart, here, take a look. Only a few in the family are aware of this.

[He holds out a little jar and inside she could see a tiny bit of flesh clanking against the glass as if trying to escape.]

Re: cw body horror probably

[tricksyvixie]

Ah, my mistake, my mistake, I suppose I have my own research too much in mind, haha. So the solution and the jar inhibits it sufficiently from—I take it it’s trying to reform? And young Estoria here is to receive further Blessing from the DREAMER instead?

Re: cw body horror probably

[showmaster]

Oh, no, they will be her own, haha! Every single person who receives such blessings will become a DREAMER.

And yes, this is just a temporary measure until we find a way to keep the body from reforming.

Re: cw body horror probably

[tricksyvixie]

[admiring, softly awed]

You really have cracked it, then. Isn’t the psychological stress on a DREAMER a bit excessive, though? Depending on the Blessings?

Re: cw body horror probably

[ticketmaster]

Not at all. You see, blessings are naturally limited, aren't they? No one is born with the power to set the whole world on fire. Once it is used up, so is the energy that's used. So likewise, with these new blessings, they, too, have limits.

For example, if one can create a large vessel, damage to the vessel will cause direct damage to the host. If a vessel carries a large amount of pain, erasing the memories of the pain will balance it out.

Re: cw body horror probably

[tricksyvixie]

How useful.

D’you mind if I speak to the subject directly?

Re: cw body horror probably

[ticketmaster]

Feel free, it's fine.

Re: cw body horror probably

[tricksyvixie]

[beckons]

C’mere, miss Estoria. Let me have a good look at you.

Re: cw body horror probably

[showmaster]

[She slowly comes over, hesitant, staring up at her.

She doesn't say anything.]