WEEK 8

[lockdownmods]

[When you wake up, there's a text message in all of your inboxes, warning about how stressful exams week can be. The email comes replete with names of study sessions, tutoring hours, and free pizza on other parts of the campus. And it encourages you to check online for the exam schedule based on your class and section number.

There's also a note that there will be weekly stress puppy pop ups to help you relax? So that's nice and thoughtful! But ultimately, at Fayflower, they just want to make sure everyone has what they need to do well on their exams.

What a nice email.

But things have obviously deteriorated around you, with the wall looking visibly... damaged? If you get close, it's extremely easy to lose track of yourself... and you might come away with a few bruises you didn't know you got. Who knows. Maybe Terra?

Happy final week.]

LOCATIONS | PROFILES | HAN OFFICE HOURS | MEGUMI OFFICE HOURS

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

Comments

[reshoot]

[Max is no stranger to lurking about the campus after-hours, you know, just in case something really suspicious happens. Max zooms towards the ding & light as soon as she notices, nervously looking down at the screen.

She'll open the chat. Hello?]

Luxbourne

[throwabookatit]

Hello. Is this one of the "students" of Fayflower?

[reshoot]

[Max's fingers tense up as she takes a look around to make sure that no one is watching her.]

Yes. I'm one of the "apprentices".

Who is speaking?

[throwabookatit]

Rebecca Gales.
Swear it.
Who's this?

[reshoot]

rebEeca ITS MAx

[Max has already typed and sent that garbled message before she even has an opportunity to realize it. Obviously this could be fake, or a ploy, or maybe Max has finally gone crazy. It all makes her stomach turn, but the idea that Rebecca is actually speaking to her––just as it was with the oujia...she may have to hold back a tear or two or ten.]

It's Max, I miss you so much.

Are you okay? Can you tell me what's happening?

[throwabookatit]

Oh, thank goodness it's you. Max, it's so good to hear from you.
Well, see from you.
I miss you too. I'm as alright as I can be. I'm talking to you from the simulation. Our memories were saved as AI.

[reshoot]

["But it's still you, right?" No, Max, of course it's her. It's just...complicated. Don't think about it. Rebecca is here. You're talking to Rebecca.]

Thank you for the gift you left me, it's brought me a lot of comfort.
I keep our picture above my bed at night.

Uhhh
I'm doing okay, it's hard but I'm managing, I stood up to you-know-who and I feel a lot more in control than I used to. I'm trying my best to fill your shoes and be mature about stuff...We had it confirmed by the headmaster that there's a spy, and we have to figure out who it is or else...

Sorry, I don't know how much time I have with you.

Is there anything I can do for you? What do you need to know? Anything, I'll do anything you need, I promise.

[throwabookatit]

Slow DOWN, Max. It's okay. I'm not going anywhere.

I'm glad you stood up for yourself. You can't let anyone push you around, no matter who they might be. You don't have to make yourself grow up and be like me, though. Please just be yourself. I think you're still a wonderful young woman.

We're all just trying out best at figuring out everything in this place. You don't need to do anything. Just don't go yelling all of this around. I'm sure they're watching us or keeping tabs on us somehow, but no reason to give them more, right?


I'm sorry I left you on your own there. Really, if I could've, I would've stayed.
I wish I could give you a hug right now.

[reshoot]

[It's extremely hard to not curl up into a ball and cry. The last line hurts. She's so lonely, especially without Rebecca and Hank. They brought a special kind of comfort that no one else could replace.]

I want to be like you. You're strong and decisive and inspiring to me. I didn't get to tell you all of that before it was too late.

I won't tell anyone what you tell me here unless its absolutely neccesary.

Please don't apologize. You did everything you could.

What's the simulation like?

[throwabookatit]

But you should still be you too. I see so much in you, dear. Ways you can be better than me. I'll hold back on the self-deprecation party, and just say I appreciate it, though. All I've wanted to do was help the bunch of you.

Speaking of. Give Monika my love. I know what happened must've hurt her. Tell Akira I'm here as well. Rantaro too.
And Terra. And Osomatsu.
Look at me, telling you not to say anything then giving a laundry list of people.

The simulation's BORING honestly. Besides the others here. It's largely like this place. Just the same school, except we're trying to figure out what things AIs can do. Connor's been an amazing help in that way.

[reshoot]

Connor is amazing. As long as we're making laundry lists of people, tell him that he means so much to me, and Hank that he did more for me here than he'll ever know. Make sure Maya, Yoosung, and even Henry know that I still think about them and the time we spent together all the time.

...Make sure Tess knows that I owe her my life, too. And that I'm sorry, because it was supposed to be me...

I promise to tell everyone for you, too.

So, you're just trapped in there? I hope I can find some kind of way to get you out of there...Or do something for you. I won't stop trying. You don't think...As far as you know, are you in any danger inside the simulation?

I'm sorry to change topics so abruptly, I figure I should exchange as much information in each message as possible in case something happens. All I really want to do is talk to you about normal stuff and tell you about everything I've been thinking about, lately.

[throwabookatit]

I'll tell all of them. Every one, I'll send your thoughts. I know all of them value you too.

I'm sure Tess will want to yell at you herself, though. I know she surely isn't happy being dead, but keeping YOU from dying, that's something I would take a little pride in too.

Yes, we're just trapped in here. It's alright, I understand the intent. Unless damn James can do something like he threatened, but I think we're a better bargaining chip. Connor believes Vivienne has multiple backups. Much as I dislike the woman, I trust in Connor.

If anything could be done... Vivienne talks about wanting to restore us with ANDROID bodies and no offense to Connor but I'm not comfortable with that. Most of us aren't. If you find out just what they did to bring those of us here who were dead, then
If any of you find that and can obtain it for yourselves, Max, that's what we need.

I haven't given up on all of you finding that. And I won't. Whatever anyone else says, I believe in you.

[reshoot]

I'll do everything that I can, Becca.

We'll figure this out together.

I'm so glad I could speak to you. I know I should be focusing on the mission but

Rebecca

Please just talk to me for a little bit, okay? Just...tell me things. About you. About anything.

[throwabookatit]

[ There's no hesitation. ]

How would you like to hear about the first birthday I had after my friend Isabella moved in next door?

[reshoot]

Please! Birthday stories are always interesting!

[hopefully no one is around to see Max practically hugging the computer monitor.]

[throwabookatit]

I was turning 25. Now, you're going to laugh about this, because EVERYONE does, but my birthday is April 1st. It annoyed me so much, when I was a little girl. Since I didn't have a lot of friends growing up, it made me even more wary to share in school, whenever it came around. Anytime someone did, they'd expect me to act the part of a fool. On top of that, my parents got busier and busier as I grew closer to university, so I became used to barely celebrating, when it rolled around.

THEN Isabella came into my life. She grew up in a huge family in the Philippines, and not in the best of financial circumstances. She worked herself ragged, to help support her family. I took to her after we finally started talking and maybe it was because I looked after her so much, or maybe it's just because she was a good person, but when my birthday came up in conversation after my friend Ashton (the one I focused on you remember) turned 24, Isabella flung into action.

"HOW could you not want to celebrate your birthday, Becca?" We argued about it for days and days. She was insistent! I swear, if all of you thought I was stubborn, you'd be amazed. Belle wouldn't let it go. Ash had his birthday at the end of the year, and it was February and we were STILL snipping about it. Our other friend Zachary had his birthday a few weeks before mine, and when Isabella didn't say anything, I was sure I'd won.

But, to my surprise, she was too crafty for me. You see, no matter how much I protested, I really did like the idea of having some kind of celebration. Even if it was small. I'd talked Ashton out of anything years before, once we'd both finished up university. He was too busy with his detective school to begin with, and it made a convenient excuse. But, I suppose after some talk, Isabella got him to realize just how much I really DID want a birthday party. Maybe it didn't take much. As dense as he is about romance, Ash really IS observant.

Between the two of them, they got Zach to distract me the whole day while Belle used the key I'd given her to set some silly, cheap decorations up in my flat. It was so awkward, Zachary and I never hung out much outside of our mutual friendship with Ashton, but the big guy tried so much. He made it seem like he needed my opinion on the city, for a portfolio he was putting together. He's the photographer, the one I would've wanted to introduce you to. Really, even though he's awful at lying, it worked well. Those photographs did end up on his website, so maybe there was some truth to it all.

By the time he took me back to our apartment complex, everything should've been set up. It almost was. Ashton, however, had been tapped to help cook.

All he was supposed to do was get some salad together, but SOMEHOW he almost burned down Belle's entire apartment! We showed up to a firetruck, and she was just screaming at him, practically wailing. "My back was turned for ONE MINUTE, ASHTON FREY!"

Seeing it all, all the trouble they'd gone to for me? It was amazing. Even though all three of them apologized--for trying to throw the surprise in the first place, for making a big thing of it, for deceiving me or whatnot--I wasn't mad. Not a single bit. Really, I almost cried right there.

After everything got settled down, we had a hastily thrown-together cake at a nearby cafe and they each gave me something.

I never protested Isabella's party plans again. Every year since, we've had a small get-together.