locked_down | [Entrance Exam] Arrival

You wake up. There’s a dull, throbbing pain in your head that lasts for a few moments. You’re slightly disoriented at first, but once you come to your senses, you realize that you are not where you were last. You lift your head and realize that you're sitting at a desk. You aren’t quite sure where this is, exactly, but from what you can tell--desk and all--this appears to be some sort of...fancy classroom. Maybe there are others in the room who are as lost and confused as you are; maybe you’re the only one. At least you’re not in the dark. The room is well-lit, giving you a proper view of the blue and silver designs that make up the school’s colors.

You feel something around your wrist, so look down at your hands and notice a strange sort of bracelet. Some of you may be able to discern that it's some sort of Fitbit, but try as you might, you cannot remove it.

You only have a few more seconds to process what’s happening before you hear something buzzing on the desk you’re sitting at.

It appears to be a tablet of some sort. It turns on automatically due to a notification that pops up on the screen. The notification reads, “Good morning, Prospect. Welcome to Fayflower University’s Entrance Exam!”

There’s a “Next” button that leads you to another notification: “Please spend the next hour introducing yourself to your fellow Prospects. More information on your peers can be found on the "Profiles" app. Failure to engage will result in punishment. Be sure to adhere to the rules, which can be found in an application called “Rules” on this device.”

There’s one last notification: “When the hour is up, report to the Gymnasium immediately for your Orientation. You will be given further information and instruction there.”

You exit out of the notification. You now understand what the notification means: the tablet has four applications: Rules, Tasks, Profiles, and Maps. If you try to click on the Tasks app, another notification pops up indicating that the application is currently unaccessible. The Maps app only shows you a map of the building you're in right now. There's a little marker indicating your location as well: The one and only classroom in the vicinity.

A large red timer appears at the bottom of the screen. 59:59.

You'd better get started.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ At the moment she's actually trying to get the thing off her back, so that's convenient. When he speaks to her so naturally, she freezes. None of the others have done that so far. ]

Don't come near me. [ ...He'll be able to understand her like the others, won't he? ] Don't touch me.

[ So. The cat talking back to him? That does earn the whole situation a slightly wide eyed blink, but he seems to take it in stride. ]

All right. [ He purposely keeps his hands resting on his thighs, so he's not about to suddenly dart forward. ] But it looks like it's on kinda tight. If you need help, just say. It wouldn't take long.

[ He does raise a hand then, but it's just to waggle his fingers. ]

I'm pretty good with my hands.

[ Also, side note: this is one of the greatest days. He can officially say he has spoken to TWO talking cats. AhhhhhhhhHHHHH. ]

[ Her fur puffs up. ]

And then you'll take me away to one of your dens, right? I've heard all the stories. [ She...really doesn't know how they're talking, but she knows what she was told in the nursery. She remembers tales of cats abducted...like Graystripe. ] I won't let my guard down!

... I don't think I have a den? Or rather, we're all sharing the same place right now, so maybe we're all trapped in a den.

[ He's... not moving. As a point of note. ]

I won't come any closer then. [ But you're plum outta luck getting help with the kitty pack now, he doesn't want his hand clawed off. ]

[ She doesn't want help from him anyway!!! (she's stubborn) ]

This thing, with its...enclosed space and no sky, it's a Twolegplace den. And you're a Twoleg, so...you must live here. Aren't you?

I don't live here. I woke up here, just like you did.

[ Stubborn isn't she? ]

[ So stubborn. ]

How do I know you're not tricking me? Twolegs set traps all the time.

You don't. It's not like I can prove it either way? But I'm not sure what I have to gain from tricking you in the first place.

Who knows? Who knows what you Twolegs gain from snatching up cats to begin with, or tromping through our territory?

Most of them don't run away...? People have doors to let them in and out and the come home.

[ Hmm. ]

Technically though, this is neither of our territories. Neutral space!

I'm not talking about kittypets, mouse-brain.

[ ....He does have a point there, though, she can't. Argue that one. ]

Neutral or not, I'm not letting my guard down.

The Morganas of your world, then?

[ Akira, 1. Angry fluff cat, 0. ]

Okay. That's probably not a bad idea though.

[ She has not lost!!! Excuse!!!!! ]

Who or what is a Morgana.

My friend. A talking cat. Except he's not a cat, but he looks like one?

[ It's Complicated. ]

How can something be a cat but not? Do you have bees in your brain?

He looks like one and acts a fair bit like one, but he's insistent he isn't one. [ And he's not wrong. ]

Morgana is Morgana. That's what matters.

...Confusing Twoleg. Fine. I'm not invested enough to push.

There's nothing else to say, really. Morgana is Morgana. What is he is doesn't matter, it's semantics.

But the semantics matter to him. So does knowing what he is.

What do you expect from me, everything's confusing here. How I can even speak with you is...confusing.

[ He nods. ]

Yup. But you can, and it's not going to stop so why not just go with it?

Because I'd rather understand it, mouse-brain.

[ He motions between the two of them. ]

We're communicating now, aren't we? Understanding takes a little time.

Thistles and thorns... You're making sense.

It's a talent.

I'm not going to force you into conversation if you don't want, but think about what you can learn now we're speaking the same language. Even if it's just learning our weaknesses or something.

Maybe something will surprise you.

...I'll keep it in mind. At the very least.

(no subject)

covertizer - 2018-05-27 20:43 (UTC) - Expand

recodified - 2018-05-27 23:07 (UTC) - Expand

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