piper90 | Here we go again.

Here we go again.

Mio adjusts the camera angle as she films herself. She clears her throat and introduces herself:

"Hi, I'm Mio Amakura. I'm new here, they just showed me the presentation and interviewed me. They said that there are many 'fellow New Hires' I can speak to, anyone care to show me around? Thanks in advance."

She ponders on whether to say something else or not, stays silent for a bit choosing the latter. Right when she's about to turn off the device, though, a question comes to her.

"I wanted to ask, is this a different plane of reality? Like some sort of dream?"

Last thing she knew she was in the Manor Of Sleep searching for Mayu, actively being cursed and all. If this is an evolution of that dream, then the thing took quite the turn.

"Also, are curses a thing here? Asking for a friend."

She doesn't realize that her tattoo is visible to everyone in this universe, but she is aware that there can be some kind of alteration whether this is a dream or not. For what she knows, this might be the third curse in a row. She's not happy about it, but she'll do what she has to.

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"This probably isn't a dream. This probably is some sort of separate dimension from where you came from, and now you're trapped here unless you find a gateway to go back. It happens"

Curses, though...

"I haven't heard of any curses so far, but I wouldn't discard the possibility. Curses happen when you least expect them"

"Ah, great..."

That's not reassuring at all, but it's not like she can do anything about being brought here. On the contrary, her experience would dictate that she actively has to go through all the nonsense that the place offers her until she gets to destroy whatever caused it.

She raises a corner of her mouth, wanting to emit some kind of scoff, but doesn't manage.

"Is the food any good, at least?"

Shelley winces at that question.

"Do you want a kind answer or do you want a blunt answer?"

"Mh."

That question is already pretty telling. Mio curls her mouth in deep thought.

"Alright, so we apparently are on this...Mission? To fight bad effects of the 'Stuff'. At what point are we? Is there any way we can actually progress with this or is it--" she looks for a word other than 'hopeless' "Permanent?"

"I think we can make some progress, but between you and me I think said progress is probably not visible to us. The higher-ups have it all under control, all we do is follow their orders and see what happens"

Well, presumably! She hasn't been in a big mission yet.

"But whether it's good for the world or not is another thing! Benevolent corporations don't tend to do this kind of thing!"

Shelley points at her own neck. Yeah, the shock collar thing is kind of a red flag!

"Yeah..."

Invisible progress for a possibly permanent job, and shock collars to prevent the hires from escaping? Doesn't sound occult or otherwordly, but it definitely feels like a curse in its own way, a curse inflicted by the living. So it must be broken. Mio is not currently worrying about the how, for now her goal is to get a clearer picture. Not that she really wants to go back home and continue receiving a punishment for surviving the Minakami village. Who knows, maybe this is her punishment...

"Are we organized in squads or something? I haven't been paired with anyone yet, but I'd like to make sure I know how things work in here."

"Nope, it seems we're assigned missions and we go in large groups -- but that's when we have to leave the rig. Sometimes weird stuff happens in here, and that involves everybody. We're a big happy family, in that way. Just ignore how unhappy we all are in here"

Yeah, the 'big happy family' part is sardonic. There's no trace of such thing to be found here.

"But that means you'll be welcomed with open arms. We all would love a new pair of hands around here, for many reasons. Camaraderie is at an all-time high!"

Because really, the New Hires are a solid enough team to go steal from the administrative areas and also murder sadistic trainers. If there wasn't a degree of cooperation they wouldn't!

"I see. Thanks for clearing things up for me."

The corner of her mouth raises hearing that last sentence.

"So we're all on the same side, right? ...The hires, at least."

"Yes! I have been told to be cautious with these two guys, Price and Mac, but it seems it's because they're jerks. Other than those two you'll be in good company"

The thought someone among the New Hires -- or more than one person -- could be firmly on Jorgmund's side doesn't cross Shelley's mind at all.

"Thanks for the heads up. This is already going to be difficult enough without jerks."

She gives an eloquently tired expression.

"So, what do we do on the Rig, exactly? Heard there's training to do but I haven't seen any instructor or commanding officer."

"There's physical training everyday to keep us in good shape! You're kind of lucky you got here now and not earlier, there was this unbearable guy that loved to make us suffer. Movie sergeant increased to the max! But he's...not around anymore"

Shelley decided not to outright say he's dead because she wants to give a good impression to the new girl, really.

"Other than that we're left to our own devices. That's not as great as it sounds because Jorgmund cut all sorts of corners when it's about entertainment and stuff to do. But if you get to be on good terms with the kitchen crews they'll let you cook stuff yourself, so it's not all bad!"

Good food makes everything better!

"That's good to hear. If anything, I can help with chores. My combat abilities are all gone without my weapon."

Mio hates having to handle the Camera Obscura, it's an unlucky device because not only it exorcises ghosts, it attracts them, but she knows when it's needed...And a weapon that only works against a specific enemy is better than no weapon.

"Although I can still sense ghosts and presences on my own, so that's something at least."

A deep voice responds, followed by a pale, craggy face that is presumably the speaker. "It is not a dream that i can perceive, though I cannot give you further assurance than that. We are defeated by our own perceptions in this regard." He considers the question of curses and responds, "No more than anywhere else. While I do not particularly truck with the supernatural there has been no... heavy discussion of the word curse in my time here, that I have noticed."

"Hm. Alright." she keeps thinking over it still "What about ghosts or similar presences?"

There has to be something like that in here, or else why would they take the Camera Obscura away from her?

"We have... run into such things in the past, or when the Stuff has a strange outbreak, but nothing consistent. But then, consistency is not a hallmark of the supernatural in the first place. "

"How did you deal with those?" she side-eyes the door like she wants to go get something "I have a weapon for exorcising ghosts, but it was confiscated."

"Truthfully? I listened to them. They cried out for vengeance. And so I took it for them."

Loken's face goes quite distant for a moment, thinking of his dead comrades.

"I'm glad you put them to rest. Ghosts are always in so much pain."

She would know about it, although of course she's biased negatively because of what they put her through. At least she brought peace again in the All God's Village because of it.

"I..." He doesn't finish the sentence. He's not sure even now that Torgaddon is resting quietly. But he got some semblance of justice. "Yes, they are. And to think, we once dismissed them as superstition. How did... they come to influence you?" Is that the right word? He's not sure. But it's a start of a conversation, if nothing else.

"There's probably no delicate way of saying it, but ghosts wanted me and my sister to do a ritual and attacked us until we did...For the good of the village, they said."

Mio scrunches her nose. She doesn't want to say what kind of ritual.

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Here we go again.

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