Luceti Land!!

[lucetimods]

Who: luceti
What: Amusement Parking!
When: Today til the end of the month
Where: A veritable pleasure island, east of the Beach Fort.
Summary: An amusement park has popped up in Luceti. It's all over here.
Rating: F is for friends who do stuff together!

Just some notes here not in the mod post -
1) The weather will be bright and partly cloudy for the rest of the month on the beach side of things. A nice cool sea breeze will keep people from melting out there.
2) All the old Luceti Land rides are still available. However, feel free to make up your own attractions and rides as well.
3) Since this is around for two weeks, we may put up another mass log if this one gets too full. So keep an eye on that!
4) Don't forget to tag your character's name on to the log! If you don't have one yet, just let us know and we'll get you hooked up.

As way of explanation for all this, Bil will have written a message on the first page of the journals. It cannot be replied to, it simply states:

"My condolences for all the trouble. You were due for an experiment today, but I thought you might enjoy an amusement park instead. It seemed like the sort of thing the Great One would do."

Comments

[consultmybooks]

Really? What a coincidence. I was actually allowed to be social, when I took up with this crowd.

[when the alternative had been studying and books, books, books and he'd still been young enough to hate the idea of that sort of lfie.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert had always fiercely embraced that sort of life, even when he was young. But of course, to Terran children, that isn't anywhere near as strange - not when science, teaching and doctoring are careers that children idolize and inspire to, even when their talents are clearly elsewhere.]

Similar reasoning... I would think. Being... being accepted, somehow. [Even superficially. Even falsely. It was an illusion that had been enjoyable for a person who had never had real friends before.

Robert seeks out Giles' weathered hand and holds it carefully.]

... it is not... not the act that is... the problem.

It is... losing oneself to it.

[consultmybooks]

[The former Watcher smiles thinly.]

With this sort of magic? Yes, it is the act.

With magic as a whole...I suppose the parallel can be maintained.

[He returns the hold.]

[semper_cogitans]

[And now this is evoking another conversation, and Robert is curious, so if Giles is in the mood to answer questions...]

... Is this one of those... certain kinds of magic that are strongly prohibited in your world, then?

[This is where the parallel sort of breaks down - Terran drug use is monitored closely, yes, but it's not an inherently unacceptable thing - the problem is abuse.]

[consultmybooks]

Magic isn't prohibited in my world, Robert, simply because so few people believe it exists at all.

But to those who are actually aware? Yes, it is...rather frowned on.

[semper_cogitans]

May I ask... why you used it, or would that be rude...? [He still doesn't want to pry too far, but... he does want to understand.

If it helps, his voice is essentially free from judgmental tones.]

[consultmybooks]

You may not.

...it's not that you're being rude, Robert. It's that I don't want to discuss it, because its far too complicated to be explained inside of a hall of mirrors.

[semper_cogitans]

... I suppose most of this is... f-far too complicated, yes.

Helios... does not know about... about me. [He stares at his wrists, mostly to avoid looking at Giles or his mirror counterpart.] ... Or, rather, what you... learned today.

... I... I did not want to risk his friendship...

[But he has to wonder: does Helios know about this aspect of Giles?]

[consultmybooks]

It isn't something you're required to tell anyone, Robert.

[And no - no, he does not. No matter what he says to the contrary, it is a very real shame of Giles'.]

[semper_cogitans]

But he has seen my scars before... [It's soft, some mixture of awkward and fearful.] He... he even asked...

... I would have t-told him, but... but then he essentially ch-changed the topic, and... [He doesn't realize that Helios was ashamed to ask Robert when he had his own scars he wouldn't talk about. It hasn't even occured to him that that might be true.

Even if it has, he certainly wouldn't think of them as worthy of shame. Neither does he think of the Ripper as a shameful thing, but then again, it is so much easier for him to be ashamed of himself than others.]

... But... but he is always so... accepting. So... so perhaps I am afraid of... of nothing.

[consultmybooks]

So are you actually going to tell him, then?

[Point made, Giles turns away from Ripper. Unfortunately, the next mirror directly across from Robert flickers, and Giles as a vampire appears again. And yes, that is Ami laying at his feet.]

[semper_cogitans]

[... Oh, hello, vampire Giles.

This one doesn't get the same look of confused fear that the Ripper got. This one gets outright horror, because of the body of Ami - it actually takes a moment for Robert to match up Giles to the vampiric form, and then -]

... What...?

[Giles isn't the only new reflection here, though. Paired with the vampire is an entirely conflicting scene of an elementary-school child, no older than nine, with big gray eyes behind glasses ridiculously similar to the ones Robert's wearing now. He's hunched in a corner in front of a nanocomputer console.

The implication is that he's been by himself awhile. A long while.

Of course, the vampire is a little more distracting and probably more disturbing.]

[consultmybooks]

What? [Giles looks back over.] Robert, did you...

[He sees the vampire.

The vampire sees him, smiles, and licks some of Ami's blood off of its fangs.

Giles goes absolutely still and quiet.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert is mesmerized, in a horrible sort of way, by the vampire - he doesn't even immediately think vampire, the first thing he thinks is just "murderer", seeing Ami's dead body there. Then he matches it up with Giles' descriptions of vampires and suddenly it makes a chilling sort of sense.

And... and Ami. That is definitely Ami, dead at the feet of this... vampiric Giles.]

...

... Why?

[That's really the only thing he can think. It's not an accusatory word, or even angry - just a quiet question, akin to the one he asked Kusanagi.

And the little boy just... keeps typing, rhythmically and mechanically, like nothing's even wrong.]

[consultmybooks]

Robert.

[Giles sounds deeply, deeply shaken.]

I will explain "why" provided that we can leave before he does.

[The vampire tilts its head slightly, demonic face morphing back to human.] You're no fun. I want to see the look on his face.

[semper_cogitans]

[Perversely, Robert can hear his own voice - little, stuttering and wavering, furtive - and wonders if somewhere Giles hears it too - as the child turns, eyes wide and bright with fear and curiosity and staring into Robert's like a deer gazing into headlights.]

A f-f-f-friend? ... When... when did you... g-g-get one of those...? N-Not supposed to have a f-friend. Y-you, you... you... aren'tgoodatthat.

...

They... they cannot harm us... c-correct?

[Like the simulations. The simulations couldn't harm them either. All the same, Robert is standing in between Giles and the vampire in a decidedly protective manner. A shaky protective manner, but a protective manner.]

[consultmybooks]

They can't harm us, no.

[Really, Robert? No, you are not getting between him and his vampire self. Giles is getting between you and his vampire self.] And they can't harm one another, yes?

[The vampire rolls its eyes and glances disdainfully back at Robert.] Please. Hardly a mouthful.

[semper_cogitans]

[Yes, really, Giles. He doesn't want you to get hurt again. He doesn't even want to risk it.

Last time Giles died to protect him - Robert figures, if anything, he wants to return that favour.]

It is simply a... r-reflection, anyway. [He keeps his voice as steady as possible, staring down this... vampire. Trying to identify that emotionlessness, the soulessness. Terrified as he realizes he basically can't. If Giles was really like this, there'd be almost no way for Robert to tell, until somebody got killed.

The little boy gets up, still clasping the nanocomputer to his chest in tiny, frail fingers. He gives the vampiric Giles a look of bright, soft innocence and confusion - the naïvete of a child and a Terran.]

Wh-wh-why'd you... h-hurt the person...? Notnice... it's, it's n-not nice to... to hurt people...

Are, are you just... n-no good at, at being friends...?

[It's not real, that's what Robert tells himself, but the juxtaposition of the little boy and the murderer is a strange one... That shelteredness. Maybe Luceti has toughened him more than he realizes.]