Sessions Worlds and Stuff

*there's a certain irony, or deja vu, or something along those lines, to staring at a strange link on the computer screen that someone messaged to you* *but like she said, she trusts LMS to be helpful*
Yeah. *she clicks the link*

[]) *it's rare they aren't being pushed to get up*
@) *and rare that Factor doesn't mind, yet*

*the link responds, and 6 small objects begin to take form directly infront of the computer*

*each object seems to be about the size/shape of a small rubix cube; Red, with a single yellow spot on one side... very minimalist...*

0~0 ? not much of a instruction booklet to go with them huh- let me see.

*Ribbon picks one up, & with nothing immediately happening to her, gives it a good look around before, first bumping the yellow spot gently in passing to test how sensitive it is, & then jabbing her thumb right into it*

-shwom-
*with an odd sound, Ribbon seems to disapear into a thin beam of light, and, a brief moment later return just as quickly*
-wom-

(|)_(|) oh- sorry!!!
-n- I didn't think it would just, 'go'.
0~0 I thought there might be a menu or something- just trying to turn it on...
uh- well, I got a brief look over there, anyway... 0u0

0~0 didn't really look like an island... Must've been somewhere underground... some kind of concrete tube...

and... ... The guardian person... looked to be quite large. I think they were sleeping- hunched over infront of a door... I really hope they're friendly... 0~0

*Ribbon is excited, cautious, and full of energy... a slightly odd combination that is leaving her a tiny bit frazzled & quick to talk/act*

*...well at least Ribbon re-appeared, that's a good thing* Okay. Let's... one sec. *she picks up the rest of the objects and captchalogues all but one - this is NOT something she's gonna leave lying around the house for the kids to stumble across*
Let's go together this time. On three?

0u0 ^u^ together on three. 0u0 one. two. three-

-shwom-

*A feeling of weightlessness in a pitch black void, followed by arrival in a not nearly as dark, but still only lit by 1 light place*

*Sophie and Ribbon are in a concrete tube big enough for a train to fit through. and at the end of the tube, right under the light, is The Caretaker of The Island*

*They are nearly as big as an Ogre. and have a single red line tracing a path across their body from their right eye to their right hand... stylistic? functional? always hard to be sure... But one thing that is certain is that they are out cold, snoring as they block what is presumably the door to the surface*

0~0 *after already having recently 'almost kinda messed up', Ribbon is being a bit more cautious; not zipping right up to try and say hello*

---

*downstairs, Dots is getting your breakfast made. they remembered an old meal; refried cake-pan. 'pancakes with cake in em'. a bit of a trick to get more mileage out of leftover cake*

*looking around, and says in a low voice* If it's an island, then we're probably under it.

----
[])
@)

0~0 yea... I think I'll be more trusting of this place once I see some sun...
...
0~0 uh... Hello? 0u0 *Ribbon tries calling out, staying back a ?safe? distance with Sophie...*

*but it seems like The Caretaker is sleeping pretty deep*

0~0 Hello? ... well... I guess we did come here pretty- early in our morning? I didn't think that would matter- but... Should we try to wake them?

I'm trying to figure out if it's more polite one way or the other. The best first impression... Admittedly the vast majority of people I care about now, I got a pretty awful first impression, so maybe we don't have to worry. *it's sort of a joke. In any case, she's given up on speaking particularly quietly, on the off chance it happens to wake up the Caretaker*

0~0 mmh... *Yea... Ribbon, was most certainly... not at her best for a first-time meeting* Well...

*The Caretaker stirs, surprising Ribbon into silence*

[|)| ... [*)| ... [*)? more... people?

*they look over the two before them with their 1 open eye, then slowly point; first at Ribbon, then at Sophie*

[*)| uh... grounded... And Artificial... Can't use Island... like that...

[|)| goodnight... *they start to close their eyes again to fall asleep*

Wait - we want to talk. If there's a better time to come back when we won't disturb your sleep, let us know. But please, we want to talk with you.

0~0 It's important. This Place might be one of the only places we should go.

[|)| [X)C mmmmh... [|)( ... [*)|

[*)? same, people... want to talk... a pain... but... won't stop you, from talking...

*And so they stand there, ready to be talked with... or perhaps just to be talked at*

---

*Dots is happy with the setup they've made. Plate and Light all ready for when you two get up*

We're... refugees. We need someplace to go, to stay - maybe not forever, but as long as we need to - someplace our children can be safe from the game. The game that made me, "Artificial", as you put it. *indicating the heart on her dress* This was done to me. I didn't want it. And I don't want it for my children, or any of my loved ones. *she takes Ribbon's hand* We were told that you and this Island might be able to help us.

[|)? things always happening, out there...

[*)| so. use The Island... as island... ... try to avoid, artificial...

[|)? ... ... ... [|)| ... ... ... ! [*)? ugh... bring... everyone... can't say, for sure, without seeing rest... but... just you two... would probably already, be ok...

[*)| ... [|)| ... *they seem to be going back to sleep; they've said what they meant, & meant what they said*

0~0 0u0 thankyou? We'll, be back soon. thankyou. ^u^ 0u0

^u^ *hugging Sophie's hand close with her own,* Sounds like it might be ok!

*she nods, and holds up the transporter again* On three?

----

[:]? *hunger wins out over wanting sleep, and Hamnet slides out of bed, leaving the blankets in a messy pile behind*
*a quick stop at Baby's pen to pick them up - turtles need breakfast too! And then it's off down the stairs*
@)

0u0 yep. ^u^ one, two, three-

-shwom-

*and, they're back. just in time to seem to have not gone anywhere to you*

[!u!] [^v^] [!u!] Mornin'! ! [!~!] oh! [!u!] Baby needs breakfast to. I'll get it, it'll just be a moment.

[^v^] in the meantime, I've got some cake-pan on the table, & a sun-light beside it. [!u!] Thought you might like it Factor.

*still upstairs, I assume* ...I really hope it's that easy. My god, something has to be that easy, doesn't it?

---

[:]? [:]) Cake-pan? *it has "cake" in the name, so, must be great!*
@) *Factor is happy to be specifically thought of, regarding the sun-light* thankyou.

0u0 0~0 well... Onponn and Mack are both GT... And while they seemed ok with the idea of how you didn't choose it- I don't know the story behind how it happened to them...

0u0 but- other than that- I think it should all be good ^u^

---

[!u!] your welcome. And yea! Cake-pan! Pancakes made from cakes. it usually gets a little bit dry though, so I'll get a glass of water while I'm over here.

*thats a few large leaves... that ought to be good for Baby!*

[!~!] um, [!u!] could you Please turn on the light Halftone?

*The light switches on, a pleasingly warm visible radiation being emitted; just the kind of stuff you absorb all the time, but a bit stronger*

I don't know the details, either. *she does remember Av's letter, and her request that Onponn be given a choice in the matter... but she doesn't know what really became of that*

The game, it... as I understand, it usually presents players with a Choice. Not a great choice, there's no "walk away" option, not without dooming your timeline. And sometimes that choice is about going GT, but not always. Santek's was. Mine wasn't. And the GT thing... came later.

But yes. We'll see. Valdis will be back with what Onponn and Mack think of this, and then... We'll see.

---

@) () *basking in the light as Hamnet climbs into a chair* [:]D

0~0 mmmh... *again, Ribbon is at a loss to the specifics of how The Game works, but it's most likely better that way*

0u0 I hope things go smoothly with them. *Probably a lot to talk about; Valdis is likely still talking about the details involved in how The Game was liable to become a larger threat in the 'near' future*

^u^ let's see if the kids are up yet.

---

[^v^] here you go [!u!] *water & food for baby, and water for you*

[:]) Thank you.
@)
*Baby is happy to start eating*
————
*checks the bedroom... empty bed, blanket on the floor* Looks like they are. *goes to make the bed* Seems we have some new chores to introduce, now they’re not sleeping on the floor anymore.

[^v^] no problem! [!u!] *Dots goes to eat their own serving of cake-pan. plenty to go around*

---

0u0 mmh- well. 0~0 0u0 yea. We can take the furniture with us.

*had to double-check that bed making would still be relevant*