Why is it getting louder and closer. Why are the walls getting fleshier. Why is the flesh slowly taking over the staircase. Why are there more weird glowing pustules on them. Well, surely that's not a problem.
They are now on the fourth floor! This one looks like it was meant to be the cafeteria/dining hall. Do robots need to eat? Hm. There are long tables and a canteen and even a unnamed little ROBOWAY restaurant. Everything looks in nice enough shape, and there's strangely enough no flesh around here.
A single robot sits on one of the tables with a bowl of screws in front of it. It seems to be in the center of the visible floor. It is pushing them around like it is uninterested in its "meal", and it is not looking towards the girls as they come up.
Oh, also, this is the first floor that is actually lit up outside its staircase. The neon lights flicker uncertainly and are rather dim, but they're not red! This is such progress. ]
[ The girls move away from the fleshy staircase. The fleshy staircase remains available for backing up into if they want to go say hi to the flesh again.
Going further into the cafeteria, they'll note that there are two doors visible; one completely on the opposite side of where the staircase is, and one behind the counter where you'd get your food served. No little rats(?) pop up from hidden corners this time as they walk through it. They can see enough to check that there's nothing on the ceiling of note, though now they can see the BEWARE OF RATS poster properly.
It also says, in small script impossible to read in darkness, Remember to keep the lights on!
Wow. If only they knew they had a flashlight.
They can explore the counter and ROBOWAY restaurant, try to see if there's anything of note around the tables, move on to either of the doors or go talk to the robot. Currently, the robot does not seem to have noticed them. ]
anyways she is going to head to the far door (opposite from staircase) to check it. are there any notes or locks on it? are there any weird sounds coming from behind it? ]
[ The robot looks up at Neverah. π its screen reads before it proceeds to just stare at her for a good few seconds.
Then:
π.α£
The door at the opposite end requires a keycard to get into. There is, however, a window to this one. It looks like... a different staircase? This one more well-lit. There's muffled sounds like people talking on that side as well.]
[ The robot looks at Neverah for a long time before it finally answers with its display screen:
πΈπ¦
That doesn't sound entirely right. Except now that she's looking closer, the clothes he's wearing look similar to Jiaoqiu. He's even got little fox ears on top of his display screen. Was that always there?
π
Unfortunately, with the door closed, Maomao can't overhear a full conversation. But it sounds almost like it's bustling over there. Safe. The more she tries to listen, the more she gets that feeling. If only they could get the door open, maybe they'd be safe on that side. Maybe they'd get answers on that side. Maybe the way out is closer on that side. ]
maomao will head back towards neverah, pausing to look over the counters and tables as she goes. anything on the ground? any secret maps or hints on how to use the flashlights? any extra keycards? ]
[softly, surprised. she barely registers maomao as she comes over through her own focus, absentmindedly pulling the lanyard out and handing it to her. surely this will be fine.
[ There's no extra keycards on the ground, nothing of note on the counters and tables. Honestly, the most obvious thing about this floor is how strangely dusty it is for being so well-lit. Like it's gone unused for a long time. Maomao will then have gained the keycard and lanyard! Jiaoqiu screen twitches as he looks at it, but he turns back to Neverah nearly immediately. Maomao will probably have the stray thought that she's not sure that robot always looked like a robot furry.
Jiaoqiu has a lot to say about this next question, apparently, though it doesn't necessarily make much sense.
[ it is strange, but her curiosity is kicking in especially since it may be a path away from the fleshening. taking the lanyard over to the door to see if it'll work on opening it ]
He is taking her hand alright, without any hesitation. He will follow her as she leads him towards the staircase.
Maomao uses the keycard to open the door. It... works.
The door opens and all three robots step out. This staircase is a lot different from the first. It's smaller, tighter. It's all metal steps. There's no sign of the people who she heard talking earlier, but it's still well-lit. This one doesn't even wind around as it goes up, so there's no way to surprise them around the corner. The door closes behind them, locked once more, leaving behind the fleshy walls of the previous staircase. It seems like a safe space to continue to walk up to the fifth floor or even beyond.
Are they looking around as they're going, or are they just climbing up? ]
[ JQ is following obediently, one hand tightly wound around Neverah's. He's also looking at his surroundings.
The main thing they'll spot is a small window to the outside--it's reinforced with bars and nearly impossible to reach besides from the staircase, but they can still see a bit of the city from here. They can also see that they seem much higher up than the fourth floor, which is a little odd, but probably not more odd than anything else here. It is taking them longer than usual to get to the fifth floor.
As they walk up those stairs, they'll both start to hear different things.
To Neverah, it's a simple one. Just a young woman, her voice so very familiar, asking her to look down. Won't she please look down? All she asks for is a glimpse. Doesn't Neve owe her that much?
To Maomao, the voices sound oddly like people she knows blaming her for not being quick enough. Not being smart enough. Not being enough at all. Can't you figure out what's happening? Can't you see the mistakes you're making? You're never going to learn like this. ]
[deeply sorry to maomao, but while she doesn't intend to pause for long, the voice is familiar enough that she looks down for just a moment. her hand doesn't leave robot jq's, though.]
[ Maomao continues up the stairs! The whispers only grow all the louder for it, but now that she's pushed through, she'll find herself eager to run up the stairs and get away from here.
Neverah looks down. Down, down, down, down-- because when she looks, suddenly there's no railing to these stairs. Suddenly to the side of them is a bottomless pit, an empty vastness that she's on the edge of, that she could fall into so easily. And even though it feels like miles and miles and miles down, vertigo seizing her, she has a sudden thought that if she were to fall in, she might see someone she cares about at the bottom.
JQ is still holding her hand, though. He is staring at her curiously as she does this, but he's stopped when she has. His fingers are sharp like claws in hers, which makes sense, because JQ's got claws normally, right? Yeah. That sounds right. ]
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holyspirits) wrote2025-03-09 08:53 pm
make your own memes actually
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That is true. Let's keep going up.
[ before whatever it is decides to come out. ]
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[to the next floor and away from this sound they go!! she can worry about her vision and her leg later!!]
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Why is it getting louder and closer. Why are the walls getting fleshier. Why is the flesh slowly taking over the staircase. Why are there more weird glowing pustules on them. Well, surely that's not a problem.
They are now on the fourth floor! This one looks like it was meant to be the cafeteria/dining hall. Do robots need to eat? Hm. There are long tables and a canteen and even a unnamed little ROBOWAY restaurant. Everything looks in nice enough shape, and there's strangely enough no flesh around here.
A single robot sits on one of the tables with a bowl of screws in front of it. It seems to be in the center of the visible floor. It is pushing them around like it is uninterested in its "meal", and it is not looking towards the girls as they come up.
Oh, also, this is the first floor that is actually lit up outside its staircase. The neon lights flicker uncertainly and are rather dim, but they're not red! This is such progress. ]
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maomao is going to look at the robot, then at neverah ]
This one is actually sitting up.
[ do we want to take a break from the fleshification of the stairs or push on ]
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[a less fleshy way!! this is hateful. if maomao agrees, she'll move into the room itself.]
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Going further into the cafeteria, they'll note that there are two doors visible; one completely on the opposite side of where the staircase is, and one behind the counter where you'd get your food served. No little rats(?) pop up from hidden corners this time as they walk through it. They can see enough to check that there's nothing on the ceiling of note, though now they can see the BEWARE OF RATS poster properly.
The now visible picture looks like this.
It also says, in small script impossible to read in darkness, Remember to keep the lights on!
Wow. If only they knew they had a flashlight.
They can explore the counter and ROBOWAY restaurant, try to see if there's anything of note around the tables, move on to either of the doors or go talk to the robot. Currently, the robot does not seem to have noticed them. ]
no subject
How are we supposed to keep the lights on?
[ maybe... maybe they will figure it out.
anyways she is going to head to the far door (opposite from staircase) to check it. are there any notes or locks on it? are there any weird sounds coming from behind it? ]
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[but since maomao has the door handled she'll come towards the other robot]
Hello. Enjoying your break?
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Then:
π.α£
The door at the opposite end requires a keycard to get into. There is, however, a window to this one. It looks like... a different staircase? This one more well-lit. There's muffled sounds like people talking on that side as well.]
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22106. And yours?
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πΈπ¦
That doesn't sound entirely right. Except now that she's looking closer, the clothes he's wearing look similar to Jiaoqiu. He's even got little fox ears on top of his display screen. Was that always there?
π
Unfortunately, with the door closed, Maomao can't overhear a full conversation. But it sounds almost like it's bustling over there. Safe. The more she tries to listen, the more she gets that feeling. If only they could get the door open, maybe they'd be safe on that side. Maybe they'd get answers on that side. Maybe the way out is closer on that side. ]
no subject
maomao will head back towards neverah, pausing to look over the counters and tables as she goes. anything on the ground? any secret maps or hints on how to use the flashlights? any extra keycards? ]
Could I use the key for a moment?
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[softly, surprised. she barely registers maomao as she comes over through her own focus, absentmindedly pulling the lanyard out and handing it to her. surely this will be fine.
she turns back towards the other robot.]
How long have you been here?
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Jiaoqiu has a lot to say about this next question, apparently, though it doesn't necessarily make much sense.
βββ
π
βοΈβ
πππβββ ]
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Come with me. I know a way out of here.
[if he complies she'll head with him to the staircase maomao is trying to open]
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ππ
βοΈβπ₯
He is taking her hand alright, without any hesitation. He will follow her as she leads him towards the staircase.
Maomao uses the keycard to open the door. It... works.
The door opens and all three robots step out. This staircase is a lot different from the first. It's smaller, tighter. It's all metal steps. There's no sign of the people who she heard talking earlier, but it's still well-lit. This one doesn't even wind around as it goes up, so there's no way to surprise them around the corner. The door closes behind them, locked once more, leaving behind the fleshy walls of the previous staircase. It seems like a safe space to continue to walk up to the fifth floor or even beyond.
Are they looking around as they're going, or are they just climbing up? ]
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[ maybe they continued on? she does give a slight bow towards the robot with ears ]
Greetings. [ it is lit up so she will look at their surroundings as they go up the stairs ]
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Perhaps we need to keep going up for that?
[part of her vision is still messed up, but she'll look around as much as she can.]
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The main thing they'll spot is a small window to the outside--it's reinforced with bars and nearly impossible to reach besides from the staircase, but they can still see a bit of the city from here. They can also see that they seem much higher up than the fourth floor, which is a little odd, but probably not more odd than anything else here. It is taking them longer than usual to get to the fifth floor.
As they walk up those stairs, they'll both start to hear different things.
To Neverah, it's a simple one. Just a young woman, her voice so very familiar, asking her to look down. Won't she please look down? All she asks for is a glimpse. Doesn't Neve owe her that much?
To Maomao, the voices sound oddly like people she knows blaming her for not being quick enough. Not being smart enough. Not being enough at all. Can't you figure out what's happening? Can't you see the mistakes you're making? You're never going to learn like this. ]
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at the voices, she does falter for a moment. then she'll continue up the stairs. ]
You don't need to pay attention to any of that. [ assuming that they are hearing what she does. it's fine it's fine ]
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[deeply sorry to maomao, but while she doesn't intend to pause for long, the voice is familiar enough that she looks down for just a moment. her hand doesn't leave robot jq's, though.]
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Neverah looks down. Down, down, down, down-- because when she looks, suddenly there's no railing to these stairs. Suddenly to the side of them is a bottomless pit, an empty vastness that she's on the edge of, that she could fall into so easily. And even though it feels like miles and miles and miles down, vertigo seizing her, she has a sudden thought that if she were to fall in, she might see someone she cares about at the bottom.
JQ is still holding her hand, though. He is staring at her curiously as she does this, but he's stopped when she has. His fingers are sharp like claws in hers, which makes sense, because JQ's got claws normally, right? Yeah. That sounds right. ]
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it pisses her off. she just uses it as fuel to keep going. ]
Neverah! Come on! [ she thinks the other will just follow unfortunately and will keep on climbing ]
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