[Event] Calibrations Waiting Room Mingle

[trpmods]

WHO: ALL HE ROWS PRESENT
WHERE: Calibrations Area
WHAT: Mingle log for literally anything you'd like to take place in the waiting room between sleep cycles during the event
WHEN: May 9th to June 10th
WARNINGS: Please mark individual threads with warnings
NOTES: If you have any questions, please go Here

For those who followed the visions there is little more to do before and after the dreaming times but wait. At least there is some modicum of comfort offered to those who have found themselves trapped here. From the moment one steps through the door there is no going back, the doors people entered through sealed beyond any hope of opening. And by some twist of fate (or design), it's not possible to be by the door when another He Row arrives, something always calls any waiting away, until at last the door doesn't open anymore.

Some might find the area familiar, having haunted these halls before. Upon entry one walks down a large hallway before it opens into an even larger waiting room with chairs, tables, and the same food dispensers available in the shuttles, save that it lacks any Red Fruit Drink. It's a shame, actually, the alcohol might help you get through things, and since there was no warning this time, the dispensers are the only source of food available. But at least there is enough for everyone. Yay!

There are also communal bathrooms - one men and one for women though nothing would stop a person from using whichever they desire - with several toilet stalls and shower stalls in each, including basic shampoo and soap dispensers. All of the dispensers put out a liquid that smells like Italian dressing for some reason. The water in the showers is only ever cold or scalding, with nothing in between. Pick your poison.

Branching off the main waiting room are hallways that lead to the bedrooms. Each one has a name on it but there is nothing requiring you to use that one. Anyone can enter any room or share with someone else. Each room has a simple bed (approximately queen-sized) and a set of drawers. There is one white jumpsuit in your size in the drawer and a pair of canvas shoes. You can wear them or ignore them as you like.

Some power out there seems to have pity on the heroes too, accounting for the possible boredom that comes with the downtime. While no one may have been able to bring things in with them even if they had them in hand upon approaching, a need for entertainment for those long hours between dreams has been realized. A set of shelves can be found in the waiting room, covered in various boxes and containers. Each is labeled with brightly colored pictures of people seeming to have fun with a game, and the boxes clearly represent all sorts of species, even those that have never been present on Temba to your knowledge.

The complication is that none of the games are written in any language anyone knows, and even the Communications datapoint seems unable to translate. Good news, all the games seem to have all of their pieces, even the single large puzzle that is both solid gray and yet causes a headache when looking at it for more than ten seconds (damn those alternate light spectrum puzzles). Perhaps people can figure out the rules on their own, or make their own games from the pieces. There’s even paper and some sort of pen that only writes on that paper specifically, so maybe some pictionary? Or, if you’re really desperate and okay with fights breaking out, there seems to be a full set of Monopoly Longest Game Ever. Okay, so on second thought, maybe that power out there doesn’t have pity, but is malicious and wants to show you that people truly are driven to strife.

You can opt to spend time in your room or in the larger, common waiting room. But about every 16 hours, all people suddenly feel a compulsion to sleep. Once this starts, you can’t fight it off. You find yourself going into your room for bed or wherever else you feel like you’d prefer to sleep. And then, inevitably, you close your eyes and dream.

Comments

OTA

[small_compromise]

There isn't a whole lot to see around this place, but it doesn't stop Omega from exploring during the long, waking hours. She's hoping to maybe find something that may have been overlooked by whoever had drawn them into this place, a potential egress. It wouldn't be the first prison she'd escaped. But as time wears on, the lack of any progress is starting to get disheartening.

The girl doesn't like being alone, and so she's always away from her room, if only to be around other people. Not wanting to be a nuisance as she expects people might still want their space in a place like this, she'll even settle for sitting in a chair in the common room to people watch, often with knees drawn to her chest as she wishes she at least had Lula to hug.

Other times, if she's not attached at Echo's hip then she's perusing the strange selection of games, or she's set up one of the boards that look like they might be some sort of strategy game along the lines of chess or dejarik, working out how the pieces and spaces to see if they'd allow for the rules of any games she actually knows.

[only_an_echo]

"Here." Echo stood over wherever Omega had settled for the time being, offering her a bowl of peanut butter-flavored dispenser food. "Thought you could use something to eat," he said, cradling another bowl close to his chestplate in the crook of his right arm.

[small_compromise]

Omega smiled up at Echo, taking the bowl so he could get a better hold of his own. "Thank you," she said, scooting over to allow him room to sit next to her as she placed the bowl on the table. Things didn't look very promising but she was glad she wasn't alone.

"What do you think?" she asked as she started to scoop up some of the protein paste. "Of this place, that is."

[only_an_echo]

Moving his hand to take and place the other bowl down on the tabletop, Echo finally sat down, feeling the muscles in his body relax, shoulders hunched slightly as his posture rounded out while he leaned forward.

"...Spotless." That was the first word that came to mind as he removed his helmet, the frown evident on his pallid features. He spent a good amount of time walking the length of the waiting area's entire layout. Every round made found nothing out of place. "Maybe even simple. There really isn't much else to it."

[small_compromise]

"The door disappeared," Omega added, frowning over another spoonful of goop. "How does that even happen?" That got rid of any fairness for finding a way out rather quickly.

"I don't like this. What should we do? Just...wait it out?" Was there anything else they could do?

[only_an_echo]

Echo's brow furrowed. "I don't know. It would help if the Agrii had some explanation for it." He took a bite of his peanut butter gel, taking a moment to wonder if he should have gone with the unflavored one instead.

He also didn't like the idea of waiting it out. To see what will happen. But they really didn't have a choice in the matter. "For now, we'll have to. And it looks like we'll need to get our information from those who may have a better idea of what's going on here." This was spoken as he glanced up, scanning the floor to see almost everyone else who was here with them.

[small_compromise]

Omega nodded. Getting information sounded like their only other option. She looked around as Echo did, relieved to see familiar faces- not that there very many unfamiliar ones given the population of the city.

"Wish we could warm this up or something," she murmured as she stirred the bowl's contents. "They didn't provide much to use here, did they..."

[only_an_echo]

"Only what they thought was necessary. We wouldn't be so limited if they did a little more research," the clone commiserated, quietly scooping up another small portion of protein gel. "At least warming it up would help make it go down easier."

[small_compromise]

The girl tapped her finger against the spoon as she thought on it. "Oh! What about the showers?" she suggested. "There's hot water- maybe...if we mixed it with some of the other gel we could get soup. And if we could warm these bowls somehow with it, well, wouldn't that work?"

[only_an_echo]

As he eyeballed the scoop he was going to put into his mouth, Echo blinked. "...Actually, that's not a bad idea." Soup was more palatable than gel, and it would provide a bit more variety for meal choices. "Doesn't hurt to try, anyway. If we do this, we should check for pots or any other vessels for the task."

[small_compromise]

That sounded like a fine plan to Omega. She nodded eagerly. "I don't know if there would be pots, but we can at least go and see." It was something to do, and she doubted anyone would complain if they were able to figure something out.

She got up from her seat, taking her bowl, gesturing with a tilt of her head in offer to help carry Echo's too.

[only_an_echo]

Sticking the spoon back into the goo, Echo handed it over, rising from his seat to go with her.

Even if it wasn't successful, searching for these items would at least kill several minutes of their time.

[small_compromise]

Having something to do was better than nothing. Omega waited to see if Echo would lead the way or let her take point, not that there were many places here to get lost or diverted. It was a depressingly simple trip to where the gel dispensers were, not that it stopped Omega from keeping her eyes open for anything unusual on the way.

[only_an_echo]

Since there was less of a risk, Echo tilted his head at Omega, letting her go first. Maybe she could do it for real in the future, but in the present, this would have to do.

Having been there earlier, the gel dispensers still looked the same. Aside from things being moved from one spot to another, nothing else around it changed much. Unless he was missing something obvious. "...Guess I should be grateful it's not a mess."

[small_compromise]

Omega smiled knowingly at Echo's commentary, stepping further inside the room. She set the bowls down in an empty space, looking about for what else might be stored.

"See anything?" she asked.

[only_an_echo]

He looked in the places he thought he saw something useful. There were cabinets, right? If this place was playing with his imagination, they didn't have much luck. "Maybe...here?" The search was turning up in vain, however. "I could've sworn there was more than this."

[small_compromise]

"I don't think we're going to find anything more than what's right there," Omega sighed. "We can still work with it, can't we?"

They had bowls. That still held things. She picked up one, studying it before picking up a cup and setting the bowl back down. "I'll be right back," she said, taking another cup so she had two, and she scurried off towards the showers.

[only_an_echo]

Echo sighed as well. "Looks like," he replied, holding up another cup for inspection. Although he arched a brow at Omega, he eventually nodded. "Improvising shouldn't be too difficult."

Cups were smaller than the bowls, but it appeared the girl already had something in mind. He didn't try to stop her, watching as she headed off before turning his attention to sorting out the bowls and cups available.

[small_compromise]

Cups were going to be easier for her to catch scalding water in without burning herself, and they'd be less trouble to carry than a bowl filled with water. Omega wasn't sure if the material for the cups and bowls would transfer heat or how quickly, but there was only one way to find out.

She came back soon enough with two cups of steaming hot water. "We can either just add a little to the bowls we have or pour it in a bowl and put one of the full ones over it?" She didn't look too sold on the second option but it might be worth a try if the heat was enough to warm the food in the bowl.

[only_an_echo]

"Let's try adding it." Between sorting out cups and bowls, Echo picked and filled a few of the latter, each containing a different flavor of gel: chicken, peanut butter, and chocolate. He held out a hand to take one of the cups from Omega. "We'll see how well this works out."

[small_compromise]

That was what she would have leaned towards. Nodding, Omega held one of the cups of water out to him. She tip-toed as she put her arms up on the counter to watch Echo.

[only_an_echo]

It was a methodical approach, especially when there was only one functioning hand to work with. Taking the first cup, Echo poured it over the chocolate, setting it down to pick up the spoon and stir its contents into each other. He then did the same with the second cup, pouring half of it onto the chicken and the rest onto the peanut butter.

"This is starting to look promising," he commented, pushing the bowl of chicken gel over to Omega so she could have some fun with it.

[small_compromise]

Omega smiled, stirring the bowl. She held a hand over it to see if the temperature was holding. "I think it's working. And it's definitely thinned out. Should we try it?"

Tbf I'd eat the sauce

[only_an_echo]

"We probably should." A hint of interest sparked behind the mild degree of skepticism Echo held onto as he scooped up some of the now-liquid peanut butter. He had eaten the stuff straight before, but it hit differently now that it was heated and sauce-like in consistency. So the frown was thoughtful, to a certain extent. "...Not sure if I'd try this one again so soon. How's yours?"

i mean it's practically gravy. ..

[small_compromise]

Omega lightly blew off the spoonful she'd collected before having a nibble. "Hm! It's not too bad," she said, nudging the bowl over to share. "Better than room temperature, anyway. It'd be nice to have something in more solid form though. And I kind of miss fresh fruits and vegetables from the greenhouse."