[ 08 ]


[It’s late at night. The same night as her last match. DOROTHY quietly exits her dorm, walking down to the Backroom door. The last time she was here, she made a lot of noise, and a pretty big dent. Now, she’ll be trying a much more subtle approach.]

[Her blade started to spin faster and faster, until it was a saw blade, ready to cut. As long as she can keep it spinning, there should be no problem cutting something out of this door- just enough to get in. She approaches the door, and the instant it hits the metal-]

[She’s taken to the simulation room. Uh. Weird. It’s close enough to the backroom door however, so she’ll give it another try. Quickly exiting and readying her blade up again, maybe she needs to be quicker this time? She’ll do a swift slice down one side, and-]

[Nope. Back at the simulation room. What, is that the alarm system? Just… annoying someone so much that they stop it? Well, she’s not one to quit. She’ll rev up her blade even faster, go dashing out of the simulation room, then do one quick clean slice before it even-]

[She’s back in the simulation room.]

[DOROTHY]: My GOD. This is-

[ABACAXI]: annoying? yeah. sort of the point.

[DOROTHY just looks up at ABACAXI, floating above her in the simulated void.]

[DOROTHY]: Great. You’re here.

[ABACAXI]: yeah you’ve kinda sorta been trying to break our stuff, which we do sort of need, so-

[She goes out of the room. Then instantly reappears within it a few minutes later.]

[ABACAXI]: …did you think that since i was here, that’d like? stop working?

[She doesn’t say anything in response. But yes. That was what she thought.]

[ABACAXI]: is this still about the witch thing again?

[Rather than saying yes, DOROTHY launches her blade directly at Aba, who effortlessly stops it, and grabs the hilt from her as well.]

[ABACAXI]: we’re having a conversation, dorth. no need to try and attack anyone, alright? see- how about i…

[With a flick of his hand, the simulation changes to an early 1900s living space, complete with sepia colors. He finds a couch and lies down on it, gesturing for DOROTHY to take a seat as well. Which she does not do.]

[ABACAXI]: dorth. what’s goin’ on? you can’t just keep this up, y’know?

[DOROTHY]: What’s going on? Why don’t you tell me. What, with how little any of you have said period, and how- SOMEHOW, despite ME getting the WITCH, ELISE got her… partner. It’s almost like you two literally have it out for me- and that isn’t an exaggeration like how Elise would say, or whatever- that’s just the truth.

[ABACAXI]: look, i can’t say i understand fully what the doc’s doin’. so i won’t. and even i think we probably should have like, at least warned you about the witch- but the choices weren’t made to spite you specifically. you weren’t even supposed to be here, remember?

[ABACAXI]: it’s just- things not going in your favor, that’s all. those two cultists have had it pretty rough too- they almost stopped talking to each other for a good bit ‘cause of a fight they had. but then they got a visitor that helped ‘em out, even if just a little bit.

[DOROTHY]: Really? So, all of this torment, it’s just- bad luck?

[ABACAXI]: to you, i guess it would be, yea. which i know sucks as an answer but like. it’s the truth.

[DOROTHY]: Well, then this talk was a great waste of time. NO answers, just… a “suck it up”.

[ABACAXI]: not really what i said? but-

[DOROTHY]: Well, then can you help? At all?

[ABACAXI]: hm. you and a lot of others are starting to seem a little antsy… and even i won’t lie, these 5 walls- or 6? i dunno. but i can see them being a little constraining after a bit, even with a room that can simulate literally any location ever.

[ABACAXI]: …how about this. i whip up a little… vacation from your vacation. not to your home- that’d be a lot harder to get you all back from, i’m sure- but to a nice middle ground. a place larger than just this ship.

[DOROTHY]: …A vacation. Yeah, just push us somewhere else. For how long?

[ABACAXI]: i’d have to work that out with the doc… and uh, based on my magic. but hopefully it’s long enough to get you all rested and relaxed for the rest of it all. even i can tell you all need a bit of a break.

[DOROTHY]: …Whatever. If that’s all you can do, it’s better than nothing…

[ABACAXI]: just. don’t go blabbing this to all the others, okay? i want it to be a bit of a surprise.

[Great, another secret to keep. Whatever. She’s excited to finally get out of here for a bit at some point, but- she hopes it's somewhere actually nice for once. No more giant spaceships or deadly fantasy worlds. Aba gives her back her blade, and she just walks back to her room.]

[...she’ll just need to find another way into that backroom, one of these days.]