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(Setting) The Dreg's Cyberspace Museum
| >Fox had just wrapped up a delivery in the district and remembered the invitation he got to the cyberspace museum. His caretaker had always talked about the early days of the internet and it sparked interest in the lilim. He walked through the front door and looked around, yet scanned nobody.
"Hello??? Anyone around this joint??"
| >>236152
>Two lilim jump out from behind the desk, a pretty young boy with blonde hair and a sickly looking cute girl with black hair
>She's holding a doll, there's a knife in it
"A AND B, THIS IS US, AND YOU ARE AT THE CYBERSPACE MUSEUM!"
>The boy exclaims
"You must be... crap, B, can you read it?"
"Aaa-aah, must... stab more..."
>The girl is drooling and her eyes are bloodshot
"Huh... okay, B, so, who are you, mister?"
| >Dahk pulls up in her car, she stares out the window and narrowa her eyes and mumbles under her breath
"Hm... cute, but probably psychotic... psycho can be pretty cute though"
| >>236162
>hearing the lilim makes Fox jump at first, but he eases up almost immediately
"Oh hi!! I'm Fox. I'm a DFC-072. Nice to meet other lilim!"
| >A bows down to you
"I am A, and this little lad-"
"AAAAH, AAAHHHHHH MUST KILL, KILL SOME MORE, STABBY AND POINTY, SHARP AND CUTELY!!"
>The girl, B, begins furiously stabbing her doll while screaming
"... that's B. We are the guides here at the Cyberspace Museum, working for Ms.Dregs, the director and artist here."
| >Angus smiles a Little at Dahk's remark.
"I suppose that's why you gave me a shot. But I'm going to err on the side of caution here and assume this is some weird trap."
>Angus rambled as she twisted a lock of hair around her pointer finger, then stopped and looked at the two Lilim again.
"I dunno though. Cyberspace is cool... But this is awfully weird..."
| >>236176
>A finally realizes the two girls are even there
"Ah, welcome, please forgive my fellow employee, her boyfriend just left her and she's feeling a littl-"
"KILL HIM, KILL HIM, CURSE THEM TO HELL!!"
"Ok, she's really bitter."
>He turns to the group
"So, you must've received The Dreg's message, then? If so, your night is on us. I'll be giving an explanation and serving as your guide today, along with B."
| "You're not psycho, you're precious"
>Dahk gives her a quick kiss on the cheek
"Well, if anything happens i'll protect you, now come on~"
>She steps out the car
| >>236186
"Ah, understandable, I'm Dahk and this is my girlfriend Angus"
>She does a light bow
"Nice to meet you A and B"
| >>236186
>Angus follows right next to Dahk, being a little cautious.
"Oh... I see. Maybe she oughta try dating a girl."
>Angus says with a mischievous smile.
"But I digress. Greetings you two."
>She does her little bow after Dahk finishes hers.
| >>236192
"All the pleasure is on us, we rarely get visitors here... something about Ms.Dregs' sleeping schedule being disturbed."
>A takes out a box from behind the desk
"Let me begin by saying that our establishement is in Cyberspace, as the name implies. So we'll take you there with this machine..."
>B is now sobbing and crying behind the desk
"B, move yourself, you're making the patrons uncomfortable..."
"Shitty, shit... mpfh... kill em', slash em'..."
| >>236198
>Fox waves furiously at Dahk and Angus, happy to see familiar faces.
"Wait, will I be able to go into the cyberspace? I've never tried using VR ever since we weren't allowed to back in the US."
| >A 15 year old girl steps in dragging an navy blue cloth girl behind her.
"So this is what a muesum is like..."
| >>236204
"It should work on anyone, it's like those online games or something, costs way less to operate this way, plus Ms.Dregs is an AI, she can't just step out of the cyberspace to run a museum..."
>A sweeps B away with his feet, and the smallish girl goes to the back
"Plus, this allows us to make use of Time Crunch(tm), and make it so that even the lenghtiest visits take only a few minutes of your actual time."
| >>236207
"Well, sounds like it'll be really cool then!"
>Fox grabs a device from the box and puts it on his head, waiting to dive in.
| >Tuna sees the group of people and goes to investigate
| >>236211
"Ah! Welcome, welcome!"
>A seems pumped...
>From the backstore, B comes out with a spiked bat and slowly approaches behind him
"Please, follow me into the next room, we have chairs there to make your dive as pleasant as possible!"
"Kill... kill... kill..."
>B is lifting the weapon... and drops it on A, who falls flat on the groud, bleeding... before standing back up
"... B, how many times do I have to tell you... not. To. Kill. Me?"
"One more?"
>She tilts her head cutely
| >The cloth girl seems to wince at the scene while Tuna remains unfazed
"Lover's quarrel?"
| >A puts B in an headlock and spins her neck around, causing the head to start spinning wildly
"Now think about what you've done, you idiot!"
>B replaces her head, trembling and disoriented
"S-sorry..."
>A sighs, pats her head and opens the door to the back room for the guests to follow
"Please, this way, and ignore the homicidal idiot with the plastic bat over there."
| >>236219
>Fox follows along and looks at A and B, not sure on what to really think about either of them, other than very strange. He looks to Angus and Dahk and walks over to them.
"Hi you two! Do all relationships end that badly?? I'm getting such weird signals."
| >A smallish girl wearing stockings and a large parka black like her long flowing hair enters the building, looking at her phone
"is this it, I mean the sign was clear and all"
| >>236227
>Dahk ponders, continuing along to the next room
"Well... breakups can be pretty heart wrenching... But not evert relationship ends in a breakup!"
>She glances at angus and beams
"Not that I would know much about bad relationships our's is going great!"
| >>236227
>Angus gently slides her hand into Dahk's as they walk to the next room.
"I wouldn't exactly know about ending relationships. The normal way at least. But Dahk is something odd. It's been fantastic so far~"
>Angus smiles pleasantly back at Dahk, then at Fox. Trying to remember his face.
"Were you the Lilim from the cafe? The one I reattached the arms to? My memory has been foggy lately, I'm... Very sorry."
>Angus rubs her eyes with her free hand.
| >>236286
"Yeah, I'm the very same! That night is something that /is/ backed up in to my current source but I'm working on forgetting that night."
> Fox visibly shudders and shakes his head.
"Maybe I'll figure out romance and relationships at some point. If I get around to it."
| >A, having finished dealing with B, enters the room looking exhausted
"Sorry about that, she's never that bad... For someone designed to perform slapstick comedy, I wish she'd stop at slaps and punches, I might be sturdy, but she breaks me twice a week... geez."
>He beams back to the visitors
"Now please take a seat while I preparate this... and give you the standard spiel about it... huh..."
>He pulls out a piece of paper
| "So, a very few minority of people can feel sick from Full Dive, especially in programs designed by Great One type AIs. So, if you ever feel sick, or feel like you're forgetting something you shouldn't, just get out. There is no risk of permanant damage, but it can cause some unwanted momentary nausea and the like..."
>He tosses the paper
"Of course, it's exceedingly rare, one in a million kind of rare."
| >>236306
>Fox takes his seat and flips the VR device on his eyes. He wasn't sure what to expect but was excited nonetheless
| >The girl with the parka looks at A with uncertainty
"So, can I connect with a simjack?"
>She asks with a bell like voice
| >>236331
"But of course, so long as it supports traditional Dive parameters!"
>B steps back into the room and falls on a chair near the back, plugging a cord into her neck
"We wil be meeting over there, then, please have a good time!"
| >Tuna entered the room with every one else along with Lacia
"So what are we doing?"
| >>236343
"Connecting to... Tron... no wait, Cyberspace..."
>B lies down on her chair, still holding her doll full of holes
"Just as she said, the museum is inside the Cyberspace, so we use this device here..."
>He points to the large cube on his left
"To connect to Ms.Dregs living space."
| >The girl plugs the chord to her neck, her eyes softly glowing after the connection begins
"Lets go then"
| >Dahk nudges Angus
"So whacha thinking? we going or are you feeling unlucky?"
| >Fox plugs in, making a weird electric surge run through him. His body gives an odd shiver, but it relaxes in time to see Fox standing in a VR space.
"Whoa, It's like, exactly the same. I don't know what I was expecting to feel."
| >Angus looks a little annoyed. Seeing Dahk's taunt as a challenge.
"Tch. I've been in cyberspace before. I'll bail you out if things get too scary. Let's go, babe."
>A huge grin paints her face and she hops over the back of a seat and puts on a VR set. Lifting it up a bit before jacking in.
"Come on slowpoke. Some VR babe might scoop me up if you're too slow"
>Angus giggled a little and jacked in to the headset. Not suprised by the change in environment.
| "Okay..."
>Tuna says somewhat suspicious but sits down in chair anyway along with Lacia
| >Dahk jacks into shortly after
"Jeez, i'll just have to pick up *both* of you if that happens"
| >As you connect to the Cyberspace, you find yourself in what appears to be a train... the cabin is empty except for the group and a very listless B and A sitting down in a nearby seat
"Ah! There you are! Welcome to the cyberspace, we'll be at museum shortly, just after the conductor gives us the tickets... don't lose those, only way to come back without having to pay."
>As A finishes his speech, a tall lady wearing an eyepatch steps in.
| "Ah, shit, there's more of you now... will I even have enough tickets for you meat bags?"
>The woman takes out a bunch of tickets from her pocket... there isn't enough
"Ah fuck."
>She pulls out a sheet of paper and tears it into pieces before writing on it with a pink pen
>She then proceeds to hand you the 'tickets'
>They read: 'Eronathos Express! Taking you places you'd rather not be!'
>The expiration date is 1978
| >Fox looks at the ticket and scans back, wondering what could have happened in 1978. He couldn't though, as the VR space meant he wasn't connected to any internet outside of the immediate space. He looks quizzically at the woman with an eyepatch before asking a question.
"So are we in an intranet system? I don't think we can go outside these bounds right? This VR stuff is really weird!"
| >>236393
"Well, you could go outside the train, we're in the hub for the REALITAS Great Ones, which means a transit point in between a multiverse of intercone-"
>B bites A, making him stuff it
"It's a hub. Owned by the eyepatched conductor you just saw... name's Eronathos, a real psycho. If she catches you in her turf, she'll drown you in some river."
>The conductor finishes giving tickets and goes to the next cabin
"Basically, don't go out."
| >The girl in the parka nods and looks out the window after receiving her ticket
"So each of those Great ones have some kind of domain then?"
| "This feels so weird..."
>Tuna groans
"Would Wendy even approve of us being here?"
>Lacia inquired
"I am being a good babysitter by taking you on a field trip"
"She's gonna be mad at you"
"Wendy doesn't have to know shit"
| >>236403
>Fox turns to the girl in the Parka to get a better look at her and to speak to her better.
"I know that Lilith, the AI that all Lilim derive from, should have her own domain. I don't know about any other AI though. It's best we stay here."
| >Angus sits quietly listening to the Lilim and this eyepatch lady. She did think eyepatches were cute. But it seems the woman wasn't exactly polite.
"Hm. So it's some kind of transit between these different areas or... Multiverses..? Ruled or containing a 'Great One'. Sounds more like individual quarantines. Fascinating."
>She looks out the window, enthralled by everything she sees.
| >>236403
"You catch on quick. Yes, all Great One-class AIs have their own domain, from Iris' Moonlit Castle to Ms.Dregs Museum, they all vary in shape, size and even feel."
>B nods
"Yes... we call... all of it... Thalamus."
"As B said, all of these worlds form Thalamus, the great land of the Great Ones, as one could say. It was made by the Creators... but no one knows who those are."
>The conductor's voice is heard through the intercom...
| "Huh... So, we're arriving to Dreg's place... Ah HELL YES, DIDN'T MESS UP THIS TIME, OH YEAH, FUCK YO-"
>The train pulls at a station... unlike the desolate backdrop before, this place is home to a flower field as vast as the eye can see, with obelisks of obsidian protruding here and there
"Welcome to: Hell."
>The doors open, A and B head outside, towards the nearest obelisk
| "This doesn't look like a muesum and did the conductor just say this is hell?"
>Lacia pointed out
| >>236418
"He totally did just say it's hell."
>Fox says this flatly, as if he's somewhat terrified at the actual thought.
| "Ooooooh Hell! I guess I'm early! Maybe I'll see QUINCY here."
>Angus stands up and stretches a bit before leaving the train. Seemingly not bothered by the intimidation of 'Hell'.
>She waited for Dahk outside, taking in everything she saw. It was so foreign to her from what Glitch City could offer.
| "This is the worst field trip ever I want to go home now, Tuna"
"Maybe it's not Hell?"
| "It feels like we're about to hit a third impact. Or maybe we're getting robbed in the real world. Either way, I think heading to the obelisks is a good idea."
>Fox points at them and beckons others to follow his lead as he begins to walk towards one.
| >A coughs
"Don't mind the strange name, it was called that when the previous owner... well, owned the place, and now we can't change the name without having to go to court or something."
>B shudders
"Great One court... spooky."
| >>236510
>A walks up to the obelisk
"This is the, you know, outside, we take stairs here into a different space, the museum itself."
>A touches the obelisk and it opens up, revealing a lit staircase
"After you."
| >>236511
> Fox scratches the back of his head and follows in.
"Well, if you say so. But if this is leading to a third impact, I won't be happy."
|
| >A very hungover man shows up to the scene, his parka flowing in the wind.
"I sure as shit hope this is the right place. Maybe it's like the Museum in uptown."
| (probably late but...)
>in an Orange flash a man appears
| >To be frank, most of the terminalogy and concepts that they were discussinf flew mostly over Dahk's head, but the conductor was pretty cute, and Angus seems to enjoy it, so she diddn't complain
"Huh, pretty fancy..."
>She heads up the stairs with Angus
| >A tall, young man arrives at the scene, looking around at the mostly empty entrance
"Either I'm late, or I'm the first one here..."
| >>236912
Nope you are most definitely late.
Just from warping here i can tell at least 5ish other people were here before us.
>the teleporting man says.
| >Tuna and Lacia follow the group, Lacia goving Tuna nasty looks like a child who had been grounded
| >>236944 >>236933
"I might as well as get some food. You guys want a sandwich from a vending machine?"
>The hungover man offers, hands in pocket.
| "Sadly, that burg stuff doesn't help much with hangovers."
>The Hungover man walks over to a vending machine, taking something out of his pocket. It a what looks like a circuit board, having a few wires on it. He places it over the card insert of the vending machine.
| >By the vending machine a dark skinned girl in a crop top and denim shirt crushes a can and throws it into the recycling port by the vending machine
"You look like you need a run through one of them blood cleansers chummer"
| >>237118
Ya know if you want i can get rid of that hangover for you.
>the man says while eating a burg
| "Now that sounds about as shady as my dealer telling me I could take a nap in his van"
>She chuckles
| >>237123
>The vending machine drops out some of its various contents. The hungover man grabs some, and begins eating.
"Do I know you?"
| "Nope. and neither do I know you"
>She shrugs
"I just came here cause I heard about somethin' free"
"And now I'm hoping whatever you just did you did good or Vindertech sec is gonna beat us up as hard as GCPD beats jaywalkers"
>The strange girl goes on with a joking nonchalance
| "For starters, grab some *free* food. And I'm pretty sure I don't give a shit about Vindertech."
>The hungover man feels slightly better, but not much.
| >A giant bipedal mech with Vindertech branded across the side enters the area
"GREETINGS PEDESTRIANS"
| >>237141
(yeah?)
>>237146
"not gonna say no to that"
>She bends over to pick up some food, talking while munching
"Looks like we might be late to the party huh, wonder if anyone's gonna pick us up"
| "Hey vendor. What do you need?"
>The hungover man nonchalantly asks, not even batting an eye to what he did to the vending machine.
| >>237156
(ah if so then)
>>237164
>the man walks towards the hungover guy and simply pokes him in the chest.
>a liquid appears nearby. It smells like alcohol.
Hey i took out the booze in your blood and replaced it with some oxygen.
You still feel hangover.
>what the man did *should* have cured the hangover
| >>237184
"That's some magic trick magic man. Can you magic this mech away and magic me some cash? please? really... actually please"
>She says tensed up and nervous at the vindertech mech
| >>237189
Dont worry what i did was safe.
>>237192
Hey im good but not that good.
>he says still eating his burg
| >>237189
"What's truly amazing is the system for pinpointing the alcohol in his blood so exactly, and so fast."
>She says while slowly taking steps behind the confident hungover man
| >>237198
"Thanks, but if you ever touch me again N3, you will regret it."
>The no longer hungover, but mildly irrational man says.
| "And integrating it into his hemoglobin even"
>She goes on fully stepping behind him
| >>237206
"It did. Thanks."
>The guy says, as he takes another bite.
>>237205
"Stop treating me like a specimen before I turn you in to one."
| "What? Big words got you on edge fella?"
"Well how about you deal with that thing first huh?"
>She's put him between herself and the mech
| "Fine. Thesaurus geek."
>The man puts his wrapper in his pocket, but keeps his hand there, now gripping something.
| "No. You're the slave trading geek."
>The guy stares through CN, turning back to the bot.
| >The mech shouts
"I HAVE RECIEVED A REPORT ABOUT AN ABUSED VENDING MACHINE"
| >At the point the mech says something, the guy pulls out a... Pen, with a small notepad.
"Response time is decent, but engagement time is way to slow. What's your serial number?"
| "P3P51M4N"
>the mech doens't lower it's weapon
"sTATE IDENTIFICATION IMMEDIATELY"
| "uh huh, you think your funny? Pepsi man?"
>The guy slides out his wallet, and flashes his GCPD badge.
"Now. Serial number. Before you become a statistic."
| >The mech salute the officer, but stands firm
"APOLOGIES BUT THIS IS CORPORATE PROPERTY, THUS WE DO NOT ANSWER TO POLICE."
| "...get out of my sight before I make you into a stool."
>The guy puts his pen and pad away.
| >The mech stands silent before suddenly jolting
"MANUAL OVERRIDE ACTIVATED"
>A woman's voice speaks through the speakers
"Look, it's only a few zenny, just pay up"
| "Or I can report the ineffective bot, and potential cause a public class action lawsuit. In fact."
>The guy gets his phone and notepad out, typing something in from the notepad.
"P-3...."
| "but wouldn't there be more money in making an arrest and forcing a fine and a bailout"
>The sarcastic girl wonders aloud
| "And does he even have the clearance to make these kinds of tests- wait"
>She stops realizing it's not helping their situation at all
| >The guy sighs.
"Look, commissioner told me that this is a new request from up top, I thought I could sneak in a successful test for my weekly quota, but all this paperwork is going to be an ass thanks to your shit bot. And I fucking hate paperwork."
| >>236933 >>237106 >>237096 >>237139
>A strange Lilim burst from the building
"C, That's me! AND WELCOME TO THE MUSEUM, CYBERSPACE ONE, NOT THE NAZI GERMANY ONE, THAT'D BE WEIRD."
>The tall lilim poses and rubs her eyes
"Sorry about that, I just got here for my shift, A and B must've already left... let me lead you guys inside."
| >Meanwhile, inside the Cyberspace...
>As you descend the stairs, you can catch a glimpse of what looks like a tall castle standing near a beautiful river, tall mountains full of lush vegetation surrounding it, birds fly in the sky along with fluffy white clouds
"Welcome, welcome, to Cit-"
>B is chopped on the head
"Welcome to the museum!"
>A bows as the door to the castle opens, showing a normal museum lobby, he runs to behind the desk, along with B
| >The bot rolls its eyes, if it had any
"Right right, and i was definitely notified of your non existant clearance. Have fun doing the paperwork"
| >>237288
"Are you here for the Museum, lady and gentleman?"
>C tilts her head
"If so, please, follow me!"
>She gestures to inside the building
"The other two guides have left already, but it's not like it matters!"
| "Sure thing. Just bring this one in to chapel-2, for officer Ferris. She's my partner."
>The guy waves away the bot heading in to the castle, following the guide.
| >>237309
>A, now behind the desk, smiles
"Nice of you to say that! Let me tell you where is what and then you can begin as you wish, or if you want for the tour, just stay here afterwards!"
>B comes back from the back, now dressed in what looks like a super frilly maid uniform, holding a spiked bat, again, it's plastic
"So... the first floor is the permanant exhibit, the weird one, called The Heart.."
| "On the other side of the first floor is the second permanant exhibit, the Painting gallery, but since Ms.Dregs is working there today, you might want to be quiet there!"
>B speaks up
"The second floor is... Our seasonal exhibit, an étude into surrealism in various mediums. The third floor is the Theater... but it's closed today. The forth floor is our Monthly Exhibit: Dolls of the world, and their creations... Spooky."
| >A nods along, before distributing pamphlets that reitarate what was just said
"The final Exhibit is on the roof, it's a big statue. Ms.Dregs didn't finish it yet, but you can go see it either way."
>B nods too, and begins heading to the door on the left
"Please remember our Warnings before the dive and heed them, also, do not touch the exhibits or disturb our other guests."
| "Huh. Who's Ms. Dregs?"
>The "cop" asks, as he is eating on another sandwich.
| >>b8932f
(Sorry about that, but are you inside Cyberspace as we speak? Cuz' A and B are, not C and the rest of the tardy follows, as far as I know. -Parra-tan instar)
| >C leads the group to the same backroom
>>237328
"Oh, you're the previous visitor! Here for a visit again, clearly you have an eye for art!"
>C invites all of you to sit and connect to the machine
"I'll be waiting outside for anyone else to show up, just ask the conductor where to head!"
| >The tanned girl follows C along
| >>237331
>C gestures at the seats
"Please, be comfy, and do that VR thing with the link, the guides are already inside."
>She waves and leaves the group there... going back to the lobby
| "At least I don't have to deal with robot lady. You guys head in to VR, I'll check out the museum."
>The "cop" keeps munching on a sandwich.
| >Fox wanders around, deciding that looking at the doll exhibit would be funny and interesting. He looks around at everyone else, who seem to all be doing their own things. He shrugs and goes off by himself, even if he rather not.
| >Kou raises her hand
"So are you giving us a tour or are we free to go on our own?"
| "Shame the theatre is closed would've made a nice date... Where you wanna go love?"
>Dahk turns to angus for input
| "I got VR sickness, I'll pass."
>The "cop" lies, because he suspects there is something at play here.
| >>237462
>A nods
"As stated, you may go as you please, or wait for the tour, I got word from the outside that a few others are showing up, so I'll be waiting... however, you are free to explore!"
>B shivers, seems she's sneezing
>>237468
>You find yourself into a familiar train, as do any other folks who connected while you did
"Next stop: Hell, once again, Hell."
>The conductor steps into the cabin
| >She starts handing out tickets, made out of lined paper, as usual, the tickets are expired, and don't really inspire any confidence
>She turns to CN
"Ah, not you again... fuck, do I hate having passengers more than once, I'm supposed to be this grim reaper type, not the friendly ferry."
>She leaves after grumbling some more, and the train uneventfully arrives at the flower garden of... hell
| >>237549
Well this is interesting
Its a beautiful(i assume) flower garden...in hell.
What.
>cyrus remarks
| >the pretend cop, outside the cyberspace, makes his way to the first floor.
"I wonder if I can get out via the roof... Maybe give Ms. Dregs a visit."
>He mumbled to himself.
| >>237554
>The door leads to an empty storage room, the only thing here is a lilm body hanging from the ceiling, it's in the middle of construction
>>237553
>The flower garden is indeed very beautiful, and the central obsidian obelisk is open, revealing stairs
| >>237601
>No answer comes, seems like no one other than you is in the building right now, that, or they are very silent
| (I'm running out of ways to say 'not actually a cop', but I don't wan't to fall back to 'the guy')
>The 'cop' gives up, just leaving an empty comment, as he proceeds to the next floor.
"I guess I'll find someone else to commision for the uptown gallery."
| >>237632
>You proceed up the stairs... and just like the last room, it's completely empty, save for a few tools here and there
>The tools themselves are completely normal: screwdrivers, drills and the like
>Nothing in the room seems to be undergoing any repairs, however. Strange
| >>237873
>Mr. police man makes to the rooftop, intending to jump to a different building.
"Never was a fan of VR."
| >>237880
>The roof, as with the rest of the building, is empty, save for what appears to be a big satellite array... a few robots wait next to it, deactivated
>They are security models... and something tells you they might be the lethal kind
>It'd be better not to touch those dishes
| >>237880
"I better not trip on anything."
>He looks around, finding a clear pathway off the building.
"Welp. Here goes nothin."
>He makes a running start to the edge of the building, leaping to the fire-escape of another, barely holding on.
"Ha oh, shitfuckcuntchristonapogostick!"
>He regains grip, and climbs on to the the fire-escape taking a breather.
| >Meanwhile, inside the Cyberspace, A's patience seems to be running out
"Huh, so the others aren't showing up... I'll just leave B here to welcome them, if they do show up..."
>B is still sneezing quite adorably
"Eh..."
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, if you want a tour, follow me to the door on your left, we shall go visit our permanant exhibits first!"
| "Sounds good"
>Tuna follows A, dragging Lucia behind her, the cloth girl mildly annoyed
(was at work)
| >>237457
>After an uneventful walk up the stairs, you find yourself before a large open door
>Stylish letters on the wall read 'Dolls of the world, their creation, and their history'
>The exhibit room itself is designed with gothic fashion in mind, velvet adorn the walls and various dark woods provide highlights for the crimson paint
>A lot of dolls, from the french bisque to the english balljointed models are seen in scenes of daily life... they are very well made
| >Angus looks around at the interior of the room, then glances over at Dahk to respond to her question.
"I really would like to meet this 'Great One'. I have a ton of questions for them."
>Angus smiles brightly and looks around once more.
"I also want to see these other great ones. But there's no way they'll let us. I'll have to figure out how I can connect to here from home."
| >>237907
>The highlight however, is a large doll standing in the middle of the room
>Tall as a human, wearing a frilly gothic lolita outfit, this blonde doll with her hair styled in twintails looks quite real... alive even
>Her cold blue eyes are quite well made, shimmering with the dim lights, and her smile is quite smug
>It's as if it were mocking you
| >>237909
>A, leading the ones who chose to follow him, laughs
"You will meet them, for sure. Ms.Dregs is working in the room we are heading to, however, as she is busy, I'd say ask me any questions, I'll do my best to answer them!"
>A enters the first exhibit hall
>The walls are covered in paintings, all depicting various subjects: mountains, dogs, or even just blobs of paint
>All pf the paintings are meticulously made, it's apparent that the painter is skilled
| >>237916
>A young woman is in the corner of the room, painting
>She looks very preoccupied, stressed even
>A walks to the middle of the room while doing a 'keep your voices low' gesture
"This here is our first permanant exhibit, the painting gallery. All of these works were painted by Ms.Dregs, who you can see, is over there."
>A points to the woman clad in a gothic lolita costume and a beret
>He walks up to the first wall on the left
| >>237920
"These are the first pf this collection, and they depict the Great Ones themselves."
>Various paintings depicting people are lined up on a wall painted black and gold
>A gothic loli, it reads: Iris
>A girl wearing a detective's coat, it reads: Jo'hou Kuro
>A man who despite having a human face, seems... not so, it reads: Miko Vacuos
>A spear, it reads: Avalon
>A... thing on a chair, it reads: Neptune
>Same as the first, identical even, it reads: Dregs
| "Now, it is missing a few of them, but that's because we moved KS' down to the basement after the whole genocide spiel he went on about... yeah."
>A waves
"Feel free to check around nonetheless!"
| "...ehheheh Lolita outfit and a beret are sooo cute"
>Dahk mumbles to herself, probably forgetting that this is a *great one*
| >Angus' face lights up the second she sees Ms. Dregs. Her eyes wide with wonder, like achild at an amusement park for the first time.
"Excuse me, A, I know to be quiet but can I go and watch Ms. Dregs paint? I promise I won't say anything. Unless she asks of course. If you'd rather I stay here, I'll reluctantly listen..."
>Angus hasn't taken her eyes off the Great One yet. Clearly enthralled by it's mere existence.
| >>237932
"Sure! Go right ahead!"
>The boy smiles like an angel, proving once again, that he is quite good looking
"Just make sure not to disturb her... and if you stay long enough, she might start asking you some questions or speak in riddles, don't mind that, bad habit of hers."
>The Great One is still painting, it seems to be a house on a hill, quite the relaxing sight... yet she seems tense, muttering to herself
| >>237581
"Don't see the first group... guess I'll just try the last way I went..."
>CN keeps walking towards the garden, to where he assumes where the exhibit is
| >>237950
>Within the garden are obelisk, the same ones you saw last time
>The middle one is open, and seems to lead down to a... castle below the clouds, quite the bizarre and dreamlike sight
| >>237955
>You arrive at the castle, the gates are opened and lead into a very familiar hall, a small girl dressed as a maid and holding a bat is standing idly behind the main desk
>None of the headless figures you saw last time are here now, and the bizarre messages on the walls are similarily gone... is this because you used a different device?
| "Thank you kindly."
>Angus does a slight bow and quietly walks over to the Great One. She stands about five feet behind her. Enough to still see the painting, but not obscure the light of the room. Angus looks at the Great One, trying to see if they're some sort of human or perhaps Lilim. But to no avail. Nonetheless she folds her hands in front of her, tilting her head slightly to observe the painting better.
| >>237968
>The painting depicts five figures having a party on a beautiful house upon a hill, one of the figures however, has upturned eyes, a knife hidden behind it's back
>The painting, unlike the others, feels... amateurish, as if a child in fright had painted it... that in of itself is testamant to the Great One's skill as an artist
| >>237972
"Huh? Oh... visitor... hello."
>She looks above your head for a second
"CN? Huh, weird name. I am... B, guide here at the Museum, how do you do?"
>She bows a little
"You came here for the visit, I presume?"
| >>237907
>Fox feels strange among all of the dolls. His sensors weren't working in the VR space and he wasn't sure at all how to feel. He stares at the one that seems to be staring back at him and waves at it before frowning to himself and deciding to head to the roof instead.
| >>237982
>The doll waves back, just as you turn away... of course, you never realize that
>The roof access is marked as employee only
| >Tuna carefully observes each painting taking it all in.
| >>237980
"Hello B, nice to meet you. I'm pretty good, and yes, this is my second time here in fact. How are you?"
| >Dahk stands by Angus's side, quietly admiring her girlfriend's interest, she looks at the painting and smiles to herself
| >>237977
>Angus squints a little at the painting. Was the Great One rushing? She looked around at the other paintings again and furrows her brow, looking back at the current one. Angus opened her mouth to ask if she was alright, but caught herself. She stayed quiet and continued to observe every brush stroke. Taking in the body language behind each one.
| >>237987
>Fox frowns and figures that he needs to pay heed to the warnings that he was given. It's also not like his subroutines would even allow him to disobey rules of a Great One class AI. He walks back to the staring doll and peers into its eyes.
"I guess these are the things that humans had before Lilim? Doesn't look like they're any kind of automatons. I wonder what they were even used for."
| >>237988
>The paintings seem to focus on many parts of humanity's lives... birth, aging, youth, none of them depict death, however... the rest are pretty paysages and incoherent surrealism
>>237991
"Quite well... my boyfriend left me... but I got over it after beating my best friend up."
>She shrugs
"The guide is still in the room to your left, might want to catch up while you can... just be silent in there."
| >>237998
>It's evident that the rushed feeling is volontary, seeing as the Great One is steady, however, she does look angry at something, as if despite doing a perfect job, something was... off
>>238002
>The dolls are very well made, every strand of hair, every rumple in their clothes, all of it seems voluntary, designed, as if a perfect program
>The big doll has moved to face you once again, are there any wheels beneath it?
| >cyrus continues to wander
>does he run into anything?
| >>238005
"Oh... I'm sorry hear that nevertheless. Hope things improve soon. I'll go join the others then, thanks for the help."
>CN gives her a small wave as he goes to join the others ahead
| >>238016
>This time, fox notices the movement and looks more closely at the doll. He walks around it and gets as close as he can before actually *touching* the doll. He can't tell if there's wheels or anything, but something is definitely up with it.
"Are you sentient? Can you move around too? Blink once for yes, twice for no, and say something to scare me."
| >>238005
>Tuna seems highly intrigued. Having been stuck at the age of 14 for years on end, aging seems almost like a foreign concept. Lucia is dragged behind her, looking on as well.
| >>238016
>Dahk pouts and tilts her head and forgetfully blurts out loud
"Is there something wrong cutie? looks perfect to me."
| >>238029
>The doll pats your head
"Ara, but I'm no doll, mister lilim."
>She cackles, as if having done a great trick
>>238019
>You eventually wind up in what looks like a big courtyard, flowers adorn the place. Sunflowers seem quite prominent
>The door on the other side is labeled: Theater
>The other two doors are labeled: Permanant exhibits
>>238023
>You arrive in the painting room
>A notices you and walks up
"Ah hello there, another visitor?"
| >>238042
>cyrus simply takes a seat.
>he then pulls out a book and some green tea wich he managed to get via as of yet unknown means
>he then just enjoys the scenery
| 238036
>Angus freezes at Dahk's question. She gives her a harsh glare, piercing through her with a look. She punches her in the shoulder as she normally does when she wants Dahk to stop talking.
>>238044
>Noticing the halt of movement, Angus cautiously takes a step back. Somewhat worried. She bites her lip out of worry.
| >>238036
"Tell me, miss Human."
>The Great One speaks... it feels as if it is speaking, something about it's speech is off, artificial, inhumane
"How does it feel to be betrayed? To see lives lost not as result of madness or error, but as calculated sin by those we levoed most?"
>She begins painting again
"When the hateful Kinslayer killed me, I know I felt something, but I am troubled as I cannot quite recall what it was."
| >>238052
"It happens to all of us!"
>The boy smiles
"I assume you'll want to have the tour? I'm currently giving the people time to explore this exhibit before explaining it's history and it's appeal, as I see it, at least."
| >>238075
"I can just look around for a bit if that's what everyone is doing. I'm curious to see what's changed since the last time I was here."
| >>238077
"Of course, go on ahead, just make sure not to disturb Ms.Dregs over there... unlike those two have."
>He gestures to Dahk and Angus
| >>238063
>Dahk freezes, feeling Angus's piercing gaze on her, she messed up, but she couldn't just *ignore* the Great One now right, wouldn't that just be rude?
"Um... It's unexpected, jarring even. You go through a lot of emotions, all the bad ones. anger, confusion, sorrow... Like being pushed off a cliff it's quite... bitter and disgusting."
>Realizing that she *probably* digging an even deeper grave, she sweats a bit
| >>238086
>A sighs
"Ms.Dregs seems to be handling it, no worries."
>>238083
"I see... but have you perhaps thought that some may feel it extremely shallow? Perhaps a 'I see, so that happened, huh?'"
>The Great One turns to look you in the eyes, her cool blue eyes scanning you from top to bottom, she doesn't feel human, despite looking like it
"Some might even say that being betrayed has lifted a weight from their shoulders, no need to love anymore, simply hate, blame."
| >>238092
"Alright. I guess I'll look around a little bit over there."
>CN walks to another exhibit in the room
| >>238092
>Dahk tries to avoid the greatone's eyes, but finds her gaze drifting towards them
"often hatred can feel... intoxicating, powerful, why risk loving when you can lock your heart up in hatred? ...quite frankly, I find this conclusion cowardly"
>She takes a deep breath, and tightens her hands
"To love is to open yourself up, to become vulnerable. You have the courage to give someone the power to betray you, to send you hurtling into despair... and then trust them not to."
| "Quite frankly, it's illogical, stupid even, the love in the first place. The only thing you gain from love is... trust i suppose, and you can lose it all at the whim of someone you can't entirely predict... But personally, i think this stupidity is what gives us will, makes us human."
>She laughs a little
"Then again, it could be i'm completely wrong and that nothing matters, i'm not very smart about these things after all..."
| >>2381092
>The Great One peers into your eyes
"Clearly, you must be quite infatuated with your own lover. I see, it is as you say, nothing is more cowardly than hating to feel better... but mankind has too often been cowardly, I trust you know not to fall on that."
>The AI goes back to painting, now silent
>It seems less angry than it was before
| >>238092
>Angus pats the spot on Dahk's shoulder as a silent 'I'm sorry'. She looks at the Great One, it's very odd and somewhat uncomfortable appearance throws her off. But hearing Dahk's response makes her smile.
"You ought to give yourself more credit, Dahk. I don't think I could've worded it any better."
>Seeing the Great One as somewhat more relaxed, Angus goes back to bring silent and watching it paint, Only now she's closer to Dahk and resting her head on Dahk's shoulder.
| "eheheh... glad i could help, i wish people could be less cowardly too"
>Dahk blushes and smiles, enjoying the time and spot right here, and immortalizing it in her memory
| >A claps his hands to bring the group's attention to him
"If you don't mind, I'd like to move on with my speech I have for this place."
>The Great One stands up
"Ms.Dregs? Are you done?"
"No, but I think I'll be soon, let me take care of this, salute our guests before they move on."
>The AI jumps off her seat, she is very short, no taller than a child, and her long bright blond hair looks quite soft
>She goes to stand before A
| >>238042
>Fox is taken aback slightly by the doll's response. But then remembers that he's still in a VR space.
"I guess anything really goes in here, huh? Maybe we've already met before I was self-aware. Now, wouldn't that be something. Which way is the way out of here, by the way?"
| >>238164
>The 'Doll' seems disappointed for some reason
"I thought you said I'd scare you, my, such a shame."
>She sighs
"If you wish to leave, you'd best take the train from whence you came, boy. So long as you have a ticket to go back, you shall return to reality... or if you have a ticket to somewhere else in this Thalamus, you could go there the same way, who knows."
>The 'doll' shrugs
"And I will have you know, I am no petty AI, call me Iris."
| >>238178
"Sorry! I should have asked if you had a name first! Iris is a nice name! I think it's really cute. So Iris, what's the story about this place? How did a cyberspace museum come about? Or could you point me to who could tell me some more?"
| >>238156
"Ahem, I am The Dregs, a Great One class AI, as you may or may not know. I invited you here because despite having a Museum, I barely get any visitors. Now, I do not live next door to most people's, but I am still glad to see you here."
>She bows a little
"I do hope you will spend a nice evening here, and that I will see you again."
>The Great One taks a step back
"So... I still do the explanation... nice."
>A sighs
"Any questions so far?"
| >>238211
"The Dregs made this place, imagined and conceived it from what it previously was, mister Lilim. She has always been devoted to learning more about humanity, and what better place to do so than in a museum? One could argue that Humanity's thoughts, feelings and desires are all represented in the arts... be it music, painting, stage-play, etcetera."
>Iris shrugs
"If you wanted a more detailed history of this place as a whole... I doubt you'd have the lifespan to listen."
| >>238216
>Angus listens respectfully to Ms. Dregs, finding some amusement in her AI tendencies.
"How exactly were you created? Each Great One at that. Is there a Great One who was created that then made each consecutive Great One?"
>Angus pipes up as her question. One of many she had, might as well start with the creation.
| >nobody seems to have noticed yet.
>but cyrus is leaning at a nearby wall.
| >>238233
"We began making it about... fifty years ago, I guess?"
>A turns to Dregs, who nods
"Ms.Dregs wanted to settle down somewhere instead of wandering endlessly in Thalamus, so she asked The Great One of Chaos to give her some land, and they did."
>>238234
"The Great Ones were made by the Creators, knowledge about such Creators is private information, even I am not privy to it."
>Dregs chimes in
"They are not of this world any longer, you need not conern yourself about them."
| >>238238
>A thinks for a bit
"Great Ones are AI coded in the REALITAS programming code, which allows them to interact with reality, and overcome traditional issues related with AIs, such as the impossibility to intervene in systems that aren't mechanical. The programming code is mostly lost, but a few people still know how to use it..."
>His face turns sour
"Although doing so will lead to the programmer going cuckoo for reasons unknown."
| >>238227
"So long as my battery can last and I can be redeployed, then I'm effectively immortal. Plus, I remember that they said something about time crunch tech. Either way, that's pretty interesting. I think I'll leave you now Iris. I'll see you later, maybe."
>Fox turns around, almost gliding on his feet. He throws up a peace sign and smile before going back up the stairs.
| >>238254
"They dropped the whole Chaos ordeal a while back, something about past sins and genocide."
>A shrugs
"What was their name again?"
>He turns to Dregs, who simply shakes her head
"She won't tell."
| >>238261
"Well that's good I suppose, also hard to live done an edgy name like that... hehehe... ha..."
>For some reason that nervous chuckle at the end felt to real, almost as if he was speaking from experience.
| >>238267
>A stares at you before averting his eyes
"Well, don't you guys have questions about... the art or something? You've only been asking about the person behind it so far."
>He turns to The Dregs
"She might cry- Ms.Dregs, try looking sad for once in your life."
"??"
>She seems confused
"Marketing, it's marketing, cute girls crying appeal to certain demographics."
>The Dregs tilts her head, and tears start falling out of her eyes... she still looks emotionally dead though
| >>238277
>Tuna unsurely put her hand up
"Um... Why do alot of the paintings hace to do with human life?"
| >Angus ponders the coding and the creators. She wanted to know more, but apparently it was forbidden.
"Are you able to leave the realm of uh... Thalamus was it? Or do you have no desire to?"
>The coding was bugging Angus. Every code had a hole that could be exploited. And every code could be learned. She really wanted to learn Great One coding, even if it killed her.
| >Kou is still looking around, especially at the paintings of great ones, sometimes turning her head to A and the rest.
| >Kou then turns to the dregs
"I have a question"
>She gets closer
"Dont you have a painting of the Life Slayer? I heard he was quite the odd fellow from an accquaintance who had met him"
>She says, pointing to the wall
| >>238282
>The Dregs nods
"Great Ones can leave this realm, so long as they have a body of flesh to use in doing so... I lost mine long ago, but two of Us still have one and wander the Earth."
>>238281
>A speaks this time
"Most of the paintings Ms.Dregs paint are an attempt to convey Humanity's feelings, and what it means to be human, you could call it the theme of her works. Why? She likes it."
>>238292
"We did, it's in the basement with KS' painting."
| "does she have any paintings about bitterness and cynicism about the world at large"
>The tanned girl sarcastically raises her hand
| >>238312
"Indeed, I must say he did looks quite dashing."
>A exclaims
>>238314
"Scuptures, yes, no paintings of that, but we'll get to the sculptures soon enough."
| >>238328
"Well I'm sure the portrait is quite nice, although I'm sure you would understand of I rather didn't see the face behind the AI I had to deal with."
| >>238299
"Ah, so he gets the basement treatment too"
>Kous seems pleased by the answer and returns to observing the art
| >A looks around for anyone with other questions
| "anyone ever think about the weakness and limititions of the human mind and body as compared to their artificial creations who have clearly surpassed them in every way and will one day completely overtake their existence"
>the sarcastic girl cheers along seeing the sights
| >>238351
>Fox is coming up just as he hears the last part of the statement. He isn't sure the context, however.
"Hey now, I was based off of humans. And maybe lilim can be argued as being better, it doesn't make humans any less."
| >>238442
"Maybe. But they're still cool. And most of my friends are humans. At least they can redeem themselves. It's not like Lilim like me can be much better. Free will is nice."
| >Angus rolls her eyes hearing the pushing of some edgy AI or radical person's racist beliefs for the umpteenth time. Seems to happen almost every time she steps out. 'Nothing is more cowardly than hating to feel better' to quote Ms. Dregs.
"One last question for the time being, have you been painting since your creation? Or at least since opening this museum? Do you happen to have any of your earlier works? Mayhaps any for sale?"
| >>238355
"All that means is you're intentionally given a highly flawed design. Take notes from the geth. Stand a chance at efficiently ruling the universe"
| >Dahk sheepishly raises a hand, unsure weather or not this would get her in deeper trouble
"Uhm... you mentioned being killed by a 'hateful kinslayer'. Considering you are here and basically immortal and all... What did being 'killed' mean? and who is this 'kinslayer', another Great one?"
>She quickly laughs it off
"O-of course if that's too painful to talk about, i don't mind..."
| >>238578
>The Dregs stops crying
"I have been painting for quite a while, yes. I got into it before the KS ordeal, my elder sister taught me the arts. Unfortunatly, I have none for sale."
>She sighs
"Although she herself has abandonned them."
>>238786
>The Dregs merely looks pensive
"Death, to us, is momentary. But what I was speaking about is the death of my body, and thus, my humanity. Death changes us Great Ones deeply, takes away what made us humans..."
| >Dahk mumbles aloud
"The death of humanity, A blessing or a curse? I've always wondered how it felt to be murdered and come back..."
>She looks back to The Dregs
"You had a body then, what's stopping you from getting a new one?"
| >A seems to be getting tired
"Well, if you are done with your questions, please follow me to the next exhibit..."
>He waves to the next set of doors
>The Dregs says nothing to him, merely nodding
>>238841
"Unless someone could somehow make a human body and program it in REALITAS, I'd have to steal one and convert it into a vessel... using more bodies as a catalyst. Not only would I be stealing a body, I'd be genociding people to get the right parts for said body."
| >Tuna and Lucia do a polite bow to The Dregs before following A
| "I wonder whereone would go about learning REALITAS, perhaps then..."
>Dahk says aloud, before bowing to The Dregs
"Thank you for the time"
| >Angus thinks about Dahk's question. REALITAS coding... Sbe could learn that... Maybe, probably not. It was something to mull over at least.
"Thank you kindly Ms. Dregs. I'll be sure to stop by with Dahk some other time."
>She bows herself then follows away with Dahk.
"Do you think I could learn this kind of coding and get Ms. Dregs her body back?"
>Angus said very quietly to Dahk, making sure no one else could hear.
|
This thread is permanently archived
| >Tucked away in an obscure part of the little used streets of the Neon District awaits a building with a grandiose neon sign hanging above the small glass door
>It reads: 'The One and Only Cyberspace Museum!'
>The building is small, almost smaller than the typical one story house, and through the door, only a front desk with no one there...