Audience: Damian

[gatonina]

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INTRO WEEKEND, SUNDAY

[gatonina]

[after feeding the large grey rabbit, it makes for the door marked with a new moon. when damian follows, he'll find himself in what seems to be a standard camp office, with black shadows seated behind the desk.

they gesture to a chair across from the desk, giving him a small nod.]

Can sit. Don't have to. [and then, almost as an afterthought:] Can I help?

[bittybat]

[Hm. When he's inside, he does that very Bat thing over looking around him skeptically.]

I'll stand.

[This time, at least. When he glances back, the serious and grim expression on his face makes it seem like he's about to do the usual gloom-and-doom rundown of questions. But instead:]

I need cat food.

[gatonina]

Oh- yes. Please wait.

[black shadows reaches into their sleeve, rummaging around for... possibly longer than necessary? maybe they're having trouble. but after some fumbling, they remove a few cans of wet cat food, placing them on the desk and sliding them across toward damian.]

Acceptable?

[bittybat]

[He pauses for a bit, and then walks forward to pick up one of the cans for inspection. Finally:] Acceptable. [He stacks them, and then picks them up.

His eyes lift.]

You're not telling us everything, are you? What do you need to do to return us?

[gatonina]

Working to find out. May take time to fix, but don't know how much.

[their head bows in apology.]

Sorry.

W1, MONDAY

[gatonina]

[not long after damian feeds the purple bunny, it hops down the hall toward the room marked 3C 💜. the door opens for bunny and damian to reveal a standard camp office and purple heart appears to be sitting at their desk with a cup of coffee, their head propped up with their hand. upon seeing damian, however, they nod in greeting.]

Good morning, Damian.

[bittybat]

[😔 The door opens, but Damian makes sure to hold it for the cute bun. WHY ARE THERE ANIMALS? His weakness.]

Hello.

[Said in a "greetings, fellow earthlings" way, like he has never had a human social skill a day in his life.]

What the hell is going on?

[gatonina]

[the bun hops in and then looks up at damian with big bunny eyes. hello...]

You're going to have to be specific, there's a lot going on.

[bittybat]

[NO. He pretends he does not see it, but in reality... he does.]

Everything. What are you doing to get us out of here? Time and space here is malfunctioning, and pieces besides us are spilling over.

W1, MONDAY

[gatonina]

[after feeding the blue bunny, it zips off past the receptionist desk and out the door, bounding its way across the grounds. damian will have to be quick to keep up, but it seems like it's leading him straight to the camp store. the door swings open for the bunny, and as damian enters, he will find winter wizard seated at the check-out counter. they look up from their magazine once they notice the bunny, bending down to scoop it up and plop it down on their lap.]

Hey... Damian, right?

[bittybat]

[BUNNY. DO NOT RUN AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!! The absconding bunny is going to be the death of him as he chases it quickly out and toward the store.]

Correct. [Please get a single social skill for literally any of these threads, I'm begging you.] I require supplies.

[gatonina]

Um, okay...?

[why is this 10-year-old this way.]

What kind of supplies, exactly?

[bittybat]

A violin and bow.

[Thoughtful.]

And a set of watercolor paints and cold-pressed paper so it won't bleed through. Both for the second task.

W1, SUNDAY

[gatonina]

[black shadows is hanging out in the gardens, when their bun leads damian there; they're seated on a log bench, idly twining flowers together into a garland. it's slow work, and they don't seem very skilled at it, but they're trying.]

...Damian. Hello.

[bittybat]

[As expected, the first thing he does is peer at the flower garland Black Shadows is working on. Pennyworth is lazily following his heels, hopping along with wide steps in the grass to keep up.

Black Shadows gets a stuttery chirrup of greeting.]

Hello. I came to tell you the first voyage to keep my word.

[Not last week, tho, because it was W0 it didn't count listen.]

[gatonina]

[hello... black shadows offers a hand out to pennyworth, but they won't be offended if it's not sniffed.]

Would still like to hear it, if you are still willing to tell. Please sit.

[bittybat]

[This is fine. Without warning, Pennyworth hops up onto the bench with Black Shadows and gives the hand a good few sniffs. Hmmmmm. And then he sits between them as Damian comes to likewise sit down.]

I misled you initially. In a way. I offered to tell you about Sindbad, but there are, of course, a thousand and one stories inside of a bigger one. I didn't offer to tell you the real story. But I will now, if you want.

W2, SUNDAY

[gatonina]

[after feeding the purple bunny, it dashes off down the hall to a room marked as 3A Conference Room. as the door opens for both bun and for damian, he'll find a relatively cozy space. a couch pushed against one wall, a whiteboard on the wall opposite to the door, and a low circular table with beanbag chairs set around it. there is a water cooler and snack shelf in one corner of the room, and decorative plants can be found here and there.

and in a beanbag chair and opening a can of soda is purple heart.]

Damian, hey. Have a seat.

[bittybat]

[HE COMES IN AS EXPECTED: EYEBALLING EVERY SINGLE THING HE CAN WITH SCRUTINY.

The beanbag chairs get... about as much of a look as Purple does opening a can of soda. Jesus. He considers standing and saying he will do so. But then he doesn't know if acting like Bruce will get him much.

Act more like Dick, clearly.

When he sits, he's startled by how much farther he sinks in than expected, and it shows on his face with exasperation. The beanbag swallows him? It's fine.]

I came to ask what you know about the limitations of the... tube I received as a reward.

[gatonina]

[yeah sorry that heart is trying not to laugh as damian sinks and becomes one with the beanbag. but they're polite enough not to laugh too much before they straighten their posture.]

Smarter than most people would be in your position. Though I'm surprised you didn't ask your own leader. Nevertheless...I assume you've already thought of questions you'd like to ask of it?

[bittybat]

[Stop laughing.

He sits in the beanbag like a king on a throne except for the single fact the edges are consuming him and his arms have to rest way higher than they should.]

I considered it, but instead I wanted to see what the other two of you might tell someone not on your team. I assume asking for a way out, or a way to save everyone will simply be a waste? You can spare me your, "Why don't you try it and find out?" I'm already expecting it.

Just tell me how it will work. Am I required to be specific? Can I be broad?

W5, WEDNESDAY

[gatonina]

[hewwo. sometime this morning, prior to the minievent happening, the gray bunny will come to find damian! she hops around him, eager to lead him somewhere...

if he follows, she brings him to the door of the gray cabin, which swings open for him if he decides to enter.]

[bittybat]

[??????

Hello, little bun!! Damian will follow the bun to the door. Hmm. Shadows??

He will go in!]

[gatonina]

[it's a fairly normal-looking cabin on the inside! there's a bed, desk, closet, so on. the desk has a couple gray books and stacks of papers, and potted plants are scattered around. the bunny hops up onto the bed to sit next to--

hm. a zombie. shadows isn't wearing his void robe, and it's clear he's a very dead young man; his head is stitched on at the neck, so when he nods, it's slow and careful.]

Damian. Hello. It's- been a while, but I... wanted to speak with you properly this time.

My name is Wen Ning. I'm sorry I couldn't introduce myself before.

[bittybat]

[WHAT THE

On the other side of the door, Damian tenses up, but doesn't leap back or grimace. It's clear he is surprised, and his immediate instinct on being surprised is to be prepared. JESUS. But then he relaxes, and his expression is replaced by clinical curiosity.

It's actually Frankenstein's monster?]

You're--undead.