mnemosynecrew: (Default)
The Mnemosyne Crew ([personal profile] mnemosynecrew) wrote in [community profile] thememesyne2024-10-27 02:16 am
Entry tags:

TDM 02


TDM 02


WAKING UP
WARNING
WARNING

cryo bay malfunction
cryo bed error

loading



emergency override accepted

It's nothing like it was in training, waking up from cryo sleep. The sterile, cold quiet you were conditioned to expect is shattered. Alarms blare violently, ricocheting off the walls of your pod as if they're trying to crawl into your skull. Red lights pulse like a failing heartbeat, and for a moment, your entire body refuses to obey you - can't breathe, can't move, can't think.

...and then, with an almost violent shudder, force rips through your diaphragm. A brutal jolt, like being kicked from the inside out. You cough, heaving for air as the cryo pod's systems drag you unwillingly out of torpor. There is no slow, gentle awakening - this is an emergency.

Your vision is blurred and swimming in the red strobes. Emergency. The word itself seems lodged in the air, floating around your fractured mind like some distorted mantra. Something's wrong. Very wrong.

When you stumble out of the pod, your muscles heavy with the dull ache of cryo-stasis. It takes more effort than it should to move; even in the low gravity of the massive cryo bay, it's like you're fighting against the weight of your own body. Your hands tremble as you grab the tether, using it to pull yourself forward, toward the revival room. Everything feels too slow. Every movement, every thought, is tangled in webs of lethargy and confusion. Your brain is... wrong. It feels like it's leaking memories - images flickering and fading, like you’re seeing through a sieve full of holes.

This is not the start of your 5-year shift. No, this is something far, far worse.

A voice comes through from a speaker, disturbingly calm, cutting through the chaos around you.

hello, [crew member]
there is an issue
please join your crewmates

L3TH3 sounds unbothered by the alarms that blare around you. The AI has likely been running diagnostics for hours, while your body and mind were frozen in time.

The doors to the revival room slide open with a soft hiss, revealing dim, sterile lighting and the harsh stench of disinfectant. What awaits you are not only crew members as confused and groggy as you are, but others also arrive at the room from outside, ready to greet you. Do you ask them what’s going on, if they feel the same gnawing wrongness clawing at their brains? Or do you just grab your gear and get ready to go, trusting the training that suddenly feels so irrelevant in the face of whatever's happening here?

One thing is clear - something's definitely off about this wakeup call.

A BIT OF TURBULENCE
Thanks to the combined efforts of the crew, the engine is back on! L3TH3 is quick to continue in the direction the navigators had planned - before they were sanitized. The Mnemosyne moves through space easily, barely a sound as the purple nebula and distant stars light up the unknown galaxy the ship has ended up in. It's eerie but beautiful, the cosmic canvas shifting and swirling with colors that seem almost alive.

The tranquility shatters on the day after the new crew wakes up - the ship enters an asteroid field. The shields power up with a pronounced whir as the hard-light protection activates, creating a shimmering barrier to block the floating space rocks. While it's strong enough to protect the hull from taking damage, there's now a lot of turbulence. Each collision of small asteroids against the shield sends vibrations rattling through the ship, making it feel as though the very bones of the Mnemosyne are protesting against the chaos outside.

Quickly, furniture is magnetized to not fly around and a notice flashes on the CL-10, urging everyone to secure any smaller loose objects. As the asteroid field closes in, the crew can see the rocks tumbling in the void, some as large as small moons, spinning through the dark with an unsettling grace. The ship lurches to the side, casting shadows that dance like specters against the walls.

Outside, the view is still breathtaking - asteroids whizzing by, some glittering with minerals, others shrouded in dust and shadow. In the midst of the chaos, the beauty of the galaxy remains.

FLOATING AWAY
As the Mnemosyne continues to brave the asteroid field, L3TH3 suggests that the crew move to the holodecks for their safety. The AI reasons that it'll minimize the risk of injury, and the gravity will be turned off in there to stop the turbulence from shaking people around. It will allow the crew to float weightlessly for a while, free from the jolts that have become their new unwelcome companions.

If the crew make their way to the holodecks, the air is different inside, tinged with the scent of fresh grass and ocean salt as holographic projections spring to life around them.

In one holodeck, the program flickers to life, revealing a stunning landscape of lush green meadows dotted with vibrant wildflowers. The sun hangs low in a blue sky, casting a warm glow across the scenery. Gentle breezes rustle through the tall grass, creating a soft, soothing sound that is a stark contrast to the metallic whir of the ship. When the gravity turns off, it's like flying over the beautiful summer setting.

In the adjacent holodeck, another program unfolds - a breathtaking underwater scene. The crew members can see themselves swimming through the crystal-clear water, surrounded by colorful coral reefs teeming with life. Schools of fish dart between the corals, their scales shimmering in shades of blue, orange, and yellow. The tranquility of the ocean envelops everything, each breath a reminder of the freedom you can have within this artificial paradise.

For a moment, the crew can forget the peril of the asteroid field and the unpredictability of space travel. Here, in this floaty sanctuary, everyone can find a bit of solace.

Welcome to our TDM! Please direct any questions about the game to our FAQ and check out our AU WORKSHOP. If you have questions about the prompts, you can ask below.

PLAYLIST

THIS TDM IS A GAME-CANON EVENT, SO CURRENT CREW CAN TOPLEVEL AS WELL.
ANY CHARACTERS THAT DO NOT END UP IN THE GAME HAVE GONE BACK TO CRYO SLEEP.

RESERVES OPEN THE 1ST.
APPLICATIONS OPEN THE 3RD.




itdoesntlikeyou: (named murder)

Rin (Murderbot) | The Murderbot Diaries

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-10-28 02:42 pm (UTC)(link)
i. A Bit of Turbulence

[What's magnetizable has been magnetized, what can be locked down has - for the most part. In the active life of a ship, there are just some times when it's always going to be a bad time for things to jolt.

Like, for example, when you're heading to the Medical bay because of Reasons - maybe something to do with the ring of yellowed bruises around their eye, and a scab peeking up from the collar of their bodysuit, the remnants of a blow that's already seen healing attention from one of the medical kits but still needs a few days to clear up. The jolt hits when they're in the midst of an intersection of corridors, striding quickly across.

So of course their ankle rolls under them, sending them pitching towards the far wall. They're quick to catch themself with a hand against the wall, the sharp smack of their partially metal forearm colliding with the plastisteel wall echoing down the corridor. And to top it off, when they raise their head to glare down the corridor -

Yeah, figures there'd be a person there to catch the full brunt of that murderous look.]



ii. A Bit of Turbulence pt. 2

FROM: SCI_R_0
TO: ALL
RE: Ship Instability Precautions


While shields are active ship safety regulations recommend the following steps:
1. While moving through rooms and corridors, keep one hand braced on the nearby wall. Use hovercarts, trolleys, or automated transports with handbar locks to carry items where possible.
2. Keep a flashlight or fully charged CL10 on your person at all times in the event of power fluctuation due to high energy load on the shields.
3. Avoid usage of recreational sport and physical training facilities at this time.



iii. Floating Away

[The holodecks certainly are meant to be relaxing, a break from the destabilizing reality of walking around on the ship - certainly in the literal sense of the jolts they're dealing with, but maybe more existentially, too. An escape from the nightmarish realization of their precarious situation, the murder of the previous crew and the still-living Captain. The twenty-year gap. The new danger to the ship and shields. Isn't it mice, to just drift around in nature, the likes of which they may never see again?

Right, yeah, not really. In the underwater wonderland holodeck - chosen out of the studied estimation that most of the crewmembers will feel uncomfortable interacting for extended periods of time with an environment that looks and feels like one where they should have limited ability to breathe. This is compounded by the spot Rin has chosen to float - in the curling branches of a simulated coral, well out of the way of the holodeck's entrance, their attention focused on the screen of their tablet where there's a lot of fake blood flying around. And the faint echo of screams to accompany it.]
anesthetic_rage: (Default)

SEC_Z_Massani

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-28 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Do we have any reports of hull breaches? Just because the engines are working again, I don't trust the shields to be at full power until they prove otherwise.
plantussy: (palm)

ENG_V_Saverem

[personal profile] plantussy 2024-10-28 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't doubt my skills, Massani! Engines might not be my specialty, but the power is 100%!
itdoesntlikeyou: (headache)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-10-28 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Rin isn't here to defend Vash's honor as a power systems engineer, so instead:]

ALARM021536727.wav

In the event of a hull breach, this is the ship alarm that will sound. Loudly. Unless yuo are in the section that has currently suffered a hull breach.
anesthetic_rage: (Got anything smart to say?)

Re: ENG_V_Saverem

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-28 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't doubt your skills.
I just don't trust our luck right now, hah.
anesthetic_rage: (Yeah I'm goddamned smiling.)

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-28 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Right, because if I'm in the breach, I either already have my helmet in place and barely survive, or I'm already dead. And at that point what's the old saying?

In space, nobody can hear you scream? Probably works for alarms too.


[He's a peach.]
plantussy: (basswood)

[personal profile] plantussy 2024-10-28 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
You know what that's perfectly fair.
anesthetic_rage: (I will get the hang of this.)

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-28 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
If we're lucky, the worst we deal with is some dings to the hull and a scratched paint job.

Let's hope that either way.
plantussy: (daisy)

Vash the Stampede 🥬 Trigun Stampede

[personal profile] plantussy 2024-10-28 04:40 pm (UTC)(link)
WAKING UP

[ Vash makes his way down to the recovery room as quickly as he can once he hears the alarms. He remembers just how painful and confusing it was to be ripped out of cryo like that, and his fellow crew didn't have anyone to help. These ones would, he'll make sure of it.

Sure, he's not exactly a medic, but he's personable and knows how to put on a good face even in these kind of situations. ]


Hey, you're okay. Sorry for the weird wake-up. The cryo pods have some kind of issue and is waking people up really harshly. [ There's that sunshine smile. ] I'm Vash Saverem from Engineering, and this isn't your scheduled shift. More like a whoops.

[ The blonde holds out a blanket. ]

Just stay put until the doctors have had a look, okay? I can try to answer any questions you have.

A BIT OF TURBULENCE

[ He's finally able to sleep. Finally. In a bed, even, not at his desk or on the floor. Vash has settled into the bed in the room he claimed and his head hits the pillow with a thunk.

Power's on. Engine's on. They're moving and L3TH3 is at least a bit less creepy when they are. He closes his eyes and sighs, just about to drift off when the ship lurches and he's thrown out of the bed while clutching his pillow. ]


What?! [ The answer comes quickly from the AI and he groans. One thing after an other, is it?

He can barely see straight but Vash secures his own belongings and then steps out of the crew room to see if there's anything he can do to help. Especially when it comes to the new crew members, who might not be used to their great luck yet. ]


Hey, do you need help strapping that down? Don't worry, we're safe - the shields are on.

[ Vash may look like a sleepwalking zombie, but he can at least tie some shit down. ]

FLOATING AWAY

[ It's honestly a pretty good idea to put the crews in the holodeck and turn off the gravity. Working with the engine has already given Vash a lot of time in zero g, so floating off in a calming environment sounds amazing right now.

It's a hard time picking between the options, but a summer meadow sounds just a tad more relaxing. Can he sleep in here? Please? For the love of stardust, please let him.

Anchoring himself to a 'tree' so he doesn't smack into anyone else, Vash makes another attempt to rest while the Mnemosyne gets out of the asteroid field. If you happen to hear snoring, it's definitely coming from the guy in Engineering blues. ]
plantussy: (chestnut)

[personal profile] plantussy 2024-10-28 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
That would be the worst, yeah. If the shields hold as they should, not even that.
We need a win right now, honestly.
backtoretail: (now you say it was just a game)

Madison Montgomery | American Horror Story: Coven/Apocalypse (CW: language & general crudeness)

[personal profile] backtoretail 2024-10-28 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
WAKING UP

To say that Madison didn't take her sudden jolt back into awake and awareness gracefully would be the understatement of the millennia. She staggered out, trying to get her sense of balance back before she reported to her brand new life as a Security Officer.

Yeah, yeah, laugh at the Hollywood starlet turned Security crew. She could still judo flip men twice her size, so they wouldn't be laughing for long.

Humming "These Boots Were Made for Walking" under her breath, she started to suit up, glancing long enough to catch someone else's eyes and loudly complain, "Can you believe this shit? Something's fucked up. Dunno what, but it is and when I find out what it is, we're going to have a nice, long talk. Preferably after I kick their ass, but I can settle for before. What about you?"

A BIT OF TURBULENCE

So the good news was that the nerds managed to get the engine working.

The bad was that they were suddenly in the middle of a motherfucking asteroid field and who the hell had time for that bullshit? Sure, the view was gorgeous, but Madison figured that having signed up to be useful, she actually had to try to be useful. So she staggered out between hits to try and grab onto someone who seemed to be having an even worse time than she was.

"Hey. Hey! Keep it steady and don't you dare barf on me, got it?"

FLOATING AWAY

Given the choice of a cutesy Disney meadow or the ocean for a refuge, Madison picked the ocean. No way was she going to frolic in the fields like some stupid damsel in distress, no, if she was gonna float it was going to be on at least somewhat her own terms.

So, ocean it was! She only regretted that she had to be in her security uniform instead of a nice bikini to show off her figure but, well, the uniform was skin tight. Maybe she could pretend it was a wetsuit for the time being?

She was humming again, only this time it was the theme to "2001: A Space Odyssey." An ancient old film she'd been forced to watch because the director she was banging at the time kept going on and on about how it was the most perfect film ever made.

Perfect, hah! Perfect for taking a nap during, maybe.

Madison was so lost in her own private little world, she completely t-boned another crew member. She scowled at them and snapped, "Watch it! You're not the only person in here, you know!"
flavourtown: (009)

jiaoqiu | honkai: star rail (current player)

[personal profile] flavourtown 2024-10-29 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
✘ ⸻ waking up


[ Upon hearing the alarm that new crewmembers had awoken, Jiaoqiu had left his research, grabbed just about more supplies than he could carry, and made his way to the cyro-pod chamber. When the first wave of them had been awoken, he'd done his best to help the others as one of the very few Medical personnel aboard, but his own symptoms and fogginess had hindered him.

Today, he's bright and cheery. Medical white bodysuit impeccable, hair accessories on point and tying his braid back, tail so fluffy you want to bury your face in it.

As the newest member stumbles from their pod, Jiaoqiu is there to catch them, and ease them down into a chair he dragged over.
]

There, sit, and don't panic. I know it's all very loud with the alarms and the AI talking, but there's no emergency. [ Not anymore, at least. They'd taken care of it. He presses a bottle of water in their hands. ] Drink. There are snacks to follow, to get your body kickstarted. How are you feeling? Any mental fogginess?

✘ ⸻ floating away


[ As others have no doubt discovered over the past month, Jiaoqiu is something of a workaholic. This is, perhaps, not unusual -- they've all had to be workaholics this past month to get the engine working -- but even after the engine is fixed, and there are no actively injured people onboard to take care of, Jiaoqiu continues to work every metaphorical daylight hour.

So, as he floats over a peaceful meadow, Jiaoqiu looks somewhat disgruntled.
]

I hardly thought turbulence would happen in space.

[ Nonetheless, his tone is pleasant and mild, lightly joking, even as he heaves the sigh of a man who just wants to get back to reading medical research. He indulges a fraction and lets a hand down to trail his fingers over sun-warmed stalks of grass, bumping over a bright flower. ]

Still. If this is the space version of having to buckle our seatbelts, I suppose it isn't too bad.

✘ ⸻ bonus: mealtime!


from: MED_J_0
to: ALL
subject: an invitation 😻


In a twist I am not even remotely surprised by, I am already sick of synthesized meals. So I synthesized myself some ingredients, and plan to indulge in some real cooking. Fortunately, I had specifically requested a room with a kitchen.

If anybody's in the mood for hotpot, feel free to join me in my room. Room 111, C-level.

-- Jiaoqiu
itdoesntlikeyou: (processing)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-10-29 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
Medical alert bracelets are more easily scanned for.

... Nevertheless shields are rated for impacts at higher force/rate magnitudes than natural debris can account for, despite potential need to change speed and vector to accommodate. Still would be nice if the ship woke up a pilot.


[Hey L3THE you listening? For once Rin would actually like her to be.]
anesthetic_rage: (Default)

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-29 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
I will settle for "Not a loss." It's an asteroid field. Just not dying sounds like a win, being brutally honest.
anesthetic_rage: (Deal with it.)

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-29 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
What, so they could blast a few of the rocks with some good old fashioned hard light to break them up? Would be nice. Don't think we're that lucky.

Theoretically, though, the shields "should be rated" for this as long as we don't try smacking into something the size of Ceres. I sincerely hope the captain is at least good enough to avoid that, since we're basically on auto pilot.
overlies: (pic#16117735)

makima ● chainsaw man

[personal profile] overlies 2024-10-29 11:27 am (UTC)(link)
《 WAKING UP
[  cryosleep is over. the outside world is blaring wildly and thrusting her awake.

this was not what makima emerwen had expected when it was her turn to work, but at least there had been enough preparation to be ready for most skews in the grand planning of things. despite the terrible aches and heavy resistance in her still stirring body, she eventually thrusts past her senses to pull herself through the low gravity containment and into the recovery suite— discipline, and something about following the designanted rules would lead her to getting situated. and less nauseous, of course.

she wondered, were the voices of those calling her in all sorts of ways— excitement, shock, fear, puppy-like elatedness— miss makima— had she dreamed during the short period of thawing before being thrown into emergency sirens? it was highly unlikely, but thinking such felt more wishful. she had quite missed dreaming, now that she thought about it.

the auburn haired, slender elheen woman in a white suit was about as pale as the color of her sector. she could barely stand on her own, and decides it best to sit rather than force her time in the revival room. she was cold, but nothing felt colder than the wrongness of the alarms. it's obvious that something is wrong. it's obvious that the crew needs them.

before long, makima is dawning her long white coat and gear, finding her glasses and scanning the turmoil, doubt, and fear on the faces of her crewmates. she keeps her hearing at attention; any clue to what is happening will do.

the stench of disinfectant burns her inner nostrils, causing a kink on the bridge of her nose, but brief as ever once she's settled her sights on . . . you. oh, you. makima smiles sympathetically, and offers a friendly opening when she says: ]


Come, now. One step at a time.

[ there's a lot going on. ]


《 A BIT OF TURBULENCE + FLOATING AWAY
[  having no small, loose objects in her living and working quarters for just such an occasion, makima doesn't need to do much. other than secure he tablet in the correct compartment, she is free to appreciate the galaxy's imprint on the universe outside. if one seeks her out for her professional time, she'll be in her office, a cozy and sitting in front of a spherical window in the hallway. ]

It has its own beauty, doesn't it? [ L3TH3 has already sounded the fall to the holodecks, she's on her way, surely— but her golden eyes stay fixed onto the mix and swirls of nebula outside. ] I just wanted a look before it's gone.

[ if you'd prefer to see her within the holodecks, she'll be there for anything that you need. the white of her attire names what she is, and the tranquility in the space she's chosen of a lush green meadow is perfect for a chat, if you're needing. most, if not all creatures trapped within the isolation of deep space need it. guidance to sort out your feelings and stay healthy. ]

I won't bite if you decide to sit with me.

[ she plays, tender and delighted by the company she could aid. the flash of her teeth is angelic, even etheral. inviting. why don't you sit? ]

There's much to talk about, isn't there?


( ooc; au workshop! makima is an altruistic elheen woman with only slightly pointed ears, golden eyes, loose auburn hair, a slender stature and considered smaller than most elheen. she is the crew psychologist, mother of one, and an admirer of humanity. )
itdoesntlikeyou: (that was weird)

floating away

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-10-29 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe Rin would recognize the humming - they might have anyway, but they're distracted by the need to physically recoil from the sudden and unexpected physical contact. They weren't even going anywhere, as much as one can even stop their momentum in open air, in a place like this, they'd done it - only to get rudely spun out.

They transferred the momentum with a clean flip around, snagging the CL-10 that had been knocked out of their hand during the collision. Time to establish some personal space bubbles - a good meter, at least. Maybe more if the drifting takes the two of them further apart, that's fine by Rin.

"Thought security needed good situational awareness," they snark, in their Science greens.
Edited 2024-10-29 14:02 (UTC)
itdoesntlikeyou: (headache)

turbulence!

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-10-29 02:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's not Rin's job to sweep the corridors to make sure everyone's gotten into the holodecks for safety - that would be Security, if they're even bothering with that. Rin has the suspicion that the first round of crew, at least, will take the AI's instructions as a mild suggestion at best.

From the looks of it, this newly thawed batch might just be the same. They're making their way down the corridor, one hand braced against the wall, when they come across the new medic, their eyes scanning over her, then the nebula outside. They were ready to pass by, but ohp, no. Talking time, fuck them.]


Ship spent twenty years here. Fine with leaving it behind.
itdoesntlikeyou: (network)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-10-29 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Chance L3TH3 will let unauthorized crew touch exterior guns: 6%. If it's got enough processing power it can change the maneuvering so the impacts aren't so bad. Do you think the Captain is in any condition to steer?

[Are they judging the ship? ... It's probably not supposed to sound like they think they can do a better job.]
tarakan: (Default)

holodeck!

[personal profile] tarakan 2024-10-29 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Hilbert wasn't the sort to seek out the psychologist even when he was back on the earth. As someone who's history was built on lies and deception, on his ability to sweep things under the rug should they get too bad, the last thing he wanted was anybody with the skills to possibly poke through those holes. As it is...well, they've got less than fifteen crew members awake. It's not like he can ignore anyone.

The markings on his spacesuit designate him as medical staff. Hilbert is a man in his fifties, also wearing glasses. He gives Makima a little nod before sitting down next to her,
]

Understatement of century, [ he muses. His accent is the modern day version of Russian, the in-game version of one of those towns stuck in the boonies, far away from actual civilization. ] How much have people told you about captain and previous crew?
anesthetic_rage: (Default)

Waking Up

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-29 03:15 pm (UTC)(link)
So. When there was word of new stiffs waking up, Zaeed made it a point to be there to help out in case they needed it. he wasn't a cheerful face, but he was at least a face. When he saw the new arrival show up and grab one of the security uniforms, he inwardly sighed. They needed engineers, but he wasn't saying no to backup. His last task had definitely been meant more for a standard security agent, not spec ops.

"Easy there. One step at a time. You're going to feel like pureed shit for about a half hour at least. Head's probably ringing too." His was.
anesthetic_rage: (I love my work.)

[personal profile] anesthetic_rage 2024-10-29 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
You would THINK it would authorize the armaments that can't possibly hit any other structures, but no. You're probably right. Damned near makes spec ops fee redundant, but wait until we get an incursion.

I honestly have no idea what he's in the condition for. It's nice to think one of us is doing the piloting though, even if it's a fiction.
backtoretail: (oh oh an' I will now)

I am *so* sorry for her.

[personal profile] backtoretail 2024-10-29 03:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Madison did her best to hover in place, but her best wasn't good enough in zero G. Instead, she was floating back to the person who'd ran into her in the first place. Fine. She started trying to 'swim' closer.

Personal space was for infants. Before Madison signed on, she'd been used to bicep clasp hugs, air kisses, casual touch to either disarm or threaten. She'd been doing that since she was a child, child stars were treated like anyone else was. Even the rules about schooling often went unenforced.

She glared at him. Science greens, so a nerd. She knew they were necessary, but that didn't mean they could get mouthy. "I'm sorry, I was busy adjusting to zero fucking G! What's your excuse?"
backtoretail: (or I will make you black and blue)

[personal profile] backtoretail 2024-10-29 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately for Madison's pride, she needed it. It was like the worst hangover ever coupled with what she assumed being hit by a very large, very heavy object was like. Not fun. But she told herself that it was better than being home, letting her parents soak up her cash. Conservatorships were bullshit.

"Yeah, understatement. I need about a million aspirin and I need them now. Or is there something better than aspirin?" No thank you in sight. At least not so far.

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