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[ it happens in a moment. not even a few seconds before you were in a frozen hotel where eager staff were waiting on you and and foot. they'd be kind enough to dress your wounds if you asked and supplied you everything you needed if you were reluctant. however, all of that is gone and replaced with a soulless and cold room with gray cement walls without any windows, or any other decoration. you are not alone in this room; there are others around you, dressed in light blue jumpsuits, sitting at metal tables with metal seats—all of it bolted to the ground while there are others in body armor and armed with guns stand against the walls. fortunately, there will be three other faces that will look familiar to you and will be sitting with you at the same table.
you also find yourselves stripped of the normal clothing that you've been wearing and replaced with something different. sholmes and joonhyuk find themselves dressed in a white lab coat, black slacks, a button up—the model image of a lab technician of the compound. meanwhile, allen and rika will find themselves dressed in light blue jumpsuit with short sleeves.
the wounds and injuries that they had from traveling to nerak seemingly vanished but not that should give them any comfort. allen and rika will find what look to be medical wristbands on their right hand—it will detail their full name, age, and the name of their daemon. sholmes and joonhyuk will find themselves an id card badge detailing their name and level of clearance clipped to the pocket of their labcoat. the daemon of the four of them in the room with them, however rowan and bernkastel have been chained or caged to the wall nearby.
there's a soft murmur heard throughout the room about who will be next, however before they start to worry about that, perhaps they should take a moment to understand what might be at play. ]
you also find yourselves stripped of the normal clothing that you've been wearing and replaced with something different. sholmes and joonhyuk find themselves dressed in a white lab coat, black slacks, a button up—the model image of a lab technician of the compound. meanwhile, allen and rika will find themselves dressed in light blue jumpsuit with short sleeves.
the wounds and injuries that they had from traveling to nerak seemingly vanished but not that should give them any comfort. allen and rika will find what look to be medical wristbands on their right hand—it will detail their full name, age, and the name of their daemon. sholmes and joonhyuk will find themselves an id card badge detailing their name and level of clearance clipped to the pocket of their labcoat. the daemon of the four of them in the room with them, however rowan and bernkastel have been chained or caged to the wall nearby.
there's a soft murmur heard throughout the room about who will be next, however before they start to worry about that, perhaps they should take a moment to understand what might be at play. ]
[Rowan is Lady Not Tolerating This Bullshit. she's tried shifting around from canine to bird to squirrel but seems unable to slip the chains, chittering and calling out with anxiety before she settles on her canine form for a moment to try to snap at whatever's keeping her away from Allen. daemon does not do well with being trapped and pinned down, apparently.
Allen, meanwhile, sits still for a long moment, processing this and trying to stay calm. apparently, he also does badly with the idea of being locked down and caged and this sure feels like that. he does make a point not to look directly at the guards, hands pressing down against the table's top to keep from doing anything hasty.]
This... isn't what always happens, right?
[at least the two adults in the room are familiar.]
Allen, meanwhile, sits still for a long moment, processing this and trying to stay calm. apparently, he also does badly with the idea of being locked down and caged and this sure feels like that. he does make a point not to look directly at the guards, hands pressing down against the table's top to keep from doing anything hasty.]
This... isn't what always happens, right?
[at least the two adults in the room are familiar.]
[ ... Hm. He examines himself, then the ID card, then the rest of the room as he checks if he has his sword or not. Niah is out here in his wolf form, peering into the cages with little whines. ]
It's different than my trip, but the premise of being taken and placed elsewhere is the same.
It's different than my trip, but the premise of being taken and placed elsewhere is the same.
Well, at least we're ourselves. I hope.
[Says Sholmes, frowning as he looks down at his labcoat, then at everyone else. Irene in beagle form trots over to the cages and chains to peer in, whimpering a little.]
...None of this bodes any good. [He murmurs to the other three, concerned.] And I assume if we make a wrong move, they'll be more than eager to shoot us full of holes.
[Says Sholmes, frowning as he looks down at his labcoat, then at everyone else. Irene in beagle form trots over to the cages and chains to peer in, whimpering a little.]
...None of this bodes any good. [He murmurs to the other three, concerned.] And I assume if we make a wrong move, they'll be more than eager to shoot us full of holes.
I think Mr. Sholmes and Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi probably have more ability to move around, so... can't we. See why our daemons are locked up?
[Rowan's growls are becoming whines and even small howls of discontent.
Allen glances around the room.]
Miss Rika and I can probably ask the others dressed like us...?
[Rowan's growls are becoming whines and even small howls of discontent.
Allen glances around the room.]
Miss Rika and I can probably ask the others dressed like us...?
[ Wow… This game has too many guns. ]
It would be convenient to have some memories here.
[ Do they lab coat men have any information in their heads about what’s to happen here specifically? What about papers or clipboards detailing anything at their disposal? ]
It would be convenient to have some memories here.
[ Do they lab coat men have any information in their heads about what’s to happen here specifically? What about papers or clipboards detailing anything at their disposal? ]
[yjh just turns into a frog suddenly wtf (no)]
[But Sholmes nods.]
Maybe I should...attempt getting someone's attention? I assume since...our daemons are free to roam, we may have more power in this situation. Though I don't like the thought of that.
[But Sholmes nods.]
Maybe I should...attempt getting someone's attention? I assume since...our daemons are free to roam, we may have more power in this situation. Though I don't like the thought of that.
[ sorry joonhyuk but you'll find yourself with your sword and there will be no papers or clipboards at the table where you're sitting at. the id cards will list his full name, age, name of his daemon and the form it takes and that they have tier three level of clearance. ...whatever that means!
though as the four of them talk to one another, the rest of the people in the room will start to take notice and look at them unsure of what to make of the situation. and as they look around they'll notice that those who are dressed similarly in the light blue jumpsuits are all children, or seem to be children. probably worse yet is that they will grab the attention of some of the armored personnel, however, they do not move to react or get involved.
in another moment, there will be the sound of a door opening on the opposite end of where they are setting, and a two people wearing labcoats will enter the room seemingly to survey who is inside. while the looks on their faces are impassive for the most part, they will lock onto the group and whisper to themselves. it doesn't look as though they plan on acting just yet, however there the feeling of unrest builds among the others in the room and some of the nearby kids will start to sniffle softly causing others to quickly shush them. ]
though as the four of them talk to one another, the rest of the people in the room will start to take notice and look at them unsure of what to make of the situation. and as they look around they'll notice that those who are dressed similarly in the light blue jumpsuits are all children, or seem to be children. probably worse yet is that they will grab the attention of some of the armored personnel, however, they do not move to react or get involved.
in another moment, there will be the sound of a door opening on the opposite end of where they are setting, and a two people wearing labcoats will enter the room seemingly to survey who is inside. while the looks on their faces are impassive for the most part, they will lock onto the group and whisper to themselves. it doesn't look as though they plan on acting just yet, however there the feeling of unrest builds among the others in the room and some of the nearby kids will start to sniffle softly causing others to quickly shush them. ]
[well, that's more than a little uncomfortable, so Allen puts on his best I, A Poor Child, Have Been Reassured By Adults look.]
Miss Rika and I'd better go along with the other children. Thanks for looking out for us!
[guess they have to split up...???]
Miss Rika and I'd better go along with the other children. Thanks for looking out for us!
[guess they have to split up...???]
[ Joonghyuk looks over to Sholmes before whispering about asking them to show their IDs, maybe ask to state their purpose here as we are not expecting others right now, and give him the duty of conversating with their... Lab coat friends however the clown wishes. He's a chemist (not the same), so he trusts Sholmes with this.
May he approach the children? Can he check their wristbands to get a count of how many are here and an average of age? A fake screening. ]
It'll be all right.
[ Fake comfort because he has an inkling what this all is. ]
May he approach the children? Can he check their wristbands to get a count of how many are here and an average of age? A fake screening. ]
It'll be all right.
[ Fake comfort because he has an inkling what this all is. ]
[He hears what YJH has to say, then nods, moving to stand and walk over to the labcoats. Far from the typical buffoon he is, he is all business, serious, Irene sitting at his feet.]
Greetings. May you show your IDs, please? I didn't think we were expecting others just yet.
Greetings. May you show your IDs, please? I didn't think we were expecting others just yet.
[ rika will lean over to whichever child is closest to her, and do her best to match their level of anxiousness.
maybe these other captive kids know something, and will be more willing to talk to a Fellow Child about it. ]
Mii... What's going on? I'm still really confused about what we're here for.
maybe these other captive kids know something, and will be more willing to talk to a Fellow Child about it. ]
Mii... What's going on? I'm still really confused about what we're here for.
[ well, uh, if sholmes wants to get involved with the men in the labcoats early then he is more than welcomed to get involved with the people in the labcoats, especially when he approaches them, he'll notice that they'll have a high clearance than him tier 2... again, not sure what that is all about. however, he might feel as though his head is a bit hazy all of a sudden just as he has some sort of brain fog as he stands before them.
and the children may be approached and addressed. joonhyuk (and anyone else that looks) will notice that the wristbands of the children will have their ages range from 8 years to 17 years. those of the 17 year old bracket being the most rare and the bulk of them being around 10 to 13 years of age. allen's attempts to assure the children falls a bit flat as they shake their heads; the reason becoming clear when rika makes her attempt to understand what's going on.
"They mean to split us." and "I don't want to be separated." will be muttered by the children as they eye sholmes in addition to the other labcoats now. ]
and the children may be approached and addressed. joonhyuk (and anyone else that looks) will notice that the wristbands of the children will have their ages range from 8 years to 17 years. those of the 17 year old bracket being the most rare and the bulk of them being around 10 to 13 years of age. allen's attempts to assure the children falls a bit flat as they shake their heads; the reason becoming clear when rika makes her attempt to understand what's going on.
"They mean to split us." and "I don't want to be separated." will be muttered by the children as they eye sholmes in addition to the other labcoats now. ]
[oh, Allen is hating all of this, actually. he looks over to the caged daemons and then back to the other children, looking for someone of the higher age bracket since he's also... up there. not good.
he's at least remembering to whisper as he settles near someone:]
What do they mean "split us"? Can something like that happen?
he's at least remembering to whisper as he settles near someone:]
What do they mean "split us"? Can something like that happen?
I...hm.
[Why does he feel...hazy, all of a sudden? He blinks, looking back at the kids, and then at the labcoats. He shakes his head, taking a few steps back.]
I apologize. What is going on here? I do need to check if I am in the correct room.
[Why does he feel...hazy, all of a sudden? He blinks, looking back at the kids, and then at the labcoats. He shakes his head, taking a few steps back.]
I apologize. What is going on here? I do need to check if I am in the correct room.
[ how far back is sholmes stepping back? not that it matters too much because since he grabbed the attention of the labcoats they will walk up closer to him, one at each of his sides, and murmur their own set of concerns to him.
"Which child looks best for the next experiment? Subject 0864 should be next given how long they've been here, but we positive they won't survive the holding period." the child they refer to one was one of the sniffling children from earlier, a young girl with soft pink hair, and the longer they stay next to sholmes, the hazier his mind will become and he will slowly stop seeing the children as children. flickers of numbers instead of faces.
rika and allen don't a response immediately but given how they notice how the labcoats seemed to be occupied otherwise with sholmes, they take a moment to whisper hushed words to the both of them. ( joonhyuk is here somewhere... ) "No one knows." one voice says as they grab a hold of the next one who speaks. "No one's come back!" and finally a third voice, one of the older children: "...you mean no one's come back the same." ]
"Which child looks best for the next experiment? Subject 0864 should be next given how long they've been here, but we positive they won't survive the holding period." the child they refer to one was one of the sniffling children from earlier, a young girl with soft pink hair, and the longer they stay next to sholmes, the hazier his mind will become and he will slowly stop seeing the children as children. flickers of numbers instead of faces.
rika and allen don't a response immediately but given how they notice how the labcoats seemed to be occupied otherwise with sholmes, they take a moment to whisper hushed words to the both of them. ( joonhyuk is here somewhere... ) "No one knows." one voice says as they grab a hold of the next one who speaks. "No one's come back!" and finally a third voice, one of the older children: "...you mean no one's come back the same." ]
So someone has come back? Who? Where are they now?
[this iiiiis bad. this is very bad, actually.]
[this iiiiis bad. this is very bad, actually.]
[ Sholmes seems woozy? Hazy? So they can trade places. Carefully, he ushers Sholmes away, to the children. ]
My colleague is not feeling well. Give him a moment. [ Snaps some fingers like that will wake him up over there. ] What were you asking him?
My colleague is not feeling well. Give him a moment. [ Snaps some fingers like that will wake him up over there. ] What were you asking him?
...
[What? He's blinking,trying to get it together. A girl with pink hair...no, she's just a number. He's shaking his head.]
Well, it would stand that if she couldn't survive the holding period, she wouldn't be suitable...
[And then he's dragged away. He blearily looks back at YJH and then the children, faces flickering like old TV sets.]
I...they asked which child looks best for the next experiment...
[What? He's blinking,trying to get it together. A girl with pink hair...no, she's just a number. He's shaking his head.]
Well, it would stand that if she couldn't survive the holding period, she wouldn't be suitable...
[And then he's dragged away. He blearily looks back at YJH and then the children, faces flickering like old TV sets.]
I...they asked which child looks best for the next experiment...
[ what do you mean? it's great but autopiloting rika here and she'll be with allen as the older kid continues speaking and explaining things.
"We don't know. One of the kids said that they saw him being kept somewhere else after they tried to escape, but then they were taken the next day." the older kid finishes off with a dark expression crossing their face as the two younger kids cling to them. "So, we don't know if they were just lying or not."
however, now that sholmes as been moved further way from the labcoats, his mind will start to become less clouded and the numbers will disappear and the children will go back to looking like children. the same cannot be said for joonhyuk as its his turn to have his mind go a bit fuzzy and judgement not quite right. for him, he will consider that it's only logical for these test to be done. (or maybe that's just how he normally is?) ]
"We don't know. One of the kids said that they saw him being kept somewhere else after they tried to escape, but then they were taken the next day." the older kid finishes off with a dark expression crossing their face as the two younger kids cling to them. "So, we don't know if they were just lying or not."
however, now that sholmes as been moved further way from the labcoats, his mind will start to become less clouded and the numbers will disappear and the children will go back to looking like children. the same cannot be said for joonhyuk as its his turn to have his mind go a bit fuzzy and judgement not quite right. for him, he will consider that it's only logical for these test to be done. (or maybe that's just how he normally is?) ]
Have there been a lot of attempts to escape? Is that why they have guns?
[those are in fact very good reasons not to try anything funny too overtly.]
[those are in fact very good reasons not to try anything funny too overtly.]
[ oh..................? is this the siren of the lab coats? ]
If anything, we can use Subject 0864 to try some new experiments with higher risks to gain some kind of progress. It would be a waste to discard.
[ Blinking a couple of times, Joonghyuk has a massive paranoid reaction to this feeling, so he will also back up. Stay away from him demons, but the effect is... Lingering. ]
Do we have a second choice?
If anything, we can use Subject 0864 to try some new experiments with higher risks to gain some kind of progress. It would be a waste to discard.
[ Blinking a couple of times, Joonghyuk has a massive paranoid reaction to this feeling, so he will also back up. Stay away from him demons, but the effect is... Lingering. ]
Do we have a second choice?
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