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redstringtheories2021-10-01 02:11 pm
TDM #4
(cw: potential for severe disorientation/vertigo, claustrophobia, arachnophobia, body horror)
It happens in the blink of an eye. You may have been asleep. You may not have. You may have stepped through a door or turned a corner. You may have seen a flicker of something at the corner of your vision and turned to look. Or maybe you didn't.
It doesn't matter. What matters is that you find yourself somewhere entirely new and entirely unfamiliar. The arrival point is not always the same. (If you're lucky, it might be a canteen or an open office. If you're not, well... you aren't claustrophobic, are you? Or arachnophobic. These ducts do seem to be a bit cobwebby.) There is no one waiting for you but you don’t seem to be alone, either. Even in a janitor’s closet or the bathroom, you’ll find at least one person who seems to be just as out of place as you are.
If characters have arrived in a location devoid of NPCs, they may want to work together to figure out what is going on... or to avoid their 'kidnappers.' If you’ve arrived in the middle of the entry foyer or the gym, there may well be a few people who startle a bit at your arrival and try to approach (or discreetly leave the room... where are they going?). Will you cooperate or fight? Do you even understand what they're saying? You might need to find a translator, if you’re not immediately willing to follow a stranger.
After characters follow their new hosts (or are forcibly taken in) there will be a limited tour and the chance to settle in at the ADI-provided housing. (Do you enjoy living with strangers? Well. It's a new situation to navigate, anyway.)
(cw: creepy toys, possible violence, supernaturally induced emotions)
Weird things happen in Dogtown, everyone knows it. The Apocalypse Disruption Initiative (ADI) is not above taking advantage of that to test out the waters for its newest arrivals. They're not looking to send anyone to their death, though. That's far too much paperwork, you'd been assured with a wink from the employee who'd directed you to the park trailhead. You've been left with another person. Maybe they're a new arrival, as well, or a more seasoned 'veteran.' Either way, you're together for the next while and you've been asked to find and record any paranormal activity in the park. You have your phones and any other equipment you might have brought with you. Those who succeed in documenting anything peculiar will receive a $100 reward to be used as they see fit.
This month...characters who enter the area will eventually stumble upon...a very interesting sight. Take enough confusing, branching paths, and they’ll find a variety of toys abandoned in...a variety of ways.
Some, reminiscent of the happenings of the past month, can be found dangling from branches, or from contraptions of sticks and string staked into the ground. Others might be found arranged in patterns...or simply discarded. Some appear to be tied up. Perhaps surprisingly, there is no evidence of the destruction of these toys. Some may appear to be disintegrating but that’s age, not malice. There are old toys and new toys to be found. Maybe it’s just a prank, or an art installation?
Nothing seems to happen to anyone who ventures to touch the toys. At least...not right away. However, any character who does decide to touch a toy will start to feel like they just don’t have...enough. It might manifest as being particularly possessive over things or people they feel are theirs...or in coveting what they don’t already have (be it material or immaterial). These urges will fade away on their own in time, but who knows what might happen before they do?
(cw: mention of vehicular collisions, supernaturally-induced sleep/fatigue)
There is an ethereal music spreading throughout town. It started in the graveyards last month, but now it's spreading, even as collisions and other accidents continue to pile up. Tourists and locals, alike, will find keeping awake incredibly difficult as October rolls in with a rumble of thunder and a splash of rain. Even caffeine doesn't seem to help much with the problem. The music is only just there, just at the edge of awareness, and it's a song that you know. You can't entirely place it, but it's maddeningly familiar.
The local gangs seem to have taken note of the situation, and have taken to sending out their seemingly more resilient members for some mischief. Specifically, pickpocketing those they might find sleeping or less alert than usual. You might be half-falling asleep on a bus when a hand reaches into your pocket or your bag. You might witness the thief in action, stealing from someone else. Or maybe you're someone keen to take advantage of the situation, yourself. There's money to be made for someone with even moderately light fingers when the target is snoring on a park bench or zoning out while sitting at a cafe.
There doesn't seem to be an even effect to the music. It impacts some people in the same vicinity more than others with seemingly no rhyme or reason. The one constant that does appear for those digging deeply, is that ADI HQ and the ADI housing complex seem to be less affected by the music. It can still sometimes be heard, but it's not nearly as prominent as it is throughout the rest of the city.
(cw: supernaturally-induced sleep/fatigue, mild memory loss)
For as much as everyone seems to be sleeping lately, it does not seem to be restful sleep. In fact, people dozing off regularly will find themselves even more exhausted and irritable than usual. Again, this seems to be far more pronounced for anyone straying too far from ADI's properties for extended periods.
Another feature of this latest round of supernatural irritation is that even those who tend to remember their dreams may have trouble with that. You might remember that the dreams weren't pleasant, but that's about it. The specifics are as elusive as the source of the singing.
Festive planning for the end-of-the-month Halloween Party is in full swing at ADI, and characters may find themselves strong-armed by Pam and other HR personnel, in spite of any grumpiness and exhaustion, into helping with some part of it. Will you be assisting with making decorations? Buying supplies for the kitchens? Helping those who might not understand Halloween to find the perfect costume? Everyone is feeling a little out of sorts, and having trouble focusing, so there's some particular pushing to spread tasks out to everyone possible so it doesn't fall on a single individual. Anyone who helps will be compensated for their time, and they might even get some extra cash to buy their own fancy costume or preferred food for the party.
- ARRIVAL (Oct 1 - 31): Two people will always arrive in the same general location together. Arrivals occur throughout the early month, not all on the same day or in the same place. Arrivals are not naturally fluent in English/other languages immediately upon arrival. Characters may attempt to evade capture, but they will eventually be snagged before they can leave the building. PC's already in-game are more than welcome to interact with and try to guide new PC's to get them oriented. Please refer to the Arrival page for details regarding the arrival and onboarding process.
- Toying With You (Oct 1 - 31): Characters who physically interact with abandoned toys will find themselves overwhelmed by feelings of jealousy and/or possessiveness. Depending on how much interaction they have with the toys, these feelings might be stronger or last longer. (Anyone who, for example, removes a toy from Dogtown will probably find themselves helpless NOT to act on the feelings.) Strength of feeling and duration of time is up to player discretion. The source of these feelings could be anything, including the toys themselves. The toys can be destroyed but are not clumped all in one spot. It may take some searching to find them all.
- Pick a Pocket (Oct 1- 25): Characters are welcome to experience, enact, or stop a crime. You may find yourself victim, hero, or perpetrator. The number of people asleep or having trouble staying awake will increase the closer you get to graveyards and seem to decrease the closer you get to ADI-owned buildings. The decrease in sleepiness around ADI buildings does not extend to anyone living at Bonnie's. Characters may find themselves falling asleep in the middle of trivial or important tasks, perhaps even in the middle of conversation. This is a supernatural sleep, but for the moment, it seems easy enough to wake someone up with a loud noise or a shake. Or, if you're feeling particularly vindictive, a splash of water to the face.
- Sleeper's Paradox (Oct 1-25): Characters are welcome to take part in whatever party planning they wish to for ADI's Halloween party. Everyone affected by the drowsiness that's taken over the city will find that they cannot remember the specific nature of their dreams; although, they will have the sense that they did have them, and they were unpleasant. The effects of the fatigue may affect other memories or result in increased irritability, and decreased focus and reaction times. Characters may find themselves more prone to error than usual, even those who are typically known for being on-point at all times.
no subject
they seem to be in a set of circumstances neither of them truly understand, if what little he grasps of Gen's Japanese is any indicator.
Abel is cautiously crouching in front of the teen after a momentary pause to try and get his own bearings-- this town... wherever they are, is completely alien to him, too-- and there is a quiet concern in blue eyes behind the old-fashioned lenses. ]
...I know this looks bad. [ and I don't know how much you even understand me right now-- ahh, what a mess... ] But there's got to be an explanation, right...? Let's try to find out where we are and go from there, okay?
[ he stretches his hand, slowly and gently; it is an olive branch, so to speak. surely if they were brought here in a kidnapping or other nefarious plot-- they wouldn't have been stuck in an unlocked closet and left unattended, right? as outrageous as all this is, maybe... maybe it's a misunderstanding? maybe they just need to find their way out and make sense of the 'why,' later... ]
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Other hand still tangled in his hair, Gen glares up at his closet-mate past the messy curtain of his bangs before growling, ] Don't look at me like that.
[ Something about the look in those blue eyes, kind and placating and almost pitying, makes his stomach turn. His first instinct is to beat some answers out of Abel, because surely this ridiculous-looking foreigner must have some answers, but Gen doesn't get much further than grabbing at Abel's shirtfront (again!) and yanking him close before hesitating. Just glowering at him for a long moment, breathing in furious huffs, before shoving him back. ]
Like I have any reason to trust you.
[ He's holding back only because he wouldn't be able to understand what Abel's saying, he tells himself. That's absolutely the only reason he hasn't beaten the guy's face in already. Absolutely nothing to do with that unfamiliar, gentle tone of voice Abel had used.
But for better or for worse, at least Abel's olive branch seems to have calmed the worst of his distress. Gen seethes at him a moment longer before looking away, leaning against the wall as he grudgingly straightens back up. After all, he thinks he'd caught the words 'let's' and 'go' amidst everything else Abel was saying. ]
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...
and he's quite relieved when that rage doesn't boil over into outright violence; the priest is stumbling back with a soft 'ooph' as he lands on his butt, but... he will count this a win in his book. getting lightly manhandled?? far kinder treatment than he normally gets!!! ...and it seems his closet-bud is accepting his invitation to go at this together-- that though their communication is... tentative at best, it's served as enough for now. this is... good! this is good.
so his smile is a little cautious, a bit tentatively encouraging-- yes, yes, he's well aware that this boy probably thinks Abel a less-than-favorable individual to be stuck in this sort of mess with. yet... here they are, hm? one sometimes has to make due with what they're given. he won't test his luck, but-- let it be known he would've definitely offered his hands for handsie-holding if Gen were anyone but, say,
.......Gen. and punchy. ]
Right... ah. Right-- should we try to find someone and ask if they know where we are? ...Um-- people? Where. [ this is clumsy at best, but it's better than nothing-- ]
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And only then, he looks at Abel. Predictably, he doesn't smile back, answering Abel's tentatively encouraging grin with a dead-eyed stare. ]
Dunno what you're smiling about.
[ But it's muttered more to himself than to attack Abel. Gen glances down to check his phone once more without any expectations, and confirms that yes, it won't be able to connect to anything, before pocketing it once more. ]
Where ... [ A squint back the way they'd came, then the other way down the hallway. Both directions look pretty same-y, but he thinks he can hear very faint sounds of movement down one way, if he tries very hard. ] This way. Um ... Go here.
[ A tap at his ear to indicate he thinks he hears movement, then he just starts walking off in that direction, casting about warily at their surroundings. He's only been in a few office buildings in the first place, and the foreign architecture's really making him feel uneasy. The style and layout feel ... foreign. One closed door they walk by has a complicated sign posted in English. His cigarette glows bright with his next inhale before he abruptly looks back to Abel. ]
You. Where ... you think you were where? Where d'you last remember being?
[ Maybe this is outside of town? Closer to wherever this foreigner's from, before they both woke up in that closet? ]
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he is peering curiously over the boy's shoulder as he fiddles with his phone-- that is a phone, isn't it...? the sort that Abel hasn't seen, since...
...well. today is certainly wracking up more and more Incredulous Points. (is he sure he didn't simply bonk his head?? maybe Gen was right, and this really is a dream.)
--ah. focus; his thoughts are drifting and he brings himself back to the moment as he nudges in a habitual way at his glasses, ]
Where was I? You mean before here, of course... [ yes... naturally, ] --I was in Londinium? [ why is that a question? who knows, ] At the Palace? Buckingham! You know, the Queen is to be coronated today, it's a very big affair and-- [ .....Gen is not going to understand half of this. he stops himself, dials it back. ] Um-- you? Where were you? Attending the ceremony as well...?
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It takes Gen a moment of scowling to try and parse through all that extraneous babbling and extract what he thinks is the core of Abel's answer. ]
... London?
[ And it earns an incredibly dubious stare over his shoulder. ]
No. Not ... [ Ugh. London, as if. This guy probably misunderstood his question, then. Thought he was being asked where he's from originally, not where he was right before this whole mess. Gen huffs out a big puff of smoke in Abel's direction before continuing his halting attempt at an interrogation. ] Not where your birth. Where you ...
[ okay so maybe he should have tried a little harder with his studies ]
... where you were before you woke up in that closet. Why would I care where you're from. -- where in Japan?
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Ah. N-no, no... Japan?
[ he shakes his head-- and maybe, just maybe, he is peering at Gen with a slightly more discerning sort of attention. and perhaps it's time to go at this from another angle. ]
What else do you speak? You're from somewhere else, seeing as Japan is obviously, ah. Off the table. [ here, it's a crapshoot in the dark, but-- he is rattling the following off in each stated language: ] Do you speak Latin? ...The Roman common tongue, maybe? Germanican? ...Franc?
[ he has to speak ONE of the tongues of the world, right? ...Japanese has been dead for nigh 800 years-- and even if this boy was, say... the son of a historian and linguist with an extreme passion to pass on their distant, all-but-extinct heritage, he has to speak something else more palatable to the wider populous of wherever he's from, r-right...? ]
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And while that hard stare of his might give Abel a brief glimmer of hope that one of those myriad languages was the answer, what he instead says is, ]
What the hell are you doing?
[ Language comprehension aside, his incredulous, deadpan tone of voice and the baffled look he gives Abel say enough. ]
Are you showing off?
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...
be.
oh. the boy is back to ......scowling, again. the smile is slowly but surely leaking right on off the priest's face until all that's left for Abel to do is hang his shoulders in defeat and exhale a haggard sigh. life is hard, sometimes. so, so hard. why does the Lord continue to test him this way--? ]
Fine! Fine, have it your way. [ Abel is pointing to himself, ] I was in London. The palace? I was at the Palace! --You know, the one with the guards with the funny hats? [ hands... FLAILING in wide and definitely helpful gestures, here... ] Ah... Queen. Crown?
[ the next Queen of Albion was being crowned, it was a big deal-- alright?? does that ring any bells...?
(this is going so well.) ]
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Gen leans back to avoid getting clocked in the chin by an enthusiastic wave of the arm, giving a low click of the tongue, and when Abel's next emphatic gesture positions him appropriately, Gen just huffs out a lungful of smoke in the direction of his face and turns away. ]
Yeah, yeah, I got it, you're from London. Never mind.
[ Maybe this guy ... just got into the airport on a flight from London. And this is just some weird area near the airport. Surely, that's what's going on here. There's no way they're outside the country.
Careless of the ash dribbling off the end of his cigarette, Gen resumes leading the way down the hallway, trying to suppress the strange anxiety starting to boil in his gut. And while he straightens his posture somewhat at the increasing sounds of activity coming from ahead, any relief he might have felt is squelched when he spots someone swerving into the hallway ahead of them.
A man dressed in what looks to be a security uniform. Who's pointing right their way, shouting, ]
There! Two spotted!
[ Because that totally isn't an alarming sight to behold in a language you don't understand. ]
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[ Abel is trotting at Gen's heel like a diligent accomplice in closet-escapee crime, hovering nearby and stubbornly -- however futile it may be -- continuing to press on about this whole affair about where Gen's come from, the priest is sure there's an explanation that will clear all this up in a jiffy...
which is why at the sound of voices coming from ahead, there is a sense of relief coming over him. --aha! surely whoever works this place will be able to point them in the right direction... something had gone awry somewhere for him and the boy to have ended up in a closet of all places. but--
at the familiar sight of security pointing in his direction, age old instincts abruptly kick into overdrive. oh, no. oh no. he... he isn't even trespassing on purpose this time??? Abel is freezing like a deer in headlights, before he flails his hands up in a placating gesture-- ]
W--wait! Sir, we-- we seem to be in the midst of a very tragic and yet surely easily explainable situation, h... haha, um--
[ .......he is sending his closet-mate a sidelong glance as if trying to discern if they should be running or not from his companion's demeanor. why is Abel roping himself in with Gen?? why is he assuming Gen is in some sort of trouble?? maybe it's that punchy demeanor, hm,
well. suppose they'll figure it out soon enough, eh? ]
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But unfortunately, Gen makes the mistake(?) of looking to Abel for some indication of what to do -- not because he trusts Abel, but simply because the man in the security uniform had spoken English, so he assumes Abel will respond appropriately. (And also, despite his surly demeanor and prickly behavior, he's ultimately a teenager. A small part of him can't help assuming the adult will know how to react in this confusing situation.)
So when Abel responds with what seems to be panic, if those flailing hand gestures are any indication, it immediately puts him on guard. ]
I dunno who you are, but you've got a lot of nerve messing with me! Where is this, and what the hell's your plan?
[ Still working under the (hopeful) assumption that this is somewhere in Japan, Gen snarls that demand in Japanese. But even without understanding his words, it must be obvious that he's gearing up for a fight, his stance guarded and shoulders squared as he takes a half-step forward. Only exacerbated by when the man points to him and hollers that smoking isn't allowed in this building.
And also that shouting must have been to alert the other men on their shift, because another man in a similar uniform strides into their field of vision further down the hallway, where it opens up into an office space. Talk about a welcoming environment. ]
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...the situation is certainly being exacerbated now, no denying it, both by Gen's disposition and by the chiding nature of the guard's retort (even if, unbeknownst to our intrepid heroes, these men wish them no ill-will at all). Abel is stiffening a little further when the security guard is joined by another further down the hall, and-- as priests who are often-times knee-deep in complicated and usually self-inflicted messes-- he thinks calculating a retreat might be in order... reaching out to grasp Gen's sleeve with a nervous sort of chuckle. ]
For some reason, I get the impression that the two of us aren't exactly supposed to be here, sir...! C... can't imagine why, but-- um...
[ ...he is beginning to backpedal in the direction from which they'd came; he thinks 'round the corner must open to somewhere else, right? maybe if they're lucky, they can get to some kind of stairwell? find an exit...? ]
Run, would you...?! I don't know about you, but I don't want to find out if we're being kidnapped in some hellscape where we're forced to be office workers for the rest of time!! Cubicle life...?! N-no, no sir~! The man can't hold me down!! [ this is a hushed whisper, maybe a little bit on the too loud side for discretion... get going, Gen!!!!! he is definitely right behind you!! ]
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It's only when he hears that stream of babbling coming from behind him and notices Abel's hand hovering near his arm that Gen looks over, clearly irritated -- but his furious bravado flagging just a touch in favor of caution. ]
What're you even going on about, talking so much when you know I can't understand you ...
[ And by the time Gen looks back to those uniformed men, there's a third one walking up, talking into a walkie-talkie. ... yeah, he's headstrong, but he's not about to think he can take on three guys alone with his bare fists.
So after a moment longer of quietly glowering at those men (who approach with authoritative confidence, murmuring between themselves before declaring, 'Come with us, we're not going to hurt you') Gen abruptly turns on heel and starts running, as Abel had requested. And as a small bonus, he snatches up Abel's sleeve on the way, dragging him along as he takes off down the hallway at an impressive pace.
Better stay on your feet, Abel. ]
no subject
'Roger. Sending additional units for back-up. Follow usual seizure protocol--'
--oh, dear.
Abel is still half-turned, gaping at the rapidly approaching trio of uniformed men on their tail, opening his mouth to offer something doubtlessly enlightening and wise-- when Gen is breaking into a run, dragging the priest right along with him. whatever Abel had been about to say exits him in an indignant squawk, instead as he trips a step before joining the teen in quickening his pace to keep up. there is a bark of, 'Hey! Stop, we aren't here to harm you! Stop running, we don't want to use force!'
...o-oh, DEAR. ]
Mister Closeeeet-- [ this is a wobbly half-whine as Abel risks another look over his shoulder, ] --I hate to say it, but I-- I think we might be about to be very heavily outnumbered--
[ helpful information, considering Gen has no idea what he is saying!! ]
no subject
Save your breath, dumbass.
[ A low growl between panting huffs as he scans the hallway up ahead for some sign of where to go. All the doors look the same, and it's hard to tell if any of them are even unlocked. Gen pauses only to snag a hand against a decorative table sitting by a window, toppling it over behind them to delay their pursuers for even a moment or two longer. Not that he expects it to have much expect, but hey. Better than nothing, right?
... he has no fucking clue.
And funnily enough, they're coming back up to the very closet they originally found themselves in before spilling out, and Gen grabs up a fallen mop as they run by; it's just plastic, but it should still hurt if he jabs it in someone's face, he imagines. ]
You! [ A snarl directed at Abel, though it's hard sounding surly or demanding when he's struggling with a language barrier and the breathlessness of sprinting. ] They! What saying?
[ He can still hear them hollering down the hallway, after all, along with the 'oof' of at least one of them stumbling over that fallen table. ]
no subject
...but there isn't much time to dwell on the nature of Abel's fellow closet-escapee seeing as how as soon as they're making another round past said closet, they're running right into another pair of Security guards. one is immediately holding his hand out in a clear gesture to halt as his companion radios their location in to the rest. ]
--Ah...!
[ well, he nearly goes skidding right into Gen's back and barreling them both over, barely managing to catch himself in time-- which means he is attempting to tug the teen by the shoulder and keep Gen steady in return. oh, goodness-- ]
...Pincer attack?! [ this is... less than ideal, isn't it? considering the commotion they're causing and limited chance of successful escape, there might be just a quiet niggle of something more serious and genuine beneath the surface in blue eyes as Abel tosses a glance behind him, and then at the corridor ahead to find both of their options cut off. ]
What a mess... typical, this is really typical. Caterina is going to kill me.
[ the words are mumbled under his breath between huffs and catches his wind, but-- the Security officer closest to him who still has his hand outstretched addresses them now they're stopped.
'I need you two to come with me. We can explain your situation in greater detail in private, and you aren't in any trouble.'
...should they take these men at their word? are they really being given a choice...?
Abel doesn't look thrilled and perhaps more than a little concerned, but-- he is attempting to relay the information to the boy at his side. ]
...Friend. [ it is the only word Abel can find as he gropes through his half-forgotten Japanese vocabulary... even if the look he is tossing the boy's way might suggest he isn't so sure about the validity of his statement, himself. ] Friend. Um-- they are... Friendly? Helping.
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It's annoying. Frustrating. Condescending. His temper's flaring hot again, and it's not at all helped by Abel's stuttered answer. ]
-- friend?!
[ Sorry-not-sorry Abel, but you are so much easier to yell at than these strange uniformed men, so Gen shoots him a venomous glare as he snarls, ]
Like I can believe anything you're saying!
[ One of the men before him seems to take that distraction as a chance to try and disarm him, but Gen has fairly good reflexes, only heightened by anger. So for all his hard work, the security guard is repaid by a vicious crack across the head by the mop pole (bound to leave a bump but nothing more serious, thanks to the cheap plastic handle) and then a furious huff as Gen turns ... and kicks Abel square in the small of the back.
He's hoping the impact is enough to send Abel stumbling into those other guards, and that'll be enough of a distraction to let him break through and run, but ... maybe those are awfully high hopes for a highschooler (without any real fighting experience) facing against a multitude of seasoned and very exasperated security guards. ]
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oh... no-- Abel flinches back, wincing at the crack the resonates when Gen's strike connects with the poor Security guard's noggin, but before Abel can even think to berate Mister Closet for his violence--
--Abel is yelping out in a high-pitched protest as he is thrust forward and sent sprawling into two of the men blocking off their exit. he takes one (DEFINITELY exasperated) man entirely off his feet, both of them sprawling into a pile of limbs upon the tile as the next-- giving a sharp, 'HEY! Get back here!'-- going sprinting after Gen, two more of of the guard's colleagues quickly leaping past the priest-pile to give chase. ]
Don't resist...!
[ that phrase of Japanese comes with surprising familiarity from Abel's lips as he sits up, rubbing at his sadly bruised temple where he had bonked heads with the guard attempting to collect himself. ah, Abel is seriously starting to fear that the boy might be harmed if they lose their patience-- ]
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'Don't resist ... !'
The abrupt, intelligible command is so startling that Gen jerks to a halt, whipping around to try and figure out where it came from. And of course, the guards take that chance to tackle him to the ground.
So much for throwing Abel under the bus to make his grand escape.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gen fights like a wet cat to get himself free, snarling and yanking and struggling against the guards to extricate himself. Even once they resort to cuffing his hands behind his back to get him under control, arduously tugging him along back to where Abel is, Gen's anger remains boiling hot, evident in the way he spits at Abel: ]
Could you speak Japanese all along?! You asshole, you were on their side all along, weren't you?!
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[ a mix-up? a mistake?? the two of them ended up in that closet somehow and neither of them have answers, it seems. are these men going to take the excuse of ignorance? Abel has a feeling this will end in arrests if they're lucky.
...but the officers are not looking to hurt Gen, it seems-- dragging the boy up now cuffed (and maybe a little bruised where they had to scuffle to pin him in order to get them on). one of the Security guards is quietly affirming to Abel that they don't mean them any harm -- again -- and that if the two come with them, their questions will be answered.
so he makes an approach to the... unruly... dark-haired boy, something apologetic in his smile. ]
I know you're quite angry with me right now, but-- could you please come peacefully? You're going to get hurt if you keep straining against these cuffs, ah-- hurt. [ Abel lifts his hands in front of him, wrists together as if cuffed and shakes his head. ] Please humor me, sir, alright? ...If you understand any of what I'm saying right now, I won't let them throw you in prison or make you a cubicle jockey for the rest of time, okay...? I swear, we're in this together...!
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As it is, he struggles and fights for a while longer even after he's been cuffed, managing to whack his head into the underside of a guard's chin and earning himself a hard shake from the highly-annoyed guard. It's only once he's tired himself out somewhat that he starts to calm down, sagging in the guard's grip, breathing in ragged huffs.
Lucky(?) for Abel, the vicious glare he earns has lost none of its fire. ]
... you really don't shut up, do you.
[ Gen's briefly tempted to try and kick Abel again, evident in the way he shifts his stance, but even a slight rattle at his handcuffs earns a 'harrumph' in warning from the guard holding his cuffed arms. So he reluctantly drops his gaze, seething quietly but letting the guards lead him around.
At least Abel will have earned some goodwill from the guards as thanks for his hard work calming down the unruly individual. The least he deserves after enduring all this rude treatment, tbh. ]
no subject
...Abel is left to trot alongside his cuffed closet companion, still trying to placate the teenager's bruised ego (among other bruised parts of him). ]
Oh, no... I am quite the chatterbox, actually~! It's one of my greatest assets, the Gift Of Gab! Surely you'll come to appreciate it later, sir, when I talk us right out of this predicament. These men don't seem like terribly unreasonable fellows, after all... I'm sure we can all come to some kind of peaceable, mutual understanding? Ah, sir?
[ Abel gently pat-pats the shoulder of the guard to his left
who is still rubbing his head where Gen had given him a good crack,
...you can imagine how unenthusiastic a look the priest is getting in return, ]
no subject
That sullen silence persists as they're shepherded onto an elevator, Gen staring resolutely at the control panel (while silently wishing he hadn't lost his half-done cigarette in the scuffle) and giving a small flinch when it judders to a halt at the one floor below ground level.
The guards talk amongst themselves while leading their charges a short length down the hallway -- 'D'you think this one also need to go in there? He already knows English.' 'Might as well, just to be safe.' -- before opening the door to a room that, ominously, only contains a piece of paper with some text printed on it.
Unable to comprehend what those men were saying, Gen starts resisting as soon as the guards start urging him forth, bearing his weight down and fighting against the gentle(-ish) pushes trying to get him to enter the room. And just for a moment, he shoots Abel a look that's ... pleading? No, not quite. Nothing that vulnerable. But harried. Demanding an explanation. Or at the very least, some sort of indication as to what exactly this room might entail. ]
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the pit of quiet unease he has been working to ignore is getting a bit more difficult to suffocate between being ushered into the elevator and a disconcerting trip down to the lower levels. basement...? well, nothing good ever happens in the basement. maybe his hopes that this wasn't going to lead to something unfortunate was... misguided. has he just gotten him and the teenager both shipped off to the DEATH DUNGEONS beneath cubicle hell??? great. just great.
...but the doors ding, and they're soon ferried to awkwardly stand in front of an already-open door that leads to what appears to be little else than a single sheet of paper for their perusal. ah. ...is this some kind of manifesto?? a cult?? are they in a CULT death dungeon?? Abel is giving a nervous chuckle, haha, my stomach hurts so I really ought to be going now-- only to be shoved in the direction of the door, instead. (the kindly security guards have had Enough, thanks.
Abel is shooting a glance over his shoulder... and finding himself strangely compelled to approach the innocuous (if suspicious) document. yet... half-way to his destination, he cannot help but hesitate-- looking first to his teenage friend (the Look Gen is giving him... ah; that is quite compelling, stirring incessantly at his do-gooding instincts). thus... he is quickly asking something of the guards beyond Gen's shoulder. Gen wouldn't be able to hear the exchange, but...
the priest is looking at him after getting his response, then nodding toward the paper. ]
Ah... please-- please look. They want you to read this? Both of us, actually.
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