[They do not. Some are lucid, some are able to help those unable to move. They head out, although no, the eldritch abomination is gone. It's also debatable if it would've done its job as a guard, so that may be for the best.
Still, there doesn't seem to be any trouble. Head to the left now?]
[Oh, well. She passes on some of the clipboards the scientists were using, if they'll accept them as weapons before they head out. Don't get caught or killed, y'all.
Anyway, are the scientists wearing lab coats? She will steal a pair if they are, and pass her hat off to Yamato. Maybe they will be better at stealth if Yamato isn't obviously a catboy. "No." Wow.]
[ yamato looks at the hat like it's personally offended him, and then looks at the rest of himself because yeah, clearly, the ears are the only problem? but he got ichinose stabbed so he puts it on... a furry ash ketchum cosplay...in a lab coat... maybe it will hide his tail...
[Somehow this disguise works, and they travel undisturbed. The left takes them to another room. This one looks like some kind of experimentation area as well, but there's only one cell and it's... already unlocked? Despite that, the subject inside makes no attempt to leave, instead curled up in a corner.
Granted, there seems to be a scientist in the room. His name tag reads Director.
He turns to Ichinose and Yamato, who are very definitely scientists and not people in cosplay.]
[Hm. She curiously glances at the subject inside the cage. You okay there, buddy?
And then she focuses her very serious definitely a scientist attention on the Director, hands stuffed in her pockets. Smiling, nodding.]
Yeah! Something craaaazy happened, Director! One of the subjects unlocked a new potential unlike anything we've ever seen before. But words aren't enough to describe it. I mean, I can hardly believe it myself. You have to come see the data for yourself.
[ yamato lowers the brim of his borrowed hat a bit so he does not out them by having very obvious cat eyes. he is also being good and Not just attacking the director outright! look at him. learning to calm his shit for two seconds. he does, however, start to inch towards the subject in the cage slowly while ichinose plays distraction.
once again as he is a very bad liar he is not allowed to speak, but. sneak ]
[Lightly, like there isn't a knife involved. Damn, why can't these scientists be as dumb as the guard? So rude, smh.
Anyway?? Ichinose will try to do two things: First, she will pull two talismans out of her pocket and yeet them at the ground. And then she will throw the shovel right at the director, aiming for his head. No stabby? Thanks.]
[ yamato is whacked away and loses the pokemon hat, which is a tragedy and also more racism, somehow. just in case ichinose does not manage to combo him with her shovel and talismans, yamato takes out his own knives and pounces at the director to block his knife with one hand and try to stab him with the other.
having fighting skills is kind of cool actually ]
Seriously, how did we fool the guard but no one else? [ grumbly. ]
[One of Ichinose's talisman is a dud, but the other causes those horror hands to burst from the floor, trying to grab onto anything they can reach.
But between Ichinose and Yamato's efforts (or even just one, really), the Director is taken down. Whether it's Yamato stabbing him or Ichinose slamming him in the head with the shovel... well, he's not breathing, and a pool of blood is forming underneath him. Seems like he's dead.
The subject in the cell watches the scene unfold with wide eyes, holding out a trembling hand. Now that Ichinose and Yamato can get a proper look at him, they'll see that he doesn't look like a hybrid—though, of course, one can never be positive.]
Right? [Sighs!! So unfair.] ... But I guess we made good on our deal.
[Rest in peace, deer girl. The director is dead. Yaaaaay. Less yay is the odd look she gives the body, like. Hm. They made this. Weird.
But speaking of the director, she will immediately try to rob his corpse blind while cheerfully addressing the poor subject. Hewwo? Any codes for the tubes or useful tools here? This NPC probably does not deserve to witness this, and yet.]
Helloooo! It's safe to come out now. Can you walk?
anyway, yamato is also kind of staring at the director like. well he wanted him dead but this is a little fucked up! then again, he has mercenary memories, so maybe it's... fine... this is later trauma.
yamato will sheet his knives and come closer to the subject, crouching a little away from them ]
Sorry you had to see that. But it's okay, don't be scared. We're here to free you. All of you. [ holding out his empty hand to show it's safe ]
[Ichinose can find some codes for the tubes, sure.
The subject stares at them, before glancing at the corpse of the Director. After a few moments, as he seems to understand what's going on, he smiles brokenly—in that "haha oh god this is too much for me, and also I'm probably coping with trauma very badly right now" sort of way.
And then he grabs the Director's fallen knife—before pointing it at his own throat.]
[ THE YAMATO THERAPY METHOD: he is going to try tackling the poor thing to the ground since he's close and fast enough (yay. cat hybrid.), wrenching his hand away from his throat with the knife and grabbing his wrists so he can't stab himself? i hope he rolls a one and the kid stabs himself before he gets there ]
Yamato successfully tackles him before he can do anything! He's not a kid, for the record; he looks like he's in his twenties. Admittedly, the levels of distress probably make him look more child-like at the moment, as he trembles beneath Yamato's grip.]
I... You should never wish death on someone else, and yet I—I'm happy that he's dead. Why...? I'm scared of myself. I'm scared of feeling this way...!
So please, while I still have enough of a conscience to be afraid—you should let me die.
[This guy really be having a moral crisis in front of two assholes who just mcmurdered a bunch of scientists. My god.
Ichinose just keeps staring at him, baffled... before she starts laughing.]
... Ahaha, that's it? [This is not funny. Stop laughing. You both need therapy. Gently, placidly:] It's alright. This man was hurting you. Isn't it the heart's nature to want to run away from all the pain? All the suffering? It's every living being's ultimate desire. You don't have to kill yourself over something that's just in your nature.
[Can she yoink the knife while Yamato pins him down? Noooo stabby.]
Anyhow, we're the ones who killed him. Can you really wish death on someone who's already gone?
[ don't laugh when he's having a real crisis, but. yamato also won't let go of him, ears pinned back and tail lashing out. on the other hand... he might not agree with how she's saying it at all, but it's not like he disagrees with the fact that there's nothing wrong with wanting that dude dead! oops. ]
... It's not about running away. There are times where there are people who need to be taken down. There's no redeeming them. If he'd stayed alive, how many more people would have died and suffered under him? His life isn't worth all of those. [ he shakes his head a little, staring at this poor subject seriously ] Not mourning him and being glad he's gone doesn't make you a monster.
[ wow jan i didn't say yamato let him go. no i'm kidding, he would've, and he stands up and kind of throws ichinose a confused look right back. imagine if him being ignored in favor of ichinose is just another microaggression. he stands up himself, though, picking up the hat that he lost in the war to bring it back to ichinose. suffer and keep wearing it ]
We met a deer, and she told us what was happening here. We're mercenaries.
[ ...kind of. are they? they are mercenaries currently and that's what matters. ]
Of course! I'll do anything to help, especially after you saved me.
[And so he does! Rae helps with freeing the remaining experiment subjects, as well as using his power on them—as he'll tell Ichinose and Yamato, he has the superpower of purification. In this case, it allows him to cure subjects of any poison or decay. (It also conveniently removes bloodstains.)
Ichinose and Yamato can also set the place on fire before they leave. Rae won't stop them.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Still, there doesn't seem to be any trouble. Head to the left now?]
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Anyway, are the scientists wearing lab coats? She will steal a pair if they are, and pass her hat off to Yamato. Maybe they will be better at stealth if Yamato isn't obviously a catboy. "No." Wow.]
Ready to go? We have a long road ahead of us.
[Left! Left! Left!]
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[ yamato looks at the hat like it's personally offended him, and then looks at the rest of himself because yeah, clearly, the ears are the only problem? but he got ichinose stabbed so he puts it on... a furry ash ketchum cosplay...in a lab coat... maybe it will hide his tail...
anyway left left left!! ]
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Granted, there seems to be a scientist in the room. His name tag reads Director.
He turns to Ichinose and Yamato, who are very definitely scientists and not people in cosplay.]
Oh, did you have a report to make?
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And then she focuses her very serious definitely a scientist attention on the Director, hands stuffed in her pockets. Smiling, nodding.]
Yeah! Something craaaazy happened, Director! One of the subjects unlocked a new potential unlike anything we've ever seen before. But words aren't enough to describe it. I mean, I can hardly believe it myself. You have to come see the data for yourself.
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once again as he is a very bad liar he is not allowed to speak, but. sneak ]
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... Wait. I don't recognize you. Who are you? [And then he sees Yamato trying to inch towards the cell.] What are you doing!?
[On instinct, he whacks Yamato away, knocking off the hat in the process.]
—You're a hybrid? That means...
[... and then he seems to piece together what's probably going on, as he pulls out a knife.]
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[Lightly, like there isn't a knife involved. Damn, why can't these scientists be as dumb as the guard? So rude, smh.
Anyway?? Ichinose will try to do two things: First, she will pull two talismans out of her pocket and yeet them at the ground. And then she will throw the shovel right at the director, aiming for his head. No stabby? Thanks.]
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having fighting skills is kind of cool actually ]
Seriously, how did we fool the guard but no one else? [ grumbly. ]
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But between Ichinose and Yamato's efforts (or even just one, really), the Director is taken down. Whether it's Yamato stabbing him or Ichinose slamming him in the head with the shovel... well, he's not breathing, and a pool of blood is forming underneath him. Seems like he's dead.
The subject in the cell watches the scene unfold with wide eyes, holding out a trembling hand. Now that Ichinose and Yamato can get a proper look at him, they'll see that he doesn't look like a hybrid—though, of course, one can never be positive.]
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[Rest in peace, deer girl. The director is dead. Yaaaaay. Less yay is the odd look she gives the body, like. Hm. They made this. Weird.
But speaking of the director, she will immediately try to rob his corpse blind while cheerfully addressing the poor subject. Hewwo? Any codes for the tubes or useful tools here? This NPC probably does not deserve to witness this, and yet.]
Helloooo! It's safe to come out now. Can you walk?
[Yamato can be the tactful one.]
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anyway, yamato is also kind of staring at the director like. well he wanted him dead but this is a little fucked up! then again, he has mercenary memories, so maybe it's... fine... this is later trauma.
yamato will sheet his knives and come closer to the subject, crouching a little away from them ]
Sorry you had to see that. But it's okay, don't be scared. We're here to free you. All of you. [ holding out his empty hand to show it's safe ]
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The subject stares at them, before glancing at the corpse of the Director. After a few moments, as he seems to understand what's going on, he smiles brokenly—in that "haha oh god this is too much for me, and also I'm probably coping with trauma very badly right now" sort of way.
And then he grabs the Director's fallen knife—before pointing it at his own throat.]
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Well.
Ichinose's eyes widen, taking a step forward but — well. The knife is already in the guy's throat. She stares, uncomprehendingly.]
Whoa, whoa, easy! We just saved your life. You're really going to kill yourself now? Why?
[She sounds so baffled. This guys is about to kill himself and she's baffled. Wow.
Yamato has to be the actually useful one here. Sorry but not sorry.]
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[ THE YAMATO THERAPY METHOD: he is going to try tackling the poor thing to the ground since he's close and fast enough (yay. cat hybrid.), wrenching his hand away from his throat with the knife and grabbing his wrists so he can't stab himself? i hope he rolls a one and the kid stabs himself before he gets there ]
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Yamato successfully tackles him before he can do anything! He's not a kid, for the record; he looks like he's in his twenties. Admittedly, the levels of distress probably make him look more child-like at the moment, as he trembles beneath Yamato's grip.]
I... You should never wish death on someone else, and yet I—I'm happy that he's dead. Why...? I'm scared of myself. I'm scared of feeling this way...!
So please, while I still have enough of a conscience to be afraid—you should let me die.
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Ichinose just keeps staring at him, baffled... before she starts laughing.]
... Ahaha, that's it? [This is not funny. Stop laughing. You both need therapy. Gently, placidly:] It's alright. This man was hurting you. Isn't it the heart's nature to want to run away from all the pain? All the suffering? It's every living being's ultimate desire. You don't have to kill yourself over something that's just in your nature.
[Can she yoink the knife while Yamato pins him down? Noooo stabby.]
Anyhow, we're the ones who killed him. Can you really wish death on someone who's already gone?
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[ don't laugh when he's having a real crisis, but. yamato also won't let go of him, ears pinned back and tail lashing out. on the other hand... he might not agree with how she's saying it at all, but it's not like he disagrees with the fact that there's nothing wrong with wanting that dude dead! oops. ]
... It's not about running away. There are times where there are people who need to be taken down. There's no redeeming them. If he'd stayed alive, how many more people would have died and suffered under him? His life isn't worth all of those. [ he shakes his head a little, staring at this poor subject seriously ] Not mourning him and being glad he's gone doesn't make you a monster.
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The man stares at them for a while... before it seems as though a revelation shines upon him, and he nods slowly.]
... Ah. I think... I think I get it.
[Shakily, he rises to his feet. He glances at Yamato, before he turns to Ichinose, adoration in his eyes.]
What's your name? I'm Rae.
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But he introduces himself, and she gasps as she pockets the knife. For now.]
—Oh, you're Rae-san? [CLAPS HER HANDS.] Hello, I'm Kuon Ichinose. It's so nice to meet you! Someone told us you could lend us a hand.
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We met a deer, and she told us what was happening here. We're mercenaries.
[ ...kind of. are they? they are mercenaries currently and that's what matters. ]
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[And so he does! Rae helps with freeing the remaining experiment subjects, as well as using his power on them—as he'll tell Ichinose and Yamato, he has the superpower of purification. In this case, it allows him to cure subjects of any poison or decay. (It also conveniently removes bloodstains.)
Ichinose and Yamato can also set the place on fire before they leave. Rae won't stop them.
But once they finish up... time passes.]