@sakurasan@banjoanjo



The entrance of other people to the room startled the girl Arthur had been talking to and she leaped from her chair, disappearing. He blinked a couple of times, trying to keep up with the pace of events. Did she disappear like the other bloke? His question was answered when she returned, phasing back in to the visible plane.

Chameleon?

It was weird, analysing this situation so calmly. For Arthur it was like working out people's abilities was just second nature to him but he suspected that this calmness was probably merely the crust on a deep chasm of despair and fear and so he chose not to probe in case he broke that thin crust. Now was hardly the time to have a breakdown, especially if he was going to have to work together with those around him; no one would rely him to operate under pressure if it came to it.

"Ah. Umm ye-yeah. I do have powers.. S-sorry about that." The girl had spoken, although it hardly needed pointing out at that stage. Arthur smiled, as if it were the most understandable thing in the world.

"Not to worry! I think we're all on edge a little bit, in here. Although that's not surprising, really. All things considered."

Yeah, you're the weird one for being so calm. You were kidnapped!

When the girl mentioned Charterhouse he was dragged from his reverie, looking back up sharply. For some reason hearing that someone here was from a similar place gave him hope, although he acknowledged the illogicality of that.

"Charterhouse? That's not far from Eton. It's near Guildford, isn't it? I wonder if there's a connection, why we were both brought here. I mean, I don't have any powers that I know of. I heal quickly but nothing... special." Was that it then? Had they decided his ability to recover rapidly, or at least faster than others, was sufficient reason to bring him here? Powers seemed to be the likely cause for this unusual event but up until then Arthur hadn't really thought he possessed one.

“Heya! Name’s Uriel! Flashy name, I know. So uh, would you guys happen to know what the dealio with this place is? I mean, were you kidnapped too?” The loud one had joined them, dropping his various snacks on the table and taking a seat. He didn't seem malignant, just maybe unaware of their situation or, like Arthur, trying not to acknowledge it. Trying to see the best in people was one of Arthur's good traits, as he considered it, so he smiled at the newcomer in an attempt to welcome him to the small table.

"My name's Arthur. I don't know what's going on here but yes, I was kidnapped. It seems like we all were. I was at the college library and then... someone grabbed me and I think they gave me a dose of something. Then I woke up here. So far I haven't seen anyone except others like us. Oh, and this is..."

He was about to introduce the girl but then realised he didn't Want to reveal her name without her permission. Under the circumstances he could understand not wanting to give out too much information about oneself. He changed the topic, to rectify his small mistake, and spoke to Uriel.

"It seems most people in here have powers, if not everyone. I didn't think I had one but... maybe it's possible. Are you empowered as well?"

URIEL ATTICUS - LOCATION: CAFETERIA

Everyone here was kidnapped? All these teenagers? Uriel ignored the panic rising in him. He shoved it back into the furthest corner of his mind. It had no business here. He couldn’t let it drag him down. But still, he couldn’t stop his heartbeat from racing, couldn’t prevent his fingers from clasping the mirror shard even tighter than before.

Not now, he thought to himself like a mantra, Calm the hell down. Nothing will get done if you break down like a wimp. Don’t let it go now.

“Aw jeez, all of us got kidnapped? That’s a serious bummer, bro!”

Just who on Earth were they dealing with here? They were able to drug and capture so many people. And what the hell was this facility? Uriel hadn’t explored much but he felt that it was much larger than the hallway and cafeteria he had been in. Human traffickers? Aliens? Evil scientists? He almost wished that it were just the standard organised crime members seeking a ransom. At least with a Mafia kidnapping he would have had an idea of what was going on.

Seriously, stop freaking out. Find a distraction or something.

Uriel took extra care this time pushing away and ignoring the little part of his head that was telling him to curl up and cry. He’d done so well when he woke up in that unfamiliar room, why stop now?

It’s a great day. It’s a great day! I have all the snacks I want and I’m making new friends. A friend with a British accent of all things! Everything’s fiiine.

He needed a distraction. He downed half the Coke in one go and ferociously tore open a pack of gummy bears while listening to Arthur. Arthur himself seemed pretty chill. Uriel could appreciate a guy like that. The girl at their table was blushing like mad. She seemed nervous. There was plenty of reason to be.

Deep breaths, pal.

In his mini-internal-freakout, his senses seemed to snap. He was feeling something weird, something that wasn’t from within him. Sensations that weren’t his own. Headaches. Sluggishness. But they were separate from his conditions. It was like the slight shiver on your skin when a draft breezes through the room. And these particular drafts were coming from his two new companions. He glanced around the table. He chose to concentrate on the girl first. Headache. No other sensation. Arthur next. Headache. Sluggishness in the body. Slight pain on neck. Uriel snuck a look. The Brit had a slight bruise on his neck, much like Uriel’s. Yikes, what had his kidnappers dosed him with? Uriel chowed down on more gummy bears and washed them down with the remainder of his soft drink. Maybe the sugar would clear his head.

"It seems most people in here have powers, if not everyone. I didn't think I had one but... maybe it's possible. Are you empowered as well?"

Now that was a distraction.

“Uh, like Superman powers? I’m not gonna start shooting lasers out of my eyes or anything am I?” Uriel joked lamely. It was getting harder and harder to keep his smile up.

He just wanted to leave already. Just forget all of this already. Those drugs messed him up real bad. Anxiety shook his core and he struggled to keep it in. He felt something bleed out of him, yet another sensation that he couldn’t understand. It radiated outwards to Arthur and the girl.

Just keep smiling, goddammit.

@Jinxer @sakurasan

Myriam had walked through the hallways of this institute for quiet a while. To her big disappointment no door leaded to the outside and no room had a real window. She felt trapped more than ever. Her heart race had quickened after three rooms she had been in had no windows and four doors she had tried to open were locked. The situation started to cause her to panic. Whoever had brought her here definitely did not want them to have any chance of leaving. Her breathing had gone heavy, she felt the need for oxygen as her lunges seemed unable to take in the thick air that lingered in the locked up building. She slided down a wall, her hand over her chest, her breathing hard and heavy as she couldn't take in any air. She panicked more and more as she couldn't breathe in any air.

The blonde stood up with all her left energy, trying to keep calm, she reached for the door, expecting it to be locked - but it wasn't. The door opened to the inside and she fell into it and dropped inside the room, face first. She landed on the floor, her head looked up to investigate the room with her eyes. It was a pool! A pool! Sadly though, an inside pool. But on the bright side, Myriam was so confused for a second, that her panic vanished and her breathing steadied. She stood up off the floor and walked deeper into the room. The door fell into it's place.

She walked further into the room, her eyes on the clear water. This was pure luxury... Whoever had kidnapped her, or them all, wanted to give them the impression of being taken good care of. But why? Why did someone keep all those kids locked up in a luxury cage?

Myriam's eyes were still on the water's surface.

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about to interact with @gonzo if they walk into the pool room ^^

When the dark-haired girl began crying and shouting words she didn't understand, Stasya felt helpless and confused. All she had wanted was to see if she was okay, and now it seemed she was just making things worse. She didn't know why the girl was shouting at her, or what she could say to reassure her. It would probably be best if she just left the girl alone.

"Ах, ну, пожалуйста, не плачь! Я не собираюсь причинять тебе боль, я обещаю. (Ah, uh, please, don't cry! I'm not going to hurt you, I promise.)" Stasya gently closed the door behind her and dropped to her knees, holding her hands in front of her. "Я просто хотел, чтобы убедиться, что ты в порядке. (I just wanted to see if you were okay.)" She crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best to appear small. "Не больно, не плачь. (No hurt, no cry)"

Over and over again, she repeated those four words. "Не больно, не плачь. (No hurt, no cry.)" She couldn't leave this girl, not while she was crying. This girl... she looked like Natali when it stormed at night, and she would cling to her older sister, shivering and wailing with every crack of thunder. Stasya would just hold her, murmuring those words until she finally fell asleep. What kind of sister would she be if she let this girl continue crying?

Slowly, her scales faded into skin, until only her torso and the upper parts of her arms and legs were covered.

@Airalin

There was something highly, highly wrong with this situation. There was something deeply rooted in this place, this event, that simply radiated malice. There was something cold and uncaring, a bloodcurdling and stomach turning presence, omnipotent and overarching that seemed to seep out of every word spoken and every dark corner of every room.

This place, this hotel, this hospital, this facility... It was evil. There was nothing else to say about it. This establishment was coloured black, purple. It held nothing in its heart besides a cruel evil and a search for knowledge. Was that was this was? Some kind search for knowledge? Was there something special about people like Mayuri, and this white haired girl?

"Hello, Mayuri. I'm Amara but everyone calls m-" whatever the girl planned to say was cut off abruptly by a loud, sharp coughing fit. The sudden sound caused Mayuri to recoil, flinch backwards, close her eyes and block out the sound. That never worked though... She found that out a long time ago, but even still that was her go-to defence method against things she did not want to hear. Cruel words, shouting... They didn't go away when they were ignored.

"I'm sorry about that," her cough was done, and Mayuri looked back at her, slightly teary-eyed, "My throats a little hoarse but, um, I'm Mara." oh, she had a nickname? Mara... That was just Amara shortened, right? Why didn't people just call her Amara? But then again, that was like asking why people called her Mayu. There wasn't an answer. Not really.

"I-it's... F-fine..." her voice was a continued wave of high pitched, unsteady sound. You could feel the anxiety flowing from her throat, from her lungs, making the very atoms around her anxious as well.

"I don't know where we are...I'm sorry." So... Did that mean no one knew? How many people were there? 12? Were there 12? That seemed a bit many, but then again it seemed like too few. Mayuri's face sunk slightly at the notion that perhaps nobody knew where they were... Was there even a way out, a way home? Everything was just becoming even bleaker...

Was this room black too? It didn't feel like it. Amara didn't look black either, but there was no telling. Black spread into everything eventually, corrupted and malformed it beyond recognition. Mayuri wasn't black either, but who knew... She was one of the most susceptible to becoming black. Becoming evil. That gullible personality, that naive smile. Did she truly know anything of the world? The hardships, the torment, the joy..? Would she ever even find out?

"Sorry, I- I didn't mean to barge in here. I forgot what room I came out of and then there... Um, there are others in the hall and shouting. Anyway, I'm sorry." yes, she heard the others. They all sounded panicked as well, even the Russians, "Um, would you mind if I get some water from your sink?"

"D-don't... W-worry about it... U-um, y-yeah, you can g-get some water... she stood to the side a little, letting the girl go straight ahead. The door was already open, so the bathroom was on full display. Mayuri looked at her sheepishly, avoiding eye contact and instead training on her mouth, or the wall whenever Mara looked at her.

She plopped herself onto the bed, looking away and adjusting her jacket. It was amazing she had managed to stay under the covers as long as she did considering how warm the jacket could get. Though, Mayu did tend to get quite cold, even if it was warm. The jacket helped in that regard, but also in the cute side, not that she needed help in that, but having a hooded jacket with cat ears just made her even more adorable.

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"D-don't... W-worry about it... U-um, y-yeah, you can g-get some water... " Mayuri said as she stood to the side a little.

Goodness, all of this felt so surreal as Mara stepped passed the girl. She couldn't shake off the leaden weight that hung around her shoulders. It took her everything in her not to just lay down quietly and stay there but that would be admitting defeat. There was a young girl here, a fact Mara silently cursed as she turned the handle on the faucet, who knows who else they had taken. Or the reason why. A surge of anger boiled in the pit of her stomach as Mara looked into the mirror for the first time. Looking back at her was someone she didn't recognize. There was sorrow and emptiness that poured from her dark blue eyes. Her lip was swollen and angry with dark blood caked down her chin. Normally the white wash of her hair was bouncy and soft but now; it just looked matted and in disarray. She tore her eyes away from the picture in front of her not wanting to look at it any longer.

This was not the Mara she knew but then again, how would she know? How was she supposed to react? There was a swirl of emotions that battled within her and in the end all it did was leave her feeling empty and shell shocked.

Scooping the cold water in her hands she drank it greedily. The fire that once burned in the back of her throat soothed it's angry roar. She needed that. A nervous energy now buzzed in the back of her head as a thousand questions assualted her but first thing was first. Mara scooped another handful of water and splashed it against her face. With gentle motions she scrubbed away the crusted blood and washed away the smeared makeup that trailed beneath her eyes. Wetting her fingers she dragged it through her hair; pulling at tangles and breaking the knots that had formed.

She looked back at herself; there she was. Still pale and exhausted looking but there was the girl she knew. A spark had returned to her and while there was nothing to do about the bruises or her busted lip it was still a start. Shutting off the water she stepped back into Mayuri's room only to find the little girl settled on her bed; picking at her jacket with anxious fingers. Mara let out a soft sigh, "Thank you, Mayuri," she gave the girl a small half smile, "I really needed that... this whole thing. Well, I'm pretty sure you know." Her voice had found it's strength again though the tone still whispered with a certain harshness. She figured it'd go away in a few days. Along with the rest of her wounds but for now it was a start.

Taking a hesitant step towards her, Mara shifted nervously on the balls of her feet. "There's quite a few others out there...I'm not sure how many but," she trailed off before clearing her throat, "How are you feeling?" She wanted to change the subject. Mayuri was clearly as anxious as she was though as Mara took a closer look at her she was relieved to see that she seemed unharmed. Physically at least. She wanted to do something for her. Like she would do when her little sister had a hard day at school. A memory bubbled to the surface of the two of them swinging by the lake. Lillith's face shining for the first time as her cheeks scrunched up the way all small children's do; until they lose the baby fat. An unbidden smile formed on her lips as the mirth of her littlest sisters laughter bounced freely in her head. Mara would do anything to hear her laugh again. To see them again and with that the smile faded as quickly as it came.

She made a silent promise to herself. She'd get out of here and she'd take Mayrui out of here too.

@vocab

Abel "Abe" Parker | Location: Lounge

Abel sighed, listening to Nikolai and Irina's talking. He placed his fingers against eyelids and massaged them, relief filling him as the throbbing left him. As his adrenaline faded, he felt stinging on his hand, and flipped it around to see that his knuckles were bleeding slightly. He sighed and wiped the blood off on the couch. He could care less whose couch he was staining.

He swore as his vision flashed again, this time showing him a picture of the lounge where the sat. He gave the pain a few moments to subside, and then leaned his elbows on his knees and placing his head in his hands. "Oh my God." He muttered to no one in particular. "There's cameras everywhere. They're watching us!" He suddenly stood up, his fists clenched in anger.

Completely disregarding Nikolai and Irina, he marched to the middle of the lounge. He thought about the perspective of the camera he'd just seen through, and deduced that it was on the far wall. He turned to the wall and shook his head. "I know you're watching us!" He shouted towards the wall. "I don't know who you are, but I know you've got cameras throughout the whole building! Hiding behind your computers like a coward!" HE looked to his left at the mini bar and grabbed a porcelain bowl from the counter. He threw it against the wall, shattering it. Breathing heavily turned back to the other two.

"It's like its a damn game to them!" He said with strained, angry vocal chords. He blinked away the furious tears that were peaking at his eyelids.

@wolverbells @hellhoundwoof

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Allia simply nodded at his response before speaking. “Yeah. Near Guildford.” Allia's tone was a bit more mellow as she looked down. My house is one hour away. In Manly. It's that ginormous mansion that's size doesn’t even seem to have a point with all of the empty rooms. You know that couple that people call stuck up when they’re on TV? Talking about their riches and their perfect life? Yeah, that’s my parents. She sighed, stopping her negative thoughts.

“Y-You...That probably counts.” she says quietly at the boy. If he had rapid healing, that was just proving her theory and the theory of others to be that much more accurate. This was starting to price itself together and she was beginning to feel bad for the people around her. While she didn’t really care what happened to her, they just looked so… miserable. The girl that was crying, the angry Russian man, ...and now this boy that had just entered the conversation with a fake smile as bright as the sun. Allia couldn’t help but attempt to smile when she saw his smile though she gave up rather soon.

She looked at him and her blushing had finally stopped. She was getting less nervous by the minute though it should have been the exact opposite.

Allia simply nodded when he mentioned that the situation was a bummer. The boy drank extremely quickly and she watched as he did so.

This boy reminded her of her parents. Not in a bad way, of course. Just because of his smile. She’d seen a smile like that many times whether it was at a gala or just her parents trying to act like they were happy together. So painful.

She had been listening to their conversation for a while without uttering a word. It was pretty hard to find a good time to introduce herself. She was going to do so when Arthur had nearly introduced her but for whatever reason, he quickly brushed passed it and she missed her chance. Allia finally found a spot to introduce herself and did so.

He had been smiling that smile and was perhaps waiting for someone else to continue the conversation or start one. "My name's A-Allia." she says, smiling a bit as she introduces herself. Allia was tempted to ask if he was alright but she knew he wasn't. She looked over at Arthur and saw that he looked like he was in some sort of actual pain.

"A-Arthur?? A-Are you alright? You don't look well at all. D-Do you feel pain? A headache?" she says, a worried tone and expression on her face as she frowns. Was he in pain?? Why was he in pain? Perhaps the drugs?

This guy... he must be on the edge.

Arthur sympathised, seeing all the usually signs of anxiety. The fidgeting, the excessive energy with nowhere to go, the irregular breathing and the eyes which could not seem to settle on anything. If this continued then it wouldn't end well for his fellow inmate. He let Uriel make his joke, thinking how best to approach this, after all he knew nothing about the boy but he had a sense that he was privileged, like himself.

"Oh, I wouldn't put yourself down. I'm sure you've got some kind of super power in you." He returned the joke. He could feel a ringing forming in his head, the tell-tale sign of a serious headache. It was odd, though, for him to have one so soon after another and the one from his drugging had only faded in the last few minutes. This one was different, more acute and swelling at worrying rate.

Arthur winced and rubbed his forehead, a little treatment he usually found helped. Maybe it was merely the action but it felt like doing something usual like that relaxed him and the pain numbed a little although not by much at all. "A-Arthur?? A-Are you alright? You don't look well at all. D-Do you feel pain? A headache?" Allia was looking at in a concerned way, presumably she had seen him wincing.

"Hm? Oh, yes I'm fine thank you. Just a little headache, nothing serious. It's probably from all the excitement here, I warrant." He smiled to reassure her; having two people on the edge of panic was not going to help his own mental state.

A loud ringing interrupted everything, wiping away Arthur's headache as if it had been distracted. It sounded like it was sounding in the entire facility, the kind of ring that heralded a public service announcement at a station or special event. Sure enough, as the last peals faded away, a voice sounded over an intercom.

@sakurasan@banjoanjo

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@SheriffLlama@HecateProxy@Vocab@Thundercrash@KahleenCuthald@Lillium@wolverbells@HellHoundWoof@Gonzo@Airalin



There was the sound of static followed by a hollow-sounding thump, someone had just switched on a microphone on the other end of the intercom system. Then there was a brief cough, as if one were clearing their throat, a brief rustle, and then a female voice sounded. Her sweet, lyrical accent, presumably Irish or Welsh, echoed around the facility and forced those there to stop their activities and conversations to listen.

"Hello all! Now, I understand that you're all confused and scared especially due to the nature of your transportation to this safe facility. We wanted to reassure you that our intentions are pure and we have nothing but your well being, and that of your friends and family, in our hearts and minds! Still, I do apologise for the roughness with which we brought you here but explaining the situation may have made it more dangerous for you all."

There was a brief pause, a small intake of breath and then a loud buzz sounded from down one of the corridors, currently empty of people. Then the voice continued.

"I've just unlocked the Auditorium room! You'll find it opposite the previously locked door at the end of the main hallway! Please make your way there so that we can properly explain why you've all been brought here. We will meet you there once everyone has assembled."

@Thundercrash

Lyra struggled to put more distance between herself and the Reptilian, but her limbs would barely move. However, after a short while, she realized the creature's behavior was rather strange for a man-eating monster. She knelt by the door and said the same thing, over and over, in some lizard language Lyra didn't understand. What was clear was that she was upset - perhaps because she'd been expecting her meal not to be so meager. But why did she look like she was surrendering?

Lyra opened her mouth to urge her visitor to demand someone better to eat, but froze before the words came out. Slowly but surely, the Reptilian's scales were retracting, and skin was taking its place. Lyra's tears stopped as she gaped. Was this girl a were-Reptilian? She had never heard of such a thing before! Yet, as she watched, almost all of the scales disappeared.

Lyra hesitated. "Are you not going to eat me?" she asked. Before she knew what she was doing, she crawled a few inches forward - and fell, her chin landing on the mattress. Perhaps this girl just had some weird condition. "Get help, please!" said Lyra, "I can't really move on my own..." There was no sign of comprehension in the girl's eyes. Did she not speak English?

Desperate to convey her message anyway, Lyra pointed to her legs, then to herself, and shook her head. "I'm really hungry," she said, holding her hand and moving her mouth as if eating a piece of pizza. "If I eat, I may regain a little of my strength, and maybe I'll be able to walk... please, get me something!"

Before she could think of the gestures to convey the last part of her message, Lyra was interrupted by what sounded like a woman talking over an intercom. Apparently, they were in some sort of facility, and were being asked to travel to an auditorium. Lyra looked around helplessly. She couldn't walk on her own, and no one had come to help her. How was she supposed to go anywhere?

After speaking with Nikolai, Irina had kept quiet while waiting for his response. It was then when things became a little worrisome for the teenager. Abel had once again began to lose it, and Irina began to freak out, fearing that she would hear and see what Abel was experiencing as well. Fortunately, it did not seem to happen again as she thought.

"Abe..."

With wide, and some what fear filled eyes, Irina watched as Abel began to shout at ‘cameras’ that must have been around them. She could not see any thing except for the solid walls and what ever decor was placed on them. She had turned quickly to Nikolai for some type of reassurance, or sign. Had she missed something? Was she not told something? Nikolai didn’t give Irina the response she had been hoping for, so she turned her attention back on Abel. Her full lips pouted out a bit as she frowned, wishing she could help him or understand what he was seeing. Were they really being watched?

Almost as if one cue, a voice came on the intercom which interrupted everything that was going on through Irina’s head. The young woman looked up to face the ceiling like an idiot as she tried to find the source of the voice, but to no avail. It was attempting to appease them, so it seemed. Trying to calm them in the most reasonable manner and then instructed them to head to an auditorium.

“Auditorium?” Irina’s voice was a bit more high pitched, having gone up an octave as the panic began to fill her again. If she couldn’t handle being in the cafeteria with some people, then how could she handle being in an auditorium with everyone?

’I guess I have no choice’, she thought as she pushed herself off of the couch and began making her way to the doorway, slowing to a stop at the edge of the doorway and peering into the hall. She could hear the indistinct chatter of everyone that had probably already began to make their way into their meeting place. “I can’t go in there. I can already hear them with my ears. If i hear them in my head, I don’t think I’d be able to take it.”

Irina looked down at her hands, letting her soft, black curls cover her face as she pondered the situation if she were to choose to join everyone. She had to though. She didn’t want to be alone in her room. What if something bad happened to her and no one was there to help?

’If they go, I go.'

It was decided. She refused to stay alone, so she would take the risk. Secretly, she wished that they’d say no to the meeting, but she knew that their curiosity would win.

@SheriffLlama @HellHoundWoof

URIEL ATTICUS - LOCATION: CAFETERIA

The girl had a pleasant British accent, not unlike Arthur’s. Talking to these people, knowing that they were all in the same position as he was put Uriel at ease. It was nice to have something to bring him out of his fervour, even for just a little bit.

“Allia, huh? Pretty name.” he said amicably. Pretty smile too. It was- “Just like its owner.”

Geh, did he really just say that out loud? She was just as scared as he was, probably even more. This was no time to be making moves on people! Damn his flawless charisma. Uriel could be pretty dull sometimes but even he knew that it was stupidly insensitive to be hitting on someone in this situation.

“I didn’t- I mean- You seem nice!” Uriel blabbered frantically, trying to rectify the situation, “That’s all! You too, Arthur! You’re both super cool and I hope we all live long enough to be buddies!”

Oh my god, he needed to stop talking right now. He turned his focus to his pile of snacks, ripping open a bag of chips this time. Hopefully stuffing his mouth would hide the blush creeping up his face. Sometimes he could be so- Urgh, salt and vinegar flavour!? Why did he even pick that up??

Something else came up before he could dwell on it any further.

"A-Arthur?? A-Are you alright? You don't look well at all. D-Do you feel pain? A headache?"

"Hm? Oh, yes I'm fine thank you. Just a little headache, nothing serious. It's probably from all the excitement here, I warrant."

Arthur was wincing, rubbing his forehead. Definitely a headache. Uriel could somehow already feel it, even before Arthur clarified it. It wasn’t like the pains that the drugs inflicted. It definitely wasn’t natural either. It was triggered by some sort of outside source. It was sharper and stronger than the usual. Hold on, how did he know that?

Uriel thought that if he calmed down, if he stopped panicking, the sensations would go away. But it was the exact opposite. The more he started thinking, started concentrating, started becoming aware of it all, the stronger it became. And right now, it was all coming from Arthur. It was all really… unsettling for Uriel. But Arthur was the one going through the worst of it. Uriel couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like. On second thought, yes he could. He was sensing it right now somehow.

“You sure, mate?” Uriel asked a bit halfheartedly. There was too much mumbo-jumbo in his head for him to concentrate fully on Arthur’s problem. “If you need anything, it’s fine to ask.”

A loud ringing sounded through the entire facility. It was loud as hell, loud enough to divert Uriel’s thoughts from Arthur’s headache and his own worries. The lady on the intercom had a sweet voice, one that was way too calm and reasonable for the situation they were in.

“’We wanted to reassure you!’” Uriel repeated in a high-pitched mocking voice, “Pure intentions, my ass!”

Uriel was sick of being afraid. Now he was just pissed. And he wanted some goddamn answers. If the only way to get them was to follow the lady’s orders, then so be it. He was going to get to the bottom of this and get out of this place.

He sighed.

“Guess that’s our only option right now. We should go, yeah?”

@Jinxer @sakurasan

The blonde woman was looking down at the water still. The feeling that she should get into the pool and enjoy this miserable situation got bigger and bigger for some unknown reason. Maybe it was because the realization of being kidnapped floated onto her and she needed to push it away somehow. Maybe it was because she knew there was no way out of this facility for now and the water looked so relaxing. Maybe it was because she didn't wanna breathe in this stupid none-fresh air anymore and rather stay underwater until she was on the edge of drowning. Maybe... maybe it was because her situation felt too heavy and the only way out was to dive into a new kind of world, see where it woudl lead her thoughts. Or maybe it was because she wanted to wash off all the feelings that crashed in right now. All the guilt of leaving her father back there alone to worry about her. The hate towards him for what he did. The sorrow to never see her friends again. The confusion about all of this. The anger because she was so stupid to sleep outside at a train station for anyone to just take her. She felt defeated. She felt like the only reasonable thing to do was get into the water and stay beneath the surface forever.

A loud, sudden shriek got her out of her deep, dark thoughts. Followed by some coughing or whatever - Myriam couldn't tell and didn't care. She had dropped to the floor, curled up in a ball, her hands over her ears and her face showing a grimace of pain. The girl was not in physical pain, her body was completely fine, though her soul was panicking. Somehow the sudden, loud noise made her break into a million pieces. She felt like a glass that had been dropped, carelessly fixed with tape and then smashed against a wall. Her hands pressed down on her ears and she whimpered. She could barely hear the words coming from the hidden speakers, let alone process what was being said.

She rocked forth and back a tiny bit, her hands starting to grasp at her blonde hair. Voices appeared in her head. She couldn't understand what they were whispering, but she could feel that it was no good. Where do they come from? What do they want? Myriam couldn't tell why the noise had such an effect on her, but she was a hundred percent sure that this would have never been her reaction before "the incident".

Even after the sound was gone and the message had stopped, she sat on the floor curled up as best as she could without falling over and held tightly onto her blonde hair with the darker roots. She felt like any movement would break her apart. So she pulled slightly on the hair, to feel at least something, and waited for all the hushed whispers in her head to disappear and set her free again. Myriam Riley Cassedy was a wreck.

Location: Lyra's room

Watching the girl, Stasya frowned. She wasn’t crying anymore, which was good; apparently Stasya’s actions had been enough to convince her that she wasn’t going to hurt her. But the girl was still very agitated, and it was even more surprising when she fell trying to crawl forward. She obviously wasn’t paralysed, she was still able to move her legs. Was she just really weak?

Her eyes followed the girl’s hands as she gestured, and Stasya shuffled forward until she was kneeling beside the bed. From what she could tell, something was definitely wrong with the girl’s legs, and… something about her mouth? Stasya looked up briefly as some sort of intercom came on, but again, she didn’t understand what was being said. At the very least, it sounded like the same language this girl was speaking.

Sitting back on her heels, Stasya’s frown deepened. The other girl was clearly doing her best to communicate, and it reminded her of when Natali was first learning to speak. Well, maybe it’s not so different? Maybe even easier, she could actually understand things. Just have to keep it simple. She clapped her hand on her leg, loud enough to grab the girl’s attention. “Nozhka, (Leg,)” she said, intoning slowly and clearly. Holding up her hands, she walked her fingers across her palm. “Khodit’. (Walk)” She gave her a thumbs down. “Nyet? (No?)”

@Airalin

Her eyes idly gazed over the other girls back as she walked past. Still, she was messing with her jacket, but not really. It was more of just something to do; a distraction from whatever was actually going on around her. It didn't feel real... Or rather, she didn't want it to be real. Anything was better than this, that was for sure.

Yes, the room may have been nice, the facilities good and the entirety of what she had seen maintained way better than a kidnapper should or would have done. But, it wasn't right. It didn't feel right, look right, or even smell right. There was something terribly, terribly off about everything - the walls, the bed, the water, the girl stood in the bathroom washing her face and laying flat her hair. Everthing.

Though, Mayuri tried not to pay attention. At least, as best she could. Her eyes slowly cast their gaze across the room once, then twice, then three times, before settling on Mara as she left the bathroom.

"Thank you, Mayuri, I really needed that... this whole thing. Well, I'm pretty sure you know." yes, she did know. She couldn't not know, no matter how much she attempted to block out the thought
s and conflicting feelings. There was no way she could not know. Even if the girl ran and hid under her covers for each and every day they were trapped, she couldn't not know.

"How are you feeling?" Feeling... That was a difficult question. If there was a definitive answer, she would have tried her best to give it, but even then it would have been difficult. Yet it wasn't that simple. What were these feelings anway? Fear, loneliness, despair? They crashed and collided, simply smashing into each other like asteroids around a planet. With that planet being her mind.

"I-I'm... I d-don't know..." and that was the truth. Out of all the things she didn't know... Her own feelings had to be it. Why wouldn't everything just... Stop being so confusing, annoying, frustrating, and just... Stay still for a little while? It was like every single thing had somewhere to be, and they refused to stop moving until they got there. The only problem, though, was that everything would change so suddenly, nothing would ever stop moving.

"I-I'm scared..." her voice was quiet, a whisper almost, but still quivered with anxiety and fear, true to her word. There were tears in her eyes again, but this time they refused to fall.



Mara closed the gap between them and sat softly down beside her. Her words still rolling around in her head. Scared. Yeah, she understood that. It was that empty feeling that was clawing at the tendrils of her sanity. The voice that would whisper beneath the madness that her plight was hopeless. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she fell backwards onto the bed. Maybe she was being a bit too casual in front of the girl but at this point she didn't think it too much. "It feels like a bad dream," Mara popped up on her elbows to look at Mayrui, "The ones you get in the middle of the night that wake you up all sweaty." Except this one they weren't going to wake up from.

No, this nightmare was real. "I bet they all are..." This was more of a thought than her actually talking to Mayrui. She had come in here to escape; to process. Kidnappings and kids appearing out of thin air. Yelling at each other in Russian. Jesus, what was she involved in here exactly? "Thin air?" Um, Mayrui.." Mara hesitated, what she was going to say next was going to make her sound crazy, "In the hall, well there was a guy that kinda just appeared out of no where. I mean, maybe my eyes need to be chekced but i'm fairly sure he wasn't there one moment and then the next BAM there he was."

Yeah, she sounded crazy but it was all she had to go on.
"Anyway, I was wondering...is there something special about you? I mean," God, she was rambling now. 'Just spit it out!, "Can you do odd things, I mean? For me..I don't know how to explain it properly but...I when I was in a car accident with my father time stopped; er rather it slowed and i've noticed it here and there that when i'm about to hurt myself or something big happens it's like everything slows down." Mara screwed her eyes shut as the words just kinda fell out of her mouth in embaressment.



A bad dream..? Yeah, it sure was. But it was more than a bad dream. It was more like a nightmare without a exit, an escape. One of those dreams that requires you to complete something to leave, to wake up and resume your daily life. Like a Lucid Dream, but the control has been stripped away.

Mara was talking to herself. Or at the very least saying her thoughts aloud. Had she already gone crazy? That was a scary thought. She seemed level headed, and moderately calm provided with the situation at hand. Wait, she was talking to her.

Mara wasn't saying what Mayuri thought she was saying, right? She was almost claiming that a member of the group was some kind of teleporter; like someone pulled straight out of the manga Yu used to read. What was he? A telephone signal, bouncing around constantly with no clear sign of staying still.

Her expression was simply that of confusion to the girls words. What she was saying... It didn't make sense. Yeah, maybe her eyes did need to be seen. Hopefully they had an opticians here so she could do just that.

Hold the phone. Had Mara actually gone crazy? "Anyway, I was wondering...is there something special about you? I mean... "Can you do odd things, I mean? That alone made her sound like she had completely and utterly lost the plot. It was the kind of thing that would get you admitted a one way ticket to a padded room faster than a cheetah on steroids.

"Sp-special..? Um... I-I dont th-think so..." she averted her gaze away from Mara, "D-do you think... O-others here can..?" the tears that sat in her eyes had all but subsided at the change in subject. Now, there simply sat a cold sweat on her forehead, causing her to doubt her life up to now. What if she could do something special, something odd, and that was why she was taken? Th-then... It was her fault for causing her friends and family so much trouble.

But... Come to think of it, it all made sense. Well, as much sense as possible with so little evidence available. But the symbol on her chest. That sometimes felt funny when she was about to get hurt, like the time she tripped over in the hallway while running with Sae and the others. What if that was her power? No, it couldn't be. There was nothing special about Mayuri. Well, if you didn't count her above average grades and the ability to fluently speak two languages. There was no way there was anything spe-

The sound of static resounded throughout the room, forcing all thoughts out of her head with an involuntary flinch.
"Hello all! Now, I understand that you're all confused and scared especially due to the nature of your transportation to this safe facility. We wanted to reassure you that our intentions are pure and we have nothing but your well being, and that of your friends and family, in our hearts and minds! Still, I do apologise for the roughness with which we brought you here but explaining the situation may have made it more dangerous for you all."

These people... Did they really mean that? What reason could they have for kidnapping people?! Forget a teleporting boy, it was this that sounded like it had been ripped straight from an action manga! There was no way in hell that this wasn't some kind of set up, right, like those prank videos you got on YouTube? It didn't make any sense that this was real.

"I've just unlocked the Auditorium room! You'll find it between the Pool and Gym facilities. Please make your way there so that we can properly explain why you've all been brought here. We will meet you there once everyone has assembled."

What was going on..? Those tears that had but faded once again returned with a nervous curiosity, but also terror. But... It sounded like they didn't have a choice. Why couldn't she just go home and forget this ever happened? Eat something nice, take a bath, go to sleep, wake up and go to school like every other day? What day even was it..?

"Sh-should... W-we g-g-go..?"



'Dangerous? Like shoving me into the floor was really the nice way to go about kidnapping someone?' Mara's inner voice scoffed at the lady. What complete bull shit. She could feel the coil of anger grip tighter around her heart like a vice. "Yeah, we need to go and get to the bottom of this."

She forced herself up from the bed and turned to the girl, holding out her hand, "We'll figure this out. I promise." She hoped she sounded confident as the surge of anger made her feel. Finally, there was a voice, a person, to funnel all this emotion at. At the injustice they all had suffered.



Mayuri didn't believe her. As much as she wanted to believe that everything would be fine and that they would figure it all out, it just didn't sound true. It was like Mara was simply trying to appease her fear for a while, or long enough so that she would be fine when things really did go South.

But, she didn't have a choice. The girl was gullible and naive, yes, but this time it was her own decision. Or as much of a decision as she could make when every option was greyed out. She silently nodded, and took the girls hand, gently pulling her small weight up off the bed. Somehow, she was taller. At least 2 inches taller. That was a first... Most people she knew and met were taller than herself.

"C-can you... L-lead..? I-I dont w-want to go out f-first..." her voice was still unsteady, but it was slowly getting better as she familiarised herself with the girl stood beside her.



Mara nodded her head and gave Mayuri's hand a small squeeze before letting it drop. Standing there for a moment she drew in a deep breath, trying to steel her nerves before moving swifty towards the door. She remembered there were small signs hanging on the walls in the hall way pointing to the various areas in the building. Casting a glace back she made sure Mayrui was right behind her. Careful not to let the girl fall too far behind her though the subtle height difference usually made the difference in pace. Mara was short, a fact she accepted, her steps generally mirrored her stature and it was often she had to force herself to walk faster to keep up.

As they stepped out into the hall she glanced back towards where the others had been earlier; it would seem most of them had cleared out of the hallway.
Probably towards the more attractive sites or back to their rooms like she had attempted too.

"Um, lets go this way..."

She pointed towards the end of the hall that lead towards the cafeteria.That was where she had seen the boy heads towards earlier, with his outwardly calm exterior she was sure that he knew something. With that Mara headed down the hall with eager and anxious steps.



The girl watched silently as Mara found her resolve and began to make her way towards the door. There was a small part of her that wanted to hold the girls hand, but she quickly pushed it aside. This was no time to be acting like a child, if that was still all she was.

She followed along slowly with trepid steps, not falling too far behind but not ever getting too close. Her eyes traced along the hallway, taking in its bland aesthetics that matched perfectly to the blandness of the room she awoke in. There were hardly any people still around, which settled her nerves a bit of a ways, but still not entirely.

When Mara gestured to the sign that illustrated a general outline for the area using arrows, she nodded slightly. The cafeteria seemed like a good place to go. There would be more people around, and so there would be more protection. Plus, there might have been someone who had an idea as to what was going on. Or could at least act as a temporary leader to the people kidnapped so nobody completely lost there minds.

"O-okay... Lets go."



The two of them made their way down the hall, carefully avoiding those who still lingered, the halls didn't offer much to look at all as the rounded the corner. They passed several doors each labled with a number and Mara silently cursed herself once again as they approached an open doorway. Several people lingered in the doorway while Mara could spy a few sitting down within.

From what she could see it resembled something close to her high school cafeteria with the wide open seating. Everything about this place was confusing, was this a school? Why would they be at a school? She turned to her companion, "Well, this seems to be the place. At least there are others here." She took a small step closer to Mayrui; feeling a bit safer next to someone she slightly knew.



There were too many people here... There were far, far too many people here. Throughout her life, Mayuri had stayed away from crowds of people. Even being surrounded by 5 people was usually enough to make her feel slightly ill. She needed to leave this place, even though Mara was shielding her away from the crowd.

"H-hey... C-can we... G-go somewhere where there... A-aren't so m-many people..?" she looked down slightly to the white haired girl, "I-I dont like cr-crowds..." her voice was slightly unsteadier than before, due to the close proximity to so many people.

She looked back down the corridor, to the sign that listed the places around. Pool, huh..? That sounded like it wouldn't have many people. And, it was near the auditorium. It was a perfect idea.
"H-hey, Mara... Want to h-head over to the p-pool instead?"



'Pool?' She had missed the sign for that or she'd probably would've headed there first. Ever since she was small there was always something serine about being in the water and as for people, Mayrui was right. The place was crowded; at least enough to make her feel unsteady. "Yeah, you're right. Lets check it out." With that she took the girl's hand back in her hers and spun on her heel to leave.

She lead them both back down the hallway and past the bedrooms once more before nearing the other end of the hallway. She looked up at a small map on the wall, 'So the pools are to the left and auditorium to right..' The lady over the intercoms said to go to the auditorium, she looked back at Mayrui, but she seemed to be on edge. "Alright, lets head in." Mara smiled back at her and tugged her gently through the pool doors.



It didn't matter if the people here wanted them at the auditorium. They would have to wait. It was only good manners to be patient with ones guests, after all. And, anyway, Mayuri felt something. It was a sort of want or need to be in the pool room at this very time. Like there was something calling her to be there, though it was probably just nerves from the crowd and this whole situation.

Though, she was proved correct. That feeling was very real, and very right. As soon as they passed through those doors, Mayuri was greeted with a sight she never wanted to see. Curled up tightly on the ground beside the pool, seemingly in pain, lay a blonde haired woman. She grasped and pulled at her own hair, almost as though she was having some kind of fit.

Instinctively, she hid herself behind Mara slightly, making a yelp as her eyes lay upon the scene. Though, a second after she did, she quickly let go of the girls hand and ran to Myriam.
"H-hey, a-are you okay..!?" she ran up, her voice slightly loud but still relatively quiet, but still filled with a kind of panic. Wh-what did she do?! There wasn't a nurses office, was there!? But... Mayuri couldn't lift this girl. No way in hell. The best she could do was call her...

"H-hey..? C-can you hear m-me!?" she gently poked the girls arm, and shot a glance back to Mara saying "Come on..!



Oh, dear. Oh, dear. This wasn't what she expected at all. Mara"s mind flew into a panic as she witnessed the frail looking girl writhe in agony. She was surprised at Mayrui's willingness to leap into action her own feet seemingly glued to the ground beneath her. It was her voice that drew Mara out of her stunned state.

She quickly rushed across the smooth floor and knelt down beside them. "Shh, shh. It's ok. We're here now. It's ok." She whispered softly above the girl in the most soothing tone she could muster. Part of her wanted to grab the girls clawing hands in her own until the fit subsided but feared she'd only add to her stress. Peering through the falling whisps of hair in front of her face she shot Mayrui a panicked look. They needed to calm her down and fast before she hurt herself.

---

Christian's explanation of the crash was alarming. Though he didn't look to be critically wounded, it could very well have ended that way. Or worse. Kidnappers were usually after money or something else they could bargain for. Potentially killing their intended targets wasn't a very effective of getting what they wanted. Was it because they had taken so many teenagers all at once that they hadn't used more careful measures? Either way, the thought made her feel like shards of ice had formed in her stomach. Whoever these people were, they were looking worse with every little bit of new information.

"Oh... I see."

Lucie deflated visibly, seeming not unlike a wilting flower as the answer she had waited with bated breath for turned out to be a resounding 'no'. Christian didn't have a phone either. It had been a slim chance to begin with, that the kidnappers would have left him a way to contact help. Short of running around asking everyone else for a phone, her options had dwindled down to a scant few. Which was why when offered, redhead bit her lower lip and nodded her assent to Christian's plan without much hope. Though it didn't seem likely that the pool would have a way out when the place didn't even have windows, it was better than anything her panicky mind could come up with just then.

The others who had been gathered when she had first stepped out into the hallway had dispersed by then, though she hadn't a clue as to where. It was more than probable that they were searching for a way out as well. The sound of crying had quieted as well, which she found to be a relief. She had enough to worry about without some crybaby invading her thoughts.

"Maybe. It couldn't hurt to look." Lucie replied with optimism she didn't feel.

She began to follow him towards the pool, too caught up in her thoughts to realize that she still hadn't given him her name. Against her will and better judgment, her mind kept flashing to the way that guy had disappeared right in front of her eyes. She'd also heard someone else make a mention about powers. Lucie was a diehard fan of fantastical worlds and amazing abilities; but she kept them where they belonged. In fiction. That sort of thing simply didn't happen in real life... But that guy really had vanished. She'd seen it happen and there was no denying it. Christian had seen it as well, so it wasn't just her or stress or insanity or any other such explanation that could be so easily waved away.

A message over the intercom interrupted her train of thought before it could go any further.

Lucie stopped and frowned towards nothing in particular. This woman sounded far too polite and well meaning to actually be either of those things. She might have been more inclined to believe the words if she hadn't been apprehended and drugged. Perhaps this was their way of keeping them calm while the ransoms were worked out.

"I don't really believe that. Do you?"

Still, it didn't seem wise to ignore their very friendly and reasonable 'request'. These people hadn't had any qualms in resorting to violent measures to bring them here. It felt safe to assume that they had complete control of the place, if the way they had remotely unlocked the Auditorium doors had been anything to go by.

"I'm going to go and see what they have to say. Maybe there's a way out through the auditorium..." With that, she started walking in the direction towards the auditorium after she had looked at one of the maps on the wall.

Lucie secretly hoped that Christian would come with her. There was something about having someone at her side that made the whole situation marginally less daunting. If she was in hell, at least there was someone in there with here.

@Gonzo

“’We wanted to reassure you!’” Uriel repeated in a high-pitched mocking voice, “Pure intentions, my ass!”

Arthur couldn't help but smile at the other boy's reaction. Even in their dire situation he somehow found the nerve, or the strength, to satirise their captors. Arthur was not great with jokes, of any kind, so he appreciated having someone like Uriel about who could break the tense atmosphere even if it wasn't for himself; it helped Arthur to concentrate on the problems that faced them without fear clouding his mind.

The tone of the announcement might have reassured him if it were not for the violence with which he had been abducted and the fact that the announcement came a while after they had all woken up. Maybe an explanation in their room might have helped clarify things earlier rather than inflict needless anxiety and panic upon them all. Still, part of him was keen to go and find out what was going on, even if it was to find out what their 'story' was. Maybe finding out how they presented their motives would help clue the boys and the girls in the facility into a way to escape, assuming the worst and that these people were not just benevolent.

“Guess that’s our only option right now. We should go, yeah?”

Arthur nodded and stood up, easing himself off the bench and glancing down the hallway where all the bedrooms were. The hallway branched off and he assumed it was at the end of that one the lady speaking over the intercom had said the auditorium could be found.

"Yeah, I think so. For now we've got no choice but to be obedient to them. If they're speaking the truth then it's in our best interest to work with them. If they're lying and we're here for something... more sinister, there's no point resisting so early on when we don't know anything about our surroundings."

He left unspoken the futility of their trying to resist; it was clear from the size of the facility they had seen so far that these people had significant resources and were not afraid of snatching people in the middle of the day. Clearly they had the manpower, influence and wealth to sustain this whole operation and had used knockout drugs as well, Arthur suspected there were some defence mechanisms built into the facility that would prevent the group of adolescents from going on a rampage without them ever encountering a person running the programme.

He walked out of the cafeteria, assuming the other two were following, and made his way past the hallway now much emptier of people than the chaos when he had first woken up. Around the corner the hallway continued with doors placed along its length on both sides but at longer intervals to the bedroom doors, suggesting that the rooms themselves were bigger here. Arthur made a note to investigate these rooms, if they had the time.

Beyond the door at the end of the hallway was another door. Upon opening it he saw a double door immediately opposite them with a sign to the right of them declaring that this was the entrance to the auditorium. The hallway here had much fewer doors and the lighting at the far ends was much dimmer, suggesting to him that those doors were probably locked and sealed off to them for now. Arthur pushed into the auditorium and noticed immediately that, like the rest of the facility thus far, it was well furnished and remarkably like a lecture hall from a university.

Tiered seating descended down in three sections, the two side sections consisting of four seats per row while the middle section had ten seats per row, to a small platform at the front with a desk upon which a computer monitor sat. Small platforms in front of each tier provided a writing surface, assuming anyone here wished to take notes on whatever was about to happen (if they had the stationary for that). There was a projector on the sealing pointed to a SmartBoard behind the desk, obviously connected to the computer, but other than that the room was empty.

"I guess we just sit wherever and wait for the others?" He asked his companions, choosing a seat on the right hand side section about halfway down. He took the wall seat, preferring to be in a corner as it always provided him with a feeling of safety. Not that anywhere in this facility was safe.

And then he waited, whether it was for answers or the next step in this potential horror show he knew not which.

@banjoanjo@sakurasan

---

---

Her hands in her hair and her face looking down to the floor as she was curled up in a sitting position, Myriam couldn't hear anything anymore. In her mind there was a constant noise, a whooosh as though coming from waves hitting against the shore. She was overly glad that the whispers in her head had stopped and there was no voices coming from the hidden speakers anymore.

"H-hey, a-are you okay..!?" A slightly panicked voice appreached her sensitive ears, but unlike expected Myriam didn't feel the need to curl up even tighter and hide from it. It was a soft breeze moving through her hair supportingly and giving her lungs fresh, cool air. "H-hey..? C-can you hear m-me!?" The voice appeared again. A soft breeze. In her current position Myriam could not see, her face was perfectly hidden by her arms, lying on them as she hid. Then something poked her arm. Her head moved slightly, but she felt heavy and had trouble lifting it completely.

"Shh, shh. It's ok. We're here now. It's ok." This was not the same voice. It wasn't breezy. It was more like the feeling of grass on your naked skin after a spring rain. Refreshing and relaxing. A little tickling and kind of making you wanna just be happy. Myriam could feel the sun on her skin, on her head, the wind in her hair - but there was none. She was alone in this facility, in this room with a pool, locked up and the noise would sound at any time to attack her with those evil thoughts and whispering voices again. But no. She wasn't alone anymore. The breeze and the green grass were right there.

She lifted her head up and blinkded a few times. Her eyes had trouble adjusting. She didn't cry. There were no tears. The sound of the waves against the shore stopped, the summer breeze in her hair died down and the green grass on her bare skin left to make place for the cold floor she was sitting on. Reality. Her blue-green eyes focused on the two people that were kneeling by her side. Shame washed over her. She couldn't remember how long her little fit took, how long she sat there and how long these girls have been there with her.

"I-I'm sorry." Her voice needed a little bit to come back fully. The needed silence in her head seemed to have an effect on her voice as well. It sounded rough, as though after coughing too much. "I'm Myriam." She wasn't sure why she told them that. Probably to show that she was not completely insane. Those two must think she was totally nuts and would send her right off to get drugged by someone calling it medical treatment. She wished no one had noticed her breakdown. She didn't wanna be locked up for being crazy. I am not crazy. But it was too late for that now.

A buzz sounded again over the intercom as it was booted up and a new voice began to speak. To most of the residents of the facility at that time they would not be able to understand the meaning of what was said. However, to the few Russian speakers who may have missed the earlier message, having the same thing communicated in their language was a great boon.

"Hello, I am the translator for those of you who do not speak English as your primary language or do understand it well. I am fluent in several languages but for the purpose of those assembled this time I will be repeating any messages in Russian for all to understand." There was a short silence and then the voice continued. "To those who did not understand the previous message, please make your way to the auditorium as quickly as you can. You'll find it opposite the previously locked door at the end of the main hallway. Once you have arrived we properly explain why you have been brought here."

There was a quick rustle and the original announcer spoke again briefly to the whole facility.

"Oh, and we understand that some of you may have issues getting to the auditorium without assistance. We have placed some wheelchairs in the hallway outside your rooms to aid those who need them!" The message was repeated quickly by the interpreter in Russian before the intercom buzzed and went silent.

---

"Hello hello! This is a special announcement for those in the pool area. You appear to be having some trouble making your way to the auditorium for the first meeting so we're sending you some help. Please be aware that we have sealed off your abilities while our staff our present until we are comfortable you can exercise them safely in the presence of others."

The intercom buzzed, this time higher pitched than usual, and then the doorway opened so that half a dozen attendants in bio-hazard suits could enter the room. They had three wheelchairs between them while others carried first aid bags. The six moved efficiently towards the three in the pool and, without any aggression or use of medication moved them to the wheelchairs regardless of whether they needed them or not. Perhaps it was the effect of the bio-hazard suits but it rather lent credence to the warnings of safety to those around them that the announcer had made earlier.

"Don't worry, we're just taking you to the auditorium. You'll find out everything soon enough." One of those pushing the wheelchairs said, their voice wheezy through the filtration mask.

---

@Vocab@Gonzo@sakurasan@banjoanjo@HellHoundWoof@Lillium@Airalin@KahleenCuthald@Thundercrash@SheriffLlama@wolverbells@HecateProxy

The voice over the intercom did nothing to settle Abel's anger. On the contrary, he found it fueled by the realization that he now had a target to throw it towards. He was about to lead them through the door, when Irina mentioned her worries of being amongst a large crowd. He nodded, understandingly, but he so desperately wanted to run to the auditorium and leave her. He had people to get back to.

"These people invaded my home and took me. I don't know if they hurt my sisters and my mom, so my primary worry is to get out of her as fast as possible and find them. I'll go, find out what's going on, and I promise I'll come back as soon as I can.". He said, backpedaling into the hallway. He nodded to her, not waiting for her response, and sprinting towards the Auditorium down the hallway.

When he reached the doorway, he saw three people sitting down, but he had never asked their names. He sat down, taps his foot impatiently. He finally realized that he had a moment to take it all in. In the moment he felt the slight chill that hung in the air. He frowned, then looked down. "I'm not wearing a shirt..." He muttered to himself.