The D Wing was particularly rowdy today. Two of the more mentally unbalanced inmates got into a fistfight in the hallway, and upon returning to their cells whipped up the entire block to go off screeching and hollering like a band of howler monkeys. It was an utterly maddening racket, but that was just how it went in Thornwood; if you weren't already mad, the deranged criminals locked up next to you would finish the deed.

Some were better then that though. Take the one inmate in D who wasn't jumping around or burying themselves in pillows, but instead calmly reclining in her cell, drowning out the chaos around her with the dulcet tones of Der Hölle Rache from a contraband music player and earbuds. Uninterested in the unrest outside, she continued reading through her book, a new favorite of hers, about the conquests of Aurelian. Restitutor Orbis, a man who faced impossible odds and brought an empire back to greatness...it was a subject she found quite resonant nowadays.

"Inspection time. On your feet, Monty."

The inmate glanced up from her book at the pair of guards outside her cell, quickly stashing and hiding the music player. Marina was brought from the plains of the Balkans where Aurelion slew the Gothic king back to reality as the two rifle-wielding men set off the prisoners again.

"...Monty?" she let slip as she stood up.

"Maria Montressor Esquire the Third, whatever," the guard snapped back. "Stop fucking around and get against the wall."

"...right," Marina said, setting the tome aside and placing her hands against the cold cement, staring at them as the metal door slid open. She'd been playing the part of compliance well thus far, but this demeaning little ritual she was forced into made it...difficult. Moreso when she felt the familiar gun barrel pressed against her temple.

"That's hardly necessary," the soft voice of one of Novis' peons said as Maria felt the back of her shirt lifted up to her shoulder blades.

"Strict orders," the other, more polite guard informed her. "If the device isn't functional, she becomes bulletproof in seconds."

A touch extreme, but not wrong, Marina thought to herself. If the contraption strapped around her middle injecting a steady dose of WARWICK suppressant ever stopped, it wouldn't be long before she could figuratively and literally bring the claws out. Wincing as hands felt up and down her back around the attached device to check for faults, she fantasized about tearing it away and feeding it to the alien with a black hole for a stomach. No...feeding it to this guard, then feeding HIM to the alien.

"All clear, but she'll need more of the suppressant compound tomorrow," the doctor announced, leaving Marina to hastily lower her shirt again. "Feel free to escort her to dinner."

"Don't get too excited, no caviar or lobster on the menu," one of the guards smirked at her.

"I don't even like caviar," Marina replied coolly as she was marched out of her cell.

---

*Splorch*

Marina's grip on the tray tightened as the wet glob of food plopped onto the tray, flecking its greasy contents across her glasses. Letting out a deep sigh, she stepped out of line at the end and stared down at the unappetizing array in front of her. Certainly not lobster, she decided. At least the fruit sampling looked somewhat appetizing. If and when she got out of this wretched place, the first thing she'd do would be to find the biggest steak she could find. Rare, of course.

She set about searching for a table, most of the other prisoners regarding her suspiciously. It was no wonder; with her mutation suppressed by a barely visible device and trapped in her frailest, slightest form, she looked almost comically out of place. Of course, she wasn't, and the worst that anyone could do was look at her strangely; the last one who tried to step to her ended up having a not so pleasant encounter with that ghoul.

Speaking of which, she easily spotted her fellow monstrous counterpart across the way, sharing a table with a few other familiar faces; the aforementioned alien with a remarkable appetite, the delightful little radioactive firebrand, even the German fellow wrapped in a ridiculous amount of restraints whom she'd talked Wagner with. Seeing they were in an animated conversation, and her intuition picking up on the importance of it, she quickly strode over, only for an obnoxious little pixie to run in front of her and jump into the seat.

“Heeey! What's crackin' ma homies?" she yelped at the group. "Randy, long time no see!" Marina rubbed the bridge of her nose with a frustrated sigh and walked around to the other side.

“Well, it’s nice that you are here… I suppose," the ghoul said to the girl before he dropped his voice to a whisper. “So you going to catch us up on what you’ve been doing or…?"

"Never heard you referred to as 'Randy' before," Marina declared, announcing her presence as she sat down and finally took off her glasses to wipe them off on her shirt. "Suppose I can't talk though, considering I was just called 'Monty'." She started prepping to eat, but upon looking at the slop, decided against it and just took the slightly malformed apple and slid the rest in front of Kailani.

Most of the things going on around her were ignored. It wasn't that the events and words weren't heard, but a majority of it didn't stick in her mind. Were she a more aggressive inmate she probably would have tried to take Körbl down a peg, which would have been an interesting prospect given the the disparity in physical prowess. The man's strength would surely break the small woman in two without effort. Her advantage had everything to do with how most people's biological functions work.

"Strength means nothing if you can't use it." She said aloud, but not really to anyone in particular. Really it was just thoughts being said out loud. Whether anyone would be bothered by it wasn't even a thought.

Her attention would gloss over the new arrival that greeted everyone. This place wasn't one that made her particularly happy. How someone else could enjoy themselves was beyond her. Amongst the chatter one comment drew her ear. Something about an implant that needs to be turned off? Mm, maybe not exactly what was said, but that's what registered in Min-Ji's mind. Electronic devices to her were simply play things to manipulate or break. Their complexity at times was beyond her, but when you break them down it's all electrical signals.

Whatever train of thought to the inhibitor became interrupted when someone moved closer. She needn't look to know some details. Most of the inmates were bundles of nerve endings firing away with instructions that moved muscles. Often time she could sense how someone intended to move before they actually did. But even without those queues people and objects moving around her warped an almost constant electro magnetic field around her. It was something of a sixth sense. Didn't have the greatest fidelity, but it assisted her awareness to otherwise invisible things. So of course the small girl that decided to come over was noticed immediately. What was she doing?

Ordinarily a small child would not warrant much alarm. In this place however anything could be more than it appeared. Thus when Kailani attempted to rest against the woman the resulting shock was swift, but measured. There was a slight pause when the child mentioned how she smelled. To an extent the statement made sense. Ozone in higher concentrations had a sweet smell even to the average human. Though the damage it would cause would far outweigh the pleasantries. To many other people such a statement of potential deliciousness would sound bizarre. The oddity was lost to Min-Ji though. After a few moments she offered up a smile, that was what people did after a complement wasn't it? "Thank you. And you are very cute." She would lean down to get a bit closer. Min-Ji's eyes flickered almost as though a storm swirled around inside them. "It isn't a good idea to get too close to strangers. People here will try and kill you for less." Likely an understatement, but the accuracy didn't really matter. Threats weren't really her thing, but she'd learned the hard way that letting people close was tempting fate.

@SrslyAnArtist@Perse
Location - Cafeteria



He hated to admit, going to the cafeteria made him nervous. No one at the facility would care what happened to him if any of the others decided him a tasty snack or simply prey. The days didn’t matter to him any more. He stopped counting how long he had been in Thornwood or if he were going to escape. Some might perceive this as nihilism, or maybe even apathy though the truth was more or less about being patient. Unfortunately he had learned throughout his life to bide his time and wait for an opportunity to arise. Which meant getting familiar with the facility. The way it felt. The way it sounded. Everyone else around here seemed loud and impatient.

All he knew about the facility was that he was cold, that the ground beneath his feet felt smooth. It was hard to see, metaphorically speaking. There was little static to his skin, the cell made it even more difficult to feel things. And he was usually plunged into darkness, having to feel around or guide himself from the sparse few colors of the guards that popped up from time to time like warm bright, hot, red lights. That flashed in the darkness briefly. He tried his best not to look frail and blind, to the others.

When he did walk into the cafeteria it was with full confidence, even if he didn’t feel fully confident in the moment. Stepping from the gloomy static, he was painfully stricken by the colors of others. Bright. Warm. Hot. Lights in the gloom. He had heard others talk about being blinded by light and this must have been the way that felt.

The gloom was staticky. Fuzzy. Something that hissed. And for brief moments, greens, and blues, yellows, and reds would pop up. Here the colors were stable. They remained stagnant and still enough for him to start and guess where everything was. The bright green flicker was likely someone he had heard about in passing, rumors like ghostly whispers. Someone who controlled atomic radiation or so he heard, it made sense to him then why she would appear green to him. There were others as well. Some were multiple colors, as if their souls were entwined with something else.

He tried to remain unnoticed. It was always a good thing not to be noticed by other people. The guards who had escorted him, or really they were there simply as insurance to make sure he didn’t “act up”. All though in all of the time he had been here, he was not known to act up. Maybe in their delusional delight. Maybe in their phantom like rumors, perhaps. But Hemlock preferred to stay to himself, preferred to bide his time.

The others though, not so much. Chaotic conversation surrounded him, and he had been spending a lot of time simply gaining back his awareness of his environment. Whenever he is in that cell, all he sees is the voice, and the little strings of floating static. Whenever he gains back his sight, it’s always a bit disorientating to adapt to. He preferred to listen instead. To the impatience of others. But he wasn’t going to be the one to try and rally a group of individuals together, who could otherwise eat him, break his bones, electrocute him, and or any number of unpleasant experiences. He preferred to stay to himself. It was always so cold in this facility, he should have brought a blanket with him.

With that said there had always been something that had fascinated him. A strange energy. One that pulsated in the room. A signature he had witnessed a few times, but hadn’t interacted with at all. The color was warm, but the color was vast like a void. Ordinarily he had words for the colors he experienced, pink, green or blue. And that was after he had to ask to have those colors described to him. Looking toward the color that was like a vacuum, red, but then would sink into itself like a blackhole. Churning like molten lava.

He was going to attempt to be adventurous today. Seeking that warm nebula. It’s a bit tricky to navigate here. Everything is so smooth, and he had once accidentally walked into a table. He was trying not to do so in this case.

There was another color similar to the nebula he sought. It was hot to the sight, it boiled like the way water sounds. He had no word for that color either, it wasn’t red either, something more alive than that. Sentient colors.

“Rowdy bunch, aren’t they,” he attempts to smile, though there is a slight frown at the sound of his own voice. He doesn’t speak too often to people, and he often doesn’t remember the sound of his own voice. Quiet, hoarse. A bit scratchy to his own ears, “I have seen the both of you around.” he frowns further, because now this is becoming awkward. It’s clear to him and anyone else around he doesn’t see anything, it’s just a matter of speech people use, “I am attempting to greet you.” He is specifically speaking to the nebula, but didn’t mind them both answering. He realized now how evident it has become how little he talks to other people, “Lock, it’s a pleasure.” now he’s just frowning, realizing how strange he comes off.

Now the question was answered. "So the answer is 'yes'." Alfred nodded, flashing out a small penguin sculpture made from ice in but an instant. He gazed upon his creation, applying finishing touches where he saw them fit.

"Hmm.", Alfred looked back at Ameliya. "We both have quite the body count, but yours is undoubtedly higher. I count ten sorcerers, who had shackled Frosty to their will for centuries, and a few dozen of their cohorts and guardians as casualties of my… ehem… crusade. There are more in the list…"
@The Man Emperor

"You got caught for only killing ten men?" Ameliya asked in a bit of disbelief at Alfred, "you must have created one hell of a scene."

Her hand reached out towards the little penguin, and the flame back in her hands flickered from her palm to her fingers. The fire then jumped from her hand and swirled around the small ice figure, melting into a tiny puddle.

Ameliya then looked back at Alfred, "Thought a quiet man like you would have been a bit smarter than that."

“Rowdy bunch, aren’t they,” he attempts to smile, though there is a slight frown at the sound of his own voice. He doesn’t speak too often to people, and he often doesn’t remember the sound of his own voice. Quiet, hoarse. A bit scratchy to his own ears, “I have seen the both of you around.” he frowns further, because now this is becoming awkward. It’s clear to him and anyone else around he doesn’t see anything, it’s just a matter of speech people use, “I am attempting to greet you.” He is specifically speaking to the nebula, but didn’t mind them both answering. He realized now how evident it has become how little he talks to other people, “Lock, it’s a pleasure.” now he’s just frowning, realizing how strange he comes off.
@TheRedWatcher

Whirling around in her seat, Ameliya turned to look at the gaunt man in front of her with combative surprise. Exactly how long had this guy been hanging out behind them?! With all the conversation and general noise from the table, she hadn't even heard him come up to them.

Ameliya's eyes quickly looked over the man as she tried to figure out how much of a threat he was. Taking in all his features, she quickly questioned how this guy was still alive. He looked like a poster child for famine or even maybe anorexia. Then of course there was the fact that his milky white eyes didn't seem to be helping him much. Sure he didn't look like he would be much of a physical threat, but she knew well enough that in here that wasn't the biggest tell.

An arched eyebrow questioned the man as she heard him say he had seen them both around. It was about how she realised that he was talking to both her and Rue. Then like an afterthought, she remembered wait see...

That was when the strange man said he was attempting to greet them, and honestly with the mix between this odd emaciated figure and him by accident saying he saw them when he was blind. Well, a bark of a laugh escaped from Ameliya's mouth, this place was definitely filled with interesting characters.

"Ameliya," She said with a rare smile now upon her face, "This one is Rue."

Julia Kray

---

---

@twave@Restalaan@Blazion

Julia awoke to to banging on her cell door. She groaned and struggled out of bed. She threw on her prison clothes, gave her hair a quick brushing and washed her hands with a rough cloth, to prevent them from touching each other. She finally picked up the collared gloves from the corner of the room and slid them on, holding her hands up to the camera beside the door to show the guards that she was wearing them. Julia winced a little as the cuffs tightened around her wrists, locking the gloves in place and ensuring they couldn't be removed. The green LED on the cuffs turned red and the cuffs magnetically locked together. Satisfied, the guards finally opened the door.

"You're late again. When we knock on the door, that means put your gloves on. One of these days, there won't be any food left by the time you're ready," the guard wearily admonished her as they escorted her to the food hall.

"Sorry, I didn't sleep well. Nightmares," was Julia's meek answer. The guards didn't mind dealing with Julia. She was never any trouble, never violent, always obedient. But the frequency with which she was late for breakfast was an annoyance to them. They had enough else to do without waiting for her, having to avert their eyes as she gets dressed on camera.

Once she reached the food hall, the red light turned green and the magnets deactivated. Julia's gloved hands returned to her sides as she wordlessly took a tray and loaded it up with food. Now she just needed a place to sit down and eat it. Somewhere hopefully she could eat in relative peace, but maybe make some small conversation. Julia was still wary of drawing attention to herself in this place, full of villains and violent criminals (not yet truly thinking of herself as either of those) but she couldn't deny that she was lonely.

She made her way to one of the few free spaces left, just in time to hear a woman across from the table lean into the face of the inmate Julia planned to sit beside, and say "It isn't a good idea to get too close to strangers. People here will try and kill you for less." This seemed overly harsh and threatening given that is seemed to be directed at a young girl. But Julia had realised that everyone here was in here for a good reason. Julia realised she'd been standing and watching them both for a few seconds, and awkwardly and silently sat down, starting to eat and hoping she hadn't accidentally started any trouble.

The reaction from the other inmate was odd, not quite in line with the other humans Kailani has interacted with so far. She looked human, even if the woman’s proximity caused a spark across her face that still stung, but in that moment’s pause between the shock and response it struck the alien that she was a little different from the others.

Of course, then Min-Ji offered her a smile which just caused Kailani’s own grin to grow in tandem, and further her chest to almost puff at the compliment. ‘Cute’. There was even a polite thank you! No one said thank you here!

Then the other woman leaned in, as though about to whisper a secret between them. Kai tilted her head akin to a puppy, meeting the swirling vortex in her gaze with nothing but earnest curiosity.

"It isn't a good idea to get too close to strangers. People here will try and kill you for less."

That… made sense, in a way. Almost everyone here was biting words of glass shattering in her teeth, of the way metal tried to stand strong before the break. Even getting close to this stranger caused the shock - even if she smelled delicious, the sparkle of a broken wire sharp and warm against the roof of Kai’s mouth.

Another bowl was slid in front of her, immediately and effectively breaking the Devourer’s train of thought. She was already picking up the spoon to begin eating before even looking to who gave it to her, offering a loud and bright thanks to the white haired woman, as well as a comment.

“Monty doesn’t sound as good as your end name. Montressor! It’s much more fun!” Admittedly, Kailani only knew of her a bit since the woman liked to talk with Randolph, and Randolph was full of words but smelled delicious. Marina was strange too, since she smelled of fur yet had none to show. But she gave her food to Kailani sometimes, and therefore she was the best fur-smelling human in the entire Borehole.

Speaking of, there was someone staring at her. There was no reason to stare at Kailani though, so she must’ve been staring at her food.

With the cafeteria filling up it was no surprise this small person came and sat beside her, Kai’s grin never so much as twitching even as she wrapped an arm around the bowl protectively. She hadn’t seen this woman before, but it was often new inmates who came to sit next to her - the alien’s human guise was small and non-threatening until you saw her eat. It was only after studying this new addition did she relax. The gloved inmate had the coloration of a forest, greens and browns that should’ve complimented each other, but instead wilted in on itself in dying vegetation, rot on Kailani’s tongue and in her breath.

She still wasn’t sharing her food though.

Instead, she would share words. It was not a guarantee that she would like the words, like the metal man who fled the table at Kai’s mere greeting.

“Hi! Your gloves are strange, but I like the green light. They’re much better than mine.” To emphasize she held up her hands - as much as she could with one arm wrapped around the bowl - to show the cuffs still attached to her wrist.

Actually, the man who had approached Rue and Ameliya nearby said something odd that had Kailani staring at her cuffs ponderously. “Lock, it’s a pleasure.”

… Maybe speaking politely to the lock would do something? She brought the cuffs closer to her face.

“Lock, I won’t eat you today.” A heartbeat past. Then another. Nothing happened.

That man was just strange, then. Maybe he was an alien too? That’d be nice, she should talk to him-

Wait - strange. Strangers. Greeting. Kailani whipped her head around to Min-Ji, eyes bright and excited and lips parting behind the muzzle.

“Oh! I get it now! You were saying - hold on, I have to eat this before someone else does.” She returned to her bowl of nutrition paste, enthusiastically wolfing it down within seconds, the spoon joining it in her mouth once the contents of the entire bowl were scraped away. Even as it crunched in her teeth she was already turning back to her first conversation partner, sticking out her cuffed hands. Careful not to touch though, merely in offering as a human handshake greeting.

“So since you didn’t try to kill me, that means we shouldn’t be strangers, right? I’m Kailani, what’s your name?”

"You got caught for only killing ten men?" Ameliya asked in a bit of disbelief at Alfred, "you must have created one hell of a scene."

"Those ten men were undying, powerful sorcerers that, together, could level a city if they wanted.", Alfred curtly answered, lowering his gaze towards Ameliya. He didn't seem to be too pleased with trying to recall what happened back in Juneau, but the cryomancer and his spiritual symbiote did so anyway. "I was only able to defeat them because they weren't expecting an attack at the time, and they were all gathered in one place: the city council hall of Juneau. Perfect place for a lined up barrage of ice spikes to kill a group of powerful enemies."

Her hand reached out towards the little penguin, and the flame back in her hands flickered from her palm to her fingers. The fire then jumped from her hand and swirled around the small ice figure, melting into a tiny puddle.

Ameliya then looked back at Alfred, "Thought a quiet man like you would have been a bit smarter than that."

Alfred shrugged, seemingly not perturbed by the fact that Ameliya had turned his prized sculpture into a puddle of water… but he can always make more. "I'm not even sure who- or what, I am right now. Half-Human, half primordial spirit that wants nothing less than the total eradication of the fools that tried to shackle its power, bending its once hopeful benevolence into a twisted shadow of itself. "

One couldn't be sure if it really was Alfred that was talking now, or the Frostbite. It would probably be both, as they share the same mind, memories… even their quirks have melded somewhat. "It's fine if you don't understand. Not everyone gets to share memories with a ten thousand or so year old incarnation of one of the seasons, much less be the reason that it got free to begin with. Anyway-"

"Hey Alfie, here are your noodles." One of the guards walked close and placed a cup of noodles in front of him. "Spicy, just like you like them."

"Oh, thank you, my good sir.", Alfred answered with a slight bow. He immediately took the gift, slurping it in with the provided chopsticks.

"Why, ain't you the quietest and chillest inmate around here…" The guard soon walked off, getting away from sight. He was in a hurry, perhaps because it was time for his break.

Right now, though, Alfred was only listening. Waiting.

@The Man Emperor @Blazion @Perse @twave @KaelRavenheart @SrslyAnArtist

Abigail “Atom Bomb” Zebrowski

Abby seemed to hit the jackpot finding out the abilities of the other inmates; they seemed to have some uses for her escape plan. Rueyn, Ameliya and Julia would be the most useful to her. “ I can irradiate things; giving them radiation poisoning or radiation burns.” She thought that Kailani and Körbl could be good with brute-forcing through the guards. Hemlock and Min-Ji would help her with the security and the electrical mechanisms. Her train of thought was interrupted by Iris addressing the group. Turning her head to the familiar face” Long time no see Iris; How’s life treating you?” She asked having not seen Iris since a couple of months ago. Looking around the cafeteria; making sure the guards were busy doing something else. “How do you guys feel about blowing this pop stand?” Whispering these words not wanting the guards to hear their conversation. The last thing she needed was to be beaten senseless for talking about escaping.

It looked like the guards were concerned about the other inmates eating their breakfast. Abby was sure most of the inmates were dying to get out of this hellhole. She was sure mentioning her plan would catch the other inmate’s attention. When they turned their heads towards her; she started explaining her plan. Mentioning the passcode she recently retrieved; and the mysterious benefactor. Including how she was going to create a distraction via riot. “ I’m gonna need you to start the distraction. I will have a prisoner bring something flammable.” Pointing towards Ameliya. “While that is going on; I will open all of the prisoner’s cells and start a riot. Things will get out of control and all of us will head to the control room to open the outer gates. There’s gonna be a hell of a lot of guards trying to get us back into our cells, or worst kill us. But I will need you to miss to short circuit the security system.” Her finger moved towards Min-Ji. Once we get past the security; we’re gonna have to get the keys to the elevator. That would be on the warden; who’ll be scurrying around trying to stop the riot.” Her eyes scanned towards the other inmates.

“ When we get to the elevator we’re gonna release the other inmates that helped us with my plan. “By then we should have enough force to pass the whimps guards upstairs; Does anyone got any questions?” She asked now tapping her fingers on the table.

While the others were having a conversation about escaping; Mr. Q had gotten the letter from Lionel. Having received the letter from a guard he was manipulating; Picking up the letter as it floated into his cell. Reading the letter feeling excited reading that Gift was interested in his plan. And was equally excited that there was someone on his wing that could be easily manipulated. “It seems i will have to finally make an appearance.” Snapping his fingers his clothing changed to a bright blue suit, white loafers, a white dress shirt; and a Stahlhelm helmet on his head. “No; i need to impress him this will not do.” Snapping his fingers again to change his clothes into a black suit and shoes with a bowler hat. “Much better.” Smiling to himself before closing his eyes. Soon everything around Lionel started to slow down before finally, everything froze. Standing in front of the doorway stood Mr.Q wearing his ensemble; “A pleasure to meet you Mr. Gift; My name is Mr.Q or Q to my friends.” The tall anemic man moving closer towards Lionel. Something Lionel could notice was Q’s feet not touching the ground. “Now then shall we talk strategies?” His mouth contorted into a smile; showing off his yellowing rotten teeth. Explaining to Lionel how Abby and the others were going to start a riot and work towards releasing them. “Once we are free; i will be able to easily transport us far away from the asylum.” Q was sure Lionel had a million questions; something he would gladly answer.

It seemed Kailani was just about as sporadic in her attention as Min-Ji herself at times. Though in this case the behavior had grabbed the woman and she observed the awkward attempt at socializing. It reminded her of herself, particularly in her younger years. Even now though the nuance of people's actions was confusing. Mimicry best described Min-Ji's behavior most of the time. Raised in the strictest of circumstances, obedience was one of the first things she learned. The facility wasn't much for teaching how to interact with people though. Most of that came after she was smuggled to Japan where she had to "Be a pretty face." and "Learn manners." to avoid being punished. While natural in appearance, her polite responses were quite mechanical from ingrained training.

So when the alien girl offered a hand at a respectful distance, Min-Ji very gently took and shook the hand. A light bow followed. Given the truth of being in a prison surrounded by dangerous individuals it was odd to say the least. "A pleasure to meet you Kailani. I am Min-Ji Nguyen." She looked at the bowl still clutched in the other arm of her new acquaintance. The thought in her mind was put on hold as it seemed that her attention was being requested.

Unlike with the girl, Abby's behavior wasn't as polite. She went on about details of some scheme to break out. Added to the fact was this woman hadn't even bothered to learn her name before barking orders to her. All that aside... "This sounds like a stupid plan."

Rotating back to Kailani, Min-Ji resumed as if uninterrupted. "Do you usually eat the utensils?"

"Never heard you referred to as 'Randy' before," Marina declared..

Randolph perked up a bit at the sound of Marina. She is perhaps the only one Randolph actually cares about beyond what use they could be to him. She is the only one, as far as Randolph is aware at least, with a past somewhat mirroring his own.

Randolph remembers his first taste of flesh. A long long long time ago when technological advances was figuring out how to better besiege a castle. The last time he felt human and the first time he was surrounded by death. There was something about the rot, something about himself, some primal instinct that led to that first taste. And with it he was reborn in a sense. The shackles, as he saw it at least, began to fracture at that moment and a Nascent Ghoul was created.

For a time, he was confused. The grains and fruits of the land were foul, meat of chicken and cow was…unsatisfying. He grew sickly and malnourished. The only thing that nourished him was human flesh, or at least of anything sufficiently humanoid as he would later learn. Slowly he would learn to reassociate what was food and what was not, shattering his former morals and sensibilities. It was a long and difficult road to where he is now, but thankfully he had another Ghoul to mentor and guide him through the process.

In Marina, Randolph sees someone who has taken the first steps on a journey to transcend her human limitations. Someone who still bears shackles, some metaphorical, but at least one literal shackle with that cruel device attached to her. In Randolph’s mind, it is a vile device that shackles her from her true self much like Randolph was once shackled by his humanity. Randolph decided, when finding about Marina and her…condition, that he will assist her in realizing her true self. To have her shackles rendered literally and metaphorically. Like how Randolph was once guided, he will guide her through her path to the best of his ability. It is the responsibility of the old to teach the young after all. Though it already has paid some dividends, he had an excuse to tear a snack out of some guy that was harassing her. Claiming he was ‘stopping a fight before it starts’ along with restraining from killing the guy unlike what other inmates would do gave just enough plausible deniability that he did not get in much trouble too.

“I’ve had many names over my life, only some of them because I changed my identity. Beats being called something vague like ‘Monster’ or ‘What-the-fuck-is-that’”

...“ When we get to the elevator we’re gonna release the other inmates that helped us with my plan. “By then we should have enough force to pass the whimps guards upstairs; Does anyone got any questions?”

“Seems like a decent plan, but I’m not convinced.” Randolph announced. “I will outlast this prison, that much is certain to me. Maybe if your… Riot bears fruit I will provide assistance, but if it fizzles out then I would rather not risk retribution. If I must suffer this prison, I would like to keep what modicum of comfort I have.” A slight falsehood. Randolph had a different plan in mind. He could use the opportunity to try and slink away on his own. Or at least in a much smaller group.

He remembers seeing, while pacing around parts of the facility a section of wall that was damaged but never properly fixed. Randolph reasons he can, with some time, break enough of the wall to burrow a tunnel through the Earth. The riot, even if a failure, seems likely to keep the guards busy enough and for long enough to allow for his own escape.

If Abigail's plan does not work, his might. and if his does not pan out, Abby's might. If neither works, Randolph might be able to avoid punishment, or at least what punishment is given for starting a riot. In his experience, Randolph finds it best to have plans with plans.

‘…Though I should invite Marina. It would give me a chance to impart some advice…’ Randolph thought. Plus, it would help to have someone stronger, least when she adopts her more beastly guise. He will need to be discreet though, if everyone finds out and wants to join his plan, the Riot will be less of a distraction. Not to mention how cramped the tunnel will get.

@KaiserElectric

“Hey Marina… meet me outside my cell when the ‘distraction’ starts. I need to tell you something…” Randolph whispered to her, before he turned to leave the cafeteria. He would linger around a bit longer in case any relevant details would arise.

"Hey Alfie, here are your noodles." One of the guards walked close and placed a cup of noodles in front of him. "Spicy, just like you like them."

"Oh, thank you, my good sir.", Alfred answered with a slight bow. He immediately took the gift, slurping it in with the provided chopsticks.

"Why, ain't you the quietest and chillest inmate around here…" The guard soon walked off, getting away from sight. He was in a hurry, perhaps because it was time for his break.
@The Man Emperor

Ameliya had only half-listened to Alfred talk about some all-powerful sorcerers. In her mind, if they had died because of some simple ice spikes then they really couldn't have been that powerful. They sounded like they would have also died from a well-aimed incendiary bullet and a little bit of fire.

The thoughts were quickly thrown to the side though as she whirled around to face the odd man who had just appeared near them. Though when she saw a guard carry over the prized possession of actual food towards the ice lover, she couldn't help but scoff.

"Who did you sell yourself to get such a luxury?" She said with a derisive laugh. She wasn't exactly sure what he had done to be able to get a preferred dish around here, playing snitch or otherwise. All she knew was she was not going to have any hand of it.

It looked like the guards were concerned about the other inmates eating their breakfast. Abby was sure most of the inmates were dying to get out of this hellhole. She was sure mentioning her plan would catch the other inmate’s attention. When they turned their heads towards her; she started explaining her plan. Mentioning the passcode she recently retrieved; and the mysterious benefactor. Including how she was going to create a distraction via riot. “ I’m gonna need you to start the distraction. I will have a prisoner bring something flammable.” Pointing towards Ameliya. “While that is going on; I will open all of the prisoner’s cells and start a riot. Things will get out of control and all of us will head to the control room to open the outer gates. There’s gonna be a hell of a lot of guards trying to get us back into our cells, or worst kill us. But I will need you to miss to short circuit the security system.” Her finger moved towards Min-Ji. Once we get past the security; we’re gonna have to get the keys to the elevator. That would be on the warden; who’ll be scurrying around trying to stop the riot.” Her eyes scanned towards the other inmates.
@Eviledd1984

Ameliya was immediately fascinated by the punk rocker girl's sudden new knowledge of keycodes and supposed benefactors, as well as her quickly thrown-together plan. Sure she wasn't sure if any of it was going to work but Ameliya had been looking for an opening of any kind and this seemed to be one. After all, a death in the middle of a firey battle was much preferred than rotting away in another cage.

Though with that in mind, she would really rather not die anytime soon. Her eyes sharply looked over to Alfred, were those noodles in trade for knowledge? Was he going to be a problem? Her fiery red eyes trailed over him as she tried to read any sign of tenseness or possible excitement that a little tattletale might experience.

Turning back to Abby, Ameliya kept in her mind that Alfred was definitely going to be one to keep an eye on, and if it came to it, eliminated. Though as the words about a distraction and something flammable were said, Ameiliya's eyes danced with familiar fire and a wide grin grew over her face. "Bring me something more than this stupid jumpsuit to burn, and this place will be a war zone as soon as I can help it."

“Monty doesn’t sound as good as your end name. Montressor! It’s much more fun!”

Marina snorted before taking another bite of her apple. For a monstrous insatiable creature that desired to consume everything in her path, she was really a charming little thing. Maybe it was because, in a surreal sort of way, she saw a bit of herself in this strange alien, a sort of natural curiosity and drive that she admired. Of course Randolph would have probably said that it was also because they were both powerful beings forced into weak human forms by their inferiors or something to that effect, which was also fairly accurate. Sure she was technically human, but...well, there was probably a reason why Marina found it more engaging to interact with the voracious alien and the corpse-like monster then, say, the perfectly normal young woman who could otherwise absorb radiation. Speaking of which...

“How do you guys feel about blowing this pop stand?” Atom Bomb whispered among the gathered inmates. Marina certainly was, so she leaned in slightly as the plan was fervently discussed, with the guards none the wiser.

"This sounds like a stupid plan," Min-Ji interjected mid-conversation.

"I would say ambitious," Marina corrected her, spinning the core of the apple she finished on the table. "In any such case, I'd be more then happy to take my leave of this wretched little hive. I would of course need some help getting this...thing off of me." She jerked a thumb towards her back. "But if that can be done, then I doubt we'll have much trouble with the guards." Listening carefully in on the rest of the plan and the players involved, she caught sight of Randolph making his leave.

“Hey Marina… meet me outside my cell when the ‘distraction’ starts. I need to tell you something…” he whispered to her. Raising an eyebrow, she nevertheless gave a curt nod as Randolph left. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly he had planned...

Lionel Gift

While the others were having a conversation about escaping; Mr. Q had gotten the letter from Lionel. Having received the letter from a guard he was manipulating; Picking up the letter as it floated into his cell. Reading the letter feeling excited reading that Gift was interested in his plan. And was equally excited that there was someone on his wing that could be easily manipulated. “It seems i will have to finally make an appearance.” Snapping his fingers his clothing changed to a bright blue suit, white loafers, a white dress shirt; and a Stahlhelm helmet on his head. “No; i need to impress him this will not do.” Snapping his fingers again to change his clothes into a black suit and shoes with a bowler hat. “Much better.” Smiling to himself before closing his eyes. Soon everything around Lionel started to slow down before finally, everything froze.  Standing in front of the doorway stood Mr.Q wearing his ensemble; “A pleasure to meet you Mr. Gift; My name is Mr.Q or Q  to my friends.”  The tall anemic man moving closer towards Lionel. Something Lionel could notice was Q’s feet not touching the ground. “Now then shall we talk strategies?” His mouth contorted into a smile; showing off his yellowing rotten teeth. Explaining to Lionel how Abby and the others were going to start a riot and work towards releasing them. “Once we are free; i will be able to easily transport us far away from the asylum.” Q was sure Lionel had a million questions; something he would gladly answer.

-@Eviledd1984

Lionel had spent the last few hours mulling over this latest developement brought on by this Mr. Q. His ponderings turned inevitably towards his own plan of action once he was free of his cell. He had to be careful. His isolation from all of the other inmates was both a hindrance and a boon. On the one hand, none of them would have any knowledge of his true goals and would be susceptible to the illusion of his face, possibly even enough to allow him to get close and ensure himself a few temporary allies. On the other hand, he lacked the rapport they would have built, whatever form it took, and might be viewed with suspicion due to his unfamiliarity.

Lionel was suprised when he opened his eyes from his musings and found that the world seemed to be slowing, then stopping. He stood up and a tall, thin man with yellowed teeth wearing a black suit and a bowler hat appeared before him. He introduced himself as Mr. Q. and proceeded to inform Lionel of the plan he had seeded amongst the other inmates. Lionel listened quietly, the gears of his mind turning, until finally Mr. Q. seemed to be finished.

Lionel smiled sweetly up at him, his face cherubic but his eyes shining with an unsettling intelligence. He had long ago learned that the key to manipulating others was found in the eyes. If he softend his look, widened or narrowed them just right, stared pointedly or began to cry he could almost always convey or illicit just the right emotions and intentions.

This time, with the sweet smile and sharp eyes, he was trying to convey two distinct thoughts. Firstly, he had every intention of complying and indeed being thankful for the assistance that Mr. Q. had provided. After all, he had voluntarily come to Lionel and offered him his long awaited freedom. Lionel was not so uncouth as to overlook that favor. Secondly, Lionel by no means trusted Mr. Q., nor did he intend to allow himself to be easily manipulated.

"I have just a few questions, if you would do me the kindness of indulging me. You see, I can't help but wonder by what means you are able to appear before me in this form. Are you some sort of astral projection in my mind, or have you really somehow transported into my cell? If the former is the case, why did you not simply communicate with me this way intially? If the latter is true, what is stopping you from escaping on your own? After all, my cell is not easily penetrated."Lionel clasped his hands behind his back casually, pacing a small ways away from Mr. Q. as he spoke, his voice even as he questioned the figure. "I also wonder why it has taken you this long to organize such an escape. You seem to have no small amount of capabilities regarding communication with other inmates and the influence you carry over the guards is something even I have not been able to achieve."

He turned around, his eyes full of suspicion and his smile twisting slightly in a malicious manner. "Finally, I would like to know how you intend to free ME. If your ragtag group of rioters springs you out, they are only assisting their benefactor. But my own cell is clearly marked. Cell XIII. They would have heard the rumors about me. Why would they trust me with such a rumor circulating? Even the most foolhardy of the lot would be highly suspicious and untrusting of the inhabitant of this cell number. So how do you intend to keep my anonymous status intact? After all, I cannot be of much use if no one trusts me."

Lionel had moved back towards the tall man, standing directly in front of him now, his hands still clasped behind his back, his head tilted far backwards in order to stare Mr. Q. directly and unflinchingly in the eye, his questions and suspicions made plain as he waited for an answer. This man believed himself very clever. Now was the time to see whether he had real promise as an ally.

The haft of a nightstick tapped on Amelia's door, drawing her from her book.

"Beauchamp lunch time," Officer graves said, her lips pursed in annoyance.

Such a shame, she was nearing the best part. She dog eared her book and set it among its fellows on the metal desk. Standing up, she shivered as the hum of the void stones made her feel as though in free fall. Her eyes drifted in hatred for the small black stones hidden behind the walls of her cell. Damned mage-work. Getting her bearings she walked over to the door and put her arm through the open food-port. There Officer Graves secured the thick bracer on Amelia's wrist, locking it into place. Though a familiar weight by now, it still felt overly heavy, and the open faced void stone that stared at her as though in cheek defiance made her head buzz. Shaking the the feeling she stepped back as the guard unlocked her door and began escorting her down toward the cafeteria.

"No luck with your issue Officer?" Amelia asked, noting the usually bubbly guard's dour demeanor.

"Happens when I'm lied to."

"I read the fortune as it was presented to me," Amelia said. "Patience. I read good fortune and good fortune will come."

Upon entering the cafeteria Amelia was assaulted with a busy indeed. Between the rowdy inmates and the bustle of the guards in one end of the cafeteria attempting to get some mad fool under control, she sneered. Her eyes rested on the gathering of her fellow inmates having quite the animated conversation. She noted the men at that table and took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in her through. Outwardly she took on a haughty demeanor and went for her tray. Her assigned guard, more a formality than truly necessary, went off to assist her fellows as Amelia went for her tray.

More slop. Amelia sneered down at her tray before making her way toward the table. That familiar panic/hatred reared its head but she managed to swallow it down. Freedom. This is for freedom. Drawing herself up straighter she took a seat at the end of the table. She eyed the men before setting her utensils straight.

Julia Kray

---

---

@Blazion@twave@Eviledd1984

Kai's subtle protective gestures towards her own food didn't go unnoticed by Julia, who stared at her own food while she sifted away from the little girl slightly and focused on eating her own food despite not being that hungry. She did not want anyone so see her as hostile, or a threat, or a food thief, or anything like that. She just wanted to keep her head down. But she also needed to talk to people. Human contact was a rare and welcome return to 'normalcy' and kept her own of her own head for a while, where she could distract herself from her own thoughts.

To Julia's surprise, the girl was the one who instigated the conversation, while still smiling. Julia smiled back, but it wasn't a full smile. It was the smile of somebody who was glad, grateful and pleased, but capable of neither feeling nor feigning warmth and happiness.

"Thank you. They're special gloves. I can't leave my cell without them, because I, um..." Julia trailed off and her smile disappeared as her expression turned to sunken-eyed haunted distress at some unknown trauma or memory. Min-Ji would have noticed this too. Julia quickly managed to fight back to a smile, albeit dimmer than the previous one, and not before her eyes had developed a noticeable sheen to them now. "Yours are very nice too."

Julia heard Abby's plan from the other table, and heard the woman across the table dismiss it as stupid. Julia was no professional criminal , but the plan teamed rather basic and cliché. "If it was that easy, somebody would have pulled it off by now," Julia muttered in agreement with Min-Ji. But she'd started thinking about it.

Julia didn't want to be in prison. That wasn't a surprise. Nobody did. She'd turned herself in because she was scared of running. Scared of the constant threat that somebody would find her and end her life in the name of justice. And this was preferable to those few days of her life. But what she really wanted was normalcy. She wanted a job, and a social life, and possibly even a boyfriend somewhere down the line. She just wanted to go back to her simple unremarkable, ordinary life. She might be able to heal and move on by then. In here, she was stewing, and rotting, and couldn't ignore the thoughts that crossed her mind. She wanted out. She needed out.

Julia had made up her mind. She wanted to escape. She would help them in their attempt. She would follow them. Therein lay hope.

She heard Min-Ji say something about utensils, before realising that she had been watching the little girl eat her own spoon but was too distracted in her thoughts to have registered what she'd been seeing. That bought to mind something the girl had said a few seconds prior; 'Lock, I won’t eat you today.' Julia's eyes were suddenly quite bright and alive, and she started leaning closer before she remembered the boundary and backing off. "But you could eat the lock, right?" Julia asked the little girl, "If you wanted to, you could eat those cuffs straight off your wrists?"

Considering how her smile hadn’t dropped at all since being released from her cell, it was no surprise that Kailani just absolutely beamed when the newly introduced Min-Ji accepted her handshake. Mentally, she patted herself on the back for being able to tell what the other woman meant. Human interactions were easy!

“How do you guys feel about blowing this pop stand?”

… What was a pop stand? Nevermind, humans were still perplexing.

As Abby explained her plan Kailani still had no idea what a pop stand had to do with it, but she quickly caught on to what she was suggesting otherwise. Others seemed to as well, considering the other tall woman who joined the table, casting wary glances to some of the men. And, as Abby spoke, Kai grew excited. Despite her cheerful demeanour, the alien severely disliked it here. She hadn’t been in her real form in months, a feeling of being forced into a coat two sizes two small and unable to remove it. More than that, though hunger was a constant friend, it had never gotten this bad before. The gnawing feeling twisted at her gut, sapping her strength and some nights causing utter agony as she could feel her very body turning in on itself.

It was not a pleasant way to go.

“This sounds like a stupid plan.” Caught off guard by the candid comment, Kai turned back to her conversation partner, blinking in surprise at how anyone wouldn’t want to escape. But, that wasn’t what she said was it? She just didn’t like the plan.

“The utensils? Uh, yeah! Yeah. They never give me enough food, so they’re like little snacks, and no one else eats their’s.”

"But you could eat the lock, right? If you wanted to, you could eat those cuffs straight off your wrists?" That was from the other girl, causing Kailani to twist to look at her at being addressed. Her eyes flicked down to the metal wrapped around her own wrists, chained together to only give her some slack. Julia had said earlier that the cuffs were nice, but in truth Kailani didn’t think so at all. She had politely not voiced it, since it was offered as a compliment and Julia had seemed rather upset. Now she pulled at them, the chain rattling slightly.

“Definitely! Well, kind of. I can eat anything, just … not with this on.” Her fingers came up and sunk through the small gaps of the muzzle around her face, tugging at it in frustration. She even met Marina’s gaze across from her, sympathy flashing through her eyes since the other woman had a similar problem. “And I can’t get it off since it’s connected to the collar, and the collar shocks me when I try, because I’d eat the entirety of The Borehole given the chance. Which is also why I eat the utensils, because they can fit through this! Ugh, I’m so hungry all the time here…”

Kailani groaned, head tilting back dramatically even as she tugged at the muzzle once more before finally dropping her hands, lest she be tempted to eat her own fingers. A sigh, full of longing was next before she finally looked to Abby.

“... So yeah, I’m in! Nothing can stand up to my teeth!” She gave her a sparkling grin that showed them off before finally turning back to Min-Ji. “Hey, even if you don’t like the plan, if it’s working out do you want me to come get you? I’ll eat the door right off your cell if someone gets this off me.”

Because they weren’t strangers anymore, and that’s what not-strangers do for eachother, right?

@Eviledd1984

Körbl Meier

Guess no one saw it for now. Körbl eyes flicked around the guards, now all he had to do was shave it down and sharpen it over time.

Then hearing Abby mention an escape breakout, that got his attention immediately.

The layouts of the plan seem solid, if dubious since it sounded too good to be true.

But that's what's life is, dubious and risky.

"...I have a condition."

@Blazion

Körbl glanced towards Kailani, confusing some of them before he went in-depth to his own plan. "Free her from the collar and muzzle first."

" I can still fight with the cuffs." He then gestured to the cuffs but a shake of his legs had the ball chains rattle softly. "But these reduce my mobility."

"If her teeth are as strong as she says, she can bite off the chains. Once it's off..." Körbl looked at the guards briefly before focusing on Abby. "I'll cut a path to the warden."

That being said, if there was another way to get it off, Körbl would be more than happy to listen. He has an alternative plan, one that might take him longer but still, a plan.

"Well, worse come to worse." Körbl stared at the collar and muzzle workings before deciding on the only way he know how to solve it. "I can cut open the collar, it'll be a shock to us both, but there it is."

“They let you out on good behavior? They didn’t appreciate your attempts at demasking the skin from his face, or so I heard.”

"You heard right! Damn hardasses. I didn't even actually take his face off and still went down for it! But it was worth it to hear the em screamin' like a bitch. Am I right?"

She winked at Rueyn before turning back to her food. Iris watched the various interactions around her, all the while still spooning grool obnoxiously into her mouth from a few inches above her head. It was hard to read what she was actually feeling. Her expression reflected someone sitting in an office lunchroom rather than the mess hall of an underground prison/asylum. As soon as Abby mentioned busting out and laid out her plan though, Iris's eyes snapped to her with uncharacteristic focus. After a spoon of grool she leaned in ever-so slightly.

"Girl you get me out of that cell without dese power cuffs, and not only will ya get you distraction but I'll make sure we hooked up on the outside. All its gonna take is one good pow pow from this guy."

She jerked her head towards Korbl then relaxed back in her seat to finish her grool. She flicked her bowl casually, causing it to crack violently into wooden shards. Then she slid the pieces plus her spoon down the table to Kailani.

"Here ya go baby girl, Iris got you."

Listening to Kailani explain why she ate the cutlury, Min-Ji was slightly confused. It seemed to her that the teen had eaten more than enough for her size. A bit more context was provided when it was mentioned she could eat anything. So perhaps there was some oddity that allowed such a thing.

Whatever the case the woman casually listened while the "plan" was continued to be discussed. Glancing around she briefly noted the numerous guards surrounding the many inmates. Taking off restraints one at a time wasn't going to work and she couldn't... Oh, Kailani was talking to her again.

"I would be most grateful if you did. Should you help release me then..." There was a brief pause. Her first though was to serve someone that would help her with something so critical, but things like that are what got her put in this place to begin with. It was also a habit she was trying to break. Though she didn't have much else to give at this point. Maybe once they were outside she could find something. No, no guarantee they would stumble across anything of real value. In a couple seconds Min-Ji's mind ran through several other scenarios until her thoughts circled back to what little they'd exchanged so far. It sounded like Kailani didn't really know that many people all that well or how they interacted, so perhaps... "I will be your best friend." That sounded like a decent start to the woman.

Another pause, though this one was from the smaller of the two as Min-Ji's words registered with the ever distractable alien. It was even enough to divert her attention from the fact some of the others were talking about feeding her - okay, breaking their restraints, but it ended in food either way.

"Best... friend?" Kailani mulled over the words, comparing them with what she knew of English. Slowly however her rictus grin grew wider, showing her flat white teeth and crinkling the corners of her eyes. "I've never had a best friend before! Yeah, I'll definitely get you out then! Chomp through the door-" Her teeth clacked together in emphasis.

"And your bracelets, and then I can just carry you out and the pact will be complete!"

Most other people probably would have corrected the alien girl. Or at least clarified a bit better. Clearly though neither of them really understood what friendship was. One being too new to the concept and the other largely isolated from it. Min-Ji took more note of being carried out then the pact comment. "I can walk myself, thank you."

Kailani hummed thoughtfully, after a moment nodding. "Alright, as long as that's still enough for the bargain. You should still probably be behind me though - actually, unless you're bulletproof too. Are you bulletproof?"

You never knew with humans. They were so mystifying.

Narrowing her eyes a bit the electrified woman cut a glance to the guards again. No one here had shot her, but a good many of them very well could. "I am not." She instinctively put a hand to her side where she'd been struck before. One didn't work under a big name in the underground without taking a few hits.

"That's alright, me neither! At least like this." Kailani's grin never wavered, and she raised a hand to point at the collar around her throat. "Once I get this off I can be bulletproof for the both of us! It's very inconvenient."

Noting the collar, Min-Ji nodded. Her own restraints limited her abilities as well, though maybe not quite as effective as Thornwood would like. Breaking out of her own bonds solo wasn't really an option. Until she heard of a more concrete plan though the woman would bide her time. For the most part she was treated decently. "You're a shifter?" She would ask, referring to the becoming bulletproof comment.

"Isn't... Isn't it obvious?" Kailani glanced down, flexing her fingers slowly. Her thin, spindly fingers. However after a moment her eyes widened, glancing between their hands before she laughed. "Oh, oh no it wouldn't be! Because everyone here is - they're already human! No, I'm not human. I'm a - uh, I can't pronounce it with this tongue-" For emphasis she stuck her tongue out for a moment and made a face, crossing her eyes as though trying to look at it.

"But humans call it a Devourer. I'm much bigger when I'm me!"

Considering the information a moment, Min-Ji would poke Kailani's shoulder in complete disregard to personal space. The point of contact tingled slightly. "Hm, I see. You are much denser than you look. This form is to blend in?"

"Thanks, I am very dense!" The newly pronounced alien beamed, completely unbothered at being touched or the light tingle that came with it - it was much better than being shocked across the face. "And yeah, pretty much! Plus I guess you guys breathe oxygen so my biology changed to exhale it. But your human powers are much cooler! You're like ... like when my collar shocks me but it doesn't hurt as much!"

"Most here are human." She would correct. There were a number of other beings housed away here, not that she really knew all that much about them. She would glance at the collar again. "Yes, it seems like a majority of the inmates can be kept in line with electric shock. I think they're hoping I remain compliant to prevent others from escaping." Min-Ji wasn't always the best at keeping her inner thought from coming out. Her attention would turn slowly to the conversation on the adjacent table.

Seemed like one of them was working out a more detailed and logical addition to what Abby wanted. Being a bit more in touch with technology, and indeed the infrustructure of Thornwood itself, it made more sense to her. The thin man had an odd presence to him outside him being blind. Something about the EM field around him was markedly off. And now he was requesting her help for something. "I would need to hear more of this plan first. What can you do exactly?" She herself had her own idea in her head to approach trying to escape, but it required some specific skills to make it happen. There had been one other that had attempted something similar. At the time though Min-Ji worked with Thornwood to power the block and thwart the escape. The move gave her a much better understanding of the layout and the kind of equipment they were running. So far she hadn't seen or heard anything to suggest to her that anyone here could bring down some of the main power and force a connection to her cell.

With the attention turning back to the plan, Kailani's ever distractable mind switched too to focus once more on the man addressing her - only to be derailed at Iris' offering of spoon and the shattered pieces of bowl. With the fervor of a starving man she snatched the tray from the other woman, teeth showing through the muzzle in a flashed grin and barely released 'thanks' before utterly devouring the gift. It was only when not even a sliver of the wooden bowl's pieces were left that the alien turned to Körbl, flinching as his words of being shocked penetrated her thoughts.

"Well, I guess if it'll get this off... but if you can get my collar off, I can get yourrestraints off, guaranteed! Though, I think I prefer their plan if it involves less shocking..."