[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/TYxxRJnQ/Header-1.webp[/img][/center] [b]Interactions:[/b] Rex [@psych0pomp], Adam [@DocTachyon], Sunita [@Tackytaff], Sora [@earthtogab], Noah [@Venus], Brooklyn [@PatientBean], Holt, Zach and Lina (Former PCs, now NPCs), The Kid, Laura "Bright Eyes" DiBiase, Brian "Bulk" McIntyre, Billy "Calculus" Isaacs (communal NPCs) [hr] [color=gray]The Kid continued to walk around the room, describing the features and accoutrements of this part of the facility and its various attendees to the ever dwindling audience she still held. Whether they chose to remain in the protection of the group, or chose to soak up whatever information they could on this place before considering their own moves remained to be seen. Or perhaps they were just relieved to have a somewhat friendly voice in this new environment. Zach stayed at the fringes, as if using the group for what he could in protection and information, ready to distance himself in an instant the second the situation no longer was favourable. The otter, Holt, brazenly strutted at the front of the group, as if his confidence was its own shield from the worst of this place. Rex drifted through the middle, feeling somewhat guilty for what happened earlier to the others after he opened his mouth, but no less irritated with his current lot in life. Others intermingled around as she took this bedraggled tour group around the room, notably keeping their distance from one Billy Isaacs.[/color] [color=lemonchiffon]"Video games. They're big here."[/color] [color=gray]Said the Kid, continuing as she gestured to Kyle whooping it up from the lounge, controller in hand.[/color] [color=lemonchiffon]"There's a decent general catalogue up for streaming in the large communal areas of the residential quarters, as well. You don't want to damage the controllers or break anything though... they're f'r everyone and you will be..."[/color] [color=gray]The Kid considered her words carefully.[/color] [color=lemonchiffon]"Disappointing... A lot of people."[/color] [color=lemonchiffon]"Likewise movies and bingeable tv. But video games are big. There's a lot of downtime, and people tend to get through the stuff they want to actually watch, so video games tend to do more to break the boredom in communal areas. Particularly with long-timers."[/color] [color=gray]The group strayed too close to a wide-eyed onlooker, and Laura DiBiase's rocking became more fervent and severe. She locked on to one and her facial expression contorted to the manic. Adam felt uncomfortable as it appeared she was looking vaguely in his direction, but not at him. Her eyes saw something altogether different, unfocused like she was looking at someone else who wasn't there. But who else could she be looking at, after all the otter was barely three and a half feet tall, she was looking far over his head. She was shaking her head in disapproval at what she saw. Who the Hell was this crazy person to sit in judgement of others?[/color] [color=lightcoral]"Oh, the things you've done... Ha ha ha ha!"[/color] [color=gray]She was rocking further and faster. Adam moved to the left, her eyes didn't focus or turn to follow him. It wasn't him. But who?[/color] [color=lemonchiffon]"Alright, looks like we're agitatin' her, so we might move along. Go see what Libby's doin'..."[/color] [color=gray]Sunita felt uneasy from the dishevelled girl. She wasn't vacant, and that was only more terrifying. What had 'Bright Eyes' DiBiase seen amongst them that repulsed her, or was it just her own brand of madness? The blonde rockabilly girl, let out a vocal otburst at another of the people who had originally been in the Rec Room, and Sunita furrowed her bow. She moved on from the rest of the group, but offered her own look of curiosity as they left the crazed girl rocking in her chair, but chose to join the quiet group gradually growing by the bookcase. Already having learned from the wide dispersal of pepper spray that your associates can bring down more trouble than they necessarily protect you from. Sora moved on quickly, but with the group. The disturbed girl put the wind up her, and she was eager to find out more from friendlier faces.[/color] [color=ff6347]"--just won't be one of them."[/color] [color=olivedrab]"Alright, now just hold up a sec--"[/color] [color=ff6347][b]"Hey--- [i]what the fuck[/i]?!"[/b][/color] [color=gray]Lina looked on nervously, what was happening now? Was there about to be another burst of the spray? Everything happened so fast, with these outbursts. There was barely time to turn your head to take the danger in, let alone respond in any meaningful way. Quick, rapid handfighting between the red-haired girl and the boy they'd been warned about. Perhaps they were about to see why the warning had come. What was to be so fearful of this one, who had the face of a predator and carried himself with a fearless confidence. Suddenly, for reasons that seemed to baffle the overconfident predator, he found himself at a disadvantage in the handfighting, and looking down the barrel at the full fury of the woman scorned. A hand raised to the sky, thumb and middle finger clasped.[/color] [color=ff6347]"You [i]really[/i] fucked with the wrong one."[/color] [color=gray]A table exploded, and the one they'd been warned about was caught well within the blast radius, thrown like a ragdoll before landing in a crumpled pile at her feet. The one the Kid had introduced as 'Bulk' exploded from his place, tearing through tables and chairs on a direct bee-line for the red-headed girl. The sudden explosion of chaos, calling for a counter-balance eruption of order and the guards flooded the room to create it. They took down both 'threats', and sent for a gurney from the medical center to cater for the battered visage of Billy Isaacs. The guards issued demands to secure the room, sending the occupants to the walls with their hands behind their heads. Little Holt knitted his claws and tucked them behind his head as he stood against the wall. Rex thought he could see a small smile on the Kid's face as she looked back at what had just befallen the one she'd referred to as Calculus. She looked like she could only have been happier if they'd needed to pick him up with a bucket and shovel.[/color] [b]"Stay against the walls! We'll be relocating you to your quarters soon!"[/b] [color=gray]Bulk and Noah were roughly removed from the room under heavy guard presence, the attendees were assembled and walked in single file along the walls, out of the Recreation Room, following a guard with a set of keys to where they'd be spending the night. Most looked back to the center of the room, where Billy Isaacs was having his pulse taken.[/color] [sub][sup][b]"Pulse is still strong, but we should get him out of here quick..."[/b][/sup][/sub] [hr] [color=8F2A2A]"You're right, I don't scare easily. In fact, had you come up behind me I woulda popped you one. You seem tough, but I guarantee I am tougher. Bigger dudes than you have tried to mess with me and now they drink their steak through a straw like it's a Yoohoo."[/color] [color=gray]The rockabilly blonde cracked her knuckles.[/color] [color=8F2A2A]"Thanks. Special ordered and customized to my likes."[/color] [color=gray]She was fast realizing this conversation was growing stagnant and rolled her eyes to express as much.[/color] [color=8F2A2A]"Name's Brooklyn. So Brian, what's there to do around here, seeing as it looks like I'll be spending more time over here than I thought? Don't get me wrong, soon as I am able to I am breaking out of this joint. But I figure I may as well have some fun before I bring it all down to rubble."[/color] [color=gray]A few beats passed whilst he considered what she'd said. She seemed to think she could break out of this place. Quite possible. More than a few people here could. Now [b]STAYING[/b] escaped on the outside was a whole other thing entirely. She was looking at him funny. It was taking him too long to answer. That's what it normally meant when people looked at him like that.[/color] [color=palevioletred]"Uhmm... there's video games."[/color] [color=gray]He said with a thought.[/color] [color=palevioletred]"Hey..!"[/color] [color=gray]He muttered just now realising someone had jumped in and taken his place at the console. And then there was an earth-shattering kaboom. And all his anger, all his rage was redirected in an instant. Billy was lying on the floor with some girl standing over him. His friend. The reason why other people didn't make fun of him. The reason he had everything that he did in this place. Lying on the floor. Hurt. He abandoned the blonde girl who had briefly captured his attention and charged to the scene, when suddenly he was hit with pain. First something hit his face from the side, blinding him with it's stinging burn. And then they lit him up with the zappers. He tried to push through, but then he felt his legs seize with the rest of his body. He'd kept pushing forward for as long as he could, but now he dropped like a stone. He grunted and groaned, unable to do much else as they were upon him.[/color] [hr] [color=gray]Led to their residential quarters, Zach found himself paired with the large boy of granite who'd caused so much trouble earlier.[/color] [i]Great... Just what I need. The extra eyes on me that this kid's gonna bring.[/i] [color=gray]The bed had a clear plastic drycleaning bag of folded clothes on it with a big yellow sticker across it, declaring the clothes to have passed through the greater scrutiny of security's inspection prior to finding its way to the bed. Presumably searched for further contraband.[/color] [i]Feels good to be trusted... Still could be worse. Could be actual prison. Then I don't even get my own clothes.[/i] [color=gray]He looked over and stone-boy was looking at his own stickered possessions on his heavily re-inforced bed. They'd made no efforts to be subtle with it either. Thick steel supports, it looked like you could park a car on it. The stone-boy sighed. Zach gave him a glance. Everything about him, posture, mannerisms, comments. Made it sound like his life had been set upon him. And that he found it easier to complaing than to make the most of it.[/color] [i]Couldn't be me...[/i] [color=gray]Zach thought to himself. He looked back to his own bed and saw his pack of cards with a yellow sticker on them. He picked it up and reopened the flimsy cardboard box, and pulled them out, licking his finger tips before he counted off the fifty one jacks it contained. Perfect. As complete as when they'd taken them from him. Only missing the one from the bank job. He put them back in their box and placed it on his shelf, before thinking on it and pocketing the pack in their usual home. The wall had a tv on it, with a red light aglow. He turned it on with the remote they'd been provided and inspected the remote while he waited for it. He pressed a split screen button and watched as it first divided the screen vertically, and then with another press, horizontally.[/color] [color=fdc68a]"Huh... So, how do you want it. Left and right, or top and bottom? Seems like they've worked it so we can watch our own stuff."[/color] [color=76424e]"Left and right. Widescreen. Looks like it'd work better with aspect ratios."[/color] [color=fdc68a]"Aspect ratios?"[/color] [color=76424e]"Yeah. You know. The settings for how they film movies and tv shows. It'll probably fit better."[/color] [color=fdc68a]"Fine. Sure thing."[/color] [color=gray]He dropped the remote back on the bed, and then opened the bedside table. There was a set of headphones in there with a USB charge cable.[/color] [color=fdc68a]"Oh! There's headphones. Probably so we can each watch our own thing. Well that's... that's pretty cool."[/color] [color=gray]Rex pulled his own drawer open and confirmed what his new roommate was saying, and grunted in assent.[/color] [color=fdc68a]"Wait-- they're not... They're not gonna shut us in here are they? It's like five o' clock. They're not gonna hit us with that early a curfew surely. I mean if nothing else, they're gonna feed us..?"[/color] [color=gray]He looked over and saw his rocky roomie had curled himself up on his bed, and turned away as if to sleep. Apparently Zach had said the wrong thing. And the stone-boy was more sensitive than he looked.[/color] [i]Well shit... If nothing else [b]I'VE[/b] gotta eat...[/i] [hr] [color=gray]Noah and Brian found themselves sitting in chairs outside of a door plate-marked 'Director Virgil Rowell'. It wasn't merely the pair of them, as both were flanked by guards on either side. And judging by the expression on Brian McIntyre's face it was necessary. He looked furious and determined, his eyes never leaving the red-haired girl with his glare as ever-present as the straight line his mouth was creased into. His jaw clenched tight. The girl, however, paid absolutely no attention to her potential second attacker. Instead, Noah replayed the scene in her head over and over again like a movie on an endless loop. Could there have been any other way of handling that situation? They had been warned about taking matters into their own hands-- multiple times, at that. Yet instead of doing what she said she would and staying in her own lane with her head down, she'd just very publicly and very deliberately blown up a table to hurt another program attendee. But wasn't it justified? Pervy Billy had laid hands on her in an obvious attempt at assaulting her. Surely, self-defense against a literal assault would be an exception, right? Surely these program idiots didn't expect her to just put her hands up, let Billy do whatever he wanted and allow herself to be a victim? Because if they did, they were nothing short of imbeciles. But could she have done something else…? Noah's mind was racing as she shifted her focus to the potential consequences of her actions. While she wholeheartedly couldn't think of anything she could have done differently, she had still broken the rules. Her blasts had still hurt someone-- self-defense or not. The first time something like this happened had resulted in her getting attempted murder charges filed against her, and even after some legal maneuvers her actions had led her to the institution she currently found herself in. So if that's how bad it had gone the first time… What new fate awaited her now? Well, she was about to find out… Suddenly, Virgil's door cracked open, and the two attendees were both called in by name.[/color] [hr] [center][h3][b][u]GM's Notes[/u][/b][/h3][/center] The Player and former player NPCs (with the exception of Noah/[@Venus] have now been directed to their dorms in the Residential Quarters. Please remember the pairings mentioned earlier. Returnable, non-contraband personal items, and clothing that characters brought has been thoroughly inspected by security and left on their beds with a large yellow sticker, declaring these items to have passed inspection.