[IC] The Citadel

[Cat22]

Deep within a secluded forest in another world, there stood a towering structure known only as the Citadel. While not many beyond the people who worked there knew of the lab’s existence, those that did also tried to hide it by any means necessary. While this also meant making sure that nobody discovered the place, it also meant making sure that any information about it was erased as well. To this extent, those who accidentally stumbled across the place who weren’t experiments or staff members usually had their memories erased so that the secrecy of the lab wouldn’t be jeopardized.

However, on an almost silent day, a new arrival was being brought to the lab. While this arrival was only recently found on a nearby beach, he was still brought to the lab by those who were rather curious to learn more about merfolk although once the scientists brought him into the lab, there was a slight hiss that could be heard from him that seemed to signify annoyance at being taken away from the beach. While this was not the only sign that the newly arrived merman was quite upset with the current situation, it was far from being the most important sign.

Elsewhere in the facility, Hoshi, an artificial humanoid, was currently sitting on the bed in his room and opted to remain completely silent. Like always, he was not to leave his room without an escort which he seemed to follow rather well although today was one of those days where he wished that he could have left his room. While he seemed to be unaware of the presence of any of the other experiments, a loud hiss coming from one of the rooms across from him soon grabbed his attention and caused him to approach the window only to see that Firion, another experiment in the lab had suddenly hissed at a scientist as a warning to stay away from him.

However, in another part of the lab, Bartz and Vaan were sitting in complete silence in their assigned rooms. While they knew not of if the scientists had planned anything for the day, they were also unsure about why they were greeted with nothing but silence in the location that they were in nor did they have any idea about why Shiro was being completely silent either.

[4323O2]

Alone in her room, Claire sat motionless on the cold floor. She hadn't changed her position in almost four hours, even though she sometimes flicked her cold gaze around the room. No thoughts ran through her head, and she felt nothing except the cold of the floor and the fabric of her torn dress. The only other thing in her room was a small potted rose, the only display that she had some abilities related to plants, apart from the data collected by researchers.

This rose was special, its petals bright blue- the only hint of color in the entire cold room. It had no leaves, but was thriving.

---

The young girl glared at researchers who were attempting to get close to her. She sat in a small indoor lagoon that was supposed to be a cheap attempt at getting her to cooperate. Each time somebody got within a meter of her, a wave would shove them under the water and away from her. This girl's name was Emerie Merriam. She had been sold to the lab as a child, and was clearly tired of being a lab rat. But her previous escape attempts had been futile and easily put down. Now she was quietly cold with researchers, putting up a fuss whenever they wanted to get genetic material from her using any form of sharp object.

[Cat22]

“I warned you once and I will warn you again, stay the hell away from me or else I’ll strike!” Firion hissed softly. While he ended up backing away into the corner of his room, he appeared to not be too fond of the scientist standing in front of the doorway to his room. As a result, he ended up giving off a warning hiss as a reason for the scientist to stay away although whether or not this plan would end up working has yet to be seen. However, he had also unintentionally caught the attention of Hoshi as well.

“What the heck? Why is he hissing…” Hoshi muttered softly as he continued to watch the altercation between Firion and the scientist unfold. While he was unsure of where the encounter would go, he was also choosing to continue to watch the encounter in order to see what would happen next.

However, within his room, Bartz seemed to not like the silence that was in his surrounding area which ended up with him creating a fireball in the palm of his hand out of boredom. While he didn’t throw the fireball, he wanted to possibly keep his mind off of the silence through any method that he could think of.

[4323O2]

A scientist managed to get close to Emerie and she wailed in complaint as they stuck the needle into her arm. But even then, she settled. The girl knew well that fighting back now would only induce more pain. Her wail shook the indoor lagoon, but otherwise was ineffective at doing anything except annoying the researchers. The girl occasionally flicked her tail to keep herself afloat, but was mostly satisfied now.

---

Claire still didn't move as a researcher came in. There was no point in reacting. Her only reaction, really, was the rapid and sudden decay of the rose. Even though the rose appeared dead, she could bring it back later. The researcher took note of this then ran a few tests to see if he could get another reaction out of Claire- he did not.

[Cat22]

“Well, you know, maybe I don’t need to know the answer right now although I do wonder when they might try to pull me for testing or something like that… It’s always kind of been in their routine to pull some of us here for testing although why are they choosing to bug my neighbor… It doesn’t make any sense…” Hoshi muttered softly as he continued to watch the altercation between Firion and the scientist as it unfolded. He was still quite curious about how it would end and as a result, continued to watch the altercation.

However, the merman that had been brought into the lab had attempted to smack one of the scientists that got too close to him with an ice spell before hissing. He was clearly NOT in the mood to be approached at the time hence the reason why he was slightly more aggressive than he usually would be. This was due to the added anxiety and stress of being taken out of a familiar environment which was something that he did not take rather kindly to.

[4323O2]

After a few minutes of vain attempts to get Claire to respond, the researcher took a pen from his pocket and set it on the ground in front of Claire, along with a paper. This got Claire to look up at him with confusion. The researcher nodded.

"Go ahead. Draw or write something if you want," The researcher told her.

Claire wasn't used to being given options but decided to do both. She picked up the pen and began to draw an intricate flower, the rose- half withered, half dead. She labeled the parts of the rose with shaky writing. Once she was done, she set the pen down and pushed the materials away with one hand. Then she resumed her motionless sitting.

---

The moment the researcher was done drawing blood, the mermaid bolted away from him, sending a wave of water up and almost drowning him, though he was pulled out by the others, who were in a small raft. She hissed at them as she surfaced, the water in her vicinity creating a rather dangerous whirlpool.

[Cat22]

“Leave me alone! I don’t want anything to do with you!” The merman hissed at the scientists that tried to get closer to him. He currently did not wish to be bugged at all by the scientists and as a result, ended up hissing as a way to get the scientists to leave him alone. Of course, this method didn’t seem to work all that well as the scientists still didn’t seem to get the hint with leaving him alone.

[4323O2]

The said whirlpool was pulling at the raft, causing a slight panic among the researchers, but it was soon resolved as the raft's emergency motor kicked in and got the researchers safely to sure. The mermaid's last attempt to fully dispose of the researchers was a wave that almost sank the boat, but they did not sink and the mermaid retreated back under the water. Emerie found the researchers bothersome and worthless, which was the only reason the girl fought them.

---

The researcher looked at Claire's drawing and nodded his approval, reaching into his pocket and taking out a small cookie. It wasn't much, but the girl snatched it almost immediately and nibbled at it, careful not to leave crumbs. Such rewards were rare and often used to taunt Claire if not taken quickly. She was cooperative to a point, but without reward for her cooperation, she was unresponsive. The researcher took the drawing and left. Upon his leaving, the rose perked back up, seemingly blooming again as most of Claire's tension evaporated.

[Cat22]

Eventually, Bartz had dismissed the fireball that he created and ended up walking over to the corner of his room. He was still somewhat bored about being left in complete silence and as a result, had a desire to just be out of his room for the time being. However, he also seemed to understand that the scientists simply wouldn’t let him out either without being under the supervision of the scientists. As a result, he had also decided not to say anything about it as he sat there in silence.

“How long are we going to be stuck in here for? Being locked in this room all day is already boring enough…” Vaan muttered softly. Like Bartz, he was tired of being in his room all day however, unlike him, he was a bit more vocal about it and as a result, wasn’t afraid to show it either.

---

Meanwhile, having gotten a little tired of having to deal with the hissing of one of his neighbors, Hoshi had decided to step away from the window and cover his ears with the pillow that was on the bed. While he did this to block out the noise of someone hissing although eventually, Firion had stopped hissing when it was revealed that the scientists had finally backed away from the door.

[4323O2]

A female scientist, Dr. Alice Rivercot, entered the room where Bartz and Vaan were, clipboard in hand. Her demeanor was void of anything, really, and displayed nothing.

"Come, boys," She said simply.

---

Claire nibbled at the cookie, savoring the taste. She knew it would be a while until she got another reward, but she always made the rewards she was given last for a long time. Her first reward had been the rose- a little bud she'd kept alive until it was fully grown. The flower made her happy, in this place of little joy. She was otherwise motionless however.

---

Emerie ducked and darted around the water of the lagoon, purely spending energy she needed to get rid of. Her boredom gave her energy, and her energy could be mistaken for joy or some form of positive feeling, but the girl felt nothing. She paused as she let a wave crash onto the shore, then created another and darted below it. This, to her, was the only form of play she ever got, and she was fine with that.

[Cat22]

“Thank the gods… Being stuck in there was already boring…” Bartz said as he stepped out of the room. While he seemed to be a little relieved to not be stuck in the room anymore without anything to do, he also ended up glancing over at Vaan who was still in the corner.

“So… We get to leave now? That sure beats being stuck in here all day.” Vaan said as he almost immediately left the room. Like Bartz, he seemed to not want to spend any time being stuck in the room although he also ended up glancing over at Bartz as well before walking past him. This, as a result, ended up prompting Bartz to completely leave the room as well.

[4323O2]

"Follow me," Dr. Rivercot ordered calmly.

The woman walked in a slightly sideways manner, so she could keep an eye on the two of them. She was outnumbered, yes, but had her ways... questionable as they were, those ways worked. Every. Single. Time. Except in the case of being outnumbered. She was taking them to the lagoon, to perhaps get Subject E. Merriam to cooperate and behave in the desired manner.

---

Emerie got tired and floated down to the bottom of the lagoon, little bubbles floating up sometimes.

[Cat22]

“A-alright but can you please at least tell us where we’re going? Unlike Bartz, I kind of like to be a little informed about the possible dangers of a location so that I know what to expect. However, I do not know of this location hence the reason why I ask to know where we’re going.” Vaan said. While he did end up starting to walk after he spoke, he was also slightly curious about the area that he and Bartz were in although he was also silently wondering where Firion and Tidus were out of sheer curiosity. While he had yet to see either of them, he wondered if they were elsewhere or in the same location.

“Wait… where are we going? I… don’t really understand…” Bartz said softly. While he ended up trailing behind Vaan, he was also curious about where he was being taken to however, despite the large amount of questions that he had, he chose to keep those questions to himself as he continued to walk.

[4323O2]

"You'll see," Dr. Rivercot replied simply, continuing until she reached the door to enter the lagoon, pulling it open.

Inside the door, the lagoon was lush, but the water of the lagoon itself was rather disturbed, due to Emerie's current upset and bored state. Her distress caused waves to splash on the shore.

---

Claire hadn't moved, just sitting there motionlessly.

[Cat22]

“Wait… is that… a lagoon? What’s one doing indoors like this?” Vaan muttered softly as he glanced over at the lagoon in confusion. While he could not understand why there was a lagoon indoors, he also looked over at Bartz as if asking if he knew why something like a lagoon was indoors.

“Bartz, what the hell even is this place…” He muttered softly as he glanced over at Bartz. While the tone in his voice seemed to hint at quite a bit of confusion, he also wanted to know if Bartz knew anything about why there was possibly a lagoon indoors although he was unsure of the response he would get.

“Unfortunately, I do not understand why there is a lagoon indoors nor does it tend to make any sense. Bodies of water are typically located outside in certain areas however, the concept of bringing one indoors is entirely unheard of…” Bartz muttered softly. While he tried to answer the question that he had been asked to the best of his ability, he was seemingly unsure of his answer as well.

---

Eventually, Shiro had stopped being so silent and started to look around his room. While he still seemed to be slightly confused by his surroundings despite being created at the lab, he was also wondering where any other people were. To that extent, he chose to try and call out to see if anyone would answer.

“Hello? Is anyone out there?” He said out of curiosity. While he waited for a response, he was unsure if he would end up getting one and as a result, ended up sitting in silence once he had spoken.

---

Hoshi was still sitting in his room and had eventually placed the pillow that he had back on the bed. While he no longer had to deal with Firion hissing at any of the scientists, he was also starting to silently wonder when he would be taken out of the room as well which was a question that seemed to be silently plaguing him since the beginning of the morning.

---

“Finally, they’re gone…” Firion muttered softly as he backed away from the door. He seemed to be slightly calmer than he was previously which could be attributed to the fact that he was no longer being bugged by the scientists. However, he was also slightly unsure about how long he would end up having a break from them although he decided not to worry about it too much.

---

Meanwhile, the merman was still being a nightmare for the scientists and even managed to fire off an ice shard at one of them. He was CLEARLY not happy with his current situation and even after a few moments, would not calm down.

[4323O2]

The mermaid saw them and swam over to them, surfacing and coming onto land as she turned human.

"They finally brought me friends," She hissed, irritated upon seeing the two of them.

The girl's irritation was shortlived as she realized how rude she would clearly come off. She didn't want to be rude, she just wanted to be left alone after the ordeal with the researchers. But only her annoyed expression changed to a quiet reserved anger that she was clearly trying to keep in check.

Dr. Rivercot stepped back out of the lagoon and shut the door, letting it lock with a soft click.

[Cat22]

Almost immediately, Vaan ended up unfolding the wings on his back before completely flying up to the ceiling. While it seemed like he would not come down on his own, he was also not willing to come down either hence the reason why he continued to remain on the ceiling for the time being. However, this was also noticed by Bartz who ended up glancing up at the ceiling before opting to speak.

“Vaan, why did you fly all the way up to the ceiling? Did something spook you?” Bartz asked Vaan. While he was unsure of why the humanoid dragon had chosen to fly up to the ceiling, he also didn’t try to coax him to come down either since he wanted to make sure that he didn’t bother Vaan too much with a request like that.

[4323O2]

Emerie rolled her eyes, figuring that the boys wouldn't be engaging with her any time soon, and retreated back to the water. She changed to her mer form pretty quickly- the water had gotten up to her waist, and vanished under the surface. She reappeared moments later, on a rock that was near the middle of the water.

---

Dr. Rivercot watched the subjects through a well-masked one-way window, taking notes. While she couldn't hear any words said, she could see everything.

[Cat22]

“No… What even makes you think that, Bartz? I just don’t want to interact with other people…” Vaan muttered softly before he quickly touched back down on the ground. While he did end up glancing over at Bartz after he spoke, he also quickly walked over towards the door. He no longer wanted to be in the current area with him wanting to go see what else was in the lab which could be understood by Bartz.

“O-oh! Nothing! I was just wondering why you were turning to leave! I meant nothing bad by it so all!” Bartz said before he ended up taking a step closer to the lagoon. While he wanted to give Vaan some space, he was also unsure about what space he might need as well.

[4323O2]

The young girl watched the two interact, not wanting to engage but also wanting to at the same time. She let a wave wash over Bartz's feet, the only sign she was really acknowledging him. She was bored, yes, but her solitude had been peaceful. Her solitude had meant no strange males bothering her and the lagoon to herself. After a mew moments, she tossed a little blob of water at Vaan, missing by a long shot and it hit Bartz instead.