Priorities...

[Aquila]

Willow ate her food slowly. It tasted vaguely like chicken but felt like play-doh, and the green beans were cold and slimy. The water was lukewarm, which she generally preferred. Definitely not the most interesting meal the world had to offer. She made a face and wondered what her friends and family were doing right now. Of course, she doubted they were in the same time zone as New York, as the landscape wasn't familiar. Doubtless everyone had given up on her.

 

Willow let out a soft sigh and blinked back tears before they spilled onto her cheeks. She quietly composed herself and pulled her light brown brown hair out of its messy bun, shaking it out to hide at least part of her face. As she shook her head, she noticed the older boy gesture her over. She hesitated for a moment, then got up and quickly crossed the room, sitting close enough to the others to hear easily but not close enough to be accidentally be bumped into.

 

(Do they know each other's names?)

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Think so. ^^]

 

Gregory flinched when the guard shocked Kira. "What the hell was that?" he said angrily.

 

[Night.]

[Katedj]

Vincent could smell salt on Willow's cheeks, but he wasn't close enough to see the tears for himself. As Kira was shocked the smell of the electricity mingled with the food. He recognized the scent from the large guard that had come up and shocked Kira as one of the ones that normally stood at the end of their hall by the main laboratory.

 

Looking down at his food Vincent took a deep breath. Food was one of the few smells that while it was strong, didn't give him a headache if he was around it too long. He smiled at the meat, remembering the stink flipper that he used to eat as a child. He probably couldn't eat it anymore, but the meat before him looked tame in comparison. "So how did you guys end up in this hell-hole?" He asked as he took a large bite of the green beans. He looked around at the people he was sitting with. He could tell that Kira had black hair and pale skin, he couldn't really see her eyes as he casually turned his head, so he guessed that they were a pale color. He could see Gregory next, who had blonde hair and some sort of light-colored eye as well. Vincent couldn't tell from this far away. Willow had lighter hair as well, but he could tell she had tanner skin. Dropping his eyes to his food, Vincent could clearly make out green-bean from green-bean. He could see the edges of his plate and how it was different than the table. It was frustrating not being able to see people's expressions.

[Mousia]

Kira looked at Willow suspiciously before shrugging at Gregory's comment. "They shocked me, wasn't that obvious? We're dogs in this cage, and they're making sure we're well trained before the vet puts us down." She sighed a little. "Like you said earlier, I'm a trouble-maker." She sighed a little. "It's just lucky that she keeps to herself." Kira was speaking of Willow, who mostly just stayed quiet and reserved. "She's touch. I saw it yesterday. Must've hurt tons when she got injected with some stuff in the lab earlier. Not sure what it was." The young woman looked again at the girl. It really was sad. How she never talked to anyone. She used to have a friend like that. Kira ended up doing most of the talking and her friend did most of the thinking. She wondered if Willow was smart. Smart people could help them escape. Gregory had good memory and could see guards coming, but they'd have to move during nighttime because of him. She and Vincent could smell people coming and could make sure they were going towards civilization when they were out. Maria could hear things far away and could tell them what people were saying. It was all working out in her mind. The cogs started turning. The plan started to sort itself out. Cargo ship. Escape. But how would they get away from the guards? Either they'd have to make a guard defect to their side (which was kind of far-fetched and risky) or break out when not many were around. Both options seemed really dangerous. Maybe someone smarter than she would figure something else out... Vincent broke her thoughts. "Hm? Ran away from home. You?"

Edited February 21, 2013 by Mousia

[Katedj]

Vincent swallowed his green-beans then shrugged. "Got mad at my mom and left with my friend. We got taken here and I haven't seen him since." He said off-handily. "What about you?" He asked, his voice undemanding as he looked at Willow. Vincent wondered what everyone here wanted most right now. He realized that he had no ambitions to speak of, no good reason to stay alive. The thought bothered him greatly, so he pushed it to the back of his mind and picked up his fork again, taking his next bite of food.

[Aquila]

Willow's lips twisted into a smile devoid of all humor at Kira's dog comment. How true that was. She kept her eyes on her food as the young woman talked, but felt a prickle on her face and looked up to find Kira watching her. She spoke up softly for what felt like the first time in years. "It was some sort of serum to take away my sight for the tests they do." She wasn't whispering, but her voice was too quiet to carry to the guards. The sound and feel of words on her tongue was odd. She watched Vincent for a moment. He looked incredibly sad, and she could understand why. If his friend had been taken by Knoll's cronies, there was little chance he was till alive.

 

"Ran away from home," she replied. "Of course, I meant to come back in the morning." She stared into the distance for a moment, remembering the fight that had driven her away, and wished more than ever she could go back and undo it. It was all her fault. She crossed her arms and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Willow had always been some somewhat of a longer, but it had been a choice and not a necessity. Now, when she felt every second of every punishment in minute detail, she kept her mouth shut, did as she was told, and hated every minute of it. Casually, she stretched, picked up her fork as if to take a bite, shifted net body so that it was facing away from the more alert guards, and barely moved her lips as she breathed: "I saw a note on my profile when I knocked over the table today. They're killing us in six weeks."

 

(Just trying to move the plot along. Hope this is okay.)

Edited February 21, 2013 by Aquila

[Mousia]

(No problem. There's no absolute plot, so as long as it kinda-sorta follows it, anything goes. Well, as long as it also follows the rules.)

 

Kira listened as Willow spoke in soft tones. It made her wonder how loud she was speaking that the guards heard every word in detail. She decided then to speak so she could barely even hear herself. It would be unnatural. It would be uncomfortable. It would be weird... But if they were going to talk about breaking out, she had to be quiet too. Willow brought up that they were going to be killed six weeks from then and the black-haired young woman painted on a face of indifference, though it made her hurt inside. Six weeks. Knowing the date of one's demise was...awful. How was she going to prepare? She had to write letters and... Hold on a second... She couldn't prepare. She would disappear from the Earth without a trace. Part of her wanted to know how they would do it. Would it be the electric chair? Lethal injection? Or would they be crueler? No. Knoll's certainly wouldn't want blood everywhere. But someone so sadistic would want to watch them suffering. Pleading. Begging. "Yeah? You shouldn't be saying that kinda thing at the table, but it's good to know..." She paused a little. "Thanks." The tone was bitter. Practically unused. It was a little sad, actually. Who didn't say 'thank you' every one in a while?

[RainDash]

Maria had hidden in her room, but they had found her. They dragged her to the lunch room and tossed her inside. She squeaked when she landed and sat. She had heard their death sentence. She remained on the floor where she had been thrown, crying. Something inside Maria broke, the word death telling her exactly what she had always expected her grandparents to say. That she wasn't wanted, that she was just a mistake. At least they dulled her sense of touch, it would be mercifully short. "I don't want to die..." She whimpered out. Was it even possible to escape without dying?

[Mousia]

Kira looked down at Maria. Ah. She was just realizing it? That death was nearly certain. But she was just a kid. No... She was only five years younger. What was five years in the scheme of things? Nothing. A fragment of nothing. Barely the length of an atom on the timeline of time and history. So... She wasn't supposed to cry. She wasn't supposed to show any emotion. Perhaps, though, it was only natural. She'd accepted death for a long time and Maria...hadn't. Kira didn't quite understand it, but it wasn't right. Why did they think they could just make some kid cry on the floor? Why did they think it was okay to throw her down? Kira stood up and walked over to where Maria was on the floor. She just stood over the other girl. "It's okay. You're not gonna die. Stand up. Stay strong. C'mon." Her voice was soft and quiet, for once. She couldn't do anything about the abrasiveness of her tones, but she tried. "If you stay here too long, they'll shock you. Please just come over here." She let her hand hang close enough to Maria for her to grab it. She didn't know why she felt the need to help the younger girl up, but she did. She felt the need to spit in the faces of the guards, who were just as sadistic as Knoll himself. Disgusting...

[Katedj]

Vincent balled his left hand into a fist underneath the table. He was so sick of this place. He was glad that Kira was helping Maria, it gave him an idea. "Hey, you guys want to hear an old Eskimo story?" Vincent asked, his voice low and controlled. He continued on without waiting for anyone's reply. "Long ago there were five young seals out playing in the ocean. They were having such great fun that they didn't realize how far away they had gotten from the shore. Suddenly three large Killer Whales came and told the young seals to come with them, if they didn't they would be eaten right then. The young seals went along, and were led through the maze of icy water into the Killer Whales camp where they found out they were going to die anyways. That night the seals pleaded with the Great Spirit, who remained silent. That night they came up with a plan, and one of them darted into the Killer Whale camp and caused great chaos, while the other four followed their way out of the maze because of their water-tracks. When the four had made it out the Great Spirit was so pleased with how clever they were he made them into humans on land, and they are the Eskimo ancestors."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Wait, can we skip to after the lesson that Gregory gives them?]

[Aquila]

Willow couldn't watch as Maria was shoved to the ground by the guards. If she watched, she'd end up doing something stupid and painful. She bowed her head, brushing down her hair to hide her face, and trembled in fury. She may have gone to comfort Maria, but she couldn't stand the though of touch. After Vincent finished his story, she met his eyes carefully and leaned forward, pitching her voice so that it didn't carry and moving her lips as little as possible so they couldn't be read. "No," she said. "If we're going to get out, we need all of us. You can follow the scent trail that people leave when they go in and out of here." She suddenly felt very tired, and buried her head in her hands.

 

(I don't care. It should probably be a few days later, though, since it would take some lessons to remember stuff. Are they communicating though the walls or on the tables or what?)

Edited February 21, 2013 by Aquila

[Katedj]

[is he giving them a lesson in Morse code?]

 

Willow's words stirred up a bit of hope in Vincent, but he pushed that back as well. Once she had finished speaking he broke eye contact. He would do whatever he could to make sure everyone made it out of here. He knew he would be able to at least guide them out, hopefully the others would watch the cameras though, because he had no chance of being able to see them or where they were pointed. But he could find the way out, he was almost positive.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Yeah, he is. ^^]

[RainDash]

"It doesn't matter. They tell each other that I'm a failure. I couldn't make it in a city, all the noise. I can't go home..." She wiped away the tears. "Stop it, they'll shock you. It won't bother me, unless they have air horns. Just, stop. We aren't getting out of here. Where would we go? The city's too full of noise, smells, tastes, and the best we could hope for is death." Why did people think she was stupid? She wasn't! She just wanted to put it off, growing up and understanding everything. Knoll could kill her, her death would be a blessing. She was a mistake... a failed experiment. It didn't matter if she was inside these walls or outside. It was all the same.

[Mousia]

(That's actually profound and really sad.)

 

Kira shook her head. "I don't give a damn if they shock me. Just get up and gather what dignity you still have. I'd hate to turn into my mother at a time like this..." The young woman looked at the younger girl sternly. "C'mon. I'm not gonna leave you behind. You're not a failure and it doesn't matter if you think you are. No one - so-called failure or not - deserves to be thrown around like trash. Lives are precious and yours is no exception. Now look what you've done! Turned me into my mom!" Poor girl. Her demeanor reminded the black-haired girl of her sister. Pessimistic and self-depreciating. Unacceptable. "Just get up before I give you a longer lecture. Vincent's going to tell stories and we're going to sit together at the table and pretend that we're not messed up. This is how you make it through high school." Kira could tell guards were jumping at the opportunity to shock somebody. She narrowed her eyes at one she didn't quite recognize. I swear, bud, if you try anything funny, I'm going to show you a little bit of Hell...

[RainDash]

"So, if we are going to try and escape, what's the plan, if there is any?" She said, standing up and bowing her head. These people had families to get back to, and Grandfather would be upset if she didn't come home. She knew that she only had a few years left with them, but she was going home. She had to. She had to try, besides, maybe she heard something important while they were talking. "When you're sad... always hold your chin up and smile. The world can push you down, what matters is how many times you can get back up." How could she forget about Grandfather? Grandmother must be worrying bout her too. Her mother was gone... her father was a mystery.

[Katedj]

Vincent listened to Maria and Kira, eating absentmindedly as he did. *At least my ears are still normal* he thought. When Maria asked about the plan he shrugged, smiling slightly. "That's where we need ideas. Creativity. Genius." He tilted his head towards Gregory. "And a bit of luck." He added, looking at Maria.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

The guards seemed to want to look for trouble. Gregory quirked a brow at Vincent and tapped his fingers against the table again. "My father used to be a soldier once. He taught me... Well, how to tap on things and communicate through the taps." he didn't want to say morse code. He didn't want to get thrown onto the ground and get beaten by the guards. He ran his hand through the back of his head and felt the scar that they had delivered. "... So we have six weeks, huh? Knoll sure wants to make us suffer. Probably wanted to know that we have only six weeks." he sighed and looked to the side. The guards seemed to be eyeing them. He noted Kira's look and nudged her. "Don't make eye contact. That could provoke them to attack."

[Mousia]

Kira nodded to Maria and sat back down in her place. At Gregory's nudge, she gave him a sour look. "I'll decide what I do to those ***s," she muttered bitterly. But he could be useful. Gregory teaching them those 'taps' he was talking about. They could communicate through them. Talking to the group, she nodded. "My mom's in the Air Force. I can do one-handed push-ups." The girl grinned widely. She really didn't think it would help the group, but perhaps her arrogance could inspire some healthy confidence. Not likely, but possible. "Anyway, I won't be of much use to y'all. Sorry 'bout that. I can distract the guards while you four make a getaway and catch up to you later. We won't be needing an extra person who can sniff things out, and I don't think they'll be suspicious if I'm the one making trouble."

[Aquila]

Willow looked around and her four companions. "I'm not sure how much use I'll be," she muttered. "I can't fight like Kira. I can barely fight at all. And I have no idea how touch is supposed to be useful." She played with her hair unconsciously, fiddling with the ends before pulling it all to one side of her neck and braiding it quickly. A few loose strands fell out, and she brushed them away, using the motion as an excuse to glance at the guards. Every one of them was eyeing the five experiments. Willow tensed. "How about that 'tapping,' Gregory?" She muttered, guessing he meant Morse code.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Can we skip after the lesson now?]

[Aquila]

(Go ahead. I don't mind. All their dormitories are in a row, right? So they can also communicate through the walls?)

[Mousia]

(Yep, they're in a row. But I'm pretty sure it'd end up like a game of 'Telephone'. )

 

(Does anyone in particular want to start or should I?)

[Aquila]

(Go ahead. Tapping through the walls would be fine for Willow and Maria, but really hard for the other three. Which room is everyone in?)