WEEK 1

[bathymetric]

Well, you've now met the brains of the operation, as well as the shockingly nice-looking young lady in charge of day-to-day business. Now all that's left is to get used to your accommodations - there's 24 other people in similar shoes to yours to meet in this building, you know! And who knows how much longer you might have them...

The daily routine in the facility quickly becomes obvious - the only way to tell time moment to moment is to check the strange device The Professor gave you, but at the same time every day the lights in and out of the facility go up, and at the same time every night they go down. Otherwise, it's almost maddening sometimes, how little happens in here. At least you have a few rooms with enough to hopefully keep you occupied. Who knows what secrets they might hold? And there's always that vending machine, if you can find something that fits in the coin slot...





MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
FRIDAY | SATURDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to Peace Week! Enjoy it while it lasts. Remember, office hours for The Professor's Assistant are over here if you're interested, while regains can be deposited over here! ]

Comments

[bolderfell]

That depends. Your help wouldn't break my arm, would it?

[Aela likes BATTLE and he is but a wee rogue.]

[shieldsister]

Depends on how fragile your arm is.

[ty aela.]

Move, let me see what we're dealing with here.

[She's going to come on over and crouch down to try to get a better look at where your poor damn wrist is stuck. Too late, you're getting Aela's help whether you want it or not!!]

[bolderfell]

[UGH, he hates FRIENDSHIP and SUPPORT and PEOPLE BEING NICE. But he does scoot over a little. He can't exactly move his arm out of the way, but she should be able to see that what's getting stuck isn't exactly his hand, but something around his wrist.]

We're dealing with my inability to mind my own damn business, as usual.

[shieldsister]

[Hmm... She definitely isn't going to be able to get her own hands up in there to figure out if that thing on his wrist is stuck on something, but that at least gives her a starting point. For now, she holds the metal flap up with one hand and moves so she can grasp Therion's arm with her other.]

Fair enough. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same. [Though she definitely would've removed her gauntlets first.] Let's see if we can get you free with enough force.

[When in doubt, brute force it!!!]

Ready?

[bolderfell]

Are--you're serious.

[Jesus JRPG Christ. He bites his tongue and then shifts so he can push off of the machine with his legs. More leverage that way.]

...Fine. But don't break my arm. I need it.

[shieldsister]

I don't plan on it.

[i mean that doesn't mean it won't happen but hopefully not?? oh my god.

Anyway, once Therion's ready, it's time to pull!! Aela's definitely strong - that much Therion will be able to tell immediately - but she'll back off if this doesn't free his arm immediately. We're absolutely not breaking Therion's arm today, okay!!!!]

[bolderfell]

[AND THEN SHE SNAPPED HIS ARM OFF okay no, he's tougher than he looks. The first tug doesn't quite do it, but Therion inhales when feels the edge of something scrape just past the edge of the opening.]

Wait--let me just--

[He twists his arm just a bit more in a way that is probably uncomfortable--folded up like he is, it makes him resemble a little purple garlic knot--and yanks.]

Now!

[And, with her help, he'll finally pop free.]

[shieldsister]

[Look at him go, he must have a pretty high skill in Acrobatics— wait, wrong game.

Anyway, once Therion gives the signal, Aela pulls again and there we go!! Therion is finally free of the machine's death-grip on his hand, congrats!!]

Hah, well done. You didn't manage to break anything, did you?

[bolderfell]

No. Just bruised my pride, what little of it I have left.

[Still, he's careful as he bends, stretches, and rotates his arm, making sure it really isn't damaged. That's the moneymaker, after all. All seems well enough, and he breathes out.

The only thing that's odd, really, is the manacle clamped around his wrist. It's definitely what got caught in the vending machine. He brings his hand back inside his coat and sighs again, looking away.]

Thanks for your help.

[shieldsister]

[She's definitely noticed. Aela watches Therion slide his hand back out of sight and she glances up at him.]

Of course. No sense in leaving you stuck there.

[There isn't any sense of judgment in it either; she really would have tried it herself, so as far as she's concerned this isn't a big deal. But...]

That shackle - is that something from home?

[You didn't wake up and find that strapped to your wrist, right...?]

[bolderfell]

...The result of another short-sighted act of foolishness on my part, yeah. As far as I know, the key's still in Orsterra.

[So even if he gets out of here, he could be home, but not free.]

[shieldsister]

I see. With any luck, you'll be able to free yourself when you return.

[No sense in asking if he can free himself otherwise - he would have if he could, she's sure of that.]

What happened? Were you caught stealing?

[She's read the profiles and while Aela holds no love for thieves, it's not like she has any problem with Therion, so it's fine.]

[bolderfell]

[He makes a soft, disgusted grunt of a noise at himself and rubs the inner corners of his eyes.]

Caught twice over, really.

[There's really no point in avoiding the question. The one thing he's ever been invested in keeping secret is his occupation, and everyone's had full access to that information from the start.]

I followed a rumor to a wealthy household in Bolderfell--a city in the Cliftlands. I've spent most of the last few years wandering around the area. I got past the guards and the traps, but it turned out the lady of the house and her man had planned it all. They even seeded the rumor. What they wanted was a thief talented enough to send after treasures already stolen from them.

[He lets the shackle peek out from the folds of his cloak once more.]

Lucky me.

[shieldsister]

Send a thief to steal back what was stolen from them. An interesting idea. I can admire their audacity.

[Though she can clearly see why Therion isn't happy with it at all. A shackle like this would likely raise just as many questions where he's from as it would in her world.]

Have you succeeded in stealing those treasures back?

[bolderfell]

[SIGH.]

I was on my way back with one of them. Then I woke up here.

[shieldsister]

What dreadful timing. Do you still have it with you?

[bolderfell]

[He shakes his head.]

Gone with everything else I had on me.

[He worked hard to steal all those nuts and candy from children's pockets, you know?]

[shieldsister]

Unfortunate. The Professor likely has our belongings hidden away somewhere, though I'm not sure why he felt the need to take that from you.

[Her belongings were all weapons, so like. Makes sense.]

[bolderfell]

[Well, you could try to brain someone with the Ravus heirlooms, probably.]

Leverage, maybe. Even if I do find a way out of here, I can't leave it behind. It makes escaping that much more complicated.

[shieldsister]

[just break one, surely cordelia won't mind.]

Ah, makes sense. He wants to ensure you'll play along until you can get it back. He likely has a reason to be worried if that profile is accurate. Have you taken a look at those locked doors?

[She didn't really look them over so she's got no idea what kind of locks we're looking at here, but surely Therion's already tried to break into them.]

[bolderfell]

[It's one way to keep them out of the wrong hands, right? Can't open the Gates of Finis with a smashed-up dragonstone!]

I have. I'm still not sure yet how the key-cards work to open the locks-- [He says "key card" like a foreign word.] --but even if I figured it out, without any tools...

[shieldsister]

I see. I hoped it would be something easier to break into, but I'm not surprised the Professor planned for that as well.

[There's no way he didn't consider that, at least...]

[bolderfell]

[He pauses, then shrugs in the general direction of the room's western wall.]

Something over there, too.

[shieldsister]

[She glances over curiously.]

Oh? What is it?

[Time to go check it out!! C'mon, Therion, show her what you found!]

[bolderfell]

[It's hard to see, but there's definitely a hairline gap outlining what looks to be a door. Therion runs his fingertips along the wall until he finds it again for her.]

Right here. A door that's not on the map.