[ The lights are out in the storage room, but the light shining in from the supermarket proper illuminates it enough that Fai can tell someone has built a pretty intricate blanket fort here. It uses a variety of items you'd find in a supermarket as building parts and is entirely made of Snuggly(TM) Blanket Hoodies.
The voice is male and... just kind of rambly. Soon enough it is joined by a face, as a young man emerges from his blanket castle. ]
Like... a month? More? Dude, how did you guys even get in here? Nobody's come by at all since it got foggy!
I don't know. We were... the last thing I remember before finding myself here was that I felt dizzy. This seems to happen to people in our group at times, but I couldn't possibly begin to explain what's happening or why.
( shizuku's kind of keeping her distance still, but peeking over fai's shoulder a little to be honest. )
It was as if we were compelled to come inside here. It’s hard to fully explain, but we weren’t really fine to move around on our own until we got to that unfortunate produce aisle.
[ The young man hesitates, but after a moment he seems to relax. He waves both his hands in the air to signify that he is unarmed and then comes to the door and flips on the light switch, finally making himself properly visible.
At the same time as Shizuku and Fai get a good look at him, he is also studying them. Very intently. He looks exhausted, up close, and his clothes are super wrinkled. ]
Wait, wait, wait, wait... You're from that experiment group at the college, aren't you? Gosh, that's been running for quite a bit now, hasn't it?
Um- yes, actually... but it's been such a ghost town, I wasn't aware many others would be aware of it. I don't believe it intends to go on for too much longer, but...
I work for the project, man. I was on a food run for you guys. You know, get you some cabbages and stuff. As you can see, it went real well. Had a lovely month in here just kind of talking to myself!
[ He can be grateful it was a supermarket and he didn't just miserably starve.
After taking just one breath, he eyes Fai's filled cart. ]
Looks like you didn't even need anybody doing your shopping for you either!
( shizuku all but beams with her thanks, before humming a little. even if it's a little weird to run into another worker on the project, keeping everyone fed is important! but...
hm.
her expression goes from a bright, sincere smile to a concerned frown. )
That fog... it's very inconvenient, isn't it? I thought maybe it was at the hands of whoever did this, but if it kept you trapped here too....
[ That comment about Fai's filled cart just makes him laugh. He's taking initiative!
But also... ]
Mm, I thought the same as Shizuku, but it seems like the fog is a much bigger phenomenon. It isn't just us. What a shame we haven't had fresh produce though...
[ Ah well. He can lament about the produce another time.
[ The guy just grimaces at Shizuku's thanks. Evidently he's not sure that five weeks stuck at the grocery store is worth it even if a cute girl is showering him in gratitude. ]
Nah. Not directly. I'm not really, like, part of the research division. I just do logistics stuff. Back-end kinda work! I make sure the pens don't run out, the clipboards are in order, all that reeeaaal important work.
I only know how from running into her at HQ every once in a while.
[ He agrees that it's important, but he's a little disappointed that he can't get more on Lorelei. ]
So your role would have been to ensure we had food and I assume to ensure that all of our amenities were working too? I'm admittedly curious about how you would have interacted with the project as a whole if you hadn't gotten trapped in the fog.
Other than Lorelei and Florence, we haven't spoken to anyone else directly involved.
[ Like. There's Kyle, but Fai doesn't want to go into that rabbit hole right now. ]
Yeah, sorry, I got nothin'. No idea what's even been going on with you while I was stuck in here. The whole project's been kinda... weird?
Like, Camelia's a big org, you know? Tons of projects - I kinda wander between the research squads, just helping with supplies as needed, and they're not usually so... secretive?
This one's freaky. "Hey, Gregory, go out and buy produce for 30 people to cook for themselves..." What kinda order is that, anyway?
And don't get me started on the Lorelei woman... gives me the creeps whenever I run into her, honestly.
... yeah, I can tell. If you just... vanish out of existence again, I guess? Let the boss lady know to get me out of here, okay? I want a bath.
[ He heaves the deep sigh of a man who's been washing his hair with bottled water for way too long. ]
Anyway, Lorelei! She's kinda off in her own world at all times, you know? If the stoic type's for you, then I guess I can see 'cute'. But for me... Man, it wigs me out how little she reacts to anything. She's super muted. I want people to have a bit more fire, even if I get burned!
[ ... hopefully he doesn't mean this literally, but given the nature of Estelline.... ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Now let’s see… what flew at them? ]
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And from inside the darkened storage room, there is a voice: ]
Stay back! The next one won't miss!
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shizuku frowns, taking a step back. )
Please, we mean no harm.
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She’s right. We were coming in to look around, that’s all!
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[ The voice protests from off-screen. Some shuffling can be heard. ]
... then again, I'm not really an employee either, but I think I qualify for some kind of honorary clerk title by now...
[ Half-volume muttering and grumbling as whoever is here rustles with some blankets. At least no more beans are incoming. ]
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( also, how does the voice sound? what can we gauge from it? )
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Are you the only one here?
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The voice is male and... just kind of rambly. Soon enough it is joined by a face, as a young man emerges from his blanket castle. ]
Like... a month? More? Dude, how did you guys even get in here? Nobody's come by at all since it got foggy!
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( shizuku's kind of keeping her distance still, but peeking over fai's shoulder a little to be honest. )
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It was as if we were compelled to come inside here. It’s hard to fully explain, but we weren’t really fine to move around on our own until we got to that unfortunate produce aisle.
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At the same time as Shizuku and Fai get a good look at him, he is also studying them. Very intently. He looks exhausted, up close, and his clothes are super wrinkled. ]
Wait, wait, wait, wait... You're from that experiment group at the college, aren't you? Gosh, that's been running for quite a bit now, hasn't it?
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( she shakes her head and sighs. )
How did you hear about that?
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[ Huh! ]
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[ The guy waves his arms dismissively. ]
I work for the project, man. I was on a food run for you guys. You know, get you some cabbages and stuff. As you can see, it went real well. Had a lovely month in here just kind of talking to myself!
[ He can be grateful it was a supermarket and he didn't just miserably starve.
After taking just one breath, he eyes Fai's filled cart. ]
Looks like you didn't even need anybody doing your shopping for you either!
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( shizuku all but beams with her thanks, before humming a little. even if it's a little weird to run into another worker on the project, keeping everyone fed is important! but...
hm.
her expression goes from a bright, sincere smile to a concerned frown. )
That fog... it's very inconvenient, isn't it? I thought maybe it was at the hands of whoever did this, but if it kept you trapped here too....
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But also... ]
Mm, I thought the same as Shizuku, but it seems like the fog is a much bigger phenomenon. It isn't just us. What a shame we haven't had fresh produce though...
[ Ah well. He can lament about the produce another time.
But he's curious now. ]
Do you work directly under Lorelei?
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Nah. Not directly. I'm not really, like, part of the research division. I just do logistics stuff. Back-end kinda work! I make sure the pens don't run out, the clipboards are in order, all that reeeaaal important work.
I only know how from running into her at HQ every once in a while.
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[ He agrees that it's important, but he's a little disappointed that he can't get more on Lorelei. ]
So your role would have been to ensure we had food and I assume to ensure that all of our amenities were working too? I'm admittedly curious about how you would have interacted with the project as a whole if you hadn't gotten trapped in the fog.
Other than Lorelei and Florence, we haven't spoken to anyone else directly involved.
[ Like. There's Kyle, but Fai doesn't want to go into that rabbit hole right now. ]
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Yeah, sorry, I got nothin'. No idea what's even been going on with you while I was stuck in here. The whole project's been kinda... weird?
Like, Camelia's a big org, you know? Tons of projects - I kinda wander between the research squads, just helping with supplies as needed, and they're not usually so... secretive?
This one's freaky. "Hey, Gregory, go out and buy produce for 30 people to cook for themselves..." What kinda order is that, anyway?
And don't get me started on the Lorelei woman... gives me the creeps whenever I run into her, honestly.
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I wonder why they're so secretive...
[ He gets the idea that Gregory wouldn't know, however. ]
Tell me more. I've thought she's pretty cute, so I'm surprised she creeps you out.
[ Then again, maybe Fai's taste is just off in general. ]
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To be honest, I think things went off the rails a bit ago. I'm not sure if it'll get better, either...
(
man she's suddenly glad it's just the two of them with this guy, considering kyle. )
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[ He heaves the deep sigh of a man who's been washing his hair with bottled water for way too long. ]
Anyway, Lorelei! She's kinda off in her own world at all times, you know? If the stoic type's for you, then I guess I can see 'cute'. But for me... Man, it wigs me out how little she reacts to anything. She's super muted. I want people to have a bit more fire, even if I get burned!
[ ... hopefully he doesn't mean this literally, but given the nature of Estelline.... ]
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Off in her own world, hmm? I have to wonder if she’s thinking about things.
[ But it tracks with what Hien said about Lorelei moving on from things easily. Hmm… ]
Do you think they could actually get you out of here?
[ And if they can, why haven’t they tried??? ]
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I HAD THIS OPEN IN ANOTHER TAB FOR LIKE AN HOUR I AM SO SORRY
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