Something Unexpected

[animusmods]

Characters: characters selected to go into the elevator
Setting: the admin levels
Format: any
Summary: The admin elevator has been left open, its destination preprogrammed. Where is it going to take you?
Warnings: general horror warnings for now

The elevator doesn't announce itself when its doors slide open. There's no alarm, no message to be found about it. It sits open and waits for anyone curious enough to enter. There's a barrier on it that locks out anyone without a collar, and it isn't going to stay long, but aside from that there appears to be no security. There's nothing stopping someone--or multiple someones--from climbing into the elevator and going down.

Where's it going? Who knows.

Hub Area
A lounge area with sofas and chairs. It's large enough to hold the entire group, constructed similarly to the dorm rooms, and is connected to five doors.

Door One
???

Door Two
???

Door Three
???

Door Four
???

Door Five
???

Comments

[ghostytrainer]

[John nods in agreement, shifting his position to follow after Zelda along the wall. A he does so, he takes a better look at their surroundings, searching for a door or an air vent or basically any other way to go aside from back towards the machine or the locked door to Jason's office.]

[Because if they're trying to escape, somehow heading back towards Jason seems a little counter-productive. Unless he happens to go back into his office using the same door he came out of, they'll be sitting ducks if they head back the way they came.]

[no_longer_a_king]

[Arturia, however, stays behind at the door, watching the group start to leave. If any of them caught the look on her face they'd see she plans on busting into the room as soon as the others are enough distance away to try and help. Hearing the fighting inside, seeing the helplessness on these people's, her comrade's faces, she can't sit here and do nothing. She can't.

Not with people screaming like that behind her and her comrades in front of her.

After all, she has nothing left to lose.]

[pitiedthefool]

[Yu meekly nods, every part of him screaming to help them the same as what Arturia wants to, but hearing what he already knows repeated and the wisdom Zelda shares... He can't argue with it, but he slips from her grasp to look back just once more.

To see Arturia not even budging.

This is not good.]

Arturia-san... If all of us don't move now, everyone could be at risk. Believe me, I tried last year to thwart his plans and the facades that make up most of my soul were stripped from me.

[Come with us... Please.]

I don't wish that pain and resulting emptiness on anyone... There's nothing we can do for them but make sure the price they pay isn't in vain.

[Funny how he can say a full and passionate protagonist speech in whispers.]

[no_longer_a_king]

It doesn't matter what he does to me. I can't sit here and just let him. Go. I'll be well. I've endured much worse than this.

[Which, in her mind, is true. She's faced off whole armies by herself, ripped through man, woman, and child, through her own nation as her own wish was perverted. The possibility of her soul being shredded up, of her very being getting twisted?

It unnerves her, it truly does. Yet she feels as if she deserves it for the things she's done.]

Go now. Please. Before he decides to check the other doors and catches you as well.

[ghostytrainer]

Arturia, please. [The emphasis is more pleading than anything. Like Yu, John isn't crazy about the idea of anybody being left behind when it can easily be avoided.]

As much as it sucks, Yu is right. We can't do anything for them. Nothing good will come from you staying behind. I can't speak for everyone in that group, mostly because I don't know who else went with them, but I know for a fact that Feferi wouldn't want you to do this.

[And chances are, she's about to be canned tuna in a minute. Are you really going to go against a dead princess's wishes, Arturia? Really?]

[no_longer_a_king]

[She doesn't know Feferi, sadly, but their pleading does get to her to some degree. Why do they want to save her? They barely know her. This is her first time meeting any of them. She's done nothing to gain their loyalty, nothing beyond her duty as a knight. So why do they wish to have her go with them?

It would be easier for three to escape than four.]

I can't stand by and let them be hurt without a fight. It's my duty as a knight to defend those who need help and right now they're the ones who need help.

I will not say it again: go. Before he catches you, too.

[sageprincess]

[BECAUSE OHANA Zelda begins to frown the longer they argue, the longer they're stuck here rather than finding somewhere safer.]

Arturia - this is not a fight you can win. Nor is it one that will even hurt Jason. Believe us. There will be nothing noble about your sacrifice, and we will be down our fastest runner.

[Perhaps appealing to practicality will work, if not emotion.]

If you want to help them, we need to find information we can use against the administrators. Please, we do not have time to be arguing this.

[pitiedthefool]

[NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND Yu's eyes narrow at that stubbornness. Do you seriously want to hinder the group anymore? Because your refusal to leave with them is doing just that.]

You don't think I don't want to help them, too?

[Ugh, they don't have time for this. Arturia? You may be King Arthur in some other world, may be a knight, but right now he doesn't give a damn. Because if he can't drag you on his own (which he is certainly attempting to if his grip on her arm is anything to go by) he will carry you.]

Let's go. Before we're all spotted.

[Draaaaaaaaaaaaag...]

[no_longer_a_king]

[And now she's being carried. Like a damsel in distress.

Again.

She gapes up at Yu as the group begins to move. Why is he doing this? Why is he trying to save her?

Somewhere deep inside her, she's actually kind of touched. It feels almost like.... like in the Fifth Grail War, as she and Shirou and Rin fought and worked as hard as they could, pushing themselves to every limit to win. For a brief moment, she lets the memory flood over her consciousness, untainted by her later actions and, for the briefest of moments, she smiles.]

Let me down. You already had me convinced.

[pitiedthefool]

[Consider yourself placed down, but they are indeed on the move again and don't you dare think he won't hesitate to pick you up again if you change your mind. Same goes for the others because damn, is he the tallest of the group again it's like the Investigation Team pre-Kanji!

He starts to help look for a way out; any way they can escape the area without getting caught. Aw yeah still got the protag swag...]

[sageprincess]

[And there's a sigh of relief from this princess - perhaps she doesn't know the others of her group very well yet, but there's nothing quite like a trail by fire (or, in this case, a trial by psychic onslaught and suddenly Jason) to get one to at least trust others for a while.

Besides, they've come this far, haven't they? They should see it through to the end together.]

Now that that is settled, let us find another way out of here, shall we?

[Siiiidling across the wall, yep. Ninja instincts are a go.]

[no_longer_a_king]

[Arturia looks around a bit as well, returning to her place at the head of the group once she's on her feet again. If they insist on bringing her with them, then the least she can do is try to get them to safety.]

Did anyone see any kind of ladder the way we came in? Or perhaps an elevator 'Jason' could have used out of here?

[animusnpcs]

[There is a door near the chute they came out of, though it's fairly in the open. Then there's the winding staircase up to the corridors and catwalks above--it's a longer trip, but more out of the way as well.]

[no_longer_a_king]

[The catwalks are tempting--so very tempting and out of the way. However, it's speed they need at the moment. Hopefully (and the mun knocks on wood here), the worker unit who had been directing them would be there and willing to help them find the way out.

She signals to the others to go for the door.]

[sageprincess]

[Zelda follows Arturia's lead, not wanting to make another fuss about what they should do. And finding the worker unit again is definitely tempting.

She moves quickly and quietly, almost like she's familiar with utilizing stealth.]

[ghostytrainer]

[As he follows Zelda and Arturia, John can't help but glance at the ladders and catwalks with a bit of regret. Sure it's a longer route, but totally worth it to not expose themselves, in his mind. And stealth has never exactly been his strong point.]

[But he trusts that the others know what they're doing and hopefully, Jason is suitably distracted by the other group.]

[pitiedthefool]

[...Let it be known that as he does stealthily follow, he is silently JUDGING YOU GIRLS. Not going to lie, but he doesn't think it's worth exposing themselves either. Not after how far they've come...]

[no_longer_a_king]

[It's an acceptable risk in her book for the chance to ask for the way out and to get out of sight. again, the mun is knocking on wood.

Arturia raises one hand and gestures that she'll go first. Before the others can protest it--her going first, that is--she's slowly making her way to the door.]

OOC

[pitiedthefool]

...What even is our icon choices.

Re: OOC

[no_longer_a_king]

Amazing.

Re: OOC

[risingshepard]

[[Oh, you crazies.]]

Re: OOC

[pitiedthefool]

[NOT!AUNT WHA-]

[sageprincess]

[... Well. It's not like they can shout at her not to go ahead. With a bit of frustration, Zelda turns to the rest of the group, whispering:]

Take cover.

[Before doing just that, hiding amidst the machinery and conveyor belts nearby.]

[ghostytrainer]

[John nods, following Zelda's lead for real this time since apparently mun has no reading comprehension and thought they were actually moving last time. Suddenly he's glad that he has yet to hit his growth spurt. Much easier to duck beneath machinery this way. He'll wait to make his mad dash across the open area when he's sure it's a little safer.]

[animusnpcs]

[Luckily, Jason and his retrieval units are distracted. The chipped collar worker unit is still standing nearby.]