Collar Checkup Boycott

[animusmods]

Characters: open to all
Setting: infirmary; around the Tower in general
Format: party-style all week; please note the date your post is taking place in the subject line
Summary: The results of the collar boycott slowly become clear...
Warnings: standard Tower warnings
Note: You may NPC your own retrieval units.

The results don't begin to become clear until Tuesday--Monday passes more or less without incident, except for the number of orange-collared residents who miss their checks. And on Tuesday, the retrieval units are out to search for them. It doesn't seem like they were meant to recover so many, though: a clever resident will be able to avoid their retrieval unit entirely. And so, some oranges continue to have escaped their collar checkup today.

It's worse on Wednesday. Retrieval units are out and about again, but this time to try and search for the yellow-collared residents who skipped the day before. No orange-collared residents are searched out at all, and even then there seems to be enough confusion in the programming of the retrieval units any boycotting yellows can run off and hide if they're careful about it.

By the time Thursday arrives, there's a general, obvious level of confusion in the retrieval units' retrieval programming. They were obviously not programmed to be searching for so many colors at once. Some residents may find themselves being dragged in for a second collar check this week, even if they went to theirs, and the infirmary seems to be working at double time. No one even bothers to search for the two wayward greens.

By Friday the retrieval units are out in a number that seems more fitting for a small militia than anything else. Still, they seem more intent on tracking down the greens--their programming still telling them to retrieve those who were missed the day before--but they don't seem to know which greens they're looking for. Anyone with a green collar may be dragged in for a collar check, possibly multiple times today.

Saturday is chaos in the infirmary. The retrieval units seem to have entirely lost sight of who they're actually searching for, and anyone brought into the checkup room will be able to see how messy and confused it looks, with no real time to clean it and orange through violet collar fluid all lined up at once where normally only the color of the day and of the day before would be out at all. Again people may be brought in for multiple checks while those intent on evading capture can remain elusive.

But Sunday--on Sunday the entire process breaks down. There's too much volume for the retrieval units to handle, and they scatter about in a strange catch and release program, dragging anyone they catch to random places around the Tower before letting them go. They don't seem to be entirely certain of what they're supposed to be doing.

Something else happens on Sunday, as well...

Comments

[technologic]

[April had been less than impressed with being dragged back to the infirmary the past couple of days for check-ups, even after she did go, so she was wary about walking past the infirmary. Except the quiet also catches her attention, and when she sees someone else peek in, she peeks in too.]

... Ah, they've left the collar fluid out!

[doctor_dismemberment]

How curious.

[Here's Richtofen, lurking like a creep in the infirmary with his arms crossed over his chest.]

They're slacking off.

[slightlyoblivious]

...wait, they did what?

[Yukiko looks around at the others.]

[neverbeamemory]

[...

That grin just gets larger as he approaches the room where the small gathering of people are.]

Can't handle the pressure, clearly.

[hystericull]

[What is with you people and your fucking peeks!? Gamzee strolls into the room before noticing all the people already gathered.]

...We hosting the motherfuckin' party today?

[ghostytrainer]

[Jesus Christ where did all of you come from?! Suddenly John is rethinking this. Maybe he should have left like he initially intended, with this many people here, what are the chances of them not being noticed? Especially if Gamzee is one of them oh dear lord... They're doomed.]

Err... I guess you could say that? Sort of. [A beat.] No not really, we probably should avoid making this into a "party" at all...

[technologic]

[April will just take a quick glance at everyone else, and then decides to wander in to inspect the containers more closely.]

Then we just need to be quiet then. Huh, maybe we could take some of this...

[animusnpcs]

[Each container is solid metal, though there's a valve with a button at the bottom of each of them.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[Richtofen takes a moment to shoot Gamzee a pointed look (does he seem a little self-satisfied? You bet he does) before pushing past the crowd and into the room.]

Perhaps. If we don't trigger some sort of awful security method when we try to get it, that is.

[He tentatively places a hand on one of the containers. There's a sparkle in his eyes, an eager one - truth be told, he's wanted to get his hands on some of this stuff for a long time.

He turns and flashes the small group a smile.]

Does anybody want to be a scapegoat?

[slightlyoblivious]

I'd rather avoid it, but I do think we need to get some samples of everything and get them to someone who can analyze them. Where's a test tube or beaker?

[She looks around, then decides to introduce herself to those she doesn't know.]

Also - Yukiko Amagi. This is a weird time to make introductions, I know, but...

[And she goes back to looking for a beaker, turning her back on everyone for a minute.]

[neverbeamemory]

[Richtofen's not the only one eager to get his hands on this stuff. If need be Sephiroth will push past everyone else to take a closer look at the containers himself. Throwing the doctor a look that just says 'don't you even-' and completely ignoring Yukiko; he knows who you are already thanks very much.

There is only one container he's even interested in, and that's the one containing his own violet collar color. He looks over it carefully and moves to lift it from the table.]

[animusnpcs]

[The container is heavy, but not overly so. It can be lifted easily enough.]

[hystericull]

[Gamzee does a wonderful job of blatantly ignoring Richtofen's look, focusing entirely instead on the containers of fluid like a few of the others. There are buttons. He fucking loves buttons. The last time he pressed a lot of buttons, he was taken to the bowels of the Tower. It seemed like a good idea.]

[Since there was no way to tell which of the containers contained which color, though he suspected they were in the order of the hemospectrum, he made haste in pressing any button he could get his hands on.]

Au fuckin' contraire. When these fuckers leave shit out, always motherfuckin' be the best of times all to get your party on, my pussy-ass human bro.

[He's pretty sure John had introduced himself before in the elevator, but fuck if he remembered his name.]

[animusnpcs]

[The liquid is in order--clear, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. They turn clear exposed to the air, though.]

[ghostytrainer]

[John hands back by the door, arms folded over his chest.]

Ugh, fine. Party but just do it quietly, okay? Like she said. [He nods to April before turning his head to look back towards the stairs.]

[You guys play with the buttons, John will keep watch.]

[technologic]

[April just blinks as Gamzee pushes all the buttons and the fluid pours out, and gives a nod back to John. She rubs the back of her neck for a second, watching Sephiroth pick a container up before replying to Yukiko.]

Oh, um, I'm April... Actually, we could just pick up the containers, especially since the fluid turns clear when it's exposed.

[So she goes over to look at the container containing the clear fluid.]

cw: character death in this split

[slightlyoblivious]

We can?

[Wait. Swishy-haired jerk is already gonna ollie out.]

Hey! We need to figure out who's taking what so we don't get two of the same one!

[And Yukiko runs up to Sephiroth and puts a hand on his shoulder.]

So hold up a second, so we know who's got what.

[neverbeamemory]

Already decided. I'm taking this one.

[Sephiroth pretty much growls silently, with his eyes, over his shoulder at Yukiko even daring to raise her voice at him like that. And then she crosses a boundary and touches him. The container is dropped back onto the table while he shrugs his armored shoulder back sharply at her unwanted contact.]

Don't touch me. Do you think this room is going to stay open like this all night?

[slightlyoblivious]

I think it'll stay open as long as it needs to. If not? I've got fire magic and I'll use it. I'll blast the door open. I can do it without hurting anyone.

[She glares.]

We at least need to get names so we know what's what and who's got what.

[And that is a 'so help me I will set your hair on fire' look.]

[neverbeamemory]

[He glares right back at her. A silent warning. Though he did very nearly roll his eyes at her declaration about her fire magic. He has Fire Materia too, what's the big deal?]

That's not going to be much use if suddenly the retrieval units decide to come to their senses and come to stop us.

[He's been there before on a few occasions. And he knows exactly who is responsible for the Infirmary as well. Been down that path before --no Sephiroth doesn't want to be hanging around.]

I'm Sephiroth, and I'm leaving now before our luck runs out.

[Though something in Yukiko's look made him pause, there is something of a threat there. Well let her come and try it, he's leaving with that container he picked either way. He can't resist to rise to this, the girl could use the lesson anyway-]

Got a problem with that?

[slightlyoblivious]

I have a problem with the fact you're probably going to run that straight down to some other villain. It's not going to get analyzed other than to see what it can do to hurt other people, because that's the kind of person you are. You don't care who you hurt as long as you get what you want.

[Yukiko knows this is a bad idea, but she still says it loud enough to be heard. She knows it and that makes her want to back down or go find someone to help. The problem now is time. She can't let this go so easily, and there is no time to handle it any other way.]

I have a big problem with that.

from here on set after Yukiko dies and Sephiroth ollies

[doctor_dismemberment]

[Richtofen coughs into his hand to keep from laughing. That certainly was eventful.

He crosses his arms over his chest. If anyone cares to notice, he's standing in front of the orange container in a way that could only be called protective.]

Well, that was rude of him. [Understatement...]

[hystericull]

Motherfuckin' props. Bitch had it fucking up and coming at her.

[Gamzee gives his yellow eyes a good roll, grinning at the bloodied corpse of what had been the quite attractive girl from earlier. At least now he'd have no chance of rejection.]

[I mean what.]

[He put on a scowl as soon as he realized he was responding to Richtofen. This ignoring thing wasn't going exactly as planned. If he'd already fucked that up, he might as well be antagonistic.]

Share your mother fucking prospective souveniers, motherfucker.

[ghostytrainer]

[John looks away for five minutes and somebody manages to die. Five minutes, guys. Holy hell can't you all control yourselves?]

[Admittedly, he feels a little guilty that he didn't do anything to stop Sephiroth, who likely had to run right past him to escape but it all happened to fast and like hell was he going to mess with a guy who just murdered somebody he barely even knew in cold blood.]

[He stands there in shock for a while, pointedly not looking at Yukiko's body and staying by the door.]

So what now?

[animusnpcs]

[There's a humming sound from behind one of the walls--it sounds like an elevator. If they don't hurry, they'll get caught, though they will have enough time to grab one or two things if they're quick.]