towerofanimus | Collar Checkup Boycott

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...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I figured as much from your words earlier, but that was before...

[Diarmuid doesn't say more, not wanting to bring up the unpleasantness at the elevator when Edgeworth just seems to be getting passed it. Instead, he waves, indicating he wants the man to follow him. They move passed a few rows of lockers and then Diarmuid stops by the one that is his.]

I'm not sure where yours is, but this is mine. As you can see...

[He moves to open the locker and sets the box inside. Diarmuid then closes it again.]

If you try to open it now that you have watched me do it, you will find you cannot no matter what you do. It will only open for me.

[Edgeworth is glad that Dia does not push the subject and just follows him.

When the two men reach Diarmuid's locker, Edgeworth listens carefully. So only the owner is allowed to open his or her locker. In a way, it is like the evidence room in the Police Department at home except that Edgeworth doubts that the lockers open in reaction to their owners' fingerprints.]

Only for you? Not even for any of the units?

That is correct as far as I know.

[Diarmuid waves Edgeworth closer and lowers his voice.]

When this floor was originally made, it was created without any of the surveillance that blankets the rest of this place. A gift, perhaps, from Dax to give us a place where we could make plans without the other Administrators knowing what was going on. Unfortunately, they eventually found out and that is why the units were added to patrol this place. If this is the gift it seems it was meant to be, then Dax was probably thinking ahead and knew we would need safe places to store things were no one but us could get to them.

[And, also in a low voice] I see. So this might very well have been Dax's idea?

That man continues to be of so many mysteries, even after being long-gone...

I believe that might be the case, yes. He...is a man of many surprises. It is a shame that he was taken from us like he was. Though I doubted him at one point, I wish now that we would have gotten to see more of what he planned for us.

[Diarmuid smiles tightly as he motions for Edgeworth to follow him back toward the entry to the floor.]

Shall we head back to the room now? I am sure you would like to rest.

Trustworthy or not, it would be foolish to dismiss that he has said - not now that we have come so far and gathered so much information about this place, thanks to him.

[.....]

...Yes, I suppose we should. [Ugh. More being carried.]

[Diarmuid nods and moves to gather Edgeworth into his arms again.]

Don't worry. I will make the trip as short as possible. Just let me know if the speed becomes too much for you.

[Without waiting for a response, Diarmuid takes off up the stairs even faster than before, trusting Edgeworth to speak up if he needs him to slow down.]

[Yep. The fact that he's been carried bridle-style up several flights of stairs in a few seconds by this guy before doesn't make it any less horrible. Edgeworth's not going to throw up but.....he fears that he will never recover from this. ~~Even though it does beat the elevator and an earthquake any day.~~]

[Perhaps it is because he can sense how much Edgeworth wants this over with or perhaps Diarmuid himself just wants it done, but he doesn't bother to make conversation on the way to their room. A short time later, they arrive. Thankfully for Edgeworth, the room seems to be empty for the moment. Diarmuid sets Edgeworth on his feet near his bed, but keeps an arm on the man's shoulders so that he doesn't fall in case he is dizzy from the run.]

And we are back. Are you okay?

[After a few seconds of adjusting to the fact that he is on the ground again, Edgeworth tries to push Diarmuid's arm off his shoulder so he can straighten his cravat again. Thank god this is all over...]

I will be perfectly all right. No need to be so concerned.

[And, after going silent for a few seconds, he takes a deep breath. Better get this over with.] ....I have one request for you.

[Diarmuid allows his arm to be pushed away, though he frowns slightly. At least if Edgeworth does start to fall, Diarmuid is quick enough to catch him arm there or not.]

I think I can guess what you are going to say. I won't tell anyone. However, you need to do something to try and deal with that fear. I know it's not easy. If it were, I'm sure by now you would have found a way to do so, but you cannot just ignore it. It is a very strong weakness and this place loves playing with those.

[Unfortunately, Diarmuid's advice is nothing new - it's something that Edgeworth has been trying to tell himself for years. It was one thing avoiding them when he was a child but he is an adult now. He should be able to deal with this!

The nightmares he used to have of killing his father have stopped - he knows who his father's real killer was now and it wasn't him.

So why can't he climb over the earthquake and elevator hurdle?

Edgeworth knew that Diarmuid had a point. Were it not for chaos' teleportation powers, the prosecutor could not imagine how he could have gone as far as he had in the tower (as much as he hated to admit it).

It was just as well that Edgeworth had promised chaos that he would not disclose his teleportation powers to others.] I.....manage.

[The look Diarmuid gives his roommate is uncertain. It's obvious that Edgeworth does manage, otherwise he would not ever leave the dorms. However, that answer doesn't give him a lot of confidence.]

If you have found someone to help you around the Tower, that is good. Just remember that person might vanish at any moment. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have more than one plan just in case the worst happens.

[He turns from Edgeworth. While he expects that his roommate will probably want to sleep soon, Diarmuid himself is wide awake and that means he's probably going to be patrolling most of the night, though that will come later. First, he wants to finally find Waver and talk to him about what has been going on today.]

While you may not like it, please remember that I will be glad to help you get from one place to the other if it is needed.

Mmmmph. [Edgeworth knows that Diarmuid has a point, but....it's so embarrassing when he has to....

Ugh, god, he is so tired...]

[Diarmuid raises an eyebrow slightly at the answer. It's not what he really wanted to hear, but he knows Edgeworth is tired. It's better not to press things now. Perhaps later, they can talk more.]

Get some rest. It's been a long night.

[And with that, Diarmuid disappears out of the room to find Waver so they can talk.]

Collar Checkup Boycott

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