[can your reflexes still be all that good at 22.... can they....
alright you two stooges in the lab, enjoy your little fun and games. another scientist walks in at that point, a bright reliver mark obvious from their rolled up sleeves. they smile a little at the antics, though it doesn't reach their eyes. a facsimile of an emotion long gone.
"It's nice to see people still have fun," he says. "But you know what tonight is, right?"
meanwhile, with sheba, the person does look the right age to have succumbed to the curse. the body of a young woman, not even covered in a shroud, gets brought in the direction of the institute. a young man walks to her, laughing happily, "Yes, I'm just glad she's not in pain anymore! It'll be great to see her well again. We can finally get married!"
though there's not too much time to dwell on that. a familiar face, one of sheba's seniors in the corps will come rushing over to her, expression a little haggard. "Sheba. I implore you to take pause—there is an exchange I seek to make with you." ]
[Luke really went from 3 years to less than 1 and now he's got grandpa problems too? Incredible.
Fortunately, his ageism TB didn't stop him from growing tall, so he just HOLDS THE VIALS UP HIGH ABOVE HIS HEAD!!! WHAT NOW YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!]
You would've noticed as soon as they fell on your head, and-- [Oh. Hello fellow scientist!!
...What is this guy talking about. Hm. Well, he doesn't want to look incompetent (he has big shoes to fill, after all), so he just nods as if he knows what's going on.]
Yeah. We've still got a little time, right? [Everyone knows researchers only keep track of time when it's relevant to their experiments]
[AND THEN THERE'S DAHUT who pauses in the middle of trying to reach up for the vials - why - to wave at the scientist who's meandered into the room. Something about the smile on their face gives him pause. Even surrounded by so many Relivers, he's still not entirely used to the little tells and manifestations of a set of emotions no longer whole.
But also, he just cants his head to the side, looking between Luke and this dude like ???????]
Time for what? I have no idea what's happening tonight.
[oh - well, sheba smiles a little at that young man following along the body of the woman being carried to the institute... but deep down she wonders -
married? once the woman is a reliver, will she feel the same way for him...? ...but she doesn't want to rain on his parade; he's clearly delighted by the idea. he continues on his way, and she turns to continue her patrol -
but then there's a familiar face.]
Oh, Piers! [that expression, though... her brows furrow.] Of course. What is it?
[the scientist opens his mouth, ready to answer dahut, when a beep emits from his ear. his communication device goes off and he tilts his head, listening to the transmission. he nods a few times, giving a gentle 'uh-huh, got it, be there soon' before he looks to the other two.
"Yeah, I'd give it another thirty minutes! Luke, fill in, Dahut, okay? I have to run." luke is such a good liar. he's such a good liar that he's now going to have to gaslight both of them into figuring this out. the scientist gives a quick wave of his hand before departing, heading out of the lab!
piers looks serious as he reaches sheba, frowning.
"I received communication regarding a request from the Royal Guard—I do not know what they could seek from us, but we ought to answer so relations don't sour further. However, I also received direction from our Commander that will take me to Coene, not Cerneveaul. Could I ask you to take the former task from me?"
coene is on the outer rim of the island, far from the district that sheba is currently walking. both tasks certainly can't be done at once! and for however useless the royal guard has been in the past, they're the only true military might the country has... what's a girl to do?]
Okay now that that guy is gone (and a tiny bit of tension drains from Luke once he is, because he's an excellent actor, but the idea of losing his emotions is, like, bad and a lot and also bad,,) Luke turns back to Dahut.]
What's going on tonight? [DON'T JUST ASK HIM WHEN HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW]
[HELLO????? After a second in which he's staring at Luke like man_standing, DAHUT IMMEDIATELY WHIPS A LEG OUT TO KICK LUKE because life is truly lawless and he's going to bully this geriatric 22 year old who's on his death bed basically.]
Why are you asking me?! If you wanted to know, you should have asked the person that clearly knows!!
[it's definitely not possible for one person to be in two places at once. so she understands why piers is asking, even if she's wrinkling her nose a little at the idea of getting involved with the royal guard.
but.
if they've come asking the corps for help - that does, on some level, mean that the royal guard is acknowledging their expertise. after all, why make requests if they don't believe the corps will fulfill them? and, honestly, it'll be kind of satisfying to hear those useless guards have to thank them for doing whatever their request is better than they could have.
[the boys now have twenty-five minutes or so to try to figure out what's happening before it happens. or maybe it's nothing. maybe it's a pizza party. good luck, guys.
but piers looks grateful, nodding his agreement.
"As long as your price is not too steep. Our meeting location by the castle, where it and the Institute align with one another. I've been told that you needn't worry about clearance this time... I'm not sure why, but it's a formality that's good to be without."
considering the fact that the institute is one of the most secure places in the country, needing badges and passes and authorization to even step inside... what a win, sheba! any other questions?]
[SURELY THE INSTITUTE HAS SOME KIND OF MESSAGING SYSTEM?? SURELY THESE NERDS DON'T ALL GET UP AND TALK FACE TO FACE ALL THE TIME. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT]
Ow--! [NOT HIS ACHING BONES just kidding Dahut's strength stat is still 2.] You know how that guy is... if I'd said anything, he would've been insufferable about it.
[JUST ASSIGNS LUKE BEEF WITH THIS NPC FOR SOME REASON as he heads over to the desk to see if there is any correspondence to give them clues... he can feel a tingling in his throat as he does, which is never a good sign, but he ignores it for now.]
He wouldn't have been! He always answers my questions just fine, so you must have been the one to do something that made him treat you differently...
[Like being a BUTTHEAD who PICKS FIGHTS JOCKLY FOR NO REASON. Stop your alpha posturing at randomass scientists they aren't even doing anything. The most they lift in a week is their 12 oz water bottles to rehydrate during experiments like hamsters.
Anyway Dahut will also go open up their communications panel to see if there's anything in like the fuckin group slack or something.]
Don't worry! A slice of cake from the patisserie will do nicely. With berries on top, okay?
[piers is one of her four favorite people in the world, so it's a relatively cheap price, all things considered. if it was someone else asking, the price would be much steeper.]
...no clearance, though? That's sort of weird... was there anything else odd about the request? Or should I just head right on over?
[whatever the answer - whether it's something else he's noted or just a "nope, nothing" - she'll eventually bid him farewell and start making her way to the meeting location! though she definitely gets a little more tense as she gets closer to the institute. there better not be any of those creepy researchers she narrowly escaped from around...]
[unfortunately even though coene doesn't even have telephones, it's true that the institute has insanely advanced technology. this includes email, which is such an evil invention. luke can look for some correspondence, but there's simply a schedule-sent statement from the chief of staff. it reads:
All researchers are to leave the Institute or remain within their labs beginning 30 minutes after sundown. Restrictions will be lifted come morning. Refusal to adhere to orders will result in termination at best, beheading at worst.
haha whoa how'd you miss this one
meanwhile, piers will look thoughtful.
"Aside from the fact that the Royal Guard called upon us at all... No, they didn't share anything. Thank you, Sheba. I'll be sure to get you the slice you seek. See you in the morning, be safe."
as sheba approaches cerneveaul, she'll notice it's... quiet. so very, very quiet. the lights of the institute are eerie in the evening, shifting to a vivid, neon red rather than the gentle blue cast that it normally emits. there's a few researchers milling about - distinctly heading away from the institute. well then.
though as promised, once she approaches the actual gates - that also means there's no one to check her for identification.]
—You really could have gotten us killed! [LUKE. He won't whack him, though. Now he's just intent on packing up because frankly he has no desire to stay here and see what the hell would warrant a message like this. NOT TODAY, NOPE, NUH-UH.]
Hurry up and get your things together! We can ask about it later.
[will she see piers in the morning? probably not because this is a cyoa!
the neon red lights are pretty ominous, but she's given piers her word that she'll handle this task for him, so she's not about to let the fact that they're freaky-looking scare her off. it's also weird that the researchers all seem to be leaving, and as she approaches the gates and they walk away from them, she'll listen carefully to see if she can catch any snatches of conversation.
but she doesn't linger by the gates for too long. she needs to get to the meeting point - where the castle and the institute align with each other - and so she carefully slips past the gates and makes her way there, figuring that if she just walks confidently and acts like she belongs here, no one will think to question it if she does happen to cross paths with them.
it's fine, right? piers wouldn't have asked her to do this if he thought she would be in some sort of trouble...]
[(speedruns the passage of time) fifteen minutes, boys. can you even exit the institute in that time? you could always just stay in the lab? what are you willing to risk?
the snippets that sheba hears are both telling and not at all.
"I was just in the middle of an experiment—" / "Then why didn't you stay in the lab?" / "Until morning? What do I look like?" / "Well get used to it, this happens sometimes."
what happens?
sheba will run into a member of the royal guard—all clad in their shining armor, far more well-funded than the corps and their fucking super french clown outfits. sorry. look at these. anyway, the royal guard will look her up and down judgmentally.
Luke definitely spends that much time hunting for answers, not so willing to leave these vague and highly concerning orders unexamined--but presumably he finds nothing else, so eventually he'll glance at the time and give up with a sigh. DID DAHUT ABANDON HIM or is he still here...]
Alright, let's get going. [It'll probably be fine, right? It's not like he's been feeling the warning signs of a coughing fit creeping up on him. Surely they can make it in time.]
[Dahut did not abandon his ass unfortunately for both of us, though he does look like he's ready to pop Luke's head off of his body by the time he finishes up and was probably yelling at him and hitting him with his clipboard for a good chunk of the time he was looking for things.
As Luke finally decides it's time to leave, Dahut immediately grabs his hand and pulls him into the hall.]
You'd better keep up or I'll throw you to the guillotine first!
[TIME TO RUN HE'S BOOKIN IT LET'S GO TUBERCULOSIS JOE.]
[yeah! seriously! what happens!! but she can't stop them and ask, because that would just draw attention to the fact that she's going toward the area they're moving away from.
also why are they dressed like that. nooooo.
anyway, sheba meets his gaze coolly (although, inwardly, she is steaming - but she does not want to cause trouble for the people she thinks of as family within the corps by throwing a tantrum at the first rude remark she gets, so she will refrain from throwing a childish fit for now) and crosses her arms.]
I may be short, but I'm capable. You had a request for the Corps - let's focus on that, shall we? There's work to be done.
instead of the bright blue screens and trails of cool-colored neon that run through every inch of the institute on a normal day, once dahut and luke exit they will catch that neon red glow in its place. like fluorescent blood running through the circuitry of the country's brain. it's silent. there isn't a single soul in the halls.
roll for coughs, you little shits.
but the royal guard member just huffs at her attitude. he doesn't seem convinced, but why would you want to convince this jackass of anything anyway! he'll just cock his head and give one simple order: "Follow me."
which will bring them further into the castle—but not toward the gilded, ivory, glistening halls. no, they make a turn and the beautiful scenery gives way to the smell of blood and misery. they're going to the prison cells.]
[I rolled a 17 but I give you full permission to strike him down anyway
Luke will lead the way, though--more alert now than he was before, his natural protectiveness kicking in. He frowns as he looks around, still searching for clues--anything to indicate what the fuck is going on.]
[AND I ROLLED A 20 OKAY you can also just ignore this sweeps it away
Dahut, on the other hand, is not looking around and trying to figure out what the hell is going on. He's saving that for another occasion, when they can think without the looming concern of being guillotined hanging over his head. FOR NOW he's just focused on booking it, hardly paying attention to the ominous red neon surrounding them.]
You'll like it even less if we don't get to the exit—!
[Actually, he recalls a short-cut that he'd taken once when he was running late to some meeting or another, so he'll abruptly start tugging Luke that way. Hopefully they fall through a trap door straight into hell.]
[once the jackass has turned to lead the way, sheba rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him. this is her compromise for not picking a fight with him.
but her expression turns more serious as she follows along and they make their way toward the prison. blood and misery? not great, but she steels herself against the stench and keeps her eyes peeled, taking in their surroundings as they head further in. any clues about what they might be in for along the way?]
[help just running straight for the coughs. fine then! i can't ignore dahut's entire fucking twenty, but i can mess around with luke's lil throat tickle that pixi has already been leading up to. his chest seizes suddenly, a pain that sets every inch of his body on fire. the convulsion is unfathomably painful, making it difficult for him to even take in the next breath.
dahut's shortcut will bring them into a different direction—but there's still no one there. not a single soul. five minutes.
as for sheba, the rattling of chains and a discordant group of voices await her up ahead. there's the gruff scolding of guards as they argue amongst one another. "why do we have to be here," one says but another just mumbles, "can it. i almost feel bad for these guys."
in front of her, she'll see a row of prisoners, linked together by cuffs at their hands. a young girl that she doesn't know, not in this life, is among their number. but perhaps something in the recesses of her mind recognize her—but not like this. not with a face covered in grime and scars littering her skin. in the line up, another man also waits, similarly in a horrific state. they're just two people out of a line-up of about seven prisoners.
the rude royal guard who brought her in turns to sheba: "We've got a different call to answer. Some stupid patrol we have to do. You're to bring these death row convicts to the Institute." ]
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alright you two stooges in the lab, enjoy your little fun and games. another scientist walks in at that point, a bright reliver mark obvious from their rolled up sleeves. they smile a little at the antics, though it doesn't reach their eyes. a facsimile of an emotion long gone.
"It's nice to see people still have fun," he says. "But you know what tonight is, right?"
meanwhile, with sheba, the person does look the right age to have succumbed to the curse. the body of a young woman, not even covered in a shroud, gets brought in the direction of the institute. a young man walks to her, laughing happily, "Yes, I'm just glad she's not in pain anymore! It'll be great to see her well again. We can finally get married!"
though there's not too much time to dwell on that. a familiar face, one of sheba's seniors in the corps will come rushing over to her, expression a little haggard. "Sheba. I implore you to take pause—there is an exchange I seek to make with you." ]
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Fortunately, his ageism TB didn't stop him from growing tall, so he just HOLDS THE VIALS UP HIGH ABOVE HIS HEAD!!! WHAT NOW YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!]
You would've noticed as soon as they fell on your head, and-- [Oh. Hello fellow scientist!!
...What is this guy talking about. Hm. Well, he doesn't want to look incompetent (he has big shoes to fill, after all), so he just nods as if he knows what's going on.]
Yeah. We've still got a little time, right? [Everyone knows researchers only keep track of time when it's relevant to their experiments]
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But also, he just cants his head to the side, looking between Luke and this dude like ???????]
Time for what? I have no idea what's happening tonight.
[Or maybe he does! Who knows!! CHAOS!!!!]
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married? once the woman is a reliver, will she feel the same way for him...? ...but she doesn't want to rain on his parade; he's clearly delighted by the idea. he continues on his way, and she turns to continue her patrol -
but then there's a familiar face.]
Oh, Piers! [that expression, though... her brows furrow.] Of course. What is it?
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"Yeah, I'd give it another thirty minutes! Luke, fill in, Dahut, okay? I have to run." luke is such a good liar. he's such a good liar that he's now going to have to gaslight both of them into figuring this out. the scientist gives a quick wave of his hand before departing, heading out of the lab!
piers looks serious as he reaches sheba, frowning.
"I received communication regarding a request from the Royal Guard—I do not know what they could seek from us, but we ought to answer so relations don't sour further. However, I also received direction from our Commander that will take me to Coene, not Cerneveaul. Could I ask you to take the former task from me?"
coene is on the outer rim of the island, far from the district that sheba is currently walking. both tasks certainly can't be done at once! and for however useless the royal guard has been in the past, they're the only true military might the country has... what's a girl to do?]
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Okay now that that guy is gone (and a tiny bit of tension drains from Luke once he is, because he's an excellent actor, but the idea of losing his emotions is, like, bad and a lot and also bad,,) Luke turns back to Dahut.]
What's going on tonight? [DON'T JUST ASK HIM WHEN HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW]
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Why are you asking me?! If you wanted to know, you should have asked the person that clearly knows!!
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but.
if they've come asking the corps for help - that does, on some level, mean that the royal guard is acknowledging their expertise. after all, why make requests if they don't believe the corps will fulfill them? and, honestly, it'll be kind of satisfying to hear those useless guards have to thank them for doing whatever their request is better than they could have.
so she nods.]
Sure... I can do that. But you owe me one!
[he should buy her dessert or something later.]
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but piers looks grateful, nodding his agreement.
"As long as your price is not too steep. Our meeting location by the castle, where it and the Institute align with one another. I've been told that you needn't worry about clearance this time... I'm not sure why, but it's a formality that's good to be without."
considering the fact that the institute is one of the most secure places in the country, needing badges and passes and authorization to even step inside... what a win, sheba! any other questions?]
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Ow--! [NOT HIS ACHING BONES just kidding Dahut's strength stat is still 2.] You know how that guy is... if I'd said anything, he would've been insufferable about it.
[JUST ASSIGNS LUKE BEEF WITH THIS NPC FOR SOME REASON as he heads over to the desk to see if there is any correspondence to give them clues... he can feel a tingling in his throat as he does, which is never a good sign, but he ignores it for now.]
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[Like being a BUTTHEAD who PICKS FIGHTS JOCKLY FOR NO REASON. Stop your alpha posturing at randomass scientists they aren't even doing anything. The most they lift in a week is their 12 oz water bottles to rehydrate during experiments like hamsters.
Anyway Dahut will also go open up their communications panel to see if there's anything in like the fuckin group slack or something.]
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[piers is one of her four favorite people in the world, so it's a relatively cheap price, all things considered. if it was someone else asking, the price would be much steeper.]
...no clearance, though? That's sort of weird... was there anything else odd about the request? Or should I just head right on over?
[whatever the answer - whether it's something else he's noted or just a "nope, nothing" - she'll eventually bid him farewell and start making her way to the meeting location! though she definitely gets a little more tense as she gets closer to the institute. there better not be any of those creepy researchers she narrowly escaped from around...]
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All researchers are to leave the Institute or remain within their labs beginning 30 minutes after sundown. Restrictions will be lifted come morning. Refusal to adhere to orders will result in termination at best, beheading at worst.
haha whoa how'd you miss this one
meanwhile, piers will look thoughtful.
"Aside from the fact that the Royal Guard called upon us at all... No, they didn't share anything. Thank you, Sheba. I'll be sure to get you the slice you seek. See you in the morning, be safe."
as sheba approaches cerneveaul, she'll notice it's... quiet. so very, very quiet. the lights of the institute are eerie in the evening, shifting to a vivid, neon red rather than the gentle blue cast that it normally emits. there's a few researchers milling about - distinctly heading away from the institute. well then.
though as promised, once she approaches the actual gates - that also means there's no one to check her for identification.]
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[UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.
But, ah--hmm. hMM. HMM!!!! Enough stupid banter--]
What the hell is this? I didn't hear anything about a lockdown.
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BUT YEAH GOOD QUESTION, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS.]
—You really could have gotten us killed! [LUKE. He won't whack him, though. Now he's just intent on packing up because frankly he has no desire to stay here and see what the hell would warrant a message like this. NOT TODAY, NOPE, NUH-UH.]
Hurry up and get your things together! We can ask about it later.
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the neon red lights are pretty ominous, but she's given piers her word that she'll handle this task for him, so she's not about to let the fact that they're freaky-looking scare her off. it's also weird that the researchers all seem to be leaving, and as she approaches the gates and they walk away from them, she'll listen carefully to see if she can catch any snatches of conversation.
but she doesn't linger by the gates for too long. she needs to get to the meeting point - where the castle and the institute align with each other - and so she carefully slips past the gates and makes her way there, figuring that if she just walks confidently and acts like she belongs here, no one will think to question it if she does happen to cross paths with them.
it's fine, right? piers wouldn't have asked her to do this if he thought she would be in some sort of trouble...]
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the snippets that sheba hears are both telling and not at all.
"I was just in the middle of an experiment—" / "Then why didn't you stay in the lab?" / "Until morning? What do I look like?" / "Well get used to it, this happens sometimes."
what happens?
sheba will run into a member of the royal guard—all clad in their shining armor, far more well-funded than the corps and their fucking super french clown outfits. sorry. look at these. anyway, the royal guard will look her up and down judgmentally.
"So the Corps hires kids these days? Yikes."
damn and he asked you for help]
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Luke definitely spends that much time hunting for answers, not so willing to leave these vague and highly concerning orders unexamined--but presumably he finds nothing else, so eventually he'll glance at the time and give up with a sigh. DID DAHUT ABANDON HIM or is he still here...]
Alright, let's get going. [It'll probably be fine, right? It's not like he's been feeling the warning signs of a coughing fit creeping up on him. Surely they can make it in time.]
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As Luke finally decides it's time to leave, Dahut immediately grabs his hand and pulls him into the hall.]
You'd better keep up or I'll throw you to the guillotine first!
[TIME TO RUN HE'S BOOKIN IT LET'S GO TUBERCULOSIS JOE.]
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also why are they dressed like that. nooooo.
anyway, sheba meets his gaze coolly (although, inwardly, she is steaming - but she does not want to cause trouble for the people she thinks of as family within the corps by throwing a tantrum at the first rude remark she gets, so she will refrain from throwing a childish fit for now) and crosses her arms.]
I may be short, but I'm capable. You had a request for the Corps - let's focus on that, shall we? There's work to be done.
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instead of the bright blue screens and trails of cool-colored neon that run through every inch of the institute on a normal day, once dahut and luke exit they will catch that neon red glow in its place. like fluorescent blood running through the circuitry of the country's brain. it's silent. there isn't a single soul in the halls.
roll for coughs, you little shits.
but the royal guard member just huffs at her attitude. he doesn't seem convinced, but why would you want to convince this jackass of anything anyway! he'll just cock his head and give one simple order: "Follow me."
which will bring them further into the castle—but not toward the gilded, ivory, glistening halls. no, they make a turn and the beautiful scenery gives way to the smell of blood and misery. they're going to the prison cells.]
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Luke will lead the way, though--more alert now than he was before, his natural protectiveness kicking in. He frowns as he looks around, still searching for clues--anything to indicate what the fuck is going on.]
I don't like this.
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Dahut, on the other hand, is not looking around and trying to figure out what the hell is going on. He's saving that for another occasion, when they can think without the looming concern of being guillotined hanging over his head. FOR NOW he's just focused on booking it, hardly paying attention to the ominous red neon surrounding them.]
You'll like it even less if we don't get to the exit—!
[Actually, he recalls a short-cut that he'd taken once when he was running late to some meeting or another, so he'll abruptly start tugging Luke that way. Hopefully they fall through a trap door straight into hell.]
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but her expression turns more serious as she follows along and they make their way toward the prison. blood and misery? not great, but she steels herself against the stench and keeps her eyes peeled, taking in their surroundings as they head further in. any clues about what they might be in for along the way?]
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dahut's shortcut will bring them into a different direction—but there's still no one there. not a single soul. five minutes.
as for sheba, the rattling of chains and a discordant group of voices await her up ahead. there's the gruff scolding of guards as they argue amongst one another. "why do we have to be here," one says but another just mumbles, "can it. i almost feel bad for these guys."
in front of her, she'll see a row of prisoners, linked together by cuffs at their hands. a young girl that she doesn't know, not in this life, is among their number. but perhaps something in the recesses of her mind recognize her—but not like this. not with a face covered in grime and scars littering her skin. in the line up, another man also waits, similarly in a horrific state. they're just two people out of a line-up of about seven prisoners.
the rude royal guard who brought her in turns to sheba: "We've got a different call to answer. Some stupid patrol we have to do. You're to bring these death row convicts to the Institute." ]
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