Central Building, 2:30 AM [Open]

[Chiyako]

Flashlight. I should get a flashlight.

It had taken her roughly half an hour of running, slamming into walls, stumbling, and finally groping about before she'd managed to make her way properly within the central building. Being able to see in the dark would have been quite helpful in this situation but, alas, she was no better than any other person. Her ears did provide her safety at least, and she was able to slip past a few others who had also managed to venture as deep as she had into the facility. Even so, she could have sworn at times that someone was following her. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her?

A grumbling of her stomach reminded her that she really did need food. Her cell mates had taken most of hers'. It was also a very much undesired distraction. How could she listen for more dangerous people if her stomach was constantly interrupting her? Getting to the food first was important, as others might try to hoard it. However she was good at stealing things. At passing through unnoticed. Unseen. No, that could come later. People were unlikely to eat literally everything available.

No, what was really important was protection. Protection and the ability to see. To navigate. A flashlight would be helpful. Night vision goggles? Even better! A baton? Only slightly useful to her, but a gun? A gun would go a long way towards ensuring her safety, even if she'd never actually used one before. The threat alone might be enough. By those measures even something like a knife might carry her far. The kitchens had those. Those and food. However her greatest tool for survival would require the removal of her collar. What she needed most of all, and what might carry the most power within the prison in this moment, were keys.

Where do the guards store things? Upstairs, right?

Finding the stairs were difficult. She had only been in here a couple of weeks. Once she had, however, Jijii was able to move rapidly up. The top floor was likely to contain what she needed. People of status typically housed themselves higher up, not lower, and those people were more likely to have the sort of access that she required. Stairs were also easy to follow up. Sure, it made getting trapped a little easier than being on the ground floor, but fewer people would probably venture up any time soon. They were more likely to seek out food. Or pleasure. Perhaps escape. Of course it meant the smarter ones might end up in the same area, and that was quite dangerous in its own right, but she could escape one or two people far easier than she could escape a dozen.

When she found the stairwells running out Jijii knew that she'd reached what was probably the top floor. An armory might be present. Would it be unlocked? Doubtful. She didn't have the tools to break open a lock either. Perhaps there might be a staff room, or lockers. More locks. Maybe batons, but firearms and knives were unlikely to be housed there. Useless for her. But there was one room in particular that she was seeking out, one which stood out even in her almost blind fumbling along the walls thanks to its intricate wood work door frame trim.

The prison warden's personal office. Not as likely to be locked, for who would be foolish enough to break in? There were bound to be cameras, even if they were maybe shut off in the moment. Prisoners were unlikely to get this far. But if anyone had access to the armory, or any place in the prison, or to their collars? Well, it would likely be them. Heck, maybe they would have a personal firearm in some drawer? A nice bottle of liquor to bargain with? Personal flashlight? She would take whatever she could in the moment.

A careful, quiet turn of the knob revealed that it was open. Blue orbs squinted as she stumbled in with the opening door, only to pause and turn. Very carefully, as quietly as she could manage, Jijii closed it behind herself. Fingers fumbled further up, seeking out a lock, and once it was clicked shut she let loose a hushed sigh of relief. It wouldn't hold anyone strong for very long but it would at least give her time to search, to hide, and a proper warning.

Okay! So far so good!

With a self assured nod the small pink creature groped her way along the walls, seeking out anything useful along shelves and, in one painful toe-stubbing incident, low tables! There were small statues, busts, trophies, and plenty of books. A coat rack with a coat, now her coat or, at the very least, something she could tie up to make a makeshift bag. She nearly spilled a few stacked glasses which had been almost out of reach. Behind them she discovered a thick bottle of what felt to be fancy liquor of some sort. This she decided to take with her. It might come in handy for bartering!

It wasn't until she finally reached the large carved desk, mahogany if she had to guess, that she started to find items more useful to her situation. Within the drawers were pens. She kept a couple of those. Loose papers and a notepad. The notepad she kept. Some sort of magazine. She couldn't see what it was but entertainment was always appreciated! A pack of gum, already opened. Jijii enjoyed sweets. A small, personal, handheld flashlight. Radio, hopefully with working batteries. Coffee mug, probably clean.

Yes! Oh goodness yes!

Keys! A couple of key rings linked together. Smaller keys. She assumed they contained the typical handcuff key that worked in most sets, but another smaller key might have belonged to the collars that they wore! There was a ring of larger keys as well. She had no clue what they might belong to. With any luck it would provide her with transportation or, better yet, some way to access some of the more useful rooms in the prison. Of course holding such items placed a huge target upon her back, but then if she could hide herself away maybe she would get the chance to choose who she would work with or, more likely, for.

With great haste the mouse spirited herself away beneath the desk with her small collection of goodies. The coat was buttoned up, the sleeves tied off, and the goods stored carefully within the bundled mess. More of a fabric basket. She had started to cycle through the keys, doing her best to unlock her collar when she paused and went absolutely still. Large ears twitched against the underside of the large furniture piece. She could hear movement out within the hallway.

Jijii was not alone.

[Warning]

Fonfon was following the mouse still but remained at a distance despite seeing her fumbling her way around. At least they were leaving the main chaotic spot... For now... Surely, it would catch up to the entire place soon or later. The dark was constant, which meant that it was not only a sector cut off for someone's amusement. Right now, the wolf was moving slowly on her soft feet. She didn't want to alert the girl too quickly. She didn't seem to see well in the dark and that meant that keeping a distance would make it impossible for her to spot her right away. She must have been looking for something, whatever it was, but she followed anyway. The wolf was having fun with it.

A part of Fonfon could have decided to help the helpless girl but this was a prison and not a daycare... While she felt like the mouse looked innocent, there were no ways to know how she would react. She would have seen her before but never approached her. The prison during normal times and now were two different things. Climbing the stairs after her for now proved to force her to be a little more quiet so her steps would not be heard. Even a single wrong movement could give herself away. The top floor is what the mouse was after? Unless she was completely lost and didn't know where she was going... It was hard to say but Fonfon would continue anyway, out of curiosity.

And then, the mouse opened a door and went inside... This would allow the wolf girl to approach closer but she remained close to the wall for now. The door was closed behind herself, surely manually by the girl. Not only that, the door lock could be heard as well. She was smart. To follow her, she would have to open the door as well and probably give herself away. Her eyes seeing in the dark did not give her the power to see trough walls. Even looking through some windows could prove difficult sometimes. That still didn't stop her from getting very close and peeking IF she could. If no windows were available, she would still try to hear what was going on behind it, in some way.

Soon after, Fonfon would inspect the door to see if she could either unlock it or break it open somehow but an unknowingly synchronized twitch of ears made the wolf freeze in front of the door as she heard movement. In her case, too late to run or hide and she didn't want to leave the mouse girl so easily. Especially if whoever was coming would be a threat to her. Fonfon may be a criminal but she was not heartless and a cute thing like Jiji probably would not handle a tough one. All she did at this time was turning her head in direction of the sound, her hands were posed against the door as she had been inspecting it and she had no intentions to move just yet. She watched.

Edited August 18 by Warning

[diogora]

Continuation from E Wing

Ao and Archer had been travelling together afterfirst meeting up at the E Wing of the Prison. Archer had called the blue-haired inmate 'Mr Nightvision', but he would soon learn that this wasn't the case. Ao couldn't see in the dark, but he was still comfortable in it. Since they made their move as soon as the doors had opened, he knew there wouldn't be any crap littering the floor that they could stumble over, but he still needed to keep his hand on the wall to keep himself walking in a straight line. Archer brought up an interesting topic however...what if the power didn't come back? "I can make us something edible as long as I can find the ingredients...but if you actually want to eat something good, we'll need some power. I can't cook without the proper equipment, so let's hope we find a generator, Mr. Handy Guy" Ao was seemingly both capable and willing to provide Archer with a meal, and perhaps he could even do so for other inmates. Not just any food, but a proper, cooked meal.

Archer posed an interesting question at the end, but Ao scoffed. "When faced with the threat of death, women and men are all the same. It's a kill or be killed world...I'm pretty sure everything's fucked right now no matter where we go" They then found what he was looking for though, a small office where they could rummage through until...there! Flashlights! Ao pocketed one for himself and got a bit closer to Archer for once to hand him one, but he would give a quick warning. "Let's not use them until we get to Central...We don't want to attract other prisoners. When we get there, let's look around a bit, see if the guards left us anything we can use" He was telling the truth, but at the same time, he also didn't want his companion to see the blood on him yet. It would be hard to explain.

Their travels were not fully uninterrupted however. They were near the Central building when suddenly Ao turned back and called out "Duck!" as he ran to Archer. Whether or not the man did as told, someone had snuck up behind him and would try to grab his shoulder with a soft "Mine now~" In the dark, it was hard to see if they were even male or female, but the voice suggested they were male, and the words and tone suggested they were here to 'claim' Archer. Regardless, Ao tackled them to the ground quickly and, without hesitation, threw a punch at their face. There was a small struggle when the other inmate reached for Ao's face, but the blue-haired inmate pushed his knee to the man's arm and pinned it down to the floor before throwing another punch, then another. He didn't move like a regular person. He knew what he was doing when fighting. Finally, while crushing and pinning their attacker's two arms under his knees, he reached down and clutched onto the man's neck, the attacker's legs flailing as he kicked his feet in retaliation, until he finally stopped, no longer breathing.

Ao stood up after a moment, his breath heavy, but luckily the darkness hid the trembling of his hands and fingers. "Let's keep moving.." His voice was still calm like before, but...a bit more shakey now, so he chose to remain mostly silent after the encounter. He didn't want Archer to see that...but he did say he would protect him for now.

They finally arrived! Since Archer had already seen him take a life, Ao grabbed their flashlight and turned it on, allowing for some visibility in the otherwise dark building. If Archer still wanted to follow him after seeing Ao's fists covered in blood, a splatter of red on his cheek, then Ao would not stop the redhead from coming along. Just like he'd mentioned prior, he wanted to look around for anything the guards might have left in store for them. Ao seemed to grow more cautious as he began to climb the flight of stairs though. He could tell something that others may not. He stayed quiet until they reached the third floor. One floor above them were Jijii and Fonfon, but before they could meet them, Ao raised a hand to signal for Archer to stop before they would go up any higher. For the sake of caution, he got close and whispered "We're not alone...I don't know how many there are, but I smell people upstairs.."

[Gardsorm]

"At this point, I'll take an instant meal from straight out of a can, and it'll probably be better than anything they've ever given to us. I have no idea where the generators are, how power is supplied and distributed throughout the facility... Right now might be an awkward time to try and figure those things out." Archer rubbed the back of his neck. He had to respect this one's sense of perspective though, he made it sound easy... Maybe it was. A lot of his pessimism stemmed from not knowing where anything was, and effectively being handicapped in the moment while they ran for their lives. Turning the power on now meant everyone would have a source of light. Everyone including the thugs fighting their hearts out in the Wings, and once they were done working through the riffraff, the next destination would be Central, where much of the useful things actually were.

"... Mr. Handy Guy, huh? Ordinarily I wouldn't do a thing without an offering of credits, but given the urgency of the moment, the fact there's actually good food on the line, and the idea that credits might not have any value right now, I guess I've got my work cut out for me right now."

How easy it was to say something like that... And yet, it was true. If they were animals over here on East Wing, he sincerely doubted West Wing was in any better of a state. At the least, all they had were themselves in the moment, and for now this one seemed trustworthy enough. He sure as hell wasn't going to bite the hand that fed him (perhaps literally if they stayed aligned for that long), so it was in his best interest to make sure that partnership lasted. Their journey took them ever further from the carnage at East Wing, and upon a small office... Far from what he wanted, but there was maybe something useful in here...

"Thank the stars, we've got... Oh, right. That's a good point." Wasting lights here was not a very good idea, not if they needed them to navigate Central easier. At least he certainly would, he was far less familiar with its interior than he was with East Wing. He keotbthe flashlight in his right hand for now, ready to move on from here and keep advancing on Central. It may not have been true freedom, but it was definitely the most safe place at the moment until trouble moved from the Prison Wings into Central. However, he recoil and snarled as he felt a hand on his shoulder, clenching a fist and preparing to jab his elbow. "Sorry buddy, but this ass belongs to two people. One is me, the other is not you!" He jabbed the elbow back, before he caught Ao's mention of 'Duck!'. He dropped low and rolled to the side, watching his fellow inmate tackle and swiftly work to neutralize the threat. It almost looked trained and practiced, but it seemed more like improvised street style combat. Whatever the case, both he and his ass were safe. For now.

"Huh... That might be the least violent death I've ever witnessed in life... Thanks for the save-" He had been sbout to speak a name, until he remembered he didn't know his name at all. Deciding to put a pin in it, he opted tobsilence himself and followed Ao into the Central Building, breathing a momentary sigh of relief. Things still sounded quiet here for the moment, which was about as much of a good thing as their situation would allow it to be. He wasted no time in turning his own flashlight on once he saw Ao turn his on, slowly moving down the hall, before he flashed the light at him. He froze for a few moments... He hadn't realized the man was covered in a bit of blood before this point, and he was sure there were no encounters before now.... He shook his head and hurried along after the momentary lapse of pondering.

"You look like you've been through the wars already... Got into a few scrapes before you met me back in East?" He was taking the sight of blood rather nonchalantly... Between that and seeing how he'd watched someone die a moment ago without much of a critical reaction, it may have been a safe bet that Archer was used to seeing lives be taken. Whatever idea resulted from that, however, perhaps Archer would not share any details on it as long as they were on uncertain terms. His footfalls attempted to be quiet, but he was far from someone who was light on his feet. Still, he followed his companion up the stairs, before he was made to stop. "You kidding me...? I thought we were the only ones smart enough to come this far... Unless... Wait. We didn't see any of the guys from East making their way here. You think... Maybe they're escapees from West? If so, I guess some of them were smarter than I expected... Still, we can worry about it when we get up there. If they stand in our way, we just deal with them... But if we can avoid a fight, all the better. Maybe there were some like us over on West, who just wanted to keep their heads low." 

After a moment, he stepped past Ao, holding his flashlight to his chest to keep the light hidden until needed as he advanced. "But if it's the guards... Well, it's been nice knowing you. Date with destiny's waiting, buddy." With that said, he proceeded up to the fourth floor, seemingly disregarding his own safety as he sought out the presence his companion felt he sensed... The light shone down the hall, and revealed... A girl? A girl with ears. Cute, fluffy ears that once more made him lapse for a second, before he cleared his throat. "... Ah, not... What I was expecting to find. What is up with this prison, did they just get a whole bunch of animal-themed people in here? ... Wait, maybe you can't understand me. Uh... Woof?"

Edited August 19 by Gardsorm

[diogora]

Ao wasn't exactly pessimistic, but he had a rather straight-forward way of thinking despite his caution. His thought process was often more simple than it appeared, so it made sense that he happened to make things sound easy when they really weren't. Ao did pick up on the fact that Archer mentioned he usually didn't work without being paid...Right, the credits. Ao hadn't been in this prison for long, so he didn't really have a lot of them, but would they even be of any use now that the prison was falling apart from the inside. "Credits might aswell be toy money now, but I can at least fill your stomach" he mentioned with a bit of confidence, hoping to convince his ally he was at least worth that much to stick around for now.

When they almost got snuck up on, Archer was quick to react to Ao's words, allowing the half feline to go on the offensive and make quick work of their attacker. Archer's description about the kill was quite accurate. While the bloody fists likely made the scene appear more gruesome, Ao didn't prolong the fight. He was quick with his actions and snuffed the life from his opponent without wasting a breath. He did not bother to make them suffer needlessly. When thanked, he gave a quick and simple "You're welcome" but after having taken that life, it was clear that Ao had become a bit less talkative. 

When Archer flashed a light at him, Ao's quick reflexes made the man raise his hand to shield his face from the sudden light, but slowly lowered it again after a moment "My previous cellmate wasn't going to let me walk out peacefully...so I had to do what needed to be done" he explained, knowing there was a chance Archer would not believe him as a stranger, yet it was the truth. At the very least, it was good to see his current company wasn't scared off by a bit of blood, but was he perhaps a bit too calm after seeing a life being taken? Ao began to wonder what this man had been charged with to get here. Finally, they reached the third floor and Ao warned his companion about the smells. Archer suggested they may have been inmates from the West Wing and Ao nodded his head, "Either they're smart, or they fought their way here in a frenzy...They could be dangerous in either scenario." he said, knowing a smart opponent was often times a bigger threat than a strong one...so he would simply hope a fight could be avoided.

For just a moment, Ao smiled after hearing Archer joke about their date with destiny, but then followed the redhead up to the fourth floor. Confident in his abilities, Ao followed him up, hiding his light until he saw the silhouette in front of the door. He shone his flashlight at the girl, also allowing Archer to see her more clearly. He was right...It was a woman, but more importantly, was she dangerous? Ao's eyes squinted as he focused on her, carefully watching for any movement she might make while Archer spoke to her, but his final comment left Ao's expression looking a bit...blank. Woof? What was this idiot thinking? "What happened to avoiding a fight?" he asked, since it could almost be interpreted as Archer taunting Fonfon. With his flashlight on though, anyone with a keen eye would possibly see his nostrils widen for a moment as he inhaled deeply, but only became more cautious after the fact. There was still more than one scent, but there was only one girl in front of them. Was the other person behind that door, or was this a possible ambush? "We're not looking for trouble. We know you're not alone though...Is someone in that room?"

[Warning]

Fonfon had watched the two come toward her yet she remained against that door for the time being. She knew she had heard them but she couldn't be sure if the one behind the door did as well. Not females... So the male side of the prison also found itself in chaos... While she cared little of their random conversation, her ears were listening sharply when she was addressed. Fonfon also displayed a small scowl, ready to make a move if she was forced to it. Yet her hands were scotched to the door for now. Even her tail was limp but her eyes glared at the two men. A part of her felt glad that she had followed the mouse but she didn't want to pick a fight with anyone, not yet...

Then the second human spoke and Fonfon's expression toned down a little but still frowned. If she spoke, she would reveal her presence to the mouse girl while she still tried to confirm her intentions. Fonfon wasn't there to hurt her, though. All the opposite, in fact... She could not stay silent for very long yet she just nodded to begin with before she would speak anyway. "Stay back... I don't know what you want but this girl is under my protection.", she warned them before she knocked on the door. "Hey Pinkie... I'm here to keep you safe so open the door to Fonfon, would you?", she asked without hesitation, as it was the truth. She didn't want the men to force their way.

Fonfon's eyes kept watching them anyhow. None of them came here by mistake. The mouse girl probably looked for something important and if she did, these men might be after it as well. A key, a tool or whatever else. Fonfon didn't really care about any of it. She hoped for the door to open but meanwhile, she spoke again. "If you want something in there, kindly wait for your turn... When she is done, you can do whatever you want as long as you don't touch a single one of her hair.", she warned coldly. With whatever was happening, she knew a little too well that someone could take advantage of a petite girl like Jiji. She was, in a way, protecting her kind by protecting her.

Edited August 19 by Warning

[Chiyako]

The first voice belonged to a man. It had always been a possibility, and it certainly was frightening to imagine what might happen if she was cornered. Sure, maybe they would be a little more kind than the other three who had molested her, but then that was a big maybe. Jijii knew the sort of vibe that she gave off to people. Small. Weak. Scared. Innocent, maybe? Helpless. Easily dominated. Not all of that was incorrect either. She couldn't focus on that now. Instead she focused upon the words. He found an animal person. Someone like her.

A second man. Same direction. Probably knew each other or, at the very least, were working with each other. Which one might be in charge? She couldn't tell. There were claims that they were not looking for a fight. Claims that the office was not empty. No, not even that. They knew that it wasn't empty. Could they see through walls? Unlikely, if the collars did to them what they did to her. Hear her? Also unlikely. She was keeping very quiet. Smell her? Maybe? Or perhaps they had been the one to follow her?

Then came a third voice. A woman. Right outside of the door. Probably the one she'd heard. Not any of her cell-mates. On one hand it meant that nobody who had been harassing her had managed to follow her. However she also didn't know this person. Despite their words, they could have been just as bad! More troubling still, they knew that she was a girl. That she was pink. A shiver ran along her spine. The only way they could really know that was if they could see in this blasted darkness! That or they could pick her out by scent, and for some reason knew her scent.

Fonfon. I should have learned more people's names. Which one was Fonfon?

While one finger brushed across her collar in search for a key hole the other hand massaged along the smaller key ring. Mentally she made notes of which were probably not designed for the collar. Handcuff keys were often pretty similar. The size was an important factor as well. There was no response given because, well, she couldn't. Besides, removing her collar was more important in the moment.

Ahah!

First to be located was the key hole. A few of the keys were also different. One by one she brought them up, tried to insert them into the hole, and was ultimately forced to switch to another. On the third try she managed to locate one that fit! A little testing wiggle informed her that it was indeed the correct key! She was about to unlock it too when she stopped.

If she ran around without a collar then it would become very obvious that she had the key. That would be dumb. Her ability didn't last long enough to take that sort of risk. Not here, anyhow. Perhaps if they escaped the prison, or at least moved to a larger area. Instead she decided to carefully remove the key from the ring and, after some hesitation, slipped it into her mouth. Tucking it beneath her tongue meant that it would go unseen and, more importantly, that it would be secured and unlikely to be accidentally swallowed.

Okay. Giving up the small one isn't a problem.

The larger key ring she pushed down against her tail, wiggling it and her hips to gently coax the object all the way to the base of her prehensile appendage! There it would be hidden against her body and within her clothes. Quieted by fur and cloth. Uncomfortable? Yes. It brought some heat to her cheeks. But it would be hidden unless someone decided to get very frisky with her, or tried to undress her.

Finally there was the issue of the smaller key ring, now devoid of a collar key. This she would carry curled against the tip of her tail. She would try to conceal it as best she could, make others believe it to be more important than it was. If they found her with no keys then it would be strange. A key ring from the warden's office? Well that would hopefully alleviate any curious minds.

Escaping is going to be impossible. If they break in here they will be unhappy, I think. A peace offering is a good idea. Maybe they will leave me alone?

From her makeshift coat basket she retrieved the large bottle of liquor. The rest of the goods she'd located were stuffed inside the coat. Both the neckline and waistline were tied off as best she could manage. Both sleeves were tied off together. A makeshift satchel was created, and this she slung over a shoulder.

With a reassuring nod to herself Jijii scooted out from beneath the desk and slowly groped her way over to the door. She paused when her fingers touched against the lock. Was this the best plan? No, it was the only plan. Fleeing would probably get her caught. Them breaking in would get her caught, and they would be upset. The fact that they didn't immediately try to break in, or make a move on her out in the halls, meant that she could maybe at least avoid getting beaten. Or worse.

A soft click informed those outside the room that it had been unlocked. The door was opened just enough for Jijii to stick out a hand. In it she held out a large ornate bottle of liquor. Her peace offering. Also a test. Who could see it in the dark? This would give her more information still.

[Kissa Deactivated]

[Deadline 3 days.]

4th Floor, Behind the Armory door

^It’s taking forever! Are you even trying?^ An annoyed reptilian man asked from a human who was kneeled in front of a steel reinforced door and was working on picking the lock. 

^You think you can do it better, smoothbrain? You want to give it a try then?^ The man asked in an equally irritated voice. A tall human man wearing eye glasses stepped in between the two.

^Take it easy! There is no need to start fighting among ourselves. It takes as long as it takes. While we wait we might as well do something productive. There are four of us here… How we are going to share what’s on the other side of that door?^

When he said four he didn’t mean four persons, but four groups. The Green Claw represented by six reptilian men, The Galliard represented by five human men, The Wildcats represented by not so surprisingly by six feline women and the Vanlith represented by five canine women. 

^Those who can take it all!^ Bhorso, one of the reptilians, whooped, already excited by the idea of a possible fight. The man with glasses sighed. It felt like the lizard people shared one functioning brain cell.  

^You mean we rush in and start killing and the one who is left standing gets it all?! I dig that!^ Rox, a neko woman, chimed in.

 

The Green Claw and The Wildcats were groups that could be considered as gangs. They were somewhat different from what old school mafia groups that both Galliard and Vanlith were. There was obvious tension between the groups and they kept a small distance between one another, staying on alert. Anjira and the Glasses exchanged a meaningful look. It was like they made a deal without words. 

 

^As entertaining as that sounds, we might want to make a longer term plan. What if this situation continues longer? We can’t go on a wild rampage here. We need to establish some kind of order and I’m certain we all want to be the ones giving the orders instead of taking them.^ The Glasses gave the others time to let his words sink in.

“We would share the prison among ourselves.” Anjira said aloud, having a feeling some of these idiots wouldn’t get it unless it was spelled out.

^Exactly. Those with the firepower will make the rules. It’s better we rule this place than letting some separate individuals do it.^

^What’s your great plan foureyes? You think the guards are never coming back and you are going to create some kind of community on the island?^ Alayne, a dark haired neko woman asked, challenging the human man’s opinion.

 

Amao smiled, unaffected by the neko’s words. ^At the moment we don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s better to prepare for something that might not happen than face it unprepared.^

^I want to lead this place.^ Gratu, the leader of the Green Claw gang said like he had thought it through thoroughly. 

^We will do so. Together.^ Amao assured. 

 

The groups stood on the east end of the fourth floor. On their sides were doors to an open office, a locker room and a break room. While they were waiting for Leo to crack the lock open some of them scattered to search the other rooms in hopes of finding something useful. Anjira and the white wolf Gina remained in the hallway. They could hear something breaking in the break room as three reptilians looted the place in the most uncivilized way possible. 

 

The group that stood behind the armory’s door had three flashlights. One of them pointed at the lock. A reptilian played with one like a kid, throwing it up in the air and catching it as it spun down. The third flashlight pointed to the hallway behind the group. The Green Claws weren’t smart enough to head here on their own, but unfortunately they had understood who to follow, so they had followed the Galliards. The men had met fairly little trouble on their way here. Galliards hadn’t needed to lift a finger as the bloodthirsty lizards had mercilessly murdered those who had crossed path with them on their way to the Central building.

 

The Wildcats had a tunnel vision and all they could think about was how they could get guns in their hands and the armory was the answer to that question, so they had started searching for the armory. Anjira’s group was the only one that had stayed behind for some time, to eliminate their biggest opposition in the W-Wing, the Rose Tribe. The Vanlith had lost one of their core members and two were injured, but the Rose Tribe was demolished for good. The canine ladies had drying blood splattered on their black and white prison clothes.    

 

Anjira herself wasn’t that interested in creating rules about ruling and such. Her objective was something different, but she went with the flow for the time being. 

 

“What you think is the motive behind all of this?” Anjira asked from Amao.

The white haired man raised the glasses on the bridge of his nose. ^At this point I can only make guesses… Maybe something unexpected happened outside and everyone had to go. Maybe this is some kind of experiment. Have you heard of johatsu phenomenon? People vanishing without a trace. It usually means a single person disappearing, most of the time of their own volition, but there have been mysterious cases where whole villages of people have vanished. There were half-eaten food on table, laundry on a line, TVs left on and other signs of people disappearing suddenly without a trace.^

^Quit with that! You are just trying to scare us with some ghost stories!^ Rox hissed.

^Is kittycat scared of silly stories?^ Carina, a blonde vulpeculan asked with a teasing smirk.

^I’m not! Shut up!^

“Take it easy.” Anjira stared at the two before returning her attention to Amao again. “I’m not familiar with that kind of thing, but I don’t think that’s what has happened here. This is all intentional. Whether it’s something that was planned from the beginning or something that happened because of unexpected circumstances is left to be seen. Anyway… This situation makes me uncomfortable. It’s hard to say what has happened, because everywhere we went someone might have been there before us, rummaging through everything so we can’t know what the original situation was. To me it looks like the staff didn’t run out of here in panic. It’s more like one shift left and a new one never arrived.”

Amao nodded. ^It feels like that. Not only that. There have been power failures before, but the locks didn’t open then.^

^Their order is weird.^ Carina joined in the discussion. ^First the lights and air ventilation went off and then the locks opened.^

[Kissa Deactivated]

[Deadline 3 days.]

 

In the Central building Celestine and Ingaril saw a group of people who seemed to be equally uninterested in attracting attention of those who had malicious intentions. These people were mostly elders, many moving slowly and more or less with difficulty. They were descending the stairs down to the underground floor and as the pair of fox ladies approached the group they could hear them chatter. There was barely contained glee in their voices. They sounded like a bunch of kids that were going on a trip. 

 

“Mrs Ynard, where are you going?” Celestine asked from a crocodile woman who was one of the last ones in the stairs. Her grey and fat lizard tail dragged on the floor behind her. Ynard didn’t see anymore that well, despite her glasses, but she turned to look in the direction of the voice and smiled motherly as she recognized the voice.

^Celestine. Is that you? I’m happy to see you got out of that madhouse unharmed. You aren’t injured, are you?^

“No. I and Mrs Fjall are okay. Are you unharmed?”

^I am, dear. We are going to the beach. The cars… Someone said the cars are down here, in the basement. It’s been such a long time from the last time I have been on a beach… It’s going to be lots of fun. I wish we had some snacks with us.^

^And some wine!^ Another woman added and the old ladies laughed heartily. 

^Would you and Inga want to join us? All the dangerous people are here, busy… doing what put them here in the first place. It’s safer at the beach. Perhaps we can make a little boat ride too.^ Ynard asked.

“We would love to come.” Celestine replied after glancing at the old fox to confirm she agreed with her.

 

The basement floor had no windows, so there was complete darkness and not even racial darkvision helped those who had it. The only light the group had was a small toy, Mrs Reina’s grandchild had sent to her. It was a plastic sea star that had a light inside it. The group waddled forward, trying not to stumble and break their bones. They were going in a reverse order than when they had arrived here.

First there was a narrow and long room with glass windows where they had sat waiting for the guards to take them to their section after the processing. After that there was the feared examination room where they were checked in case of trying to smuggle something inside the building. There were two doors in that room. One of them led them into a room that was, once again, a room for waiting and people had to go through a metal detector gate when entering that room. 

Finally after all those rooms they were where they wanted. In a garage. It was a huge hall where the bus used to transport the prisoners. and a SUV, the guards used on moving on the island, stood. The hall was empty, but there was a side door to another garage and from there the convicts found two more cars and an abundance of tools. From there they finally got some portable work lights and flashlights. 

They spread out to search for keys for the bus. Celestine heard how the others joyed over finding whiskey stash of one of the prison workers. 

 

^This is the good stuff! It’s over 40 years old!^

^We must savour it properly.^  

^I have never stolen anything in my life…^ Someone hesitated.

^Then it’s high time to cross that off of your bucket list!^ Someone else replied and they laughed freely.

 

Celestine smiled and shook her head in amusement as she went through tool boxes and such. As she was searching for the keys she found a multi-tool in its leather sheath. Maybe it would become useful at some point, the fox thought as she slipped the tool in her pocket. By the time the group found the keys they had looted some sturdy and warm work clothes, everything edible and drinkable they could find inside a fridge in the corner of the hall. Some took tools for self-defense, or just in case. They had emptied some tool boxes to carry their loot more conveniently. 

 

Old bald man named Elias had worked as a truck driver in his life prior the prison time. He was more than excited about the chance to drive such a big vehicle once more. The group began climbing inside the bus like little students on a school trip. 

[Gardsorm]

"What? I figured if she really wanted to fight when I stood here, she wouldn't have even given me the option to speak... Okay, maybe I was being a little unnecessary with the woof comment, but I was a little distracted by her ears." It was a bit of a lie, but they didn't need to know that chapter of his history yet. It almost felt like there was some lesson of punishment in this for him now, more than simply being sent to this prison for as long as he was. Still, there was some good parts... Namely, not everyone who seemed to be sent to this prison seemed to be the scum of the planet. At least not immediately... His company from East Wing certainly seemed friendly enough that Archer didn't want to busy himself with wondering why he was there at all. Everyone had their story, it was up to them how much of it they wanted to share, if any.

"So it was two girls after all... Alright, that's a little more of a relief. I guess we all had similar ideas for how to handle ourselves in this situation." Archer noted as he looked to Ao. He had to appreciate his fellow man being the more diplomatic of the two. His own experiences with women did not give him a favorable inage of them, so the less directly he had to deal with them, the better. "So, your name is Fonfon... And she's Pinkie? ... Those sound like nicknames, so I guess we're not on a name-sharing basis. That's cool with me, the less we know, the better." the redhead continued, turning to the side ajd leaning against the wall. 

"I have no idea how long it's been, but this is entirely too long without power or oversight. The rest of the populace probably enjoys the dark, but it's going to be back news for any food stores, let alone any other reasons we would need the power for. With any luck, whoever is in the office..." Archer trailed off as he heard the door open slowly. He flashed the flashlight toward the doorway, ready to pull Ao down Incase someone wanted to aim out and blind fire with a gun... But instead he saw a bottle. He couldn't see what it was from here, but he could at least tell... Someone had good taste. "Oh, wow, that looks good. I don't know who you are, Pinkie, but you already seem like a good person to me!"

"That being said, as much as I would like to taste it, this isn't a time to be enjoying ourselves. Right now, we just need things to defend ourselves with, help us find our way around... And in my case, I need schematics or a map so I know where the power station for this facility is. I can't do much of anything I could without power being returned to the facility. But we can't get in there because of your, uh, guard wolf girl? Fonfon?" He asked, looking to the girl in question. 

[diogora]

Archer explained why he'd addressed the wolf girl the way he did, although was it really the truth, or just an excuse he was coming up with on the spot? Fonfon seemed as cautious about Ao as he was about her. She was keeping her hands on the door though, and claimed that the girl was under her protection...so the other person he smelled was another girl? From the looks of it, it sounded like they were allies. The wolf girl they could see was Fonfon, and the ally hidden behind that door was Pinkie. Ao was gathering a bit of information, but little did he know that most of it wasn't really accurate. Archer suggested that they might actually be nicknames though, which made sense "Right...Since we're sharing nicknames, this is Mr. Handy Man, and I'm Mr. Nightvision" he said calmly. Did he actually have a sense of humor? He was using the dumb nicknames he and Archer had used on each other earlier, even if Ao didn't have Nightvision...but they didn't need to know that yet.

Fonfon was speaking to them coldly though, her words almost sounding like a threat. Of course, this left Ao on guard. If he could avoid it, he didn't want to find out if her bite matched her bark. "I couldn't care less about laying my hands on her. I'm looking for anything that'll help me survive this hell-hole...and if you care about her so much, you should do the same" he said, the tone in his voice a bit cold aswell, uncaring. He wasn't trying to make enemies, but he wasn't exactly looking for friends right now either, even if he appreciated the possibility of having allies.

Archer made a good argument about food. If the power was out, it would probably go bad if left unattended, but before he could finish speaking-

*Click*

The door made a noise, and after it opened slightly, Ao watched a small, pink hand stick out of it with a bottle of booze in it. Jijii had been inside this whole time, so the mouse girl probably didn't realize that Ao had a flashlight pointed at Fonfon. This meant they could all see the bottle, dark vision or not. Archer was actually ready to help protect Ao, something that wouldn't go unnoticed, even if Ao kept silent about it.

"Booze?" he questioned, not realizing she was trying to make a peace offering. Something wasn't right though. Ao started to move his head around a bit while taking louder whiffs of air through his nose to better discern the scents mixed in the air. Archer was speaking about finding schematics for a map, definitely something important, but Ao was starting to become filled with other concerns. He was getting slightly familiar with Archer's scent, having stuck with his companion for a little while now, and Fonfon and Jijii's were stronger for being nearby, but "There's still more out there...a lot of them too...Shit, it's not safe up here. Map would be great, but it's no use to us dead" he said before clicking his tongue and turning towards the stairs, preparing to walk away. Those with good ears, if they focused, would likely be able to hear the many voices somewhere else on this floor. 

"I don't know about all of you, but I'd rather not stick around to meet that many people...If they're dangerous, we're outnumbered, heavily...I'm looking for whatever food I can find before it goes bad, and then I'm getting the hell out of here. You're free to tag along" he said, not making the decision for them. This was potentially where some of the group could split up, there being the option to stay here and encounter Anjira, or head downstairs with Ao. The blue-haired man wasn't a risk taker like the redhead he'd been travelling with, so he wasn't staying. Would Archer come with him or take the risk? They didn't know each other well enough for Ao to ask him to come along. If Archer decided to stay to meet these people or scurry for a map, Ao would say "I still owe you a meal, Handy Man...don't die" before leaving. If Archer joined him, he at least had someone he believed wouldn't stab a knife into his back. Would Fonfon and little Jijii think it was safer up here where the voices were, or follow the cautious man that was Ao? Regardless, unless someone stopped him by force, Ao was leaving, heading back down the long flight of stairs.

 

Ao started to make his descent, but something he didn't feel great about it. Was anyone really going to follow him? He got to the third floor, but...what if there were any dangers on the way down? Would the others be alright? Were they capable fighters? "Damn it..." he muttered to himself, then climbed up the flight of stairs again, pointing his flashlight at Archer, then at the door. He would wait for a little bit...just to see if anyone would come along.

 

Edited August 20 by diogora
Quick change to not rush ahead of other characters

[Warning]

Fonfon waited patiently in front of the door, making sure no one approached. Even if Jiji was not going to open yet, she was there to wait. But with the two men trying to confirm their name, Fonfon felt a certain annoyance. "That is not a nickname... Fonfon is my name...!", she groaned a bit loudly before she sighed, taking the warning seriously. She only knew the mouse girl by her presence in the same prison section but there was no order in this place anymore, not at this moment anyway. The darkness was everywhere, as confirmed even by them. If she wanted to have some fun, she would first have to make sure nobody hurt her. This alone seemed like a fun thing to do...

If these men only wanted to find survival things and not harm them, it would make her job easier. It was tough to say who she could trust but she was going to keep her eyes open. Fonfon for now remained quiet, mostly because she tried to hear what was going on behind that door. If the girl was alright or not, scared, perhaps... Trying to hide...? It was hard to say. It would not take too long before that lock would be flipped to unlock the door as well, making the wolf see the door open, followed by a hand extending outside and presenting a bottle. The men noticed as well, identifying the bottle that was handed out. Fonfon's interest though laid elsewhere.

Taking this opening, Fonfon would kneel down then open the door a little but remained careful not to hurt the girl inside. "I'm coming in, Pinkie...", she said in a kind voice to alert her before opening the door enough to push herself inside with her, locking the door again. Whatever Jiji's reaction was, Fonfon would remain at her height and observe her without hostility, even putting her empty hand out in front of herself for her. "I'm here to keep you safe... Don't ask me why, I just felt like protecting a cute thing like you. I know you can't see well in the dark but you can hear me. I don't want to hurt you. Many will want to, though. I decided not to let them.", she said.

Fonfon would smile and wait for a response, if any, vocal or physical if Jiji touched her and decided to take her hand. She knew the men outside or the one man might or not stay there and others WOULD bash the door open if they would have to. Her own belly started to grumble as well, which made me wonder if the mouse girl was hungry as well. Whether Jiji approached or not, she would speak a little more. "You're small enough for me to carry you, I can be your eyes. I was thinking about going to pick some food but we have to leave now, perhaps with these two outside... We don't want to wait for the bad ones to come and find us.", she tried to reassure the girl.

[Gardsorm]

Trigger Warning: Violence?

===

"Tch..."

A man slumped against the structure outside, dragging his shoulder along the surface and leaving a long streak of blood. The hand dropped a few droplets as he looked up and around to survey his surroundings. The escape from East Wing has not been quiet at all, but he had the advantage of where he started... While most prisoners were confined to the first two floors, he was one of the 'privileged' few to be placed in solitary confinement on the third floor. Whether it was because he was being disorderly, or if it was for the sake of his own protection, he was the sole owner of a silent, forboding room that denied him the chance to interact with anyone else.

Perfect.

He moved forward again, ready to round the corner, and had to lean back before he got his face carved by a shiv. ^Been looking for you, Maxwell! No guns, no powers, no backup, nothing... So many want you dead, we're sure to get treated better if we bring your corpse to the right people.^ A tall, peach-skinned male remarked. From Lucas' flank, he could see a reptilian male with a screwdriver in his hand, the tip already bloodied from use.

"... How nice, Colon- sorry, Collins and Diego. I was sort of hoping your ilk would get swallowed up by prison life, but I suppose this is the kind of setting you would thrive. So, how do you want it, face, throat, or heart?" Lucas returned his gaze from Diego the reptilian male to the human Collins. The look in his eyes and the blood on his clothes marked him as someone who had already killed recently, and was not like to hesitate this time either. But he wasn't armed, while his opponents were. 

^Talking a lot of shit for someone in stabbing distance!^ the reptilian snarled as he dashed in and tried to ram the screwdriver into Lucas' side, only for him to back step and put one hand on his wrist. The second hand went behind the lizard man's head, surprise evident in his features as his forward momentum was now added by Lucas... To send him face first into the wall. The now-disoriented lizardman was helpless as Lucas guided his screwdriver-holding hand to his throat as he held him between himself and Collins. 

"Your move "

^What, you think I'm gonna care about some crook? You should have chosen your protection more carefully!^ Collins laughed as he raced in. Lucas should have taken the screwdriver, in his eyes, at least then he might have had more of a chance. However, the man was not quite ready for now... Disgustingly creative his foe could be.

"I was hoping you didn't, actually. Thank you." Lucas spoke coldly as he jammed the screwdriver into the neck of the lizardman, gouging a bit before he wrenched it free and twisted him slightly. The resulting blood spray sputtered out to splash into Collins' face, making him wretch, wince, and swing out wildly hoping to try to stab Lucas despite the blood in his eyes. However, he hit nothing but air before he heard something hit the ground, followed by a heavy kick to his back leg. Brought down to one knee, he felt his wrist grabbed summarily, before he felt something sharp push under his jaw... Straight up.

Through blood and distorted vision, the last remaining seconds of life that existed in Collins could witness the cold-hearted, malicious gaze bearing down on him like his soul was being consigned to a deeper level of hell. Lucas continued to force the shiv up, his eyes unblinking as he watched the life drain out from Collins' eyes before he pulled the shiv out. He gave it a testing swing and stab in the air, before he nodded, wiping most of the blood off on the now-deceases Collins' prison uniform. "Back to looking for a vehicle... The prison will be out of power, but the cars should still work. I can get far enough from the complex and... Figure out where to go from there." He spoke quietly, moving to navigate the outer perimeter of Central until he found the route to the garage that ran down to the basement. However, as he approached the vehicles, he almost didn't realize others were already there, nearly knocking something over as he tried to stay hidden.

Someone had evidently got here first... But those voices, they didn't sound malicious. There was a sense of joy and laughter in those voices, and... They even seemed to be mixed gendered? Nevermind the fact they sounded like they were getting along in the years. He breathed a quiet sigh as he realized they were just older people, ones who probably would have died in this prison if they stayed. He shook his head, beginning to quietly stumble toward the bus, unaware that there were others not quite as old among them...

Edited August 20 by Gardsorm

[Chiyako]

With the door now cracked open Jijii could pick up the faint sounds of others beyond the four collected outside of the warden's office. Groups. They sounded more violent. Scarier. Moving as a small team would at least provide some safety. It would allow them to cover each other's weaknesses. And Jijii? Well, she wasn't threatening. If they were going to focus on anyone it would be each other.

This might work? Pinkie. I suppose that is fitting.

They seemed nice enough. Their voices, anyhow. It didn't matter to her that they were men. Women could be just as cruel, as she'd come to unfortunately learn. Mister Handy and Mister Nightvision were to be their nicknames. She didn't know which was which. Before she could find out one of the two turned and started to venture away. He too was weary of the other voices, and he seemed to have a plan.

She was about to slip the rest of herself out when the other woman, the one named Fonfon, pushed the door in. This of course forced the mouse to back up or, rather, encouraged the reaction. She didn't want to get hit, didn't want to drop the bottle, and more importantly she was weary of, well, anyone getting close. It didn't matter how nice they tried to sound, or appear by lowering to be on her level. Sure, Jijii put on as confident a face as she could, but the faint trembling across her body was evidence enough that she was very much uncomfortable with the sudden turn of events. Most troublesome was the locking of the door behind the woman.

I don't like where this is going.

Plunged once more into darkness, Jijii took a few more steps backwards, only coming to a stop when she bumped against the desk. Fonfon was trying to reassure her that all was fine. She wanted to protect a cute girl. A compliment, certainly, but those were the same sort of words used by Kate. She just wanted to protect too! Or so she had said, anyhow. Still, there hadn't been any aggressive moves, save at least for the locking of the door, but even she could understand the desire for it.

But what if they are the nice ones out there?

The extended hand of possible friendship went unnoticed and unanswered. She couldn't see it in the darkness. Being carried wasn't a terrible offer. It would make it easier to get around. Quicker. But it would also leave her completely vulnerable to the whims of the woman. For that reason alone she could only really respond with a hesitant shake of her head.

Mention of food brought a faint rumble from the mouse's stomach, and heat racing to her cheeks which, thankfully, was concealed both by her fur and the darkness. Wondering if the woman could actually see her, Jijii simply pointed to the door and offered a single nod of her head. Leaving had been her plan. Preferably with at least one of the others. A third person was needed to really be safe. It meant people were more likely to hurt each other, and less likely to hurt her. Well, usually anyhow.

[Warning]

Quick Event

Fonfon observed the girl quietly in the dark, lowering her hand after a bit. "You really can't see, can you...? Very well, let's make for quick introductions... I'm moving closer." She said before she did get close to her by inches, smiling softly. If that didn't help, Fonfon would gently pick the girl's hands in her own. "Here I am. Nothing to worry about... We are not that different, you and I. Let me show you slowly..." and like this, she would guide the girl's hands to her head where her ears were. "Look, Pinkie. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so before you even reached this room... All I want from you is a hug, deal...?", she kindly told the mouse. "My name is Fonfon..."

Right now, she did not expect any answer from the girl. She seemed pretty quiet but she would see it if she moved. Besides, she was at only a few inches of her to make sure she could see her or feel her however she wanted with her hands. "If you're worried about being vulnerable in my grasp, I have another idea for you...", she told her and moved to stand up and pet her head then turned around and rubbed her with her tail. "Grab my fluffy tail, squeeze it if you must... All you have to do is follow me. I will keep you safe and bring you where you like. No tricks." she told her, hoping Jiji would agree with it so they could both get out of there together, safe and sound.

[Chiyako]

It was true. She couldn't see in the dark! But the fact that this woman knew so confidently meant that she could see. It was probably how Jijii was stalked, as she would soon learn. Fonfon could see clearly enough within the darkness that plagued this place. Very useful. Also very dangerous.

Large ears twitched as the woman moved closer. It prompted one of the mouse's feet to scoot back, bumping against one of the legs of the desk behind her. Nowhere to go. A moment later she felt hands enveloping her own, even as she continued to hold the bottle between herself and this new person. As her hands were lifted she released her grip with one, allowing the non-bottle hand to be drawn upwards. Digits brushed against a fluffy ear, confirming what she thought was happening.

A hug? That is how it starts, usually. But a hug for safety is an easy deal.

Her head nodded once in response. A hug. But she heard one of the others outside departing. She was also hesitant about actually paying the fee. Thankfully the woman extended a peace offering: a lead in the form of her fluffy tail! Jijii liked soft things. Fluffy things. She knew the weakness that such appendages could pose. It would allow her to move safely through the darkness too.

This time she offered a single less hesitant nod of approval. Her hand groped around carefully within the darkness and, upon finding the tail, very carefully grasped on. The bottle, for the moment, was stuffed within her makeshift satchel of goodies. Then her free hand extended, pointing a finger to the door. They would need to hurry if they wanted to keep up!

[Warning]

Fonfon smiled to the mouse girl once the deal was done. But the hug would have to wait. More importantly right now, she waited for the girl to grab her tail. "Don't be afraid to hold it tightly... Play with it if you like but we have to go.", the wolf said, petting the girl very gently, minding the ears very carefully. Fonfon kept an eye on the girl and when she saw her point a finger to the door, she nodded. "Understood... Let's go. If something dangerous comes up or scares you, come around me..." She said then started going, waiting for the girl to follow, pulling on her tail or anything if she wanted to give a signal. She would keep an eye on her for hand signs, too.

Fonfon then unlocked the door and opened it, coming out first to see if any danger to Jiji was around then she would walk out with her, assuming Archer "might" be there still. If he was, she would approach him carefully with Jiji. The time they spent in the room was barely one or two minutes. She tried to perceive with her eyes if the other one was still around or if she could hear him or anything. Her eyes for now checked on Jiji as well, to know if she had a direction to propose too. Her own belly started to grumble again and this wasn't pleasant. Nobody was going to feed them this time, she was on her own but she would also find food for the girl if she had to.

[Gardsorm]

"You're gonna stick to that nickname, huh? Well, time will tell how handy I can be, I suppose. It's easy to talk up a bit game, but I need the chance to actually show what I can do, and unfortunately that isn't going to happen around here." Archer could only give a half-hearted chuckle with a shrug of his shoulders. Shooting the breeze in a dangerous situation like this helped to take the edge off of the moment, but it wasn't rise to remove the whole thing. There was no telling how trustworthy Fonfon and her friend Pinkie were, but he could at least see one of them was protective of the other. Sure, it came off a little odd, because if she was actually protective, shouldn't she have been inside and not out? However, it wasn't his place to ask... But he did notice how unusually quick she was to push her way into the room, and lock it behind her.

"... I seriously hope we didn't just get played and now they locked themselves in the room." Archer mumbled dryly, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt while he looked to his companion. "Getting out of here would be smart, I agree, but I can't exactly leave yet. If you want to bounce, feel free though, I won't hold it against you." He gave a nod and a smile. "There's bound to be something useful in the office that they wouldn't have thought to look for, or something that may prove more valuable to me than it would be to them. Someone on this island has to look into the circumstances as to what happened here. This is either the biggest accident or something more sinister in the making. But you don't have to worry about me." He gave a slight wave to Ao.

"If I die, then the meal wasn't meant to be. Besides, more for everyone else, right? Keep yourself alive, man." He gave a final nod, before his friend left, leaving him in relative silence for several moments... Before the office door opened. He turned to look at the other two, realizing 'Pinkie' was an adorably tiny mouse girl. He was wistful for but a fleeting moment, before he looked down the hall. 

"The other guy left, if you're worried. He felt there were other presences closing in, so if I were you two, I'd hurry and catch up with him. Safety in numbers, and I'm pretty sure he's the nicer one between me and him. Stay safe, and... Eh? You came back?" Archer paused as he looked to the returned Mr. Nightvision, before he laughed quietly. "Still worried about us? Well, good that you came back. Guide these two down the stairs as quietly as you can and get far away. The outside of the prison might be safer for now, especially at one of the distant landmarks from the Prison. As for me, ive got to rummage." He would wait for Fonfon and 'Pinkie' to move by, before he approached the office. "Let's see where our fortunes leaves us tomorrow, yeah?" With a last wave, he moved to quietly close and locked the door for the time being, breathing in a quiet sigh of relief.

"This place... Really is trying to make me live with the consequences of my actions, isn't it? Suppose if I die, it'll make the original verdict stick." He whispered quietly, setting on rifling slowly through desks, drawers, cabinets, anything that looked like a map of the facility or a diary. A potential weapon also wouldn't have been forgotten, if at all possible. However, his greatest focus was on something to help him navigate Avonmore with less trouble. "Maybe even a shift log to know how these things work, keys to something useful... Come on, there has to be something still valuable here..."

[diogora]

Ao showed a small smile when Archer commented on their nicknames. Yes, believe it or not, this blue-haired fellow could also smile sometimes on top of making jokes! Unfortunately, after the door opened to reveal the small pink hand, Fonfon snuck inside. Ao was still alerted by the scents however, and had suggested they get out of here, quickly. He'd hoped his redheaded company would come with him at least, but he decided to stay here and look through the office for anything that could prove useful...making Ao show yet another, small smile. "I'm not sure if you're brave or an idiot. I'm still counting on you to get power back to the island though, so...I'll be rooting for you, I guess?" he said, not that great when it came to giving a pep talk.

They exchanged what seemed like a final goodbye when they told each other to stay alive, Ao leaving for a brief moment...yet he grew a bit worried. Sighing, he made his way back up the stairs and, honestly, looked a bit embarrassed when Archer laughed. After their goodbye, it definitely felt silly to come back, looking away when asked if he was worried. He was, but was it about them, or was it about himself? Still, he pointed his light over at Fonfon and Jijii, the feline man seeing the small mouse in full for the first time. Archer called Ao the nicer one, but whether that was true or not, Ao's sharp eyes and the bit of blood on his knuckles and his cheeks might make him appear a bit more frightening than he was. Despite that, he made an effort to soften his expression so as to not scare the small thing. In contrast to him, Jijii looked extremely frail, making him wonder what a girl like her had done to end up in a place like this. If left on her own, would she even be able to stay alive for more than a day? He nodded to Archer's words when told to head down quietly. This would be his actual goodbye with Archer, for now. Perhaps these two would reunite again in the future, he hoped.

Either way, Ao looked back to Fonfon and, who he thought was named Pinkie. "We should head down before the crowd reaches us...We might be able to grab something to eat if they have some storage all the way downstairs. We grab what we can and find a way outside if possible. I can cook for you, but I need your help" he told them. To put it in simpler terms "If you watch my back, I'll watch yours. We'll be safer if we stick together."

[Kissa Deactivated]

When Maxwell approached the open garage door he might notice several cars parked outside. They were average sedans with a couple of SUVs and vans in the mix. They were used by the staff to move on the island. The night sky was clear and starry, so there was clearly more light outside than inside the building. 

Before the man managed to haul himself up in the bus the elderly convicts noticed him, more importantly the blood on his clothes. The fact that he wasn’t old and feeble made them wary and the blood increased the effect.

 

^Are you alright young man?^ Badger man whose fur was more grey all over than black and white asked, keeping polite and cautious distance to Maxwell.

^Some is hurt?^

^Oh dear… You are bleeding, aren’t you?^ A bird woman with a thick southern accent gasped. 

^Is there someone with you…?^ Someone else asked, peering in the darkness outside the garage from behind the corner of the bus.

^Medic. Medic! We need a medic here!^

^Ssh you! Where do you think we are going to get a medic here? The staff is gone!^ A grumpy cat hissed. ^You are going to call all the troublemakers here if you keep howling like that.^

^Wait. I know a girl who was a doctor. I go get her… Just wait here.^ A rat aunt said and waddled inside the bus a little faster than a running turtle. 

 

The human could hear a fuss inside the bus to the outside. Then he could see a feminine figure standing in the dim light of the bus' ceiling lights. The vulpeculan he saw wasn’t a girl, but an adult woman. Her prison uniform was loose fit, but it couldn’t hide her grand posture nor her definitely noticeable curves. Her hair and fur were smooth and silky like she had been using the most luxurious beauty products. The beauty of her face was hard to compete with. Her features were refined, her lips pale pink, her skin flawlessly smooth and her big eyes had the kind of deep blue one could drown. The way this woman carried herself elegantly and with grace revealed how she was a high class woman. One who was so high in society that under normal circumstances trash like the prisoners here should feel grateful if they even got a chance to lick her shoes. 

Celestine looked down at the redhead human and stepped down from the bus. “Evening. I’m Doctor Deschantes. You are in good hands, so relax. What’s your name, mister?” The white fox asked as she approached the man, grandma fox and lizard following her closely. One was carrying a first aid kit from the bus and another one had a flashlight. Celes went into a work mode like it was an old habit. “Where does it hurt?” The vulpeculan’s voice sounded pleasant and professional. 

 

She could notice that the man’s arm was bleeding. “Is that the only place you were hurt? Can I take a better look?”

^You heard her, boy!^ The grey lizard said with a bossy sound and shone Lucas with the light. ^Take your shirt off.^

[Gardsorm]

"Strange, the vehicles are still here, but the staff... Just up and vanished. If this is how they get to and from the island's dock, why aren't these at the docks or elsewhere for staff change?" Lucas muttered quietly, looking over the vehicles for a few moments to see if they had been disturbed recently. Chances were that the others further into the garage wouldn't be able to notice him out here in the evening sky unless they had a flashlight... But he couldn't spend too long looking at them before he needed to approach the bus. They were planning to depart on. Maybe he could hide for a bit in the back and they wouldn't raise too much of and- Crap... So much for that. Lucas froze as he was addressed, sliding the shiv just a little bit up into his sleeve to not give anyone cause for concern.

"... I am fine for now, thank you." Lucas spoke with a sense of distance and dismissiveness in his tone to try to dissuade them from asking questions... Instead, they all seemed to be approaching him and pelted him with questions. He could already feel exhaustion setting in as he looked left and right at the others. This wasn't a threat on his life, so he had no reason to threaten them to keep their distance... Despite what kind of person he was right now, he had no reason to come out swinging toward them. It still enervated him, though.

"It's not all my blood, if that... No, that just makes this worse." Lucas moved his free hand to his face to rub it. Why did he have all the luck to find the most inquisitive group of elderly people on the island? Someone even began shouting for a medic, as he raised his hand to try and silence them before they called over trouble. Calling for a medic on a situation at a time like this was more likely to call over organ harvesters to take you apart limb by limb until you were either food, or money for processing. "Please do not get a girl involved with my... Is anyone actually listening to me?" He exhaled an audible sigh, hanging his head as exhaustion settled in his shoulders and made them hang.

However, when he looked toward the bus to see what kind of 'girl' they were going to get to work on him, he didn't see a girl at all. He didn't understand how this fox woman even qualified as a girl to them, but perhaps it was a matter of their age making everyone else boys and girls to them. Between her posture and style, Lucas could tell she was probably a victim of false criminal charges putting her here, at least at first glance... But everyone always had certain depths to then. There was a certain irony in that notion to the red haired male, but the less he thought about it, the better. Whatever the case was, this was apparently going to be his medical assistant, and he was a tad speechless in the moment.

"... My name is Lucas, if that will suffice for now. It doesn't particularly... No, my right shoulder. Two slash wounds." Lucas spoke, turning his shoulder forward slightly to show the lacerated cloth a bit. That would have been all there was to deal with, but things became awkward when... He was asked to take his shirt off. He couldn't see the logic to it when he could just rip the sleeve off and expose his shoulder to her... But removing the shirt meant he could use the shirt again, and it was still evening. He had no desire to contract a cold or some other weakening sickness due to being underdressed, even from a sleeve. "... Fine, just... Give me some space. Do try to hurry this up, too, if possible." He rolled his eyes and closed them as he pulled his shirt up and over his head, keeping it in his lap. The shirt didn't make him seem like much, but without it, the fox woman and compsny could see the contoured lines of his chest and abs, as well as the toned build his body had. Was he some sort of fighter, or did his occupation necessitate a rigid but balanced body build?

It could have been worse... At least they didn't ask him to remove his pants.

[Chiyako]

Soft.

It took every bit of self control not to simply rub and fondle the fluffy tail. That would simply be too distracting! Also rude. Very rude. She wouldn't appreciate other people doing that to her, after all. Nor would she appreciate people randomly messing with her ears! Or patting her-

Hey!

Heat rushed again to her face as a hand patted atop her head. Jijii's hair was unexpectedly silky smooth and soft, as was the fur covering her body. Kate had forced her to keep nice and tidy with smuggled soaps. One of the few perks of being someone else's plaything, she supposed. At least the darkness concealed her embarrassment. That and the fur. Too much would show through, but this wasn't too much. It was just a little demeaning.

When they finally exited and she heard Mister Handy's voice Jijii raised her free hand and meekly waved in the man's general direction. Be kind. Polite. Underwhelming. This would allow her to survive. Ears twitched when she heard someone approaching, head turning in the general direction of the one approaching. It was Mister Nightvision!

He is staying? That doesn't seem safe. I already grabbed everything useful, right? Did I miss something? Keys. More keys. Collar key. Liquor. Magazine. Flashlight. Coat. Gosh I hope I didn't miss a gun.

Alas, she could not really tell the man. She waved a hand, hoping to get the man to follow her, but soon enough the door closed and locked behind her. Jijii felt bad for him. Maybe it was just his voice but he did seem nice. Alas, this was one of the burdens of her disability. She could only hope that he would remain safe.

When Ao's light was turned upon her the small pink mouse briefly winced and turned somewhat away. She had been within darkness for long enough for the sudden brightness to be somewhat disorientating, if only for a moment. Once she eventually recovered and set her gaze upon the man Jijii grew somewhat worried. He was quite bloodied!

He isn't trying to jump us or anything. Maybe it will be okay? It's probably best to be on his good side, I think.

At Mister Nightvision's words Jijii nodded in both agreement and approval. Stick together. Watch each other's backs. Head down. Get food. And, hopefully, escape! She was prepared to follow, making her way over with tail in hand. Now she was doing the guiding towards the light! Carefully, of course.

[Warning]

Fonfon watched the one man warn them of the danger, telling her to follow the other who... Apparently came back to him. She wouldn't say a word yet, letting them exchange words only for one of them to lock himself in the room where they were. Her eyes looked at Jiji before she looked at Ao next. He told them of working as a team but that was if she could trust him. As soon as he spoke of food, though, she was interested. Both for her sake and Jiji's. With the fact he could cook, why not? But then he asked for her help, which made the wolf tilt her head lightly. A deal of protection so they can watch each other's back. There was barely any time to argue.

Her eyes looked at Jiji again, the silent mouse of the party. The wolf would value her opinion but she would do what she can to not send her into a trap. Jiji looked confident, to say the least, even starting to move while holding her tail. Something about this made her heart melt, giving her a smile as she moved along with her. "You're right, I didn't want to stay around for anyone else to find us anyway... But mostly, find her. You feed the both of us and I'll watch your back but understand that I'm going to do all I can for this little one. She seems to not mind you so let's go with it. I'll keep her at tail's range and watch our behind.", she said, agreeing to his plans.

The expression by itself was cute but true. She wanted Jiji to keep a hold on her tail so she could know where she was, depending on if she turned to a side of her or another. Her tail wasn't an easy one to hurt anyway. Fonfon explicitly told the mouse that she could even squeeze it if she wanted. She didn't really believe that someone like her could hurt it easily anyway and it was long enough to give Jiji some space to move. For now, she would follow the man with her, keeping her eyes and ears sharp for sounds and potential presences in her line of sight. A prison without any limits was a bad place to be, even for herself. There were some threats out there.

Edited August 21 by Warning

[diogora]

The little mouse remained silent, it seemed. Ao watched her calmly for now. Did she not speak because she did not want to, or was there more to it? Despite the lack of words, the small girl made her intentions to follow him clear, so Ao looked to Fonfon to gauge what her response would be. Unlike the mouse, the wolf was vocal. She seemed a little more cautious about him, which he couldn't fault her for. He would have been more concerned if the blood on him hadn't made her cautious at all. Someone like her could surely make it out of a scuffle if they ran into trouble. With all that being said, they would come to an agreement. "You seem close" he pointed out calmly. From his perspective, Fonfon had been talking like they knew each other, and Jijii trusted her enough to hold onto her tail. Little did he knew that they were as much of strangers to each other as he was to them.

Jijii had started to move and Fonfon seemed to follow, so it was time to go. He gave one glance over at the door, considering if he should drag the Handy Man down with them by force, but the risktaker had made his own decision. "Let's go. If anyone else gets to the food before we do, things will be more complicated" he warned, since he could imagine the prison becoming a warzone for ressources soon enough. He would point the flashlight back down the staircase to begin leading the way. His destination had not changed at all. He was going down to the basement in search of a storage room. Little did they know there were people down there too, outside an open garage...not the dangerous looking sort at least. Still, while he walked with a bit of haste to make it down quicker, he didn't rush to the point where Fonfon and Jijii wouldn't be able to keep up with him. 

[Chiyako]

I suppose I should be used to this by now, huh?

Fonfon wasn't the first to treat her differently, nor could she really be blamed for it. Jijii was small. Petite not just because of what she was, but just in general. If she had to guess it was probably due to the general lack of nourishment across her life. She was pink, a color not really known for being fearsome. The opposite, in fact! And then there was her inability to speak. It was the neat ribbon which tied together the whole 'so weak and submissive that she totally wouldn't harm a fly' look. A cute label. While a pleasant compliment it also meant that others tended not to take her very seriously, but this too could be an advantage. Nobody was going to consider her a threat. But it also meant others were more likely to try leading her around.

I guess it protected me from Bertha. Somewhat. Also fluffy tail!

The comment about them being close drew a brief glance from the mouse. That and a slight tilt of the head. Also a brief shrug of her shoulders. It did appear that way, didn't it? But then he had seen the woman locked out. She was partially confident of that. Then again her trusting the woman enough to leave, to keep at tail's length, was enough to forgive the man's misconception.

With the three decided upon a course their little crew ventured carefully down the stairwell. Large ears twitched this way and that as she tracked noises. They were getting quite a bit more prevalent the lower they went. Thankfully she wasn't alone for this. Mister Nightvision and Fonfon both were able to cover things that she could not. There were a couple of prisoners and a small group which, with their combined capabilities, were detected and avoided. A majority of the prisoners also appeared to still be within the wings. While they were quieter Jijii chalked that up to most being either exhausted, unconscious, or dead. Recovery time would be needed. This was going to be the only period they had left to move somewhat safely through the central building.

Upon reaching the prison's basement their original plan had been to raid supply closets for food. They had been starting on one when Mister Nightvision detected a larger group. Jijii filled her makeshift satchel with whatever she could carry and, still half-guiding and half-guided by Fonfon's tail, followed the man to the garage. It was a rather large space and, strangely enough, still contained multiple vehicles.

I wonder if the larger key ring has any of these.

More importantly the crowd was spotted collected around a bus. As they snuck closer the lights revealed the old hunched over figures of the elderly, a half-naked man, and a rather gorgeous fox woman. Were they planning on leaving? Could they do that? Blue orbs shifted between the crowd and her two companions. Perhaps following the crowd was the best option they had?

They seem nice, at least.