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Post by jarahamee on Sept 30, 2023 23:53:55 GMT -6
It is Halloween night. You step out of your dreams and into a strange world. Your mind is fuzzy, but you imagine, this is what the world was like when you did not know about the existence of magic, or perhaps when you imagined what it might be like to embody an ordinary man or woman. The city is alive. Adults follow children in brightly colored costumes. Decorated houses line the suburban streets. The air is chill and crisp with the scent of fall. But that is not where you are going. Whether by compulsion, or by your own free will, you find yourselves drawn into the front doors of what seems like an office building. As you gaze through the window, you see the interior of a place well past closing time. To your surprise, you find the automatic doors in the front open easily, though once you step inside, the doors lock with a soft click. This large room is a flat beige color, lit by large, yellowish circular lights attached to the ceiling. A retro-style couch and some brightly colored plush chairs provide a seating area for visitors. This place appears entirely deserted, apart from you. There is a faux oak reception desk directly across from the entrance, with three empty receptionist chairs. A screen to the left of the door behind the chairs says, “Welcome to BioCel.” Bland, vocal less versions of pop songs play over the speaker here, apparently on loop. There are three doors. There is one to either side of the desk, and one behind. They all appear to be controlled by electronic locks to the right of the doors. The door to the West is labeled “Security Office” and the door to the East is labeled “Design and Development.” The door to the North is labeled “Lounge.” Attachments:
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Post by MP on Oct 1, 2023 0:28:12 GMT -6
[OOC: Faith finds a keycard at the desk and tries it on the West door to the Security Office. She would like to speak to Abby's manager. ]
Faith couldn't put her finger on exactly what she was waiting for. An appointment she'd scheduled? An interview? Her thoughts glossed over the unimportant detail. What she did know was that the desk was unmanned - inconvenient. Irritating.
She waited as long as was proper by the tacky little couches, frowning at the grating melodies. Others filtered in, but none of them looked like employees. If BioCel was going to have visitors, they could at least make sure their night staff were available. It was a wonder the receptionist kept a job.
Finally out of patience, she stood and strolled to the desk herself. There was a keycard lying on the desk - Abby Sinclair: Receptionist. After another impatient glance and a mental note to give Sinclair a piece of her mind if she ever saw them, she picked up the keycard herself. Security should be here at least. She'd let them know she was here, smooth things over, and get where she needed to go.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 1, 2023 0:35:35 GMT -6
The keycard area for the Security Office door flashes red and makes a soft honking sound. It does not open.
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Post by MP on Oct 1, 2023 0:46:13 GMT -6
[OOC: Faith tries the North door. They must all be slacking in there. ]
Unbelievable. She narrowed her eyes at the handle as if it was personally responsible for its company's failings. Then she turned and, after scanning the labels, tried the Lounge door instead. If they weren't at their desks, they were probably taking a break, watching their phones or something just as stupid.
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Post by indeath on Oct 1, 2023 5:09:08 GMT -6
((OOC: Grim wonders how he ended up in a fancy building. Recognizes Jonny and asks him important questions. Is suspicious of sexy homeless guy.))
Malvin just stared for a moment in confusion, trying to work out why the heck he was here. Did he owe someone here money? Had he accidentally clicked a spam link he wasn’t aware of, had he unintentionally signed up for an experimental treatment? He’d considered plasma donation ages ago, until he’d seen the size of the needle. It definitely wasn’t an orgy but the weirdest thing was he didn’t feel drunk. He sighed in relief as he recognized Jonny standing nearby. At least there was one familiar face. He shuffled closer to the kid, leaning in and whispering conspiratorially.
“Sooo… those cameras were definitely not working last time we… *you know*. Right?”
He eyed a surprisingly attractive homeless guy. Had that guy done them in for some loose change? You couldn’t trust the homeless they had eyes everywhere.
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Post by beastly on Oct 1, 2023 5:40:37 GMT -6
((Jonny is 99% sure they are in an escape room. He tells Faith to try another door(even though she is already doing that)and he himself tries the couch cushions and chair cushions.))
Jonny scratched his head as Malvin spoke to him, trying to remember what he was doing. ...An escape room! That was it. Right? Right. His eyes drifted over to the security cameras. He was filled with an irrational hatred.
"The cameras are how they keep an eye on you in these things, Mal."
He glanced at the lady with the keycard. She had the right idea. It had beeped angrily at her though.
"Maybe that's for another door," Jonny called over helpfully, then looked at Malvin again, "we gotta look for clues and hidden things."
With that decided, Jonny marched over to go search through couch cushions and cushions.
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Post by Marshmallow on Oct 1, 2023 6:02:48 GMT -6
[OOC: Nagi arrives (with sandwich!) and decides this is an okay place to vibe for a bit. He just tries to move out of the way of traffic until he can find Strid.]
It was a nice night for a walk. Halloween was always so lively, full of sound and atmosphere. Nagi wandered without a destination firmly in mind, simply walking where ever his feet cared to take him. Apparently that meant away from the suburb and into town, to the front steps of an office building. He paused only long enough to pass his fingers over the sign outside the front door. BioCel. Yep, this was the place. That he had no idea why failed to occur to him. It simply... was.
Nagi adjusted his grip on the white cane and stepped inside. He was immediately greeted with the echo of footsteps on tile, some less-than-familiar voices, and the acidic smell of heavily-scented cleansers. He wrinkled his nose and sidled off toward the right to keep from being in anyone's way.
A canvas bag hung from one arm, containing a carefully wrapped home-made sandwich inside. He couldn't put a finger on how he knew to bring it, it just made sense. He brought sandwiches to Strid twice a week. He couldn't show up without one, it might be the poor man's only meal until Friday! With that in mind, he drifted subtly toward that familiar presence.
"A bit crowded tonight, isn't it?" he hummed, a polite cheer in his voice. "I suppose there are worse places to hang out. Could do with some better music, though. Suppose they'd let me adjust the playlist?"
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Post by Sharei on Oct 1, 2023 13:15:24 GMT -6
[OOc: Strid wakes up, looks around, then talks to Nagi. He quietly decides that all these people must be breaking and entering, and that he wants to steal something of value to pawn for food. Doesn't make a move yet but watches to see what the others do.]
He wasn't sure how exactly he'd gotten into the building, just that he'd gone in because it had been cold outside and the chill night breeze had made it uncomfortable to sleep. And then there was all the noise. Kids in costume and elaborate decorations that made unnecessary sounds intended to jump out and startle. He hated it. Every time he got caught unawares by it the damn things set off his PTSD. He'd put someone's hanging ghost through a bus shelter that very evening.
A bus shelter he'd been crashing in, unfortunately, which explained the new residence. Strid rubbed the sleep from his eyes and raised his head, disheveled blue and white hair falling into his face as he gazed around the room. He'd tucked himself into a corner out of the way of the security cameras and the view of the front door, then wrapped himself in a thinning blanket to keep the circulating air off his skin. His jeans were old and threadbare, ripped at both knees, and the rest of his clothing wasn't much better. The sweater he'd nicked wasn't the right size - how you got someone bigger than him, he'd never know, but there it was. The sleeves drooped over his mittened fingers, the thumb of the left one the only digit still attached. The rest of them had been worn or ripped off, leaving his fingers bare and exposed.
The only thing of value on his person seemed to be a silver necklace tucked under the sweater, only visible at the edge of his throat at the sweater's collar. It sparkled in the artificial light.
"The hell is going on...? he muttered, scowling at the presence of all these strange individuals. BioCel wasn't open late, was it? That's why he'd gone in. He stared, then seemed to recognize the voice on his left. Nagi. Strid tipped his head in the blind man's direction regardless of the fact that he couldn't see it.
"Out late?" he commented to Nagi as the two met, watching Faith go back and forth between the doors. His gaze went to the security office and he stared it down critically. He could probably get through that.
Wait, what? He shook his head to clear it.
"Seems like there's something going on."
A man called across the room to the woman. Gotta look for clues and hidden things. What? Were they raiding the place? Well, if they were, Strid wasn't about to lose out on the opportunity to nick something for some easy cash.
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Post by hadopelagic on Oct 1, 2023 18:26:48 GMT -6
[OOC: Vegas talks to everyone and then joins Faith at the door.]
It had been a mistake to enter the building, since the exit was like a one-way mirror; it let people in, but not out. Vegas pressed her face against the transparent sliding doors and looked outside, searching for a security guard or passerby who could help. However, all she saw was fog. Perfect for Halloween. Terrible for her current predicament. They might be stuck all night. What a pain.
There were others in the lobby, and based on their chatter, nobody wanted to be in BioCell. In fact, a dark-haired woman was rummaging around the front desk, looking for a key or phone or something they could use to get free. A good idea.
With the fog blocking the door, nobody would see them, so Vegas left the exit and made a loop around the lobby, talking and taking stock of her company (she noted their age and whether they wore wedding rings, and she visually estimated their income and health; the observations were instinctual). As Vegas rambled, she made eye contact (or tried to) with every person she passed, as if inviting them into her monologue.
To the young man with a hoodie, jeans, and good shoes: "Look at us. Stuck in a lobby on Halloween night! I work freelance, on commission, which means I'm technically being denied an income--"
To the other man with nice shoes and stylish hair (he was in the right age range for : "--and could take BioCell to small claims court for negligence. Luckily, I'm not litigious. Nevertheless--"
To the man with a cane: "--I haven't eaten supper yet, and I need a hot shower. Plus, the kids are probably egging my house because I haven't put any candy out--"
To the pale-haired guy: "--to be honest, you look like you could use a good meal and candy, too; wish I'd brought a bag of Snickers--"
Finally, stepping behind the woman, who wore a nice outfit, and was probably a professional something-or-other: "--so the sooner we get out of here, the better. Well, you're already on the job! I love the initiative. My name is Vegas, by the way."
She offered Faith a business card.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 1, 2023 22:49:13 GMT -6
Faith uses her keycard to open the central door behind the reception desk. It slides open with a smooth ‘whoosh,’ Vegas and Faith look upon a new chamber. This appears to be a lounge. This large beige room has three dark blue leather couches, arranged in a c-shape in the center of the room. There is a glass coffee table set in front of the couches. What appears to be an abandoned cup of coffee sits on a coaster on the table, now very cold. A vocal less pop song plays from the speakers in this room. The lights are bright and give this room an even more yellow tinge than they would have otherwise. On the north portion of the room, from West to East, are the doors to a large steel industrial-type elevator, a restroom with men’s and women’s stalls, and a door that promises to lead to a stairwell. To the East is the door to a room labeled "Quality Documentation." Jonny searches the couch cushions, and finds another key-card underneath one. “Joyce Needy: Receptionist.” On the front is a picture of a smiling woman with long, dark hair. The card is worn and looks like it may have been lost here for a while. The others stand in the reception area, and enjoy the vocal-less pop songs, which slowly rotate through what seems to be some kind of internal list, occasionally skipping. The lack of commercials indicate that this is likely some kind of playlist and not a radio station.
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Post by indeath on Oct 2, 2023 16:25:50 GMT -6
(( Malvin chats to Vegas and Jonny, sees the door open and makes tracks while cracking wise. Then searches the room for anything shiny or an open door or cupboard or safe.))
Malvin eyed his young friend going through the couch. Looking for loose change maybe? He looked at the chatty woman.
“Maybe we can take our own recompense?”
He still wasn’t sure what Jonny was getting at. Cameras were never a good thing in his books. Still when one of the doors opened he nudged Jonny.
“Lookit. An exit from this room. An open door is always better than staying put.”
Malvin nodded. It sounded smart at least. He strode into the lounge and began looking around for anything shiny or open. It didn’t seem like anyone here was too law abiding except maybe the bossy lady who’d opened the door.
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Post by beastly on Oct 2, 2023 16:37:28 GMT -6
((Jonny waves his keycard around and is kind of loud, then goes into the new room to look around.))
"Mmhm," Jonny muttered at the lady who'd walked over, Vegas or something, elbow deep in the old couch, "Uh huh."
He didn't really understand what she was saying, or what ' litigious' meant, but he understood her vibe. Jonny lived in a world of gut feelings and first impressions, for better or for worse.
When his fingers finally found the keycard, like he thought he might, he held it up and waved it at Malvin triumphantly with a smirk.
"HA. They hide stuff from you, see. Gotta be smart, Mal. Keep up, or I'm gonna win."
Technically this was a group project, he thought, but he liked to egg Malvin on sometimes.
He blinked as the door opened, and his shoes squeaked on the clean floor as he hurried over into the new open room, grinning.
"Sick work, lady! I got one too, lets see if it works."
Jonny strutted into the room to look around with all the confidence of a man that hadn't seen blood on the floor yet.[/i]
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Post by Marshmallow on Oct 2, 2023 18:13:20 GMT -6
[OOC: Nagi talks with Strid a little, then follows the herd into the next room. Is confused by how empty the place is. Leave Strid's sandwich on the coffee table, and starts a slow circuit around the room feeling for doors and signage, alert for sounds. He checks if the Quality Documentation door is locked.]
Was it late? He hadn't been quite conscious of the time when he'd left home, but he was no stranger to late nights. Maybe not exactly late Tuesdays; work tomorrow was going to be a slog... But he'd make do.
"Thought I'd get out and see the sights," Nagi joked with Strid, flashing his iconic little smile. "Besides, Halloween or not, it's still a Tuesday."
The blind man hefted the small bag for Strid to see, but before he had the chance to hand over the gift of supper, other conversations piped up around the room. He barely had time to process one woman's voice - rambling about suing BioCel and hot showers. Nagi only held up a hand and made a gentle patting motion in the empty air between them, like he meant to soothe her.
Somewhere beyond them, a door slid open, and footsteps began moving away. Curiously he wondered, was he meant to follow? Why were they all here anyway? Maybe it was some kind of surprise office party?
Nagi shrugged and moved to follow the rest of the herd. "Not sure what's going on, my friend, but I'm never one to turn down a fun new experience~" he chimed playfully.
He entered the lounge room, but it seemed just as silent and empty as reception. Bit odd for a party. One of the other voices seemed convinced this was a game of sorts. Alright, a game it was then.
Nagi carefully felt his way forward until the cane bumped the edge of a coffee table, where he left the sandwich bag for his homeless friend. Then he made his own slow patrol around the room's edges, checking doors and signage by touch. When he passed the eastern door - Quality Documentation? - he paused to check if it was locked, and to listen for any possible hints or clues in the gaps between conversation.
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Post by MP on Oct 2, 2023 19:48:49 GMT -6
[ OOC: Faith decides she's going to freshen up in the ladies' restroom while she waits for Jonny to use his card. ]
Faith looked sideways at the two man as they moved in past her. She wasn't sure why they were here - perhaps the same reason she was? - but they definitely weren't employees. One of them even flashed his own keycard at her, as if it were some kind of game. She raised an eyebrow in response.
"Try security," she told him. "The guard can take us to the top."
She would have done it herself, but he'd already taken the keycard, and she wasn't so impatient that she couldn't wait a minute more for him to fetch the staff. She started toward the couch, then caught sight of the restrooms. Even better. This would give her a chance to look herself over, make sure she was presentable. It was entirely possible these people were her competition. If that was the case, she was going to make sure she looked like the best contender.
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Post by hadopelagic on Oct 2, 2023 20:17:21 GMT -6
[OOC: Vegas talks to Malvin, and then follows F to the bathroom, trying to make an ~alliance~]
When the hoodie guy started scouring the area, Vegas eyed him with curiosity. Was he actually thinking of stealing from BioCell? She quickly checked the lobby for cameras. Didn't see any, but they could be hidden, too. “Take it easy, boys,” he warned, her voice casual. “I’m ninety-nine percent confident that we’re on camera, and that footage might end up in a Netflix documentary about our current predicament. You want to act nice for our future viewers.”
Malvin rolled his eyes, he highly doubted this was the ideal cast for reality tv.
“Most cameras are just for show. Besides they’ll be too busy trying to cover their asses as to why we’re stuck in here in the first place. Besides doubt they could pick up our quick fingers.”
Vegas held up her hands in a conciliatory gesture. “You do you, brother.” He had a high-risk lifestyle. Interesting. She hoped the others had been listening to her camera comment, though. Vegas had read Lord of the Flies, and didn’t want chaos to reign completely.
Malvin shot her finger guns in reply.
The empty break room gave Vegas the chills; somebody had left a full cup of coffee unattended? What a travesty. But seriously, where was everyone? There had to be late-night security or custodial staff in the building.
It troubled her that the men were pairing up. They knew each other, had preexisting friendships. Loyalties. In dangerous situations, people always chose their own; she'd learned that at an early age. And she'd never been somebody's "own."
But this wasn't a dangerous situation, was it? Sure, Vegas was getting bad vibes from the building. She felt trapped, like a fox in a cage. However, they were probably just the victims of a technical glitch, and in the morning, somebody would unlock the doors and realize--with horror!--that a bunch of civilians were camping in the building, surviving off old coffee.
Even if it was just one night, she should make an ally. They could watch each other's backs, sleep in shifts.
Seizing an opportunity, Vegas followed the woman to the bathroom.
"Yeah, I have to piss," she said. "Hope the toilets are clean - I don't know what kind of weird science BioCell is doing, but I don't want to sit on it. What's your name, again?"
As she walked, Vegas glanced down at her phone; it'd been acting up earlier, but she really should try to call for help. Idly, Vegas pressed the emergency hotkey - it'd dial 9-1-1.
The phone rang twice, though the interference was heavy.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Oh! Signal!" Vegas put the phone on SPEAKER MODE. "I am locked in the BioCell building with five other people. Can you please send an officer to unlock the doors?"
“Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? This is 911..”
"YES! WE NEED HELP! BIOCELL! HELP!"
“Hello? Is anyone there? Hello? Hold on, don’t hang up… hello?” The call dropped and the signal was lost
"Super."
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