With your battle complete, and your injuries sort of patched up, you're finally free to catch your breath... at least until the terminal flares to life again. Your brief conversation with the person on the other end may have left you with more questions than answers, but they are true to their world. Next to the terminal, a glowing golden portal suddenly appears - blinding in its light and large enough for only a couple of you to enter at a time. Regardless, it remains open, showcasing a strange, warehouse-looking building on the other side, with a long hallway and several closed doors. It's not entirely clear where this new location will be, but at least it doesn't seem to have spider robots or be out in space.
/// L O A D I N G . . .
I've got everything ready on my end.
I'll explain everything to you once you're here.
No more secrets, I promise.
Please watch your step, and make sure everyone comes along!
Staying behind is not an option. Whether you trust the person on the other end of the terminal or not, it seems this is your only path forward. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and step through the portal.
THE BASE
The light begins to clear as the last of you enter the portal and come out unharmed on the other side. You'll notice immediately that the portal displayed the exact place you've ended up - a fairly run-down warehouse, with you all standing in a hallway that extends in front of you, lined with doors that are shut. Before you go wandering off, you might want to turn around - after all, you can hear the whirring of machinery behind you.
You'll find that there's another set of doors there - one that is closed and another that leads into a larger room that seems to be a makeshift lab and control room all rolled into one. There are monitors carefully (but a bit haphazardly) strewn across the room, the wiring capably done but rather unprofessional. One of the screens shows a diagram of a gemstone, another shows a list of coordinates that don't make any sense, a third seems to be showing security cameras... basically exactly what you'd expect for someone's base of operations.
And that base of operations is staffed by... well, you'll have to look down, as he's not exactly human height.
Standing before you is someone unfamiliar to all of you. He's not very tall, but he stands out from the crowd with his yellow fur, bright blue eyes, and twin tails. He's an anthropomorphic fox and he's looking at you all a bit nervously, waving a hand in greeting.
"Um, hi." He says. "I'm really sorry about the confusion. And the robots. And your missing memories. And your injuries. I really didn't expect things to turn out like this..." He trails off nervously, scratching his cheek before forcing a smile again. "But thank you so much for agreeing to help us. My name is Tails. I'm one of the members of the resistance.
"There are medical supplies here, for you guys to use. I'm sorry, I'm not a medic..." Sure enough, you have access to quite a few medical supplies present in this room! Go right ahead and patch up your friends with the good stuff. You've even got painkillers here!
He clears his throat and continues. "Like I said, no more secrets. I couldn't tell you everything while you were in that other world, because I was afraid of my transmissions being picked up by the Doctor. You guys are the only hope for this world, because the three of us can't beat him alone. So we had to turn to help elsewhere.
"Doctor Robotnik - or Eggman, as we call him - is a genius scientist. He's made a lot of robots and gadgets, but that's not the reason why we need your help. He's got an item of immense power - the Master Emerald. With it, anything he thinks and desires can become reality. He made a giant robot from pieces of cars, trucks, trains, you name it! And that giant robot alone is enough to pose a huge threat to the city, but he didn't stop there.
"The entire world is controlled by him. He even controls the minds of all the people native to this world. They can't fight against him. They act like mindless drones, going about their daily tasks with no way to fight back. And he's created a lot of robots - they might even outnumber the people, at this point! Everything and everyone is under his control."
A brief pause as Tails breathes and steadies himself. "But my friends and I are able to fight back. We have to fight back. And you guys agreed to help us. I'm sorry that you don't remember it, but my friend Sonic spoke with each one of you. He told you about what's going on here and he asked for your help. And all of you said you'd come help us.
"I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. But right now, I'm the only one here. I lost contact with Knuckles at the start of this week, and I've been trying to figure out what happened. Sonic's been trying to find help in other worlds, so communication with him has been spotty. But I'll let him know that you guys are here now, so he should return soon!"
Tails exhales and forces a smile. "Together, we can defeat Eggman."
THE AFTERMATH
Though it's a lot of information to take in, Tails will happily answer any questions you all may have. He tells you that this warehouse is their base of operations, hidden right under the nose of Eggman's forces. Unfortunately, they need to be very careful because robots are always on patrol - and are specifically looking for the three of them. For now, it's best for you all to remain near the warehouse and travel in pairs, if you do go out into the city for any reason.
You'll find that those closed doors lead to rooms that have been set up for all of you. They're a little lacking, with only two beds, two desks and chairs, and two trunks for you to store your belongings in. Though you do have some changes of clothes in the closets, the designs may not be to your liking. They were picked out for you by three animals who only wear shoes and gloves, so...
Get ready, because it looks like you've a lot of work ahead of you.
[Dorothy makes herself scarce as soon as the explanation is over.
Something about all of this is hitting her in ways she'd been barely equipped to deal with beforehand. She couldn't deal with it in her own world, so she'd been forced to learn how to hide, how to pick them off one by one. She had hope that this world would be different, that this world would be brighter perhaps. But this is...
Dorothy winds up picking a room, shutting the door behind her, and screaming into the nearest pillow that she can with all of the pent up fear and disgust and anger that's been built up over a long, long century.
She's not taking this well at all.
It's later that Dorothy steps out to explore, both inside the base and outside of it very slightly. Never straying more than a little ways from the entrance, and more than anything, going right back into her role of keeping track of things. Of robot routes. Of supplies. Of anything, anything to feel useful right now.
She's not gonna be talkative, seeming more...honestly, catatonic than anything. But Dorothy is here for a mission.
[...Hi, Yeager, Dorothy looks over to him with those kind of hollow eyes but she does look him over briefly. You better have gotten checked out, mister--]
No matter what changes, the mission remains the same. And given that there's only three of them...if I can take the burden off of them a little bit, I will. I...need to.
[He looks totally fine. He may have beaten up an army of spider robots but like, they did approximately 0 damage to him and weren't even fun to kill. :pensive:]
That is awfully kind of you, but I suppose that's what we signed up for.
[He lifts his shoulders a bit in a shrug. It's not like he hates the idea? It's starting to make more sense why he agreed to drop everything and come help out the kid furry squad, anyway.]
I'm fine, ja, but shouldn't I be the one asking that question?
[You poor, bored thing. But Dorothy's expression eases when she sees Yeager is okay; he'll have definitely noticed that something darkened in her expression initially, but it seems to be okay now.]
It isn't kindness. It's obligation.
[...Who's she trying to convince now?]
I'm as fine as I will be. The battle we had down there was incredibly fierce; we're lucky we made it out of there with our lives and what injuries we had. We managed to coordinate ourselves effectively enough, but it still wasn't...
[enough. Dorothy looks down to her right arm, that's been patched up by now--fingers all intact and all.]
...I don't know if we'll make it through another encounter like that unless we put our noses to the grindstone.
I suppose I should have followed the crowd instead of wandering off, then...
[Not because he cares what happens to any of them, but because it would've been a better fight?? Damn. Will he learn his lesson by next event, who knows.]
It seems as though we've got our work cut out for us... It's always something, isn't it?
All he wants to do is find somewhere to calm down. To think, to sort through the frustrations and mistakes and everything he had noticed today. During the fight, during the transit. Even now, hearing the slamming of doors, the frustrated and muffled yelling of numerous voices just trying to decompress.
The group mingles, disperses, and he still feels alone. Alone, with the pounding of his head, with the cracking feeling at the edge of his vision, like the threat of another passing nightmare to top everything else off.
On his own. Another thing to deal with, on his own. He wasn't about to let what happened with Viktor happen again.
Pull yourself together.
He keeps to himself in the warehouse for the longest time, trying to pick out those he feels he needs to. But at some point, he has to retreat. His heart begs for privacy. Maybe to write down his thoughts, now that Ashley had shown him the tracing of a pencil across the delicacy of paper--
He doesn't think to check the rooms before opening a door at random, eyes towards the floor and his free hand pressed against his skull. But when he looks up and sees Dorothy, he stops in his tracks, stuttering.]
I-- ah, I'm--
[uhhh
panic.mp3
let's just awkward try to close the door here before she notices]
[Dorothy wants to be alone. Alone until she can get every wretched feeling out, every bit of it, until her throat is raw and done with itself, she'll probably need a throat lozenge or a nice cup of tea to center herself after, it's--
The door opens, and almost on instinct, Dorothy throws a pillow at the target.]
GET OUT--!!
[...It's a little pathetic, missing the mark entirely and if anything, it doesn't even hit a wall. (1) Gah. She really is pathetic after today, isn't she?]
[The door snaps closed enough to brace as a shield when she shrieks. But the impact he expects never happens, and when he hears his name in the silence that follows, he chances to crack the door open again, eyes still at the floor more than they are at her.]
Not... [He exhales shakily.] Not at the expense of your own, Dorothy, I promise.
[A beat, another exhale, and he looks towards her with an exhausted concern.]
[Dorothy looks over to Viktor when she hears him coming, and she'll gladly show her fully recovered and repaired arm once he asks that, the smile she gives being surprisingly warm.]
I was, yes. That sweet boy is a quick learner and incredibly adept--honestly, if you ever need anything, I think he'd say yes in a heartbeat. He's truly incredible.
He is surprisingly patient, considering the mess of a group he has been given.
[like...girl.]
...I have been worse. [This is not even a lie.] Physically, I will be fine. I was not seriously injured, and the damage I sustained will repair itself in time.
Edited (jesus christ my keyboard) 2025-01-19 05:38 (UTC)
[what are you talking about viktor, they are the peak of mental health (me when i lie)]
He truly is, yes. It's very appreciated.
[Dorothy calmly listens, though; were it anyone else, she might not be so willing, but he at least did help her out today. Dorothy considers for a moment...]
It's good to hear that no further harm has come physically. But do you have something on your mind?
It-...it is nothing. I am just unable to understand why I am here when I know there was a better option to save the world from something like- ['me'] -this.
[It certainly is, but boy is Dorothy not happy about it!! Not that she really reacts much when they make themselves known, just kind of. Tensing briefly before simply settling back into work.]
That hardly means I can slack off. There have only been three people here to keep track of anything and everything in this place, and it means we should pick up the slack a bit. We cannot simply rely on a child.
Is it really slacking off? It will soon become a group effort, because I believe that sentiment that you hold isn't unique among our number. Therefore, a little recouperation never hurt anyone, hm?
[ How many people here are committed to working themselves to the bone? That is a serious wonder.
Especially being one of those who had a hand in directly saving someone.
Ah well, while that is true, they think that it is best they get to the point on the other matter they came for. ]
However, you are correct~
I couldn't help but overhear your remark from earlier. 'Repaired' you said...it seems to indicate that you too are not as human as you appear.
[ She thought it was nobody. But, it was them, Void Archives! ]
We happen to have quite a few obvious non-humans among our rank, though those who lean towards being fully or partially an artificially based lifeform appear obvious, for the most part.
I don't know what you are, exactly, however is it unreasonable for those who are also not human to at least having thought to have asked?
[ They're treading...somewhere. It isn't necessarily light, yet they think it is not carelessly. Judging by the tone this is surprisingly something of a prickly subject - for themselves, their lack of humanity as a topic is not so sensitive, but they suppose that there may be reasons for this not to be the case with her. ]
[And on this mission, Dorothy will encounter someone who honestly looks like he's doing much the same thing, steel pipe propped on his shoulder as he patrols the perimeter of the warehouse. The fact that there are no spider bots skittering around to surprise them here is beside the point; much like her, he can't stand the thought of just sitting around and doing nothing after all of that.
He looks kind of like hell himself, dark circles beneath his eyes and dirt and blood from the earlier battle still staining his clothes. It's probably fine.
His eyebrows go up just slightly when he spots her, his posture relaxing ever so slightly.]
You don't need to worry 'bout makin' the rounds, if that's what you're doin'. I'll keep watch for now.
[Dorothy doesn't exactly have a weapon of her own, but with her shard power at least, she's got a method of keeping an eye out for people even if she still feels a little unarmed without it. She's never been the type to go out like this, as Snow White usually preferred to do so, but...
She sees a young man who looks like shit, and Dorothy doesn't exactly look like the pinnacle of health either, but.]
...Be that as it may, I need something to do with myself. And you don't exactly look like you've been having an easy time of it.
[Ah... yeah, that's a sentiment he understands well. It's exactly why he's out here himself, after all, so he can't muster up any further words of judgment about how she should go inside and get some rest for herself. Besides, it would be hypocritical and he knows it, given how she just pointed out the obvious. (He'd been trying to dodge that part; oh well.)
He pauses at the question, lifting his free hand to rub the back of his head.]
No, not yet. Some of the others need the rest more than I do, so I figured I'd take the first shift. ["Shift," he says, as though there's anything even remotely organized about this.] So, find anything useful out here?
...Nothing truly groundbreaking, other than various observations both out here and inside.
[Dorothy's just...going to join him there, at least for the moment.]
From what I've seen so far, the flight patterns of those robots do tend to avoid us rather readily. I've seen one or two in the distance...though for how long that will remain, I'm not sure. We ought to act with caution and be prepared for anything that could come our way; if we can act to give less reason for this Doctor to see us at all, much less as a threat, we may be able to bide our time and continue to hone our strength while he's none the wiser.
But I've taken tabs of our supplies as well, and we will certainly need to make a trip to gather more at some point; what we have for now is serviceable, but we're likely to deplete it quickly between the lot of us. Those boys thankfully have left us enough, but we should try to minimize our presence in this place. We don't yet know what we could face.
[It's not a very useful report, but it's at least what Dorothy has observed. Hopefully it's enough.]
What of yourself? Have you noticed anything of interest that we ought keep in mind?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Something about all of this is hitting her in ways she'd been barely equipped to deal with beforehand. She couldn't deal with it in her own world, so she'd been forced to learn how to hide, how to pick them off one by one. She had hope that this world would be different, that this world would be brighter perhaps. But this is...
Dorothy winds up picking a room, shutting the door behind her, and screaming into the nearest pillow that she can with all of the pent up fear and disgust and anger that's been built up over a long, long century.
She's not taking this well at all.
It's later that Dorothy steps out to explore, both inside the base and outside of it very slightly. Never straying more than a little ways from the entrance, and more than anything, going right back into her role of keeping track of things. Of robot routes. Of supplies. Of anything, anything to feel useful right now.
She's not gonna be talkative, seeming more...honestly, catatonic than anything. But Dorothy is here for a mission.
...She's clinging to the mission for dear life.]
explore
Are you planning on keeping track of all the supplies here as well?
[At least this kitchen is really well-stocked? Damn. Tails made sure there was enough for all of us!!]
no subject
[...Hi, Yeager, Dorothy looks over to him with those kind of hollow eyes but she does look him over briefly. You better have gotten checked out, mister--]
No matter what changes, the mission remains the same. And given that there's only three of them...if I can take the burden off of them a little bit, I will. I...need to.
[I want to.
Dorothy's gaze focuses on Yeager, though.]
Are you alright?
no subject
That is awfully kind of you, but I suppose that's what we signed up for.
[He lifts his shoulders a bit in a shrug. It's not like he hates the idea? It's starting to make more sense why he agreed to drop everything and come help out the kid furry squad, anyway.]
I'm fine, ja, but shouldn't I be the one asking that question?
no subject
It isn't kindness. It's obligation.
[...Who's she trying to convince now?]
I'm as fine as I will be. The battle we had down there was incredibly fierce; we're lucky we made it out of there with our lives and what injuries we had. We managed to coordinate ourselves effectively enough, but it still wasn't...
[enough. Dorothy looks down to her right arm, that's been patched up by now--fingers all intact and all.]
...I don't know if we'll make it through another encounter like that unless we put our noses to the grindstone.
no subject
I suppose I should have followed the crowd instead of wandering off, then...
[Not because he cares what happens to any of them, but because it would've been a better fight?? Damn. Will he learn his lesson by next event, who knows.]
It seems as though we've got our work cut out for us... It's always something, isn't it?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
2/2
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
time for mistakes (room)
All he wants to do is find somewhere to calm down. To think, to sort through the frustrations and mistakes and everything he had noticed today. During the fight, during the transit. Even now, hearing the slamming of doors, the frustrated and muffled yelling of numerous voices just trying to decompress.
The group mingles, disperses, and he still feels alone. Alone, with the pounding of his head, with the cracking feeling at the edge of his vision, like the threat of another passing nightmare to top everything else off.
On his own. Another thing to deal with, on his own. He wasn't about to let what happened with Viktor happen again.
Pull yourself together.
He keeps to himself in the warehouse for the longest time, trying to pick out those he feels he needs to. But at some point, he has to retreat. His heart begs for privacy. Maybe to write down his thoughts, now that Ashley had shown him the tracing of a pencil across the delicacy of paper--
He doesn't think to check the rooms before opening a door at random, eyes towards the floor and his free hand pressed against his skull. But when he looks up and sees Dorothy, he stops in his tracks, stuttering.]
I-- ah, I'm--
[uhhh
panic.mp3
let's just awkward try to close the door here before she notices]
no subject
The door opens, and almost on instinct, Dorothy throws a pillow at the target.]
GET OUT--!!
[...It's a little pathetic, missing the mark entirely and if anything, it doesn't even hit a wall. (1) Gah. She really is pathetic after today, isn't she?]
...Vakama. Were you looking for some privacy?
no subject
Not... [He exhales shakily.] Not at the expense of your own, Dorothy, I promise.
[A beat, another exhale, and he looks towards her with an exhausted concern.]
...Are you alright?
no subject
I figured the answer might be obvious, but no. I'm not. I don't intend on letting it get in the way of our mission, but...
[Dorothy chuckles a bit and it comes out hollow.]
...It feels like I'm in the same hopeless place that I came from again. I'm simply not taking it well, that's all.
no subject
Vakama lets the door swing open fully, a slow pace to pick up the pillow that now sits in the middle of the floor.]
You're talking about the situation from your home, I take it.
Is... something striking ill with you, about what our friend has explained?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
exploration
...Were you able to have your arm repaired? [Quiet, with a sense of just being exhausted--but still honestly concerned.]
no subject
I was, yes. That sweet boy is a quick learner and incredibly adept--honestly, if you ever need anything, I think he'd say yes in a heartbeat. He's truly incredible.
...How are you holding up, Viktor?
no subject
[like...girl.]
...I have been worse. [This is not even a lie.] Physically, I will be fine. I was not seriously injured, and the damage I sustained will repair itself in time.
no subject
He truly is, yes. It's very appreciated.
[Dorothy calmly listens, though; were it anyone else, she might not be so willing, but he at least did help her out today. Dorothy considers for a moment...]
It's good to hear that no further harm has come physically. But do you have something on your mind?
I'll hear it, if you're willing to talk to me.
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
explore;
Not that Void Archives is a face that Dorothy wants to see...however, they're far too curious to simply go about as they were.
That comment she made hadn't gone unnoticed, after all. ]
Still hard at work? We did just get through finishing a battle.
no subject
That hardly means I can slack off. There have only been three people here to keep track of anything and everything in this place, and it means we should pick up the slack a bit. We cannot simply rely on a child.
[...]
You're here for a reason, I take it. Out with it.
no subject
[ How many people here are committed to working themselves to the bone? That is a serious wonder.
Especially being one of those who had a hand in directly saving someone.
Ah well, while that is true, they think that it is best they get to the point on the other matter they came for. ]
However, you are correct~
I couldn't help but overhear your remark from earlier. 'Repaired' you said...it seems to indicate that you too are not as human as you appear.
no subject
[...Fuck. Of all of the people to hear that, it had to be--]
...And what it is to you if I'm not?
[Dorothy doesn't look at Void Archives, but there's a dangerous undercurrent to her tone here. Tread lightly or don't--]
no subject
[ She thought it was nobody. But, it was them, Void Archives! ]
We happen to have quite a few obvious non-humans among our rank, though those who lean towards being fully or partially an artificially based lifeform appear obvious, for the most part.
I don't know what you are, exactly, however is it unreasonable for those who are also not human to at least having thought to have asked?
[ They're treading...somewhere. It isn't necessarily light, yet they think it is not carelessly. Judging by the tone this is surprisingly something of a prickly subject - for themselves, their lack of humanity as a topic is not so sensitive, but they suppose that there may be reasons for this not to be the case with her. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
cw: gross???
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Explore
He looks kind of like hell himself, dark circles beneath his eyes and dirt and blood from the earlier battle still staining his clothes. It's probably fine.
His eyebrows go up just slightly when he spots her, his posture relaxing ever so slightly.]
You don't need to worry 'bout makin' the rounds, if that's what you're doin'. I'll keep watch for now.
no subject
She sees a young man who looks like shit, and Dorothy doesn't exactly look like the pinnacle of health either, but.]
...Be that as it may, I need something to do with myself. And you don't exactly look like you've been having an easy time of it.
Have you rested at all?
no subject
He pauses at the question, lifting his free hand to rub the back of his head.]
No, not yet. Some of the others need the rest more than I do, so I figured I'd take the first shift. ["Shift," he says, as though there's anything even remotely organized about this.] So, find anything useful out here?
[It's a diversion, but also a genuine question.]
no subject
[Dorothy's just...going to join him there, at least for the moment.]
From what I've seen so far, the flight patterns of those robots do tend to avoid us rather readily. I've seen one or two in the distance...though for how long that will remain, I'm not sure. We ought to act with caution and be prepared for anything that could come our way; if we can act to give less reason for this Doctor to see us at all, much less as a threat, we may be able to bide our time and continue to hone our strength while he's none the wiser.
But I've taken tabs of our supplies as well, and we will certainly need to make a trip to gather more at some point; what we have for now is serviceable, but we're likely to deplete it quickly between the lot of us. Those boys thankfully have left us enough, but we should try to minimize our presence in this place. We don't yet know what we could face.
[It's not a very useful report, but it's at least what Dorothy has observed. Hopefully it's enough.]
What of yourself? Have you noticed anything of interest that we ought keep in mind?
(no subject)
(no subject)