how could i ever forget // outside the morning was cool and wet

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's not often Ajax finds himself getting his head slammed down onto the hood of a car, least of all a cop car. Usually it's him doing the slamming.

But today the young man finds himself denting the hood, the sound of metal caving in under his head ringing in his ears. Not exactly the ideal situation he was hoping for, but he figured sooner or later he'd have a run in with the cops due to the sensitive nature of his profession, but that doesn't mean he has to like how inconsiderate they are with him as they cuff him and throw him in the back of the paddy wagon. Not that he was considerate to them when he was discovered, as evidenced by the blood all over his clothing and knuckles from the fight he'd gotten into with them. How he managed to avoid getting shot is beyond him- plenty of shots were fired, but that hadn't stopped him from knocking a few of them out.

It's just too bad he'd been instructed that he couldn't kill anyone, or else he'd of gotten out of there without being caught.

The lights of the police station are bright, almost too bright from the contrast of how dark it was outside. Ajax squints as he's dragged inside, held tightly by two cops who hurry him through the station, but not fast enough that he doesn't catch a glimpse of the secretary behind the desk as they come in. Pretty, blonde, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Gorgeous eyes, ones that catch his attention almost immediately as he's being shoved towards the back, shining with a radiance that captures him instantly. His eyes lock with hers, feeling something silent yet powerful surge through him from this tiny, insignificant interaction. He doesn't even have a moment to think further on it, before he's so rudely interrupted.

Get moving.

The curt voice of the bigger cop on his right cuts through the moment, anger welling up in Ajax's chest and something dark stirs in his core. If he wasn't cuffed and being restrained, he'd turn that guy's face into a new work of art, something so abstract some insane art collector would gladly pay millions for it.

No sooner had Ajax been ushered in, he disappears from sight as he's taken back into an interrogation room, the mysterious blonde no longer in his sights, now getting shoved into a corner of a room.]

What's with this? Don't you even have the courtesy of giving me a chair to sit in, at least?

[From outside of the room, muffled noises of a scuffle as the cops lay into Ajax can be heard, the loudest of which is a thud of a body slamming into a wall, accompanied by a groan from the ginger kid. Though little do any of them know, their real problems haven't arrived just yet, waking from their slumber right outside of the city...]

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[monoceroscaeli]

[The silence is deafening, and he never thought that not being able to hear her in his head would be so loud. Ajax guesses she's debating on yelling at him some more, but it looks like she's forgiven him for now. He grins to himself, letting himself get situated on his bed as he prepares to actually get some real rest.

He'll have to mentally prepare for Yoimiya's endless yap session later.

Goodnight.]

---

[Ajax's rest is uninterrupted, only waking up to the unchanging stillness of the cell around him. He has no idea how long he'd been asleep, and he rubs his eyes to wipe the sleep away as he slowly sits up in bed. It was a rough sleep, based off of how his back doesn't feel entirely great, but at least he'd been able to get some rest. Yawning, he stretches his back out, but something hits his senses right in the middle of it that gets him to stop dead in his tracks.

Something's very wrong. He can't see it, but there's a presence in the building that makes every bit of his fight or flight instincts go off. Ajax's attention is drawn to the bars of his cell, glazed now with the dark, galaxyesque substance that he's grown all too familiar with. It makes his blood freeze in his veins, and the first thing he does is try to reach out to Yoimiya.

Yoimiya. Yoimiya. Please be alright, please. Answer me...

Worry immediately hits him like a sack of bricks, as he gets up to examine the bars and the door. A key is shoved into the door of his cell, but it was never turned to unlock it, and he easily sticks his arm through and unlocks the cell himself. Streaks of the abyssal substance run right down the corridor, with no one else in sight.

This is bad, he thinks to himself, which is broadcast to her as well.

Yoimiya!]

[niwabi]

[ How Yoimiya was able to get even a wink of sleep on that hard mattress is nothing short of a miracle. One things for certain, her back and head will feel it the next day. But by the grace of God, she somehow managed to sleep uninterrupted for a good while, to the point she doesn't know how long she was out for.

She had been sleeping like a baby when Ajax's shouting cuts through her sleep like a sharp blade. Immediately, she stirs, needing a moment to get her bearings together and oblivious to the galactic substance all over the bars of her cell. It's clear she's been out like a rock this whole time.

Ajax...?

Her voice is laced with grogginess as she tries to fight back a yawn only to lose. She's still in the process of coming to, blinking her bleary eyes to focus her vision. But even in the midst of her hazy mind, she can recognize something isn't right and Ajax sounds like he's seen a ghost.

Sorry about that, I just woke up. What's going on? You sound frantic.]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Her voice is like a tidal wave of relief through his system.

Ajax hadn't realized, but he was holding his breath while he was waiting for her to answer. Thank the stars she did, because if she hadn't he was going to tear through this entire facility trying to track her down to make sure she wasn't hurt.

Listen, we've got bigger problems right now than just being kidnapped. Can you take a look around your cell and tell me what you see?

He already knows that she'll probably find the traces of abyssal monsters, but if she's okay that means that even if they had gone down that way, they couldn't get to her. Maybe they're not specifically targeting them this time...maybe it's something else.

Maybe.

He starts running down the corridor, hoping that he's heading in the right direction towards where they might be keeping Yoimiya.

Something bad's happened, and I don't know what any of it means yet.]

[niwabi]

[ Oh. Oh no, that doesn't sound good at all. Now that she's slowly coming to, the frantic tone in Ajax's voice begins to fully settle in. He wouldn't have woken her up in a panic if something didn't go terribly wrong. She wipes her eyes, yawning the last bit of sleepiness away as she gets up from the mattress to peer around her cell.

That's when she hears a peculiar noise.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Immediately, Yoimiya's ears hone in on the noise. Since the cell is small, it doesn't take her long to figure out the source of the sound— the dripping noises of a familiar black residue. She's almost terrified to get a closer look but since Ajax is the one asking, she's more than willing to put her fears to the side to get a closer look. And gods, one step closer and she can already get a picture of what happened.

On the floor is a key near a puddle of that same galaxyesque ooze dripping off the bars. There's not a single person in sight other than more of that same filth coating the corridor.

Oh... oh my god. That's the same residue we saw at the police station...

Being kidnapped is already horrific enough but now, they're under attack again.

I see a key on the floor and more of that same sludge all over the floor. I take it you're seeing this as well...?]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax is navigating the corridors of this facility as carefully and as quickly as he can. He's starting to get a better picture of where they are- it looks like some kind of medical facility, ones he's all too familiar with because of his job- and it starts to make his heart race with panic. Why are they in a place like this, and is Pouce really hiding some kind of facility like this from the public? What happened to attract the monsters?

Questions he can't answer right now as he tries to assess the danger. There's still no signs of people, only the sickening sight of that familiar sludge-like substance coating the floor and the walls in some places. What if it was like the police station? What if they're taking over the bodies of all the people here?

Yoimiya confirms that fear- apparently it had gotten to her too, but didn't harm her. What is going on????

Yeah, there was a key in the keyhole of my cell when I woke. If the events that unfolded here are what I think they are, then we just might have more than one body snatcher on our hands.

Though he's more prepared to face off against a monster like that than he was last time, the idea of reliving that nightmare again makes him shudder.]

[niwabi]

[ More than one body snatcher.... one is enough, Yoimiya can't imagine dealing with two. The thought scares her right down to her bones but at least Ajax is alive and well. She'd never forgive herself if she fell asleep through his pain and suffering.

Oh my god. It feels like we're always up the creek without a paddle.

But, they don't have much time left. And as much as Yoimiya doesn't want to bend down and pick up the key near that sludge, she truly has no choice. She internally sighs to herself, gets down on all fours and proceeds to slide her slender hand out of the cell. Luckily, her hand is small enough to slip out with no problems.

We have no choice but to try and get out of here. Can you stick your hand through the bars and move the key? ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax can't help but grimace...they really do tend to be screwed a lot, don't they? He can't really argue, it's like everything's got one leg up on them and they're constantly trying to fight just to survive. Life sure isn't easy anymore...

He darts around another corner, feeling like he's getting closer to her, though he can't tell how he knows. It's just a feeling, something that draws him to her, and he couldn't be happier to have some kind of strange inner compass.

Way ahead of you. I've been out for some time and I'm coming to you as we speak.

The sludge is just as bad here, too. He has a feeling that whoever's in this building had no plan in case monsters attacked. It's as if the line of ooze leads him right to Yoimiya, and he darts down the hallway to finally arrive at her cell, as he's watching her retrieve her key so she can finally free herself from her prison. When he sees her, he slows and steps around the abyssal sludge, overjoyed that he was able to find her so quickly.]

Hey, long time no see, [he says with a grim smile, but at least there's a little bit of happiness behind it.] You ready to break out of here?

[niwabi]

[ Oh!!! Should have known Ajax already busted out of here. He can't see it but the smile on her lips is of nothing but the utmost fondness for him, she's proud to be partnered up with someone who can think quick on his feet. And best of all? She'll no longer be alone in this cell waiting for impending doom.

Ajax will be by her side soon. Even in this dire circumstance, Yoimiya can feel her heart racing with joy and excitement. As he's making his way to her cell, she manages to snag the key from the floor. It's hard not to grimace at the galactic sludge coating the floor, but thankfully, the sounds of footsteps sprinting across the stone floor make the residue seem like an afterthought.

The footsteps come closer and closer, until she's finally greeted by the sight of Ajax's handsome face on the other side of the cell. This time, he's able to see her big, bright smile. ]

Hey there! Boy, am I glad to see you.

[ With the key in hand, Yoimiya slides her hand through the open gaps of the bars to bust open the lock holding her captive. It releases with a click, finally freeing her from this awful confinement. And as soon as she's out, she wastes no time throwing her arms around Ajax for a quick, yet warm hug. ]

I know it's not the time nor the place but I'm so happy you're here.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Now that she's free, he feels a weight lift off of his shoulders. He meets her hug with one of his own, wrapping her up in his embrace, relieved to see her unscathed. Danger looms around any of these corners, and he doesn't know which one- so he'll take the opportunity to at least soak in these few seconds with her before they have to face a nightmare head-on.]

I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. I'm so glad you're safe.

[He gives her a squeeze before he lets go, looking down at her like he'd be lost without her.]

Alright. Let's find our way out. If we're lucky, we might be able to dodge whatever's in here. If we're not...I hope you're prepared. We need to survive by any means necessary.

[And he means that. He's prepared to let that beast inside of him out, if it means keeping Yoimiya safe.]

I know our powers are dangerous to use, but don't hold back, okay?

[niwabi]

[ Their embrace is everything she's needed and then some and so, she takes this as an opportunity to soak in his warmth while they can. Yoimiya has no idea how long they were separated but whatever the length was, it was way too long. They aren't out of the woods yet but she's already feeling energized now that they've been reunited. She's got so much to confess, so much to tell him but for now, they need to focus on getting out alive. ]

You got it! This ain't the most ideal situation but we trained ourselves for a reason. It's time to put all of our hard work to the test.

[ A far cry from her terror back at the police station. No doubt she's still scared but the combination of their powers and having Ajax at her side gives her the confidence boost she needs to get out of here. ]

I'll be right here by your side, Ajax. We're gonna get out of here together, okay?

[ Likewise, she also means that. She's not just saying that to make him feel better, it's a promise they will get out of here by any means necessary.

Now that she has Ajax's words filling her heart with determination, Yoimiya inhales a deep breath and begins heading down the corridor. She has no idea where they're going but finding some kind of door that leads them out of the cells sounds like a good start. As they pass through a cell, she's startled by a sudden thud. Her turns her head in the direction of the noise, only to be met with the horrific scene of a man's mangled corpse covered in abyssal sludge inside one of the cells. Judging by the uniform, she assumes it was one of the guards on patrol. ]

Oh gods... looks like the monsters already got hold of some of the guards.

[ On one hand, these guards probably didn't have anything to do with their kidnapping but on the other, she doesn't feel that bad considering the circumstances. ]