yogen | may missions

[ The clock has stopped ticking by now, though it may take a few minutes for that to become obvious. It seems to have halted its movements around the time the numbers on the first face were removed.

Behind the zero is another key! It's wedged into the back of the digit and cannot be removed. Maybe it's meant to be placed somewhere else? Either way, the remaining numbers will come off easily enough, though there are no further keys to be found.

Ranger is correct, the fourth clock face has numbers which cannot be removed.

Tick tock. ]

[ dito's in the process of leaning back against the clock tower, taking a break simply because he wants to, about to tuck his pda back into his pocket and cross his arms— at least, until he starts feeling the heat around his neck.

this again.

dito groans in frustration, even if it's inaudible. both of his hands (gloved, at least) immediately move up to grab at the collar on his neck as his face twists in discomfort. his posture slumps a bit more against the clock tower where he was already leaning, like he's in the process of falling down at this point — but he doesn't, instead looking really, really irritated as he starts rapidly tapping a few index fingers against the display on his collar that's glowing a bright red right now. hell, the whole collar is probably glowing at this point, because he's wincing one eye closed and smelling singed flesh now. the lack of sound makes everything worse, but maybe it's a good thing that he at least can't hear the sizzle.

dito starts tapping almost frantically on his pda before moving to shove it in midori's face: ]

knock it off asshole

[ --Oh, that's hilarious. She had started on wedging the numbers out on her end... 1, and 2, twelve! Of course, she couldn't help but shift her attention once she noticed some movement happening away from her. Looked like Dito was in pain... and, oh. It's rich.

If Dito looks over in her direction, he'll notice a damn smug look on her face before she immediately moves back to working on the clock. Yeah, you tell him, Dito! ]

[ Bingo! The final key is behind the number one! The remaining numbers will have nothing behind them; however, the plan of removing the unnecessary numbers and aligning the hands does prove to be successful as once this has been completed the fourth and final clock face will slowly creak open, permitting the group entry.

The inside of the clock tower is dimly illuminated, but they should be able to enter safely, assuming there's nothing hiding in the shadows.

Will they proceed? ]

[ he hadn't even looked at dito when this happened, and there's no way he can ignore ranger's cute face! there's one side riveted by their new discovery, and another side that wishes for the games to end. there's nothing he can do about the collar being activated especially as dito drags himself closer to midori, requesting him to stop.

he lifts one hand to wave in signal that bonnie should give one more press to turn it off (this way she'll understand its functions if she happens to catch the gesture). for dito, midori happens to hold that hand up in a way to feign his innocence, and to prove he's done nothing as he pats the disciple's shoulder and points towards the clock tower where they're granted entry.

he clicks on dito's pda afterwards, and with a warm smile too. ]

Now Dito, you know that I'd shock you until you were down on your knees! This isn't half as bad!

[ he'll make his way over to ranger (dragging dito along by his arm) because he doesn't want to keep smelling scorched flesh wafting underneath his nose, the little tickle and burnt tinge in the air isn't really to his liking.

people who regenerate are the biggest whiners...

so without any warning, he pushes dito into the darkness of the tower so he can check it out first. if the collar is still a crimson red, they can at least see him unless he disappeared. ]

Anyone next?

[ It's a scene that would be comical under any other circumstances, but here and now it serves as little more than an unwanted distraction. The smell of burnt flesh makes his nose wrinkle, and he's none too fond of the entire affair. He can't imagine why Hiyori gave the remote to another person save perhaps to add more time to their journey (as if that's needed.)

He peers into the clock tower as Dito is unceremoniously shoved in. The glow of its collar does seem to illuminate it a little more, but he finds that a flashlight might have done a better job of that without causing further complications. With any luck, Bonnie will find it in the goodness of her heart to turn it off so the group isn't stuck in an enclosed space with what is likely nothing but dust and burnt flesh to enjoy.

He reads off the PDA message and lifts his free hand with a shrug that indicates that he doesn't particularly care. Still, he finds that his coworker can handle the sordid task of playing leader and ushering everyone in, and there's no point in delaying the inevitable.

He looks in one more time, eyes sweeping up and down, and once he's confirmed that Hiyori's first victim has neither burst into flames or fallen down a bottomless pit, he'll step inside himself before glancing back to see if the other two will follow suit. ]

[ The first thing that Dito will notice upon his entry into the clock tower will be the sheer amount of noise that rings in his ears. The beeping of the collar, the sound of his own footsteps that echos off of the walls, soon joined by a second set, and quite possibly the sound of his own voice for having been burned and shoved around like a child's toy.

There second thing will be the scene inside the clock tower. The space is dimly illuminated with simple blank wooden flooring. There are a few areas where he blanks have broken forming holes in the ground, but the majority of the space is taken up by the massive cogs, winding drums, and other mechanisms. None of the gears seem to be turning at this time, and are in fact coated with a thick layer of dust that seems to indicate that the mechanisms haven't been working for some time now.

Aside from that, they'll find that the gears divide up the room. In order to get to the other side, or much of anywhere past the entryway, they'll have to climb over or crawl under the greats that decorate the area. But aside from the loose planks and holes in the floor, there doesn't seem to be anything of immediate concern in this area. ]

[ bro

between bonnie's smirk (and why is she smirking!!) and what midori taps onto dito's pda, he's thoroughly unimpressed. he knits his eyebrows, and he's about to type something back even as one of his eyes is wincing almost closed because christ, he cannot get used to the feeling of something burning on his goddamn neck of all places-- ]

the fuckdgj

[ not that he really has the luxury to even barely get started with whatever that thought was, since midori's dragging him by the arm. do you mind?? he's pocketing his pda in his free hand at this point, since it's practically useless and he's far more focused on the literal burning sensation on his neck. he's about to try and yank himself out of the other's grip before he's...shoved into the tower.

he stumbles in a little wide-eyed, swinging his arms out to keep from falling over as he sucks in a breath and wrinkles his nose at the sudden amount of dust. and his neck still fucking burns, so it's hard to even concentrate on his surroundings right now. even though the sound of his own footsteps and the hiss of his own skin burning between the collar's beeping hits his ears in a way he can't ignore. ]

— Shit.

[ ... at least there's sound again. to him, at least. which means! he's going to bitch!! he spins around. ]

Can you please turn this thing off?!

[ can they even hear him in turn? did they break the silence rule somehow? dito doesn't know and doesn't care about anything so long as this collar he's emphatically pointing at now is still beeping and glowing red. ]

[ The sound won't carry past the entrance of the clock tower. Hiyori and Bonnie had better move if they don't want to spend the next six hours in silence. ]

[ A secret passage! That's enough to get her interest up, and she peers down into the depths to verify that the angry guy's even still alive. She holds up for a second, verifying if it's okay to go if she doesn't hear Ranger or Dito screaming in terror...

Oh. She wouldn't hear anything anyway, would she?

She keeps still for a moment, tapping her chin before she soundlessly snaps her fingers. If something bad's down there, then it won't do to have her and Midori get hurt too, right? Unfortunately, he's not necessarily the fighting type, soooo... she tugs on his sleeve, and draws out her own hunting knife.

Then, jabs a finger in the direction of the entrance.

This whole thing's probably taking long enough that she absolutely did miss Dito's request, but it's okay. They're on their way soon, right? ]

Edited 2022-05-20 01:23 (UTC)

[ but it was not missed by midori who had the luxury of reading dito's complaints on the pda. they'll ignore it for now as he casts a gaze down at the hunting knife, and then to the pointing finger deep within the tower of where both ranger and dito have made their way inside. it's with one step, and then another, making sure that bonnie comes along with him inside, and the lovely addition of sound welcomes them, and whatever garble dito offers to ranger.

footsteps, sporadic beeping, and the sizzling echoes merge that midori offers a sigh of relief. ]

Well! That was nothing we couldn't handle, good going, team! ☆

[ there's a literally sparkle in his voice because he's happy he can hear himself, oh... he sure does love listening to his own voice, and given credit where it's due. they've advanced so he has no reason to complain (like dito) and instead inspects their surroundings.

he'll make his way over to one of the holes in the floor, curious as he slips a hand inside his suit, pulling out a folded lantern that he puffs out. aside from flicking it on so that a purple light illuminates the room in a smoky atmosphere (i'm leaving it to bunny to get the pic, i'm mobile!), he holds it low to check if it's just an endless black hole, and then holds it up towards the walls and gears inspecting if there's any hidden text or goodies around. ]

See anything worthwhile?

[ before they make their way past the cogs, but he'll keep it out just in case they happen to stumble upon something interesting that's no dito's neck flesh curling off.

meat skins, anyone? ]

[ Well, he can't say the bitching isn't warranted. Ranger's surprised that his head hasn't come clean up yet, and he supposes that must be because of his regenerative abilities. They're impressive. He didn't need an example, but it's good to know. Maybe they'll find a more constructive use for that on this little adventure. That being said, he'll glance over to Bonnie once she steps into the clock tower. ]

Mind turning that thing off? That beeping's gonna drive me crazy.

[ The beeping and everything that comes along with it, but there's no need to elaborate. He doesn't love the sound of his voice as much as his coworker, and he isn't currently sizzling, so he just talks like a normal person. Which isn't to say that he isn't grateful to be able to hear, it's like a weight off his shoulders, and he's able to breathe properly once more. The reason matters, but he assumes they can figure that one out in due time.

When Hiyori flicks the lantern on he glances around in turn before stepping over to one of the cogs separating the two sides of the room, placing his hand on his forehead and leaning forward as he looks over. ]

Hm, just some holes. It's a clock tower, so there should be a staircase or a ladder somewhere around here... Well, either that or it's just a bottomless pit down there. Whatchya think?

[ Is the collar shut off yet? It should be shut off by now. Either way, he's already asked, so he's going to instead crawl onto a cog and to the other side, adding the clang of metal into the mix of sounds. ]

[ There isn't anything of immediate interest on this side of the clock tower. There's some scratches and marks on the walls, but they seem to be from normal wear and tear rather than anything out of the ordinary. The holes in the floor are much in the same, seeming to be a natural consequence of the tower wearing down without being repaired or renovated for too long.

The hole is of more interest. It's difficult to see with the dim lighting from the lantern, and that should be enough for him to get the impression that there's a wide space beneath them. But a close inspection inspection will reveal contours in places where the light bounces off something off of structures. He probably won't be able to make out what those objects are, but it's not a bottomless pit. Please do not shove anyone down the hole to confirm this, just drop a rock or something. ]

[ good thing there's not particularly interesting, because dito's still fucking groaning about the burning around his neck — it's almost annoying he can't die easy at this point, because it doesn't feel great! he ends up angrily kicking the heel of his boot against the nearest cog. not that it will probably move much, if at all. ]

Are you really that fucking petty—

[ he trails off, finding it just the absolute worst that even though sound is back that he can't exactly find it in him to use his throat for a second, considering that it's getting burned through. he huffs a rough breath, moving a hand up but knowing he shouldn't touch it at that heat level if he doesn't want to ruin his gloves.

goddammit.

so he just looks at the ground, barely hearing anything through the rapid beat of his own heart in his ears. just because he regenerates does not make this any more fun or painless, and his eyes start to unfocus as he tries to will all of that aside right now. because he doesn't want to deal with it, thanks.

he idly hears ranger say something, and while he was utterly unfocused on that, he notices immediately when the droning beep in his ears stops. the cooling isn't immediate, and dito wrinkles his nose. if he had water nearby or something, this would be so much easier—

but he doesn't, so he just moves to hook a few of his gloved fingers between the collar and his neck again, confirming that it's stopped. he hisses between his teeth as he does so, and he can't feel it directly because of the gloves, but there's that peeling feeling of raw, burnt skin around his neck. there's probably all kinds of puss and shit from his body trying to heal itself from what should be a lethal burn, and if it were anyone but himself he'd be digging his fingers deeper into these wounds and playing around with all of it.

as it is, he's decidedly annoyed, though. his eyes suddenly turn half-lidded as he frowns, moving his hand down to wipe his own fingers on the front of his shirt. he swallows thickly, as though he's testing if he can even speak again — which isn't immediate, he confirms as he only ends up making a quiet, strained noise in his throat.

as pissed off as he is, his eyes still scan over their new surroundings better now that he isn't actively being tortured right now. they linger on the hole, and he steps over toward it as his hand starts to pull out his pda again. which he didn't think he'd need to use, but it's going to be a minute before his damn neck heals up. he taps up a quick but enthusiastic note before showing it: ]

can you guys kill yourselves instead for once

[ and then he just drops his pda into the hole. who gives a shit! there's your rock. it's multifunctional. ]

Hmmm? What do you mean?

[ Ranger's gaze is so scary! Scary enough that she's going to momentarily hide behind Midori! And naturally, use that opportunity to press the button again. Fine, Dito's no use to them passed out, and there's bigger fish to fry at the moment anyway. Bonnie's eyes trail over to the hole, then right back to Dito as he types away.

Aw, that's mean! ]

But, it's scary down there...! You can't expect a little one like me to go in there alone, can you?

[ As she says this, she instinctively slips away from Midori, instead this time idly moving towards Ranger. It's not subtle in the slightest, but one of them's more inclined to have others do the work for him, and well. She can't really say no to that. Midori's just not one for physical labor! ]

I'll go if you go too, Ranger.

[ She's putting on her best puppy dog face, looking downright terrified. ]

[ ...

...

It takes a good several seconds, but eventually they'll hear the sound of the PDA hitting something solid, followed by clattering that suggests it is continuing to bounce and fall down before silence returns.

His PDA is probably fine. Maybe. ]

[ there's a little frown at dito's accusation. midori petty? there's just no way, he's only passionate about the things he wants to do at the expense of others if need be. this was never about being petty, but bringing comfort when unsure what to do— he should be asking bonnie if her actions is being petty, but it wouldn't be. it'd only be learning that a small click of a button has the magic to burn the flesh of someone's neck, which midori stares at once the other comes over annoyed.

it'll fix itself soon, and why he's not worried about him due to his regenerative abilities.

ranger's expression is natural, but if bonnie finds it terrifying now, then he could only wonder what reaction she'd make if she knew it gets worse. for someone who's been shrouded in negativity as their first years into "life" and then a very dedicated, but intimidating woman working over his code adds to the horror that could arise at any moment. he's not the only one, everyone in here has a sinister side to them, it's all about who does what to stir it from the inside.

he stands in place as bonnie clicks the remote to free dito from his hell, and midori's hands visible as he holds the light and questions the hole in the ground, between the dropping of the pda, and bonnie shuffling over to ranger to avoid any work, midori crouches down, staring into the pit of the darkness. ]

It's not like you really needed this, and we can just get you a new, better one.

[ all dito does is smoke weed and get high to text on the network, but he relays his findings to ranger and bonnie. ]

The framework possibly, but it did hit something. I see no need to descend, [ but they should be careful when walking around unless they want to fall through the linoleum beneath. since the pda was on, can they still see the light-source from it to get an estimate on the drop, or did it shut off on the way down. these pdas like bricks you remember what 2000 computers used to be like? indestructible. ] is there anything interesting where you are?

[ He's pretty sure that Bonnie could handle herself just fine with him, but he at least has the good sense not to push it any further than that. Besides, they're making progress. They have sound, the beeping has stopped, Dito has confirmed that there is an area with a bottom beneath the floorboards, and now they can move onto more important things. That said, he suspects it's a pretty far drop. He's none too keep on that.

He'll at least address the message though. ]

Should try not to. We don't need any more distractions right now.

[ Kill themselves, or get themselves killed for that matter. None of them are a stranger to corpses, but being down a person is likely to prove to be a nuisance, if only because a body can't move itself despite being so inclined to get in the way. As for going down, well, Hiyori has that much covered for him. Still, Bonnie's right enough that a person shouldn't be going down alone if they should find one.

He rolls his shoulders before slipping his knees under him, followed by the rest of his legs, and letting them drop onto the floor on the other side of the cog with a satisfying thunk. It's the little things, like being able to hear the creak of one's own footsteps. For as flippant as he can be, Ranger is perhaps a little too focused on the task at hand at times like this - more now than he had before, given how little there seems to be at times. ]

... Well, once we find a way down that's not gonna leave 'em a splatter, I'll go down with ya... I'm guessing if there is one, it's gotta be toward the back.

[ To that end, he'll try and look around the corners to see if there's anything of interest. ]

[ Unfortunately they won't be able to see the light from the PDA, so its fate and the length off the drop will remain a mystery. Still, depending on how perceptive the group is and how close they were listening, they might be able to have gathered that it was a pretty good drop. It also seems to have hit the bottom of something, and then clattered further down, suggesting that it was bouncing and tumbling down rather than simply hitting the ground. If they were listening really closely, they might have even heard the clang of metal.

There are more holes around the back. In one corner is just behind a particularly large gear. But if one of the others decides to follow Ranger's lead in checking, they'll be the first to find in the back near the other corner, distanced safely away from the nearby gears, there is a simple hatch that can be pulled up. ]

[ dito's eyes were follow the light of the pda until it dissipates, and then he places his hands on his hips as he stares into the dark. well, it's deep, but he's not sure if the light disappearing is due to the depth or from hitting whatever it hit in there. if anything, they at least know they won't waste time since there's actually something down there. and that it's really not safe enough to jump in through the hole. not that anyone here seems to care about safety but ranger, dito notes.

he swallows thickly again, testing how his neck is faring — already much better, he notices.

dito's eyes follow ranger as the other moves away to promptly start checking out the back; that's probably the smartest move, although this time-wasting puzzle hasn't proved exciting at all thus far. dito shrugs his shoulders before following the other. he's perfectly happy to stand around for sure, but when he did that a few minutes ago it ended up being unpleasant and he's not looking for a repeat, thanks.

he lifts a knee and leans his boot against the edge of one of the gears he needs to cross, testing the surface of it before he easily ends up hopping up on top of and then over it, also hitting the ground with a dull thump. he checks the presently more lonesome corner opposite to ranger, giving a cursory sweep of everything while he moseys over there.

when he sees the hatch, he'll crouch down and actually confirm if it opens up that easily by pulling on it.

... there's a lot of dust that kicks up in the process obviously, and dito coughs a few times and fans the air in front of him with his spare hand as he checks out the hatch to see if there's a ladder or anything present.

regardless, he'll end up cocking his head back while still sitting on his haunches as he points at the newly opened hatch. ]

Got something over here. Probably.

[ there's his vocal cords again. ]

[ Fortunately, the cogs are all in good condition despite the disuse. There's no signs of corrosion or deterioration. It's a stark contrast to the rest of the clock tower, which has suffered with age, it seems to have fared well.

There is a ladder beneath the hatch! It's a step style rope ladder hanging beneath it! It's hard to tell without actually testing it, but at a glance it looks to be secured well enough, and it's still in good enough condition that it should bear weight.

There is also a lantern with an unlit candle in it hanging off the back wall, presumably meant to be grabbed when one is going down. ]

[ midori doesn't linger by the hole anymore than he should, nor is he satisfied with the unknown of whether there's an end or just a consuming black hole. at dito's call, midori follows them in the far back to check out the hatch that the other has found along with the rope ladder for them to use.

there's a descent at least, a proper way of going down which begs the question if they'll coke across dito's pda as long as they travel lower and lower. ]

Interesting... Let's see what's down it, shall we?

[ he hooks his own lantern to his waist allowing it to dangle against his side. he doesn't really need it considering his eyes see better in the darkness than normal humans, but it serves as extra help in following where midori is as he turns around, resting his foot on a thick line of rope to bounce his weight to ensure it won't snap.

once sure of that, he glances up to check with dito as the lantern illuminates what's hidden in the shadows as he goes down. one hand tight around the rope, and with his other. ]

I'll check out the bottom, if I don't come back... just assume you're next ☆

[ talking about the bottom, if he looks down, does he see anything important and a landing spot?

check if it's safe before sending down everyone else. ]

[ The ladder is sturdy enough to hold weight, and while it sways with his movements there seems to be no immediate threat of it snapping under his weight. The lantern illuminates the smooth stone walls around him. It's size is as nonsensical as its depth, the light and sound alike suggesting a space that's far too wide and far too deep to fit into the dimensions of the school. But down it goes nonetheless, and he'll see a surface some ways down.

Midori's eyes and night vision are both above that of a human, so he'll be able to make out that at the bottom off the ladder is the start of a grand winding staircase that serves as both a landing space and a way down, though how far it stretches is difficult to say. It seems that the only way to find out will be to follow them down. ]

Hm? I guess finding a way in wasn't a complete waste of time... Ahaha, there's gotta something fun waiting at the bottom if they're going this far to hide it~

[ Maybe. There isn't much reason to go through all the effort of so thoroughly hiding the entrance to whatever might be hidden beneath it just to come to a dead though, or so Ranger reasons. Once Midori has gone down far enough for the rest of them to confirm that it's not a dead end, he'll pluck the lantern off the wall so that he can flip the lid open and light the candle inside. It's pretty old fashioned, and if it falls it'll probably light the whole place up, but no sense in worrying about that.

Regardless, he's satisfied to see his coworker moving. Those of ASUNARO are meant to be proactive leaders, and it would be improper for any of them to be so idle that others start to question their worth. He holds the lantern out briefly. ]

If somebody else wants to take it, be my guest. I've got better sight than most.

[ He also has a flashlight on his phone, which might prove to be useful enough. Regardless of whether or not somebody else takes it, he'll start his way down the latter next. Downt he rabbit hole they go, and who knows what might await them at the bottom?

Even if it's nothing, it's worth it just to not have to deal with the sharp silence for the next several hours, and it's far better than standing idle in a place that offers so little entertainment for those of them who should prefer a more proactive approach to life. ]

[ dito rolls his eyes at midori's comment, but he actually keeps his mouth shut for once because he isn't going to complain about midori going down first! this is actually the best scenario, and dito will give him a wave as he stands up while the other descends.

he figures they'll all end up going down there, so long as there's nothing explicitly dangerous. as loathe as he is to admit it and how he'd rather just fancy the cruel idea of closing the hatch on midori if he doesn't come back up and walking away from all of this, he knows that it wouldn't work out. he already knows ranger wouldn't put up with that...but he also needs the other around, for various reasons. a large part being that nobody else is going to give dito what midori provides him with, and he very, very, very much likes that perk.

for now, he hums a sigh and throws his hands behind his head, wondering how long they should even wait here. he scuffs his boot idly on the dusty floor, thinking it might be fun to kick a rock in there or something. but if they had any rocks easily present, he wouldn't have tossed his pda like that.

his attention shifts when ranger starts being proactive again, already ready to go and lighting an old lantern. dito blinks at the offering before sighing through his nose. ]

Sure, whatever. I don't have freak vision.

[ these ASUNAROs...

dito grabs hold of the lantern's handle, thinking it's probably wisest anyway since bonnie already has the keys and her basket and everything. speaking of which, he's tossing his head back toward her before bothering to start descending. ]

You wanna go next? Ladies first and all.

[ you know, since he's got the light source and he doesn't really need a skirt above him. he wouldn't mind if it was like, zero, but she's not. ]

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https://imgur.com/a/ejyMkMm NAUR 💀

i'm sick

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