[OPEN] Prick your fingers, it is done, the moon has now eclipsed the sun

[manufactured]

WHO: Albert Wesker (eventually) and whomever decides to join him (presumably you!)
WHERE: Dreamscapes.
WHEN: Slightly backdated to 8/24.
WHAT: Dreamdiving.
WARNINGS: Medical experimentation, brainwashing, child abuse, violence, body horror, depictions of self-harm, a general blanket warning that Wesker has been through Some Shit and as such this is probably going to suck on several levels.

[It's cold.

It isn't the familiar drop in temperature that might come from the weather, but a sterile, artificial chill, the sort associated with medical work - hospitals and laboratories and other places that bring with them a sharp, chemical smell and an unpleasant sense that you don't really want to be there.

Of course, the metal table against your back probably isn't doing much to keep you warm, either.

Trying to sit up will be a bit of a problem, given the heavy restraints locked around your wrists and ankles, your hips and your upper body; they're a combination of metal and leather, old-fashioned and imposing, clearly designed to restrain something very, very powerful, and they're keeping you from going very far. You can look around enough to tell that where you are is...probably not somewhere you want to stay for long - it is, in fact, a laboratory of some sort, full of instruments and vials and jars of things that don't look very nice, the metal walls giving way somewhere just on the edges of your line of sight, turning into something else - a sort of open entrance to what looks like a cave of some sort. Either way, it'll probably take you somewhere that isn't here if you follow it. Tipping your head back will show another potential exit to the area - a metal door in the wall near all the instruments and materials.

Of course, you can't really utilize either route if you're bound down, now, can you? You should probably work on figuring out what you're going to do about that, first.]

Comments

[scythegun]

[Oh, that's... not at all what he was expecting, honestly. Jaeger tips his head a bit at that.]

I'll be sure to keep that in mind. This would go much faster if you'd just let me go; I don't suppose you're feeling that generous...?

[manufactured]

[oh god he doesn't even look up from his notes at that one, he just offers a derisive little noise.]

That sounds like a great way to get attacked. You get it.

[scythegun]

Can't fault me for trying!

[Back to working on the restraints, then! If he can get his right hand free, he'll get to work on that chest restraint; it's not nearly as bad as it could be given that he can't feel it over the blastia and he's got some wiggle room there, but this is probably going to take awhile...]

[manufactured]

[Thankfully they're...kind of a mess to get open one-handed, but it's not like they're impossible, either. Just going to take a bit of work.

Though that won't stop the occasional comment from the peanut gallery over there.]

You're planning on going after him, aren't you.

[scythegun]

[Thanks, Birkin. What would he do without you.

...Though to be fair, it's probably better than being completely alone? Maybe.]

Ja, I am.

[He'll keep working as he talks, once he's gotten his other hand free this will go slightly faster, at least.]

He's someone I'm very fond of, so I want to make sure he's doing okay.

[manufactured]

He's not too crazy about being bothered when he's alone. I'm sure you've noticed that, if you're so fond of him.

[scythegun]

I think I'll be okay. I have a pretty good idea of how to handle him by now.

[There's still the risk that he'll be closer to his past life, but at least now Jaeger knows what to expect. It's not a guarantee that he won't get shot, but his chances are slightly better. Probably.]

[manufactured]

Do you really?

[Seems Birkin's on the same page, though he seems a bit more amused at the notion than he really should.]

[scythegun]

[Don't sound so amused by that...]

Ja, of course! We're quite close, I spend a good amount of time with him. I should be fine.

[At least he's slowly making progress on these... soon he'll be free.....]

[manufactured]

So do you have a plan, other than "leaving this room"? Which is totally fair, by the way, and it's not like I blame you for it.

[scythegun]

...Well, usually I make the plan up as I go, but if you have any advice I certainly wouldn't mind hearing it! I'm not familiar with this building, so I have no idea where I should be headed.

[Admittedly he's not sure he can trust anything Birkin says, but you know what, sure. Let's see if Birkin will be kind of useful.]

[manufactured]

I'll start with telling you that I don't know where he is.

[At least that much is blunt; he's actually kind of looking at you now, too.]

He doesn't tell anyone everything. Not even me. Smart move on his part, you never know who's going to stab you in the back around here. I wouldn't do it to him, but I don't blame him for thinking I would.

[He doesn't seem bothered by this notion; welcome to Umbrella.]

Pretty sure Lisa's still around here somewhere; I'd be surprised if she wasn't. There are a couple of other people I've seen that won't be too happy to see you, I'm pretty sure, but we don't like outsiders. My wife's around, but don't give her a reason to bother you and she won't.

[If you get his drift.]

I don't know if Wesker's even still around here, but he might just try to take you out himself. He's the best we've got at what he does, after all.

[scythegun]

[Hmm. That's actually pretty useful information.]

I don't plan on hurting anyone. I'll defend myself, but I'm not going to start any fights.

[The chances of him getting out of here without fighting are very slim, but he sincerely hopes he won't have to face off against Wesker. Hopefully he remembers...]

...I do appreciate what you've told me, and that you aren't stopping me.

[He may not like Birkin, but this is good, okay.]

[manufactured]

Like I said, it's not my neck on the line. If something happens to you, it doesn't really matter to me. We've got plenty of people around here to use as materials, anyway.

[BIRKIN.]

[scythegun]

[oh my god??? oh my god.]

Well, good luck with your experiments!

[Is he free by now? He's probably free by now, he's been dealing with this for a long-ass time.]

Do you want me to say hi to Albert for you?

[manufactured]

[...That actually gets him to pause a bit; he'll shake his head after a moment, though he does seem moderately pleased at the notion that he was asked in the first place.]

He doesn't want to hear it from me.

[scythegun]

[That... He's not really sure what to do with that, and it shows. He spends a few moments freeing his ankles before he finds something to say.]

...I think he would want to hear it. From what I've heard, you're very important to him.

[He'll move to stand after that, and assuming Birkin doesn't intervene to stop him, he'll go grab his briefcase.]

[manufactured]

[He won't stop you, no, though his eyes are tracking what you're doing.]

...Tell him whatever you want, I guess.

[scythegun]

Of course.

[Let's see here... Which way to go...]

Where does this door lead?

[He points to the metal door.]

[manufactured]

Where are you trying to go?

[scythegun]

Well, right now I'm not entirely sure where I should be going, so I'm just trying to get a feel for how this place is laid out.

[manufactured]

Unfortunately, I don't pass maps out.

[He's back to sort of smirking at his notes at that, really.]

It's not like I'm going far, though, if you get too lost in there.

[scythegun]

[Thanks, Birkin.....]

Well, here's hoping I don't get too lost!

[Time to try the door, can he get it open?]

[manufactured]

[Ah, yes, the question for the ages: Birkin is a dick, but is he enough of a dick to basically invite you through a door only to let you find out the hard way that he locked it behind him?

...Apparently today he is not. Go right ahead and verb the noun, Jaeger.

The door opens into a narrow hallway; the floor all appears to be made of sturdy grating, causing your footsteps to reverberate off of the metal walls of the building - it doesn't seem terribly sturdy, but it'll hold you without a problem, it's probably just going to inspire a sense of "I don't like it" and wondering why no one can install proper goddamn floors in this area. The lighting above you is fluorescent and recessed into the ceiling, so there's no chance it's going to fall on you, though it seems pretty dim, like the bulbs don't have too much life left in them.

The hallway to your left looks like a straight shot, leading to another closed door down at the end; there's no light visible emanating from the space between the doora and the frame surrounding it, so it's presumably dark in there.

The hallway to your right quickly bends off somewhere else, into another sharp right turn, but it looks like there's a sort of orange glow reflecting off the metal of the wall. A light source of some sort, though likely not a friendly one.

Where to?]

[scythegun]

[Thanks for not being as much of a dick as you could've been, Birkin!!

This is definitely inspiring a sense of "I don't like it" and being faced with the choice between a dark room and room with light that looks eerie is not helping that any. Okay. He doesn't want to hang out here any longer than necessary, so after a moment of thought, he decides to head down the hallway to the left. There's probably a light switch in the room and it's presumably safer than whatever that orange glow is.

...Of course at this point he wouldn't be surprised if the room doesn't have a light switch, because Umbrella apparently can't even do floors right.

Anyway, is the door at the end of this hallway something he can get open? And more importantly, can he hear anything as he approaches?]