not now kitten mommy's having an existential crysis

Unfortunately, every stroke of luck was bound to end sooner or later. Upon passing through a corridor and opening the next door, there was an audible and ominous clanking of machinery.

Zhongli took hold of Badou's arm to pull him out of sight behind the doorway, then glanced briefly out to see if they had been spotted. A large machine was lumbering in their direction, carrying a stack of crates.

It might not be a threat right now, but it could always become one. It's big, it's metal, it's strong.

Fortunately, if it came to a fight, Zhongli could more than likely hold his own-- at least long enough for Badou to escape. What worried him more was the lack of information, the countless unknowns surrounding their foes.

Not to mention... he would prefer to avoid fighting if possible, particularly against any human opponents. No matter the sinister experiments they were carrying out, they were still mortal after all.

Fortunately, there was no one in the outer corridor. For now, they could proceed.

"Best idea I've heard all day, besides sitting in a cage, you know." Again, not thrilled, but it's got to be done. One way or another they have to get out of here.

"Thank you. Hopefully, this won't be too difficult."

Though Dan Heng was not afraid of a little vigilantism when necessary-- and when the commissions he'd taken up required it-- in cases like this it was better to get the authorities involved sooner, rather than later. That is, before they got themselves involved and everything became far more messy than it had to be.

With that task handed off, though, he took off down the alleyway.

"Not mine, it was a client's," Dan Heng clarified. "I suspected she may have been scammed, but even I didn't expect him to so boldly run off with the money like that."

Come to think of it... this man was no stranger. They'd definitely met before-- though his memory was a little hazy. Nonetheless, from what Dan Heng did remember, he was the sort of person who could easily be dragged into a messy and chaotic situation like this one was becoming.

Still... Dan Heng wouldn't go too far.

But every day he felt like he was overstaying his welcome.

He couldn't just live here forever. Not when his own place was still there. Even if the villa was still a reminder in its own right. The last time he'd seen Jiaoqiu he'd overwhelmed the man. Then he'd nearly absorbed the other him.

It was early in the morning when Vash was packing his things up. He was planning on slipping away like usual.

So he's sitting up waiting on the couch for Vash like a parent waiting for their kid to sneak in.

"Heh. It'd hardly be a smooth collaboration, but you can bet it'll still cause a lot of problems for the rest of us," Harukaze replied with a shake of his head, crossing his arms.

He'd broken out of the Conductor's grasp once, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to the chance for revenge... especially with the new memories swirling in the undercurrent of his mind.

His fingers curled into a fist.

At the slight chastising, Badou scowls defensively, brow furrowed.

At that, Harukaze actually laughed. It was a little bit bitter, but still a genuine laugh despite that. "You've got that right," he muttered, and the corners of his lips were getting dangerously close to an actual smile.

He definitely knew "those guys with names like that." After all, he'd been one of them, once. "You know, I wonder if those two are working together," he mused. "It would hardly surprise me."

He stretched out his arms over his head and sighed, the almost-smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "I know for a fact it's not over... bastards like that, they're much too fond of their 'experiments' to just sit down and accept failure. I'm sure we'll have to deal with them again sooner or later."

Badou sighs. He had the feeling it wasn't quite over, but he was hoping to pull the wool over his own eye, trick himself into thinking maybe it'd be okay. That's how you don't stay on your toes, however...

"Perhaps it will convince them," Zhongli pointed out, "unless, that is, those imprisoned here are not transferred while conscious."

They didn't have any kind of stretcher, after all, and Zhongli wasn't particularly interested in playing unconscious either way. Besides, they needed only one more person to borrow a lab coat from... and though Zhongli was loathe to cause harm to mortals, perhaps these were extenuating circumstances.

Of course, securing an escape was the most important.

"We must take careful note of the path we take," he said, approaching the door at the end of the corridor. He couldn't hear anything beyond it, but...

He also knew very well that he could not trust these senses alone. Without the earth's resonance to guide him, he felt almost as though he were floating adrift upon the water... It was monumentally unpleasant.

Badou's all smiles and positivity, but truly his belly is roiling with anxiety. Can they get out of this? Zhongli has powers, but he's been holed up, same as Badou has. Can he move fast enough to save them?

"Let's go."

With a nod of his head, Zhongli glanced up and down the corridor. He supposed he ought to find a disguise of his own sooner rather than later... but this would be sufficient for now. Fortunately, though his access to his power was restricted, that would not preclude a few precise strikes to the acupoints...

That seems easy enough. Act menacing and creepy like the scientists here. Zhongli sure is a good guy, he's going to come back and not merely drink away this experience.

a city boy , huh ?? well , she was a . . . castle girl . so that meant that they were about as equally fish out of waters when it came to fishing as the other . anna huffed , relenting to the certainty of someone who held firm to his conviction . that is , until it dawns on her that something just seems overly complicated about all this :

" oh , i don't want to tackle the fish . i want to catch it . however , worms are a good idea , but let's just dig them up ourselves . "

He sighs again, softly chuckling.