A Researcher's Interlude III

A Researcher's Interlude III
Date of Scene:	18 February 2014
Location:	Goug - ShinRa HQ - Reception Area
Synopsis:	Returning to Goug from her exploits in Narshe, Rhia heads to a certain room in Shinra HQ to see just how her unintended test subject fared in the VR Observation Chamber. Discussion is had and things are revealed.
Cast of Characters:	Rhiannon Zellen, Chita
Tinyplot:	A Researcher's Inquiry

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Chita has posed:
Not even certain what had appened beyond there was chaos and fighting going on, then nothing, when Chita finally felt ground beneath his feet it made it even more confusing for him. "What the hell? Where... is this inside the weapon?" For all he knew, it was. Or it wasn't. Surely he wasn't dead, because Hades didn't want him, and just the same if he was dead, he could probably see once again. As of the moment, he couldn't. Couldn't see anything. Couldn't feel... anything. Just... nothing. Just what sounded like an ocean... and a strange clinging coldness that he couldn't shake.

A fidgeting shuffle of one hand led him to rub at the silver ring with a red x on it idly as if unsure what the situation was before calling out, "Is anyone there?! Can anyone from Goug hear me?!" He didn't hear any voices, any cries for help, any suffering. Or maybe he did? The tiniest of sounds caused him to turn towards what he thought it was and 'stare' off at nothing. "Am I imagining things?" he mumbled softly before heading in that direction slowly, spear drawn forth and used to walk with just in case he tripped on something.

What /was/ this place? And why did everything seem so... strange? Confusing?

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
Chita would have been left like that for at least a day and some change as Rhia made her way back to Goug. Not possessing any convenient teleportation magics, and the dark portals of the Black Omen now a thing of the past, she'd taken the trip on a Shinra aircraft, sailing through the skies with a few breaks, before they arrived in the city, touching down onto a helipad on the roof by the afternoon.

Stepping off of the vehicle, the woman brushed her hair out of her face with a hand, over the roar of the wind, and then took steps over to the waiting elevator, making her way down to the floor with the laboratories. "Hmn. I wonder how he's fared. It should have been at least a day by now..." And a playful smirk followed that uttered thought.

Arriving at the designated floor, Rhia stepped off and made her way through the halls, heading not for her own lab, but to a more specialized room. Stepping past the automatic sliding doors, it was revealed to be some manner of white walled room. It was divided into two parts. One larger section for a subject, and a smaller observation area, it's windows engineered in such a way that the subject couldn't see through them. Or realize they were there once the room was active.

And inside this room was Chita.

The scientist settled herself into a seat with a faint sigh before glancing through the window. "...Oh dear." And then she looked down at the various computer screens and key displays, observing one particular screen. It seemed to show what the actual environment inside was. A VR simulation?

After a moment's contemplation, Rhia shrugged to herself and brought her hand to a certain lever, dialing it down from 100, all the way down to 0. Effectively shutting off the VR environment, and dispelling the sounds and 'feelings' with it.

"...Well, hello in there~" The woman greeted with a mischievous tone. "Did you enjoy your stay?"

Chita has posed:
Being a stubborn pig-headedly aggressive fool when it came to his own goals, all indications of what he'd been doing or not would have pointed towards him actively doing SOMETHING during the entire period, be it searching, or trying to find the mysterious sounds, or trying to find something. Anything. Some indication that this was all real and not just in his head. Or an indication of where the hell he was, or what was going on. Is this why they were so scared inside of it?

Unable to muster up the courage to get out or try? They were lost, in this darkness?

If that was the case he could fully understand. It /was/ quite worrying, even for him. But he had to keep going. He had to... otherwise everything he had tried, and done, was for nothing.

Going on nearly fourty hours awake - the time inside this place combined with the period of time he was awake before the vents at Narshe had ocurred, he was looking quite tired. His posture wasn't the best, but he was hardly dragging so much as leaning a bit more on his weapon than he had before. The sudden lack of the cold and biting sensation that was the overwhelming darkness caused him to stop moving and perk up a bit more, tall ears listening to what was going on. "What is--" then a voice. Rhiannon? A hand came to his chest and he held it over his heart as if uncertain if she somehow had control of the weapon and, thus, it and him. "What is going on? I cannot imagine you were left to walk away unmolested from wherever it was that you..." a small growl of frustration left his throat as he trailed off from actually saying what he'd intended to.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"Actuuuuaaaaally..." Rhiannon drawled playfully, leaning back in her chair and looking through the window at the sleep deprived Viera. "...I was." She smirked at that and left the particulars to the side. "It's amazing, the things one can get away with one your apparent adversaries are tired out." Or so she would say anyway.

Not minding his valiant effort to keep his anger down, Rhia continued to smile as she observed Chita's movements. "So. How do you feel? Any more questions?" She asked that, knowing full well that he had more to ask. That in mind, she patiently sat by and waited.

Whether she'd actually answer any in a satisfactory manner was another issue entirely though.

Chita has posed:
All in all, no matter what was going on, ultimately Chita had no idea what was going on. And in the end, it all mattered very little outside of a single thing.

"What happened?" he finally asked, "What is going on? Wait... no, this all makes a fair bit of sense. I must have succeeded in being drawn into the weapon somehow. Yet... I have heard nothing of those trapped within." The sound was coming from all around, an almost omniscient way of speaking. He still hadn't realized he wasn't inside the weapon, and assumed she was simply communicating to him through it like he'd intended to do on a less pressed schedule. There was nothing he could do if he couldn't find those inside the weapon... nothing he could do to try and encourage them, help them get stronger... work together to destroy the thing from the insdie out and get some satisfaction even after their unfortunate demise... or possibly even complete it. If he couldn't do it...

It was all for nothing. "...I failed, I can only imagine." he said softly before leaning more heavily onto his weapon. "All those months of planning, forced to act too soon, and I failed. Why... why then? Why now? Why... did you throw away everything I tried to do?"

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"Because the overall project, though largely informative, was ultimately a failure." She replied simply, almost boredly in fact. "My theory came to a grinding halt the moment I came to discover that what is essentially a bound heartless cannot truly be completed, or 'redeemed'." And then there was an amused giggle to follow.

"As for the Black Omen itself, it was destroyed quite handily by your dear friend, Angantyr. The hearts contained were released into a fluttering cloud. Drifting off to wherever captive hearts go." Rhia chuckled to herself at that, and then shook her head. "Nonetheless, the data was gathered and the next experiment can begin thus."

She let that hang in the air for the moment, browsing some of the recorded results for the past day before speaking up again. "And by now, I'm sure you realize that you were never drawn into it. The project was destablized with the amount of damage taken, and thus, a countermeasure was activated, one that lead to another curiousity of mine." Smiling to herself, hand against her cheek.

"Suffice to say, you are in an observation room in Shinra's Goug headquarters. I imagine you must have been here for the past day or so, hm?"

Chita has posed:
"..."

Chita stood there silently as Rhiannon spoke, not saying anything until she stopped after making the remark she did. There was no reason not to believe what she was saying. As much as nothing else made sense, that, surpisingly made the most sense. It... made sense that everything he had tried for was now for nothing, and although the captive hearts inside the weapon were released... their deaths were for nothing now too. But, her next experiment? A wave of cold sickness ran through him finally as his grip on the spear tightened a bit and he resisted the urge to shout, or say something stupid, or even do something. He couldn't. He couldn't act out or he could just as easily be locked away in here forever until he died or, for that matter, was simply arrested for trying to hurt her on Shinra grounds.

"If I am in an observation room... how have i been walking and wandering in someplace cold and... open and far more spacious than a room for the last day?" He turned slightly, perhaps by chance now facing her on the other side of the window, "And why... are you telling me any of this? For what reason are you possibly involving me when you know as well as I do that I have no plans to let you do this again if I can help it."

His voice might belay just how much he was holding back his various thoughts and feelings, the slight waver in such, as if he wanted to just spit it all out along with plenty of other things, but isn't.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"Simple."

Rhia remained smiling, wagging a finger admonishingly, though mostly for her own amusement. "That room affects one's sensory perception, making them feel things, think things are there, when really...they were not. Quite a fascinating little toy, really." Giggling to herself, the scientist looked away, pondering some idle thought to herself then, drunning her fingers idly along the chair's armrest.

"As for why I am telling you..." There was a pause. "...You have no way of hurting me." Well that was cryptic.

Chita has posed:
All of the built-up stress and tiredness, and all of the overwhelming amount of uncertainty finally gets to the Viera and the spear vanishes as he sinks down to his knees. Winding up sitting in a slightly sideways position with one hand on the ground he looks a bit, well, numb. Too much at once, not enough sleep, suddenly having to deal with all of his goals being made moot and not having any clue or indication at all as to what comes next. "No, I do not. Not without killing you, of course." And if he could muster the nerve for that was still a matter of debate.

Chances were, though, he couldn't. "Am I being held here or am I free to leave this room? And what next? Please, Rhia, no more death. What will it take of me to get you to stop?" His voice was tired, his tone... even more so. He was worn out in trying and didn't really know what to do at this point, and as such, he simply asked - what would it take. "What possible knowledge could you desire so much? What is it, ultimately, that drives you?"

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
Rolling her eyes, Rhia leaned back in her seat and chuckled to herself. "Not without killing me. And not without harming your child."

Wait, what?

She didn't stop at the subject though, and reached over, hitting a button on the various array of computer keys and dials. A door opened with an audible mechanical whirr, tipping Chita off as to the direction of the way out of the room. He should be able to find his way out of the small passage to the hallway from there.

"And if you must know, my more pertinent work will be put on a hiatus for now." For obvious reasons. Or maybe not if he was dense. "Thus, you can rest easy at night, Mr. Hero." A wry smile formed as that was said. "Now go. Be on your way."

Interesting that she didn't actually answer his last question though.

But then, that was usual.

Chita has posed:
"..."

Yet again, Chita didn't really seem to know how to respond to everything going on, or all the things being said. And Rhiannon mouthing off in such a fashion regarding that didn't help simplify things either. He had no way to possibly know if she was lying, or telling the truth, or -- child? The sound of the door caused him to shift a bit and 'look' towards it before beginning to push himself to a stand. He didn't quite make it, though, on the first attempt. It took a second push to get past the disorienting feeling that came with his being that tired and blind as well.

"I would... ask how... but I can only imagine your response." He knew full well she was a smartass and the response to such would be the blatant one.

It had to be...

But, of course, by the time he walked slowly towards the doorway and felt around with his hand to find the wall and guide him towards it, he couldn't help but begin to laugh softly about it all. Surely he was going crazy and this was all some cocked-up dream, or some illusion by Seith. But Seith didn't know about such, did he? So...

Either she was lying to him, quite badly, or reality was about to hit him a lot harder than he'd intended. "Does this even lead into the same room as you, or am I going to wander out elsewhere and confuse others, and myself, when I do?"

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"You will wind up in the hallway of course." Rhia responded smoothly, arching a brow at the question. "What sort of self respecting team of scientists connects the subject area to the observation area?" That should have been obvious. At least she thought so. That said though, Rhia powered off the equipment in the room, including the mic that was feeding into the subject area.

That done, she stood and headed for the door, walking past as it slid open, and then closed. There was a click as the area locked itself and the woman stood to wait for Chita to emerge from another door that lead to the subject chamber. ...There were probably other doors that lead to other areas, maybe even outside. but she'd used the hallway door.

Must have been rather confident in herself.

Chita has posed:
When Chita finally got to the hallway, he stopped and listened briefly. No sounds he recognized or any such. But hadn't he heard, briefly, a familiar sound of heels? "So... did the girl in the lobby ever work up the courage?" He asked curiously, testing briefly if she was even there, or not. It was a simple enough way to seem like he was more aware than he was, and not at all deceiving. His attire beneath the cloak that he still had on might be a bit more visible than it had been in Narshe. Comfortable traveling clothing, simple denim fabric pants and a shirt beneath the more 'old world' cloak.

He wasn't the most fashionable of Viera's after all.

And he was holding back on asking more about anything until he found out if she was there. He didn't put up a fight or any such, though, nor did he seem particular aggressive. More than anything he looked like he didn't want any conflict at all, judging by his tone and posture.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"Her?"

The scientist shrugged nonchalantly and turned away, speaking and walking. "She approached him, sputtered some half intelligable gibberish, and then shoved a lunch box into his hands and ran away." She rolled her eyes at that, smiling meanly. "It was an entertaining sight really. I am rather glad I happened to be passing by that day."

She didn't check to see whether Chita was following or not, but she knew him well enough now to figure he would. In the meantime, she headed off, strolling through the halls on the way to her personal laboratory.

Home sweet home. At last.

Chita has posed:
"Lunch... box?" The concept was lost on Chita. Growing up as he had, where he had, that kind of banality never went realized. "Still, I am glad she tried, even if it was in such an... odd manner." Wait, walking away? Sigh, some things never change. Which meant he could simply leave, or follow. What would he even ask right now? What could he possibly ask that would make a difference and would she even answer? ...what did he even really want at the moment?

Sleep. He wanted sleep. And he most certainly wasn't going to find such in her lab. But, on the same measure... he also had no desire to simply leave the woman so soon after what she'd just said. Was she even heading to her lab? Could she be heading towards her room? Possibly.

Might as well follow and find out. "What now, then?" came a question from him finally. "After all that... after it... failed... what did that ultimately provide to you that you could not have gotten any other way?"

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"What now indeed."

Rhia replied in her usual cryptic manner, arms settling into her sleeves and obscuring them, an old habit. As she arrived at her lab, she quickly unlocked the door and walked past thee sliding doors, heading over to her desk space.

Chita's question hung in the air for a while as the woman arrived, setting a laptop computer onto the desk surface, followed by some notepads and other scientific and medical baubles. "-First hand experience." Or close enough to it. That was apparently her answer though.

Once done with that, she turned and walked right past Chita, heading back out into the hallway again, leaving the Viera to follow once more. Maybe she was actually going to her room this time. She did say she wouldn't be working on anything big for a while.

"Have you satisfied your curiosity yet?"

Chita has posed:
Following along mostly quietly, Chita didn't seem to have much to say when she didn't. If she wasn't going to answer his question the first time, why would she answer it after being asked again if he didn't have any reason to compel her to answer. And yet, no matter how frustrating she was... that was just her. And he barely even had time to relax for too long against a table inside the lab before she was off again. Surely she wasn't /trying/ to lose him, otherwise she would have simply told him to begone.

Yet... what could she possibly be doing? The question surprised him and the only resopnse he could think of was a simple, "No." there was no further elaboration on that at the moment. Instead, he returned to following behind her once again, still more than a bit lost from everything that's going on to think of much. Hell, he was at the point she could probably just suggest something and he'd do it without thinking about it unless it was 'kill _____'. "What are you doing? I admit I am unsure why I am following you around, but likewise... you also do not seem to mind."

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"Like a lost puppy."

She mumbled, amused with the notion herself. "What am I doing? Must you alwaus question every move I make?" Rhia asked, genuinely curious, enough to actually glance at the man for once. "What if I told you I was going to the washroom to handle feminine matters. Would you try and seek entry to make sure I don't conjure up a Black Beast while inside?"

An entertained smirk spread on her face at that. "Or what if I told you I was going on a date. Would you follow me around the city to make sure I don't turn the poor man into a syringe pin cushion?" She'd looked on ahead at this point, arriving at the live-in residential area, and passing by the numerous room doors for her own.

"Or how about if I said I was going to see a patient; I do have a medical license after all. Would you sit in on what could be confidential matters and make sure I don't transmit some disease to my patient for my own scientific curiosity?" Her smirk grew wider and she began to giggle to herself, hand covering her mouth.

"You clearly need something to do with yourself."

Chita has posed:
As he listened, rather a bit too exhausted to quip back, it was only the last bit that got a tired chuckle out of him. "I suppose I do, yes. And as per your questions... you are a grown woman, and as much as I have grown to hate a good portion of you, I am not your steward, nor your guardian. Right now, all I am is too tired to think about much and..." Taking a few quick steps to close the distance between himself and the sound of her heels, just when she finally paused for a moment, he reached out wth both hands to gently place them on her sides. "You have said little to nothing to me about anyting worthwhile since I left that room and I am far too... disoriented and lack-of-sighted at the moment to consider much of anything that requires thought. So I am asking you again... what are you doing?"

Truly, he was just asking, not even remotely attempting to nose in on anything. "I want to know so I can decide if I am going to follow you for the time being or try and crawl my way to the closest place to sleep for a couple of days.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
She was good at saying nothing with a lot of words.

Pausing at Chita stopped her, right in front of her room door ironically, she glanced down at his hands. "If you really must know, I am going to my room. I've been feeling under the weather as of late. I'm sure you can guess why."

Reaching out, she unlocked her room door and moved out of the Viera's grasp and into the limits of her living quarters. "I plan to sleep for a bit. Now go be a good boy and chase another tail for the time being, hm?" That was said with a degree of sarcasm, among her usual flighty and careless tone.

"There are no Black Omens, stolen hearts, or heinous experiments to be found here today."

Touchy.

Chita has posed:
Chita didn't say anything to that, even as she spoke and briefly sounded a bit snippy. "In that case..." he finally proposed, "...may I stay as well?" A bed to sleep in sounded quite nice right now. He wasn't even remotely thinking about trying to talk her into anything else, nor were there any hidden reasons in that. As many problems as he may have queue'd up with Rhiannon at the moment... above all else...

Sleep's call was a siren he couldn't say no to and Rhiannons bed was the closest at the moment. "Besides, i am the one with the tail here, unless you grew one since the last time I checked?"

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"......."

Rhia would have offered some witty reply, but she really was growing tired. Tired and uncharacteristically frustrated. Somewhat. Nonetheless, her bed was large enough for two. So after a moment's thought, she nodded. "Very well. Get your rest. And keep your hands to yourself."

That said, she hung up her lab coat and kicked off her heels before climbing into her bed and getting comfortable. The door would close on it's own. "I expect you will show yourself out when you finish."

That wasn't a question.

With that said, her eyes closed as she attempted to welcome sleep and put her thoughts aside for the moment.