[guy Who Keeps Dying And Coming Back Voice] Why Does Everyone Look So Upset Lol

[guy who keeps dying and coming back voice] Why does everyone look so upset lol

furry desert man teen zombie

“you’re covered in blood” oh don’t worry. It’s all mine

[Mr. Bell encouraged him again, then put a hand on his shoulder; it was grounding. He felt safe, like everything might just work out okay. If his teacher and Dagda both said so, he didn't have much reason to doubt himself...aside from, y'know, the fact that he was about to be lying through his teeth.]

[The moment didn't last; Nanashi stiffened as an employee approached, reminding him of the strict, no-nonsense government workers from his shows. Their aura was downright intimidating.]

[And still, they smiled at Nanashi and Mr. Bell; the two of them shook hands, then Mr. Bell introduced them. The enthusiasm of his teacher was a stark contrast to the atonal greeting Evelyn gave him -- and before Nanashi could really get a word out, he was being guided away. He glanced back, an apprehensive look in his eyes, and gave a small wave "goodbye" to Mr. Bell.]

[Evelyn spoke matter-of-factly, detailing today's itinerary without pause; paperwork, then suites. That...sounded par for the course, right? Nanashi didn't know anything about law, but he'd always heard that jobs were nothing but paperwork...for anyone in an official business or company, anyway.]

❝ Right. Okay. ❞ [Nanashi acknowledged, staring at the blank maze of walls as they passed through; if he had to make his way through all of this by himself, he would get totally lost. There were no real landmarks to tell him where he was. Scary.]

[Finally, Evelyn stopped and scanned their badge; an elevator door opened before them. The pressure at his back increased, like they were trying to push him inside...not like he had a choice, though.]

[The ride was uncomfortably quiet. Evelyn kept a hand at their side, presumably over a firearm -- good thing he was dead, otherwise that might freak him out even more. Her stare was unflinchingly fixed on Nanashi, which made him squirm inside his skin. He hated being watched.]

[The doors opened, revealing another grand lobby; if it weren't for the small bits of clutter, he wouldn't have noticed a difference between it and the one upstairs. They were perfect parallels to each other, which...shouldn't be as uncanny as it felt, right?]

❝ Uh...okay. ❞ [Nanashi wasn't totally sure how to take that -- he probably wouldn't have questioned this place being underground if Evelyn hadn't said anything ( he might have even thought it was cool ), but the way Evelyn put it made him wonder if he should be intimidated. Maybe his anxiety was getting the better of him...he'd be fine.]

[Along their route, Evelyn stopped at a small office; a stack of papers lied on the desk ahead of him. To his dismay, they offered him an opportunity to look it over -- which he probably should. He didn't know legalese, so he might not be able to decipher any of it...but he could at least skim it, just to make sure he wasn't signing up for anything crazy.]

❝ Yeah, I get it. Uh...sounds good. I'll be back in a second. ❞

[Nanashi approached the desk and sifted through the papers; from what he could make out, it mostly had to do with consent to...well, he wasn't sure what. He saw a couple of medical procedures sprinkled into the fine print, but...maybe that was normal? Evelyn said that he'd be getting an examination in a minute, anyway. Maybe they wanted to check his blood or something. Mr. Bell had made it sound like they weren't going to do anything extreme...]

[Yeah. He'd be fine.]

[Nanashi returned to Evelyn, feeling more clueless and overwhelmed than before...but he had faith. This wouldn't be too bad.]

❝ 'Kay, I'm all set. I think. I didn't have to sign any of those, did I? ❞

"I know what you mean. Don't worry-- I know you, Nanashi. You'll do fine!"

The kid practically flinches, and Steven has just enough time to set a gentle, reassuring hand on Nanashi's shoulder before they're no longer alone.

The individual who comes to greet the pair looks like someone out of Men in Black. Austere, rigid, and put-together, they stand in sharp contrast to Steven's own slumped posture. The only thing that breaks their no-nonsense air is the slight smile they give upon seeing Nanashi and Steven.

"Oh, hey, there you are!" Bell stands, giving the other employee's hand a hearty shake.

"Nanashi, this is one of my friends here at the company, Mx. Evelyn Strong. They'll be taking care of you, showing you around, that sort of thing. I'm sure you'll get along great!"

The new arrival greets Nanashi politely, tonelessly--

And sets a stiff hand on his back as they guide him away from Steven and the outside world.

"It's my understanding that Mr. Bell recommended you for both of our internship opportunities here. We'll be going over paperwork today, and then I'll be showing you our private suites. It's important we get that settled right away-- the rest of it can wait."

The elevator to the "private suites" is hidden behind a maze of unmarked hallways far, far away from the main lobby. It's as plain as Steven's car had been, practically unnoticeable where it's tucked away next to a break room that looks like it hasn't been used in months. Evelyn presses their badge briefly against a scanner built into the wall and the elevator opens silently in front of them. The pressure at Nanashi's back increases ever so slightly.

"After you."

Unlike Steven, Mx. Strong doesn't appear to be much of a talker. Also unlike Steven, they appear to be armed; when they finally drop their hand from Nanashi's back, it's to place it subtly at their side where most armed guards would keep a firearm.

They don't take their eyes off of Nanashi once during the entire elevator ride down.

There's a shift in the air when the elevator opens again, revealing a grand lobby that mirrors the one above. Without the need to be public-facing, however, this area appears somewhat more lived-in, with an almost imperceptible disorganization to its waiting areas and paths out into the rest of the complex.

"Don't let the fact that it's underground discourage you," Evelyn says, as though that would be the first thing on Nanashi's mind. "We have above-ground housing for employees who choose to stay with us full-time."

That's the only piece of information they seem to find necessary to share, because they set off towards the labs without another word. They know that Nanashi isn't a usual case; although it would be great if the kid remained a willing participant throughout this process, that is neither necessary nor a goal. All that matters is getting him processed. Immediately. Before he has a chance to change his mind and try to run.

Before they reach the lab space dedicated for Nanashi's examination, however, they stop in a small, windowless office. Paperwork is already sitting on the wooden desk in the center of the room. The stack of papers is more black than white, filled margin-to-margin with fine print. It's not necessary for Nanashi to sign any of this, but it's good practice to get legal consent from everyone who enters the building, and it will be useful if the kid actually does decide to stay with the company after his initial laboratory experience.

"Take as long as you need to read through the provided paperwork. Afterwards, I'll take you in to see one of our physicians for a physical assessment. Everyone in the program needs one before they're formally accepted. I'm sure you understand."

always vaguely feeling like im in trouble for something but idk what

dying & getting resurrected as a form of enrichment