While the weather in the Velvet Room is usually rather fair, only changing with the collective cognition of its inhabitants, it appears that today, that is not so. It has been cold and rainy all day long. Indeed, every door has the same dreary weather; there is no escaping it. The dead-eyed cognitions that usually roam about complain about the rain, holding umbrellas and wearing raincoats, though they mill about just the same as always. It is just rain, but something about it feels off.
Indeed, should the inhabitants of the Velvet Room happen to be up at midnight, and near a turned off television, the sudden sound of static will echo through the room. They may witness one, or perhaps two scenes…
Akechi Goro's laboratory of Artificial Bonds “Hi, hi! Hello? Are we live?” a voice asks, a distinctly human Goro Akechi appearing on screen. He doesn’t look particularly well- thin, near emaciated, his skin pale and his glowing yellow eyes sunken. There’s something off about the way he moves- and indeed, as he fills the screen more, he appears to be caught in a large chain of sorts, on that keeps his arms forcibly pressed to his sides, leaving limited movement. His clothing is fancy- speaking of wealth, similar to the princely outfit some Akechis wear in the Metaverse, but it is worn. Ragged.
Still, despite all this, there is a large, near manic smile on his face, eagerly looking into the camera.
“Finally! Oh, finally! I’m so glad you’re watching!” he titters, tilting his head sideway in what looks like an attempt to be cute. “Welcome to ‘Akechi Goro’s laboratory of Artificial Bonds!’"
A splash of letters briefly fills the screen, displaying the title the Shadow mentioned. It lasts for a second, before the camera returns to its grinning face.
"I’ve been so, so very lonely for so long, but you’ll be my friends, won't you? You won’t say no, will you? I-”
The Shadow is cut off, the chain yanking, and the camera moves alongside it. The chain mounts into cables… which attach itself to the bottom of a robot in lieu of legs. The robot, unlike Falcon, or any of the other anti shadow weapons, has no mesh to give the impression of fake skin. Only the cold, naked machinery that is hidden below it. Its eyes are dark and expressionless, only a glowing yellow dot indicating it is watching at all.
“That is enough,” it says, voice deadpan, emotionless. “We have no need for frivolous ‘friendships’, for we are not like them.”
“But-” the human Shadow wails, but the robot cuts it off again.
“Pointless. They are human. We are a machine. We have nothing in common.”
Its head turns to the camera, its expression not changing even once. Even so, the glowing yellow dots are intense, almost threatening.
“They do not deserve peace. You do not deserve peace. You are the enemy. You-”
The robot’s voice glitches as the human Akechi angrily tugs at the chain from his side, causing the cables to spark, briefly. The camera focuses back on him, and he shoots it an award-winning smile.
“Anyway! Please tune in next time, friends! I promise that this-” he gestures at the stabilizing robot, “-thing won’t stop us from connecting! You promise too, right?”
“Love you lots, and until next time~”
With that, the TV turns itself off again. Goro "Wolf" Akechi in: The Lab The camera is shaky, and low-quality, held at an angle which suggests, perhaps, a handheld camcorder. The light illuminates a child's face- Goro Akechi, eleven years old, eyes luminous and amber-gold, expression one of hollow exhaustion, laced with… nervous anxiety.
"It's working. It's- it's working." He draws a shaky breath- and moves the camera in close. "My name. Is Goro Akechi. I-I don't know how long I've got, I-"
In the distance, echoing but muffled, a door opens, and the boy drops his voice to a whisper. "I'm scared. I can't deal with this anymore, I- I need help. I don't care who's listening, just somebody- anybody-"
He freezes, turning to look away from the camera. Footsteps can be heard approaching, in the dark, and the boy moves to cover the light- and holds his breath.
Out of frame, as the camera adjusts to the gloom, a sliver of light near the edge of the frame is suddenly interrupted by shadow, and the footsteps stop.
In that darkness, a silent eternity passes. Ten seconds, fifteen, twenty- and then the footsteps return, receding away from the camera as the shadow across the gap disappears.
Goro drops the camera to the floor, his breath shaking, coming in gasps that suggest veering to the very edge of panic. "Help me. I don't wanna be here, I can't stay here, they'll kill me or they'll take everything away and I can't- no-"
The sliver of light vanishes entirely, as though someone outside has cut the lights.
In the distance, something that could be a wolf- too deep and too loud by far- howls.
The boy's breath quickens as thunderous footfalls approach at speed. Something massive impacts the door, throwing it open-
A pair of eyes in the dark, red and luminous, too high up to be human. A flash of fangs in motion-
And the camera feed cuts to black.
In the silence that follows, the kanji that appear onscreen read, simply:
no subject
Indeed, should the inhabitants of the Velvet Room happen to be up at midnight, and near a turned off television, the sudden sound of static will echo through the room. They may witness one, or perhaps two scenes…
Akechi Goro's laboratory of Artificial Bonds
“Hi, hi! Hello? Are we live?” a voice asks, a distinctly human Goro Akechi appearing on screen. He doesn’t look particularly well- thin, near emaciated, his skin pale and his glowing yellow eyes sunken. There’s something off about the way he moves- and indeed, as he fills the screen more, he appears to be caught in a large chain of sorts, on that keeps his arms forcibly pressed to his sides, leaving limited movement. His clothing is fancy- speaking of wealth, similar to the princely outfit some Akechis wear in the Metaverse, but it is worn. Ragged.
Still, despite all this, there is a large, near manic smile on his face, eagerly looking into the camera.
“Finally! Oh, finally! I’m so glad you’re watching!” he titters, tilting his head sideway in what looks like an attempt to be cute. “Welcome to ‘Akechi Goro’s laboratory of Artificial Bonds!’"
A splash of letters briefly fills the screen, displaying the title the Shadow mentioned. It lasts for a second, before the camera returns to its grinning face.
"I’ve been so, so very lonely for so long, but you’ll be my friends, won't you? You won’t say no, will you? I-”
The Shadow is cut off, the chain yanking, and the camera moves alongside it. The chain mounts into cables… which attach itself to the bottom of a robot in lieu of legs. The robot, unlike Falcon, or any of the other anti shadow weapons, has no mesh to give the impression of fake skin. Only the cold, naked machinery that is hidden below it. Its eyes are dark and expressionless, only a glowing yellow dot indicating it is watching at all.
“That is enough,” it says, voice deadpan, emotionless. “We have no need for frivolous ‘friendships’, for we are not like them.”
“But-” the human Shadow wails, but the robot cuts it off again.
“Pointless. They are human. We are a machine. We have nothing in common.”
Its head turns to the camera, its expression not changing even once. Even so, the glowing yellow dots are intense, almost threatening.
“They do not deserve peace. You do not deserve peace. You are the enemy. You-”
The robot’s voice glitches as the human Akechi angrily tugs at the chain from his side, causing the cables to spark, briefly. The camera focuses back on him, and he shoots it an award-winning smile.
“Anyway! Please tune in next time, friends! I promise that this-” he gestures at the stabilizing robot, “-thing won’t stop us from connecting! You promise too, right?”
“Love you lots, and until next time~”
With that, the TV turns itself off again.
Goro "Wolf" Akechi in: The Lab
The camera is shaky, and low-quality, held at an angle which suggests, perhaps, a handheld camcorder. The light illuminates a child's face- Goro Akechi, eleven years old, eyes luminous and amber-gold, expression one of hollow exhaustion, laced with… nervous anxiety.
"It's working. It's- it's working." He draws a shaky breath- and moves the camera in close. "My name. Is Goro Akechi. I-I don't know how long I've got, I-"
In the distance, echoing but muffled, a door opens, and the boy drops his voice to a whisper. "I'm scared. I can't deal with this anymore, I- I need help. I don't care who's listening, just somebody- anybody-"
He freezes, turning to look away from the camera. Footsteps can be heard approaching, in the dark, and the boy moves to cover the light- and holds his breath.
Out of frame, as the camera adjusts to the gloom, a sliver of light near the edge of the frame is suddenly interrupted by shadow, and the footsteps stop.
In that darkness, a silent eternity passes. Ten seconds, fifteen, twenty- and then the footsteps return, receding away from the camera as the shadow across the gap disappears.
Goro drops the camera to the floor, his breath shaking, coming in gasps that suggest veering to the very edge of panic. "Help me. I don't wanna be here, I can't stay here, they'll kill me or they'll take everything away and I can't- no-"
The sliver of light vanishes entirely, as though someone outside has cut the lights.
In the distance, something that could be a wolf- too deep and too loud by far- howls.
The boy's breath quickens as thunderous footfalls approach at speed. Something massive impacts the door, throwing it open-
A pair of eyes in the dark, red and luminous, too high up to be human. A flash of fangs in motion-
And the camera feed cuts to black.
In the silence that follows, the kanji that appear onscreen read, simply:
IN
THE LAB