Toacho
The ‘Friend of a Friend’
Detailed & Dark Soft, An Originals & Fandoms Search Thread
By Toacho
Actual footage of me polishing this thread for the 58th time this month and removing 95% of what used to be on it.
By Toacho
Actual footage of me polishing this thread for the 58th time this month and removing 95% of what used to be on it.
Hey, what's up everyone? Welcome to Toacho's Detailed & Dark Search Thread. I have fandoms and some originals, so feel free to look around! Please make sure to check out the 'Think We'd Mesh?' tab for a complete summary of myself and what I am looking for.
- Status
- Major Cravings
- Roleplay Information
- Fandoms
- Originals / Non-Fandom
- Dynamics / Tropes I Like
- Genres
- Writing Samples
☐ Currently searching!
☐ Not actively searching, but not completely closed either.
☒ Sorry, I'm a little busy right now. Please check back another time!
☐ Out of town / Hiatus / Not currently roleplaying. (All current partners will be alerted.)
I'm still usually up for chatting despite any status used above, so feel free to shoot me a message anytime!
Last updated: 5/18/2020
Hey, here's a list of some of my current major cravings!
Hell must have froze over because for once, I'm craving something soft. My big craving is Lovely Apocalypse, hope it piques your interest!
General Information
• I usually post at least once a week, maybe more or less depending on the length of posts. I'm fine waiting long periods of time for posts and honestly kind of prefer some time between posts.
• I'm eighteen. I don't mind what age my partner is, but darker themes will be 15+.
• I've been roleplaying for about seven or eight years now.
• I'm a big fan of dark themes! Murder, violence, drugs, mental illness etc., I'm always up for it!
• I do not roleplay on Discord or Skype. I'm up for using it for OOC but prefer to keep everything on this site.
• Posts are usually 1000+ words, can easily reach 5000+ with enough substance. This is a big point for me, I find that I almost always have trouble holding interest for roleplays that are shorter than my minimum.
• I play a main and a few sides. I don't double if it is used to compromise, I'd rather we find a pairing we both enjoy.
• I mostly play male mains but have varied side characters.
• I'm a big fan of plotting, planning, character sheets, etc.
• I am down for both romance and platonic, but prefer to only do romance as MxM or MxNB.
• Let me know if there's anything you want to avoid. I don't do furries, incest, pedophilia, etc.
• I'll always try to tell you if I have an issue with the roleplay or am losing interest, but I am completely ghost friendly. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to make the roleplay more enjoyable!
NOTICE: Hey, I'm not really feeling any fandom roleplays right now. You can still ask me about any of my really high ranked ones, but I just can't get myself into any big fandoms right now. Thanks for understanding!
Preferences are in bold and stars () indicates how interested in the roleplay I am. No bolder areas means I am willing to play either role. Feel free to suggest other fandoms, but I cannot guarantee I will be familiar with them. I reserve the right to modify any canon character I am playing to a minor degree. I will always discuss my preferences for what I would like to change before the roleplay starts so that we can reach a common ground. Similarly, if you are playing a canon character, you’re more than welcome to deviate from the source material.
• Will Graham & Hannibal LectorNOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
• Loki & OCNOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
•Scarecrow & OC
• Jervis Tetch & OC
• Edward Nygma & OC
• Scarecrow & Jervis Tetch
• Scarecrow & Edward NygmaNOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
• Ghoul OC & Ghoul OC
• Ghoul OC & Human OC• OC & OC
• Hero Ranker OC & Hero OC
• Hero Ranker OC & Villain OC
• Shigaraki & OC
• Dabi & OC
• Stain & OC
• Villain Deku & OC• Ruvik/Ruben & OC
• Stefano & OC
• Sebastian & JosephNOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
• Android OC & Human OC• Dr. Kondraki & Dr. OC
• Dr. Kondraki & SCP OC
• Dr. Kondraki & GOI OC
• Dr. Clef & Dr. Kondraki
• Dr. OC & Dr. OC
• Dr. Gears & Dr. OC
• Dr. Gears & Dr. Iceberg
• Dr. OC & SCP OC• Arthur Fleck & OC
Some plots that do not belong to any particular fandom. Preferred role is bold and stars () indicate interest. No bold means I will accept either role. Feel free to suggest other plots or roles. Some plots may be slightly influenced by fandoms but not directly a part of the fandom.
(Dark Themes, Thriller, & Imaginary Friends.)
The Little Rabbit is a beloved children's comic and soon-to-be television show, known all across the nation for its gentle art style and the silly antics and adventures between a young girl her mischievous rabbit. With the comic being easily recognized by both children and parents alike, it has gained a lot of momentum and attracted the attention of various producers, each promising more funds than the last in order to put pencil and paper into cartoons. With this pressure from the public, and the rising public worry over a recent string of brutal murders in Eastern New York threatening to take the spotlight from the creator and his efforts, the creator of the comic begins to find himself under more and more stress. It is then that out of the corner of his eye, he imagines a small rabbit crossing the street and following right behind a woman, failing to even notice the knife weighing down his pocket.
As a more summarized thing, I was imagining that this plot would consist of Muse A who is the artist of the comic and also losing their sanity (And possibly murdering people without realizing it,) and a character who either tries to help or push them. Alternatively, it could have a slight surreal aspect where the Muse A starts finding hints of the upcoming murders in his own works and learns of a different person, Muse B, who is causing the murders.
Roles;
The Creator & Fan of the Comic
The Creator & Detective
The Creator & Their Therapist
The Creator & Show Producer
The Creator & Murderer
Tags; Mental illness, Based on Wozwald, Noire-Style, Alternate Reality 1920's-1930's, Serial Killer, Murder, Possible Superpowers if You're Interested, Psychosis, & Episodes.
NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
(Versatile Plot, Action, & Adventure.)
A rift has opened in the planet, spontaneously doubling the matter in the universe. To everyone’s surprise, every single object, person, and thing in existence has been.. Well.. Copied. They’re not exact, small details making each copy slightly different from the original. A blond woman with the same face walks past you on the street on your way to cut your long brown hair. You think you see a man on the television who looks exactly like you, but has a cigarette pinned between their fingers as they talk. You stopped smoking at least a decade ago. You saw a kid at the bus stop today who you could have sworn was your crush from sixth grade. He killed himself the summer before highschool. He looks a little older now.
Somewhere out there, every person has another version of them. A doppelgänger.
Roles;
Original & Doppelgänger
Agent Investigating New Phenomena & Doppelgänger
Original & Doppelgänger of Deceased Friend/Lover
Suggest Your Own!
Tags;
Kill the Double or Befriend the Double, Supernatural, Want to Play Different Versions of the Same Character(?), Possible Superpowers if You're Interested, & Generally Odd Plot and Mechanics.
NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
(Adventure, Thriller, & Dark Themes.)
"It's me again! Sorry for being gone so long! Wow! You look so different! Hah! Guess that comes with a few years of separation." It says, smiling at you through silicon, it's eyes drifting across your living room as if it is taken in the sights. The eyes sharply flicker back to you, uncanny smile still forced across its lips. "New paint too? Gosh! You must have been busy!" It sounds just like them. It looks just like them. It acts just like them. For a second, you could be fooled into thinking it is them. "Let's catch up, yeah?" You almost want to believe you never even saw them die.
Not going to lie, this is partially based on a TikTok video I watched as well as a Black Mirror episode. A new invention has been created that allows people to recreate their deceased relatives and friends. After YC watched the traumatizing death of a close friend, a few years passed before they were offered a chance to bring them back. Desperate, they took the chance. An android was made with all the memories of who they were based on as well as the voice, stylistic quirks, and everything about them. Of course, not everything seems to match up. They are exactly like who they were copied -- and that makes it all the more horrifying.
I can see this going a few different ways.
One; MC has some quirk that makes them an imperfect copy. YC becomes obsessed with fixing this and the roleplay just steadily goes down the rabbit hole with MC being mostly unaware/clueless and yours becoming steadily insane.
Two; MC was hiding a few things during their life. Can be something as mild as cheating on them, having a crush on them, etc -- to something as severe as being subtly manipulative towards YC and secretly being the cause of many of their issues that exist to this day.
Three; MC is a perfect copy of the past self and acts exactly like them. As the story progresses, MC starts acting different. It starts off small like not smiling as much, not being as quick to appreciate everything with the special wonder they had first had, little things. Later, this progresses and it is eventually discovered that MC is developing a personality of their own that is in direct conflict with who they are meant to be copying. The roleplay will mainly focus on YC deciding whether or not to cling to the person they originally copied or to grant MC the freedom to develop as they wish.
Roles;
Android Copy & Human
Tags;
Versatile plot, androids, robots, Black Mirror, Copying Personalities, and Major Character Death.
NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
(Horror, Thriller, & Dark Themes.)
On the third Monday of every new year, twenty people older than twelve and younger than thirty two are randomly chosen as being it. It is the duty of anyone who sees these people to murder them in order to claim a prize of one million. A supervisor, mandated by the government to announce the official death of it, will accompany their charge until the year has concluded or their charge has been killed. If their charge survives an entire year, they will be given a very special reward. Refusing to kill an it will result in immediate draft into joining the it party. Attempting to flee the country will result in immediate termination. Attempting to kill a supervisor will result in immediate termination.
Roles;
Supervisor & It
It & It
Tags;
Murder, We Live in a Society (That Decides to Kill People for Sport), Kid's Game Gone Wrong, Possible Superpowers if You're Interested, Violence, & Part of the Game Series.
NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
(Horror, Intrigue, & Mystery.)
At a prestigious university in upper region of North America, a professor and their assistant spiral down a rabbit hole into an investigation of three individuals disappearances, all of which occurred under mysterious circumstances. Together, they must find the connecting between; the unused documentary materials based on the true story of an elderly man that killed his son-in-law before vanishing while pursuing a woman halfway across the world, some radio records on a man who sailed out into the middle of the ocean during a fit of insanity and became completely incapable of tracing despite his voice sounding over a radio line for nearly three years, and a woman who claimed to have an angel in her mist before vanishing after the murder of her husband by her very own hands. The two intellectuals must piece together these three stories; the Klava Accounts, Nikolai's Transcripts, and the Bedelia Letters, or face the grim reality of these disappearances head on with their own skin on the line.
So, small personal note about this one, the development of this roleplay has been my little passion project for the last year. Based on a combination of the book House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski, as well as the internet phenomena of the Backrooms, it will have some confusing and puzzle-like elements to it. This also happens to be the darkest of all my roleplays with a lot of themes of murder, suicide, and abuse. If you would like more information, let me know and we can talk more in private chat. If you like mystery roleplays, then this roleplay is for you.
Roles;
Professor & Teacher's Assistant
Tags;
Unused Documentary Material, Radio Conversations, Transcripts, Love Letters, Poems, Prestigious School, The Hallways Are Endless, The Backrooms, House of Leaves Vibes, Three Stories -- You Find Connections, Murder, Suicide, Spouse Abuse, Child Neglect, Schizophrenia, Episodes, People Vanishing Oddly, Literature Discussion, Novella, Mystery, Prestigious Imaginary University, Supernatural, Lovecraftian Horror, No Superpowers.
(Lighthearted, Comedy, & Bittersweet.)
It is the end of the world as everyone knows it; the apocalypse. Creatures called 'Angels' are slowly picking through the population and ending the world little by little. This story follows murderous scavenger angels, a reaper with a full-time job as the God of Death, stuffy demons who just want to claim the damned souls that they were scheduled with, and a God who frankly would rather take a nice long nap than deal with the hellfire and dropping bodies. Welcome to the apocalypse.
Roles;
Angel & Death
Death & Demon
Demon & Angel (maybe)
Tags; Kind of Like Good Omens, Hella-Fucking-Fluffy, Platonic or Romantic, Sweet, Actually the Sweetest Roleplay on this Thread, Comedy, Angels Suck, Demons Are Just Doing Their Jobs, Hell is a Corporation, Heaven is a Cult, Reapers Are Tired, God Likes Bugs More Than Humans (Naps Are Good Too), God Is Soft™ & Funny Deaths.
NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING.
(Dark Themes, Superpowers, & Time/Space Bubbles.)
A villain made a deal with a shady person that would grant them ten years in a reality isolated from their own where they would be able to work without being interrupted by anyone. The catch? They were transported into this bubble with the only person who can destroy their entire work and the only person that can make it reach its maximum potential. The double catch? They’re the same person and the villain has no idea who or where they are.
Roles;
Villain & Other
Tags; Superheroes, Gods/SUPER-Superheroes, Possible Superpowers if You're Interested & Certain Actions Affect Which End the Villain Gets.
(CYOA.)
Feel free to suggest your own adventure! Alternatively, if you like multiple ones of these ideas, or even want to mix some of these ideas with the fandoms, let me know and I'll see what adventure I can brew up from those suggestions!
Just a small little list of some pairings and tropes I enjoy. I tend to like to pick a plot and one or two pairs or tropes that we could use for the plot, so make sure to let me know if there’s any you would be interested in! Bold is my preference, no bold means I have no preference. Stars () are how interested I am in the trope.
• Sweet Innocent Cinnamon Roll & Hothead
• Chaotic Dumbass & Sweet Innocent Cinnamon Roll
• Rude Asshole & Sweet Innocent Cinnamon Roll
• Intelligent Graceful & Sweet Forgetful
• Intelligent Graceful Royalty & Sweet Forgetful Servant
• Secretly A Bad Guy & Secretly A Worse Guy
• Detective Partners
• Detective Partners (But One is Secretly the Bad Guy.)
• Skilled But No Motivation & Motivated But No Skill
• Pompous Jerk & Reckless Jerk
• Concerned Friend/Person & Cult Follower
• Superhero & Supervillain
• Dismissive Genius Mentor & Curious Student
• Burnt Out Pushover & Insufferable Asshole
As like with many roleplayers and authors, I have some preferences for genres and themes that I like. I have each listed below with how interested I am in that theme. Anything with one star () means I will not roleplay that theme unless it has some sort of interesting twist. Anything with five stars () means that I love most plots that relate to those genres.
• Modern Science Fiction (Superpowers! Yay!)
• Fantasy (Like elves and dwarfs. I'll probably do this once every few years, not really a giant fan.)
• Horror Fiction (Love it when there's dark elements! Give me some of that good Lovecraftian shit!)
• Historical (I have niche tastes for this. Think 1890's England.)
• Mystery (Murder mysteries. ❤)
• Romance (Love this when it is combined with other genres! Hate when it is alone.)
• Adventure (Just a few dudes on a quest. Really love when there's a survival aspect to it!)
• Classic (Let's make our own little Frankenstein story.)
• Sports (This is here so that I can emphasize I will not roleplay sports.)
• War (I like war and combat roleplays in small doses. If it is the center of the roleplay, I won't like it. If it is an element, I'll love it!)
• Realistic (I hate slice of life roleplays. I need something else to it.)
• Paranormal (Love ghosts and monsters and all those little things that go bump in the night!)
• Superheroes (Kind of alongside Modern Science Fiction, I love having heroes. My favorite style is most similar to MHA, but I also enjoy DC and Marvel.)
• Gods/Goddesses (I have to be in a really specific mood for this. Used to love it but sadly burned out. Maybe that flame will re-light with the right plot?)
Here's a few writing samples of my past work.
BNHA RP Introduction Post
My character, Genki, works for a place that judges where the top heroes are ranked. At this point, he has just been assigned a new hero to review.
━ ▣ ━
There are few things in this world that Genki despised more than concerts and pineapple on pizza; but this, this was certainly one of them. Public transit was already annoying enough, being pushed into some dodgy underground train where he was getting elbowed and shoved every five seconds -- nothing like back home where you could count the number of people on a train on a single hand, but as soon as he watched the small group of snickering teenagers with their black case, he knew this trip was going to be a little less than pleasing.
For a moment, he glanced to the door, considering leaving and seeing a faint black outline shifting through the crowd towards the doors, just for it to stop right at the door to indicate it had closed before it'd gotten the chance to exit. 'Damn,' he thought, letting his gaze drift instead past the other outlines to follow the teenagers still murmuring among themselves. He could maybe try to get into the next cart? He let his eyes drift to the front door, watching the same black outline pushing through the others before fading before it got even halfway, indicating it would take a bit longer than he'd preferred. 'Okay, back side then,' he considered as he turned to look at the closer door, watching the outline wade through the crowd just to be stopped by the dark green and hazel outline of the man standing at the door and then fading. So that was out of the question too. Resigned, he let his gaze fall back on the group of teenagers.
A few moments would pass as one of them -- purple outline, said something to another -- orange and yellow outline, and then began reaching to his bag. 'Please,' He thought as he watched the movements begin to happen in reality, 'I swear, if there's a god out there,' he watches the outline pull something from the bag. It's a shame non-living things were always difficult to pick apart. 'If it's anything but a trumpet, then I will make myself a holy man,' He prayed.
Of course, reality is disappointing, and the young subway performer shortly mirrored the outline, pulling a trumpet from the little black bag. "Fuck me," Genki growled, turning around sharply and beginning to push himself to the back of the subway, hearing a couple gentle sounds of laughter from those nearby that had caught his swear and made way for him to back up as the loud and obnoxious trumpet filled the air, blurring his sight with bright yellows and gold zigzags, the other two teenagers already trying to parade around the cramped cabin to collect money for their nausea-inducing performance. 'Your loss,' he thinks bitterly as he reaches the wall and waits for his stop while turning his gaze to the window to try and tune out some of the bright obnoxious colors.
--------
"How ya' doing man?" He hears a familiar voice shout from the other side of the hall, seeing the familiar bright red pass through his sight before he even noticing the voice. He glances back just in time to nearly take a hand to the face while his friend claps his shoulder. "How's the wrist?"
"Eh, surprisingly still works, thought I would for sure have to get it amputated," He replied, grinning slightly at the larger and horned man.
The man gawked back, his horns shifting to flatten backwards against his head. "Hey!" He snapped, "I didn't throw it that hard!"
Genki laughed and shook his head slightly, continuing towards his office. "You nearly took off my hand with that baseball, Matsu."
"Oh stop being such a baby, maybe you shouldn't have been taunting me, huh?" He replied sharply, following the smaller man as his own horns returned to their curled upright position. There was silence for a few moments while Genki messed with his lock for a few moments before frowning. Matsu's cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. "I may have broke your lock trying to get some staples."
Genki blinked, glancing back in surprise before sighing, "Why didn't you just go out and buy your own? You know, instead of breaking my damn lock." He wasn't angry, just surprised at the lack of care the gentle giant had.
"I'm broke! You can't really expect me to do that!" Matsu snapped back defensively.
"Can and am." He mumbled, messing with the door again and frowning. "Why is it stuck?"
Matsu tilted his head slightly, surprised by that fact. "It's probably nothing," He reached over and shook the handle before jerking it open and grinning as the lock yields to his strength. "Fixed it."
Genki shook his head again and gave a small laugh. "Right then, guess that'll need fixed. Is Ms. May in today?" He asked as he entered and watched a black outline walk towards the desk while adjusting something on it's shoulder and carelessly dropping it on the chair causing it to fall on the floor. 'Right then,' he considers while walking to his desk and pulling his messenger bag off his shoulder. 'Don't put your bag on the chair,' he thinks as he sets it on the floor leaning against his desk and turned his attention to a small stack of papers on his desk.
"Dunno, didn't really check. She always yells at me when I talk to her," Matsu shrugged, ducking his head slightly as he entered the doorway, a few scraps from his horns already lingering at the top of the door frame.
Genki skimmed over the papers, it looked like a briefing to a meeting, a hero one it seemed judging by the details of the time and location. He remained silent, attempting to catch any details of the hero he would be reviewing. Looked like a rather highly-placed one according to the amount of detail in the pages, probably someone in the top hundred. Obviously not any of his past ones -- both a blessing and a curse considering they were often easier to rank when he already knew them.
"Got your charge?" Matsu asked, tucking his hands in his pockets and approaching. Genki continued to skim over the papers, the faint tinge of red glinting over his sight being the only indication that Matsu had addressed him. "Oi, who is it?" He asked, bringing a hand from his pocket and snapping his fingers a couple times with slight irritation at not being acknowledged.
"Yeah, I think so," Genki murmured, frowning as he tried to locate a name. "I think I got the wrong document." It's not like it was completely the wrong one, it was addressed to him, it merely lacked a name or any information on the hero. It was just a document he had seen hundreds of times about how to rank heroes as well as a time, place, and who would be supervising the first meeting. There was no heroes listed on it. No current rank, no previous reviewers, nothing. Just his own name, a time, and a location.
"What? Let me see," Matsu snapped, taking it quickly and furrowing his eyebrows as he read over the information a little slower. Maybe that was good, maybe Matsu would notice something that Genki had missed. It was probably just a printing error. Still, it meant he would need to discuss with Ms. May about getting the fixed document; something he truly wasn't looking forward to.
Putting his hands on his hips and watching Matsu read it, he eventually saw the red outline begin to move, soon followed by the man himself moving.
Matsu lowered the paper and glanced up, tilting his head slightly. "You remember what rank your last charge was?"
"Rank sixteen, high public opinion but poor usage of their quirk, they're likely to be demoted a few spots."
"What about the one before that?"
"Rank twenty-two, had a couple slip ups but excelled in the Kobe attack. I was told they'll probably go up a few spaces by the next round."
"Then you've got a charge currently in the top ten," Matsu answered with a stony expression, waiting a moment before bringing his gaze back down to the document and flipping the papers to skim over the ranking process included.
Genki couldn't help but fall silent. A top ten hero? As his charge? Why would anyone think that's a good idea, they knew his stance on most of the top ten heroes. "Why do you think that?" He finally asked, drawing his attention back to his desk and organizing some of the other papers he had on his desk leftover from the previous night.
"Osaka had a similar case a few weeks ago, turned out to be the current number nine, Yoroi Musha. Lucky bastard almost had a heart attack." Matsu said while cracking a grin and leaning against the desk with his arms folded, setting the papers back down.
Genki lined the other papers up carefully in a stack before directing his attention to the document, considering ignoring it.
"Should be honored," Matsu said, something in his tone shifting the bright red to be faintly darker. He watched an outline of a red and black cross into his sight, reaching towards the papers. "If you don't want it-"
He snapped his hand forward and grabbed the papers just as Matsu began to unfold his arms. "You know we're not able to switch cases. Besides, if I get this one over with, then I won't ever need to rank them again." He said firmly as he grabbed an empty folder from his filing cabinet and tucked the papers neatly into it, paper clipping the edges so they would stay collected.
"Ah, so you're taking the 'one down, nine to go' approach?" Matsu asked, his voice still carrying the sly tinge. "Who knows!" He shouts, tossing his hands up defensively. "Maybe it'll work. It's not like the top ten ranks change all that much anyways." He chimed as he walked towards the door. "Door open or closed?"
"Looks like you've figured out my master plan, now I just need to figure out how to eliminate you," Genki mused, sarcasm dripping from his tone as he shot a grin back at the giant man. "Closed please." He said, flicking his hand slightly as he spoke before directing his attention to his computer and sitting down. The meeting would be later tonight, Mrs. Kai would be supervising the first one, then letting him and his charge loose like always. While he had no knowledge of who he would be reviewing, he could at least begin his research here and start eliminating possibilities based on current information he did have available to him. Obviously, Yoroi Musha was out of the picture since he'd already been reviewed.
Perhaps that could be a good start, see which charges have already been claimed in the database. Jiggling his mouse slightly and then waiting for the slow computer to boot up, he gently massaged his left wrist with a slight wince, shaking his head slightly. "Damn oaf," he murmured to himself before bringing his attention to the password box, logging in, and getting straight to work.
━ ▣ ━
DC Comics Roleplay Random Post
A random post taken from a roleplay following the Scarecrow and his therapist, Matthias/Dr. Mayflower. Current post takes place during a lockdown with violent criminals roaming the halls while both characters are hiding in a closet.
•●•
He had no comment when the topic of 'family' was briefly brought up, even if in passing. It is not like there was much to mention anyways. As he had briefly considered earlier, his grandparents had passed a couple of decades ago, his aunt -- his only other form of an extended relative -- had passed a few years back without him bearing witness. He did not have a large family by any means. A mother, a father, and a lone sister. The closest he ever come to see death, outside of the hospitals, were when he visited his family. Even then, they were still -- very much -- alive.
The next words from the former doctor was even more surprising, listening to him transition from his previously macabre and somewhat questionable questions to abruptly raving about the gore they would have to cross to escape. For a moment, it even sent a chill down Dr. Mayflower's spine as he considered the shots from earlier, ringing across the halls of the facility for a few minutes but seemingly having started to settle down with only the occasional distant shot. There was no doubt that there would be bodies in the corridor. Bloodied, gruesome, and just as horrifically as Jonathon had described them as.
Maybe not though.
The chill slowly dispersed as Matthias considered the words for a few moments, looking back at the door briefly again.
It was an attempt to frighten Dr. Mayflower. Perhaps one with actual merit, considering Mr. Crane had witnessed -- and caused -- many escape attempts before and was likely familiar with the scenery before and after these attempts. However, that was assuming that everyone who was hit with a bullet would immediately pass away. People, as Matthias had come to recognize over his many years of helping those that had endured trauma, were much more durable than most assumed. A bullet was rarely an immediate death sentence if the person shot could receive treatment soon after.
Just because they're dying -- doesn't mean they're dead.
The facility could be understaffed, due to the amount of people currently caught in rooms or unable to properly reach the medical bay, meaning that anyone that could lend a hand was all the more useful. Despite the fact that they were currently stuck as sitting ducks in this dingy and dirty closet, the medical bay was not that far, right? It certainly wasn't close, past the cafeteria and a few cell blocks, but it was not an impossible distance. That would undoubtedly be one of the first places to have order restored considering the necessity of the area. They would likely be sweeping outwards, first to the offices, then likely towards this area and the cells. They would undoubtedly have to pass through at least a couple of the cell blocks during their effort, meaning that if they could travel only a short distance past the closest blocks, then they would likely encounter some guards.
It was not a sound plan by any means, as Dr. Mayflower was still rather unfamiliar with the area, but he was familiar with the major areas of the facility. He could locate the medical bay, the cafeteria, some of the offices, and even a small handful of cell blocks that his patients resided in. By tracing their steps back through this hall, Mr. Crane's cell block, and the unfamiliar one behind it, they'd have to end up close to the medical bay. Of course, he had not traveled through the block behind Mr. Crane's own cell block, so he would have a little trouble if he were to travel on his lonesome in the area. The guard would be a helpful resource for that once he could break away from the current conversation and mention his developing plan to the man.
As his eyes focused on the door, he noticed the guard watching them, his eyes glued to the two of them. For a moment, Matthias wondered if the guard had mistaken his action -- talking to Jonathon -- as a sign of betrayal. A sign that Matthias was going to screw up and make a mistake that would cost them their lives. They were currently, as the guard had requested, speaking softly enough that Matthias doubted the guard had picked up more than a couple of syllables the entire conversation. Regardless, Matthias could see the concern in the guard's eyes. Ready to leave as soon as he got the chance and keep his own life.
There was nothing that Dr. Mayflower could do but keep his gaze connected with him for a second. He was caught in the conversation with Jonathon, knowing that this was not an ideal time to break the conversation and could easily offset the delicate arrangement. Matthias could not divide his attention like that, simultaneously trying to encourage the guard and provide him hope while also indulging in the grim and frightening topics consistently brought up by man he was currently listening to.
If Matthias continued to indulge in Jonathon's words -- no matter how carefully he was straying to recognize that it was all a mind game -- they would eventually get at him. He would have that tiny fraction of a moment of panic, and in the end, there would be no way to come back that time. A moment of panic could cost him his life in this current situation. However, if he stopped listening, and went to tend to the guard and ensure his assistance in the plan he was slowly beginning to form, then there was a likely chance that the fragile deal would be broken -- a scenario that would also cost them their lives. The guard was needed as a guide, after all, he was the only one currently armed out of the three of them. Not to mention he likely knew the facility better. Of course, there was always the chance that the guard was not familiar with this area.
It all felt like a gamble, and eventually, Matthias broke the quiet gaze with the guard to continue listening to Mr. Crane. He just needed to talk to him until the former doctor was satisfied. The moment he felt secure enough that Crane would not call out for one of the many hall-dwellers, that would be the moment Matthias tried to get them all to safety.
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Matthias was briefly stumped as the question was turned on him.
Well, there were many reasons why life was valuable, right? Every living person was capable of many great things. Corrupt people could turn to good, good people could become even better. He had always been taught, since he was a young child and before he could even speak, that life was important and that it was wrong to take it away -- whether the life was as small as a mouse's or as large as another human being's. Even later in life, when these words died down to a mere 'be wary of the lives you take', and it became more acceptable to take the small bug lives and even the lives of mice -- something Matthias still cringed away from doing -- there had never been a justification in taking the life of another person. "Because all lives are important. Everyone has the potential for change, even mass murderers and corrupt policemen." Matthias finally answered.
"What makes your work more valuable than the lives of others?" Dr. Mayflower asked next, turning the question back on Jonathon. Matthias did not believe that what Mr. Crane was doing could really be classified as 'work', more comparable to a child stamping on a mouse to try and learn why the creature stops moving afterwards. It was emotionless, shocking, unethical -- many things -- but ultimately, it was only research. Still, Matthias chose to continue to indulge.
However, he quickly seemed to change his mind about the question. Matthias' nose wrinkled slightly as he gave a small shake of his head, brushing away his own question as he answered it soon after. "I understand that you are trying to make your fear toxin, but I suppose that fact is what confuses me." He said.
"No two minds are identical, something that scares another person may delight another. Plenty of people attend haunted houses just for fun while others will shy away from even mildly frightening movies. It must be difficult -- perhaps even impossible -- to create it when considering these details. From the few scraps of information about your toxin and your obsession, you seem to use the same type for anyone? Or at least variations that can have a degree of effectiveness no matter the individual's preferences." Dr. Mayflower said, looking back at the floor and to the side slightly as he spoke his thoughts. Still, despite the many thoughts he was currently stating, a couple of them would remain unsaid. The primary one would be the very topic that had so briefly come up the previous day; what the toxins were made of or how they functioned.
While the ingredients were mostly a mystery to him, he could hazard a guess to how they functioned. Whatever the ingredients were, they could likely be linked to a variety of neurotransmitters; Dr. Mayflower's best guess being they stimulated the production or over-production of dopamine, serotonin, or even potentially epinephrine. This would likely explain how common varying degrees of schizophrenia, anxiety and depression had been common among the few patients he had seen and treated that had been victims of Mr. Crane's toxin. Still, this was only a fickle assumption, an ends with no means to prove it.
For a moment, Matthias would hesitate as he spoke, briefly reflecting on his past knowledge and the new theory. However, he would catch his own pause and would be swift to continue after only missing a couple beats. There was no need to dwell on things like this. There were probably more qualified people around Gotham to analyze and debate the toxin. Ones who would be better and faster at analyzing both the means and the ends. It was not his job to try and pick it apart. He was just a doctor, a therapist, currently working on not getting killed in an escape attempt.
"Most people would assume that your toxin is completely impossible to perfect. That all human minds are too widely different to make something correctly tailored to all of them. It's been proven countless times through nearly every form of therapy and medication that nothing can be perfect for anyone." He said, taking another small pause. This time, however, he was considering what was the point of these statements. Eventually, he settled with drawing it back to both his own previous questions as well as the former doctor's own words. "You said the greater good demands bloodshed. You're not the first person to think that your work is for the greater good, so putting aside the deaths of many people, what does the 'greater good' mean to you?"
Matthias posed the question just as sincerely as if speaking to a friend. He aimed to not patronize the other with his words, that was never an intention for any discussion, but rather to simply explain that he did not understand their circumstances. Matthias was not like Jonathon, that is why he was asking these questions; to understand him.
However, it would seem that he would not be able to linger for an explanation.
He had taken his eyes off the door for a moment too long, and by the time he saw the thin crack of white light hitting the wall and shelves beside Jonathon's head, it would be too late.
His eyes turned quickly to the door and he shot up, for a brief moment, thinking that one of the gunmen had entered and this would be his final action; standing up just to get shot. However, the thought would be gone almost immediately, replaced by a cold dread as the guard threw the door open and ran out, bathing the room in the bright white light from the hallways. The guard did not even say a word, already turning the corner out of the doorway and sprinting away before Matthias could even properly register what had occurred.
Matthias stood there dumbly for a second, frozen in shock as he looked at the open doorway casting light across the entire contents of the room. The guard had abandoned them just now while the sounds of bullets were the most distant and the hallway was empty. With the guard gone, and Matthias alone to manage Mr. Crane in this dreadful situation, his facade of confidence would falter, showing the true shock and fear of the situation he was faced with.
Still, refusing to let the guard's betrayal get between his thought process of what needed to be done next and how to adjust his plan, while still tied with the uneasiness, he breathlessly approached the door and closed it once more.
Despite the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, he waited by the door for a couple of moments. Regretting his next action and feeling almost sickened by it, he began to listen closely as he watched the ground while trying desperately to focus.
The guard had not betrayed them. He was just trying to get out alive, right? Matthias had said it himself a few moments ago, everyone does what they believe is the best for them, right? So the guard was just doing what would keep him alive. It was nothing personal. Surely the guard was smart too and would be able to avoid any of the inmates still here. Which direction had he gone? Matthias was almost certain he had seen him go left. That's the same direction as where Matthias was planning to go. Maybe the guard had a similar idea to get over there were other guards will be? Maybe that meant that him and Mr. Crane could just stay here and wait for the guards to come retrieve them since they knew they were right there and-
Bang!
Not even a full minute passed before the shot rang out across the halls, sounding as if it was very nearby.
Matthias remained silent as the loud shot sounded, but after a couple of seconds, began to move away from the door and look around the room. It would be difficult to pick apart the different features on his face in the darkness, but two emotions were very clear; distress and deep thought. He had seemed to become even slightly more pale than he had gone before, his eyebrows knit together as he looked around the room to try and locate something, anything, that could help their situation.
After a few moments, he would approach the desk, but would disregard Jonathon in exchange for beginning to sort through the few tools resting on the top of the desk. There was not much to work with. A few scrapers, one of which he would briefly consider before setting it and the others aside. They were surprisingly dull, the rust and multiple chips at the sides making them much more worthless than first glance.
There were also some rusted hammers, one of which Matthias would actually hold for a couple of seconds as he thought of it. He was not exactly strong enough to do much more damage than a bruise or maybe a mild concussion if he could get to someone's head, but that was not why he was considering the hammer. He settled with it thought, holding it as he walked to the other side of the desk, standing beside Jonathon's kneeling form as he opened the drawers and began to look through them, keeping the rather small and rusted hammer tucked in the coat pocket opposite to Mr. Crane as he sorted through the desk.
Finally, on the third drawer, he would find something satisfactory; a long pair of scissors designed for cutting plastic, likely having been used numerous times for slicing packaging. For now, they were the most desirable option and after he briefly opened the fourth and final drawer, finding nothing of more value and deciding that they were running out of time, he chose to settle with this and crammed the scissors into his pocket while retrieving the hammer and turning to Mr. Crane.
Matthias did not say a word as he walked to the other side of Mr. Crane to get a better angle, still tightly holding the hammer and looking down. His gaze flickered briefly, for the first time since the guard had departed, to Mr. Crane, but quickly flitted back down to Jonathon's hands. Silently, he gave a final glance to the door before making up his mind and bringing his attention back to the inmate in front of him.
"You're familiar with the layout of the facility, correct?" Matthias asked after the long silence, his tone even softer than before. Contradictory to the small tremor in his fingers as he pulled the hammer down to the metal Mr. Crane's chain was linked through, his words held no such waver to them. It seemed the unease of the situation had reached everywhere except his words and his eyes -- his amber gaze holding a sort of stern determination. "Do you know how to get to the medical facilities?" He asked just as softly.
It took a couple nudges to get the edge of the hammer wedged in the crack between the metal table. He then used one hand to pry the metal off while using the other to hold the chain links connecting Jonathon's wrists.
Finally, the metal broke at one side with a soft snap, Matthias then set the hammer back on the desk and using one hand to hold the thin metal strip back while using the other to work the chain out from the small opening. This would not take long, and soon enough, Jonathon would be freed from his position kneeling by the desk. Gently but quickly, Matthias even helped pull him up off the filthy floor, still not meeting eye contact. Dr. Mayflower's expression still read determination, but no longer halfway across the room, or fussing over getting the chain out, there was clear nervousness in the way his gaze seemed to shift every couple of seconds, or how his jaw was clenched a little tighter than usual. Regardless, Matthias had not said a single word.
Another shot rang across the hall, much closer, followed by another, and another. Three distinctive shots, all clearly from within this hall. For a second, it would appear as if Matthias flinched, though as he continued working, it would likely be difficult to tell if that had been a mere coincidence in timing or a genuine reaction to the nearby noises. All that was notable was his continued quietness as he finished preparing.
Matthias pulled the scissors from his coat, set them on the desk and slid his lab coat off. He then gently took hold of the chain connecting Mr. Crane's hands and pulled him out from behind the desk, letting go of the chain as they reached the center of the room and Matthias walking behind him briefly as he adjusted him to be slightly off to the side. Positioning him. "Don't move." Matthias said as he walked behind him briefly and then returned on the other side, his tone just as soft as it had been before with not a single hint of suggestion as to how he was fairing. The tremor in his hands as he walked towards the door was enough of an indicator of that.
His lab coat was missing as well, discarded somewhere against the wall. It was not exactly like he would blend in with his current middle-class-typical attire, but it was better than parading around with a bright white coat. He could replace it anyways or come get it later.
Silently, he positioned himself by the door on the opposite side to where it would open, his hazel eyes looking briefly back at Jonathon before turning to the door again as he waited silently. The scissors were held firmly at about stomach height, positioned carefully and ready, even if held somewhat awkwardly by the inexperienced man. He did not say a word as he waited by the door, not even as much as informing Mr. Crane of the plan. Though considering his question earlier, and his positioning of Mr. Crane by the opening of the door, one thing was clear; he was ready to get out of here. With, or without Mr. Crane and his guidance through the halls.
Considering the fact that the bridges were almost guaranteed to be raised by now, taking away any escape attempts as well and meaning that the breach would be likely to wrap up rather soon -- though potentially not before the gunman reached this closet -- there were few options left. Currently, for Matthias, it was flee or die. If he could reach the other guards, and eventually, the medical ward, then he could offer a hand and potentially help out anyone who had been injured during the breach.
Perhaps it was from the shock of hearing the gunshots so nearby and in such a quick succession, or maybe just the desire to emphasize his distaste in Jonathon's perspective of life and death, but if Mr. Crane happened to be there to witness Dr. Mayflower in the process of helping people, then Matthias would certainly have no complaints. There is no use in preaching the value of life if you're not going to act on it.
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