Ari was practically drug to her cell after a session of harsh training. Apparently she'd done something to upset them, and now she was paying for it. She was hopeful it hadn't been because of them meeting the day before. Surely no one knew about that.
She lay on her cot and closed her eyes, sleep taking over finally and then being interrupted as shortly after it was free time. She groaned some as a guard came in and forced her to her feet. She paused a moment as a dizzy spell hit her, causing her to see black spots and then it cleared up. She then walked with the guard to the free area.

The walk took no longer than usual, yet it felt like it took an eternity to arrive at the free area. Finally the guards left her alone, pushing her into the larger room and closing the heavy metal door behind her. Too many people. There were way too many people here. She shrunk away from the other prisoners, slinking over to sit by a wall and wait it out.

Victorique carefully waddles into the room, leaving the guards at the door, and started her way slowly and carefully towards a corner - no one daring to question or laugh at her, instead getting out of her way. Usually, Victorique would take care to stick to the shadows - as much as she could with her pristine white hair and clothes -, and wall, however with the sketchbook being nearly as big as her, as well as the continued throbbing in her head plus her still slightly swirling vision, she found that she didn't quite care at the moment. At all.

Gale walked into the common room. He was handcuffed as usual and this time he was surrounded by six armed guards. Due to the previous day's events, the MIW had decided to take more precautionary measures towards him.
For once, Gale was silent. He didn't shout or rant or threaten. He just kept his head down as he was escorted by the guards. That was something that didn't go unnoticed. For the first time ever, The Loud One was silent. They walked with him into the room and led him to a spot where there was a single chair and table. The spot was directly underneath a surveillance camera. The MIW intended to monitor him all through the social time.
They made Gale sit on the chair and they cuffed his hands to the table. He was going to spend his entire "social time" there. He couldn't move from that spot even if he wanted to.
The fact that he was always handcuffed made himdifferent from the others and now the little freedom he had had been taken away.
Strangely enough, Gale didn't resist. He kept a stoic expression as they guards left him on his lone spot and walked out of the room.

Ari looked around, trying to spot the people who she had been planning with before. She didn't see some. But she did still see quite a few. She sighed and moved to find a place to sit. She really just wanted to rest today. She was exhausted. But more than that she wanted out. She supposed that depended on the others and what they felt they could do today.

Gale looked up and scanned the room. Most people were in the hall already. All the faces in there were familiar. A few were still staring at him, visibly shocked by the fact that he calm.
Gale nsimply ignored them. He continued looked around till he spotted Victorique. He wondered what Doll girl was up to. She was holding a sketchbook. Weird since they were generally not allowed to bring anything into the common hall.
He then remembered who she was. It wasn't surprising that she was given such favors.
Gale hadn't even noticed when he had taken such an interest in Doll girl.

Victorique tried her best to peer over the sketchbook - and once it proved she was a bit too short to, she peeked around the sketchbook -, stopping in her tracks, and looking slowly side to side at random intervals, nonchalantly looking for one of her new...allies. She glanced once more and spotted, sitting at one of the few tables that no one used as it was right in the view of the cameras, a surprisingly docile Mouse boy. Any other person would've taken a double - or even triple - take, at seeing the usually loud boy so silent; but Victorique, being herself, simply blinked slowly - twice for good measure -, and made a sharp turn towards the table.

She then continued waddling slowly towards the table - sketchbook still mostly blocking her vision, but confident that people would move out of her way. Which they did. She stopped right by the table, and unloaded her markers and sketchbook onto it, allowing her new scar and freshly bandaged arm to be seen properly. She then sits in the chair beside Mouse boy, her legs slightly swinging as they didn't quite touch the floor.

Ignoring Mouse boy, she carefully straightened the sketchbook in front of her, and then put her markers to the side, before slowly looking up and turning her blank stare to the camera. She blinks once, then just as unhurriedly turns her head to look at Mouse boy beside her, slowly raising an eyebrow - and ignoring the twinge of pain from the stitches pulling slightly at the movement -, but not saying anything. She had enough faith in Mouse boy to see that she was questioning the device that was recording them.

However, she was also questioning why he was being so...docile and tame. It was very....off-putting to Victorique, to say the least. She had at least expected to hear his loud mouth running when she had entered the hall - he was to be how she found her way around while she couldn't see over the sketchbook. But instead he was quiet and thus Victorique had to submit to peering around the sketchbook to see where she was going embarrassingly enough. Well, not really embarrassing, but the freaks who noticed would probably put to rest the rumour that she was omniscient. Unfortunate. She was quite amused by that rumour.

((SCREECHES LOUDLY. Yeah, I'm a mess right now. mcterra, you mind replying to Beckie and I'll hop in after?))

Gale raised a brow, and the next as Doll girl walked to his tableand sat down right next to him. Well, that was unexpected. Of all things she would do, that was the last he could imagine.
Well, she sure was unpredictable and she was just proving him right.
He stared at her wide-eyed for another moment till she looked at him. From the look she gave him, he could tell she knew what she was doing and she was obviously curious like every other person in there.
He looked away and glanced up at the camera that was just over their heads.
He knew the MIW were watching and he could bet they were as surprised as he was by Doll girl's presence.
<<Before I say anything >> He thought, expecting her to hear or read each word from his mind <<I wish to know the meaning of all this.>> He looked down at his cuffed hands <<What the hell do you think you're doing?>>

Victorique tilted her head as she listened to Mouse Boy's thoughts, and withheld a small smile - 'It seems like Mouse boy has gotten over whatever fear he has of me reading his thoughts. Or at least he's smart enough not to dwell on it, and knows when to put away his feelings - shocking truly.'

Out loud, Victorique says, "There you are my plaything. I had expected us to... colour... today, i wanted to be amused by whatever your mind came up with, so these handcuffs are truly... upsetting. Did i not explain to the MIW clearly enough yesterday that i have appointed you as my source of entertainment - whether you want to be or not? This is quite upsetting, how ever are you supposed to draw or entertain with handcuffs on? I wonder if i need to write to my parents about this tragedy..." As she trailed of she looked directly into the camera, knowing that there were people watching and listening in.

She then turned to him, suddenly enough that her hair whipped and shielded her mouth from the camera, slightly pulling on her stitches which she ignored, and whispered even softer than normal, "The meaning is that you have allied yourself to me, and thus are of no use if you are under constant surveillance, Mouse boy. Though i suppose i really should have foreseen this - I did tell you that your constant want for attention would get eyes more drawn to you, making it near impossible to fade into the background, but at this point it is of no matter." She then huffs a sigh and says with fond annoyance, "I do so hate being in the limelight. You realise after this our plans will have to be set back, because for awhile they'll start paying more attention to me as well, because i openly associate with you?"

She lightly shakes her head, more amused by the situation than actually put out, "It's a good thing i'm patient, and your powers are impressive Mouse boy. And to answer your second question; i openly called you my source of amusement yesterday, and as such you will be expected by the MIW to amuse me. If i had not come over here, it would have looked suspicious. Plus, shouldn't you be a bit more courteous to the person who is going to get you out of those cuffs? You desperately need to start accepting boons with more grace."

She then turned back to the camera and says at her normal tone, "And now you even refuse to speak to me. If the MIW have broke my plaything i shall be very put out - you are usually so amusing, and now i am quite. Bored."

As she said the last word, a guard - a newbie if the shaking and refusing to look Victorique in the eye was anything to go on -, burst through the door with a set of keys. "N-n-no Princess, so-sorry Princess, no no need to get bored see?" He shakily uncuffs Mouse boy, "W-w-we did not dam-mage his v-voc-al cords-"

Victorique swiftly turned from where she was blankly staring at the camera, to glare at the shaking guard who let out an undignified squeak and continued quickly trying to salvage the situation, "S-s-sorry Princess! i just i just meant that that, he should be able to speak normally-"

Victorique's glare turned harsher, and the guard looked ready to faint, "I i just, sorry i, sorry Princess, I'm just saying that there is no need to write your parents about this!"

Victorique continues to watch him squirm for a bit, before making her face blank again, and turning away to look at her markers on the table, casually waving away the guard with a hand. The guard ran.

Victorique smirks wickedly at the table before schooling her expression once more and turning to Mouse boy. "Well then plaything, shall we relocate? i do not quite like the feeling of being stared at."

Gale glared at her as she spoke and called him her plaything again. It was true that that ruse had permitted her to save his hide the day before and judging from the influence she had, it was surely going to save his hide again but he couldn't help himself from hating her little act.

He noticed the way she looked up at the camera. The MIW were watching and she knew that. She spoke about writing to her parents. It didn't seem like it but that was definitely a threat. One that she was ddressing directly to the guys above.

When she whispered to him, Gale realized she was right. Recently he had attracted much more attention on himself than usual. He had killed a guard and that was far more grievous than anything he had done so far. If it weren't for her intervention he would've surely been "discarded" by now. He frowned though. She sounded like it was all his fault. It wasn't, was it?

She then spoke out again and then Bingo! a guard rushed in with a setg of keys. Doll girl had worked her magic again. Before he knew it, he was free. Judging from the way the guard was reacting and the way she was looking at him, Gale could tell she was totally enjoying the whole thing.

The guard ran out and Gale massaged his sore wrists. He hadn't been free like that in a long while. He opened his arms wide and stretched. That actually felt good.

He then looked at her "Don't call me plaything dammit." He hissed and stood up. He wasn't feeling comfortable directly underneath that camera either. "And don't expect any thanks from me. I didn't ask for your help." He said and began walking towards his usual spot expecting her to follow him.

A few other subjects were seated there and they scurried away when they saw him approaching. After what he had done the previous day, it wasn't just the MIW that were wary of him. Some subjects had begun avoiding him. Others even feared him.

"I shall call you my plaything as so long as i want to." Victorique says blandly, looking at Mouse boy and then to the camera in the hopes that he understands that she's putting on an act in order to fool the MIW - well, mostly an act anyways. Slightly aggravating Mouse boy was always amusing.

"I told you yesterday that plaything will be my name for you, so you ought to get used to it." She hinted once more, trying to get him to catch on that she couldn't call him Mouse boy while they were under surveillance.

As he walked away, Victorique took great care not to roll her eyes at his silliness - it took her great effort, but she managed. "We really do need to work on your, what's the word once more? Courteous? Courteous nature, i believe? Continue acting like that and you shall end up dead most likely. Accept boons with courteous hesitancy, not outright aggression, otherwise you seem foolish." Victorique lightheartedly scolded with her usual tone of voice, no inflictions to tell whether or not she was joking.

"Mo-...Plaything, i shall follow you i suppose, but require you to carry my things with us. That is fair, is it not? Unless you want my sight hindered on our path." She lightly hops off of her chair as she says this, her voice quiet as usual but carrying a will to be obeyed, twirling a strand of hair, and glancing at the cameras once more.

Having Mouse boy at least pretend to listen to her would be good for the surveillance teams to see - they may even start to believe that she controls him, and thus leave them alone once more so they could have peace to plot under the guise that the Princess had things under wraps. Mostly, however, her fresh stitches and lacerations on her bandaged arm were annoyingly sore, and she just didn't want to carry anything anymore. Not to mention she didn't quite enjoy not being able to see where she was going - imagine if she, the Princess, tripped? That wouldn't do, and would at the very least destroy the rumours that she slightly floated everywhere - not to mention some could perceive it as embarrassing, which just wouldn't do at all.

Mouse boy did not need to be aware of those last few things however, he just needed to understand the first reason (which she will explain once they're no longer in the camera's view), and to currently follow her lead -- and not be quite as stubborn, but Victorique wasn't one to believe in miracles.

Gale stopped when she spoke again. He wasn't dumb. He understood what she was doing. He knew it was all an act. But still...
<<I know you're enjoying this.>> He thought <<And you know I'm not.>>
He slowly turned and faced her. He then forced himself to give her a crooked smile. It seemed like the muscles of his face were contorting in agony.
"Alright...P-Princess..." The venom in his voice when he said that could clearly be felt "Your wish...is my command."
As he said that, he walked to the table and picked up her things, not before throwing her a quick angry glance.
He stepped back and waited for her to lead the way. He knew people were staring. That was definitely an unusual sight.

It took all the power Victorique possessed not to break out laughing at Mouse boy's face - she couldn't help but let a smile slip, and hoped that the MIW just thought she was please that Mouse boy was following orders.

'Enjoying?' Victorique thinks to herself, 'Maybe just a tad. And by a tad, I mean a great deal. Though it is a bit off-putting to have Mouse boy of all people refer to me as 'Princess'.This is almost as amusing as regular volatile stubborn Mouse boy. Almost.' Victorique, still with a small smile on her face, stepped aside to allow him to pick up her things, then started elegantly walking over to the spot she had seen Mouse boy heading towards, secure in the fact that he was following closely behind her.

Soon, she had reached the spot that was out of the camera's range, and couldn't help but let out some small laughs - her throat immediately starting to hurt, as it hadn't recovered from her laughing yesterday, but Victorique was just too entertained to stop. Well, at least until her quiet laughter turned into quiet coughs, which evolved to her not breathing enough, and ended up with her quietly coughing up blood. Still, she couldn't help but keep a small smile on her face as she wiped her mouth and the blood on one of her long sleeves. She was actually more surprised that it didn't happen yesterday, but the blood was bound to happen so she paid it - and her pained throat - no mind.

Luckily, the other freaks were still staring at Mouse boy's unusual behaviour to notice her slight bloody fit. 'I suppose Mouse boy's large personality does have it's uses after all.' Victorique thought to herself as she waited for Mouse boy to catch up.

Gale noticed Doll girl's smile and her pleased look. It irritated him. He tried his best to restrain himself from dropping all th things in his hands. But he was wise enough not to. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, in an effort to ease his nerves. With one final glance at the camera, he followed her.

Their little act had, without any doubt, fooled the MIW. As Doll girl led the way, he followed her, ignoring the stares of the other freaks. Once they reached the spot he saw her do something he would've never imagined she could do.

She was laughing. They were little laughs but it was laughter all the same. Gale stared in disbelieve. She had always had such a glassy look so seeing her laughing was surprising.

And then she began coughing blood. Gale didn't know if it was because her body wasn't used to laughter. He even doubted if that was the case. It sounded unreal.

In any case she was having a bad time. He thought of helping her or something but he stopped himself. And then she smiled. Gale's brows shot up in surprise. She didn't seem to mind at all.

When he thought about it again, it wasn't so surprising afterall. She was surely suffering from the effects of experiments carried out on her. Like every other person in there. As he thought about that, he remembered the pain at his sides at back.

He had severe lacerations there which he had resulted from the torture he had undergone the previous night and earlier that day.

"You okay?" He asked even before he noticed. He had a feeling he wouold regret that.

Victorique wiped off some remaining blood on the corner of her mouth, before her eyes darted over to Mouse boy, her normal blank face slightly showing some degree of shock at the question. She tilted her head and says, softer than usual as her throat still hurt, "Why Mouse boy, one would start to believe that you actually care about my wellbeing. Have i started to, what is the phrase? 'Grow on you'?"

She then gracefully sat on the floor with her legs crossed, "However to answer your question - no, but there's nothing to do but ignore it. Irreplaceable damage done to my vocal cords when i had first gotten here - remember? i believe i told you this? Forgive me if i haven't. But yes, nothing much to do about it, and you being ever so entertaining doesn't help matters much, but i'd rather be amused and cough blood than to bore myself to death in this place. After all, what is a bit of coughing blood to the torture - oh excuse me 'experiments' -, we face daily?"

At this Victorique reached a hand up to lightly touch the stitches on her face, her bloodied sleeve falling down to show the bandages on her arm. "I don't think any of us will truly be okay until this place is burned to the ground. And even then it is quite debatable. But excuse me, i am rambling. Yet, since we are doing this whole 'civil and concerned' behaviour - not that i am complaining, quite a breath of fresh air compared to your usual 'not understanding how to calmly communicate and accept boons graciously' act -, are you alright Mouse boy? If those handcuffs and surveillance cameras were anything to go by, i doubt you were let off easily for your wondrous stunt yesterday - i suppose not everyone thought it was funny, unfortunately. To be honest, i am just pleasantly surprised you're still alive at all."

Victorique, despite stepping in and prolonging the violence Mouse boy should have received, was not all too sure that she'd still have an ally in the morning, even though she had tried to keep him around. She guessed keeping her happy was more important? Or maybe Mouse boy's powers were too rare to kill him? Most likely a combination of the two, but either way Victorique was not lying when she said she was surprised. But happily so. It wouldn't do well to lose a hard-to-come-by ally, of course.

As expected, Gale regretted asking. Her words just pissed him off even more. He didn't care about her at all. He hadn't meant to ask. Anyway he knew he wouldn't make that mistake again.

When she lifted her hand to touch the stitches on her face, he noticed her bandages. Though he was aware that even the Princess underwent experiments, it felt weird to actually see the results on her body. She looked so fragile afterall. Any person out of there wouldn't believe that she could withstand such treatment.

She was right. The only way to stop all that was to burn that place to the ground. There was nothing else he wanted as much as that. He placed her things on the ground infront of her and he sat down too.

"We both know how this place works." He said "There was no way I could be 'let off easily' after what I did." He lifted his shirt slightly, exposing long and fresh gashes and lacerations that were criss-crossed across his stomach and sides.

He lowered his shirt and continued " I was tortured all night. It seemed to me like it wouldn't end. They kept me alive on purpose. They stopped the bleeding but not the pain. To them it was a way to punish me for what I did. I don't know why they didn't just kill me. I know they enjoyed every second of it..."

He then frowned "Why am I even telling you all this?" He looked away "Afterall its none of your business. We're just useful to each other for this whole escape thing. I don't see why you would care about me."

Victorique blinked slowly as she took in the lacerations, "I suppose you are telling me because i asked? Is that not how questions work, or was i mistaken? I have concern as you are a vital part of this entire operation - a plan is only as strong as all of it's components after all. If that makes you feel uncomforted, feel free to see it as a 'your only of import if you have use to me' concern, rather than a 'i need all my allies to be in best shape, and thus i don't want any of them dead' concern. I mean, it is of no secret that you hate me, and this way of thinking may help to villainize me more in your mind, helping you keep peace within yourself rather than question whether or not i am actually as bad as you think. Either way, hate or no, as long as you're willing to work with me, you have full permission to kill me after we have succeeded if that is what you wish. I do not mind, as long as the MIW is destroyed and the death is fairly quick - not to rob you of your fun of course."

She then casually started twirling her hair with her finger as she focused on the sketchpad and markers in front of her, behaving as if she was only just talking about the weather rather than her own murder. "I won't say i am sorry about what happened to you, as it happens to all of us and you of all people should know how empty apologies actually are in this place, but i will say i am pleased you were not killed and seem to have no inhibiting damages done. As for the sketch pad and markers, i believe they can be useful and thus i brought them. We can draw as much of the outline of this place as we know - as we have been here for awhile so i'm guessing we should have a good memory of how this place is laid out. We can also jot down where we usually see guards and cameras, as well as when we think the coast is most likely going to be clear at certain places. This way, we can hopefully gain more information and come up with a solid plan. I am fairly certain in my abilities to ensure the guards don't look at the book, as so long as i keep it with me."

She looked up at him with blank eyes, "Your thoughts?"

Gale looked at her, his eyes turning serious. "You really take death way too lightly. You may have seen people die but you know nothing of how scary it is. If I were to really attempt killing you, no matter how rapid its meant to be, you won't take it this way."
He then looked down at the sketchbook. "Anyway putting that aside, I now understand why you brought this out with you. That's a good idea you got there. With what we will be able to gather in that book, our escape will be made easier.."
He looked up at her "And what about the others?" He asked.

The corner of Victorique's mouth tilted up in a pseudo-smile, "If i do not take death lightly, then how shall i take it? I have made peace with my death a long, long time ago Mouse boy, and you should know by now that i don't say meaningless words. If you want to kill me, then you can, but only after this place is burnt down."

Then looking back at the book she continued, "That's the best part. All we need to do is tear out a page, and give it to them secretly with a marker. That way it does not matter as much how often we are all able to actually meet in person. We can simply write it down and hide it until you meet back with I, then i can add the page back into the sketchbook, and give out another piece of paper. We can work like that until we all feel like there is nothing more to add, then make a concrete plan with all the pieces."

Gale nodded. "I see. Sounds to me like the best way to go about that." He frowned and thought for a moment "I assume the MIW will never think about checking your sketchbook but even then you should be extremely careful with that you know." He glanced around at the other freaks in there.
Many were going about their usual activities. But now and then, a few glanced at them. For the past two days, Doll girl and him had been quite the center of attention. Even more than usual.
"The MIW shouldn't be our only concern. Other freaks could betray us if they have an idea of what we're doing."

Victorique looked around slowly at this, noticing that indeed, more freaks were staring at the two - though they quickly looked away when she met their gaze. She was used to keeping their thoughts as background noise as it was usually inconsequential thoughts - plus the mere amount of thoughts in one place could be. Off-putting. Nonetheless, she allowed the thoughts to focus in her mind, hearing mostly confusion about her and Mouse boy communicating.

She sighs lightly, "I had come so accustomed to staying out of the limelight as well. Thanks for that Mouse boy." She said, though there was no venom in her voice, more like tired acceptance. "I had not even factored in the other freaks, as i am so used to being unnoticed and - for lack of better words - "un-fucked with". I shall keep an ear out, as should you."

She then focused her eyes on his face, "Well i will undoubtedly take great care with the sketchbook - i am private with all my things whether i want them or not, so hopefully it will not arouse suspicion if i keep this book close to my chest." She then uncapped a marker and handed it to him. "Feel free to start marking down all that you can think of."

((Should we wait for Kat-chan? Or anyone else?))