Chapter Text
This job was terribly boring as far as Rangi was concerned .
Granted, it was her first day.
But it had also been exactly one hour since Yun had left with his warning. And nothing else had happened.
Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her but she swore that sounds emerged from somewhere. It was hard to pin them to a specific location.
Not that it would matter anyway. She was basically locked in a small cage that could only be opened from the outside.
Another 30 minutes passed.
Still nothing. Her knees were starting to ache. She had forbidden herself from sitting down before analyzing the subject at hand.
But her conviction was slowly crumbling.
To pass the time she had started digging through the files she found in a drawer.
She didn't quite know if they were off limits but since they were about the subject she simply assumed that it was a part of her job to be aware of basic knowledge about the situation and person. Person? Subject? Hm.
The files were mostly reports on behavior.
Calm. For the most part.
Except for when Subject 001b thought of the guards as a threat, took over Kyo- 001a’s body and started attacking them. Basic sketches and blurry photos of that form were all she could find on 001's looks.
And they, very honestly, weren't particularly attractive.
More like a body wrapped in strange White tentacles or vines. With some blue.
Either this wasn't what 001 looked like most of the time or Yun just had extremely questionable taste in women.
Which would make him complimenting her an insult.
Everything else in the file was vague at best or barely mentioned at worst. Very tall. Apparently used to be homeless at one point before being found. Potential connections with a cult- that made Rangi raise an eyebrow. Sadly it again wasn't elaborated on.
Too bad.
The only thing that seemed well documented in a way were 001’s abilities. Enhanced physical power, the ability to create constructs from some kind of energy that resembled pure light -sadly not elaborated on again-, very fast healing, often replacing lost tissue with “unknown matter that resembles flesh in texture but is much more flexible and durable”.
Rangi tosses the file to the side with an annoyed huff.
Two hours and she still wasn't much smarter after her arrival. She was, technically, but the subject wasn't even here.
She was told that her life would be at risk, that this was basically suicide, but the only thing she felt weigh heavy on her mind was boredom.
Finally she heard a sound from the cell.
A hidden door had opened, revealing a long hallway and at its entrance a girl: tired looking, shaking slightly, barefoot in patients clothing and absolutely breathtaking.
Rangi just stared through the one way mirror (or at least she hoped it was one way. Otherwise this would be incredibly embarrassing) as the beautiful girl moved across the room and sat down on a mattress that was punched into a corner and probably bolted down. She pulled her knees to her chest and just stared at the wall in front of her.
And Rangi stared at her. Like she had never seen another person before in her life.
She had stared so intently that she didn't notice the door closing again. Her mouth was dry and she was sure that she didn't blink once.
Rangi could -and possibly would- have remained in this position forever. Leaned close to the glass, staring.
That was until she felt eyes on her.
It weren't the ones she wanted though. Immediately she punished herself for that thought silently.
Next to the subject was now a fox, pure white that emitted a slight glow with closed eyes pointed right at her and a mischievous smile -she didn't even know foxes could do that- that read as, “I see you. And I know what you're thinking.”
Rangi immediately decided that she would not like that fox and that she never would.
It was possibly one of subject 001’s creations mentioned in the files. It made sense given how she just let it push it’s face into her arms. Too familiar.
That cheeky smile remained at all times.
Stupid fox.
She had always hated them. Ever since one of them snarled at her as a small child. Sure, her mother said that it had simply been the neighbor’s dog. But she hadn't been there and thus had no right to unjustify her dislike for those fleabags.
Especially that one that was probably giggling on the inside. Getting petted by those hands and looking at her like it knew she would quite like holding those hands.
Perhaps hold them. Maybe kiss them. Maybe kiss somewhere else-
Subject 001 -what did Yun call her again? Kyoshi?- had finally noticed her stupid foxes smile and closed eyes staring right into her soul and now followed its gaze. Right to Rangi, who immediately straightened up -she had actually begun to slouch this time- before realizing that Kyoshi couldn't see her anyway, which made her actions of no use.
Eyes, green like pine needles and soft like the sun's kiss, search that one way mirror for anything she could perceived that was out of the ordinary. When she couldn't, she gave up pretty quickly.
Fruitless work.
Rangi watched that girl return to her bored staring at the wall. She probably needed entertainment. She should talk to her. Her hands already wander to the microphone before she catches herself. No! Jianzhu said no close connection. Also … what if she needed her quiet time - she did look quite tired? What if she would be annoyed by Rangi talking to her? What if she didn't like her?
Pathetic.
That was what this situation was.
She was top of her class, especially trained, eyes always set straight onto the goal.
How could a single person simply derail that by just existing?
Impossible.