Make Up and Blood Drive

Theres a bit of shuffling as the door opens. Lochlan's face has a splotch of orange that seems painted on like a form of make up. She looks annoyed with slightly sore eyes, "What is it?"

Hinata has a soft smile on her face and tone is quiet though friendly, "I just heard something from your room earlier and uh do you need some help with that? I'm decent with makeup."

Lochlan grumbles, "No. I just need to be unrecognizable so you freaks can't find me again." She instantly grits her teeth slightly after the comment

Hinata's eyebrow raises in confusion, "Wha? Where did that come from? I heard what sounded like sobbing and just wanted to make sure you're okay. Ya know?"

Lochlan huffs and goes back into her room, a few containers of nonferal branded make up sits on the desk as she goes to open one of them, "It wasn't sobbing, I was just having a moment of mental weakness. I know where I belong and I shouldn't have ever thought I would belong anywhere else." Just as Lochlan finishes speaking she starts to close the conatiner again.

Hinata continues to speak from the hallway, not wanting to invade Lochlan's privacy. Though she does spot the makeup containers, "Mental weakness, right. Look, I understand somewhat about wanting to belong elsewhere. In my case, I was told that I was not allowed to be around others, my place being a lapdog for my creator, an attack dog as well. Nothing more, nothing less. And frankly, i still don't believe that I deserve to live here."

Lochlan pauses again before going to open the container again. She grabs a brush and daps it into the make up and holds it to her face, "I get that you think what you are going through is the same at all to anything im going through but its not. Not to mention that just because I hear a story that someone could just as easily lie about, doesn't mean I believe a word of it." She makes a few streaks of white on her fur before lowering the brush and grumbling at it.

Hinata takes a deep breath and her tone lowers quite a bit, going from friendly, to more of a gloomy one, "Perfectly reasonable Lochlan, though I never once claimed my situation is anything like what yours is. Everyone has something new going on, I just... wanted to try and relate a bit. I keep thinking I'm just gonna leave and return back home, never to return. But I know for a fact that Cole and Luna wouldn't let that happen. So. Here I am. Stuck. But I'm also safe."

"And thats why I'm leaving. And you better not try to stop me." Lochlan grabs a few of the containers and walks towards the door

Hinata looks conflicted. On one hand, Lochlan's an adult so she can do as she wishes. On the other, Cole and Luna are probably gonna be unhappy.

"Are you sure? Didn't Cole want you here?" Hinata sounds extremely nervous.

"Not like he was being honest. Besides, I have people who care more than he does." Lochlan reaches the door but pauses in the doorway.

"Like who? Pretty sure the whole house cares about you Lochlan. I know I do, and so does Luna, Spider, and Cole. Violet too."

"I said people who care more. I didn't say you all didn't." Lochlan growls but still doesn't step out the door. She grips the make up containers more tightly before throwing them across the room at the wall in frustration. "GRAAHH. I CAN'T FUNKING DO THIS." Lochlan then storms back into the center of her room as she starts pacing.

"Lochlan? I don't know what you mean? Who the hell builds you a whole ass bedroom, a nice one at that, gives you basically unlimited food to eat, and lets you leave the room too? Like that's what Cole did. That's honestly one of the reasons why I'm still here myself. I feel safe here with the team, I have people to talk to and my girlfriend too. If that's not 'caring more' then I have no idea what the hell is." Hinata sigh grumbles.

Lochlan sighs, "As in someone who cares more than that."

"...cares more? Not gonna lie, that sounds terrible. It sounds like my own situation again, except they wanted to use me for my powers."

"Yeah I gathered that already from what you told me before. But im not in your situation."

"You're right. Just... I would make sure you know for a fact that you want to leave first. Weigh all of the pros and cons, make sure this is exactly what you want. Hell talk to Cole about it. He's understanding." Hinata explains with a soft yet serious tone. 

Cole strolls over and peeks his head in, "You guys dead?"

"Does dead inside count?" Hinata looks awful.

Lochlan looks very frustrated as she growls, "I don't know what to do and it's like my head is trying to rip itself into two."

Cole's expression shifts to concern as he looks between the two, "What happened?!"

"Casually stopping Lochlan from leaving and realizing my own situation." Hinata sighs and leaves the room, returning to her own room.

Luna and Hinata's door closes and locks.

Lochlan continues pacing, "I was trying to leave but then I wasn't and then I was again." Theres a make up compact, glass make up container, and brush now tossed to the floor by a small dent in the wall.

Cole sighs as he takes a deep breath, "Can you try and slow down a little? Just explain to me what lead you to this thought"

"I was bored and I know they gave objectives and I know they treat me like I'm insane but I miss them?!? And was thinking of running off to them again, pick another new last time??? I don't know what Im doing anymore!" Lochlans eyes water from the frustration

Cole sighs, "I know how you feel, i would explain it but i doubt you wanna hear it" Cole pauses for a second but continues, "Look i know that it may sound really good to go back to them just to be in a familiar place, but would you rather be in a familiar hell or a unfamiliar heaven"

Lochlan covers her face as she whines, "I liked bothhhhh."

Cole sighs and shakes his head, "What did you like about the cult?"

She uncovers her face, "I mean, I liked having things to do. But there was also people that actively cared about me that I miss. They were good friends if not best friends. I don't want to lose them forever..."

Cole nods as he hangs his head slightly, "I understand that, but...that's just a loss you have to deal with and at the end of the day i'm sure you'll eventually see them again"

Lochlan looks down as she speaks quietly with a hint of shame, "They can recognise me. Won't they be disapointed?"

Cole shakes his head, "I'm sure they'll be proud of you for escaping that place"

"The last time that happened they said they were sobbing every day I was gone. Like they couldn't eat anything either. Nearly starved themselves." Lochlan starts to look more worried, "I don't want them to get hurt. I should go."

Cole blocks the door as he shakes his head, "They are manipulating you, they never cared about you" Cole's face goes emotionless as he stares at Lochlan

Lochlan steps back and tilts her head some, "I don't think thats the case... and are you lying? You're face just went bland."

Cole stares at Lochlan, ".....We aren't talking about that right now, you are being manipulated because i highly doubt a cult actually gives a singular fuck about you"

"A cult? Are you hearing yourself right now? I just explained how much they care about me and you compare them to a cult??? You're obviously lying."

Cole groans as he nods, "I hear myself and i'm telling you that it's a cult, plain and simple by definition"

"You don't look like you beleive anything you are saying right now."

Cole stares at Lochlan as he folds his arms, "Elaborate"

"You suddenly had little to no emotion in your face the minute you tried to convince me that they are manipulating me."

Lochlan gestures up to his face

Cole stares at Lochlan as he goes quiet

Lochlan scoffs, "Go on. Answer me."

Cole rolls his eyes, "Because i went through something similar, we aren't talking about it"

Lochlan glares, "Fine. I beleive you. But that doesn't mean you know everything about my situation. They have to care about me with a reaction like that."

Cole rolls his eyes, "Do you have any evidence about what they even said?"

Lochlan shrugs, "I mean irs more about the way they said it. Like I seriously doubt they were lying. They really seemed upset."

Cole sighs, "Did they actually look like they hadn't eaten?"

"I can't really tell with how they look..."

Cole nods, "So you couldn't have known if they were lying just to make you feel bad"

"...I didn't think they would..." Lochlan looks off at the floor as the gears start turning

Cole waits for it to set in

Lochlan's ears lower as she realizes. The worry gets overrun by a look of slight fear, "Uhm. Ok. You're not kidding?" She looks at him.

Cole shakes his head, "Not kidding"

"Wha... What do I do now? I have none of them now." Lochlan looks down and her face still keeps swapping emotions as she tries to find the right one.

Cole sighs, "You forget about them and never go back, they aren't worth your time"

Lochlan snickers, "But how?!? They're all I know."

Cole shakes his head, "Make new friends, there's always time to make new friends"

"I wouldn't even know where to start."

Cole's face returns to having some emotion as he sighs, "Avoid anyone named Joshua, anyways the way you can make friends is by onto chat rooms and talking about your interests and some people will enjoy your interest and then you'll get a friend"

"Chat rooms?"

Cole nods, "Like discord or something, go talk to people on the Internet"

Lochlan sighs, "Alright." 

Cole nods, "Good now you mentioned objectives a little while ago, can you tell me about those?"

"It was just things to do, like scaling walls, getting in windows, breaking down doors, drawing blood, taking tests, handing out flyers."

Cole stares at lochlan then asks, "that's...not exercise...also could you tell me what the blood looked like?"

"It was my blood I they were drawing. So like a bright red."

Cole nods as he asks, "did it smell fruity?"

Lochlan nods, "Yeah like fruit punch."

Cole stares for a couple seconds then snaps a couple small bags into his hand, "Can you maybe....put some blood in here for testing?"

"Like every day or week?" Lochlan takes the bags and inspects them.

Cole sighs as he folds his arms, "Week, i wouldn't want you to put too much" 

Lochlan's tail starts to wag a bit as she smiles, "Anything else to do?"

Cole shakes his head, "Nope"

Lochlan nods, "Ok I can do that. Thank you."

Cole gives a thumbs up as he walks into the living room

Lochlan heads back into her room

Rowan’s trust

Cole - -Begin frequency Rowan

 Datr - [Begin Fequency]

Datr - [Rowan sits backstage off to the side as he watches the actors sprinting by to get to their places. A few stage hands sit around and laugh as they wait for their cues. Rowan holds a notebook in his hands as he writes.]

Cole - hey Rowan can i apologize for something real quick?

Datr - [His ears perk up as he glances at the people near him. All of them seem too wraper up in conversations to notice Rowan as he whispers happily, "Yeah what's up?"] (edited)

Cole - I'm really sorry for kidnapping you and putting you in a dark room with no human contact for about a week

Datr - [Rowan nods, "Yeah? When you tased me and knocked me out on 12/27/2023 at 11:40pm? THAT week?"]

Cole - well when you put it like that, it makes me feel even worse but yeah that week

Datr - ["Do you know how difficult it was to talk about that to my therapist and they not call the cops?"]

Cole - pretty difficult i'd imagine? idk i've never talked to a therapist

Datr - ["I forgive you but I'm definately not going to be alone with you anywhere for awhile. Would kind of cuase a traumatic responce that I don't want to deal with."] (edited)

Cole - got it, cool -End frequency

Datr - [End Frequency]