Chapter Text
1: That was kinda weird…
2:Do they want us to seriously consider killing someone? Scary…
3:What.
Their thoughts were displayed neatly for the three agents to read. Almost all their thoughts.
4:■■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■
Drip Drip Drip
Blood was slowly but steadily dripping from Agent Quartz nose onto the table.
"QUARTZ-IE!!!"
"Agent Quartz!"
"…"
4: …
"I'm fine. Don't worry." Quickly wiping the blood away he focused back on the thoughts of the candidates.
"Are you feeling dizzy? Headache? or any other sym-"
"I told you I'm fine, Mango." He forcefully pulled Mango back into his seat. The worry was sweet but also left a bitter taste in Quartz mouth.
"I think we can call our dear candidate 4 a Entity."
"Nexus is right. That was definitely something inhuman. However this isn't too surprising so we should just continue."
"…"
"You are just happy that you didn't miss the bean pole over there." Nexus pointed out dryly but there was a smile tucking at her lips. Whereas Mango remained uncharacteristically quiet.
"Don't refer to the entity as bean pole…"
"But look at him. Mango was right after all, just like a little Fawn." During their discussion the Entity has begun to shift slightly noticing the weird stretch of silence but at the same time its eyes kept sifting to the mirror like it knew they were here. Considering everything it probably did.
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Candidate 1. Respond"
"I won't kill anyone! Taking the life of another human being is too immoral"
1: They want us to act like we would in a actual life-death situation, right? So… if it means that I can survive I am willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone. Living is my priority. But those goody-two-shoes won't like that.
Unethical. Risk of acting reckless.
Fail.
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Candidate 1. Remove your respirator and stand by."
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Candidate 2. Respond"
"I am willing to sacrifice myself if it means that more people can survive."
2: That's what they want to hear…isn't it??? God, what kind of questions is that?! What should I even do? How should I stand? Breath??? I feel sick…
extreme panic and conformity.
Fail.
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Candidate 2. Remove your respirator and stand by."
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Candidate 3. Remove your respirator and stand by."
"I will safe as many as I can."
3: That Bastard on the left looks way too righteous. I wanted to punch him since he suddenly ■■■- from the very beginning. Bastard probably thinks he is better than us with that fucking 'holier than you' attitude.
Fail.
"…"
"We should probably remove him… as soon as possible."
"You are the damn bastard! Talking about our Fawn like that!!!" Mango started to complain loudly.
Seriously, we don't even know anything about that entity? Quartz was starting to worry that Mango was getting contaminated…
But they didn't have to remove the 3rd candidate as he collapsed.
4:…
Kim Soleum was seriously wondering what that guy was thinking about. He hoped he wasn't some psychopath… The lack of psychopaths was the only real positive he could find from being stuck with the Bureau for now and not Daydream or the Curch of the Luminous Unknown.
Preparing himself to answer Kim Soleum noticed that he hasn't been called yet. Did he already somehow fail??? But he knows that his thoughts haven't been revealed yet.
Is this… Discrimination?
"He seems nervous." A coo came from Nexus.
Are you both contaminated???
"Do you think he is worried for the collapsed guy? And after that Bastard thought such ridiculous things!!! What a kind and cute Fawn." Mango wiped a imaginary tear from his eyes and looked like a proud parent who just witness a miracle preformed by their child.
He probably could have preformed a real miracle right here right now and no one would have managed to match the sheer ecstatic Mango was radiating.
"I still think he looks pretty stoic." Quartz was starting to get confused but at least Mango was back to acting normal.
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Candidate 4. Respond"
"The one who is collapsed right now."
"…!"
"Damn he actually called someone out!"
"Shouldn't we continue questioning his answer?"
As long as he doesn't take offense to it.
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Elaborate"
"The way the question was worded it appears like we are connected to the Disaster. Possibly by touching something we shouldn't have so if one of us has to die in order to terminate the Darkness I would choose him. He is already neutralized."
Pass.
"I guess he would be knowledgeable on Disasters." Nexus muses when she was suddenly hit by Mango with the third candidates papers.
"That's discriminatory!"
"WHAT???"
"However, I will try to find a way to ensure as many as possible can survive. If there is time of course."
"They grow up so fast…" Mango was wiping more imaginary tears from his eyes while ignoring Nexus staring daggers into his face.
"What is wrong with you…" Never before did Quartz want to quit this badly.
4: I would like to safe them if possible.
"Wow. He is like a text book Agent! Are we sure he isn't already a cooperative spirit?" Mango joked but Quartz felt real dread at the possibility of them causing a panic later over a entity that was already part of the Bureau. But that would be illogical since there was no reason for the Entity to take the Aptitude test. Though Supernatural Phenomena rarely make sense to Humans…
*BROADCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT*
"Candidate 4. Remove your respirator and stand by."
"Thank you."
"So polite!"
Kim Soleum is now in the waiting room. The answers were true but his priority isn't going outside and saving lives and ending disasters but leaving and going home. That is however where his first problem is…
How is he meant to return home? If he ended up at Daydream he would have been able to get his hands on the Wish Ticket. Hopefully...
That being said he is too much of a coward to join on his own. Being treated like a disposable tool! Having to face ghost story and psychopathic colleagues! No, thank you!!!!
Joining the Bureau already makes him queasy there is no way he can quit and join Daydream.
So his only choice is relying on the Bureau. Would they have something that could help him?
Possibly since they have connections to Ghost stories and equipment.
Speaking off…
Looking down Kim Soleum sees the merch box he got alongside his Agent Badge.
It conveniently decided to pop up on his lap once he entered the waiting room. Upon discreetly touching a weird notepad which made him feel schizophrenic he received a pop-socket.
It is the memorial pop-socket.
A C-Grade Item from the Darkness Exploration Records.
It is a black pop-socket with a yellow x in the middle.
When attached to a smartphone it displays everything the user remembers as a page.
The pop-socket Kim Soleum has, contains a red x in the middle but the function seems to remain the same.
"Hello!"
"!"
Kim Soleum quickly put his phone in his pocket hoping to hide the pop socket. It was after all a item given to Bureau agents and considering that he isn't one… yet...
Too many questions that he wouldn't be able to answer.
"Congratulations you passed, Candidate 4! I'm Agent Mango. Would you please follow me, sir!"
Sir? Kim Soleum felt it was pretty weird for a Agent to call a Rookie Sir but everyone at the Bureau has their quirks he supposes.
"Thank you."
Following Agent Mango they ended up in a room with two other Agents. Their stares were getting uncomfortable but Kim Soleum brushed it aside and chalked it up to nerves. After all he hasn't even done anything yet.
"Welcome to the Disaster management Bureau. We would love for you to work along side us, sir. The bureau gives great benefits to it's cooperative spirits. Those include accommodations and agreements to better your living conditions in the bureau. As well as a Bureau uniform that fits with you personally."
what…?