entranceway | 4th Social Link ▫ [Video + Action]

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4th Social Link ▫ [Video + Action]

[It's not every day one wakes up and is suddenly inside another body. Or more like Minato was inside a smaller, younger version of his body. He looked like this when he was six years old. It's definitely an event as was announced over the network. But no problem.

There was something on a wall though like a puzzle? But he had to look up, up, and up at it, squinting through the fog. The puzzle was way too high up and no matter how much he tried to jump to reach it, it was not getting any closer.

He had to find something to climb up on. A rolling office chair it was then! That served four purposes:
1) He could move it around easily and adjust the seat up and down to get to places too high to reach
2) He could hide behind it if need be
3) It could be his getaway vehicle if he needed to escape from those monsters
4) The video from the comm device hanging from it would capture where he might be within the foggy laboratory

Thus here's a tiny Minato slowly making his own way through the fog with his trusty rolling chair until he bumps into someone... Is that someone you?]

Oh, sorry... I didn't mean it... Um, are you hurt?

[Pushing a chair with limited visibility is hard and he is profusely sorry for bumping into you! Please feel free to help him reach the puzzle? Or run into him during his travels?]

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[Ouch. The impact knocks Souji over. Being small kind of sucks. Souji's so used to being taller than most people he knows and being in a four year old body is kind of ruining that.

He does like the fog, though.

He's relieved when it's Minato's voice he hears from the other side of the chair.]

I'm okay.

[He gets to his feet and steps around the chair and spots Minato.]

....You're taller than me.

[Minato blinked over at Souji. Souji was... different. Well, just physically, anyway.]

You're so little.

[Minato hadn't expected that. He thought Souji would always be taller than him. (Then again, they did live in Wonderland.) He moved his chair a bit to have it be relatively in front of them in case anything or anyone happened to be passing by.]

I'll protect you.

[Souji looked down at himself. This was going to be frustrating, he could tell.]

...Please take care of me.

[If he were his normal age and height, it wouldn't be so obvious that he's sulking a bit.

He shakes it off pretty quickly though and he points ahead into the fog.]

Are you trying to finish that puzzle over there?

[Souji sulking was cute, but there wasn't any time to think about that for long. He nodded.]

It's too high.

[Hence the chair? He scooted off to one side of it to have Souji help push it over there.]

[Souji moves over to help.]

It might roll when you stand on it. [...] I'll hold it still for you.

But you're smaller.

[Minato should hold it while Souji climbed up on it. He wasn't sure if Souji could handle the chair and Minato's weight too.]

[Souji made a face but nodded. When they reached their destination, he helped Minato position the chair before climbing up onto it. He had to pause on his knees on the seat, gaining his balance, before he used the back of the chair to get to his feet.]

[Minato was holding on tight to the chair handle and the back of the chair too to keep the chair from rolling away or rotating while Souji was on it.]

Can you reach it?

[Souji nodded, although Minato might not be able to see him. ...The puzzle looked a bit tricky and he wished Minato were up here to help him.]

It might take a little while.

[Minato nodded and tried to think. Oh! He had an idea.]

Wait, let me get a blanket to put under the chair.

[They could lock the wheels that way from one of the blankets from the beds, then they could both be up on the chair to work on the puzzle.]

[Souji nodded and knelt down on the seat of the chair again while he waited. When Minato returned, he slid down to help position the blanket and chair.]

[Minato checked that the wheels were stuck and not going anywhere. He helped Souji back up on the chair, then Minato climbed up himself, making sure that the armrest hit the wall and wouldn't rotate while they were both on it.]

Is this better?

[Souji nodded and pointed to the puzzle.]

It'll be easier with two people.

[Minato nodded and worked on the puzzle with Souji. He had one arm around Souji's waist though to hold him close so he didn't fall or anything like that.

The puzzle did get finished though now that the two of them worked on it together.]

We have to get a key now?

Mm, I think so.

[Souji leans forward to inspect the picture they'd put together.]

Do you know where this is?

[He points at the location shown in the puzzle.]

Edited 2017-03-16 02:32 (UTC)

[Minato tried to brush away the fog to look at the puzzle too.]

Let's go find it together. I think there are three more.

[He got off the chair and held onto Souji's hand to help him down. They could fold up the blanket and drape it on the chair as they pushed it on the way.]

[Souji had to sit down, then slide off of the chair with Minato's help.

They were lucky not to run into much trouble as they found the key and then went to work on the next puzzle. They only ran into one monster and they were able to hide behind the chair while it passed by them.

Finding the second key was a bit harder in the fog, but they collected it as well. Since Minato was doing most of the work of moving the chair around, Souji was the one in charge of hanging onto the keys.

Now it was on to the third puzzle.]

[When they reached another puzzle way too high up, Minato made sure that the chair was stable with the blanket locking the wheels. He helped Souji up too, holding onto the chair itself so the seat wouldn't spin. He did his best too when he climbed on not to rock it so much.

Why the puzzles and the locations had to be so far apart was something he would never understand. Now that they were smaller it took longer to travel anywhere, let alone with the fog too. But Minato did make sure that Souji was close by and didn't get away from him.

Finally though, after the fourth puzzle was done and Minato placed the last key in Souji's hands, they could move on to the next floor.]

Are you tired? We can keep going if no.

[Souji shook his head. He was ready to keep going, even if this was harder than his four year old body was ready for.]

Ne...what happens next? After we go through the door?

[Maybe it wasn't just his body that was that young now.]

[Minato shook his head too. He didn't know what was on the other side of the door, but they needed to get there.]

I don't know... but we're going to find out.

[They could leave the chair behind now since he didn't think they would need it. He used the keys with Souji to push the door open. They were in another lab that wasn't so foggy now. The atmosphere was definitely different.]

[Souji stepped inside after Minato and looked around.]

...This is weird, oniisan.

[Minato nodded. He held onto Souji's hand now as they walked around this weird place. The new form address didn't bother him at all.]

What are those things?

[Those cylindrical glass things way on the other side of the lab. Minato wanted to see what they could learn from those.]

[Holding Minato's hand so that he pulled him along, Souji approached one of the vats. He pressed a hand against the glass and peered inside.]

They're people.

[He stops and looks around.]

Why are they here?

[Minato blinked, not expecting that at all, but he didn't know what he was expecting either. What was happening in this lab? It was still weird and maybe kind of creepy.

Minato pulled the comm device close to him and checked the network for some information. He got information last time from it.]

... Is it us?

[Minato wasn't quite sure. He and Souji were always this small? Maybe? But someone over the network said that their bodies were here, but was that true?]

[Souji frowns and starts to walk from vat to vat, looking in at the people inside. If they were there, they'd have to look for them. He continued to pull Minato along, though if Minato really wanted to stop, all he'd have to do is pull back on Souji's hand.]

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