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"Team L is back." A shout from the front of the room.
Kwak Jegang's head perked up, a little smile on his face. It was only a few days ago that Team L was assigned to go into one of the more recently discovered darknesses, and Kwak Jegang was able to send them in with...an altered version of the manual. It wasn't too extreme--of course not. Just a little something so that he could gather some more information. The existing manual was too.. simple for his liking. A better understanding of its ins and outs could lead to more efficient Daydream Essence collection, no?
"Welcome back~" Only one? "Where's your other member? Is it just you three?" How unfortunate. Kwak Jegang could hear murmurs of some of his team members in the back. Probably wrapping up their latest bet. Why couldn't these idiots focus on the matter at hand?
"...No thanks to you." The Zebra mask spat, anger boiling under cloudy eyes. No matter though, all Kwak Jegang needed was any information he could get from this darkness. "Why was the manual- you must've-!"
"Hey hey hey calm down," the Mole mask stepped in from the side, "I'll speak to them, it's not worth it." Just as we were getting to the fun part...
"Hmm~ Alright then, you should know the drill by now, recount your experience to me in detail. Don't leave anything out." Kwak Jegang wanted to know the results of his little altercations.
"Section Chief, one of the members dropped this-" One of his newer rookies handed him a dilapidated rag. One you'd normally see for cleaning, though Kwak Jegang knew enough to understand that any old item in the lab could have the properties of a ghost story. "What should we do with it?"
"Let me take a look." Kwak Jegang took the rag and held it up to his eye, examining closely.
Nothing out of the ordinary, but he could never be too careful. What if he accidentally dismissed something interesting? In the next moment, Kwak Jegang was proven right- a ringing in his ears paired with his vision blackening- and now what Kwak Jegang held in his hands was no longer a rag but an unassuming toy plush.
A toy? Interesting.. An uncontrollable smile crept onto his face and before his mind could swirl into a multitude of thoughts, the rookie before him raised a hand with concern.
"Section Chief? Is.. everything okay?"
"No, its fine, just leave this one to me. You can go." Waving off the rookie with a smile, Kwak Jegang made his way into his own private lab. Generally the other researchers would refrain from disturbing him when he was inside, and it would be perfect for studying this new...item.
Hmm.. the texture is like any old felt... no obvious stitching... no heartbeat... and I don't feel any differently either. Doesn't react to the presence of other items and I can see it perfectly fine through my camera. It honestly reminds me of... ha, who am I kidding. Kwak Jegang leaned back and put his hands to his eyes. The plush was a near perfect copy of a certain Security Team leaders contaminated form, cutely packaged into a soft toy, one that occasionally occupied the sides of his mind. It's been a while since Kwak Jegang has seen him and unbeknownst to the researcher, this little 'toy' has already taken root in his heart. Though his smile grew into his eyes, something deep within him wanted to sound the alarm bells.
Kwak Jegang tucked the rag into his research coat and prepared to head home. Usually he'd stay at the lab after hours, but tonight he had other plans.
Was there regulation on taking with him 'unidentified research material' outside the company? Maybe. Probably. Perhaps he even remembered being lectured on this matter once upon a time. But who was he to follow such regulations? Worse comes to worse, there would always be something he could figure out.
Recently I got hired by Daydream Inc. as a researcher, super exciting! It's been around a month since, but I think I've acclimated myself pretty well here, considering well, the company deals with the.. paranormal? I guess? Well I don't want to sound crazy or anything but.. even my Section Chief has gone crazy these past few days!
My team works by assigning other teams into.. missions! The last one that came back dropped something and I thought I'd be useful and hand it over to my Section Chief! You know, networking, getting a promotion maybe? Well let a newbie dream! But after that I noticed the Section Chief get even.. weirder? Well he was already a bit off putting, he's the kind of guy who is super friendly but you just know there's a ton wrong with him. Like he probably has a real skeleton under his bed, or he'll do some weird social experiment on you and lock you in a room with a rotting corpse for 'science'.
But recently, he got weirder after I handed him that-- that rag! Now he and the rag are attached to the hip! It's so weird, he took the thing and started obsessing over it. At first it was just bringing it around in his coat pocket, then he started whispering things to it, and now he's wearing this unsettling smile and holding the rag like he just ripped out his heart! And don't tell anyone but I've been peeking into his office after work hours and he still acts that way, maybe even more creepier alone. Giving it the attention of a beloved pet.
I talked to some of my other coworkers since they've known the Section Chief for longer than I have, and from what I hear, this doesn't seem normal for him either? Like yeah, he's crazy, but he's not some kind of object obsessed maniac. He's like.. an evil scientist type, you know? My coworkers don't seem to really be that concerned?
"If Kwak Jegang gets permanently contaminated, maybe I'll finally get a promotion or something. Heh, wouldn't that be nice." One of them flat out cursed the Section Chief to contamination! That's not very nice... And while I would love a promotion, if the Section Chief got contaminated wouldn't it be partially my fault? I gave him the rag in the first place...
And so- I've decided to contact security! Now Daydream Inc. is a bit different from other companies, and my coworkers talk about this security team like they're trash and at the same time like they're the scariest thing in the world.. so I'm quite nervous. But if I remember correctly, the Section Chief knows one of the security members! Maybe I'll go and tip him off.. to help out a friend!
"Researcher Kwak Jegang. Hand over the item in your possession..." A familiar voice floated into Kwak Jegang's ear. A tall man. Security uniform. Dusted hair and beastly eyes.
Holding the small plush with the tremble of someone who hadn't slept in the past few days, Kwak Jegang looked like a mess. Usually he held the face of a cheery and friendly researcher, well kept and youthful. Well.. one could say he was youthful still, if that also included 'sleep deprived college student'.
"Oh~? What's this? Ah.. Squad Leader of B-Squad--or shall I say, member of the security team? While it is a shame you can't go in darknesses anymore, that doesn't mean I'll tolerate you trying to take my things~" Kwak Jegang's tone felt lighter than ever. What was happening? "But unfortunately for you, this little one here is mine."
"...the rag? Well, if you say so.." The security member approached Kwak Jegang without rush.
Kwak Jegang could feel his lips curling, eyes squinting. A feeling he could not quite describe with words in his current state began to germinate within him. "What's wrong? It's not like you to meddle in something like this-" A hand descended onto the back of his neck, and Kwak Jegang's breathing quickened. Could the man in front of him feel the warmth of his breath? "Are you still upset over last time? I told you-"
"That's not why I'm here... just hand over the item." The clawed hand that once ghosted his nape had dug its knives into his stiff flesh. Seriously? No time for chit-chat huh..well, thats fine too.
"Okay okay fine! I'll give you him- but only if you promise me something." Kwak Jegang was no idiot. The man in front of him was dangerous, but that didn't mean he'd have to lay down and lose it all. There was something to be gained from everything. He pushed the small wolf plush into the man's chest.
"...?" Taking hands off Kwak Jegang's neck and receiving the rag, before suddenly pausing with fixated eyes.
"Can you tell me what it looks like to you now?"
The man paused, looking at Kwak Jegang like he was insane. After all, it was just a rag. Until a second glance revealed something more, "...is this supposed to be...you..?"
Kwak Jegang is not an idiot. As much as he'd love to fall into and indulge in the emotions brought about from just interacting with that item, there's nothing in the world that can ever top the feeling of gaining new knowledge. Whether it be in changing variables when sending out Exploration Teams, or even discovering new things about his people of interest.
It hasn't been too long since the security guard had come over to confiscate that item- one he only just registered into the item database. And despite how upset he'd felt in the moment, it all washed away when Kwak Jegang realized what he'd just gained from that. An item that morphs itself into a 'guilty pleasure', how interesting was that. And to think that the security guard thought of him that way!
Yesterday was a fruitful day, Kwak Jegang decided.
Heaven in your Head
: A ghost story featured in Dark Exploration Records
: Daydream Inc. identification code - Qterw-D-210.
You find yourself in a room that shows you something tailored to you. You will be tempted to stay forever. The door is right over there, so why don't you leave?
To Buffer Your Heart
: An item featured in Dark Exploration Records.
A rag that morphs into something that will 'capture' your heart, only visible to you. Taking root and altering the mental state of the holder, but gives joy unlike any other.