alice of the vanguard ♡ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
selfsufficiency) wrote2016-10-16 10:15 am
selfsufficiency) wrote2016-10-16 10:15 am
Night 4 - Alfendi
[Alice can't say she's surprised at many of the reactions to the execution. It's a little unsettling, to say the least, but she's no stranger to death and even less a stranger to seeing people who haven't actually done anything wrong die, so it doesn't distract her from the task at hand: figuring out what's going on in this place and getting out alive.
The current task being catching up with Alfendi, which isn't really a difficult task at all since they're headed to the same apartment. He doesn't really look too good, but then, he has a lot of moments where he doesn't look too good.
Maybe a distraction is in order. She reaches over and tugs on his sleeve to get his attention as she falls into step beside him.]
Hey... do you still want to try out the pills from the commissary?
The current task being catching up with Alfendi, which isn't really a difficult task at all since they're headed to the same apartment. He doesn't really look too good, but then, he has a lot of moments where he doesn't look too good.
Maybe a distraction is in order. She reaches over and tugs on his sleeve to get his attention as she falls into step beside him.]
Hey... do you still want to try out the pills from the commissary?
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[He says, turning his head and giving her his characteristic ever-so-pleasant smile. His hands are buried deep in his coat pockets.]
Pills? [He quirks an eyebrow.] Actually, I got a syringe and needle filled with liquid from the commissary, not pills...I assume it's the same drug, though. I selected that option, I'm sure of it.
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[Weird. Alice is absolutely sure she didn't get a syringe and needle... in fact, to prove it, she takes one small, unlabeled pill out of her pocket and shows it to him in the palm of her hand for just a moment before she puts it back.]
Well, maybe it does the same thing, since it's called the same thing.
[Does she look like a doctor? Nnnnnnope. This can only end well.]
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I think so. I wonder why they're in different forms, though? Odd. [He shrugs.] Well, it'll probably have the same thing. They wouldn't call both of them "Mystery Drug" and give each of us different kinds, right?
[RIGHT???????????]
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[Look she doesn't know shit about how medicine works when she gets hurt she usually uses magic to deal with it.
It's a good enough explanation for her, anyway, so back to the apartment they go! Since Shijima isn't here sleeping yet, Alice is going to very rudely sit on the bed. Rudely, because if she is contagious, sitting all over someone's sleeping area is the opposite of thoughtful.]
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[Ah, how can one man be so smart and yet SO STUPID.]
[He doesn't mind her sitting on the bed - instead, he just goes to the couch, bending over and pulling out the notebook from underneath it. He turns back to her, handing it over.]
Here you go, you said you wanted to take a look? [He's already taking off his coat, pulling out the syringe and rolling up one sleeve. The man moves fast.] Take a look.
[f she does, she'll just find scribbled notes and summaries of the profiles - it just mostly seems like it's copied from the profiles with a few added notes. Dickson's profile, for example, has the note "annoying" next to it. Other than that, there's nothing else. It looks like the other Alfendi didn't manage to get anything else down before he switched.]
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Alice reaches for the notebook and starts looking over the profiles as he rolls up his sleeve. When she gets to the part where Dickson is described as annoying, she can't help but snicker, because honestly? She agrees.]
Whatever's going on, you still have the right idea when you're acting differently. [She taps the word "annoying" once with a finger before reaching into her pocket for one of the pills.] ...right after I took these... I remembered things really clearly. When I thought back to what you yelled this morning after you blacked out, it was like I was right back there again, listening to it.
[She raises an eyebrow.]
Do we want to test this out? I can write something you've never seen before after you take yours, and then you just look at it for a second or two. Then you can try and remember what it was.
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[He's already gotten his sleeve up to his shoulder.]
Yes, sure. That sounds like a plan. [He's not used to shooting himself up at all...but well, it must be like a vaccine, right? He's had vaccines before. He lets out a breath, before sticking the needle into his shoulder. Of course, it's painful, but he pushes in the syringe with a shudder before slowly removing the needle.]
Ugh, a pill would've been much better... [He doesn't have any napkins or anything, so he just rolls his sleeve down some, pressing against the wound to keep it from bleeding.]
Okay, I guess we give it a few minutes. I really hope this is worth it.
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...she'll have to go back for more soon, probably.]
Do you not like needles?
[Pills are definitely more convenient, she thinks she got the better end of the deal here.]
It'll be interesting to see if it works! I wonder why your memory problems are so much worse than the rest of ours, though? It seems pretty unfair, don't you think?
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[He sighs - already, the pain is diminishing, he's glad for that.]
I don't know, honestly. I think it was mentioned that allowing me to black out and act the way I do when I'm not, well, me, can be a rather good red herring for the staff. If I'm that bad as the other me, then I could see why it would be easy to pinpoint me as a murderer when I'm not, simply by temperament.
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[She's helping, really. Kind of. Sort of.]
But it does kind of seem like you pick a fight with anyone who looks at you when that happens. ♡
[It's honestly hilarious to her but she did promise she'd stop saying things like "it's so interesting" to his face, so she'll wait until he's not around to say it. Alice may be a sadist and she may be kind of unpleasant to be around, but she keeps her word most of the time.]
I don't mind people picking fights with me, though. If I'm around when you black out again, I'll try and convince you to stop acting like you've totally lost it.
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[It looks like the pressure has stopped the bleeding, so he pulls down his sleeve, sitting on the armrest of the couch as he faces her.]
Thanks...I suppose. It's rather like a real-life Jekyll and Hyde scenario. I don't know what to think about that.
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That's a thought Alice actually has the presence of mind to keep to herself, because she's more interested in hearing what he has to say about Jekyll and Hyde than she is in getting yelled at for being insensitive again.]
A what?
[They don't have Jekyll and Hyde where she comes from.]
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Oh, you don't know it? It's from a famous story. The story goes that there's a doctor by the name of Dr. Jekyll who wishes to find a way to indulge in his own terrible vices without being detected, and creates a serum that literally creates a whole new personality within him called Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is essentially everything wrong about him, his "evil twin", if you will, and commits all sorts of horrible atrocities. He murders people, steals things...you name it.
[He pauses before he continues.]
Dr. Jekyll can at first control this evil side of his, but eventually, Mr. Hyde starts coming out on his own without Jekyll's bidding. Unable to control his own transformations, Dr. Jekyll, in his despair, kills himself.
[A long pause. He turns his gaze to the floor.]
I certainly hope the end of that story won't be some kind of omen for my deal.
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[...that's... really not the nicest way to phrase a vote of confidence, but she means it well? As well as Alice possibly can, anyway. Alfendi is less interesting to her when he's on good behavior, but it's not like she really dislikes him or anything even when he's like this.]
Besides, you're one of the few people here who doesn't give me a total headache, so if you tried I'd have to stop you.
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[He smiles like he always does, but he does seem honestly touched by that - Alice may be questionable at times, but even so, this kind of support is not what he's used to.]
Thanks, Alice. I'm sure it won't come to that at all, so don't worry. I have no desire to die just yet.
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[Never really one for sappy moments, Alice moves right along.]
So, how's your memory feeling? Is it - [Aaaand a sneeze. She has the good grace to cover her nose and mouth, at least.] Is anything feeling clearer?
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[Alright, time to try! He wracks his mind, again trying to get up against one barrier he knows is there - him being a detective. He thinks, and thinks, and thinks...and nothing comes.]
...Uh. Not really? Still seems the same as ever.
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[BOO. Alice frowns a little at that, folding her arms across her chest.]
Try thinking back to the trial, then. Can you remember anything from that more vividly than you normally would?
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[He shakes his head, looking disappointed.]
It's not working. Maybe I need more time?
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[Weirder and weirder. Alice wrinkles her nose.]
Is there anything else you're noticing that seems different?
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[He considers the question.]
The pain from the shot went away quickly but...other than that, I haven't noticed anything else, really.
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[...that gives Alice an idea.
Without warning, she surges forward and makes to slap Alfendi across the face.]
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...Ow? What was that for?
[He just seems confused - he didn't even wince.]
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[For Science, that's what.]
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[He shakes his head in slight disbelief.]
It isn't as much as I...expected it to? It's weird. It was more like a very hard tap...
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Hold out your arm.
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What are you going to do to it?
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[If he doesn't stop her, she'll reach out and give him a pinch with her fingernails - not too sharp, but not too light, either.]
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[And he sort of jerks back, but there's a blink of surprise as he glances to the place she's pinched him.]
Oh...that wasn't too bad, either.
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[Which concerns her, a little. What the heck is she going to do when she runs out of her pills...?]
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[He did it and it didn't even help his memory at all? He feels cheated, somehow.]
Why would they name the both of them "Mystery Drug"? Ugh, this isn't fair. If this...whole pain thing is the result of it, that's all nice and good, but it wasn't what I was looking for.
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On the one hand, no. The idea of giving up her pills just feels a little wrong, but... whatever the serum he has could be really useful, depending on the circumstances.]
Do you have any more of that liquid, or did you use it all when you stuck yourself with the needle?
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[Ugh, he feels terrible. Back to square one...]
And there weren't any more syringes besides that one.
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[If he had more, she'd have traded her remaining stock, but... okay. She sort of feels sorry for him. She fishes out one pill - no more than that - and holds out her hand.]
I'm not doing this to be nice. I'm just doing it because if I'm going to be sleeping in your room, I want to understand how your blackouts work, and this might help do that. Hold out your hand.
[If he does, she'll drop the pill into his palm.]
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[But he does hold out his hand, cupping the pill in it when it drops there. He sighs.]
Thanks, Alice. I just...I want to get to the bottom of this however I can.
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[Being thanked by people makes her skin crawl, honestly.]
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[THIS WILL NOT LEAD TO ANYTHING BAD WHATSOEVER AT ALL]
...You know, you surprise me, Alice. I didn't expect to like you as much as I do, if I have to be honest.
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[A LOT OF THINGS, HONESTLY.]
I didn't expect to like you either. You're interesting, but being interesting is different from being likable.