((OOC: Backdated to the same evening as this post; therefore, before this post.))
Sofia. Are you there?
[Alex's voice is a monotone; it's the flat, resigned dread of someone preparing to go into battle, driven only by a reluctance to admit that the odds are hopeless.]
[She wants to ask how sure he is, how he knows, but that might sound as if she was questioning and indeed she is surprised that it's happening and that Alex has decided to tell her about it, but-]
[Maybe it's a perk of being one of the only people he actually talks to! You're sort of an anchor, Sofia. Have fun with that.]
Hope not.
[But Alex hoped that when he ran away from the set of the movie - and look what happened that time. Maybe the Operator doesn't even need to look, maybe he just knows where Alex is, always. Even if running were possible here, maybe it'd be pointless.]
[She still has quite the list of questions about Alex and his stalker, but she also remembers quite clearly how he reacted the last time the subject came up, so...]
Is there anything I can-
[No, not quite.] Is there anything you want me to do?
[The crossfire: he does not want you caught in it. And by "crossfire" the narration here means "slenderman visiting fuckery upon young men with cameras whilst young men with cameras run in circles".]
[Lamb nods, but there is also a HEAVY SIGH, eyes being closed and opened again for dramatic effect, a look that shows quite clearly that this is not at all what she wants and of course the tiny yet ever-popular side-order of ~GUILT RADIATION~]
All right, Alex.
[AUDIO//PRIVATE] have I gone a single thread without getting the format wrong? sheesh.
[Alex stands with one hand still on the doorknob, next to the camera that's been set up as a first guard directly opposite the door. His expression is waxen.]
...What?
[This encounter needs to go quickly. His room isn't safe.]
[ACTION] Smiling, dancing - everything is free! / All you need is... positivity!
[The gesture is not inviting by any means, but she pushes past him regardless and forcefully sets a red bottle down on his table.]
This is a Plasmid. It is made from a substance called ADAM. I can explain its history to you another time, if you wish; for now all you need to know is that this is what kept our city going. A... wonder drug, if you will.
[She produces a needle from her bag and puts it on the table.] Upon injection it will grant its user abilities beyond anything you have ever seen. [A weak smile.] So the slogan goes for people who have never been to Wonderland, at least.
Alex, I have seen how helpless you felt after the last event, how angry you were, because you could not fight back. I do not encourage violence, as you well know, but I will not leave you at the mercy of somebody else again, not if I can help it.
This, Alex, will allow you to defend yourself.
[She pauses.]
It does not come without a price, mind. Amongst other things it requires a steady intake of ADAM to stabilise its effects. I can provide as much as you need, of course, but you should know that once you start you will depend on it.
[More pause.]
The choice is yours, Alex.
[ACTION] So you're saying it's not safe to go alone, and I should take this.
[At first he just stares blankly from the bottle to Lamb, wondering where the hell this is going. This continues when she brings out the needle. Especially when she brings out the needle. Drugs and syringes just have unfortunate associations, with crack junkies and strung-out, prospectless heroin addicts.
Then again, insulin and stuff - real medicines, helpful things - are injected too. Needles don't have to mean living death.
And if he could defend himself... there's a flicker in his wooden eyes when she says that, a stirring of that part of him that still refuses to resign himself. Not to the Operator, not to Diogenes, not to any asshole who thinks he's so big and mighty.
There's a sizeable pause as he tries to sort this all out in his head, the pros and cons, the questions, the fact that Sofia's going to the trouble of making this offer. Then, finally:]
...What abilities?
[He's seen too much weird shit to doubt that what she's offering is possible. The idea would be exciting, in a different time and place. But he's careful. He doesn't like the sound of dependence one bit.]
[ACTION] No, I'm saying Colours of the world - SPLICE UP YOUR LIFE!]
Some merely improve your physical abilities. They make you faster or stronger. Others alter your body completely, giving it features... powers which some have called God-like.
[Hey, lightning bolts are a popular export!]
The number of Plasmids and Tonics is too vast to name them all, but this one, for example, is called Winter Blast. In simple terms it allows you to shoot ice from your hand.
[...Alex would be lying to himself if "Godlike" didn't sound appealing these days. Movie convention says that's a bad thing, but movie convention also says that good guys get happy endings and the guy always gets the girl, and those don't translate into real life either. Maybe you have to become something unnatural to defeat something unnatural.
He's starting to look less like he's retreated into himself, less like a sleepwalker, a little more like he's in the room and focusing on this.]
Ice.
[He sounds like he's testing the word, seeing how it sounds, imagining it. Picturing what it might do against a guy with no face and creeping, grasping limbs.]
Solid ice? Or does it freeze things?
[ACTION] I see my stunning proposal has rendered you speechless
[She wants to add 'giving you ample time to retreat', should probably add '...or smash them to bits', but decides to leave it at neither. She looks at him patiently, waiting for more questions or a decision.]
[ACTION] I'm just overcome by the openness and frank honesty of your delivery.
[For the record, in Alex's mind, he goes with the smashing.]
...All right.
[That phrase, breathlessly delivered, indicates that the speaker is impressed and delivers a preliminary verdict of 'I endorse this product and/or service'.
A shade louder, more steadily:]
All right.
[Yeah, he likes this idea. No more being helpless. No more Alex-the-victim. You can't vanish and flicker around when you're frozen solid. You can't stalk or attack people or kidnap them or make them forget things if you're in pieces, asshole.
But there's just one thing--]
...how bad's the dependence? That's the only side-effect, right?
[It's not a dealbreaker, not for this kind of opportunity. He's already working out how much he's willing to put up with for it.]
[ACTION] That's what I'm known for, after all. That and the worst pies in Lond- ohwaitnotagain.
The cravings are bad, but there are means to keep them under control.
In excess amounts ADAM can... and will damage your body and mind, but if you use it in moderation the worst you might experience is some dizziness or nausea.
[That's the theory, anyway. Nobody has ever really tried the 'in moderation' thing in practice. She also wonders if the hallucinations apply to ADAM that has been magically produced in closets and does not technically contain the DNA of specific people. Oh well, that's for Alex to find out if he tries...]
[ACTION] Who can blame you, with the price of meat what it is?
[Oh. That, uh, sounds like a slippery slope kind of thing. Alex looks at the bottle again, hesitating, its glow faintly visible on his face in the low light. Time for another lengthy pause.
If he does it, he'll be at risk - but it'll be controllable risk, and he'll be able to protect himself from the considerably more immediate and uncontrollable danger of the Operator and Diogenes. If he does it and then gets home, it sounds like he'll have some painful detoxing to do, but he can handle that - and, a nasty little thought adds, who's to say he'll even get home, especially if he doesn't take steps to survive here? (It should be noted that no-one's filled Alex in regarding the many deaths.)
It's a long way from ideal, but it gets closer than the current situation does.
He might ask if Sofia's done it, if she's used this stuff - but that's the kind of question you ask somebody you don't trust.
Yeah. Yes. He'll do it.]
Is that needle clean?
[ACTION] Yeah, when you get it. I mean, /if/ you get it.
[Slippery slope? Oh no, nooo! It's more like... a sharpe, vertical plunge downwards, really. UHIMEAN-]
Of course it is, Alex.
[...she says with just the right amount of offence taken. Out of all the things to worry about! Sure, her speciality is psychiatry and complicated spinal surgery may be beyond her, but she knows how to keep her equipment clean.]
I can fetch a new one from the closet if you like, but I'm afraid they don't come in smaller sizes.
[Not for this lovely product, oh no.]
Listen, Alex, I needed to make the offer immediately, but your answer is not a decision that can or should be made on a whim, so if you would rather think it over...?
[I hope you're not hoping for a better answer again, because the shiny red bottle is all I've got. As such I will take your questions to be an intricate paraphrasing of 'just sign me up already'.]
You should sit down. It tends to feel a little unpleasant the first time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[VIDEO//PRIVATE]
[She wants to ask if he's all right, but the answer is already written in his voice. Whatever this is, it won't be small talk.]
[AUDIO//PRIVATE]
[He promised he would.]
I'm pretty sure that man is here.
[VIDEO//PRIVATE]
...oh.]
I see.
[She wants to ask how sure he is, how he knows, but that might sound as if she was questioning and indeed she is surprised that it's happening and that Alex has decided to tell her about it, but-]
Does he know you're here as well?
[VIDEO//PRIVATE]
Hope not.
[But Alex hoped that when he ran away from the set of the movie - and look what happened that time. Maybe the Operator doesn't even need to look, maybe he just knows where Alex is, always. Even if running were possible here, maybe it'd be pointless.]
[VIDEO//PRIVATE]
Is there anything I can-
[No, not quite.] Is there anything you want me to do?
[VIDEO//PRIVATE]
[The crossfire: he does not want you caught in it. And by "crossfire" the narration here means "slenderman visiting fuckery upon young men with cameras whilst young men with cameras run in circles".]
[VIDEO//PRIVATE]
All right, Alex.
[AUDIO//PRIVATE] have I gone a single thread without getting the format wrong? sheesh.
There's a long pause. Then Alex speaks again, his voice thickening, like he's pushing it out through a tight throat.]
Thank you... for everything.
[Before he loses his nerve and asks for help, or loses his self-control and crumbles, he reaches over to turn off the feed.]
[VIDEO//PRIVATE]
[Her hand reaches for the screen in reflex as if to stop him, but then she realises that she can't, that there is nothing more to say, although...]
There is something else I can do.
[And then it's her who turns the feed off, because she will explain later and she will not have a discussion now.]
[AUDIO//PRIVATE]
He snaps off the microphone on his end and goes back to the cameras, checking and rechecking them for the hundredth time.]
[ACTION]
Alex? Are you there?
[ACTION]
After several seconds, the eye withdraws, and there's the metallic clunk of locks being undone.]
[ACTION] When you're feeling sad and low / We will take you where you gotta go
You told me to stay distant and I will, but first there is something I need to give you.
[ACTION] Not high as a kite, hopefully. He's tried that already.
...What?
[This encounter needs to go quickly. His room isn't safe.]
[ACTION] Smiling, dancing - everything is free! / All you need is... positivity!
This is a Plasmid. It is made from a substance called ADAM. I can explain its history to you another time, if you wish; for now all you need to know is that this is what kept our city going. A... wonder drug, if you will.
[She produces a needle from her bag and puts it on the table.] Upon injection it will grant its user abilities beyond anything you have ever seen. [A weak smile.] So the slogan goes for people who have never been to Wonderland, at least.
Alex, I have seen how helpless you felt after the last event, how angry you were, because you could not fight back. I do not encourage violence, as you well know, but I will not leave you at the mercy of somebody else again, not if I can help it.
This, Alex, will allow you to defend yourself.
[She pauses.]
It does not come without a price, mind. Amongst other things it requires a steady intake of ADAM to stabilise its effects. I can provide as much as you need, of course, but you should know that once you start you will depend on it.
[More pause.]
The choice is yours, Alex.
[ACTION] So you're saying it's not safe to go alone, and I should take this.
Then again, insulin and stuff - real medicines, helpful things - are injected too. Needles don't have to mean living death.
And if he could defend himself... there's a flicker in his wooden eyes when she says that, a stirring of that part of him that still refuses to resign himself. Not to the Operator, not to Diogenes, not to any asshole who thinks he's so big and mighty.
There's a sizeable pause as he tries to sort this all out in his head, the pros and cons, the questions, the fact that Sofia's going to the trouble of making this offer. Then, finally:]
...What abilities?
[He's seen too much weird shit to doubt that what she's offering is possible. The idea would be exciting, in a different time and place. But he's careful. He doesn't like the sound of dependence one bit.]
[ACTION] No, I'm saying Colours of the world - SPLICE UP YOUR LIFE!]
[Hey, lightning bolts are a popular export!]
The number of Plasmids and Tonics is too vast to name them all, but this one, for example, is called Winter Blast. In simple terms it allows you to shoot ice from your hand.
[ACTION]
He's starting to look less like he's retreated into himself, less like a sleepwalker, a little more like he's in the room and focusing on this.]
Ice.
[He sounds like he's testing the word, seeing how it sounds, imagining it. Picturing what it might do against a guy with no face and creeping, grasping limbs.]
Solid ice? Or does it freeze things?
[ACTION] I see my stunning proposal has rendered you speechless
[She wants to add 'giving you ample time to retreat', should probably add '...or smash them to bits', but decides to leave it at neither. She looks at him patiently, waiting for more questions or a decision.]
[ACTION] I'm just overcome by the openness and frank honesty of your delivery.
...All right.
[That phrase, breathlessly delivered, indicates that the speaker is impressed and delivers a preliminary verdict of 'I endorse this product and/or service'.
A shade louder, more steadily:]
All right.
[Yeah, he likes this idea. No more being helpless. No more Alex-the-victim. You can't vanish and flicker around when you're frozen solid. You can't stalk or attack people or kidnap them or make them forget things if you're in pieces, asshole.
But there's just one thing--]
...how bad's the dependence? That's the only side-effect, right?
[It's not a dealbreaker, not for this kind of opportunity. He's already working out how much he's willing to put up with for it.]
[ACTION] That's what I'm known for, after all. That and the worst pies in Lond- ohwaitnotagain.
In excess amounts ADAM can... and will damage your body and mind, but if you use it in moderation the worst you might experience is some dizziness or nausea.
[That's the theory, anyway. Nobody has ever really tried the 'in moderation' thing in practice. She also wonders if the hallucinations apply to ADAM that has been magically produced in closets and does not technically contain the DNA of specific people. Oh well, that's for Alex to find out if he tries...]
[ACTION] Who can blame you, with the price of meat what it is?
[Oh. That, uh, sounds like a slippery slope kind of thing. Alex looks at the bottle again, hesitating, its glow faintly visible on his face in the low light. Time for another lengthy pause.
If he does it, he'll be at risk - but it'll be controllable risk, and he'll be able to protect himself from the considerably more immediate and uncontrollable danger of the Operator and Diogenes. If he does it and then gets home, it sounds like he'll have some painful detoxing to do, but he can handle that - and, a nasty little thought adds, who's to say he'll even get home, especially if he doesn't take steps to survive here? (It should be noted that no-one's filled Alex in regarding the many deaths.)
It's a long way from ideal, but it gets closer than the current situation does.
He might ask if Sofia's done it, if she's used this stuff - but that's the kind of question you ask somebody you don't trust.
Yeah. Yes. He'll do it.]
Is that needle clean?
[ACTION] Yeah, when you get it. I mean, /if/ you get it.
Of course it is, Alex.
[...she says with just the right amount of offence taken. Out of all the things to worry about! Sure, her speciality is psychiatry and complicated spinal surgery may be beyond her, but she knows how to keep her equipment clean.]
I can fetch a new one from the closet if you like, but I'm afraid they don't come in smaller sizes.
[Not for this lovely product, oh no.]
Listen, Alex, I needed to make the offer immediately, but your answer is not a decision that can or should be made on a whim, so if you would rather think it over...?
[ACTION] ... ... ... ... ... ... /Ah./ >:)
Also: hmm, well, yes, from certain angles Sofia is right, but--]
What if he finds me tonight? What if Diogenes decides he's gonna have another crack at me tomorrow?
[ACTION] Good, you got it!
You should sit down. It tends to feel a little unpleasant the first time.
[ACTION] I think this thread might earn him a whole new tag for really bad decisions.
[ACTION] You meant to say 'brilliant decision'. Oh you and your silly subject line mistakes...
[ACTION] ...that can have a tag too. Happy?
[ACTION] Well, it's a start.
[ACTION]
[ACTION]
[ACTION]
[ACTION]
[ACTION]
[ACTION] OH GOD, NOT PLANT BOB! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!
[ACTION] CHEER UP! THINK OF THE PLANT ICE-CREAM!
[ACTION] I WON'T EAT MY BEST FRIEND! NOT AGAIN!
[ACTION] Oh, please. I've seen you with those buckets of Kentucky Fried Chums.
[ACTION] THOSE WERE ONLY FRIEND-SHAPED VEGGIE STICKS, I SWEAR!
[ACTION] VEGGIE STICKS DON'T SCREAM LIKE THAT.
[ACTION] OF COURSE YOU'D SAY THAT, PLANT MURDERER!!
[ACTION] STOP TRYING TO PASS THE BLAME!
[ACTION] NEVER! *POINTS FINGER OF BLAME AT YOU*
[ACTION] ...I read that as "nevar". I've been internetting too hard. :(
[ACTION] 01010010010011110100011001001100010000110100111101010000010101000100010101010010
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[ACTION] where doin this bro. where makin this hapen.
[ACTION] I have no more subject line to spare.