40410 | 10 // video/action // now the party don't start till I walk in

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10 // video/action // now the party don't start till I walk in

[The wall comm' is on, and so are the lights. Except that that's not electrical light. Alex's room now sports a broad bay window.

The cameras are all off, and most of them are gone, including the one in front of the door and the camcorder that usually sits on the desk. Only three remain, and one of them is in Alex's hands, tripod and all, as he carries it across the room and slings it into the closet.

A CD player provides poppy background music. Alex whistles along while he works.

Off-camera, there's a towel pinned over the mirror.]

((OOC: for convenience's sake, let's say all threads which aren't J's or the Operator's happen before those two.))

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[ Knock! Knock!

Who's there?

Lamb!

Lamb who?

Lamb who is exceptionally put off by the sudden assault of what kids listen to these days coming from Alex's room. ]

Alex! Alex, it's Sofia. Are you there?

[ She sounds urgent. Punishment by her Tyrant back at home included having your corpse hung on a wall as a trophy and she is not very optimistic about his encounter with the Queen going much better. ]

[...

Eh-heh-heh.

He turns the volume down, and calls sweetly:]

Alex isn't here right now; could you leave a message?

[ Right. Right, that's not quite the answer she was looking for, but unless that terrible music has killed her hearing she's fairly sure that this is Alex's voice at least. All right then, she's got a very unpleasant hunch about what happened, but let's start with the obvious question: ]

Who is this?

[Mirror Lamb is the vicious one, so Alex doesn't have any qualms about wishing away his double's locks and pulling open the door, with a cheerful smile and the penultimate tripod over his shoulder.]

Oh, Alex. Just not the Alex you're after.

[ To be perfectly honest, Lamb wouldn't be beyond considering that this is the real Alex in crazy mode, but given the Queen's announcement she's going with a different theory for now. ]

Then you must be-

[ Somebody who doesn't look appealing to Lamb's security bot at all. Why yes, she brought it along again!

And oh look, as soon as the device spots "Alex" its lights turn red and it emits a series of angry bleeps... and two sets of guns.

Lamb hurriedly produces a sort of remote control from her bag and pushes a few buttons. The guns disappear and the lights fade to orange.

Where were we? ]

-his mirror.

[Alex backs off with an "oshit" expression dawning on his face as the bot aims its guns at him. It's never been in this room, so he's never actually seen it - just heard it mentioned briefly.]

Oh jeez--

[And then it reverts to a watchful mode, and he stands still again, though his next glance at Lamb is more wary than his last. So that's what stayed outside the room last time she visited?]

...Yeah, he's my regular. Nice to finally meet the logical version of you.

Alex, I believe you might be in danger. Please remain calm and find somewhere else to stay for the time being. [ understatement of the year. ]

[ Did you say logical version of- no, never mind that. Any thought on her own mirror version will have to wait until later. She notices Alex still standing in the doorframe as he is talking, which is obviously very, very rude of him. ]

May I come in?

[ She isn't so much asking for permission as she's curious about his answer and to a certain extent that shows in her tone. ]

Sure, if you leave that thing outside.

[It's said mildly; he likes company, and vaguely hopes that the company will like him. Alex smiles again for its own sake and returns to chucking cameras into the closet.]

[He's just thrown a camera into the closet; he slams the door and opens it again, and it's vanished, tripod and all.

Then Alex looks over at the screen with interest. He recognises that voice as belonging to someone his regular's talked to.]

Sorry, you're a bit too late. I could take a message?

[ there is a loooooooong pause before she responds. ]

Who are you, and what have you done with Alex?

[Usually he's pretty open, but if he lets too much out they might start trying to send him back, and he promised the Queen he'd get her a good long time with his double. Sooooooo-- bright smile!]

I'm just looking after his place while he's away.

That statement answers neither of my previous questions.

[ She's not too happy with that compromise, but she's going to take it. No need to pass up an opportunity to talk with a mirror, just because it might endanger her life.

She closes the door behind her before the bot can follow and looks around. Admittedly if this was the same Alex she would be impressed with his progressed, pleased by the lack of cameras and the window; as it is it's merely making her uneasy. ]

How long are you going to stay?

No, it doesn't. Sorry.

[For the record, he is genuinely sorry. He's a capable liar, but not by any means an enthusiastic one.]

So you're detective Naoto Shirogane?

[Her pronounciation of her name when she first introduced herself to regular!Alex is perfectly replicated now.]

[The window is even open, letting in a soft breeze that's steadily destroying a month and a half's worth of enclosed musty smell.]

No idea. Until the Queen calls me back. Can I get you a drink?

No, thank you.

[ She's not looking at him, too busy taking in every change in the room that so clearly screams not!Alex. She spots the towel on the wall and, not remembering for sure what was behind it, carefully starts lifting it up. ]

A-hem.

[Without missing a beat, Alex pushes it gently but firmly back down again.]

[ Lamb caught a glimpse of the mirror before she was interrupted. She doesn't know what it means, exactly, but she's fairly sure that it means something. ]

I see.

[ Overdue ~SMILE~. Well, time to sit down. This might be a longer conversation after all, although for now she has absolutely no idea where to start. Give her a moment with this. ]

....

*have some incredulous staring*

What. Are you doing.

More importantly what are you listening to?

... [ she'll let that go for now. best to try and weasel as much information as possible from him. ]

Yes, I am. However, I am certain we have not met. How do you know my name?

[He sounds shocked. I WONDER WHY.]

...Alex?

No, we haven't. I heard you say it over his comm' this one time.

[He spins the desk chair round so that its back is towards the screen, then sits on it back-to-front, smiling cheerily. He's been hoping to meet some of these friends of his regular's.]

D'you have a face?

[This person is like Alex, but he is not right. Alex is gone. Alex is nowhere. This is irritating.]

whereistheark

[Alex's mirror might recognize this communication style from a certain silver-suited, many-armed gentleman on the other side.]

[ writing noises; can hear over comms-- that is a really scary implication ]

Yes, I do. However, you won't see it.

Now, tell me: where is Alex?

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10 // video/action // now the party don't start till I walk in

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[text] the Operator would like to know WHAT THE FUCK

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