Samantha "Sam" Moon (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thegreatexperiment) wrote2015-03-24 09:53 am
thegreatexperiment) wrote2015-03-24 09:53 am
Entry tags:
I'll be watching you...
Sometimes, Sam wondered if she had undiagnosed ADHD. She had no patience for all the talk talk talk. The only thing that convinced her that there wasn't anything wrong with her was the dull understanding that there was something wrong with pretty much every Kindred. It wasn't her. It was them. Case in point, standing around the Kindred Shopping District, listening to Jericho wank about political structure and praxis and blah, blah, blah. Sam had tuned him out about five minutes ago, to the point where he pretty much just sounded like the adults in a Charlie Brown cartoon. Avery and Grace and the others were listening. They'd know the right way to react to things. Sam was more interested in examining the rubble, anyway.
Some of the shops had survived the Rain better than others. Crazy Ivan's was basically a giant hole in the ground, but a few still had standing walls and shelves with items left. Items not important enough to salvage. Sam was just starting to pick her way over to the smoothie shop where she used to meet up with Tommy when she felt an odd pressure on her pocket. Instinct kicked in and she reached for her revolver, ready to make her would-be pickpocket piss his or her pants. At the same time, though, she reached for her pocket and found no hand to grab.
Nothing was missing. But she felt a slip of paper sticking out, that definitely hadn't been there before. She tucked her gun back into the waistband of her jeans and uncrumpled the paper. An advertisement. Lady Grey's Elysium was still open for business.
Sam didn't know a lot about Lady Grey, besides the fact that she was some kind of fixture around town. Ran one of the many Elysiums, but no one could actually tell Sam anything about her. It had never mattered much. She made Sam think of a stray cat that an entire neighborhood adopted. Everyone knew it was there, everyone acknowledged it and slipped it saucers of milk or treats but...no one really knew where it came from.
When Sam looked up, about to call over Avery, she realized that she was seeing Lady Grey for the first time.
She was a small, compact woman, wearing a brown robe with a hood. Her back was to Sam and she was slipping a sheet of paper into Avery's pocket. Avery didn't seem to know she was there, busy engaging in a heated debate with Jericho. The Nosferatu had a power to turn invisible, didn't they? For a split second, Sam figured that's what the Lady Grey was doing. But then...if she was...how was it that Sam was able to see her?
"Hey!" she shouted, whipping out her gun and pointing it at Lady Grey's back.
A few things happened in rapid succession. Avery whirled around in surprise. Grace took a step in Sam's direction. And Lady Grey turned to face Sam.
Beneath the hood of her robe, Sam could just make out the contours of a mask. It was the sort of thing Italian slapstick performers wore. Sam had studied some paintings of them. Commedia dell'arte. They were meant to be intentionally grotesque and exaggerated, enlarging the most minute of facial imperfections. They turned actors into caricatures.
"Sam?" It was Avery, sounding cautious.
Lady Grey took off like a shot.
"She's getting away!" Sam shouted, immediately running after her.
"Who?" Avery called after her.
"Check your pocket!"
She didn't have time to stop and explain. For such a small figure, Lady Grey ran surprisingly fast.
Footsteps thundered behind Sam. She looked over her shoulder and spotted one of Jericho's flunkies, a guy named James, following after her. She didn't really know much about him. He liked hitting things. And he didn't seem all that smart. But that was fine. For all Sam knew, she might need someone with precisely those skills.
The two of them chased Lady Grey down the street, jumping over and dodging around hunks of debris. Sam had been on the high school track team for a hot minute in her freshman year and it came back to her easily enough. She sprinted ahead, intentionally overshooting Lady Grey before she turned back around and spread her arms out to either side, trying to blockage her. Lady Grey came skidding to a stop and turned around, only to see James barreling down the road.
Something changed after that. Sam couldn't think of a good way to describe it. It was almost like the air shimmered in front of her. Only...it was more of a feeling than a sight. It didn't make sense and that immediately put Sam on her guard. She hated things she didn't understand.
"You saw me," Lady Grey said, looking up at her. She had a voice that almost seemed to echo off of nothing. There were brilliant blue eyes, gazing out of the narrow slits of the mask. "How did you do that?"
Gracelessly, James came to a stop, blinking in disbelief at Lady Grey. "Where'd she come from?"
"You didn't see her?" Sam asked.
"I was chasing after you."
"I was chasing after her."
"And we all chase after dreams," Lady Grey said serenely. She pointed a long, boney finger at Sam. "You're Tommy's sister."
A shiver of fear ran along Sam's spine. Only a few months back, Tommy Sunshine cornered her in the Kindred Shopping District, delightedly informing her that she was his half-sister, that he knew all about the Great Experiment and that he would happily tell all, once the matter of the Masquerade drop was over. Sam had been too afraid to tell anyone. She'd added it to her collection of secrets and, when Tommy was killed, she'd mourned the loss of a nice guy and the loss of her one chance to know the truth in equal measure.
And now it was back. And Sam, thirsty for information, forced herself to think. First thing was first. She had to get rid of James.
He was looking at her with a funny little smirk on his thin lips. "You're Tommy's sister?"
"He thought I was his sister," she lied. "You know how he was." Tommy Sunshine had something of a reputation for being a bit...well. He was the punchline of a lot of jokes. His love of democracy and soapboxes--both literal and figurative--were well-known. His orations were long-winded. And generally nonsensical. His words fell on deaf ears, anyway. He was a republican preaching to feudalists.
Lady Grey giggled, her voice surprisingly high and girlish.
"You should go back to the KSD," Sam told James. "Let them know what happened. Tell them all to check their pockets."
James eyed her wearily. "I'm gonna have questions about this," he said.
Sam nodded. "I'll explain," she lied again. "Just let them know I wasn't gonna fucking shoot any of them or something."
It was surprisingly easy. But then again, James didn't overthink things the way Sam did. Taking her at her word, he turned around and started easily picking his way back to the Kindred Shopping District, through the dust and the debris.
"You saw me," Lady Grey mused, drawing out each word as if she wanted to hear every sound to it.
"How did you know about me and Tommy?" Sam asked, turning on her.
"Have you been to Tommy's haven since his unfortunate demise?" She drew out the final syllable like a snake. "He has extensive files on you."
"Files?"
"Yes."
Sam pursed her lips. Evidently, it had been too much to hope for that Tommy Sunshine was exactly what it said on the can. Immediately, she felt like a lab rat. He'd been taking field notes on her, when they had their conversations, when he made his unfulfilled promises to her. If he was actually her half-brother, he clearly took after dear old dad, the mad scientist. "Where are these files?"
"Still in his haven," Lady Grey replied. "I can give you the address."
"How do you know where it is?"
Already, she'd taken out a slip of paper, one advertising her Elysium. On the back, she scribbled out an address with a pencil. "Tommy and I have a history," she replied. "Now here's the address." She shoved it into Sam's hand. "And you'll need this." She thrust something else between Sam's fingers.
It was a key. It looked hilariously modern, being handed over by a woman wearing a hooded robe and a mask. It was the kind that you could get at Home Depot or Lowes in half an hour, while you waited. Sam turned it over between her fingers. "Thanks," she said uncertainly.
Lady Grey didn't reply. Sam wondered if she was smiling behind the mask. Or frowning. She suddenly felt herself seized by the urge to rip it off of her face but...well...the woman had just done her a favor. Maybe. Karen had warned Sam again and again and again against any gifts from Kindred. Everything came with a price, a boon of some kind. What the fuck did Lady Grey want from her?
Whatever it was, she wasn't saying.
After an uncomfortably long moment of silence, Lady Grey dipped her head. "I'll leave you."
Sam couldn't really think of a good reason to ask her to stay. Although she'd probably come up with a million later on. So she shrugged. "Yeah. See you around."
"Apparently."
And Lady Grey drifted off, disappearing around a corner.
Sam stared down at the key in her hand again. Her first instinct was, of course, to head right over to the address on the paper. It wasn't too far. But something was holding her back. It's dangerous to go alone, video game wisdom taught her. But who would she ask to come with her? Avery, for sure. If she could pry him away from the politics. But how? Maybe a half truth. She knew he was hunting down the Great Experiment. And that he believed it was connected to the Rain. Because Avery believed everything was connected. So maybe she'd tell him that Tommy Sunshine allegedly had files on the Great Experiment. It was a dangerous line to walk, but she was beginning to suspect that if he ever knew that she was the Great Experiment, maybe he wouldn't try to dissect her.
It was worth a shot.
Some of the shops had survived the Rain better than others. Crazy Ivan's was basically a giant hole in the ground, but a few still had standing walls and shelves with items left. Items not important enough to salvage. Sam was just starting to pick her way over to the smoothie shop where she used to meet up with Tommy when she felt an odd pressure on her pocket. Instinct kicked in and she reached for her revolver, ready to make her would-be pickpocket piss his or her pants. At the same time, though, she reached for her pocket and found no hand to grab.
Nothing was missing. But she felt a slip of paper sticking out, that definitely hadn't been there before. She tucked her gun back into the waistband of her jeans and uncrumpled the paper. An advertisement. Lady Grey's Elysium was still open for business.
Sam didn't know a lot about Lady Grey, besides the fact that she was some kind of fixture around town. Ran one of the many Elysiums, but no one could actually tell Sam anything about her. It had never mattered much. She made Sam think of a stray cat that an entire neighborhood adopted. Everyone knew it was there, everyone acknowledged it and slipped it saucers of milk or treats but...no one really knew where it came from.
When Sam looked up, about to call over Avery, she realized that she was seeing Lady Grey for the first time.
She was a small, compact woman, wearing a brown robe with a hood. Her back was to Sam and she was slipping a sheet of paper into Avery's pocket. Avery didn't seem to know she was there, busy engaging in a heated debate with Jericho. The Nosferatu had a power to turn invisible, didn't they? For a split second, Sam figured that's what the Lady Grey was doing. But then...if she was...how was it that Sam was able to see her?
"Hey!" she shouted, whipping out her gun and pointing it at Lady Grey's back.
A few things happened in rapid succession. Avery whirled around in surprise. Grace took a step in Sam's direction. And Lady Grey turned to face Sam.
Beneath the hood of her robe, Sam could just make out the contours of a mask. It was the sort of thing Italian slapstick performers wore. Sam had studied some paintings of them. Commedia dell'arte. They were meant to be intentionally grotesque and exaggerated, enlarging the most minute of facial imperfections. They turned actors into caricatures.
"Sam?" It was Avery, sounding cautious.
Lady Grey took off like a shot.
"She's getting away!" Sam shouted, immediately running after her.
"Who?" Avery called after her.
"Check your pocket!"
She didn't have time to stop and explain. For such a small figure, Lady Grey ran surprisingly fast.
Footsteps thundered behind Sam. She looked over her shoulder and spotted one of Jericho's flunkies, a guy named James, following after her. She didn't really know much about him. He liked hitting things. And he didn't seem all that smart. But that was fine. For all Sam knew, she might need someone with precisely those skills.
The two of them chased Lady Grey down the street, jumping over and dodging around hunks of debris. Sam had been on the high school track team for a hot minute in her freshman year and it came back to her easily enough. She sprinted ahead, intentionally overshooting Lady Grey before she turned back around and spread her arms out to either side, trying to blockage her. Lady Grey came skidding to a stop and turned around, only to see James barreling down the road.
Something changed after that. Sam couldn't think of a good way to describe it. It was almost like the air shimmered in front of her. Only...it was more of a feeling than a sight. It didn't make sense and that immediately put Sam on her guard. She hated things she didn't understand.
"You saw me," Lady Grey said, looking up at her. She had a voice that almost seemed to echo off of nothing. There were brilliant blue eyes, gazing out of the narrow slits of the mask. "How did you do that?"
Gracelessly, James came to a stop, blinking in disbelief at Lady Grey. "Where'd she come from?"
"You didn't see her?" Sam asked.
"I was chasing after you."
"I was chasing after her."
"And we all chase after dreams," Lady Grey said serenely. She pointed a long, boney finger at Sam. "You're Tommy's sister."
A shiver of fear ran along Sam's spine. Only a few months back, Tommy Sunshine cornered her in the Kindred Shopping District, delightedly informing her that she was his half-sister, that he knew all about the Great Experiment and that he would happily tell all, once the matter of the Masquerade drop was over. Sam had been too afraid to tell anyone. She'd added it to her collection of secrets and, when Tommy was killed, she'd mourned the loss of a nice guy and the loss of her one chance to know the truth in equal measure.
And now it was back. And Sam, thirsty for information, forced herself to think. First thing was first. She had to get rid of James.
He was looking at her with a funny little smirk on his thin lips. "You're Tommy's sister?"
"He thought I was his sister," she lied. "You know how he was." Tommy Sunshine had something of a reputation for being a bit...well. He was the punchline of a lot of jokes. His love of democracy and soapboxes--both literal and figurative--were well-known. His orations were long-winded. And generally nonsensical. His words fell on deaf ears, anyway. He was a republican preaching to feudalists.
Lady Grey giggled, her voice surprisingly high and girlish.
"You should go back to the KSD," Sam told James. "Let them know what happened. Tell them all to check their pockets."
James eyed her wearily. "I'm gonna have questions about this," he said.
Sam nodded. "I'll explain," she lied again. "Just let them know I wasn't gonna fucking shoot any of them or something."
It was surprisingly easy. But then again, James didn't overthink things the way Sam did. Taking her at her word, he turned around and started easily picking his way back to the Kindred Shopping District, through the dust and the debris.
"You saw me," Lady Grey mused, drawing out each word as if she wanted to hear every sound to it.
"How did you know about me and Tommy?" Sam asked, turning on her.
"Have you been to Tommy's haven since his unfortunate demise?" She drew out the final syllable like a snake. "He has extensive files on you."
"Files?"
"Yes."
Sam pursed her lips. Evidently, it had been too much to hope for that Tommy Sunshine was exactly what it said on the can. Immediately, she felt like a lab rat. He'd been taking field notes on her, when they had their conversations, when he made his unfulfilled promises to her. If he was actually her half-brother, he clearly took after dear old dad, the mad scientist. "Where are these files?"
"Still in his haven," Lady Grey replied. "I can give you the address."
"How do you know where it is?"
Already, she'd taken out a slip of paper, one advertising her Elysium. On the back, she scribbled out an address with a pencil. "Tommy and I have a history," she replied. "Now here's the address." She shoved it into Sam's hand. "And you'll need this." She thrust something else between Sam's fingers.
It was a key. It looked hilariously modern, being handed over by a woman wearing a hooded robe and a mask. It was the kind that you could get at Home Depot or Lowes in half an hour, while you waited. Sam turned it over between her fingers. "Thanks," she said uncertainly.
Lady Grey didn't reply. Sam wondered if she was smiling behind the mask. Or frowning. She suddenly felt herself seized by the urge to rip it off of her face but...well...the woman had just done her a favor. Maybe. Karen had warned Sam again and again and again against any gifts from Kindred. Everything came with a price, a boon of some kind. What the fuck did Lady Grey want from her?
Whatever it was, she wasn't saying.
After an uncomfortably long moment of silence, Lady Grey dipped her head. "I'll leave you."
Sam couldn't really think of a good reason to ask her to stay. Although she'd probably come up with a million later on. So she shrugged. "Yeah. See you around."
"Apparently."
And Lady Grey drifted off, disappearing around a corner.
Sam stared down at the key in her hand again. Her first instinct was, of course, to head right over to the address on the paper. It wasn't too far. But something was holding her back. It's dangerous to go alone, video game wisdom taught her. But who would she ask to come with her? Avery, for sure. If she could pry him away from the politics. But how? Maybe a half truth. She knew he was hunting down the Great Experiment. And that he believed it was connected to the Rain. Because Avery believed everything was connected. So maybe she'd tell him that Tommy Sunshine allegedly had files on the Great Experiment. It was a dangerous line to walk, but she was beginning to suspect that if he ever knew that she was the Great Experiment, maybe he wouldn't try to dissect her.
It was worth a shot.