2022-05-23: The Girl Genius is a Monster
- Log: 2022-05-23- The Girl Genius is a Monster
- Cast: Elisa Kafim, Alexis Kerib
- Where: Elisa Kafim's Hotel Room
- OOC - IC Date: 0096-05-23
- Summary: Alexis checks up on the book club he started! (He can't check up on the other one, you see.)
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Dr. Kafim's suite is absolutely lovely, high up with a view of the river far down below. Also a view of the pool, and the city, and any number of other things she isn't bothering to look at with the curtains closed just now. And yes, this is a suite; there's the bedroom down the way, a bathroom with a lovely bath and separate shower, and a sitting room Elisa is in right now, seated on a couch. She is reading a Book, thoughtfully, and is at the end.
She reads fast.
Dressed in a lovely silk nightdress, she is stretched out, feet on the ottoman, and the television is off. ...The room itself is absolutely lovely, done up in bold colors (softer ones for the bedroom), very expensive to say the least.
Her hair is down! She is relaxing. There are no bodies in the bedroom. Why would there be a body in the bedroom?
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
It is the very worst that Alexis cannot rancidport directly to Yuliana and has to engage with her like something approaching a normal person. (He is, himself, not much easier to reach.) This is actually better for him, though; truth told, Yuliana is, even now that they clearly each understand what the other is, stressful to talk to.
Just as before, Alexis appears in one of the nearest unobserved locations. This time, it's in the bathroom. He steps out of it -- all nearly eight feet of him, plus the head very much on fire. (Interesting that it doesn't burn anything, despite being very much on fire.)
"Ah! Hotels again, hmm?" he asks, without any preamble. "I saw you at the party recently. I was there to talk with your... charge? Paramour?" His head tilts, and the teal panels of his mouth dance as he wonders aloud, "What *is* the nature of your relationship with that yawning abyss...?"
He laughs at himself, before appending: "Oh, but where *are* my manners? So pleasant to see you again."
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Elisa has no special power to observe all of her surroundings at once. She has no unique ability to ward off Alexis's presence. ...But even if she did, why would she want to deny the chance for a good friend to pop in and say hello? Surely that would be absurd.
The bathroom's beautiful. It's hard to set on fire, being all tile and water and so on, but the doorframe should be very easy to light ablaze. It does not burn. That's convenient.
"Indeed!" Elisa answers, pleasant as always, at the mention of hotels. "I do travel so much these days."
Saw her at the party! And--hmmmmmmmmmm. Elisa's smile widens when Alexis mentions Yuliana, which may be a clue of its own. "Those are both accurate," the witch answers the devil.
"But before I mention that, the pleasantries! I am so glad you remembered them. It is nice to see you, and it was a lovely party, wasn't it? I picked up a gardener, even."
A beat, "But my Yuliana gave me a present near the end of the party." Elisa holds up The Book. It will be familiar to Alexis. "Really fascinating reading. I sense a kindred spirit!"
She leans back, getting more comfortable. "My darling is the key. No less."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
"Ah! You're everything to her, and she remains nothing." Not nothing to her -- simply nothing. Alexis can appreciate that; he is... increasingly unsure how he actually feels about Elisa, though, in part *because* of it. If anything, being around her makes him feel the need to prove that he, too, is part of the cool villains' club.
Fortunately, Elisa's next move makes him feel pretty comfortable there. "Ah, yes! Written by..." He considers. "A short-lived but very fascinating -- not quite mentor, I suppose, though it's fair to say I learned much from watching him. Consumed by sentiment, in the end." He laughs, before appending: "I do hope your darling doesn't succumb to sentiment in quite the same way!"
... though if they really do plan to end the universe -- maybe Alexis kind of does hope she succumbs to sentiment. It's an odd feeling altogether.
"Tell me about this gardener, and the picking up," comes his question. He notes that Yuliana is the key, but doesn't press on that -- *yet*.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
"Nothing at all. She is beautiful."
Elisa continues to exude the same pleasantness she always has; rain or shine, she has a smile. And she seems to have no doubts as to her place in the cool villains' club... if she thinks of it that way at all.
"We can all learn much from the bold. But my, that would be inconvenient, wouldn't it? Still, he did accomplish quite a bit. Even if he faltered at the end, there's much to take pride in here."
A smile. "She will not succumb to sentiment, I think."
Elisa does not say to what Yuliana will succumb instead.
"I met a darling girl at the party! She works on the Nadesico, apparently. She's going to give me her plans for a ship-based garden, and visit to help with the work. I haven't decided for certain yet of couse, but I may keep her for myself. She shows such passion for the field."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
Alexis smiles. If she thinks *this* constitutes sentiment, she'd have a terrible time with the serial itself.
"Hmmm... it may come as a surprise to you, how a character can change through the acts," Alexis tells Elisa -- likewise pleasant, and as far as anyone knows, smiling. "I do wish you luck, of course. After all -- why else would I share the script?"
They loop around to the gardener -- something easier to talk about, certainly. "Oh...? I think that's a lovely potential acquisition for you! You seem to enjoy the plucking more than the cultivating -- so naturally, finding someone else to do it ought to be a priority."
It's... not clear how that leads into Elisa's next steps, though. "Do you plan to take the whole of that vessel for yourself...?" He doesn't -- *yet* -- express the territorial feeling it gives him.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
"That is possible," Elisa admits--laments? "But if anyone tries to act on my dear Yuliana to change her, well, I might have to get Involved." The capital is audible. "But thank you," she says. "Of course, it's not precisely what I have in mind... But we do learn so much from previous experiments, don't we? It is the natural of science to increment, to increment, to increment."
"Do you wish me luck?" she laughs faintly. "That's delightful."
The gardener! "Do I?" Hmmm.
"Oh, not at all!" Elisa waves a hand vaguely, closing the book and setting it in her lap. "The Nadesico as a whole does not particularly interest me. Oh, I'm sure it's a lovely ship with great technology. But it came to me by chance, not design. ...Though it is true that having a ship would be convenient for some of my plans, of course. I'd rather one not quite so... publically known, however."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
Alexis doesn't allow people to see him relieved, but he is, in fact, quite. He's already had to express such a thing to *one* person; more than that would be... irritating, at best.
"Oh! Well, I'm sure you can find this or that to fill the gaps. I personally find that having a ship invites its destruction, but I suppose it's different when you keep things that -- *eat*. And *sleep.* Then again -- I suppose all things feed in some way or another." He does not invite speculation about whether he is, himself, a participant in the cycle of predation --
-- because he instead asks, "If all you desire is the gardener, would you like some assistance? I would be perfectly happy to see the Nadesico have a few fewer crewmates." He elects not to explain the whys of *that* point, either.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Elisa wonders, not for the first time, what Alexis's goals really are. But she doesn't voice it. it's fine; they're 'friends', aren't they? Of course they are.
"Naturally," she says of the gaps. When Alexis mentions feeding, Elisa has another curiousity that she does not share. It's probably fine. "My current approach is useful in its way; never a permanent place to stay, and thus nowhere to raid, nowhere to attack. But there are usefulnesses to having a base, and one of them is keeping those eating, sleeping types. Why, I indulge in a great deal of consumption myself!"
But he asks that before she can inquire as to his own habits. that is fine. "I appreciate it," she says, "But there's no need. She comes into my space of her own will. I'd rather save favors between friends for things more... important, yes?"
"But I'll keep that in mind. Perhaps it's an additional reason to keep her..."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
Alexis loves when he isn't asked questions... though, truth told, there's part of him that would love the opportunity to simply exposit for a while. It's always nice to be heard.
"Hmmmm. Fair enough! My own interest is in the young lady with the golden eyes... she trusts easily, for all she acts like she doesn't. It's fascinating how readily humans inflict loneliness on themselves, isn't it...?"
With a faint 'hm,' Alexis really allows himself to take in the sights of that hotel room for a few moments. "Hm... oh! I really must thank you for the assistance with the kaiju, though it's been months since," Alexis realizes. "The young lady was... upset by it, but she seems to be moving along."
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
It is so nice to be heard, isn't it? Perhaps one day Elisa will hear Alexis for a very long time.
"Ahhhh," Elisa replies, considering back to her experience with the ship. "A fascinating girl. I had her pass on a message for me. I wonder if she did it?" A beat, "Hmmm, I can certainly see where that would appeal to you. Humans are terribly good at it. Even dear Yuliana is so very... isolated. It's almost a pity." Almost. "For all her colleagues.." A sigh.
But what kind of sigh is it?
The hotel room is beautiful, and has fancy art on the walls painted right here in Shenzhen city, showing off the unique beauty of the city's art scene.
Elisa has not really looked at it.
"Oh, you are more than welcome," Elisa replies. "It was quite a lot of fun!" A laugh, musical. "She didn't like what I did, hm? Poor, poor girl. It's a good thing she has you to look out for her, isn't it?"
"And my new friends you've introduced me to might just have some interesting qualities among them, too."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
"They're both a bit..." Alexis pauses. Is he struggling to find the word he wants, or making himself seem more affable with a harmless foible? "... isolated more by what, than who, they are, I suppose. And yet fascinatingly different, by the same token..."
He muses a moment, then agrees, "I think I prefer leaving Ms. Dispersal to you. You seem to have a far more pointed understanding of your 'key' than I do."
And finally, moving on. "She's growing... increasingly territorial, about her kaiju, honestly. I may have a favor to ask, later -- once I find a way to turn things around, of course." He already has found a way to turn things around, but...
"... Tell me a little about what you think about our mutual friends! To tell you the truth, I'm a recent addition to the equation myself."
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
It could be either! But Elisa, drifting through the world as she is, doesn't have to look for deeper meaning in the pause. It is a pause! "Oh, yes, I'm sure." A resounding laugh after that. "Yes, good. I know what is best for her, and it is best that I adminster it, rather than others. I would hate to be jealous!" Smile.
But Akane... Hmmmmm. "That makes me wnat to twinge her nose a little. But I remember my promise! So when you are ready, by all means ask this favor. I am so interested in the results of that little experiment!"
But the request--ah, Elisa also loves to exposit. "The good doctor is charming, quite bold. I rather like her. The man who 'hired' us however is a dreadful boor. He understands little, and I do hope he proves more useful than he is interesting." This is the closest to a sour look Alexis may ever have seen out of Elisa.
"The others are all promising enough, though. And I do look forward to meeting this boy of his. A 'weapon', was it? As if it is so easy to make someone fulfill his purpose. Pah."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
They're agreed that they won't squeeze each other's squeezeballs. Perfect.
"Ah, yes. Doctors Spartura and O'Connor are both quite pleasant, in their ways; as for our other mutual friend who needs his little fireball cleaned up... well. Useful to me, at least." He really ought to check up on how Anti is doing in reaching out... there's some worrisome things to consider, there.
Humans as weapons actually gives Alexis -- not pause, exactly. But he needs to consider his movements a little bit, as he translates around to Elisa's other side. "It is a little small-minded, isn't it? Humans have such limitless potential -- yet he seeks to carve this one down! Let him overgrow his bonds, I'd say, normally..." He does not elaborate on what makes this situation 'abnormal.'
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Yaaaay!
"If he is useful, then perhaps that is enough. Not everyone can be a 'main character', they say." Elisa laughs faintly at her own little joke. "But it's interesting that you allow your dear kaiju to reach out to him. I wonder how that will go?"
Elisa looks from where she was looking to the other side, following Alexis's movements with no obvious disorientation. It might've happened when she languidly blinked, as she is wont to do.
"Quite," she agrees. "Foolish, even. Oh, people can be used, certainly, but to forget that it is an active process is to invite disaster. Don't they say that complacency is the same as death?"
"They should, if they don't."
"...Hmmmmmmmmmmm. So why not in this case?" she wonders. "Is it just because his keeper is useful to us? It's true that one boy's fate hardly merits my concern."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
"Why, my dear doctor -- there are some stories you simply can't make interesting!" ... it may be apparent, at this point, why Yuliana and Alexis have such a tempetuous relationship. "A prototype mobile weapon, a child destined to pilot it, exploited by the government -- these stories have become pedestrian! Perhaps they were novel twenty, thirty, forty years ago -- ah, is it fifty, this time?"
He darts onward from that quickly, before finishing, "But tragedies of agency ripped out have become so heartless! Void of sentiment! Why, at this point I'd say human experimentation happens simply because it's the done thing. There's nothing exciting about that kind of pain -- but it exists, and the alchemy of life is that even something shallow can be used to cultivate... mm. Subjective love? Resonant character?"
Were Alexis the type to gesture, he would wave this off; as it is, he simply rotates slightly on his central axis.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Alexis's relationship with time is an interesting subject. But Elisa's eyes light up in something like interest, a departure from the blank pleasantness she usually displays if only slightly. "Ahhh, so? It's true, it has happened many a time..."
"but the limitless potential of man! As you say, the alchemy of life brings even the shallow to the forefront! Why, I think he could be made fascinating if given just the right push!"
"A destiny seen a thousand times can be just as glorious the thousandth time... and all the more when there are so many possibilities to change the details! Imagine--the boy, overthrowing his destiny, not merely to strike back in vengeance against his creators, but to realize the ultimate truth of the void!"
"The pain is so unique to each who feels it. All of them have their own glorious inner worlds, all await the destiny to come... And all will share in the glorious abyss."
"It is my gift to a world that is tired of itself. Such cynicism hardly becomes the heralds of the next frontier!"
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
"Tell me -- is skipping to the middle of the second cour an affectation she picked up from you, or you picked up from her?" Alexis asks, doing his best not to betray how he feels about this particular practice.
Elisa begins to... it's not a rant, necessarily -- no, it's delivered with a researcher's excited interest, and in a way, that's the very most frustrating thing about it. It's grand and grandiose, the word of someone who has found the shape of the mark she wants to carve into the world, the spark which will grow up from inside her and swallow everything.
All that to say, then: He decides he's no longer particularly excited to talk about it. "Best of luck with the next hundred steps of that destiny," he says, respectfully. "We'll have to remain in touch -- though I suppose now that we have more mutual acquaintances, we'll remain abreast of each other no matter what!" He starts to translate back away from Elisa, now, little by little, moving in the world's smear-frames and quick-cuts.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
"Why, I have no idea what you mean!" Elisa replies delightedly. She probably doesn't notice how Alexis feels about this. That would require her to care what someone else feels except in an abstract fashion.
Yes, Elisa means to swallow the whole world in her vision. And beyond, perhaps.
"And thank you," Elisa replies happily to his wish of luck. "I do so appreciate your support, Alexis." A smile. "We will." He starts to translate back away, little by little.
Elisa lovingly, slowly closes her eyes.
"Sweet dreams."
There is still not a body in the bedroom.