paradoxlol | .008

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.008 | Video.

[The video turns on, and Arthur's looking... well, as slick and suited up and uptight as usual. He's actually pretty relaxed right now, thanks to his night of binge drinking and partying in port, but since he's not like BUDS with any of you, it's unlikely anybody would notice the slight changes in his body language. He clears his throat, then holds up a MYSTERY BAG.]

I'm not wearing this. I don't care if the Admiral strikes me down or, or turns me into a rabbit for going against orders. I draw the line at [He points to the bag] this.

[Slowly, his eyes drift upward, as though he's expecting retaliation. When nothing happens, he sets the bag down and moves on.]

Oh. And with the Doctor's return, I've resigned from my position in the library. [Arthur may be all business here, but he's secretly TOTALLY HAPPY about this. Because damn, librarian was a horribly boring cover, in retrospect.] It just makes more sense this way. [He offers a slight smile.] So, if you're looking for a book, don't come find me.

[Private to Mindy]
I think this is the longest you've gone without trying to kill me. [A beat.] If you're interested, I'd like to show you what I do.

[Private to Hayley]
If you're free, I can meet you on the deck.

[OOC: ~~This is assuming, Jae, that the "LOL ARTHUR ALLOWED MINDY TO BUY HIM A COSTUME" thing I mentioned to you is still a go.~~ lolol got his costume now]

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[She watches him for the first retort, knowing he's right and that he took all the right guesses about her. Maybe they just bonded a little, but she's focusing on the next part already.] You said you can't share this information with people you don't trust. Why share it with me? You can't be the type to trust me just because I'm in need, not with the kinds of inmates here.. you'd never make it.

[Part of her really wants that to be true, that he's not the type to hand out trust, because he seems so much cooler than that and she's still looking for her new Harvey Dent.]

I don't. [That would be way too idealistic for Arthur's tastes, after all. He watches her for a moment, then offers a careful:] You remind me of somebody. So I took a leap of faith.

Ariadne? [He mistook Hayley for his friend the first time they spoke and Hayley only remembered the name because it was a goddess she had once been interested in.

The inmate sighs softly, rubbing a hand on the back of her neck.] Please let Capa come. Then you can ask Ned or not-- whatever you want, but.. I trust him. He's the only person here I really trust and I want to do this. I want to try.

Please.

Yeah.

[He doesn't dwell on the subject, though. There's no reason to talk about his associates, and he has no intention to. He rubs a hand over his mouth and thinks, turning away from her for a few moments. He does need somebody to monitor the doses-- that was going to be Ned's job, as he figures he can trust her own warden to remain confidential, considering who the matter would concern. Capa, as far as he knows, has no incentive to keep a secret. All he has is her word. Plus, the guy has Crane for a twin, and Arthur's done his research on that creep. There's a chance-- however unlikely-- that this could be a plot to pose Crane as Capa... to get his hands on the sedative.

On the upside, he doubts that's the case. Hayley doesn't seem the type, and besides, she's had no time to confer with Crane about this, assuming she knew him anyway. And Capa, from what he's seen, is a thoughtful, quiet type. Bonus: Arthur hasn't seen any accidental posts from him yet, either, so he's not as sloppy as a lot of the others. And a scientist could be useful-- certainly more than a piemaker. There are some problems, but his mind's already working through them.

Arthur finally looks at Hayley again.]

Okay. But when this happens-- if this happens-- [Since there's always a chance that things will change.] I choose the location.

[Hayley waits quietly for him to think, beginning to feel disappointment edge into her expression. She didn't realize how much she wanted this to work out until she's faced with the very real possibility that it won't, but she's also not really the type to cave in when he says no.

Except then, he doesn't say no, and she stares at him for a moment to catch up on what it is that he's saying. She's oblivious to the idea of anyone confusing Capa and Crane because of how much time she has spent with both. Crane's face is crisp and he's always wearing glasses, Capa's hair is longer and his body appears much scrawnier. They're so distinguished in Hayley's mind, she's completely unaware that it might even cross Arthur's mind.]

What? [She asks, still trying to catch up. Then, without waiting for a response:] You're serious? [A beat.] With or without Ned? [A beat.] We agree on the location, but I'll agree to most places.

[He shakes his head.] Without Ned. The only person either of us talk to about this is Capa. [He would add that if he catches wind of anybody else hearing about, he'll pull out of the project, but he assumes Hayley's intelligent enough to take that as a given.] As for the location, I was thinking the warden conference room.

[Reasonably secure, more stable than the CES, and less traffic than the bar. Plus, no inmates should be able to get in.]

It doesn't get much traffic, which is a good thing. That sounds great. [She smiles at him with a knowing look that suggests she knows much more about the warden areas than most inmates probably should. With the tension between them dissipating, Hayley returns her hands to her pockets and nods.] Obviously, Capa still has to agree too. He doesn't really like all the things I pull him into.. he prefers to be left alone to his research.

[Her tone says she's amused with this fact, as if she and Capa go way back somehow. Then she pulls the front corners of her loose jacket out to either side of her in an odd gesture of a shrug.]

I'm headed back up to the lab to continue some research stuff. [Specifically, organizing Capa's files from the couple weeks of her absence. The same job she had come from for this chat.] Want me to talk to him now? Or should I like, wait until the three of us can meet for coffee or something?

You can talk to him now. [After all, it's not like Arthur can stop her from talking to Capa in his absence. And he hasn't told her anything that he wouldn't want Capa to know, since he refrained from mentioning any specifics about Somnacin, or even the fact that they would both be entering the dream together, rather than one guiding the other through "meditation." That latter part is something he'll have to bring up to Capa on his own, later.] I think he'll be more receptive to hearing it from you.

[He glances away, towards the deck's entrance, to make sure they're still alone.] If he says yes, tell him to contact me. We'll work on a plan from there.

Wait-- you agreed the three of us would talk together about what exactly this meditation thing entails, especially the drug. Now you're just going to like, talk to him separately and cut me out? Because that screams trust.

[Yes, she's nosy and paranoid. Hayley frowns at Arthur, but begins very slowly meandering toward the main portion of the deck, waiting for him to join her.]

[Arthur gives her a mildly exasperated look.] When I said "we," I meant the three of us, not me and him.

Oh. [She gives him a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck again.] I thought you meant like.. Sorry. That sounds perfect.

[Both hands in pockets, she drops her head then looks up to him with a very different, softer and more sincere expression.] Thank you.

Don't thank me yet. [After all, it may not work at all. He looks over to the doors.] Do you need me to let you back into the warden deck?

Still. The offer is worth something, even if Capa says no. [She's not even to the idea that they'll actually do it, let alone succeeding. To the latter, she nods.] Oh, uh, sure. Thanks. It'll save me asking Capa to let me in.

[Hayley tosses as sarcastic grin his way.] Do you want to escort me to the lab too?

Sure. [He smirks in return.] I might as well finish the job. [That and he can make sure she's not going into the lab or any other area unsupervised. He's not even certain if she can get into the lab without a warden unlocking that door, too. If her status as an assistant has an impact on that... Well, it's something to look into.]

Gee, aren't you a gentlemen? [More sarcasm, but Hayley seems more amused than annoyed. She follows along with Arthur to the doors, waiting relatively patiently for him to unlock them.]

I'm occasionally old-fashioned. [A little personal joke, given his love for classic, retro styles. He opens the door and steps aside.] After you.

[For now, he's a little quiet, his mind working on possible scenarios for the extraction. He looks at Hayley, wondering if he should make with the small talk, but he's not terribly good at or interested in it.]

You don't say. [She sets a sidelong glance at his suit, scanning him up and down for a split second as she passes by him and into the warden-only area.

Then they're walking toward the lab. The silence doesn't bother her and, when she glances over at him, she recognizes the same pensive consideration that she has seen in Capa so many times. There even seems to be the same hint of wondering whether or not he should speak, so Hayley offers him a reassuring smile and looks forward to continue walking, knowing that Capa at least is more comfortable with not making small talk.]

[As they reach the lab, Arthur opens the door and looks in. He's not going to leave if there's nobody else in there.]

Do you like science-- [He looks at Hayley.] --or just the company? [After all, if Capa's the only person she trusts... He just wonders how paranoid Hayley is, if she tries to minimize her time spent alone on the Barge, or if there's no other reason to her sharing a job with the person she trusts, other than a mutual interest.]

Both. [She smiles, glancing over at Capa -- bent over his work without even looking up -- and then back to Arthur. In a quiet voice, one meant such that only Arthur will hear, she feels a bit like she's talking to the softer side of Rex.] I miss school and learning, honestly. It's cool to work up here and learn new things.. but I doubt I would be up here as much if I were up here with someone else. I mean, Capa spends most of his day up here. He needs someone to remind him to eat and to like, help him stay organized. Those are things I happen to be good at. It's like.. a functional friendship, and those are pretty rare on the Barge.

[Pausing, Hayley glances to Capa and back again.] You know, as long as you're here.. We could just talk to him now. Maybe not everything? But like, the basics. Ask him if he's interested.

Edited 2010-10-22 02:02 (UTC)

[He laughs a little, softly, to himself. It sounds like his relationship with Cobb, sometimes.] I can imagine.

[He glances between her and Capa.] If he doesn't mind the interruption. You know him better than me. [Really, he wants to see how they interact, to get a gauge on things.]

[Hayley nods and glides forward with a bounce to her step indicative of the subtle impatience of her age. She comes to a stop near Capa, offering a short greeting.] Hey.

[And then she stands and waits for him to finish whatever thought or sentence he's on, knowing he's always in the middle of something. As soon as he finishes, then she'll have his attention briefly.. long enough to ask if she can hold it for longer to talk to him about the proposition, one she's not entirely sure he'll be comfortable with. It's reminiscent of her asking the favor of him with Crane almost, only Arthur is a warden and doesn't have Capa's face.]

[Capa frowned, chewing on the end of his pencil. He was vaguely aware that others had entered the lab, but he really didn't care all that much. They weren't disturbing his work, so he had no reason to look up. But, when Hayley approached, he glanced over to acknowledge her presence, but nothing more. It was a full ten seconds before he finished his last scribble.]

Hayley? [His attention then turned to Arthur.] What are you doing here?

I escorted her here. [He wonders briefly if Capa knows who he is, or just assumes he's Rex like everybody else... which still made no sense to him, but that's neither here nor there. He puts his hands in his pockets and waits for Hayley to explain. It seems like Capa would take things better coming from her.]

Capa, Arthur. Arthur, Capa. [Hayley gives a quick and unenthusiastic introduction out of sheer obligation. Then her attention's fully on Capa and she gets that look on her face that she knows Capa is wary of, that mischievous smile at the corners of her lips and that glimmer in her eye. She begins slowly so that he'll listen to her logical idea, rather than dismissing it with her immaturity.. Not that Capa ever really did, but she liked to try to sound older when it was important.]

You remember how I lost my memories during that one port, right? Well, Arthur's offered to help me get them back using a kind of meditation. He's a warden-- a research librarian. [Nerds unite.] He offered this drug-induced guided meditation thing as a last resort and I know how you hate Crane and so this really seemed like the best option of everything available. [She pauses for Capa to keep up, oblivious that Arthur might catch Crane's name.] He insisted on another warden to supervise and originally he wanted my warden? But I told him I trust you more to keep an eye out for me and know what's going on, so.. the only way for me to do it is if you're willing to supervise. Oh, and keep it a secret, obviously.

[Wide smile.]

[Capa didn't like that and it showed on his face. The small tightening of his lips, the way that his eyes seemed to freeze. For a moment, he contemplated the idea, though he was well aware that she wasn't asking his permission. But drug induced guided meditation was exactly the kind of psycho babble soft science that he disapproved of.]

Wait. [He spoke the word to Hayley and then glanced over to Arthur. He honestly didn't know the man from Adam, as Capa was not the type to really be observant of anything related to people.] What sort of drug?

.008 | Video.

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Spam - This is what I get for tagging while sleepy. UNCLEAR TAGS

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Spam - We can end at lab or just summarize here, whatever you prefer. I prefer lab.

Spam - LAB IT IS. Also I've got some brainstorming on the extraction, will email

Spam - Hoorah!

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