thecapitol | [open]

Entry tags:

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Who| Neal and you!
What| snooping, intel gathering
Where| 11th floor+roof
When| today
Warnings/Notes| The appearance depicted in this log is fictitious. Any similarity to Neal's actual mental state is merely coincidental :)

[ His head is still reeling, trying to come to grips with what just an hour ago would have been impossible outside of the sci-fi genre. It definitely has no business being in reality, and especially not his reality. Did he snap? Is that what snapping feels like? No, he dismisses the thought as quickly as it comes. He's not drugged, he's been drugged and that's not how it felt - his head is on straight. He's not insane. If he would have gone insane he would have done it months ago, after the plane, after Kate. The light is off on his tracking anklet, and no consequences came from cutting it. That means there's no GPS reception here, at least not the kind his tracker can connect to. It's too elaborate, his tracker is tamper-proof, he knows, he tried everything to tamper with it. that leaves one option -- this is real. And if it's real, it means two things: number one -- there's a way back. number two -- there are flaws for him to exploit.

He needs a plan. A real one, a good one. And for that, he needs intel. What can he know in his suite? Firstly, how secure it is. Something tells him procuring new accommodations is not going to be as easy as charming someone into letting him into their home here. If he's staying, he needs to know where the traps are. What he wouldn't give for Mozzie's bug sweepers right about now, and his extermination services. But the thought is unhelpful, he'll have to do this the old fashion way. The downside to the old fashioned - for every bug you catch there are countless you don't.

He sweeps the floor for cameras, not attempting discretion about it because he knows it's impossible to catch them all in time to avoid them all, so he smiles or winks at each one he finds.

So far so predictable. He has two obvious next places to look in -- the floors the elevator he took up here skips -- and the roof. The former requires planning and additional intel. The latter he goes up to check. ]

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[ When Thor wanted to take her somewhere private to talk, he brought her to the roof. Sif isn't sure if this place really is less watched than anywhere else, but it gives her an ever so slight sense of privacy to come up here and look out over the Capitol and gather her thoughts in solitude.

Well, relative solitude since she hasn't really been there long before someone else shows up. ]

[ One look at the woman occupying the roof tells him that she is far better equipped than he'll ever be for this gladiator recreation; he can see it in her posture, in the strength reflected in her eyes. It's not necessarily a bad thing, if he plays his cards right. If he can't escape before he's forced into that mess, he could use a stronger allay, and he's far likelier to sway a woman to his side than a man. ]

Hi, [ He smiles at her, as if they've simply forced to share a table at an overly crowded coffee shop, and not on the rooftop of a parallel universe's prison. ] do you mind if I join you?

[ She eyes him somewhat warily, not liking the easy charm he is radiating so strongly she almost feels like she can smell it. She might not have minded it so much under other circumstances, but here where she cannot trust anyone but Thor it makes her feel on edge.

She shrugs a little, neither dismissing nor inviting him. ]

I can hardly claim ownership of the roof. You are as free to be here as I am.

Freedom seems to be a relative term around here. [ It's downright surreal, a place that feasts on death and despair will allow them something so normal as freedom to go about as they please. He's yet to test out the limits to that freedom, but at the moment he'll latch onto every shred of normalcy he can find; anything that can keep him grounded long enough to escape. Or better yet, break the system and then escape. He can't really leave the situation as it is -- not only for the immorality of the people remaining stranded, which is reason enough on its own -- but also because tomorrow it could be Peter who's sucked into this hell. Or Mozzie. Alex. Elizabeth. Dianna. Jones. Lauren. Somehow he doesn't see people psychotic enough to go through with all of this forgiving and forgetting an escape.

He sits by her side, and offers her his hand. ] Neal.

[ She appears to be a little taken aback by his gesture, but then reaches out to take his hand, clearly not particularly used to shaking hands in greeting. ]

Lady Sif, of Asgard.

[ A name that ought to ring a bell for someone as well-read as Neal, though depending on how knowledgeable he is about norse mythology he might wonder where her famous locks of golden hair went. ]

[ He is very well-read in the subject, but his first thought isn't that before him stands a legendary hero -- but rather someone very appropriately named after one. The fact that she introduces herself as 'Lady' is the most interesting to him -- normally he wouldn't shake a lady's hand but kiss it. However, if where she comes from is anything like his home she could either like a kiss because it's nice to be treated like the lady she is, or be offended by it because people too often treat her like that instead of the warrior that she is.

She did introduce herself title included however, so he decides to change his intended gesture and incline his head to press his lips softly to the back of her hand. If nothing else, it may make him memorable. Sympathetic. Human. Someone she's less likely to want to kill. Hopefully it won't make her want to kill him all the more. ]

My Lady, [ He smiles after letting go of her hand. Letting go quickly is important, to show this is nothing more than a gesture meant in greeting and respect. ] it's an honor. And a brighter light than could be hoped for in this storm.

[ He says, having just arrived and speaking to no one else before her. Bravado is good, but if he wants mercy or protection -- vulnerability is better. ]

[ That gesture she is familiar with, even if she has grown less accustomed to receiving it. At home she is seen much more as a warrior than a lady after all.

He reminds her a little of Fandral, he has a similar dashing quality to him, though she wouldn't trust this one to have her back in a fight. He looks a little too soft for it, much as he might do his best. ]

High praise for a woman you only just met.

[ But she is used to that sort of thing, it almost feels comforting. Bombastic language and grand gestures, that is the world she lives in, even if she is a more subdued presence in it. ]

[ He chose well, good. It's a comfort to see that when faced with a warrior-princess-esque Shakespearean speaking woman in a sci-fi horror themed world, his instincts still hit the mark.

He grins at her calling him out. Good. Suspicion and brains he can work with. ]

First impressions can be very informative, if you've the eyes to see.

[ Sif is a fairly straightforward woman, he'll have no trouble figuring her out even if she is from outer space.

Her smile isn't quite a grin, but at least it is a smile so he is making some progress here. ]

And clever tongues know how to make the most of them.

[ After everything he's been through at home, and everything threatening him here, he could really use some straightforward.

He lets out a soft chuckle, fading back into a grin, all calculated to make himself seem endearing. ]

High praise for a man you only just met.

I said clever tongues do, I cannot recall naming yours as such.

[ Just a bit of friendly teasing, it's not hard to figure out that this man is something of a smooth-talker after all.

She is a bit wary of those, as she has been given good reason to be in the past, but Neal seems harmless enough for the moment and she could really use some levity right now. ]

Edited 2014-08-09 12:14 (UTC)

[ Teasing was exactly the result he was hoping for; teasing the language he's most fluent at. ]

Eyes make more exact witnesses than ears.

[ Rephrasing Hesiod feels like a good way to go with this one, and he does love making his remarks tie in together. For a moment, this almost feels normal. For a moment, he can almost imagine they're really only sharing a table at an overly crowded coffee shop.

But the silence around them kills the illusion. And this isn't the time nor place for illusions, if he falls prey to the temptation of pretense here, it could cost him his life. He needs to put on an act, not fall for it. ]

I would say that they are both equally easy to fool.

[ She is unaware of just how much she is a victim of this herself at the moment. There is something very rotten in the state of Asgard indeed.

Not to mention the fact that she is currently in the company of a man who spins his entire existence out of illusions. ]

That depends on the mind behind them.

[ Anyone can be fooled, it would be, well, foolish, to claim otherwise. But Neal prides himself in, at the very least, being a difficult target. ]

Mhm, and are you confident in yours?

[ She would guess that he is, he hasn't exactly given the impression of being one who doubts himself too often. ]

About as confident as yourself, I'd say.

[ Because she doesn't strike him as the insecure sort, either. She looks him in the eye, isn't instantly swayed by his easy charm and good looks -- true, their predicament is very likely to have a lot to do with that, but she isn't hysterical or in a foul mood, either. She teases back, and that tells him that it's not just their predicament. It's her temperament, her personality.

And from the way she seems to carry herself, he'd say she has cause for that confidence. And he hopes he's right, because alone he'll be in big trouble. ]

Edited 2014-08-09 13:26 (UTC)

[ He has plenty of cause for her confidence indeed, and she would say that she has earned every drop of it in her struggle to shut the mouths of all those who tried to tell her that she could not do what she has now accomplished, to become a warrior of great skill and renown. ]

To appear otherwise in a place like this seems unwise.

[ Not that she is putting on any kind of act at all, something he can surely see with ease. ]

Couldn't agree more.

[ He wonders if that's her way of calling him out of his act, but regardless of what her intent is it's the perfect opening to stir the conversation into a more productive direction. ]

Any other tips you've picked up on surviving this place?

Don't get killed.

[ She offers him a wry smile, eyes full of dark humor. ]

I'd say that's more an intermediate goal than the means to a purpose.

[ His expression is one of a person thinking this is over seriously, with the exception of his eyes. His eyes twinkle with humor. ]

[ She nods a little in acknowledgment, huffing with mild amusement. ]

In truth I have not been here for very long. I know little more than you about what awaits us. One of my friends who has been here for some time before me has told me some, but I am not sure how much that will help once we are in the arena.

Every little bit helps.

[ he flashes her a grin. Well, if her friend has been here for some time, they must be good -- after all, they survived. He definitely wants to know what they have to say. ]

If you run and hide in there, the ones watching will try to draw you out. They want to be entertained.

[ Her lips curl with disgust at that last word. This is not honorable combat, this is unworthy. ]

[ everything about this is disgusting to him. the fact that anyone would call watching people duke it out to the death entertainment is repulsive. this place seems to be the where all the worst of humanity ended up, and he doesn't want to dwell on what that means for him to be sucked in as well. ]

And we're here to oblige.

[ he'll entertain them alright; pull them into the show. one way or another, he's bringing this system down. ]

[ Sif enjoys the thrill of a good battle, if it is an honorable one. There is no glory to be found in slaughtering others for someone else's entertainment. ]

Indeed. A dangerous game to play.

[ Pull powerful, lethal people in and make every single one of them hate you. It does not seem like a good strategy to her.

Someone as perceptive as Neal can surely see her resolve to make them pay. The game makers may think they have everything under control, but for how long? She intends to put that to the test. ]

[ He sees it, and he likes it. The more people who share it, the more possible their end goal becomes.

But plotting is a dangerous game, and the other side has eyes and ears everywhere. He needs the people around him to not only be capable -- but perceptive themselves, because outright saying what he means is a no-no. ]

The best ones are.

[ Everything is a game, so long as he can keep seeing it that way he won't be compromised by unhelpful feelings. All that matters now is winning it. ]

Your friend, how long have they been here?

I do not know exactly. Long enough to have people he would call friend.

[ She smiles fondly, and perhaps that is all Neal needs to see the hidden truth in her heart. How much she loves this friend she speaks of, and in what way. ]

But that is not saying much when it comes to Thor.

[ He takes people to his heart rather quickly after all. ]

[ Lady Sif and Thor? That's getting to be a little too coincidental.

Never mind that now, and never mind the countless jokes that push each other out of the way in a desperate race to leave his lips, there's a piece of information of superior importance here: her friend sounds easy to manipulate. Strong, if he's still alive, as he should be otherwise the irony may just be too much to bear, but trusting. Just the combination of qualities he needs.

And it sounds like getting on his good side will get him on hers as well, not that he can't manage that on his own but like he said -- every little bit helps. ]

Considering where we are, I'd say it's saying a lot about Thor.

[ It will only get more so the more he finds out about her, really. ]

He is a good man.

[ A man she cares for in a multitude of ways, and just as getting on his good side will more like than not earn one Sif as an ally, harming Thor in any way will bring swift punishment from her hands. ]

To stay that way here, he sounds like someone whose hand I'd like to shake.

[ True, but more importantly he figures being impressed by someone she looks up to so much will only win him point with her. ]

It is not unlikely that you will get an opportunity to do so.

[ Especially should he decide to seek her out again, since she intends to remain close to Thor as much as she can. ]

[After the sudden raid few days ago, in middle of the night, Mariko has become even more jumpy and uncomfortable around the district 11 suites. She keeps being cautious while moving around the suites, still opening her door slightly just to peek out from her room, making sure that there was no one around when she planned to go out.

But this time, she's actually returning back to d11 suites when she spots a strange man going through--- practically everything, almost as if he was looking for something. Her first reaction is to scream but instead she bites down on her tongue and ducks behind a couch, hoping that it'll hide her from the man.]

[ Unfortunately for her, Neal is a difficult man to hide from. Having spent his life in stealth and paranoia, he's gotten pretty sensitive to sound, and turns when he hears someone enter.

Did his lovely hosts send someone to stop his search? He's apprehensive, but he never did learn his lesson about curiosity. So he puts on a confident smile, and raises his brows in an amused expression. His hand however goes in his pocket, to close around the kitchen knife he slipped in there as he was conducting his search. ]

I don't bite.

[ he does kick, punch, stab, throw knives, scratch, and everything else he could think of to get away, but he at least doesn't intend to get to the point where he has to put any part of an assailant's body in his mouth. If, however, despite his best intentions he'll have to do it, well, all is fair in love and war. ]

[Mariko still doesn't move from her hiding spot, even though it's quite clear now that she's been caught. Instead she keeps crouching on the floor. Maybe he didn't notice her after all? Maybe he'll go away if she stays silent?]

[ He can't really see a reason for someone more powerful than him to hide, so a second options seems more likely -- maybe it's someone else sharing his predicament. Fear is a very logical response to what they've been told they're meant to do, and to the fact that they've been abducted through dimensions. Really, it's all a lot to take. It sounds like an overly elaborate conspiracy theory, and he vows to never again doubt Mozzie when he spatters one of those, when he makes it back home to his friend's side.

When. Not if. Never if. So his voice softens a little, trying to sound a little more alluring. ]

I'm not gonna hurt you -- coming around to you now, ok?

[ Again, that promise is only true if whoever's out there won't try to hurt him. ]

[Okay, so that plan didn't work out. Now she was left with two options: 1. Stay on the ground and wait to be found and be embarrassed by the man. 2. Reveal herself and stay in control of the situation.

And Mariko chooses the less humiliating option.

So, before Neal can take a step towards her 'hiding' place, she stands up despite feeling extremely uncomfortable.]

No. You stay right there.

[ A girl. His instinctive reaction is to offer her a calming smile. She seems terrified, so he lets go of the knife in his pocket and raises his hands slightly to show her that he is unarmed.

Well, it's close enough to being true. ]

Hi, it's ok. Not gonna hurt you. I'm Neal, what's your name?

Mariko. [She answers to his softer smile with a cold stare-- not wanting to look like as weak and scared little girl.]

What are you doing here?

Edited 2014-08-15 21:01 (UTC)

Very good question, [ He maintains his smile ] but considering the little I've already learned of this place, I doubt it has a good answer.

Who are you? Why are you going through our suites? Are you a peacekeeper?!

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