29: [Audio] Counting Bodies Like Sheep
All work and no play makes Dean a dull boy.
He types because he can. Not to send, just...to type. Dean isn't sure when it really started. Maybe when he woke up. Maybe it was always there. Maybe it's just cabin fever, the stress of being stuck in one place for too long. Being trapped. Trapped. Trapped.
All work and no play makes Dean a ( Read more... )
He types because he can. Not to send, just...to type. Dean isn't sure when it really started. Maybe when he woke up. Maybe it was always there. Maybe it's just cabin fever, the stress of being stuck in one place for too long. Being trapped. Trapped. Trapped.
All work and no play makes Dean a ( Read more... )
Now the communication device is in his hand and his pace is carrying him quickly up the stairs. ]
Dean, it's me. Where are you?
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Hey, Phil - 'm on the, uh.
[He was on Floor Ten. Then he was on Floor Seven. Now he's on Floor-]
Six. Sixth floor. Far end of the hallway, I'm just keepin' watch for anything weird. [He snorts.] Not like the decor isn't weird enough already.
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Philip climbs the last stairs. Oh well. All the more convenient for him! ]
I actually just got there, can I help?
[ He looks around, wondering if he'll spot Dean from where he is standing. ]
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[Dean waves from down the hall, trotting through the creepy industrial corridor towards Philip. He slows to a stop a few feet away, not closer, not too close, that would be weird.]
Hey, yeah. Sure. I was canvassing floors to see if anything was outta the ordinary aside from the "grungy warehouse" look. [He grimaces and adjusts his duffel bag.] No dice.
[Well. Maybe a couple dice. One or two or-]
Workin' my way downstairs. You bring anything to protect yourself with? No tellin' what's going on and I don't wanna be caught with my pants down.
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I've been told it looks inviting and very homey. [ A knowing sigh. ] Then again, I've been told by Clarence, so...
{What? Don't tell me it doesn't just make you wanna get comfortable, lie down and sprawl out on a dirty mattress... }
[ Both of them trail off. Enough said about that. In response to the question Philip only turns sideways and lifts his sweater. Realising that his inventory was better off with its addition Philip finally caved and even acquired a holster for his revolver. ]
I caught a transmission early, I didn't get a chance to respond, but from what I caught, er... apparently somebody- one of the residents is a wolf, not literally I hope, but it's- it's a bit like... like that game for children where you have to find out who it is before-- Before they kill you. Literally.
[ He shoots Dean a glance of the go figure variety. ]
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[Dean offers a Convincingly Dubious Expression (TM). He has those mastered and patented in forty-eight out of fifty United States.]
Awesome. A survival-fest. Halloween weekend, too. This place has a crappy sense of humor.
[He rubs his forehead, huffing a sigh.]
Good thing you got a piece on. [Not that it'll do you much good.] You wanna help with recon on the lower floors? If we can find them before they find us, we'll save everybody a whole mess of trouble.
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Yeah, that's it.
[ He thinks. It's been a while since he played, well, it's been a while since he played the game. The last time he played Mafia, as it were... you know what, his eye patch would rather not talk about it. ]
He said there might be more than one, what-- What do you suppose we've got to do if we find them?
[ Philip looks around with an uneasy glance. ]
It's not... going to be somebody we know, is it?
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[Dean starts walking with every intention of heading downstairs, gesturing that Philip follow.
Come along, little lamb. We'll hear you scream soon enough.]
Shit. I didn't even think of that. [Passing by the fifth floor, he offers the hall a cursory glance before continuing.] I guess we gotta take 'em out? Or...crap, I dunno, lock 'em up until the event's over with?
[Dean looks to Philip, adding a little Distressed Eyebrow Furrow.]
...What if it's a kid, man? This is fucked up.
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But they--
[ When Philip woke up he felt normal. So much has already been said. No... anger, no anxiety, no compulsions, no voices encouraging him to slaughter everyone else. No more than usual at any rate.
Somehow he assumed it would be the same for just about everyone, he thought-- He is not sure what he thought, but the wolves they have to worry about now? Probably evil from the get-go. ]
Why would they play, it's not like... nothing happens if they don't, at least it doesn't look that way.
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[He laughs weakly, remembering Wesker. How much fun it would be, now, to tear out his throat, so visceral, an aerosol spray of blood painting the walls red, bright red, his favorite color.
Fourth floor: Nothing.
Third floor: Nothing.]
Whoever it is, we should keep an eye out for twitchy sonsabitches.
[He needs a quiet place. A lonely place. An empty place. The basement should do nicely.]
Where d'you think a crazy psycho would hang out, anyway? Doubt they're swimming laps in the pool.
[He jerks his head down the second-floor hallway.]
...I could clink a few bottles together like in The Warriors?
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If you pull a Kelly you'll probably end up scaring the wolves away.
[ Not that he'd actually mind. Unlike Dean the only business he has some experience in is saving himself and he's perfectly happy to have it stay that way.
For the most part. ]
...Hey, um, maybe we should get Daniel and Evelyn, they--
[ Oh! Oh, hang on! ]
They'd try to get somebody alone! They would, wouldn't they? If it's just a few, maybe just one then they can't go around and risk the whole mansion knowing, so... maybe we shouldn't find them at all, if... if we can just make sure enough people stick together.
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If we do get a buncha people together, we can't move around too much. It'll attract attention. We find a safe place and keep everyone there. I worked a case like this once. Shapeshifter.
[Disturbingly similar, but it makes for a nice tale.]
It was in a bank, we had to get everyone in the vault so the shifter wouldn't escape. The sonuvabitch was hiding in there the whole night. I just don't know where we oughta hole up this time around.
[Dean kicks at the wall and scuffs the metal with rubber, wrinkling his nose.]
...d'you know anyone down this hall? [Not ideal, but it'll do.] I could send a message to Dan to see where he is.
[Oh, look at that, his communicator is out and at the ready.]
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[ Places to hole up... places to hole up... places to-- Philip notes with frustration that he's dedicated quite some time to planning several mansion-related horror scenarios by now and has the answer readier at hand than he might like. ]
Kitchen might be too small, but if the dining hall still works it might just be the best place, though I guess if--
[ Oh wow, they went downstairs fast, now that he thinks about it. ]
Hang on, that's Evie's floor, I'll just... [ He looks around. That's her room, right over there. ] ...check if she's there.
[ He turns back at Dean and offers a nod, smiling. ]
Thanks.
[ Then he heads for the door and knocks. ]
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[Dean rocks on the balls of his feet, click-clack typing away a little message, not to Daniel, but to himself himself himself.
All work and no play makes Dean a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Dean a dull boy.
All work and no play make Dean a dull b|
Philip knocks, sure, but there's no answer. Evelyn is long-gone. Restless and anxious and eager to figure things out by herself, she traipsed off boldly into the industrialized waremansion wielding nothing more than her baseball bat.]
She there?
[Dean tucks the communicator back into his pocket, mouth twisted into a half-smile, half-grimace. Somehow, those hollow knocks didn't sound very promising.
How fortuitous.]
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Guess not.
[ He rubs his temple. ]
...I'll give her a call, let's just-- Where do we go now?
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[He frowns apologetically and casts another look down the hallway before shoving his hands into his pockets.]
...we establish a base. Easy to defend and easy to keep track of the ins and outs. We need to set it up first before getting anyone. I sent Dan a message so he'll know, I'm thinkin' someplace like the dining hall-
[Pause. Grimace for effect.]
-maybe the cellar, but I haven't been down there yet, so I dunno how it looks.
[He turns back to the staircase, readying himself for the first floor.]
Whaddayou think?
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