paradisalost

Entry tags:

vic sage (the question)

074

[So… once Charlie realized what was happening, really let it sink in that his head was being suddenly made public, he started camping out in the hallways. Propped up just beside his door, for the most part motionless except every now and then when he’s had to warn the more curious folks away. But a few days of this whole… not sleeping to keep an eye on his door thing has finally taken its toll and he’s… napping. Lightly, mind you, but for the moment he isn’t paying attention at all]

[And should you take advantage of this, the door opens on a hotel lobby. One of those ridiculously posh ones with the gilded everything and the deep, red carpets and wood floors. There’s a single door off to one side, and at the front desk is… Charlie actually, arms folded in front of him, wearing an odd hollow smile as he watches you. There’s something… false in the sound of his voice, like it isn’t really him speaking: ]

Evening.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's okay, kid, he wouldn't blame you );]

[But other!Charlie just smiles a little wider and makes a short, stiff gesture around the room, apparently entirely ignorant of that little door tucked in the corner]

Feel free to look around.

[ welp! she peers at him, pretty confused. she glances back the way she came. ]

Just making sure...you're NOT the Charlie that I just passed, right?

[Sounds... amused enough to laugh, but... doesn't. Herp...]

You could always double check if you like.

[ she glances back once more............ and then looks at him again. ]

No, I think I'm good for now.

This hotel is pretty fancy. Are you the concierge?

No, I just keep an eye on things here. It's only the one room, you know.

[Ly... ing...]

[ ffffffffffff lying is bad!! she tilts her head. ]

And who are you? Are you like Charlie 2.0? There isn't a Nudge 2.0 in my room; I've checked. Are you a representation of his mind? Are you all in my head? ....While I'm in Charlie's head?

Maybe.

[LKSJLDFJ TROLOLOLOL]

[ omg eyeing him so hard now....... she is determined to get a straight answer to at least part of her ramble >:O ]

Maybe what? Which question are you answering? You know, you should always be specific when you talk...

I was answering all of them. [Clicks his tongue against his teeth]

Or maybe none of them. [Gives her that odd stiff smile again]

Or one of them? [Rolls his eyes slightly. It's the kind of gesture that looks like it should go with his hands brushing something off, but... only his eyes move ljsdf]

Whichever you prefer.

[ omg. she scrunches up her face so hard at him. so hard. it's literally like a scrunchie atm. she can't decide if this evading question thing is charlie-ish or uncharlie-ish, but she knows that weird smile can gtfo.. >:O ]

Ugh, not the sidestepping question thingy! You are really weird... and not in a good way, like green Hello Kitty.

Okay, one simple question. What's your name?

[One of Charlie's many masks completely unfiltered ); So... both... charlie-ish and not, actually]

Is that important...?

[ hrmmmm :|a ]

Well... yes! I think so. Names are important. And if I'm gonna talk to you, I wanna have something to call you.

[Well... this... GIVES HIM LEGITIMATE PAUSE?!?! This'd be the part where normally he'd lean back, maybe fold his arms, give it some thought. But he doesn't move, except to let his eyes fall to the desk. For a moment there is a sudden unreality to him, like his skin is little more then a quick messy paint job, like his hair might only be made of carefully trimmed string, like maybe, if she passed him, it'd turn out he was only a cardboard cut-out of a person given a voice]

[But it passes almost immediately as he looks up at her again]

I don't suppose I have a name, actually.

[ what... WHAT WAS THAT. she blinks rapidly as the illusion comes and goes. that was... weird, to say the least. she opens her mouth to say something, falters, and then starts again. ]

No name, huh...

Well, you should pick one! Any name that you like, and then it'd be yours, and then I'd have something to call you, and most importantly, you could stop giving me the run around.

[ and maybe also the creeps. ]

Hmm... [LKJSDF NUDGE, you're telling him to do something he can't possibly do because he's not a real person fffffffff But he gives it a second's more thought - this time without the shift in perception thanfully! - and the smile returns]

I can be Charlie if you want. That's who I look like to you, isn't it?

[ sjhfjs she can't help it! these are The Things She Thinks About. she watches him thoughtfully, and a little warily, not really knowing what to think. ]

Well... yeah, I guess you do look like him, but... let's just says I have some experience with clones. Evil clones. All clones are evil, I dunno, it's in the rulebook or something. But then sometimes they can change, and become goood...

Aaaaaanyway, it'd be weird calling you Charlie. What about Charles?

[Baww she's so cute ('8]

Am I a clone? [Little thoughtful pause. Can clones really be a thing inside someone's mind? Hmm... Ah well, it doesn't really matter]

Charles is fine.

[ !!!! that's kind of weird, seeing as how she remembers charlie objecting to 'charles'. this really is a different person. kind of. sort of. aughhhh. she has no idea about the clone mind thing either. how doe this thing ever work. ]

Okay.... Charles. We can work with that.

Soooooooo, I can just go wherever I want? [ she points to the door off to the side. ] You don't mind?

[Follows her pointing as best he can without... turning his head lkjsdf But when he looks at her again, he looks... confused... WHAT ARE YOU POINTING AT CHILD]

Of course not. Go where you like.

[ .... your confusion confuses her /squints ]

It's nice to have permission, but... are you sure? I mean, it's your head and everything.

[Just smiling 8>]

Oh no, it's not my head. I just look after the desk.

[ skjdhfsdkjfs why does this feel so wrong. it's like your step-dad is giving you permission to look through your mom's things...

fffff, well. it wouldn't hurt to take a peek. she starts inching towards the door. ]

Hope you get paid well...

[lkjasdf don't worry Nudge!!! He will only be... sort of annoyed if he finds you wandering around!!!]

[But for now, Charles as it were watches her rather intently, smiling away as if to say WHY OF COURSE HE GETS PAID WELL 8>. And... that weird illusion from before is... back... getting more and more apparent the closer she gets to the door...]

[Until quite suddenly the smile falls off his face, and he just gives her a dark, almost glare. Worried glare? Something... like that... Murmurs: ]

Be careful.

[And then his eyes slide forward and any sense of real... ness is gone from him. He's just a bit of painted cardboard set standing at the desk]

[ ...what in the cookie fudge dough loving world was that?!?!? charlie... what is your brain. she stares at the cardboard man for a full minute, and then glances at the little door. ksjhfkjds WHAT DO.

okay. okay. she'll just take a little peek inside and then head back out.

but before she does, she tiptoes back over to charles and just.. pokes him gently. because seriously, did you just turn into cardboard. ]

[YEP. YES HE DID. And he doesn't come back to life once she leaves the door! He's just there... quietly waiting for the next person he can attempt to distract into not going anywhere else )8]

[Hughljsdfljsdf and speaking of anywhere else, if/when she goes back, the door opens on a brief grey hallway with another, rather oversized door at the end, this one... covered in rivets and cold metal... Intimidating desu]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

goodness... tldr D8

loves it uhu c:

huu ('8