Elias meets Not-Allison

A dead silence had settled into Bethnal Green,
the thumping of barflies and gentlemen alike who had enjoyed more wine than
they could handle finally dying down far past the dead of midnight. The
Society's doorsteps were known to be flooded frequently by the steps of angry
mobbers, but in a time as undisturbed as this, it would seem unreasonable that
anything could break through the eerie peace that had settled upon the area.
Thump. Thump thump. A hard, rapid pounding against wood.
Scratch that.
The only one on the streets now was a man
amounting to a wiry-muscled 5'11 form, as he stood with an impatient scowl at
the doors of the building. He shivered faintly, his arms wrapped tight around
each other as he waited for his knocks to be identified. Clutched tight in his
hand was a small card, and just behind his feet two half-heartedly packed
luggage trunks. His breath left a stain upon the icy night air as his gaze
remained fixed onto his feet.
Thump thump. He knocked again, with more force. His
scowl deepened.
Hyde without
a Jekyll: *Not-Allison had lost
track of time reading old medical text books in her room, when she heard a
knocking coming from the door. With a yawn, she stood up and staggered down the
halls until she reached a window on the main floor. She peered out the window
to see who was at the door.*
Decipherer:  A scrawny
man stands upon the empty street, all clothing covered by a plain overcoat. He
looks, quite honestly, exhausted, if you can see past the heavy glower he's
wearing. He casts a hesitant glance back to his luggage behind him.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  * He doesn't seem dangerous... she
thinks to her self and approaches the door. Opening it just a crack she peaks
through it at the man.* Hello?
Decipherer:  Elias
tilts his head with a stare that seems an even mix of impatience and curiosity
as he stares through the small gap. "Hello there."
He pulls the card from his coat with a flat expression, holding it out to
Not-Allison. "I was invited. Might I enter?"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *She snatches the card out of his hand and then closes
the door without a word. After a few minutes the sound of many locks
disengaging can be heard and the door swings open.*
Decipherer:  Elias
flinches at the action and moves away slightly from the doorway. He waits
impatiently on the steps with a frown, arms crossed on his chest.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *A small girl stands in the doorway and glares at Elias.*
How did you get our card?
Decipherer:  Elias
tenses up slightly, his scowl reappearing. "It was given to me by... Uh,
Doctor... I..." His eyes widen as his voice trails, and his face screws up
in thought as he tries to recall a title. "I don't remember their
name."
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *Her eyes narrow.* You better remember it quick.
Decipherer:  Elias groans as his mind tries hard to remember the name
he was given. "I'm... Oh, this is silly."
He turns to face his bags with a soft huff, a disappointed frown taking form.
"I am very sorry I wasted your time."
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *She rolls her eyes and her body stiffens.* You and me
both. Now let me help you carry our bags to the corner and off of our door
step. *She begins to walk over to one his bags.*
Decipherer:  "I
can handle them quite fine, thank you."
His bitter tone is amplified by his rigid movements as he swiftly lifts both
trunks himself.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *She approaches the man with only a foot of space between
them and sarcastically says* Sure you can. Just like how you'll probably
remember the name of the street your residents is on.
Decipherer:  Elias
grits his teeth as the space between them grows dangerously smaller. He quickly
turns away from her and heads for the street, saying nothing except a few spare
mutterings to himself.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *With surprising speed the girl snatches one of the bags
from his hand and bolts back inside the building, throwing the dead bolts in
place.*
Decipherer:  Elias
blinks, a gasp escaping his lips as he turns just in time to see the door slam
shut and his dreams get crushed. He bangs on the doors, "Hey! That's my --
give me my stuff!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  You can have it back when you tell me why you're really
here!! *She shouts through the door. The girl then sits down back to the door
and begins going through the contents of the bag looking for anything that may
give insight to this stranger.*
Decipherer:  "There's
nothing more to tell! Please, miss, those things are i--..." His voice
dies off and he glances towards his remaining trunk, relief flooding his
expression.
The bag Not-Allison received is mostly full of clothes, but tucked near the
bottom -- nearly stashed -- is a leatherbound book. A journal...?
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  I don't believe you until you can give me the name of the
person who gave you our card!! *She carefully lifts up the journal and starts
looking through it.*
Decipherer:  "I don't know! They... I don't know, miss, but
please!"
The journal doesn't appear to have any suspicious writings in it, actually. They
detail that the man -- described as Greece-born, and the only name given is
Elias -- has left his home. It also mentions details of astrochemistry, but it
provides no real facts about him.
The most recent entry references the card, in fact, but it too gives no name:
'... and it was earlier in the week I was stopped by a strange sir, his
garments more elegant than what I am familiar with. He took note of my work; he
has passed me a card that details in almost heavenly light a refuge for
scientists such as myself.
It exudes the ideals of a fresh start -- by the end of this week, I will have
looked into it.'
Hyde without
a Jekyll: Describe him to me!!
*She yells through the door. The girl puts down the journal and turns the bag
inside out looking for hidden pouches and other small clues to where he might
have met this "strange sir".*
Decipherer:  Luckily
for Elias, and unfortunately for Not-Allison, nothing of the sort would turn
up.
Elias' voice carries past the door. "He was very short! Greying but dark
hair, brown eyes."
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  Was he sort of tense? ...What was he studying? *She
peered at him from the window. He's either talking about Hen or Hastie. She
thought.*
Decipherer:  Elias
seems completely unaware he's being observed, appearing quite fretful as he
tries to remember. "Oh -- well, no! The man exuded confidence, really. His
studies were something to do with geography, I think?"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:'  *Geography?, Not-Allison thought, I don't
know anyone who studies Geography! ...Then again I don't know what Dr. Lanyon
studies. * Was he tall and dressed very formally and had a thick,
posh, English accent?
Decipherer:  Elias
scowls, huffing and crossing his arms on his chest. "He was dressed
formally, but his accent was different. And no-- I already said he was
short!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:'  hm... *This man doesn't seem to be dangerous but it
would be best if we kept an eye on him. Easiest way to watch him is if he was
in the society. What's that old saying? Keep your friends close and your
enemy's closer. Yeah. ... If he betrays us then Hela and I could always have
another bonding experience... She smiled at this thought and began to
repack the bag.* Where are your residents?
Decipherer:  "As
if I would give my address to the lady that stole my things?" Elias smirks
in his ever-cocky way, but it soon disappears with a scowl in it's place.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  A trade then, I get your address and you get your things.
*A small thud comes from a near by window and the bag is scene being pressed
against the glass.*
(Question: was there anything embarrassing in his journal?)
Decipherer:  Elias
huffs, glaring at the window. "That's unfair."
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  If you don't want to take the deal then I'll be more than
happy to burn it or let the lodgers use what's in here for their experiments!
*The bag wiggles a bit to taunt Elias.*
Decipherer:  He straightens
up at this, growling. "I'm -- I can't take you!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  Do we have a deal?
Decipherer:  "I
can't, you don't understand!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  What don't I understand?!
Decipherer:  He scrubs
at his eyes with his hands furiously, "I can't go home!"
Realizing his words, he clamps a hand over his mouth, paranoia swarming his
thoughts.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *The girl peered out the window and lowered the bag.* Are
you crying? And what do you mean by you can't go home?
Decipherer:  He snaps
loudly as he looks towards the window, no sign of tears on his face, "I'm
not crying!"
He pauses to breathe himself into calmness, inhaling and exhaling gently.
"I just want my bag. I just want to leave!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  If that's what you wanted then why did you even come
here? *The girl disappears from the window and the locks behind the Society
doors disengage.*
Decipherer:  He whirls
around to face her with a deep and piercing glare. "It's none of your
business!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *The door remains closed but unlocked and the girl can't
be seen in the window.*
Decipherer:  Elias
growls at the absence of the girl before slowly opening the door and peeking
around for the bag. His cheeks burn a rosy color.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *The lights of the society are mostly turned off but a
soft purple glow from the Leviathan above illuminates the room in a eerie
purple color. About 15 feet from the door sits his bag.*
Decipherer:  Elias
ignores the eerie light cast upon him and quickly darts inside and picks up the
case, immediately moving to exit.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *The door closes and the girl stands in front of it, arms
crossed.* Leaving so soon? 
Decipherer:  He visibly stiffens up and his hands open, the trunk
dropping to the floor with a hollow thud. "Can't you just let me
/leave?"/
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *She smiled.* But you wanted in so badly? 
Decipherer:  "I did, but not if people like /you/ who can't take
no for an answer bug me all the damn time!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *Her face grows serious.* I would take you seriously if
you gave me a proper answer for once.
Decipherer:  "I
shouldn't have to answer to you!" He crosses his arms.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  You do if you want to live here Mr. I-can't-go-home *she
pulls the journal out from her satchel and flips it open* or is it Mr.
I-have-an-apartment?
Decipherer:  He
sputters and cringes as he's presented with his own lies. "Give that back,
that's -- that's /my/ property!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:'  No! *she snaps the book shut* You're on our
property and I want to know why!
Decipherer:  Elias rubs
the bridge of his nose with an annoyed growl. "What is your problem?! I
just want to -- to go!"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *She's growing visibly angry at Elias's inconsistencies
and him not answering her questions.* 
You come here but you want to leave. You have no home but you own an apartment.
You were invited to the Society but you don't know by whom. I'm getting
real sick of contradicting tongue...maybe I should cut it out of your empty
head!''
Decipherer:  Elias
cringes as he gets threatened, and he rubs his eyes.. "S-- So maybe I lied
in my journal! What's it to you?!" He puffs out his cheeks in a huff, a
very intense glare on his face. "Why do you care so much? I do not want to
be here anymore!"
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  *The girl slowly began to walk towards Elias. Stalking
her prey and growled* What's it to me? You come here demanding to enter, you
lie, you deceive, and then you try and flee. Recently one of my so called
"friends" betrayed me, and I would like to
make sure that doesn't happen again. I would like to protect
what little I have in this place from those who wish to harm it. 
I will ask you once more and you better give me an answer. 
*The girls hair seemed darker than when you first met her...but that could just
be a trick of the light.*
Why are you here?
Decipherer:  Elias
begins backing away carefully, his eyes wide and fearful. His glower remains
firm on his expression, though, and his voice raises. "The only one who
demanded anything was you!"
His eyes briefly moved to her hair and he looked at it questioningly, but he
gave a small shake of his head. "Just let me go, and..."
His voice drifts and he begins to walk in an almost sideways manner,
gravitating towards one of the walls.
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  I can't let you do that...not until you've answered our
questions. *She continues to walk towards Elias making sure she's in between
him and the door at all times. *
Decipherer:  Elias' eyes dart around rapidly, mentally cataloging all
of the ways out of the foyer. As he puts himself nearer to the wall, he ensures
there are various decor items around; one item, specifically, and when he
secures its location, he locks eyes with Ali again. "Our?"
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *She chuckles at his observation and continues to close
the gap. She's now about 5 feet away.* It's been...a long week...
Decipherer:  Elias
let's out a weak, nervous chuckle as he continues to glance around. "Aw,
come on, I thought you didn't like avoiding questions.."
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *She smiled at this.* You'll learn all about it during
your time with us.
*Distance is now 4 feet.*
Decipherer:  Elias
slides along the wall away from her, his hands clasped over each other in a
strange, unfamiliar gesture. "There's that p-plural again, ahah! You doing
alright, miss?"
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  *Her smile turns to a frown and she growls.* No I'm
not alright. But you'll understand our suffering soon enough, you
and her both. *Her hair was much darker and wilder now. She reached into her
satchel and pulled out a folded handkerchief soaked in...something...most
likely chloroform. Three feet away.*
Decipherer:  Elias, who had been inching towards some elegant pottery
display, swings his arm to the side to reach for one. As soon as his hand wraps
around the neck of the vase, he brings his arm flying back, sending the glass
crashing into the side of Allison's head.
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  *The vase shatters against her head sending glass flying
everywhere cutting up Elias's hands and clothes. It stings him. The girl's body
crashes to the floor blood pooling around her head like a halo.*
Decipherer:  Elias
flinches draws a sharp breath, grasping his hand and staring at Ali as she
falls onto the floor. As blood begins to pool around her head, his face grows
pale and sickened. He quickly takes her limp form into his arms and looks
around with a panicked expression. He begins to call with a broken voice,
"Someone please help me, there was an -- " He gulps, his voice
dropping to a dull whisper. "Oh god, oh god, please, uh, please don't be
dead. I'll tell you everything, I -- I swear I'll tell you everything."
His voice continues to cry out across the foyer.
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  *The girl's hand that was still holding the chloroform
soaked rag twitches and her torso begins to shake not from a seizures but from
something else...
A giggle drifts up between her lips and grows louder until she's it's
practically hysterical. Elias looks down at the girl in his arms and swears
this isn't the same girl who answered the door. Her hair is almost completely
brown, wild and stained a glistening crimson. Her face is different too. Though
blood had covered face he could tell the edges were sharper, deadlier. A her
lips parted into a smile as she laughed, revealing blood stained teeth. 
The girls miss matched eyes snapped open.*
My turn.
*In a flash, the rag was pressed against his nose and mouth with surprising
force.*
Decipherer:  Elias' lips part to question, "Wha--", but he
gasps softly as her eyes open.
As the chloroform rag presses down against his face, his protesting cries are
muffled. They grow duller and softer until his eyes eventually flutter shut and
he slumps down, releasing the girl from his arms and thudding against the ground.
Hyde
without a Jekyll:  *The both slammed into the floor with solid thuds.
Not-Allison sat up, touch the side of her head where Elias had hit her, and
then examined her hand. Red.* That ba$tard got me good.
*She sighed and stood up, looking at her victim. It would be easy to drag off
his body and then...play with him for the rest of the night...but what about
the card...what if he really was invited here. She didn't need the attention,
especially after what she did to Catt. The girl really liked the Society and
didn't want to leave it. 
A new thought struck her..."What about Hela?" Hela would love to
have another play date together and she would get the blame for Elias! 
Not-Allison scampered down the halls to Hela's prison. As she peered around the
corner she spied Jasper standing guard. Always watching. She sighed. How was
she going to get Elias past Jasper? She didn't want Jasper asking question. She
liked Jasper and wanted Jasper to like her. She ran back to Elias's body. 
The whole scene was a bloody mess...literately. She would need to clean it up.
If she couldn't play with Elias on her own or with Hela, what could she do?
Another idea strikes her and she runs outside to drag in his trunk.  Not-Allison was fairly able to carry the
trunk inside though it's awkward size did make things a bit difficult. She
tried to open it but was frustrated when she discovered the pad lock. 
Gathering up his items she placed them away from her pile of blood, although
some from her open wound still dripped on them. She then walked back to Elias's
body and gently nudged it with her foot.* 
You really are a strange one. *She mumbled under her breath. The girl then
started to clean up the pool of blood using towels and canteens of water she
kept in her bag. Occasionally she would smear some of it on Elias's snoring
body.*
Decipherer:  Elias,
y'know, chills out on the floor
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *After the blood is cleaned up (and Elias is bloodied
too), she begins to carry his things down to the basement and quietly places
them outside Catt and Sozo's door. Once the trunk and bag are down there she
comes back for Elias. 
After another quick dose of chloroform she begins the long hike of dragging his
body to the basement. 
Sozo will smell my blood and wake up, then he'll wake Catt up and they'll
find my gift. She smiles at this thought as the round the bend to
Catt's room. When they arrive she gently props up Elias to a sitting position
against the trunk and carefully pins a note to his shirt using an old hat pin
from her satchel. 
She would love to stick around but getting caught was always an issue...besides
Catt would understand what it all meant anyways and that was good enough for
now.
Looking over her handy work, the girl stole off into the night to lick her
wounds and prepare for tomorrows grueling day.* 
Catt
Hatter:  *Sozo stirred at the smell of blood. Normally he would be
on edge, but with Nex coming and going at all hours covered in any number of
strangers' blood he'd gotten used to it. Sitting up he glanced at Catt, it was
her turn to have the bed and considering her behaviour, she needed it. She
wouldn't tell him why he had found her all messed up inside her hatt, which
only made him worry. Who on earth knew how to do all those torture
methods and how had Catt run into them?
He let her sleep.
He got up and opened the door. Why on earth?
An unconscious man slumped against a trunk covered in stuff. Sozo
sniffed, the strange man reeked of Not-Allison and chloroform.*
Ugh. *He didn't want to deal with this right now. Sighing grumpily,
he picked up the man and carried him to the Society's infirmary. It was only as
he was laying the stranger on a bed did he notice the note pinned to his shirt.
He picked it up and read it, sticking the old hat pin through his collar.*
Decipherer:  Elias does little
stirring as he is taken to the infirmary, laying out cold upon the bed that is
likely now also stained with the red on his clothing.
Hyde without
a Jekyll:  *It read as follows:
For Catt:
This amateur need to be taught in the ways of lying and betrayal.
Catt
Hatter:  *Sozo read the note, his brow furrowed in confusion. Just
what had she gotten herself into? Was she taking lessons from someone other
than Mz. Hyde for something other than combat? Did she get herself roped into
an espionage circle? What? He would have to ask her in the morning.
He could tell that aside from some minor nicks on his hand, the stranger was
fine. He bandaged his hand and after dragging his trunks up to the infirmary,
Sozo went back to bed.*
== Obtained From ==
A Nighttime Newcomer
Category:Side Story
Category:Introduction Stories
Category:A Prank Too Far