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Dr. Archer | The Invisible Man ([info]sneakingaround) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2010-06-12 20:33:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:invisible man, shere khan

Who: Sam and Archer
What: Being nerds
Where: The lobby, then some coffee shop
When: Sunday at 12
Warnings: Epic nerdiness and dorkery


He was apprehensive to use the word "excited," but Archer was actually feeling something close to it as he buttoned up his shirt in front of the mirror. He hadn't expected to meet another scientist in this horrid building, and as an added stroke of luck, he was interested in molecular biology. It was similar to his line of work, so very similar, that it filled him with something he assumed was joy. After all, it wasn't every day that he met somebody that he could talk to about such matters. Most people were afraid of science. It took special people, certain people, to embrace it.

Though Archer always did his best not to expect too much from people - after all, most of them were ridiculous - he had to admit that he had high hopes for this Samuel. He seemed to be fairly intelligent - party ambitions aside - and his interests were, well, interesting. At the very least, they could speak without Archer becoming painfully bored by his dribble.

He adjusted the collar of his shirt, looking down at himself self-consciously. He hadn't meant to essentially tell this stranger that he often went underfed, and yet he had done just that. So he had tried to choose clothing that didn't exaggerate his bony physique. A button-down shirt created the illusion of mass, and his jeans were just baggy enough to look normal. Running a hand through his hair, he adjusted his glasses before leaving his apartment.

After locking his door, Archer slid the keys into his pocket and walked down the hallway, down the stairs and into the lobby. He glanced around, wondering if Samuel would indeed appear. He glanced at his watch, seeing that it was indeed twelve o'clock, and stuffed his hands in his pockets to take his mind off it. He would be there soon, of course.



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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 03:09 am UTC (link)
He nodded as Samuel seemed to be panicking. "It's curiosity that outweighs the urge to flee, I believe." He offered a very fragile smile. "The very thing that makes us disbelieve this simultaneously compels us to understand it."

At the question about the lion sample, he shrugged. "I honestly haven't the slightest idea what he represented. He has not responded to my inquiries any longer, I believe that he has left the building." It made sense. Benjamin had seemed very unhappy about all of this. "And there actually is a Wicked Witch, if you're curious," he replied offhandedly. "On the forum, if you go back a month or so, an anonymous resident posted a list of fables along with the room number each lived in. It's far from comprehensive, but it has a large number of the residents listed. It was posted before I arrived."

He bit his cheek briefly. "I am...Griffin. The..." He paused. "I suppose he was the antagonist, though he was the central character. The Invisible Man, at any rate." He paused, taking a deep breath. "And you are the second person I have told, so I would appreciate it if you not spread this knowledge." He wouldn't mention the fish bowl incident. There was only so much that Samuel would be able to take.

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 03:19 am UTC (link)
"Definitely," Sam said hastily, exhaling in a whoosh. "The best example of morbid curiosity I can possibly think of. So if you leave the building then you're...?" He didn't want to say back to normal. Surely memories of morphing into a lion or flying like Peter Pan would linger for awhile. "Oh, so there is a Wicked Witch? Great, great." He laughed again, sounding more amused than panicked this time. "The one in the pink poofy dress was never really my style."

The Invisible Man? That was...something. He probably wouldn't have guessed that. Or maybe so, considering how rail-thin the man was. "So you turn invisible? Must come in handy. Nah, don't worry, Jay. I won't tell a soul. Once I figure out what I'm doomed to become, you'll be the first person I tell. So..." Sam squinted and glanced a bit further down the street. "Coffee? Though, to be quite honest, I feel like I need a good stiff drink." Too bad it wasn't even 2:00 yet.

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 03:24 am UTC (link)
Honestly, Archer didn't know what happened to residents that left. "I'm not sure," he said with a frown. "I imagine that if they retained their physical changes, one of them would be on the news at some point." He shrugged. "But therein lies the question of the nonscientific element. I won't pretend to understand that at all." Though Archer didn't understand how characters from an old movie could be funny, he didn't question it. After all, Samuel most likely needed a way to shuttle off stress after being told this disturbing truth.

Did he turn invisible? Tricky question. He wasn't sure if he should be honest or not, so he just ignored it. "Alright." He paused. "Coffee is the best idea for now. However, a drink later..." He glanced away, almost feeling guilty for saying this. "Would not be a bad thing." After the strangeness with Isobel, it felt nice to be around somebody who he could speak scientifically to without any threat of emotion.

They continued down the street, pausing at a coffee shop on the right. Archer glanced from the store to Samuel. "Would you like to go in here?"

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 03:30 am UTC (link)
Oh, thanks be to Bebuz! There was a coffee joint right here and they had delicious mind-numbing caffeine. "Does Peter Pan fly? Of course I want to go in here. Let's go in." He opened the door, holding off on discussions of invisibility until they weren't around other people. Like super happy and chipper coffee shop employees.

"Alright, so let's talk shit first," he suggested, not taking much time to decide what he wanted to order. Black coffee, no cream and no sugar. "What do you do on Saturday nights? Or should I say who do you do on Saturday nights? Anyone? I just want to make sure you're not engaged to the Little Mermaid or something."

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 04:00 am UTC (link)
They ordered quickly, Archer getting the same thing, and sat down at a table somewhat out of the way. Luckily, nobody would be able to easily overhear them.

He had wanted to change the subject to something else, like any current research Samuel was conducting, but no. He didn't understand what exactly he was asking, so he answered awkwardly. "A Saturday night is like any other night," he said simply. "I'm not engaged," he said with a bit of disdain, as if being engaged would be a terrible thing. "I work in my workspace and then go to sleep when I'm finished for the day." He shrugged. Was that the sort of answer he was supposed to give?

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 04:10 am UTC (link)
"There's no women or anything? None at all? A good-looking guy like you? Don't take that the wrong way," Sam added quickly. He wasn't into the cock, thank you. "A person can't be entirely consumed by their work." Casually, he sipped on his coffee. It was pretty good - definitely strong. Not the weak stuff that tasted like shit from a faucet. "That's not healthy."

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 04:16 am UTC (link)
Christ, it was like talking to his mother. Archer sipped his coffee, looking down with a mild expression of irritation flickering across his face. Truthfully, there was a woman. But he wasn't sure if there was. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. Maybe she was just the ghost of a woman, something that might be but couldn't be. Just thinking about it now made his head hurt.

He didn't even question his "don't take that the wrong way" comment, because he wasn't sure what other way there was to take it. Objectively, he had facial features that were vaguely attractive by the standards of society. However, his body left much to be desired. It didn't bother him very much, though.

"I enjoy my work," he said simply. "Don't you?" He raised a brow. His gaze dropped to Samuel's left hand, and he noticed the lack of a wedding band. "Though I suppose that you are better at balancing it with women than I. Is there one for you, then?"

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 04:26 am UTC (link)
Sam laughed, flexing his wedding band-free fingers. "Nope," he responded, lips popping on the 'p' sound of the word. Sometimes, he wished there was. There was probably truth to the saying that married men live longer, because some days he just really wanted to commit hari-kari. "Nice job at avoiding the question. We don't have to talk about it though," he assured Archer. After all, men usually didn't go 'there' unless drunk or high. Ah, there was a thought! Booze was sounding better and better.

"Yeah, I enjoy my work." He shrugged once more. "I know what it's like to get so focused on it that you forget everything else."

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 04:38 am UTC (link)
He straightened up indignantly as Samuel called him on avoiding the question. Archer hated getting caught doing those things. It ruffled his feathers. "I didn't avoid it," he said pointedly, sipping his coffee. "I simply wasn't sure how to answer." And that was his answer, he supposed.

Yes, it was nice to do that. Focus and ignore the rest of the world. If only he could continue doing that for the rest of eternity. "Yes, and oftentimes it's much more pleasant than anything else." He frowned. "Science is sensible. Even when it seems to not make sense, there's an order to it." He wrinkled his nose. "Women are unpredictable and infuriating."

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 12:36 pm UTC (link)
"Tell me about it." Sam rolled his eyes, groaning under his breath. "But you know what? I'll take 'em anyway. They're also - " He paused, thinking of how to word it. He didn't want to sound like a pig, after all! But Sam loved women - he didn't discriminate! Though ones that had a few screws loose tended to be more interesting to him. "They're also really amazing sometimes, you know?" he settled on. "How boring would it be if they were predictable? Understanding women is a science in and of itself, Jay. Let me just say that."

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 04:09 pm UTC (link)
Archer raised a brow as Samuel intentionally slowed to censor himself. He wasn't sure why he did that, or what he was trying to say, so he just sipped his coffee. These kinds of subjects weren't the sort that Archer usually talked about. Clearly.

"Science has rules. There are specific parameters and you follow them." He wrinkled his nose. "Women will react different ways to the same stimulus, which is a certain indicator of instability." He looked up at Samuel. "I suppose it's their positive qualities that prevent us from abandoning them altogether." If they weren't so damned pretty and soft, well, they just would have to hit the road.

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 04:20 pm UTC (link)
"Or it could just be that people are different and have different things going on inside their head?" Sam tapped his for effect. "You're not going to get everyone reacting to the same stimulus in the same way, but that's what makes people, you know, people - and not just robots." Clearly, J. Archer had to loosen up a bit here, but that would come with time. Tightly-wound individuals didn't just change overnight. "But hey, definitely it's our positive qualities that prevent them from abandoning us too," he teased.

He blew on his coffee a little to cool it. "Okay, we can get back to talking about shit we both understand, things that are black and white, but first I have to know..." Sam lowered his voice, one hand curled on the back of his neck as he balanced his elbow on the table, leaning in slightly. "Can I ask you something? About...what you told me earlier?"

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 04:27 pm UTC (link)
This wasn't the time to discuss evolutionary theory. Archer would have been happy to launch into a discussion about the roles of men and women in primitive society and how those roles related to modern-day interactions. But he held his tongue and instead just offered Samuel a thin smile. "I suppose you're right." It sounded no less sincere than anything else he said, but it had little heart behind it. After all, he didn't really agree.

Though he'd take awkward discussions of women over awkward discussions of Bellum Letale. However, he remembered that out of respect for a fellow scientist, he owed Samuel an explanation. The man was drowning in a strange environment, and Archer wouldn't let him slip under the waves on his first day. "Of course," he said, nodding. "I will answer to the best of my ability."

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 04:37 pm UTC (link)
And it was definitely serious business, this strange environment at the new apartment complex Sam found himself shoved into - apparently the oddities weren't in the water and it wasn't airborne, but instead a product of the full moon. He should leave. He knew that. But no, instead he was going to remain stubborn and sit in his room and stare the next full moon, daring it to turn him into Dumbo the Flying Elephant or what have you.

"Can you really turn invisible? Can you do it now?" Sam asked. "And how much is you...and not Griffin? He went crazy and was killed at the end of the novel. That's not you, right?" He was essentially asking if they were all doomed to repeat the same fates as their 'fictional counterparts.' If so, that seemed like a pretty shoddy deal to him.

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 04:49 pm UTC (link)
Shit shit shit shit. This was what he didn't want Samuel to press. He had mentioned Griffin to Isobel briefly, but he didn't explain the magnitude of his presence. He wasn't sure if he could because, in a warped way, he agreed with him. Perhaps not entirely, but in ways. Yes, he needed to secure funds, and he was dragging his feet. Yes, Isobel was probably a lost cause and entertaining her further would only damage him. But they were his mistakes to make, and he wanted them so desperately.

His expression flickered between stony indifference and trepidation. Should he tell him about the invisibility? Well, those three individuals from the fish bowl nightmare knew, and already he trusted Samuel more than he did them. And, of course, Isobel knew. So perhaps he could answer that one.

"I can, but I won't now." He glanced over his shoulder at the baristas, frowning. "I would rather not draw attention to myself." He looked back to Samuel, unsure now of how to proceed. Because Griffin wasn't "going" crazy. He was crazy. Crazy and brilliant and everything Archer should have been. He dragged a thumb along the side of his nose, digging his nail briefly into his skin. "Griffin and I are nothing alike," he lied. "The emergence of these characters occurs only during the isolated full moon events. During that time period, residents experience varying degrees of expression of their fictional character. There was a young woman during the last event that claimed to feel very little change, while others had completely adopted the persona of their fabled character." He shrugged. "It's quite variable."

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 05:01 pm UTC (link)
"Yeah, good call," Sam chuckled. "I wouldn't want you to just disappear and leave your clothes in a pile here." Holyshitholyshitholyshit! The guy basically said that he could turn invisible. That was certainly an ability that could be used in either good or evil ways. "I bet that would come in handy when you need to figure out women, eh?" he joked weakly. "...alright, maybe that's just creepy."

But Sam didn't believe Archer's claim for a second. "I don't know, Jay. I think you are alike a little. The stories are so parallel. You both want to conduct your research in your own apartments, away from anyone else, and you demand credit where credit is due. Maybe Griffin was you in a past life - you know - " Sam waved his hand around. "Metaphysical bullshit. But he's not you now. It doesn't have to be like that. Because no fucking way am I going to let myself turn into...whatever. I am who I am."

"So will you show me later?" Sam wondered, referring to the invisibility. "An experiment of sorts?"

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 05:06 pm UTC (link)
The mention of invisibility as useful was met with a small smile despite himself. "Yes, it certainly can be." However, the mention of using it to figure women out made him raise a brow. "What?" He was genuinely confused by this, and rather than pursue the subject, he just shook his head and abandoned it.

His expression turned grim as Samuel began to draw comparisons between himself and Griffin. There was a bit of irritation in his eyes as he took a sip of coffee. How did this man continuously poke holes in his lies? It was infuriating. "Perhaps there are minor parallels, but we are not them." He recalled the debate that had consumed the forums before he arrived, how amusing it had been. "The residents are very concerned by this notion. I'm not sure what the predominant belief is on the subject, but it is my opinion that we are not resigned to the exact fates as they were. After all, the setting has changed drastically, as have the other players." He shrugged.

At the question, he paused. Honestly, he didn't want to become a show pony. But the mention of an experiment won him over. After all, science was progress. "Alright," he said with a nod. "When we are out of the public eye, I will demonstrate." He took a sip of his coffee and sighed.

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 05:19 pm UTC (link)
"Whew!" Sam dramatically wiped his brow. "Good to know that you're not going to end up dying at the hands of an angry mob, Jay." He laughed a little, flashing his Crest whitestrips tooth glimmer smile. Sam was good at poking people, and poking holes. It was just what he did, because overall he found all types of people to be fascinating.

"You just need to relax. I'm not going to be your enemy here," he said, leaning back in his seat. "And, you know, if you ever want to get out of that shithole apartment and conduct your research in a more appropriate setting, I may have some free space down in my lab."

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 05:26 pm UTC (link)
At his comment about not getting killed by an angry mob, Archer laughed bitterly. "I'm not sure. You'll soon find that the residents of Bellum Letale are...strange in their habits. An angry mob is not a farfetched idea."

Though he wasn't entirely relaxed at Samuel's reassurances, Archer nodded. "Alright," he said aloofly. However, the mention of another work space piqued his interest. "Oh?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. "Do you own it?" He knew he didn't want to trust his work in the hands of someone else, and even Samuel was still suspect. Still, it gave him options. And access to equipment. He had many things, but not everything, and materials were still expensive.

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 05:42 pm UTC (link)
"I believe that strange in their habits notion." Sam rolled his eyes, already thinking of some Special Snowflakes he had encountered. "But we'll hope for the best." He toasted Archer with his coffee mug, still grinning. "Yeah, I own it," he said. "I do my own work down there, when I'm not working in a medical lab. I sort of juggle both which is suicidal but once I make some really good headway on my own research, I'll give up the second job. But anyway, if you want you could come down and check out the place. I think we have similar goals but yet wouldn't drive each other mad." And Sam, strangely enough, was not in it for the limelight. It was more of a personal stake he had in it; something entirely selfish to him, to make himself feel better, and not just about winning a trophy.

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 05:47 pm UTC (link)
This was intriguing. After returning the "toast" gesture, Archer sipped his coffee, considering this. "Fascinating," he said. "I believe I would like to see it." He paused, raising a brow. "And what is the topic of your own research, if you don't mind my asking." If there was a monetary incentive, he wouldn't mind contributing. It wouldn't be his pet research, so he wouldn't care about what happened to it.

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 06:08 pm UTC (link)
Sam drained the contents of his coffee cup. How could he ever survive without such a gift from the heavens? Not possible. "Genetic testing," he replied darkly. Not something he shared, ever, but as long as they were playing the Sharing Game and could potentially benefit from the other? Why the hell not. "I don't ever talk about it, mostly just the surface of what I do, because...well..." He huffed. "You know people are."

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 06:18 pm UTC (link)
Now that wasn't vague at all. Finishing his coffee as well, he pushed the cup aside and fixed Samuel with a knowing look. "I do," he said simply. "But I understand what needs to be done for research to progress." He paused, curiosity piqued. "Would you elaborate? If it falls within my realm, I might be interested in aiding you."

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[info]tiger_says_rawr
2010-06-13 06:30 pm UTC (link)
"It might. You already mentioned it yesterday," Sam replied with a rueful smile. He cleared his throat. "Mice are often considered the best model of inherited human disease because they share 99% of their genes with humans, so mostly induced animal models of human diseases. The animal develops pathology and symptoms that resemble a human - some scientists say that the models are invaluable, others dismiss it, but I do believe a lot is to be gained here. Monkeys too - when injected with a chemical that is similar to Parkinson's disease in humans, they recover when the injections stop." He slid the empty coffee cup back and forth in between his hands. "Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?"

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[info]sneakingaround
2010-06-13 06:44 pm UTC (link)
Archer listened to his explanation carefully. Honestly, he never understood the uproar about animal testing. It was the most logical and cost-effective choice, as well as the one that was most likely to yield usable results.

At the question, he was silent for a moment, thinking this over. Would it be a useful endeavor? Absolutely. Medical research was always good for humanity, and thus, good for science. But was he entirely interested? Perhaps not. However, agreeing to this could help cement an alliance with Samuel while simultaneously giving him the access to materials he wouldn't otherwise have. And his proficiency in the lab would only serve him well.

Finally, he nodded, offering the other man a slight smile. "Actually, it does. I would like to take a tour of the facilities, and I offer all of my past work up for scrutiny. If you feel that I would be a worthwhile addition, I would be happy for it."

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(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 07:00 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 07:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 07:20 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 07:29 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 07:56 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 07:59 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 08:19 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 08:26 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 08:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 08:47 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 09:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 09:33 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 09:46 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 09:52 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiger_says_rawr, 2010-06-13 10:03 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sneakingaround, 2010-06-13 10:05 pm UTC

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