InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "RYU GA WAGA TEKI O KURAU!!!"

Alex Drake [Ashes to Ashes] (bolly_knickers) wrote in mirage_rpg,
@ 2008-08-19 02:02:00

Entry tags:

alex drake, arrival, complete, daisuke jigen, day 11

Who? Alex Drake and OTA.
Where? The Coffee Bar.
When? Morning.
What? Alex arrives on Mirage.
Rating? PG at the most, I think.
Status? Complete.

Everything was going according to plan. Tim and Caroline Price had been locked in the cells - albeit on false charges and surrounded by an army of gay pride campaigners, during an inconvenient station inspection. Still, everything was going according to plan for Alex. As long as she could keep Tim and Caroline in the cells until 10am tomorrow, they wouldn't be able to get into the car, and therefore would not die, therefore allowing her to go back to 2008. It all seemed perfectly logical... although she did wonder exactly what she would be going back to. Would she wake up with memories of a completely different childhood? She didn't know, and she didn't care... at that precise moment, she only cared about making her plan work. A plan that Gene Hunt was not so thrilled about.

"Everything is fine. Everything is exactly as I want it to be," she tried to explain, but he was simply having none of it.

"Everything is not fine."

"I know that this is very difficult for you to understand, but my whole reason for being here, my raison des.. this is the denouement of my entire..."

"SPEAK ENGLISH!"

She closed her eyes just for a moment, pressing her forefinger and thumb against the bridge of her nose. "Just trust me!" she insisted, opening her eyes again to find that he had... vanished. "Gene?" she asked, barely above a whisper as she turned on the spot. He hadn't disappeared - she'd disappeared apparently. This was definitely not the police station... perhaps everything had gone to plan after all. Perhaps the police station simply turned into a coffee bar in 2008. Was she home? A small smile played at her lips, but strangely enough she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. She'd... never got to have her dinner date with Gene.

Oh, who cared?! With a little skip in her step, she approached the nearest person. "Excuse me. Hi. This is going to sound completely barking, but what year is it?"

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daisukejigen
2008-08-19 04:17 pm UTC (link)

Jigen almost spilled his espresso when the woman with an outrageous perm that reminded him painfully of the 80's appeared out of nowhere only a few steps away from him.

"Jesus fucking Christ," he mumbled under his breath and carefully set the small cup back on its plate on the counter he was sitting by. He looked at the woman with his dark eyes from under his black fedora hat.

"Lady, I've no idea," was his simple answer on his low, masculine, almost grunting voice.

He was another odd sight - he was dressed in a very classy black suit topped with a white tie and a golden tie pin, along with the black hat that shadowed his face. He had Asian features that could have been pinpointed to Japan, but judging by his accent he could have been American as well. A black beard followed his jawline, emphasizing his sharp features and high cheek bones. He did not smile at the woman, nor did he say anything else - for a while he just stared at her, but then he turned away and finally picked up his espresso cup taking the sip he had longed for.

Too damn early in the morning for smiling at strangers.

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bolly_knickers
2008-08-19 05:03 pm UTC (link)

Alex certainly hadn't meant to startle anyone, but the thought of being home again was just a little to exciting for even her to handle calmly. But if she'd thought her question was going to sound slightly insane, his response wasn't exactly the height of normality either. She pulled her eyebrows together in confusion, but considering she had just required to ask him what year it was, she could hardly point out that it was ridiculous that he didn't know the year.

"Right..." she started, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to think of her next move. He really didn't seem like he wanted to talk, but that wasn't exactly her concern. She didn't information, and she would get it somehow. "Ok, well in that case do you know where I can buy a newspaper that might tell me the date?" That seemed about the safest option.

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daisukejigen
2008-08-19 05:15 pm UTC (link)

The man let out a long sigh after the first sip of espresso. Then he finally shrugged and answered without looking at the woman, "Haven't seen one newspaper here."

Then he slowly turned to look at her and set an elbow on the counter. He took his time once more, brushing his black beard with his fingertips as he studied her and her outfit.

"You look like you're from the 80's. Last night I met someone from 1993. I was taken here from the year 2004. I don't know what year the witch was from, but I guess that's saying something too. A witch," he spoke solemnly but with a grim frown on her brow, making lines of aging from the corners of his slanted Asian eyes.

"You're on another planet. Don't ask me how or why, because I don't know. There are people who have been here for almost two weeks and even they don't know how to get back and are just as clueless." He paused for a moment and then pulled a stool from under the counter closer to the woman thinking she might want to take a seat to absorb all that insanity. "I wish I was kidding."

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bolly_knickers
2008-08-19 05:27 pm UTC (link)

She raised an eyebrow, confused as to how a place couldn't have any newspapers for her to check the date on. This was getting completely ridiculous. As he started to speak of people from different times, however, her heart started to race a little... that sounded a little too familiar. Was this perhaps some sort of purgatory she would have to endure before being sent home?

She raised a hand to touch her hair, rolling her eyes as she realised she still had her perm intact. "I'm actually from 2008. I was shot, and... sort of woke up in 1981," she explained quickly. Well, if he was going to babble nonsense about people from different times, she might as well say it like it was.

If she could have accepted the idea of different times, she wasn't quite ready to accept the thought of a different planet. "Excuse me?" she asked, unable to stop herself from laughing slightly. "No, no... I'm not on another planet! I must be crazier than I thought if my subconscious is conjuring up this now. At least Gene Hunt and all that had a source... this is... it's..." she trailed off, looking at his face and becoming aware that he definitely wasn't joking. She groaned, dropping gratefully into the seat that he had offered. "I was so close. Now what am I meant to do?" she asked, mostly questioning herself.

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daisukejigen
2008-08-19 05:50 pm UTC (link)

He let her ramble and think about her situation in peace while he drank the rest of his espresso. Then he took a cigarette pack from his breast pocket along with a silver Zippo lighter. He shook out a cigarette and put it on his lips, but before he lit it, he turned the pack around in his hand offering one to the woman as well, forming the question only by raising an eyebrow.

"This is my third day here, and that damn hurricane has been raging outside all that time. That means I haven't been outside much so I can't tell you what it's like out there. Of course it's more than possible that this is a huge mind fuck. All I know is that this place... the Mirage, it gives you a place to stay and whatever else you need. Food, drink, clothing, possibly even a black eyeliner," he said with a more humorous tone even though he was not smiling. It had been a good while since he had seen anyone dressed like she was, but he had to admit - she wasn't bad looking despite the rather horrendous touch of the 80's.

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bolly_knickers
2008-08-19 06:04 pm UTC (link)

She declined the cigarette with a simple wave of her hand, but listened carefully to what the man had to say. If her theory was right, her mind wouldn't waste time inventing things that weren't important. Everything had to be treated as important until she figured out this part of her test.

"Ok, that makes sense. It seems like it works just like the 80s worked for me... although at least the 80s had some significance for me. What exactly I'm meant to be doing here, I don't know," she admitted. She hadn't quite decided whether or not this man was just another figment, or if they had all met the same destiny. She was at least grateful that this time the man referred to the planet as 'the Mirage', and didn't insist on it being reality like her colleagues in 1981 had done.

She did manage a slight smile at his comment about the eyeliner. "Oh, I know... I woke up with the perm and the makeup. Not a personal choice," she assured him, nodding slowly. It was odd that she hadn't changed back into her own fashions again if this was a new task altogether. "So, how do I find out where I'm meant to be staying?"

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daisukejigen
2008-08-19 06:16 pm UTC (link)

Right at her question a big man-shaped thing approached on the other side of the counter - only that it's face was emotionless, blank, and made of stone. It slammed a heavy stony hand on the counter in front of the woman leaving a key there. Then it turned and walked away.

"There's your answer," Jigen said not blinking an eye at the strange thing stomping around. He lit his own cigarette and then took a look at the key. "F201," he read the imprint on it. "That's your room number. And that," he nodded towards the stone man, "is a golem. There's a lot of them around. Not a very chatty crowd, but I guess if you need something, ask those things. I should probably show you the sign too, I guess it's something a newcomer should always see."

He stood up, picked his cigarettes and the lighter from the counter and tucked a hand to his pocket and held the burning cigarette with the other one. He turned and headed towards the door leading to the next room without saying anything more, apparently expecting her to follow him.

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bolly_knickers
2008-08-19 06:36 pm UTC (link)

Alex jumped slightly as the heavy hand slapped down her room-key, her mouth hanging slightly open as she peered at the creature she was now faced with. "Geez, what part of my subconscious did you crawl out of?" she asked, obviously receiving no answer for her rhetorical question.

"Room F201. Lovely. I take it this is a sort of apartment complex or hotel then?" she asked, since the coffee bar was all she had seen of the planet so far. She sighed softly, glancing after the creature the man referred to as a golem. "And they're made of stone, right? Or am I completely losing it?" she asked, with a soft laugh.

"The sign?" she asked, but he'd already got to his feet to lead her to this sign before she figured out what he could be referring to. She got to her feet and followed - she was starting to get used to men who just expected her to do as they ordered, but she wasn't exactly going to argue with this one. She needed a guide, and strong and silent was better than unhelpful. She wasn't really looking to make friends, she only wanted information. She didn't plan on staying long, anyway.

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daisukejigen
2008-08-20 04:58 am UTC (link)

The man walked rather leisurely, smoking as he went in no hurry. His shoulders were raised as if he was tense all the time, but the way he moved and talked gave the idea of him being everything but tense as he took his time in everything.

"From what I've gathered, this place appears like it's a holiday resort or something. The golems - that apparently are made of stone, yes," he glanced over his shoulder at the woman, "seem to be taking care of the running things. This is the main building with everything you could possibly need. The apartment buildings are nearby, your room is in one of those. It's just pretty difficult to get there through that storm," he explained and nodded at a window. It was impossible to see very far through the storm or make out the landscape, but one could make out other buildings through the heavy rain, sand and rubble flying in the winds.

After a few turns, Jigen opened a door to a room that had the large greeting plaque on a pedestal. He walked further into the room tucking both his hands in his pockets with the cigarette firmly between his teeth, and let the woman read the plaque on her own.

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bolly_knickers
2008-08-21 01:44 pm UTC (link)

"A holiday resort?" she repeated, a little confused at why her subconscious would choose that of all things. maybe it was a brief reward for all her hard work in the 80s, but she somehow doubted it. She nodded with interest as he spoke of the functions of the resort, and sighed slightly as he mentioned the storm. "Oh, I knew it couldn't be all good. It gives me a holiday resort, but won't let me go outside. Wonderful," she said sarcastically, although there was still a slight smile on her face.

She moved to stand in front of the plaque, raising an eyebrow in surprise as she saw what he had been talking about. "Oh, well isn't that clever," she mused, reaching out to touch the stone in front of her. As with the 80s, she could feel every grain under her fingertips; it was so lifelike. "Wow... I think I must be getting better. This one comes with guidelines and everything!" she exclaimed. She really didn't care that she tended to make very little sense, especially since she hadn't fully decided if the man acting as her guide was even real yet.

She had noted the fact that the plaque said she wasn't going to be able to leave, but it didn't exactly worry her. She simply assumed it meant 'until further notice', and if her mind was getting strong enough to give her a set of instructions set in stone, she imagined it wouldn't be long until she cracked this planet as well.

"Fantastic. Now, tell me, when they say entertainment, do they have televisions?" she asked; it may have seemed a strange question for someone who had just been transported to another planet, but she was used to her subconscious delivering her messages through television sets, and she hoped she'd have the same luck in this world.

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daisukejigen
2008-08-23 10:18 am UTC (link)

The man frowned at the strange question, but shrugged. "I don't know. Probably around here somewhere, but I don't think you'll see any broadcasts. If you want to watch movies, I think the Planet can arrange that," he explained.

This time he had actually turned to look at the woman properly, and kept staring at her from under the brim of his hat with wonder in his dark eyes. "From what I've gathered so far," he began slowly with his low voice, "this was not the first time you've appeared somewhere else entirely? Did you say you were shot?"

Jigen rarely asked questions because questions often raised counter-questions, and he did not want to talk about himself. This time, though, the woman had picked his curiosity that had been building up slowly since her appearance to this point, finally crossing the line of Don't Care to the land of Whatta Hell.

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bolly_knickers
2008-08-25 02:35 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, that's fine, hopefully they'll work either way. I'll find something," she decided, rushing over the subject. She didn't want to contemplate the possibility that she would no longer receive hints from the real world.

"I seem to be making a habit of it, but hopefully this means I'm just one step closer to home," she said, not daring to let her optimism fail her. She couldn't despair now, she couldn't give up. For all she knew, she'd only been shot a few minutes ago.

"In 2008, I was shot by a man called Arthur Layton, and woke up in 1981," she tried to explain. "As far as I can gather, I'm still lying on the ground in 2008, and what I do now will determine whether I get to life or die. Unfinished business, I think. I had to arrest Layton and safe my parents, which is why I have no idea what I'm meant to do here," she rambled on. If Jigen had worried about being asked questions in return, he needn't have; Alex had very little interest in his story, considering him to be nothing more than an imaginary construct sent ot guide her through this new land. "Unless you know of an Arthur Layton?" she asked, quirking a brow as the possibility came to her.

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daisukejigen
2008-08-25 02:48 pm UTC (link)

The man stared at her silently for a while, and then slowly shook his head. "No," was his answer - as curt as ever.

"I don't know about your theory. I didn't get shot, I was just walking," he paused and corrected himself, "running through a door, but I didn't end up in the streets of New York like I should have. I found myself in the middle of a hurricane out there," he pointed out the window. "But whatever. It's not like anything else makes sense here anyway."

He fell silent for a moment and just stood there with his hands in his pockets, until he shrugged. "Do you still need something? There's little else I can tell you," he admitted. It wasn't like him to be very hospitable towards strangers, but he understood that her situation called for a little friendliness.

"Except that," he then added as it occurred to him, "my name is Jigen." He raised his fedora a few inches from his head and nodded as a small bow.

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bolly_knickers
2008-08-25 04:37 pm UTC (link)

Alex shrugged it off, rolling her eyes slightly as if to imply that she'd expected as much. Still, she'd look out for anyone that knew him, or anyone that had some connection, any connection, to her past. She'd figure out; she was strong enough.

"Running?" she asked, hands on her hips as she gave him the look of an impatient mother. "Running from something perhaps?" she asked; she wasn't exactly concerned about how and why he was there, but running from something seemed to work for her. "Perhaps you've been sent here in order to face up to whatever it is you were running from. Prove you're strong enough to return. I don't know... I think you'll probably have to figure that part out solo," she admitted.

She glanced about, resigning herself to the fact that she was yet again stuck somewhere she didn't want to be. "No, I think I'll be just fine, thanks. You've been... extremely helpful. Just, you know, if you do hear of an Arthur Layton, do let me know," she suggested, although she was sure that much would have been obvious.

As he tipped his hat, she did manage a small smile. "I'm Alex, Alex Drake," she responded, dipping her head slightly and only just refraining from curtsying in response.

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daisukejigen
2008-08-26 01:10 am UTC (link)

The hat was back resting on his black hair, but he nodded once more. "Ms Drake," he repeated politely, and added honestly to his own surprise, "nice meeting you."

Still, he could not help feeling that the woman - Alex, apparently - was over thinking things. Then again, the Planet was strange and mysterious, so everything was of course possible.

"I'll let you know of this Layton if I ever hear of him. Now, I still have a breakfast to catch, but if you need me to, I can show you to your room. It's damned horrible trying to get there through that storm, especially if you don't know where you're going."

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