Merrill Controls Rolf

<Soulless> It's at some ungodly hour, perhaps 4 or 5 am, when Rolf starts breathing normally again.
<Soulless> His pulse slowly, languidly returns to normal.
<Sax> Merrill, out of curiosity (to sate what she saw the other day) comes over into Medical.
<Soulless> And eventually, his eyes open. His first whispers is a request for a quieter room, and he is taken to a quieter, private room.
<Soulless> A nurse watches over him, in a darkened, quiet room, for his vitals.
<Soulless> Merrill can probably catch him there, in that room.
<Sax> She gently enters, and closes the door behind her with a soft click.
<Soulless> If she enters, she's instructed to keep it quiet as possible.
<Soulless> Rolf winces at the sound of the door clicking. The slightly creaky door is agony in his mind. The world is darkness and echoes of memories, that he wants to forget. He hates his past self. He is Merrill crying out for her family. He is Charles, crushed as his world collapses around him. He is Jean, tortured over and over again in the camps.
<Soulless> His pale eyes are unfocused, and cannot tell Merrill from the memories screaming in his mind. Still, they have enough cognizance to look at her.
<Sax> In a soft voice: "Good morning, Mister Vogel."
<Soulless> "[...Who...?]"
<Sax> (what language?)
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<Soulless> (German)
<Soulless> "[...not... not him...]"
<Sax> She locks eyes with him.
<Sax> "[Can you understand me?]"
<Sax> (German)
<Soulless> "[...the girl... crying out... Natzweiler... Natzweiler...]"
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<Sax> She stops.
<Sax> Then smirks.
<Soulless> "[...mother, father... mother, father... I cry... the screaming... their faces...]"
<Soulless> Tears prick his eyes, but his eyes look as if he has been weeping for hours. Perhaps he has.
<Sax> "... so what I saw the other day was not just a wandering gaze."
<Soulless> "[...through the gates... through...]"
<Sax> "Involuntary memory recall?"
<Sax> "Of those all around you?"
<Sax> She takes a seat, and removes her glasses.
<Soulless> He looks to Merrill, pale gaze unfocused. He squints, a few times, like he's trying to break through the surface of whatever he's seeing.
<Soulless> He has something like approaching awareness.
<Soulless> But only approaching.
<Sax> Her violet eyes unveiled, she looks back to Rolf.
<Sax> "You poor thing."
<Soulless>  Rolf watches. "[...a boot... it goes black...]"
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<Sax> "Although, your gift is a unique one... perhaps if you survive, you could make millions writing others' stories as if they were your own."
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<Soulless> He falls silent again, for a few minutes more. Then he begins to repeat. "[...he is coming home... to his wife...]"
<Sax> "... someone else's story now."
<Soulless> "[...she is not there... she is... not... to his wife...]"
<Sax> She continues to look into your eyes, Rolf.
<Soulless> Rolf watches, his gaze slowly, trying to focus, again and again. He's trying to rub two brain cells together to string a phrase that isn't a memory. It's clear on his face. He's just so, so overwhelmed.
<Sax> Steady glowing violet to your unfocused glossed over orbs.
<Sax> "Which one of these miseries is truly your own, Mister Vogel?"
<Sax> She begins taking notes of all the tests she would love to have Rolf go through.
<Soulless> He winces, as if even the brightness of her gaze is too much for him, and he looks away.
<Sax> As well as workings that may either amplify or attenuate his own effects.
<Sax> She continues to follow your eyes.
<Sax> A purple sun that ceases to leave you alone.
* AwayEldritch is now known as AidenEldritch
<Soulless> He looks back, helplessly. "[...needed the information... wanted not to love it... so much...]"
<Soulless> "[...so easy... to love it... made them ill to hear...]"
<Sax> "[Needed?]"
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<Sax> "[... like euphoria?]"
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<Soulless> He breathes, deeplly. "[...needed the information... they always need the information from... them... made them ill to hear...how far she went... would've been more ill... if they knew how much she loved it...]"
<Soulless> "[...John's face... green... when he heard what she had done...]"
<Sax> "Ah, perhaps another memory."
<Sax> She turns a page, and begins jotting down the names of whoever he mentions.
<Soulless> He blinks, at her, there is a crystalization, for a moment, and it disappears again.
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<Sax> As well as the circumstances - what is their story? What is their pain?
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<Soulless> "[....he felt bad about... every little thing... minor... little things... wanted to be pure... humble... every act a sin...]"
<Sax> Merrill is semi-despondent - she would have rather had Rolf tell her about his abilities personally.
<Soulless> "[...killed a bee, once... stung him...]"
<Sax> She is mostly ecstatic, though - observation of its effects up-close will make do!
<Sax> She continues writing down Rolf's vocalizations.
<Soulless> After that, though, he seems to have some awareness of Merrill's actions. At least enough that his pale gaze moves from her violent eyes to the pen in her hand.
<Soulless> He abruptly stops  talking.
<Sax> She takes note.
<Sax> "Have you finally come-to, Mister Vogel?"
<Soulless> He blinks, quietly, looks back to her, then back at the pen.
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<Sax> She moves the pen around, seeing if his eyes follow it.
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<Soulless> He opens his mouth, swallows, and closes it again. There's a black tinge to his lips and teeth. There are several bruises forming around his neck, and collarbone. Clear to see to her. They're too black for normal bruises.
<Soulless> Just slightly too black.
<Soulless> His voice, through whisper, sounds like he's been swallowing thumbtacks.
<Sax> "Your gift also produces physiological effects?"
<Soulless> His pale gaze is very, very slow to follow her pen.
<Soulless> But it does.
<Sax> She takes note, and then puts her pen away.
<Soulless> Occasionally it clarifies, and it follows the pen faster, and then slows again on the next blink.
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<Soulless> He watches her do it, and opens and closes his mouth several times. He breathes slowly. "Merrill."
<Sax> "Have you finally come-to?"
<Sax> Her violet eyes lock gazes with yours, Rolf.
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<Soulless> He tries to look away again. "[...eyes are... like the sun... hurts.]"
<Sax> "I have bright eyes? You are too kind."
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<Sax> "About the girl at Natzwiller... what did she look like?"
<Sax> "What did her father look like?"
<Soulless> Does she stop meetin ghis gaze?
<Sax> She does not.
<Sax> She continues to focus in on his pupils.
<Soulless> His gaze, narrows, slithgly, and he reaches up to wipe tearstreaks from his cheeks, with agonizing slowness. He licks the black from his lips, and swallows.
<Soulless> He looks to her, but says nothing.
<Soulless> A refusal.
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<Sax> "Or a man returning to his wife?"
<Sax> "Or a bog who felt all his actions a sin?"
<Sax> boy*
<Soulless> His eyes unfocus again at the suggestions. For a moment he's lost. "[...the wife... Gaile... not being there... she was... hair like horse mane... never forget... that color...]"
<Sax> She writes down Gaile as well.
<Sax> "Not there... did Gaile die?
<Sax> "Or did she abandon him?"
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<Soulless> His eyes refocuses again, shortly. Looks around the room, in a deliberate, partially to avoid her gaze, partially... he slowly moves his hands to cover his ears.
<Soulless> His movements are weak, unorganized.
<Sax> She tones her voice down.
<Sax> "Sorry about that."
<Soulless> "[...stop... reminding... me...]"
<Sax> She continues to move about his bed to meet his gaze.
<Soulless> "[...its...too much...]"
<Sax> "[I remind you of nothing but Natzwiller.]"
<Sax> "[But the others are not my experience... how many lives have you reflected?]"
<Soulless> His eyes have a helpless, lost look.
<Soulless> "[...not... a sliver... of his...]"
<Sax> "[How many others' miseries have you taken as your own?]"
<Soulless> He bites his lip, and closes his eyes, to hide from her gaze.
<Soulless> His hands begin to reach for the button to call for the nurse, slowly, blindly, uncoordinated.
<Soulless> Does she stop him?
<Sax> 4df+3 INTIM "[A mere nurse will not help you, Rolf.]"
<Glacon> Sax: INTIM "[A mere nurse will not help you, Rolf.]": 3 (4df+3=-, 0, +, 0)
<Soulless> 4df+1
<Glacon> Soulless: 3 (4df+1=+, +, 0, 0)
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<Soulless> naw
<Soulless> fuck it
<Soulless> Player fiat
<Soulless> Rolf's hands fall.
<Sax> She picks up the call button and moves it to the bedside table.
<Sax> Just outside of Rolf's reach, unless he stands up.
<Soulless> He watches her do it.
<Soulless> He makes no move to get up. He probably can't.
<Sax> "[How many others' lives have your eyes reflected?]"
<Soulless> "...[her mother... had her hair... her father... her smile...]"
<Soulless> "[...the gates to Natzwiler... open for her father.. dragged through the gates...]"
<Sax> Merrill remembers it all too well.
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<Sax> She still has her father by her side, however.
<Sax> Her first wand, and her best, has never left her side.
<Soulless> He doesn't seem to recall her wand, or anything like that.
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<Soulless> It seems he's just repeating that one moment, again and again.
<Sax> Because they are not sins to her.
<Sax> They are redemption.
<Soulless> He blinks to her, and his fists clench, then unclench.
<Soulless> "...[No...]"
<Sax> "[Do you only recall the bad?]"
<Sax> "[The memories that bring misery or shame?]"
<Soulless> If she doesn't purposefully remind him of anything, again, he can just barely, barely string words together. "[...stop... studying... me...]"
<Sax> "[Failings?]"
<Sax> She stifles a giggle.
<Sax> "[Mister Vogel, do you have any idea how rare it is to find a living empathic mirror?]"
<Soulless> Rolf watches her. "[...why.. do you insist... on hurting my eyes... with yours?]"
<Soulless> He isn't answering any of her questions. Perhaps purposefully.
<Sax> "Oh, my apologies."
<Sax> She puts her glasses back on, the special lenses absorbing the glow.
<Soulless> "[....you are not... sorry... at all...]"
<Soulless> This is not accuusatory.
<Sax> She fakes getting an arrow to the heart.
<Sax> "Dearest Rolf, you have cut to the heart of me."
<Soulless> "[...he used to... lie just as much...]" He sighs.
<Sax> "Your condition is pitiful, yes."
<Sax> "But the research data that can be collected would be tremendous."
<Sax> "Further expanding our knowledge into the world of the anomalous."
<Soulless> His arms move, pressing his palms against his bed. He pushes, once, just enough to lift a centimeter or two. He falls back, and cries out at the sensation. As if even just the motion hurt unbearably.
<Sax> "Has your anomaly caused you that much distress that even basic motor movements cause you great pain?"
<Soulless> He doesn't answer her, his gaze hardening by the moment, slowly, second by second. He can see her shape, now. He knows where he is.
<Soulless> Perhaps by tomorrow morning, he might be able even to sit up.
<Sax> She can note his gaze hardening, and smiles.
<Sax> "I know you can understand me, even if you refuse to answer me."
<Soulless> He nods, but doesn't smile back. "[...many people... have sat up before.]"
<Sax> "[Yes, but very few with your gift survive to your age.]"
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<Soulless> "[...he sat up... even though it hurt his bones... when he is called to the chamber again...]"
<Soulless> "[...sat up... from the chair... when they tore his nails out...]"
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<Soulless> He closes his eyes again, and seems to lose his place for several long minutes, begining to weep again.
<Soulless> Then he opens his eyes.
<Soulless> "[...it hurts...] Merrill... why... didn't I die?"
* Lily is now known as LilySleep
<Sax> "You have not perished because your mind is hardy."
<Sax> "THat being said..."
<Soulless> "[...Please... kill me... it hurts.]"
<Sax> "Out of all the lives you relive, how much of YOU is still in your head?"
<Sax> "Oh goodness, no."
<Sax> "Why would I dispose of such a precious research resource now?"
<Soulless> "[I can't... bear it... I can't...]"
<Soulless> "[I /can't/...]"
<Sax> "It would be a shame for something to happen to you now, Mister Vogel."
<Soulless> "[Please... please...]" He sounds pathetic, he can barely emphasize above a whisper, but he whispers with all the force he can muster. It isn't much.
<Sax> She playfully kisses the tips of her fingers and presses them lightly onto your lips, Rolf.
<Sax> "No."
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<Sax> "You will not die here, Rolf Vogel."
<Soulless> He blinks, breathes in slowly, and exhales. He doesn't have the mental energy to be angry. Even begging took much out of him, it is clear on him now how much merely recognizing himself to beg for mercy has taken from his frazzled mind.
<Sax> "Not until I am at least satisfied with what you have to show me."
<Sax> "Only then will you have my permission to expire by your own means."
<Soulless> When he opens his eyes again, they're glassy and unfocused. He's gone again.
<Soulless> He might've heard her. He might not've.
<Sax> "We shall continue this another time."
<Sax> "Perhaps when you are more... in touch with our plane."
<Sax> She does another finger-kiss before gently pressing the nurse call button.
<Soulless> "[...he killed a bee, once... stung him...]" Yep, hes gone.
<Soulless> The nurse comes when called, and checks on him. Looks to her with some suspicion.
<Sax> She presses the call button and departs, leaving Rolf to his own miserable devices.
<Soulless> "He wasn't talking when he first came in here."
<Sax> "He's been muttering multiple incoherent sentences since I arrived."
<Soulless> "That's a good sign, maybe. Shame I can't understand any German. Do you?"
<Sax> "Only some of it."
<Soulless> "He's not asking for help, is he?"
<Sax> "And my understanding of it is too broken to know what he's saying."
<Sax> "... it does not sound like it."
<Sax> "However, I pressed the button so that you can check up on him, as I am not a medical practitioner."
<Soulless> "Good to know, at least. I'll check on him. Looks like he's more stable."
<Sax> :I hope he gets better soon. Poor soul."
<Soulless> She nods and attends to him, adjusting the oxygen mask, making sure he's not going to make himself sore laying in his position, and checking his fluid bag, etc.
<Sax> Merrill smiles sweetly before gliding out of Medical, with practiced elegance.
<Sax> (FIN)