entrancelogs | it's an obsession, man on a mission

Who: Victor Frankenstein (

lifeskills) and Steve Rogers (

assembles)
Where: Research facility at the station.
When: Backdated to May 17th.
Rating: PG-13 for brains.
Summary: Science, though. So much science. Captain Killjoy interrupts the science.
The Story:

_{[Victor's never seen the likes of the research station before, but that just makes it all the more interesting. The message left by people he will never meet (What have we done?) stirs a need to know more about their purpose. What had they done? What had they been researching in this sprawling underground shelter?

Unthinkingly, he finds himself throwing hours a way looking over the scant remains of the station's equipment and specimens, building a picture for himself with what clues he can drum up.

It's something he can do. Forward progress. A necessary diversion. Also, maybe, a little to do with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, a need to understand why this memory exists and what had happened here, to accomplish something before the inevitable happens and the Monster catches up with him. There's no running from what's always with you, the shadow at your side; the Monster will find him eventually. He can feel him near, a pressure, a presence.

The sense of their impending collision drives him to distract his frantic mind. A spur of the moment decision brings the doctor back to the research area. In those jars, preserved brain specimens.

He doesn't have a fully-functioning lab for the job, but if he could just... It's not as though there aren't more samples to spare...

Double-checking the door is shut fast, Victor gives into his temptation, transferring the brain from its fluid prison to a tray with the help of tools he'd scrounged up. He feels more at home like this than he has in three days. If he's going to die, or go hungry, or sleep without a bed, he might as well do something meaningful.]}

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[Steve's conscience really has nothing to do with it. As far as he's concerned, Victor has issued a threat, although that's counter-balanced by how hard he's trying to get Steve to leave. It makes Steve wonder why he's so set on that, why he needs to be left alone with a random brain sample of unknown origin.

Yeah, there's nothing fishy about this at all.

Maybe it has something to do with the past, given how Victor is waxing philosophical about it. Either way, Steve's mind is made up, that he's going to watch Victor for as long as he can to make sure he doesn't have some ill intent in mind for the rest of the people trapped here. He moves toward a rickety, rusted chair and takes a seat in it -- just a little surprised when it manages not to collapse under his weight.]

The fact that you're so eager to get me out of here only makes you look more suspicious.

[So no, he's not budging. Not just yet, anyway. He's let other people, like Hannibal, slip under his radar. That isn't going to happen again, and while the paranoia is feeding into all this, making Steve irrational where normally he would have probably taken the suggestion to leave (and fetched some food for Victor in the process), he isn't entirely aware of it.]

_{[Coming from Victor, humor usually has a dark and sarcastic bite to it, as it does now. He favors Steve with another flick of his eyebrows.]}

Here you are looming over me, and I'm the suspicious one?

_{[Well, at least the looming has stopped for now. In a show of rebellion, Victor reclaims his seat,too. Fine. Two can play at this game.]}

I already told you what you wanted to know, and you're of no use to me. What more do you want? Go away.

You're the one poking around at random brains, so yeah.

[Steve's only doing his job by making sure that Victor isn't going to somehow unleash something on the rest of the people trapped here.

So he's a little anxious around scientists, especially when they're doing experimentation. So what?

That next remark from Victor causes Steve to raise an eyebrow, his gaze growing sharp.] Of no use to you? Is that all you care about, how people can best serve you? [Because that sounds pretty creepy, especially in the current context.]

_{[For a minute, the dagger the American makes of his words resembles Caliban so closely that Victor feels his skin crawl again as if the demon were in the room, glaring at him with those disfigured eyes.

He stops in the middle of picking up his tools, then turns his head to favor Steve with a poker-faced expression. The sarcasm remains, however.]}

Which is it, are you here to debate principles, or are you here on a mission of altruism? Weren't you the one who said he was looking for supplies? And now you're doing nothing.

_{[He takes wasting his time more personally than the implication he's selfish. Victor doesn't pretend his skills are better spent foraging for food. He can best serve himself and others here, with a puzzle in front of him to unlock.]}

I don't think my priorities are the issue.

Edited 2015-06-28 06:45 (UTC)

[Steve doesn't see why he can't debate principles and be altruistic at the same time, but Victor does make a good point about this entire conversation sidetracking him in a serious way. His top priority should be making sure that the people he cares about are well-fed, not babysitting some mad scientist.

Still, this doesn't sit right with him, and so even though he stands from the chair, he isn't going to run off with his tail between his legs. Steve Rogers does not back down from a fight, even a non-physical one.]

You're right. I'm going to go look for food. I'll even grab you some on the way. But...

[And just like that, he marches over and takes the brain, tray and all. He doesn't trust Victor, so the only solution is to take the point of contention away from him. Steve will just have to dump it somewhere.]

This comes with me.

_{[Of course he's right, he knows he's right--

And because he unequivocally feels he knows better, he almost can't believe this American soldier has the temerity to overstep his bounds the way he does. Victor flinches back as the tray is pulled out from beneath his arms, mouth falling open to protest.

He's almost ready to stand up out of his seat again. To do what, he's not sure.]}

Has the stress addled your mind? What little of it comprehends what you're doing? You can't just take a specimen from a lab.

_{[More importantly, Victor isn't done with it yet.]}

Edited 2015-07-01 02:37 (UTC)

[It's for the best that Victor doesn't stand because that might be registered at a threat at the moment. Steve can tell that Victor isn't trained for battle, his physique alone gives that away, but he isn't quite in his right mind at the moment.

Which is something that Victor calls him out on, if in the sort of condescending way that gets right under Steve's skin.]

You call this a lab?

[What little equipment is left is rusted over. There's no light source, a fine layer of dust is on just about everything, and if Victor thinks that sitting in the dim light and poking at a brain is in any way normal, then he's in for a surprise.

Without another word, Steve pivots and starts for the door, tray held tight in his hands.]

It's a research station for research. _{[He snaps it, unease flaring when the oaf shows no signs of stopping.]} A research specimen belongs where it can be properly cared for and contained.

_{[What does the man think he's going to do, walk around in public with an open brain? How does that register as being a remotely good idea over a trained doctor taking precautions within a lab environment?]}

You can't!

_{[Are you even listening to him? There are other brains where that one came from, but the instinct to prevent contamination is bred into his bones by now.]}

[Maybe Victor's words would have registered more in another situation, because what he's saying is logical when you get right down to it. But the fact that he's putting aside something as important as his own survival to experiment on a brain speaks to a lack of stability, and Steve kind of has a thing about scientists.

So he doesn't stop. Somehow it seems important that he prevents Victor from doing this one thing, even if it means going and tossing the sample into the snow where Victor won't be able to find it.

Despite the protests, Steve steps out of the door and starts down the hall. If Victor wants the brain back, he'll need to come after it.]

Do you hear what I'm saying?

_{[This can't happen! This man's about to downright steal a human brain if he doesn't come to his senses. Victor asks himself how it'd gotten to this as he scrambles after him, bumping his legs into his seat in his rush.]}

St--

_{[Except Steve's already past the door before he can get the command out.

This has to be a joke. A muscle-head didn't just break into his workspace and make off with the very thing he'd been working on just a moment ago, right? Victor goggles at the audacity of it all, making it to the door just in time to at the door frame, a growl of disbelief and frustration winding its way out of him. Petulance in its purest form.]}

it's an obsession, man on a mission

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somebody get these two a comedy show, stat

jfc what a nightmare

i think you mean what a dream team

oh you're right excuse me (also lmk if this isn't okay!)

dear god, it's more than okay, lmao

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