> "Okay then, one more clarification, before the requests. 'Whether I like it or not.'
> Does that mean you have to find out out anything I want to know? Even if it
> gets you into trouble? Dependant on Mr. Red Eyes, of course."

Well, should have seen that coming, Sonya thinks to herself. Given her success rate as an infiltrator so far, it was almost predictable that the one thing that caught Neena's attention was the thing she'd made up. Oh well. May as well get through this.

"Beats me. May come as a surprise to you, but I didn't get an owner's manual. All I know is, I'm supposed to help you guys. If the best thing you can think of to ask for is getting my head blown off or whatever, I guess we'll both find out together whether I can help doing it. All I can tell you is I'll try my damnedest."

Having actually had the experience of being mind-controlled, she realizes, is a great assistance in this little charade... it's not like the tranced-out "Yes Master" creepiness they always show in the movies. Back when Naveed zapped her, she'd felt completely awake and alert and in control of her decisions... except all her decisions ended up aligning with Naveed's orders. If he had ordered her to help the Camp's inmates, she figures it would be the same way.

Also, the longer this bizarre pseudo-conversation goes on, the more sympathy Sonya develops for the Resistance leaders. If getting simple assistance -- food, medicine, information, coordination -- to the inmates is this difficult from inside the Camps, coordinating a full-fledged release from the outside must be damned near impossible... if the reaction she's getting is representative, the Resistance could break in and offer them a magic carpet ride out of here, and they'd sit around checking the thread-count.

"Anyway - so, what do you want? Or should I go ask somebody else?"


(( OOC: Oh, I _totally_ understand. * shoots dingo * ))

"Beats me. May come as a surprise to you, but I didn't get an owner's manual. All I know is, I'm supposed to help you guys. If the best thing you can think of to ask for is getting my head blown off or whatever, I guess we'll both find out together whether I can help doing it. All I can tell you is I'll try my damnedest.

"Fair enough." Neena nodded.

"Anyway - so, what do you want? Or should I go ask somebody else?"

"All right, I'll make it easy for you to start with. There's a room marked 'Miscellaneous' in the Infirmary, stacked with a bunch of labelless canisters. I want to know what's in them, and why they're kept under lock and key. I also want to know who has the key, and where it is."

She paused a bit, to let him digest it, before adding a second request. "I also want to know who you contact besides me from now on. Just to satisfy my own curiosity, naturally."

She smiled easily. It was a simple pair of requests, and would give her enough time to figure out the care package he'd dropped earlier.

Sonya nods agreement at the request about the Infirmary door, both because it won't be too difficult for her to find out, and because anything that has caught Neena's attention she's probably interested in knowing, herself.

> "I also want to know who you contact besides me from now on.
> Just to satisfy my own curiosity, naturally."

Jeez! Everyone wants to own this! She thinks a second, then adds "I suppose it's only fair to let you know I'm going to try not to do that. And I really have no way of knowing whether you're a secret collaborator, so telling you who talks to me might get them in trouble, so... I'm thinking I can probably manage to keep that a secret."

She smiles and adds "Besides, your friend Michael already tried to get me to not talk to anybody but him. Which, given how much effort the administration puts into keeping you all from communicating with each other, was almost funny."

"I suppose it's only fair to let you know I'm going to try not to do that. And I really have no way of knowing whether you're a secret collaborator, so telling you who talks to me might get them in trouble, so... I'm thinking I can probably manage to keep that a secret."

Neena chuckled. "Fair enough, I suppose."

"Besides, your friend Michael already tried to get me to not talk to anybody but him. Which, given how much effort the administration puts into keeping you all from communicating with each other, was almost funny."

"Yeah, well, paranoia tends to be contagious 'round here, as I'm sure you've noticed. It was mainly curiosity on my part, so whether you tell me or not, you can expect me to continue to ask from now on." She shrugged. "And don't worry, honey, I'm not concerned about communication. If I feel you've double-crossed me, or any of guys and gals, you'll know about it."

She was still smiling contentedly when she added, "By the way, I wouldn't go near any of James's clothes for awhile if I were you."

She pushed herself away from the wall, and sighed in satisfaction. "Well now, that's all I can think of for now. I'll leave it to you to find our next meeting place and time again. You seem to be able to handle that well enough. Unless you need anything else, I suggest you hit me and go on with your night."

She took off her glasses and dropped them on the ground, and stomped on them hard enough to crush them. Then she turned expectantly to Doug.

Sonya/Doug nods with equanimity at both Neena's explanation and her threat... truthfully, neither are all that relevant to her. But her next comment...
> "By the way, I wouldn't go near any of James's clothes for awhile if I were you."
...gets a chuckle out of her.

"Yeah. Gotta tell you, that wasn't exactly high on my list of things to do to begin with. Is he gonna turn up dead, contagious, or just uncomfortable?"

She's slightly taken aback by Neena's suggestion that she hit her, but it makes sense once she thinks about it. After another moment's thought, she unwraps a bundle of broom handles from the corner and dangles the piece of twine in Neena's direction. "How about we split the difference with rope burns? Probably won't hurt as much, and tells pretty much the same story."

"Yeah. Gotta tell you, that wasn't exactly high on my list of things to do to begin with. Is he gonna turn up dead, contagious, or just uncomfortable?"

Neena's grin took on a slightly vicious air. "If all goes well, extremely uncomfortable, and possibly contagious. Death isn't fun enough."

"How about we split the difference with rope burns? Probably won't hurt as much, and tells pretty much the same story."

She eyed the roped skeptically, then Doug. For a moment she didn't say anything.

"Well, you were the one concerned about appearances. So I'm assuming you want to make this look good. And I've got a reputation to uphold, so.... my apologies."

In a swift motion she brought one hand up and slashed at his face with her nails, carefully avoiding his eyes.

> "If all goes well, extremely uncomfortable, and possibly contagious.
> Death isn't fun enough."

Sonya/Doug nods, amused despite herself. "Fair enough... thanks for the warning, I guess."

> "Well, you were the one concerned about appearances.
> So I'm assuming you want to make this look good..."

I was? Sonya isn't quite following the reasoning here; she'd been looking for the simplest way to separate Neena from her escorts so they could talk without being monitored.

> "And I've got a reputation to uphold, so.... my apologies."

What is she talking abou-- ack! Doug's right arm comes up in a block before Sonya is even aware of Neena's attack, and his left hand reaches instinctively for her throat with three stiffened fingers. No! Her panicked instinct to not actually hurt Neena turns the mysteriously lethal throat-strike into a simple shove in the woman's direction as Sonya steps back against the wall, putting unfortunately not nearly enough distance between them.

"What the $!@#! is wrong with you?"

Doug's reaction was both expected and not; Neena hadn't thought he'd willingly let her maul his face, but his aborted offensive was unexpected. Apparently had some combative skills. Interesting.....

He put as much distance between them as possible, which wasn't much to speak of.

"What the $!@#! is wrong with you?"

She shrugged. "Many things, I've been told. In regards to this situation? Like I said, I have a reputation to uphold. You set this up to look like a rape. No one here has taken advantage of me yet, unless I let them. If you want anyone to believe you were able too, then we'd both better look the part. Simple rope burns aren't going to do it. Next time you want to talk, try setting up something less complicated."

She shot him a one-sided grin and winked. "Offer's still open to make it a one-hit shot. I won't dodge. Then all you have to say to make it plausible is that I was unconscious. If you want to add the rope on top of that, be my guest. Otherwise....." She raised her hand, spread fingers ready to attempt another strike at his face.

Sonya/Doug looks Neena over incredulously after her explanation. "You have got to be kidding me. If I were going to assault you, I’d shock the fight out of you first… not to mention that you look like you haven’t had a solid meal in weeks. You make it sound like there’s a level playing field in here! "

> “ Next time you want to talk, try setting up something less complicated."

"Hey, it was the simplest thing I could think of that explained getting us away from the surveillance cameras, not to mention your escort service out there. Folks in charge don’t much like guards having secret meetings with inmates, but everybody looks the other way for the fucking perverts. You got a better idea, I’m all ears."

Her defensive, angry tone is entirely sincere; after a day spent trying to help people who do nothing but spit in her face, she’s about ready to give the whole project up, go home, and cry under her blankets. Of course, she realizes it’s completely unfair to blame the victims of abuse for being hostile, and she’s pretty sure it will get easier… but she hadn’t been prepared to deal with it, and it shows.

> "Offer's still open to make it a one-hit shot. I won't dodge.
> Then all you have to say to make it plausible is that I was
> unconscious. If you want to add the rope on top of that, be
> my guest. Otherwise....."

Sonya’s first thought is that this negotiation about who is going to hit whom is by far the most surreal conversation she’s ever had. On further consideration she decides that no, her introduction to Slate over pancakes still merits that award, but it’s still a pretty odd conversation.

Her second thought is that she’s quite a bit less horrified by the idea of hitting Neena than she had been the first time Neena made the offer. In fact, with all the adrenaline running through Doug’s system the idea seems rather satisfying.

"OK, if that’s the way you want it… fine." She looks Neena over, trying to decide what the most harmless but visible spot to strike is, and settles for her right cheek, between her eye and her jaw. She pulls Doug’s arm back and swings.

(OOC: Let me know if I'm assuming too much about the original Doug's character.)

"You have got to be kidding me. If I were going to assault you, I’d shock the fight out of you first… not to mention that you look like you haven’t had a solid meal in weeks. You make it sound like there’s a level playing field in here! "

"Playing field has nothing to do with it. Actually, someone tried that one already. He stopped pressing the button too soon, and didn't react fast enough when I got back up," Neena countered with a sly smile. "Had I seen you pull out the remote, we might not have had this talk. Kudos for keeping it pocketed."

"Hey, it was the simplest thing I could think of that explained getting us away from the surveillance cameras, not to mention your escort service out there. Folks in charge don’t much like guards having secret meetings with inmates, but everybody looks the other way for the fucking perverts. You got a better idea, I’m all ears."

She shrugged. "Depends. How's your pain tolerance? If you can track down a razor, I can give you a convincing set of cuts on your face and arms, with minimal pain. You can cover them up with bandages, and I can take a few black eyes. Then you can play pervert with the big boys all you want with no one the wiser." She rolled her eyes, then raised one eyebrow. "And depending on how this relationship progresses, I suppose I can eventually act like I've given in. At least in public anyway."

Then she snorted. "Besides. Even I wouldn't object to a change in laundry escort. It might save my shins...."

"OK, if that’s the way you want it… fine."

As he looked her over, Neena nodded and dropped her hand and defensive stance. She watched his eyes as he decided where to land the hit. Just before he swung, her expression softened slightly.

She didn't flinch or move at all, so the blow hit home. Her head twisted, along with the upper half of her body, and other side of her head and shoulder connected with the wall with a loud THUD!! A genuinely pained grunt was cut short as she dropped to the floor.

<"Dang.... guy's got a mean hook....">

Had her life or dignity actually been in danger, Neena could have continued fighting, albeit with a major headache and blurred vision. She had done so in the past, and this was no different. She still didn't trust Doug. But she'd decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. For now. Time would tell if it was a wise choice or not.

She lay where she fell, waiting to see what he'd do next. After a moment she murmured quietly,

"Haven't seen you use that remote once since Day One. Glad you didn't disappoint me."

(( OOC: Nope, you’ve got the right idea. Doug might have used the cuffs from time to time, depending on the situation, but he’s not a sadist about it. Just one of those everyday nebbishes who “goes along to get along”, even in Hell. ))

> "someone tried that one already. He stopped pressing
> the button too soon, and didn't react fast enough when
> I got back up”

Sonya can’t quite decide whether she believes Neena or not. Granted that she’s kept herself in impressive shape for a concentration camp victim, she still has trouble believing she’s managed to hold her own against the guards, with the odds stacked so heavily against her.

On the other hand, there’s no way she’s going to let herself get dragged into an argument about it, either. Neena’s crazy enough to take that as a challenge to demonstrate her technique.

> “Had I seen you pull out the remote, we might not have had
> this talk. Kudos for keeping it pocketed.”

She shrugs, not quite sure how to respond to that. "I didn’t figure I had much to worry about from you, seeing as how I was trying to help and all." She’s beginning to realize that had been foolish of her, though. "Besides which, my momma always taught me a gentleman never tortures a lady into agonized submission until at least their third date. " She mimes lifting a top-hat in Neena’s general direction, hoping she recognizes that as a joke.

She grows even more incredulous at Neena’s detailed suggestions for scars and black eyes. "You know, you sound way too much like you’d enjoy that. " The funny thing is, it’s not even a bad idea… except she realizes there’s no way it’s going to work, since she can’t simulate the normal healing process what with all her shifts into and out of Doug’s body. "I’ll pass on the razor blade thing, if it’s all the same to you. We can go back to passing notes for now… but the laundry escort idea isn’t a bad one. I’ll see what I can do. "

> "Haven't seen you use that remote once since Day One. Glad you didn't disappoint me."

Sonya scowls, as though tasting something sour. "Yeah. No offense, but I like my women willing, know what I mean? Unlike some folks I could mention." He offers Neena a hand up, remaining slightly on guard in case she decides to attack him again for some reason of her own. "All right, let’s get you back on your shift, and I’ll see what I can find out about that mysterious door of yours. Meanwhile, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go around telling all your friends I beat you up and raped you… y’all not trusting me on general principles is one thing, your friends lookin’ to get back at me for stuff I didn’t do is something else again."

"Yeah. No offense, but I like my women willing, know what I mean? Unlike some folks I could mention."

"How old-fashioned of you." Neena accepted the hand up, wincing just slightly.

"All right, let’s get you back on your shift, and I’ll see what I can find out about that mysterious door of yours. Meanwhile, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go around telling all your friends I beat you up and raped you… y’all not trusting me on general principles is one thing, your friends lookin’ to get back at me for stuff I didn’t do is something else again."

She chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll make sure the right people don't get the wrong idea. For now. However, I do suggest you be a little rougher under the camera's eye. You know, 'push-and-shove' rough. No one will think twice about that."

She paused for a moment to regard the man in front of her, and to consider what she was possibly getting herself into. She would like to delude herself into believing that she was a perfect judge of character, and that her gut feeling that he was trustworthy was infallible. However, Neena wasn't that naive. First impressions were often wrong, and second impression even more so. The possibility that she had walked into an elaborate trap was very, very real.

Still, going through life always fearing betrayal made for a very dull life. May as well hope for the best, and plan for the worst. And really, what was the worst that could happen? She, and possibly others, could end up dead. She did not want any of her friends to die, and would do what she could to prevent it. But her own death.... would that really be so awful?

Her silent musings kept her occupied, and the thoughtful expression on her face might possibly have been misconstrued as submissive or spirit-broken. Maybe. Either way, she kept her head bowed and shoulders hunched slightly as they exited the closet. She moved jerkily, retrieving the loads of laundry she'd abandoned in the hall.

>"I do suggest you be a little rougher under the camera's eye. You know, 'push-and-shove' rough. No one will think twice about that."

Sonya/Doug nods. "Rough. Shoving. Check."

She watches Neena walk out of the closet, bowed and hunched, and takes a moment to compose a self-satisfied leer on her face for the cameras before following her into the hall.

When Neena goes to pick up the bags of laundry she puts a hand on her shoulder and shoves her, not especially hard, into the pile. "And just remember, there's more where that came from. Got it?"

As she walks away, swaggering, she can't help but suspect she's playing this altogether too far over the top. Still, it seems to work.

(( and, sonya's gone... unless you want the last word, neena ))

(OOC: Okay, I tried to resist, but I couldn't. lol Last word, coming up! ;D)

Lost in thought, even the not-so-hard shove knocked her off balance and onto the laundry.

"And just remember, there's more where that came from. Got it?"

She twisted to watch Dough swagger off. She just barely resisted the urge to stick out her tongue at his retreating backside.

<"That's what I get for opening my big mouth,"> she grumbled silently and pushed herself up. Out loud she muttered, "At least I'm not the one with my fly still hanging open...."

(Continued for Neena in Women's Side)