Nightshift 19 - F1 Hall

[lustful_thing]

Another night in this place. And, if the intercom was to be believed, more experimentation. Lust realized that she needed to learn the fake names of her companions, to be on the lookout for things such as this. She knew her supposed name, but no others. Ah well. She could only hope that Scar, Dias or River weren't among the ones taken. And

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[lapis_inferno]

Dante squinted, following the beam of another's flashlight, trying to make out the other's features in the dark. The voice on the intercom had disturbed her greatly, and not just because night was falling again and she knew something terrible was in store for her. No, the voice had sounded too giddy, hinting at something entirely different than what she had been used to hearing at night. The very thought of new, unforseen horrors sent shivers racing down Dante's back. She wanted this to stop, but slowly she was losing faith in her ability to get away from this place. She was trapped in a cage, without her alchemy and without the Stone. It would only be a matter of time before she withered away completely, if the nurses or the other patients didn't get to her first, of course

[soulofdiscord]

((From the next post down, lolz

[lapis_inferno]

Dante stared at the Scholar, not certain if she should feel grateful or shamed. Lust's cocky attitude had become just as aggravating as the idea of spending another nightshift alone, but now she had no choice but to follow behind her former servant and hope that she could turn things around. But with the appearance of the other woman came a chance of escape: a chance of finding some alternative to her present predicament.

Ling had seen Dante in the shower, and yet perhaps she wasn't yet aware of the details of her past. Perhaps there was still some chance of winning her over.

Still, Dante hated the idea of being called "not worthy". Who was she to judge Dante's worth? Nobody was giving her credit for her true strength. But she would change that as soon as possible. She would show them just how worthy she could be.

"Why, hello." Dante grinned sweetly, advancing towards the Scholar. "I believe we met in the shower, but I've already forgotten your name. Could you please tell it to me again?"

[lustful_thing]

"Don't speak unless you're spoken to," Lust said, almost offhand to Dante. It was too easy to let power go to her head, really. She had brushes with it before, and this was far more heady than the last time. She turned her attention to Ling, returning the smile.

"She needed to be put in her place. Consider her as you would a servant." She inclined her head. "But enough time has been wasted. I have arrangements to make contact with one of my male allies. And then I intend to resume my search for this place's center of operations. Will you be joining me, then?"

She had no protest to the other woman's company. She was level headed, she could fight, and she didn't bother with idle or useless chit chat. She was far better than a good many companions Lust had traveled with in this place.

[soulofdiscord]

"While I would prefer to join you, I'm afraid that I am awaiting someone else tonight; while I might be searching later on, I believe that bringing out the power in others might prove more beneficial. Far too many here are clouded and in doubt; my power is to free them from such doubt."

She considered Lust for a long moment, pondering that. "However... the ritual requires far more preparation than I would wish to bother with, however. Might I borrow your servant for the night? If she can not even hold someone down, then she truly is a waste of your time."

"That, and I did so enjoy our last exchange of information. As I said before, I hope that the next dialogue will be as informative."

[lapis_inferno]

Dante listened attentively to the other woman's words, resentful of the way they were both speaking of her as if she was an object that couldn't hear them, but hopeful at the idea of escaping Lust's company for a few hours. She had wanted allegiances, but not of the master-servant nature; or, at least, not allegiances that put her into the position of servant. Every vicious word Lust spoke was a reminder of the ways in which she was being shamed.

Even if she knew she would have the upper hand eventually, at present the idea of spending one more second in Lust's company was utterly disgusting.

[lustful_thing]

"I'm afraid I can't let her out of my sight." Not until she was properly trained and brought to heel, at least. No, Lust wasn't going to lose her grip on the woman the moment she'd gotten it. All it would take was Dante to find one weak willed person and get her claws in and Lust would lose what she had gained. And besides that, Dante was hers now. She was going to savor every moment of this.

"I appreciate the offer to take her off of my hands, but I have need of her. Perhaps another night." Lust offered a small smile, still ignoring Dante as though she weren't there. "I wish you luck in finding another to aide you in your tasks this evening."

[soulofdiscord]

Hm... a quandory. On the one hand, Lust was a useful woman, and she had proven to be much stronger than most of the other individuals Ling had yet met. On the other, Dante was champing at the bit to be free; such a situation would make her prone to carelessness

[lapis_inferno]

Listening intently to what Ling had to say, Dante nearly burst with satisfaction. Yes, of course she would leave Lust in a moment if given a better offer. As much as she longed to bring Lust back under her control and to see the other alchemists falling into her grasp, she wasn't stupid and knew a better offer when she saw one. She'd even sacrifice her own personal satisfaction for the time being knowing she could get out of the embarrassing state Lust had put her in.

And yet she wondering what exactly the Scholar was getting at. She admired the woman's obvious skill with manipulation: a skill that seemed to rival Dante's own. But it seemed strange that Ling would talk of her like an object for one minute and then immediately switch to treating her with respect and attention. Even if her praise was only given in warning, it was still praise, and she knew it would do Lust good to hear it.

[lustful_thing]

"She knows full well what will happen to her if she makes a bid for freedom." Lust glanced out of the corner of her eye at Dante. "I'll give her what she gave me. I have no qualms with killing her, just as she had no qualms with killing me." A bitter smile followed. "My allies are quite faithful - I do not choose them lightly. This arrangement is between Dante and myself, and it is personal. She and I have a history, and following the laws of my world, I must repay her for all that she gave to me. I appreciate your concern, but I won't be swayed from this."

No, Lust wasn't going to let Dante slip away from her. She would just kill the woman if she did, but she wanted her revenge first. Then the woman could die. But Lust would extract every bit of pain and humiliation that she herself had suffered at Dante's hand.

"Now if you will excuse us, there is much I want to accomplish this night."

[soulofdiscord]

"...you are blinded, Lust. Revenge is one ideal, but you are bound by those 'laws' of your world. If you are not awakened to that danger, then you shall perish at the hands of those you believe you can trust. Perhaps... perhaps, in time, you shall see that I do this for your own benefit."

The Scholar turned to Dante, the faintest of smiles still on her face. "Will you hear my offer? You shall not be a servant; indeed, I despise the very concept. I believe that we could be very beneficial to each other, you and I. At least, I shall grant you my own protection; you need not fear her nor her allies so long as I live."

[lapis_inferno]

Offering the other woman a delicate nod, Dante gestured for her to continue. She did not want to lose Lust's loyalty, but it seemed as if she had no choice. She would've liked to gain favor with the others from her world, but not at the price of her dignity. She did not believe in equivalent exchange, after all. She had no reason to believe she deserved any punishment for her past misdeeds.

"Of course." Dante dropped some of the facade she had constructed for the other patients, letting her true intelligence and eloquence fill her voice. "I'm willing to consider any offer, even if it pulls me away from my former allies. Just like everyone else, I am only interested in getting out of this place. I have so many other things I need to attend to, and this unexpected hospital stay is only further hindering my plans."

Turning back to Lust, Dante added, "And it's really a shame you feel that way, dear Lust. For I don't remember ever having you killed. I've killed many, but certainly not one of my own allies."

[lustful_thing]

"And here I thought you were intelligent, Dante." Lust gave a small half shrug. "I gave you your life, and now you seem so intent to throw it away. Can this woman truly protect you from everyone? Me, Edward, the colonel, his little friend.... Scar. Oh, and a note about Scar that somehow slipped my mind." Lust chuckled. "Scar's powers aren't hindered here in the same way others are. And that's right, he knows all about you." Lust smiled menacingly. Scar was her trump card. Yes, he needed a catalyst to use the full brunt of his arm, but she hadn't lied. He wasn't hindered in the same way because of that catalyst.

"If you truly think this woman can protect you against the Beast of Ishbal, go right ahead and walk away from me. I won't hold him back any longer, if that's truly what you want. And don't claim you've never killed an ally. You did kill me - or I suppose you do kill me. Or have me killed at any rate." Lust shrugged. She didn't remember it either, but enough had told her it happened for her to believe it

[soulofdiscord]

((Gah, sorry for the delay, you two. @_@ ))

Scholar Ling simply offered a soft smile in response to all of that; she wasn't going to name her terms where anyone could hear them, nor would she reveal the true depths of her powers. Not now, not when it could be used against her... and not when she didn't know how dampened those powers were. She was, however, thoroughly confident that she would have no problems at all offering much much more than Lust ever could.

...at least Lust seemed to be taking the offer well. Perhaps she understood the reasoning behind Ling's actions? Or perhaps she understood nothing; in either case, she seemed to be too busy with Dante to notice the Scholar. Time would tell where this river of destiny flowed.

...she could, however, offer a few hints. "It is your choice; already, the terms of the 'arrangement' are shifting in your favor. I can free you from everything; from your past, from the future she plans for you, and even from the wrath that hangs over your head like a storm cloud. It will cost you dearly

[lapis_inferno]

Dante glared at Lust through the darkness, each word infuriating her more and more. "What good would come from killing me in this place?" Dante paced forward, stopping a few feet away from Lust's shoulder. "I never killed without a purpose, you know. Everything I did was well calculated, and needed to happen for a reason. But you're talking about murdering out of jealousy. Murdering for revenge. You're only hurting yourself by doing that. I could be a powerful ally for you and your friends, or I could be an even more powerful enemy. You decide

[lustful_thing]

"You've never killed without purpose?" Lust laughed at that, tossing her head back and closing her eyes. Did the bitch honestly think she'd believe that? "Greed didn't need to die. He barely even remembered you. You killed him to be certain, to ensure he couldn't become a problem later on. And I'll do the same for you. You're of no little to no use to me here or back home. I have everything you ever dangled in front of me, everything you falsely promised me. And you're wrong there; I do have a soul