forum Out in Space (classic lit and sci fi!) (CLOSED, stalkers welcome)

Started August 14, 2020 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

At Moriarty’s confirmation that Jonathan could stay, Mina took his hand and squeezed it. Jonathan turned and smiled, though his eyes were uncertain.
Now, she took out her device, almost praying that the information would confirm her suspicions. As she stared at the screen, it was hard to keep a straight face. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth in shock, her mind racing. Jonathan looked over her shoulder, and a small “What?” escaped his lips.
She put the device away, her eyes staring straight ahead.

Alek looked like he wanted to kill something. Or someone. He stared at Moriarty with a dark, angry look on his face. "Where the hell did you get this?" he snarled, setting his device aside before he accidentally broke it. When he recieved no answer, he stood, hands balling into fists. "Answer me!"

Moriarty hitched an eyebrow. "Sit down, Aleksandar. Or should I tell Horatio where to find you? Or, should I tell everyone what really happened, that day?" the threat implicit in his words seemed to tame Alek, the young man sitting back down, pale and looking stressed.

It took Lo too long to look at her device, and before she could, the man named Alek was getting angry. She looked between Alek and Moriarty, speaking calmly and softly. "Sir, is any of this quite necessary? Most of us had no problem at all with helping. Whether there was something to gain or people to help." She said, looking to Moriarty. Part of her wanted to focus her attention on Alek, naturally the kind of person who wanted to help others with whatever problems had arisen for them. If it didn't get in the way too much. But he might not want that attention, and she had this to deal with, right here.

Before she had received an answer, she took a quick glance at the text that had arrived for her, and her face dropped. She wasn't angry, not the way Alek had gotten. In fact, she simply looked unsure how to react, after the quickest flicker of something like grief passed across her face. "Oh. I…still stand by my earlier statement. No offense, of course. I don't…know what the purpose of this is, but I really, really would like to know it isn't a scheme."

Frankenstein’s face paled, Eden’s did not and if you saw their abomination face under that hood you’d make out a clear look of resolution.

“So he was the one who shot me all those years ago. Hmph.” many things happened in Eden’s time before they met with Victor again. Tame compared to what the others must have gone through, but impactful all the same. It festered in them a burning hatred for humanity, for what they could not have.

Victor, on the other hand, was quietly raging at the screen, muttering curses. The Clay Man had been controlling their family via their wealth for years through debt and deception and his father had never mentioned it? His creature’s woes were small compared to the ruin that had been brought upon them at the end. And poor Ernest, his dear baby brother… if only Victor could see his face again. The inheritance had passed to the man, and thus the debts and the burden, but clearly it had destroyed him.

His brother had died and Victor had done nothing to stop it. Known nothing of it until now. “I see,” he said quietly. “I see. You’ve convinced me well enough this man is dangerous enough to want to smoke out, now what?”

Moriarty looked vaguely pleased by their reactions, smiling faintly. "I just wanted you all to know the stakes. Make you personally invested." he replied. "Better for everyone that way."

Alek looked like he wanted to tear Moriarty apart, a look of frozen, helpless rage etched on his pale face. Sherlock merely looked emotionless, a blank mask pulled over his face, unreadable and unreachable.

Lo took in a deep and slow breath through her nose, exhaling the same way, before she looked up. "Part of me wants to walk away, now. I don't want any involvement with the man who-who caused that. You're quite lucky, sir, that I'm interested in preventing him from doing similar things to others." A look of calm determination set in her face, the innocent and curious smile gone completely. It didn't matter to her, that biting her tongue might be the best choice, after what she had witnessed.

"I hope getting rid of this man is easy enough, and worth upending people's lives." She said, tucking her phone away. "Because if not, you may find that the Clay Man is practically inconsequential, compared to the other problems that will arise. On a lighter note, I'll send you my list as soon as it's made. I have grocery shopping to do, how long are we needed?"

Victor scribbled down a list of the barest necessities, plus some scientific gear to tinker with, folding the list up to hand to Moriarty when this meeting was over. Angry though he was at yet one more mistake, even more blood on his hands, he couldn’t lash out now. He was far too tired to, anyways. Like it mattered in the grand scheme of things. Eden wrote down nothing. They wanted for nothing, and despised charity towards themself to the highest degree. Anything they needed they could bring from their apartment, all they really owned were a few pairs of old ill-fitting clothes either way.

Sherlock wrote down a small list of things that they wanted or thought they needed. Some of the items were just wishful thinking, but others were things that they really did want or need. They sent the list without a word, setting the device down again when they were done.

Alek wrote only a few words before sending it off. He didn't want much, but he was running low on a few things. Clothes, namely. He had gotten a Testosterone supplement implant, so he wasn't in danger of needing any more for a long time. For that, he was thankful.

Mina nodded in agreement with Lo. It was all she could do to keep her composure, and not yell at Moriarty for manipulating them with personal information. Or just sit there and cry, for that matter. It just couldn’t be…
Jonathan lightly tapped her on the shoulder. “What do you think we need?”
Mina started. “Oh, right.”
She couldn’t think of anything. They were pretty well off at the moment, so if they could just bring any necessities to the place…
“Sir,” Mina’s voice was hard, her expression stony. “Could we bring any necessities from our current place of residence to the house, or are you to provide it all?”
It sounded like a dumb question, but if they already had everything they needed, why not just bring it with them?

(Eee sorry for being inactive, guys! I kept meaning to post and didn't get around to it, so sorry!)

Moriarty looked at Mina, considering her question for a moment. "I suppose that would be fine, yes." he replied with a half shrug. Then he looked at Lo, and shrugged again. "If that is a threat, well. You may try to hurt me. You will not succeed, that I promise you."