Birds of a sweater [TTW w/ room 13 ||Tag: Geoff]

[Dorian F. Blund]

Dorian had always liked nature. Watching it enfold, unaware of his problems and what weighted on his mind, too busy as it was simply… being. Nature was a demonstration of perfect balance of peace and chaos that he thought perfectly encapsulated life as a whole. Observing the world in silence was one of the most unproductive activities imaginable, and therefore one he should not partake in; yet… it was one of the few selfish pleasures he allowed himself. Losing just a bit of time, to gain serenity of the mind, was in his opinion, valuable and useful enough. And these days, he was all but made of time.

And yet, Dorian had purposefully avoided the windows in the room he’d shared with Evan over two weeks ago. He’d come not to mind the worst rooms, making the best of his time in them; it was clear to him that whether he was graced with good accommodations or punished with bad ones was entirely out of his hands and in no way related to his behavior as he’d once thought. In Mrs Baker’s eyes, it probably would never matter how he acted; he was him, that was sinful enough.

There was one thing, however, Dorian could not come to appreciate, and that was the windows. For many, it would certainly be perceived as one of the few pleasures of being in these shitholes; at last, not only artificial light, but a natural one as well, a way to better keep track of the days. It was good for the mind, the spirit, and the soul, if one put aside the inherent frustration of being able to witness the freedom of the outside world before your very eyes without ever being able to obtain it yourself.

But as Dorian, for once in months, allowed himself to glance outside, it wasn’t the grass, the forest or even the sky he was looking at. It was the structure he could barely catch a glimpse of from there, but that he could still tell looked much less decrepit from here: a massive balcony, separating the rooms from this side of the building from those on the other. It was a sad sight, but what truly haunted him, was what Dorian knew was on the opposite flank of that balcony, something he was very glad he couldn’t see. The very reason he’d deprived himself from looking outside for so long.

Kamala’s grave.

Dorian turned away from the window with a sigh. He’d tried to make his peace with everything that had taken place, yet… only he could tell the thing he forced himself to do, or kept himself from doing, to barely manage to cope in unhealthy ways. Everything seemed so long ago… Being thrown in this hell with Cassim, first thinking they would be there for only a few days at most, and could pay their way out with a ransom… then, everything had been shattered by Kamala’s death.

Though, perhaps it had all gone downhill sooner. He remembered speaking to Katherine through the wall, what she had told him of the very first game she’d been forced to take part in, and the wedding. That should have been his first clue that nothing would work out the way he wished to, but he’d still hoped… or rather, he thought he was worth too much to be hurt. What a fool he’d been.

One piece of information from Katherine back then had stuck with him for a long time: the perpetrator of the event, one he only knew as Geoff. Friend to some, mystery to many, and whom he’d been heavily biased and suspicious towards for a long time… until he’d been forced into a similar situation as him. Instead of shooting his future bride, he’d had to indirectly murder his father figure. The circumstances were different, but the idea remained the same, and more than ever, Dorian was curious of him. After all, this man had been stuck in those rooms for far too long for a simple spy; either he was incredibly dedicated to his task, or he was an innocent like them that had only been judged by all because he was the first forced in such a delicate position.

By chance, and for the first time, Dorian found himself close enough to the man to talk to him directly. Ethan had pointed to him which wall he was living behind; it would only be a matter or knocking.

Deep in his thoughts, Dorian found himself already right next to the wall. Raising a hand, already wincing – knocking without fingers was difficult, so he could only clumsily hit the surface, and it hurt more than he’d hoped –, he finally called for him. Maybe, he would finally get his chance to interrogate the man, and learn more from the one who had married his close friend. If anything, at least he could know more about his roommate; either he’d been alone until now because Madge couldn’t kidnap new victims faster than she was killing them, or because they’d been in the same game as him… meaning there was a high chance they were now dead. Whatever the answer was, he wanted to know more.

“Hello. Dorian here. Is anyone there?”

[Geoff Alen]

Geoff picked at his stale bread. This particular loaf was starting to become flecked with blue-green mold, and gave it a weird earthy taste. He might as well have been eating dirt. A pile of crumbs was being formed as he picked at the mold. Even with the disgusting flecks being on the ground, he still wasn't hungry. His water had been polished off way back then. There was nothing in the room worth looking at besides the teddy bear. After hearing about Keiari's encounter with 'Teddy', he didn't want to risk the wrath of such a figure. Even if he was simply being a "mama's boy" or was being misled, there was a sense of nervousness about him.

The knock on the wall was awkward, almost like someone was slapping the wall as opposed to really knocking. Were they hurt? Either way, that a knock if there ever was one.

"Hello. Dorian here. Is anyone there?"

Dorian.

Something swelled in Geoff's chest. Excitement. Dorian was a name that was constantly getting dropped. Rather than sitting around and wait for another two weeks, he was just beyond the wall. Next to Ethan, who was proving to be someone trustworthy. Lady Luck was smiling on him now. Geoff didn't know Dorian at all. All he heard was talks from everyone else. If this was a high school setting, Dorian would be the homecoming king or the prize jock that everyone admired out of jealously or because he was nice or both. Geoff raised his hand to the wall and knocked twice. He'd save the S.O.S. for someone else later.

"Yes, this is Geoff." he answered the call.

[Dorian F. Blund]

Two knocks, and a steadfast answer. Dorian looked at the wall in relief. Geoff. And by his tone and speed, he seemed eager to talk; he could only hope that didn’t mean he was still without company. Either way, luck seemed on his side for today.

“Geoff. I’ve heard of you. You are Hannah’s husband.” Dorian thought it best to be open about the fact he knew a bit about him, thus making Geoff more likely to want to trust him if he didn’t think he was hiding things from him. Yet, the comment was innocent enough to not alert him to how much he truly knew right away. It seemed like a good start. “Nice to meet you. I hope ‘married life’ is treating you well.”

Dorian ran his tongue over his lips. He wouldn’t deny he wasn’t quite as sharp he used to be; depression, imprisonment and lack of food would that to you. But he still wanted to try and manage this conversation as efficiently as possible. Not going on in too hard was probably for the best.

“This might be a forward question, but could you inform me if you are alone or not? Ethan told me you were roommate-less the other day, just like he was… if I have returned, with some luck, your companion did too.”

With no luck, he’s Kamala’s new neighbor.

[Geoff Alen]

”Geoff. I’ve heard of you. You are Hannah’s husband.”

Hey, the word husband wasn’t being used to be insulting. Truth be told, Geoff stopped taking it as an insult. Hannah was very much becoming his wife. The marriage may be fake, but this blossoming emotion, this desire to ask Dorian if she was in the event but cane out safe...it might as well be. Should he say something about Hannah so they had something in common to talk over and not be walking on eggshells?

[/i] Nice to meet you. I hope ‘married life’ is treating you well.”[/i]

Well, that worked. Geoff said a silent whisper of relief. Now things could start being filled. He had pieces of a story, but they didn’t quite fit. There were gaps only Dorian could fill. Maybe in a weird way, they could help each other out.

”Yeah, likewise. Ethan said some good things about you.” Good, good, don’t mess it up now...” By married life, you mean the only time I was ever roomed with her and it was...probably the safest I ever felt in this place because she’s a good person...then, well, as good as being forcefully married in a reworked asylum could go.”

This might be a forward question, but could you inform me if you are alone or not? Ethan told me you were roommate-less the other day, just like he was… if I have returned, with some luck, your companion did too

Geoff stole a look around the rooms. Had he been so preoccupied with racing thoughts that he didn’t notice the other person? Their back was to him, so he couldn’t recognize the face. But they were breathing. So they made it out alive, too.

”My roommate is here now. Alive. Just as I thought, there was another sick event from the Chinese matchmaker from hell..

[Dorian F. Blund]

”Yeah, likewise. Ethan said some good things about you.”
Dorian smiled without even meaning to. It was good to know that his friend spoke highly of him even before their reunion. He was incredibly glad to have left a good impression on the man.

He knew by now that the way the only married people to date were treated was… strange, but it was still weird to hear confirmation that they had only been roomed together once. What was the point of forcing couples if she wasn’t even going to let them lead their married life? Was that not what she would want? Unless…

“… Maybe she wants to test your loyalty to one another by seeing you live with others.” He pondered out-loud. It didn’t seem too far-fetched. She saw her law as absolute, her decisions, always right. So, if her matches cheated on each other with other prisoners, they would most definitely be punished for their misdeeds.

… Unless she genuinely couldn’t care less what happened in the rooms, outside of the games, like he was starting to suspect. Those cameras, nowadays, seemed more for show and as a constant form of threat than anything else. She probably didn’t have the time or willing minions necessary to watch all of them at all times of the day. Geoff could probably seduce all men and women of the building, as long as he played the part when with his ‘beloved’, he would be good to go.

Dorian sympathized with him, in a way. That one time he’d been roomed with Katherine… it was the last time he’d felt truly safe, and he would give anything to return to those days, when Cassim was still alive, and neither of them were haunted by the events of that fateful date. And now, he and Katherine were to be wed. This place truly worked in strange ways.

“Hannah is a truly good person. I feel safe with her as well.” Dorian agreed, if only to answer something. “I haven’t spoken to her in over a month, but she was fine back then. I hope she still is.”

He had a feeling Geoff did, too, which was why he was sharing that information with him. They were only a forced match, like Annie and him had been, but he’d still come to care for Annie. Perhaps things were the same for him and Hannah. Love, or rather affection, worked in mysterious ways.

“Not to come off as a ‘father with a shotgun’, but I’ve heard you treated her well, and I am glad for it. Many might have tried to take advantage of that situation, but you didn’t. Thank you.”

His gratitude now shared, a piece of information had caught Dorian’s attention, and he quickly picked up on it.

“I thought this place must be either a hotel or hospital in its origin, but what reason do you have to think it was an asylum? Or do you simply mean by this everyone is slowly going crazy.” Not that he could deny him that.

Dorian was relieved to hear his roommate was alive; it was foolish in a way, no matter who Geoff was roomed with, it wouldn’t change who had already passed away. From what he gathered, it could only be Russel, the lone blind man, or Emer’s groom.

“Would you care to tell me who they are, or at least what they look like?” he asked, as politely as he could manage. Geoff didn’t seem too interested in their identity, but Dorian certainly was. “Alas yes, you were right, an event did take place… and sadly, four out of eleven people did not make it.” Almost a third, he realized. What a tragedy.

[Geoff Alen]

“… Maybe she wants to test your loyalty to one another by seeing you live with others.”

"That's what Hannah said, too, and I'm starting to agree with the thought," Geoff agreed.

And if that were true, I would have been punished or even killed weeks ago, he thought to himself. Not only had he and Kim nearly kissed, but he had confessed his love out loud. The bathrooms didn't have cameras that he could see, but now he had reason to believe there might as well be. Even the phone jack he had studied so hard in the room Ethan and Dorian were occuping now should have been a red flag.

"I haven’t spoken to her in over a month, but she was fine back then. I hope she still is.”

"She was my neighbor last week, if it makes you feel better. We spent most of the two weeks talking, and her roommate Jessica was chiming in with us. She's safe," And hopefully, it stayed that way. Geoff played with the ring on his finger. Dorian was speaking so softly for Hannah. He wasn't sure where to place the affection but on the one hand, who would dislike someone that was as nurturing and compassionate as Hannah? Dorian continued to speak, thanking Geoff for not 'taking advantage' of Hannah. The engineer felt relieved, and a silent laugh escaped him. The shotgun thing could have been a jab at how he and Hannah first met, surrounded by ten other girls terrified of him - one of which was the girl he truly loved.

"Well, my father raised me to treat women with respect." Geoff said.

but what reason do you have to think it was an asylum? Or do you simply mean by this everyone is slowly going crazy.” Dorian inquired.

"The gas was kind of the big puzzle piece. Yes, hospitals used it, too, but the way it's piped through the area is too precise to be used for medical purposes. At first, I thought it was wiring, but when I looked closer, the pipes were too wide to be basic wiring pipes. There was also a very subtle hissing noise behind them, so it had to be where the gas that keeps knocking us out is being flowed. The control valve is no doubt somewhere we can't access."

When Dorian asked who his roommate was, Geoff looked over. As he looked closer, just like when someone who kept playing "the mean girl" was roomed with him, his blood ran cold. He would do the same thing that he did with Emer. He would stay on the side of the room where he was currently, and not engage Dean at all. Besides, he wasn't going to play the same game of accusations and bullying. He knew who the real villain was.

"Dean." he answered, silent frustration bubbling up. That frustration gave way to fear as Dorian told him the outcome of the event. In a sick way, that was more preferable than being told every grizzly detail. At this point, it was a guarantee that someone would die. But four people dying? If his math was correct, this meant about a quarter of the people originally here were gone. The numbers were going up, which meant something had set the matchmaker off. "That's awful. I'm sorry you were in that. And if you were thrown into more than one event, I'm sorry for that too. You don't deserve this."

[Dorian F. Blund]

"She was my neighbor last week, if it makes you feel better. We spent most of the two weeks talking, and her roommate Jessica was chiming in with us. She's safe."

“That does make me feel a lot better.” He replied, relief slipping through his words. Hannah was one of the people here he least wanted to see hurt or killed; her first few days as a prisoner had been quite a rollercoaster, but things had seemed to slow down for her afterwards, and it wished for it to stay that way. May the worst she had to deal with be… playing therapist to emotionally repressed mourning CEOs-in-training. “If you are to see her again before me, please send her my regards. Shall I do the same for you?” he offered. From what he’d gathered, Hannah wasn’t afraid of her groom in any way, so it should not be triggering for her; if anything, he thought it would be most reassuring. If her ‘beloved’ was to be hurt, surely she could fear to be next.

It was truly interesting – if Geoff’s words could be trusted, that is – to know Hannah and him had been talking so much this past week. He had almost expected them to be distant with one another; the concept of an arranged marriage wasn’t something everyone was prepared for. “I suppose it’s good that the two of you seem to get along, considering.” He commented, as neutrally as possible, wondering if he would get any reaction out of him.

Jessica, Jessica… he couldn’t tell if he’d heard that name before or not. One had to keep records of so many people in this place… “This Jessica… is she new?” After all, she wouldn’t be the first person who had been brought later on to replace one of the countless dead bodies that were starting to pile up. Then again, he didn’t yet know of everyone who had been in the basement.

Dorian nodded silently at Geoff’s explanation, though he obviously wouldn’t see him; in this moment, he wished Noah was here. Surely the older man would know what to make of this description of the building much better than he. And… well, he hadn’t seen or heard about him in a long time. He was starting to be worried. “I see.” He replied, non-commitmentally. He should at least make a note of this.

A short moment of silence followed, after which Geoff finally delivered the name of his roommate, and Dorian breathed out: Dean! Yes, that sounded right. Not remembering had started to bother him. “Dean. I see. He got matched with a redhead named Emer in the last game. I got matched with Katherine myself. I suppose we are to be married soon.” He explained. He was frankly unsure how many of these names meant anything to the man, but he would at least put the information out there. “There was a third match, between a man named Russel and a young Asian woman whose named I didn’t catch. She had blue hair dye, I think. And well, I’m not sure whether you wish to know anything more.” He spoke softly. After all, though sharing information between prisoners had become the norm, he had no idea how many of them truly wished for it to happen. Maybe some preferred to remain oblivious; things were awful enough as they were. At least, Dorian had the feeling that telling Geoff this wouldn’t hurt, whether he was friend or foe; if not from him or Mrs Baker, he would end up hearing it from someone else eventually anyway. Dean, possibly. He might as well be involved in the conversation himself and find out what he could.

[Geoff Alen]

"That'd be appreciated. I'll do the...oh, wait you already said you would. Sorry, walls and all,"

Social hiccups at this point would be overlooked, yet it didn't stop Geoff's insecurity of realizing he had made a small goof in basic human interaction. Being trapped in this place was slowly eating away at these basic social skills. He was just lucky that there were still people to talk with that kept him sane. Same with having loved ones be in the homes. There was still no sign of Kim's whereabouts, yet Geoff refused to think she was dead. Whether that was stupidly placed hope or a logical conclusion was anyone's guess.

“I suppose it’s good that the two of you seem to get along, considering.” Dorian replied.

"If something happened to her, I'd blame myself. At first, I thought acting as a dutiful husband would save my life and hers, but over time, she's one of the few people here I can trust. It's strange that months ago I didn't even know her, yet now here we are bonding about likes and dislikes as if nothing horrible was happening. I suppose it numbs the fear and pain." As he said this, a small smile was crossing ono Geoff's face. The memories of laughing over that strange strip poker. Sharing her life in the Netherlands, a place he had wanted to go to some day but never got the chance. Simply picturing her brown eyes, like freshly brewed coffee.

“This Jessica… is she new?”[/b] Dorian asked

Some that Dorian didn't know and Geoff did? That was a first. But it did make sense. The basement had housed more bodies that time.

"No. She's been here since the beginning. She was in the first event She's the best friend of someone here I care about. She's been writing notes on everything going on. Some things are left unanswered, but for the most part we...uh that's Jessica, Hannah, and myself...have reached some conclusions. The mastermind is a matchmaker that is angry about losing her job because she harassed an unhappy client, Claudette. and wanting to prove to either herself or her employers that she is capable of performing her job well; why she's gone murderous, I don't know. She has a son named Theodore, or Teddy, who helps her whether he wants to or not. That's everything we can confirm."

There were many unaswered questions, but he didn't need to dump more onto Dorian. Not after the man had gotten back from an event where four people died. Hannah had said Dorian had been somewhat involved, but Geoff wasn't going to force the man to answer any questions. That's something paparazzi people did. The two didn't know each other, and to come out and say he knew would make him no different than Dean, who had pointed the finger at him.

Speaking of Dean, Dorian said that in the event that he got married to Emer. So not only was it a death event, but it was also a matching event. Apparently, the matchmaker was getting desperate if she was putting two goals into one event. As for Dorian, well, he was matched with Katherine. Hearing that the smart supermodel was still alive gave Geoff some much-needed hope. Hope increased when he heard Aoi - the only Asian girl in this place - was matched to a man named Russel. That was six people...and four people died...that meant ten people were in the sick event. Four people died from bad matches.

"I like Katherine. She's was part of the, er, 'wedding ceremony'. We made an agreement to share as much as we could about events, so I'm happy to hear she's safe. And I know you'll take good care of her. I know the Asian girl. Aoi. She's...someone I feel responsible for, sort of in a daughter sense. I'm glad she made it out okay." He just wished that her getting thrown into an event hadn't happened literally the moment after he told her about how the events worked. But hearing that she survived gave him hope that she had listened to his advice.

[Dorian F. Blund]

Dorian raised an eyebrow at the man’s little hiccup. It was… strange, in a way. After hearing so much about him, especially with the possibility of him being somehow allied to the enemy, he had expected him to be more, well… socially-skilled? Of course it could just be a façade to make himself appear more approachable, yet…

He still had some reservations, but he was starting to get a pretty good read on the reality of the situation. All he needed was a bit more confirmation.

"If something happened to her, I'd blame myself.”

This statement took Dorian by surprise, and he was quick to listen attentively to his speech. To be fair, he wasn’t entirely certain why he was telling him so much about his bond with Hannah – yes, he’d hoped to get some information out of him, but didn’t expect him to be quite so open – but now that it was on the table… it seemed somewhat similar to how his relationship with Katherine had involved. Yet again, he’d known Katherine before all of this had started.

“… I think I know what you mean.” He simply stated, not wanting to reveal too much. He wasn’t quite ready to talk about his confusing feelings with a stranger he’d only known from word of mouth. “… May I ask if you knew Hannah before all this? I believed you didn’t, but I might be wrong.” After all, he did seem very attached to her now. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched, would it?

"No. She's been here since the beginning. She was in the first event.”

Ah, well he had been quite wrong, this Jessica wasn’t new at all, and even seemed to have very actively tried to look into the mysteries of this place. Strange, then, that he’d heard nothing about her thus far, him who tried to stay informed at all times. Well, he supposed he simply hadn’t been roomed with or close to anyone who knew her personally before then.

“When you say she keeps notes… you mean on her person, like a journal?” he asked, frowning slightly. It seemed like a rather good idea; after all, he knew quite well that his memory and mental abilities had been debilitating with his general health throughout the weeks; perhaps, feeling the same changes in herself, she’d started writing down everything she knew, so not to forget anything important. “She wouldn’t happen to be some kind of detective or journalist, would she?” It seemed, after all, like the kind of behavior someone of these professions would have; he was just surprised she’d managed to have access to so much paper and pens. She must have guarded them closely.

The one flaw of her plan was that Mrs Baker could take it from her between room switches at any moment; yet again, if she’d yet to bother taking any of his findings from him despite their usefulness, maybe she simply couldn’t be bothered to look what people carried on themselves anymore. If this Jessica was smart, she might even try to conceal them under her clothes or underwear and hope for the best.

He didn’t know if all the information Geoff was relaying to him now came from this Jessica’s discoveries, a group effort, or some clues he had missed, but he was shocked to see how much Geoff seemed to know about the situation; Claudette, Mrs Baker’s profession, the way she’d lost it, even her SON. That was a lot. It was even…
Suspicious.
Suddenly, Dorian truly wished he could have Hannah, or even this Jessica, present here to corroborate everything Geoff was saying. Of course he’d revealed a lot to Hannah himself, so it wouldn’t be too shocking for the information to start spreading – as dangerous as that was… for him, most of all – but without confirmation that she had indeed said that much to Geoff… well, it might as well just be another clue that Geoff knew too much to be innocent.
Once again, if he truly wanted to play innocent, he would probably play dumb, knowing there were already people doubting him.
Unless he knew everything Dorian had told Hannah from another source, and was using this in his favor.
Sigh.

GOD, was this mental exercise tiring. Not to mention, probably fruitless.

“That’s quite the infodump.” Dorian kept his voice neutral, showing interest in the conversation, for anything less would appear suspicious, but not being too eager either. “And how did you confirm all of this? Do you know anything else?”

Do you know I’m her son-in-law? Do you know her NAME?

"I like Katherine. She's was part of the, er, 'wedding ceremony'. We made an agreement to share as much as we could about events, so I'm happy to hear she's safe.” Dorian nodded along, already aware of that fact, but raised an eyebrow when Geoff showed what appeared to be genuine trust he would take care of Katherine. “I intend to, at the best of my abilities.” He swore, yet curious why Geoff had such faith in a man he’d just met. Had Hannah vouched for him that much?

“I know the Asian girl. Aoi. She's...someone I feel responsible for, sort of in a daughter sense. I'm glad she made it out okay."
Ah… so Geoff had more attachments here than this Jessica and her “friend”, whoever they were. Interesting.

Aoi and Jessica. Two names Dorian repeated mentally to himself, over and over. He needed to keep better track of things; if this conversation was telling him anything, it was that he was missing out on much more action and discoveries than he thought from people he knew nothing about.

“If it makes you feel any better, I have met this Russel, before all of this; we are in no way close, but I know him to be a respectable man. He is… significantly older than her, and married, but if anything, I’m sure those will only be more reasons for him not to try anything with her. I think she will be safe with him as her groom.”

[Geoff Alen]

"No." Geoff answered Dorian's question with sincere honesty. Hannah was never someone he had seen before.

"She has bad laryngitis, so to save her voice, she communicates with Morse code or through writing things down in a book she took from one of the rooms. Her roommates often have to speak for her.

There had been that one detective, Carmen. Geoff had liked her. Jessica might have been taken under her wing and that was how she got on this sleuth kick. Maybe Jess found another blank book and was continuing to write in it. But how was it getting through some of the walls? Was there something that he was overlooking? Then he remembered some of the walls had gaps. His hand fell into the pocket where Jess' cheat sheet was

“And how did you confirm all of this?

"They're just theories," Geoff answered, "I never got any confirmation on if they were true or not. I just...I just want answers as to why I'm here, and anything I can get about this place is worth thinking about and considering." Geoff sighed.

Do you know anything else?”

Well, here it goes...

"Hannah said you were involved with the mess. But out of respect for you, I've been quiet about all of this until I got the chance to really talk to you, it didn't matter if it was through the wall like now or through being roommates I was..." He took a breath. Slow down, cowboy. He's a human, not a computer. He had no idea how long he had been holding all of this information back, and how much it hurt to do so. Finally saying it out loud was like a breath of fresh air. "I...was...I was actually kind of hoping to hear your side of the story, if you're comfortable sharing that is."

The rush of adrenaline pulsing in Geoff's body ground to a screeching halt. He had gone from the high of a sugar rush to an almost fatigue. Dorian was talking neutrally, calmly. A calm interrogation was better than a shouting one. He slumped over to try and clear his mind so he could try and get whatever Dorian was able to say. Russel was respectable, according to Dorian. Why was he trusting this man anyways? Because he knew what it like being painted as 'the bad guy'? Geoff didn't see Dorian as the overall villain to begin with.

[Dorian F. Blund]

So he didn’t know Hannah at all before then, and their relationship had definitely moved quickly; then again, nothing worked normally here. It honestly could have been a pretty good social experiment, if it wasn’t for… well, EVERYTHING.

Somehow he hadn’t really expected Jessica’s situation to be related to an illness, but it was no surprise people would fall ill in their conditions. It explained the notes, at least. If he ever met her, maybe he could take a proper look at them.

"They're just theories. I never got any confirmation on if they were true or not. I just...I just want answers as to why I'm here, and anything I can get about this place is worth thinking about and considering."

“I can relate to that.” There was a twinge of sadness in his voice. He remembered doing the same, at first, trying to piece together all the information he could to decipher the meaning behind all this. His attempts had come to a scratching halt the day he’d first heard his mother-in-law’s voice through the speakers, and only further died down when she took his fingers and killed a man before his eyes. What was there to get? A woman scorned had decided to take revenge on the two she held responsible for her misery and involved a group of innocents with them to use as toys to prove herself right. Her seeming bad management and the presence of only a few known people by her side, Teddy and Mystery Woman, was slowly starting to convince him it was really just her at the reigns, and nothing else. All he’d needed, unlike others, was a testimony from Claudette and to face the woman behind it all twice for the pieces to all fall together. Others didn’t have that “chance” and were still trying to figure everything out.

He envied them. He missed thinking everything would make sense if he thought hard enough. None of this made any sense, and it never would.

"Hannah said you were involved with the mess.”
Dorian pursed his lips tight. There it was.
Hannah must have truly trusted this man, to tell him this much. He hoped so, at least, because he still wanted to trust her as well. She was kind, but not gullible, was she?

“Involved is a strong word.” Dorian interjected. His tone was detached to a fault, almost scarily so. Well, if Geoff wanted to get to the serious business, he might as well join him. “But I’ve heard similar of you.”

Geoff was forcing himself to slow down now, tripping over his own words; he sounded nervous, in a way, and Dorian wondered if he was worried he’d scare him off, or simply… afraid of him. For all Geoff knew, HE was the one people should be worrying about, not the other way around.

"I... was... I was actually kind of hoping to hear your side of the story, if you're comfortable sharing that is."

“I get the feeling I don’t have that much of a choice.” That was a lie, technically; nothing was stopping him from walking away from the wall and never knocking again, and Dorian obviously knew that. It’s not like Geoff had him literally trapped in a room. Still, he was rather put on the spot… and not about the most pleasant of subjects.

Dorian frowned, deep in thought. He needed to be smart about this.

“If it’s not too much to ask, may I know in what way miss Hannah stated I was ‘involved’?” he asked, fully aware Geoff could hide information from him if he truly wanted, and that this question was suspicious in itself. Still, he wanted to know what he was dealing with, and what Hannah was telling people. Not that he had expected no one to find out; he hadn’t always bothered to hide it himself, especially at events. But he liked being the one behind the wheel and knowing who knew what about him. “I won’t deny I’ve met our captor, if that is what you wish to hear.” Maybe giving away just a bit of truth would help making his requests less… questionable. “I am also curious to know if you have. Before any of this mess, of course.”

[Geoff Alen]

"Involved is a strong word, but I've heard similar of you"

Boom went the dynamite. However, the fire that often burned in Geoff whenever his involvement came up was nothing but cinders. As tired as he was of people pointing the finger at him, he wasn't going to resort to yelling. Last time he did that, a bigger fire burned. Choose your battles wisely. Well, he drew his line in the sand. Anyone against this matchmaker was an ally. He wanted to be Dorian's ally. Might as well give him what he wanted. He took off his glasses and pinched his brow before speaking.

"I'll tell you the truth. When I woke up in the basement, I thought this whole place was some sort of expensive escape room because it was the last thing I remembered before blacking out. It's why I was so gung ho about finding clues in the basement. In hindsight, I should have been wearier for not recognizing anyone."

Get to the point, dumbass.

"Yes, I was in the first game. Yes, I was the one holding the gun. But it wasn't my choice. I woke up with the mask over my face, duct tape over my mouth, and the gun in my hand with a note telling me what to do. Katherine started crying, and I knew right then and there that this was no game or act, and I only shot because I knew if I didn't follow the rules, myself or anyone of the ten women in front me would be dead. I couldn't let innocent blood be on my hands. The confetti didn't exactly help the dying escape room delusion. Not even pretending to be the dutiful husband at the wedding worked, because the person behind this still zapped me."

Talking about all of this felt...cleansing? Like clearing his name in front of a jury. He replaced his glasses and was face to face with bare, dirty wall. It was a bizarre venue for confessing, but saying all of it was relieving. It was like taking off a weighted vest. Geoff hadn't even realized how much he missed his vests because the jacket he had on now was comforting him just as his vests had.

"I'm serious. You don't have to say anything if you're uncomfortable with it. I didn't mean to put you on the spot, especially since the last event was such a hot mess. She said that you knew our captor, and that was it.""

“I won’t deny I’ve met our captor, if that is what you wish to hear."

Good. That was all Geoff needed to be confirmed for now. Dorian knew the Baker family. How would be a question he could ask later. Pressuring a guy into answering questions would be something that well, a psychopath would do.

"I am also curious to know if you have. Before any of this mess, of course.”

"No," Geoff answered truthfully,  "I never even heard of the matchmaking business. Before this, I kept to myself and the handful of people I had. More friends with wires and machine parts than people, you know what I mean?"

[Dorian F. Blund]

The man’s demeanor turned sour the moment a single hint of accusation came into play; in truth, Dorian hadn’t exactly said much, if anything at all. Only a small mention of Geoff possibly having a bigger role in all of this. But that had been enough to trigger his neighbor into a lengthy description of all that had taken place; surely, this wasn’t his first time in this defensive position. Either that, or he’d rehearsed his text well.

At the notion of this being nothing but an escape room game to this man for his first few moments in the basement, Dorian could only raise a disbelieving eyebrow. Something like that hadn’t occurred to him for a single second, and the very idea seemed pretty silly; he didn’t have any experience in this kind of practice at all, but surely being trapped with such a massive group of strangers should have been a dead giveaway?

Well, surely not everyone had it engrained in his mind since very early age that people would envy him and want to steal all he owned, and that he needed to guard himself from the unknown; but still… that seemed like kind of a stretch.

Yet, he promptly confessed to his “crimes”, not bothering to hide any detail that he could think of, probably more than aware people had been spreading information like wildfire anyway. Mentioning Katherine of all people sobbing helplessly did not exactly help his case, but he seemed… genuine enough.

Dorian remained silent, staring at the wall vacantly as he assessed all that he’d heard. To be frank, everything fit well enough with what he already knew. And Geoff, at this point, had more people vouching for him than doubting him, or at least whom he knew. Having found himself as a perpetrator, though an unknowing one until it was too late, in one of the cruel games that had followed, he’d asked himself more than once what he would have done, had he found himself in that same situation. He had been colder and selfish, back then, and none of these women truly held great significance for him, except Hannah and Katherine. Maybe he could have shot the rest of the girls and kept them for last, hoping for the best. Then again, in a game of Russian Roulette, the bullet could just as well come at the end, so maybe shooting the one you cared about first was more appropriate. In all truth, it was a dumb game of luck. At the end of the day… it was difficult.

“… This Jessica. You said she was in that game, wasn’t she?” if the event had been deadly, he would have probably wanted to keep those he cared about away; but that game had been the only one with no victims, and that just so happened to be the one in which his friends were. If only to make sure, Dorian needed to cover his bases.

“… You sound like it’s far from the first time you’ve had to explain all of this.” He stated the obvious, because he might as well. Geoff surely gave the vibes of someone who’s had to justify themselves plenty before, might as well hear about that.

Much to his surprise, Geoff immediately gave him an out to avoid the subject of his relations with Mrs Baker. That was… interesting, he was clearly very eager to know more. Was he trying to gain his sympathies?

At least, Hannah didn’t seem to have said too much about him and Annie… he had that going for him.

“Before this, I kept to myself and the handful of people I had. More friends with wires and machine parts than people, you know what I mean?"
No, not at all.

“Yes.” Dorian moved a tad closer to the wall. There was no real way to corroborate Geoff’s claims, of course, but… he was starting to see a clearer picture of the situation. Before he could get to his conclusion, though… he needed to ask him something. “This will sound strange, but why are you so understanding not to ask me anything else? I won’t pretend it wasn’t obvious that you were eager to question me. And you don’t know when we’ll talk again.”

He knew he might be pushing him, but… it was worth a try.

[Geoff Alen]

“… You sound like it’s far from the first time you’ve had to explain all of this.” Dorian commented.

"I'm just...frustrated is all. With everything being said through the wall or through events or whatever, facts tend to get jostled. It also keeps me from going crazy. The more I tell the truth to myself, the less likely I'll cave because I know our captor wants us to be weak, to give in to the madness."

That and while he had a bunch of strong advocates like Jessica and Hannah, he knew it was a group effort to try and keep everyone alive and escape. Some hadn't been so lucky. Their captor was bending the rules as they went, like she was a Queen of Hearts and they were mad people in her own twisted Wonderland. Anything that she saw as dishonorable or wrong ended with people being killed. Geoff thanked his lucky stars that so far, he had been able to keep the thread in his grasp. But who knew what this crazy woman was plotting next?

“This will sound strange, but why are you so understanding not to ask me anything else? I won’t pretend it wasn’t obvious that you were eager to question me. And you don’t know when we’ll talk again.”

Dorian's question was tricky to answer. Was it because Geoff felt sorry for him from what Hannah told him? Well, yes. Because both of them were in the same boat of being seen as the likely targets from all the information being thrown about? Yes. Because asking about hard stuff after watching four people die was something a dick did?

"In all honesty, because I know what it's like having something so personal twisted into a lie. Yes, I wanted to talk to you about all of this, but, well, it's not fair to put you on the spot. I've already had it happen, in front of a lot of people. My current roommate did it and in so doing, painted me as the bad guy. I don't want you to go through what I did. Not that I'd spread stuff around anyways, and if it helps, I don't think you're an accomplice or behind this or whatever."

Only psychopaths willingly helped a person they had bad blood with.

[Dorian F. Blund]

"I'm just...frustrated is all. With everything being said through the wall or through events or whatever, facts tend to get jostled. It also keeps me from going crazy. The more I tell the truth to myself, the less likely I'll cave because I know our captor wants us to be weak, to give in to the madness."

Well, it was no mystery to Dorian that information, as important as it was, had to be taken with a grain of salt, since people could be relaying it wrong… or simply be told open lies. That was why he’d decided to stay wary of Geoff even after Katherine had vouched for his innocence; as much as he knew she was genuine, he had no way to know for certain she hadn’t been tricked. He could only wonder how everything he’d revealed about himself was being spread now. Who knew what conclusions people were getting at; maybe he would end up waking up one day next to an enemy he’d never met.

His reasons to take things slow were… interesting, but most of all the fact that he and his current roommate had bad blood. Making memory, he could vaguely remember someone, possibly Silvio, mentioning something of the sort.

“You mean in the card game.”

Kind of a bold move of Dean to call him out so quickly and publicly like that; Dorian would have preferred to pace himself. And even if he’d wanted to get a reaction out of him in a difficult time where their lives were on the line, there were better ways to achieve that than by painting a giant target on his own back. True, he might have managed to turn some people against Geoff, but most likely, he’d also made enemies. And in a place where your life so often depended on other people’s whims… it was no smart move.

“I don't think you're an accomplice or behind this or whatever."
“I’m not.” His response was clear, and simple. He probably could have argued about it forever if need be, but he did not see the point. “If I were, I would have chosen those who died more carefully.” He definitely wouldn’t have let so many of his loved ones die so fast. “I wouldn’t have brought many people I know here… including miss Hannah.”

With luck, that would be enough for Geoff to stay convinced of his good will.

A few seconds past, uncertain, before Dorian spoke again. He wasn’t fully sure of himself, but sometimes one needed to take a risk.
“.. You’ve told me about the truth of your experiences in the game, I’ll tell you something as well. Ask me something you wish to know; if it’s not too personal, I will answer.”