2019-05-24 - Dead Bodies Everywhere

As promised, Penny had left a visitors badge registered for Alexander. He gets a few strange looks from the guys working, but that's mainly because Penny doesn't usually let people down into the lab that don't work there. She's downstairs and as one would guess with three bodies, running around like a chicken whose head was cut off. She's dressed nicely though, a lavendar colored dress that's modestly cut and falls below the knee and black flats. The apron she has on is bloody though. There's music playing as one gets closer to the lab.

Alexander is being nice. He is! Okay, he's dressed like a homeless man, but he's very polite in asking for his badge, and he doesn't deliberately try to creep out any of the cops and relateds who give him weird looks. He just meekly takes his badge and makes his way down the stairs to the lab, badge swinging from around his neck. He pauses just inside the doorway as he sees Penny flitting back and forth. "They really should give you an assistant or two, Miss Faust." Is he /smiling/? He is, a little. Gory murders bring out the best in him.

Penny is rather butterfly like sometimes, all she needs is a little pair of wings to go with things. Though she gives a jump when she hears Alexander, "Christ." she breathes out. Then she leans against the counter behind her, "I think they'll be able to afford them should the murder rate keep going up." she chuckles. "Come on in, nothing in here but these dead fella's." she muses.

"It would be a sound financial investment. Although you do rather seem to be enjoying yourself." Alexander's smile widens fractionally at the invitation, and he comes in to take a look at the bodies without much hesitation. "Thank you for the invitation." He looks around for any recording devices that might currently be on for recording verbal autopsy records.

"It would, but then someone else might become your favorite coroner, then I'd be heartbroken." Penny chuckles to that. There's a look over to him though, "It's no problem, I said I'd call if I got bodies. Not the ones you were looking for but, hey. Figured they'd still be good." she smiles to him. There's no recording devices on, her computer screen doesn't show anything recording currently.

"Do I seem so disloyal, Miss Faust?" Alexander shakes his head. "Well. Let's avoid heartbreak, regardless." He steps closer to look at the three bodies in detail, and relaxes a bit as he sees the lack of recording devices. Visible ones, at least. "I also need to warn you about something. I have heard there is a woman going around making contact with people who..." he gestures at her, all of her, "stand out, as we do. She is rumored to be working for unpleasant things." No smiling now. "Be wary." And then it's gone, and that rare smile has returned. "Introduce me to your guests?"

Penny gives him a softer look, "No, you don't, Alexander." she tells him. "You remind me of my ex-fiance." she admits. Then she's moving to get the charts for the dead men, or well, two charts. Mister Unknown has a lot of blanks. There's a quirk of a pale eyebrow to him, "Do we have a name or description of who is doing this?" she asks him. "Our first guy is Frederik Thames and the second one is William 'Billy' Porter. Both of these gentlemen have ties to the Diamond Ace Motorcycle Club." she tells him. "And this guy...this guy is Bob Doe for now." she points to the unknown man.

"I'm sorry," Alexander says. Whether it's for bringing up bad memories, or for her poor taste in men, he doesn't try to elaborate on. He goes quiet to listen, coming up to stand beside her, his hands lightly laced behind him as he folows along. One eyebrow quirks upwards. "Bob? Were you all full up on Johns? Hmm. So, petty criminals for our two lowlifes. And Mister Doe, perhaps a supplier or other mid-tier? Any distinguishing marks? Tattoos, scars, implants?"

Penny gives a soft chuckle, "Nothing to be sorry on." she tells him. She still wears the ring, so there's something there. "I figured John wasn't a good fit for him, but in the paperwork he's John Doe, yes." she whispers. "And since we don't have a name..." she shrugs. "For all I know it's Albert or Dominic or Ted." she muses as she gives a look over the half covered body. "Like you said, it takes a lot to make someones identity to go away. So I'm trying to guess who is going to come looking for this guy." she admits. "As far as distinguishing marks or tattoos, one sec." she gets his chart.

"Bob works. He could sort of be a Bob." Alexander studies the body, then approaches it. "I'm going to touch Bob." He doesn't ask /may I/ or explain why, he just reaches out and gently lays his fingertips on Bob's forehead, closing his eyes for a moment.

Penny gives a chuckle, "Hmm, no scars, tattoos implants. Nothing that could be gotten by records. I mean...it's the weirdest thing on the normal side of life." she admits. "Do...do you think he's one of them?" she whispers. Then he's moving to touch the John Doe and she moves closer, "You sure about this, Alexander?" she asks him. But he's already touching him and she stands there, watching him.

There are several reasons why Alexander has a reputation for a weirdo, loon, and possibly actual danger-to-himself-and-others lunatic. His habit of dressing like a ragamuffin, his complete lack of social skills, insistence on occasionally talking about things that Clearly Don't Exist...oh, and the occasional emotional outbursts with no rational explanation but insanity. So, when Alexander suddenly starts screaming, it may not come as a total surprise. He collapses in place, wailing like a child as he clutches the back of his head, trying to scream and gag on nothing at the same time.

This is fine.

Penny's already pale face goes sheet white, "Alexander!" she shouts. Thank gods they are down in the basement. Where no one can hear him scream. She drops to her knees beside him and make sure he's not hurt, "Alexander! You have to calm down, can you hear me?" she is worried and she's FREAKED OUT! So calming is not going to work. "Please...pleaseplease..." she whispers as she tries to calm herself.

Alexander doesn't /seem/ to be hurt, other than whatever bruises he's picked up by just dropping to the floor. His garbled cries do mention 'blood' a lot, though, and he's clutching at the back of his head like he's trying to keep his brains from falling out. Which, considering the guy on the table? He may very well be. Her voice gives him something to orient on, though, and he tries to focus on her words, and break himself out of reliving another man's murder, again, and again and again.

Penny feels...helpless for the moment, her mental is not nearly as good as her Spirit, so she can't do much. What she does do is lean over the man and wraps her arms around his shoulders, "Alexander, you're reliving his trauma, it's not happening to you. Please stop." she tries to be a comforting voice. But that might not over power the emotional trauma. He also might completely freak out even more by being held gently, but hey, she's trying to get him out of the gore of the moment!

Hey, the touch doesn't make him scream again. That's good! His shoulders do stiffen, and he shudders beneath her touch. But that's probably the psychic trauma. Probably. He takes a few ragged gulps of air as the screaming trails off. "It's fine. It's fine. It's not real. It's not happening." It's a mutter to himself, but as her voice penetrates and the vivid recollections drift away, it's easy to tell when he starts addressing her. "Miss Faust. I'm fine. I apologize...for acting inappropriately. Please let go." Either way, he's just going to stay kneeled down and gasping for a moment, his hands roving on the back of his skull, reassuring himself of its solid and non brain-dribbling state.

Penny gives a sigh of relief when the screaming trails off. There's one janitor out in the hallway that looks completely gobsmacked though. He scoots off without a word. She lets go of him when he asks her to and she scoots back. Not wanting to encroach on his personal space now that he was calmer. "You don't have to apologize, but do not do that again in here without warning me first." she tells him. "Are you sure you're alright? Can I get you a water?" she asks him.

"I apologize," Alexander says, again. "I will. Warn you. Next time." When she lets him go, he takes another few deep breaths, then makes his way slowly to his feet. His skin is shockingly pale, highlighting the perpetual dark circles under his eyes. "No good information, except that I do not reccommend massive cranial trauma as a method of death. FYI." He shakes his head to the offer of water. "I'm fine. Thank you." A weak smile at her. "I have...a voice, a big male voice. I might recognize it if I heard it again. I don't think I've heard it before. And the victim knew - or believed he knew - who his killers were affiliated with. And maybe some sort of animal noise?" A shake of his head. "I have conjecture, but nothing actionable. I apologize."

"Please don't apologize. I just...you scared me." Penny admits as she reaches up to brush her hair out of her face. She had been scared, but she was better. "So we have voices, causes of death and a few other things to go on." she smiles to that. "It's better than where we were." she admits. Then she looks at him, "Alexander...why do you do this?" she asks him.

"I do that sometimes." Alexander shakes himself, forces himself to stop touching his skull. It's there. It is. Her question draws an intense sort of stare. "Which 'this'?"

Penny looks back at him, her dark eyes a bit tired, "Look into things? Hurt yourself?" she asks him. She didn't think it was an odd question, but she did think he was hurting himself. "I...It's none of my business. I just don't know." she sighs.

"Ah." Alexander frowns, but doesn't seem offended by the question. "I do not do it to hurt myself, Miss Faust." He stares at the body. "But I want to know. I don't like mysteries. I want to solve them, make them answer. And I am...good at it." There's a hesitation there. "Why do you do it?"

"But you are hurting yourself." Penny points out. "Just...be careful." she tells him. "I'm not your mother or your supervisor, so I can't make it an order." she smiles. Then there's a look to the bodies, then back to him at his question and she smiles a touch, "I like to think I'm a gatekeeper of sorts. Someone has to take care of them." she tells him.

"Things hurt, Miss Faust. Doesn't make them not worth doing." Alexander offers her a smile. "Thank you, regardless, for the concern." He listens to her answer, and offers a jerk of a nod. "Good. Someone should." He still looks a bit unstable on his feet, and shakes his head a couple of times. "I will try to find out something useful and let you know. But, it isn't a lot to go on. And...if my supposition is correct, there won't be an arrest made."

Penny gives a look to him, "I'm well aware of things hurting, Alexander." she tells him. "I'm just a worrier." she tells him. She looks over him though, her expression still concerned, "You want to take a minute before you go out there without a cape on?" she asks him with a smile. "And no, I'm guessing there won't be. Not enough evidence." she admits.

"Cape?" Alexander cocks his head to one side, like a puzzled dog. "I'm fine. You shouldn't worry about me, Miss Faust. It's kind of you to do so." He straightens. "Mind what I said about the woman. Be careful." He starts to make his way to the door, still wobbling a bit. "I'll let you know if I find out more. Thank you for letting me stare at dead bodies with you."