seaoftroubles | The New Girl preplay

Directly off the end of last episode! Jordan decides to murder Nathan since Audrey isn't Audrey. There's a fight and lots of running and shouting. Eventually Lexi fires into the air to get everyone to stop. Duke says he can maybe clear things up if he talks to Vince, and gets Vince to agree to not kill Nathan right away so they can make Lexi fall in love with him and kill him instead.

So basically, DUKE STALLS LIKE WOAH

Vince decides the best way to get Lexi in love with Nathan is to have her tag along on a trouble investigation like Audrey did. They head out to a case where a kid flipped his lid and tried to kill his girlfriend on a date, only to end up locked in a freezer. Nathan, Lexi, and Duke go to face him down, and see him end up slitting his own throat.

Duke ends up leading the questioning of the kid's girlfriend, because Nathan is being all strong silent type. Signs point to a hospitalized kid named Tyler being involved, he's in the hospital because he was paralyzed in a big car accident both the victim and his girlfriend were also in. Lexi just wants food. Duke is all "Nathan, come on, I know you have no game BUT THIS IS THE WOMAN YOU LOVE. SORT OF."

Duke and Nathan question Tyler while Lexi goes to get a CT scan. Tyler says that he felt like he was out of control when Katie looked at him, like she's troubled. Nathan gives the kid his card, and then Duke gives him a little "prescription" for free drinks at the Gull.

Meanwhile, Katie throws herself in front of a car. Fun!

Duke gets Jennifer to go home for awhile. If anyone goes with her, they may get to see Jordan hit on Wade. If not . . . that'll just happen off screen. I'm guessing Luce and Tavi will be stuck to Duke for most of this?

Lexi says maybe it's Tyler because Josh and Katie were clearly getting it on behind his back. They all go back to the hospital, but find a dead orderly instead of Tyler. Duke goes to find a nurse -- this is where he gets possessed, and possibly where we start to go our own way because he has actual loved ones around who worry about him in our version.

Tyler-in-Duke sidetracks Lexi and Nathan and locks them in a walk in cooler. He tries to dodge Luce and Tavi too. I'm guessing it doesn't work well.

Perhaps they take him back to the Gull? He manages to get a minute alone with Wade to get the idea to kill his own body so he can stay in Duke's. He manages to get away from Luce and Tavi somehow and heads for the hospital, possibly with a very confused Jennifer in tow.

Lexi (and probably immune Lucifer?) heads in to deal with Tyler and keep him from murdering anyone, only to at the last minute "chicken out" and let Tyler try to kill his own body. This sets off Duke's trouble, which override's Tyler's trouble, saving Duke from the possession. Hurray!

Duke manages to pull Lexi aside at the Gull to point out that Audrey totally would have known what would have happened, and she admits to only pretending to be Lexi. Show ends here. Pretty sure Duke will want to stick around to try to clear things up/get rid of Wade, and this is where Lucifer and Octavia DRAG HIM BODILY HOME IF NECESSARY.

And then it's all over but the moody moody aftermath, mmmmmm

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

betterthanaplan

"Luce," Duke called, leading Octavia down the hall in the direction Lucifer's voice had come from. "You seen a kid come through here? Early 20s, kinda stocky, probably in a wheelchair or something?"

He trailed off, feeling . . . odd. Like something was creeping up the back of his skull.

From:

my_own_advocate

"No, I just got here," Lucifer said. He slowed somewhat, though as soon as he was close he was reaching for Octavia before he even thought about it. "Why? Is he our suspect?"

From:

okteiviakom

There was maybe a little more 'reaching for Octavia' happening here than Octavia herself was entirely comfortable with in a high-adrenaline situation, but she was allowing it.

"Yeah," she said. "There was another dead guy on his bed."

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke shivered faintly. Or thought he did. Felt like he should? He opened his mouth to fill Lucifer in on the other deaths -- except he didn't. Or, well, his mouth opened, but what came out of it was "He might be another victim. We're not sure yet."

Duke went cold. Or should have gone cold. He tried to move, tried to speak, tried to do literally anything, but his body was moving without his direction. Letting go of Octavia's hand and stepping past Lucifer to look around. Flexing his hands and smirking in approval once his back was two Octavia and Lucifer, like he was enjoying this. . . .

No. No no no no nonononononono

Oh calm down. That was not his thought. There's nothing you can do, buddy, so might as well enjoy the ride!

From:

my_own_advocate

It had been a month since Lucifer had seen her. There was going to be a bit of reaching - a bit of taking her hand, after Duke had dropped it. "You think our troubled person might have gone walkabout in that one?" he asked, looking up at Duke's back.

From:

okteiviakom

"Maybe?" Octavia said, with a quick glance towards Duke...'s back, yes. She wasn't sure it was all that likely that the kid was another victim, but it also made sense that he might be. "Trying to find him seems like the best bet, either way."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Totally," Duke agreed, still scanning the hallways.

Or, his body agreed and scanned the hallways, anyway. Duke was screaming internally and trying to figure out how one resisted another consciousness invading your own.

You don't. Moron.

Another consciousness who was a dick.

"I'll check down this way. You two take the next hallway." And Duke's body headed off, without looking back or waiting for an answer.

From:

my_own_advocate

Well.

That was odd. "Right," Lucifer said, frowning, and shook his head. He glanced at Octavia. "Did something happen or something?"

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia shook her head, also frowning towards Duke, rapidly getting further and further from them.

"No." A pause. "We saw someone slit his own throat, earlier, but..."

This wasn't about that, was it? (That thing that should have shaken everyone.)

From:

betterthanaplan

The throat slitting had definitely shaken Duke, yes. But not to the point of ignoring his partners like this.

And anyway, he was now way more focussed on trying to get his body to stop and turn around and stop going upstairs, what the fuck?

His body ignored him. It glanced around into rooms, and pulled out his cellphone, calling Nathan.

"Duke?" Nathan answered. "Where are you?"

"Upstairs," his body answered. "There's some psychopath in scrubs following me. He's acting all twitchy like that kid Josh was. What the hell's going on here?"

Fuck you fuck you you liar, fuck you

Duke's body smirked.

"Tyler must know we're onto him," Nathan said. "He's possessed someone else."

TYLER? Duke asked. What the fuck, dude, I felt sorry for you!

And now you're helping me out. Way more than a free drink ever would. So thanks!

"Duke," Nathan was saying. "That person's an innocent victim, so don't engage."

"Got it," Tyler said. He hung up on Nathan as he spotted a walk in vault in one of the rooms he was walking past.

Perfect.

Edited Date: 2022-03-30 06:45 pm (UTC)

From:

my_own_advocate

"...But?" Lucifer prompted, blinking at her. "I believe that is something that would shake a human..."

From:

okteiviakom

"Didn't shake me," Octavia said, more absent than she actually felt about it. (A lot more, in fact.) She was still looking down the hall --

Until her gaze darted up to him, and she shook her head.

"I'm gonna go after him." They couldn't let him go alone, could they? With all this going on. "And you'll take the other one?"

From:

my_own_advocate

Lucifer made a faintly strangled noise. He wanted to go after Duke, as well. But if Duke was fine, they could be letting an important lead go, and--

"Okay," he said. "Call me if you need me."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia felt that noise in her chest, he could rest assured.

She gave him a nod with something of a fervent quality to it, and gave his hand a little squeeze. And then she let go, and took off down the hallway.

He couldn't have gotten that far, right?

From:

my_own_advocate

Lucifer watched her go. Too long, really.

Then turned for the other hallway, and started off that way.

From:

betterthanaplan

Upstairs, Tyler, wearing Duke like a cheap suit, paced back and forth in front of the vault while he waited for Nathan and Lexie to appear.

Stupid meddling cops. He just needed to get rid of them and dodge the other couple -- who the hell were they, anyway? That chick was not a cop -- and then maybe hit up this guy's bar for some cash. Then he could leave town, free and clear.

Fuck you. Octavia is going to kick your entire ass. Don't think my face will stop her.

Tyler smirked faintly. If he could work out how to get this Duke guy to shut up while he did all that, that'd be great too.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia's approach was signaled by the sound of her boots against the floor. She almost rushed right past the room he was in, but caught sight of him just in time.

"There you are," she said, on a little huff of relief. "What's going on?"

From:

betterthanaplan

Tyler looked up, shoving the errant lock of hair out of his face. He was going to need to get that cut soon, too, jesus. What was this guy, some kind of hippie?

Don't you dare.

"Hey," he said, giving Octavia a tight smile. "I think I've got him. Just waiting for, uh --" Shit, what was that detective's name?

I am not helping.

"-- Uh, the others to catch up with us."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia might've wondered about that hesitation, but her attention was already drawn to the closed door.

"He's in there?" A beat. "You put him there?"

This was why she hadn't wanted to let Duke go off by himself.

From:

betterthanaplan

"Yeah, I --"

"Duke?" Came Nathan's voice from the hall. Tyler looked past her.

"In here!"

Nathan and Lexie appeared in the door. Tyler shrugged. "I may have engaged a little." He gestured back to the door behind him. "He's fine."

Nathan pulled out his gun and nodded to Octavia and Lexie. "Stay back." He slowly approached the door, gun up and ready.

From:

okteiviakom

This was one of those moments where Octavia found absolutely no reason to argue with Nathan.

She stayed back, her eyes trained on the door.

From:

betterthanaplan

Tyler opened it, keeping the door between himself and the interior -- and as soon as Nathan looked in, he slammed it into Nathan's side, knocking him off balance and snatching up his gun. He brandished it at Lexie and Octavia, gesturing for them to follow Nathan into the vault.

"Move!"

Oh, big mistake, Duke thought gleefully.

Shut up!

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia's eyes had gone wide at the initial move with the door, but now they were narrowed as she looked at --

Not Duke.

"Nomonjoka," she spat, because anger was always the easiest to reach for. Especially when she needed it to take over all the space that would otherwise have filled with terror.

From:

betterthanaplan

The fuck did she call me?

Yes take him down take him down Tavi you promised. . . .

"This is a trap," Nathan said, because someone always had to state the obvious. "You're Tyler."

"Surprise," Tyler said. He circled Lexie and Octavia, hand out. "Give me your cellphones. Now!"

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia was slow to relinquish her phone, but she did.

The guy wearing Duke like a suit seemed a little jittery. She was trying to calculate how to best use that to her advantage.