Role Reversal (Dominique)

[Doc]

"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"

Doc: Doc had texted Kleo, had endured the BnC's attacks, and had a rather interesting conversation with Klara. But as he sat and read, his eyes drifted to his leg, or the lack there of, time and time again. He decided now was the time to see if 'she' was viable or not. *Text* "Comfy? Cosy? Getting ready for round two?"

Dominique: The color of the fingers that slid through the ebony strands of hair faded as they reached for the black iPhone that was tucked under the weight of the woman’s head and the feather pillow beneath it. The comfort of her hand being sandwiched between the weight of her heavy thoughts and some poor dead birds feathers left her when she pulled the cell to view and the screen illuminated the otherwise dark room. She blinked at the message. Then she dropped her hand and rubbed her eyes. She felt a slam of all that she had been through rush through her body and the tidal wave of fear, pain, loss rage and even acceptance nearly drown her. She would be damned if she was going to allow it to happen again. "HOPE" lifted the phone upward to view it again. He had no limits. None. Her finger scraped the tip of her nail over the screen as if she pressed hard enough she could peel his presence from the screen and tear away what had been done. The screen brightened more and the message remained. Like everything else she would need to face this as well. If he thought she was running he was dead and wrong...and he was certainly both. -You have no idea how much I would like to send you to the hell I witnessed. I know now where you come from- She cared less what his reaction was. She was nearly numb to anything that could be considered reasonable.

Doc: Doc, who himself, had just been through a roller coaster of hellous emotions, felt a twinge of satisfaction as having been able to twist the blade into someone else for a reaction. He replied thoughtfully. “Lovely, wasn’t it? It only gets better the more often you visit. I have an all expense one way trip already planned for you.” He almost hit send, but something told him to wait. Questions flooding his consciousness. Why was he so hard on her, and not the others? What made her so special? Wasn’t that ‘reason’ gone now? Could he not at least try? She showed promise.. why push her away? He put the phone down and stood up, pacing the room. The more he paced, the more questions deviled him. He could refuse to acknowledge it the questions, he could turn a blind eye and continue to hunt her and kill her. But just as he could not turn a blind eye to the Pratt situation, he couldn’t pretend anymore. He sat back down, collected the phone and erased the last sentence, and hit send. *text* Lovely, wasn’t it? It only gets better the more often you visit.

Dominique: Her eyes were still wide, still absorbing everything they took in around her but the usual warmth that was expected there was hidden deeper than ever before. Again her finger dug at the screen in her hand. There is was. An alert of another message scrolled and her eyes tracked every word slowly until it faded and the screen darkened. Not one muscle moved. Her mind raced. What was it going to take? Finally her finger was back to the cell scrolling and sending off a single handed reply. -Eye for an eye- She hit send and looked down at her comforter that revealed only one length of a leg hidden beneath. She should have said leg instead.

Doc: Doc read the text and looked at his leg, and the lack thereof in regard to the other one. He almost texted back ‘Leg for a leg’, but he didn’t. What she wrote could be viewed as threat, but the questions that gnawed at him, were still foremost in his thoughts. She did show promise. She found her way out of there. She was back. He had closed the door in one relationship this evening, he wasn’t so ready to do so again on another one. He knew how she felt. He had been in her shoes. He wanted to kill Pi and send her to hell.. but slowly he had gotten over it. If Minx had half the anger he had turning, she would still have it bottled up in her. He needed to help her release it constructively. Well that is.. if she were willing to listen. He texted her, *text* That’s not how it works sadly enough. Would have loved to send my killer to hell as well. However, if you are willing to listen, we can speak.

Dominique: Was that an olive branch being extended? Or a hook to sink her a little deeper in the reality that her cold inked body currently was existing in? -I have questions but given the prior history it seems foolish to walk into your presence knowingly. You have answers?- She sent it off. Her mind felt increasingly frayed as the edge of the t-shirt that clung to her body.

Doc: Doc read the reply, and then slowly read it again. He couldn't blame her for not wanting to meet. The mood he was in, it was probably best they didn't meet... just yet. "We don't have to meet immediately. Ask me what you to know. If you don't like what I reply, no meeting. Your call."

Dominique: She swallowed slowly. The man would kill for fun, send her places he knew was hell and then expect her to come back for more. Could she trust his answers? Her face went flat. She shook her head at her own conclusion. However her fingers went on to send what he asked for. Her eyes darted to the lock boxes she had ready for an apocalypse of eternal pain. -Why? Why if it fucked you up so bad and left you feeling as you do would you do what you do to someone who was trying to end the madness?- She hit send.

Doc: The reply he received was not what he expected. And, ironically, because it was a thing, an inanimate object, a phone that put the question to him, and not a body, not a face with beseeching brown eyes; he was able to answer with more honesty, than had those eyes been staring at him. *text* "Because you have promise, if you can get past the trappings and lies the humanity taught you. You wanted the madness to end. It has. You just haven't let go of it yet, so it continues to haunt you."

[Dominique]

"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"

Dominique: The answer that arrived took her by surprise. She blinked several times and then stared as the message faded. Her energy from pent up anger surfaced and she sat up as the stump of where a full leg should be popped up. quickly she struggled and batted down the sheet and comforter about her and finally corrected herself to an upright position. -I have an expiration date that slaps me in the face every goddamned night I wake up ready to kill what you made me. You won, I get that. I fucked up. I will remember it forever and you say like this I have promise? I can't get it unless I perhaps use what I may be able to tap into to sever your head from your body and every last vampire including me. Where is there good in this? Tell me of the promise that this existence holds. Sell me your version of this dream of stronger better and faster. tell me the great works that it will bring." She used the maximum number of characters and was back flat looking up at the ceiling when the message left.

Doc: *text* “There are some of our kind that do need to die. But not all of us. However, You are still thinking in a linear fashion. Flat and in a straight line. Not all things are linear. Not all things move in a straight line. Try to view things in and with depth. Humanity is flat and does move in a straightforward progression. Our kind does not.”

It was almost a relief to return to something from his human life, to teach, explain and put things into a non-emotion arena. The irony of the situation would was not lost on him. But it also helped him center his own thoughts, about recent events. Anger didn’t help things. He had issues with anger. It was a constant battle. But one he was determined to win.

Dominique: Dominique read the message over and over. 'Our kind', 'Us'. She looked around at what surrounded her in the darkness and wondered if there was really any answer that could explain where she was, what she was. Everything reminded her she was not going to be able to change what happened. Could she stop it from happening again? -You feel so comfortable and confident with what you became that you would take what was weaker and force the change upon it?- She was curious. Why bring more into the ideal power? Why not keep it to themselves? The pyramid scheme came to mind again. The message was sent.

Doc: *text* I was a surgeon. My lifelong goal, to extend the human life, not only to extend, but to extend it with a quality of life attached to it. Then I met her. Then I died. Then I began to see that everything I thought, that was real, wasn’t. Humanity was merely a microcosm of something greater. It took time, but I realized I can help mold the future. You could too.

Dominique: Dominique thought that was what she was doing. Helping to stop what could swallow up humanity and leave nothing behind. -What happens when all that is living has been devoured? Where does your sustenance come from then?- Rituals? She had been getting by on one in particular until she could find that damn relic the blood thieves were known to be in possession of.

Doc: *text* “There are shops.. contraband type places.. they sell blood packs. That’s one way I get mine. As you grow, you can gain powers, and you may only need to feed if you’re wounded. Those are two of the only ways to ensure you’re not seen. If you are seen.. ‘feeding’ it is a violation of the masquerade. I protect the Masquerade. You knew too much. You should have left. But you didn’t and here we are.”

Dominique: -I have no fangs and no interest in feeding. I want my stuff back. Where is my ******* car? My grandmother’s rosary. Where is it?- She was quick to text out what had been taken. the list was far too long to go in one message. There was so much to process and her mind grabbed at the last year and tried to wrap around it. Another part of her wondered why the **** she tried anymore. Was there any value to a vehicle she stole herself? It was all karma and it was coming at her hands. That rosary was a sin in her inked hands. Each bead was worn down in prayer by a woman who stood for everything she turned her back on. The young paladin and now vampire was farther than ever from what the immigrant from Italy tried her best to raise Jane Dominique Doe to be. She had herself to blame and hold accountable. Monsters were everywhere but she didn't take heed in the warning.

Doc: Doc read the text, and had to smirk at the anger. He well remembered his own anger when he had been turned. Granted this was different, he had sent her into the fade. Perhaps giving her those items back would buy some healing for their 'relationship'. Now that he and BnC were through, he didn't have to worry about the repercussions as much. However, he wasn't sure he was ready for her in his life. He had turned her because he wanted to prove to her he had that power. The power she did not have as a paladin. But no matter how many times he told himself that, it felt wrong. It was as he was lying to himself, and he was being purposely obtuse about it. The BnC had been the perfect excuse to ignore her, to pretend he hadn't turned he; and that should his inner voice yell at him it, he could pretend that she was a symbolic example to the other paladins as to what could 'possibly' happen to them. But now his perfect excuse was gone, and memories of their run-ins began to haunt him at the oddest times. He would be driving 'her' car, and he would see her face. His wraith would mention her presence even though he no longer had him following her. He forced his thoughts back to the text. *text* regardless, you will need to keep yourself at a certain level of energy, and this means feeding.. whether by boosting or other other means. You are still here so I know you have come to this conclusion, whether you admit it or not."

Dominique: The screen lit up again and now she found herself crawling out of the bed that was worth dying in for its insane comfort. She looked down and balanced her weight on the dresser with her hands and walked her way from one piece of furniture to another until she was seated at the kitchen island and makeshift crafting bench. Her jaw tightened when she finally read the message on the screen of the cell phone in her hand. -I know what I am. I see it in the faces of others I care about. The same way I looked at you and what you stand for and are a part of greets me now. No matter how hard one tries to hide it its there and serves as a reminder what I am ultimately responsible for that happened. I should have drove farther north. I should have gone to mass. I should have listened to those who are now gone forever. I should have made sure you were in that house and not gave a **** to indulge in your reaction of having something taken from you instead. I can list every **** up I am responsible for that played a part in this result. It was long before you ever stepped out of the shadows at the fairgrounds. You didn't do this. I did. Now the question is what am I going to do with it and about it. Is that what you are really looking for? What I am going to do next?- It was raw, real and the truth. She was humble as you could get with an eternity ahead of her waiting on a plan of action. Her fingers shook as she released the black iPhone onto the tiled surface in front of her. She looked down at the power module on the floor then grabbed the remote for the floor wide music system. Godsmack thundered around her and she pushed the volume increase. No one was going to miss the sounds that were nearly pounding through her veins.

[Doc]

"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"

Doc: Doc read her words and frowned ever so slightly, her admission caught him off guard. The irony of the of situation was not lost on him. As much as he as told himself he was teaching her a lesson, a lesson every paladin should learn, he was finally forced to face the raw bitter truth, he fought her because he enjoyed it. Yes, she should have listened to him at the very beginning and left when he had advised it; yes, she affronted his sensibilities when she became a paladin; yes, he would make sure she learned the lesson he was going to teach her, but why? Because she had refused to give in despite the odds being against her. She was a formidable opponent because she would not give in. But now her words, made him think he had broken her spirit, from the despondent tone they evoked. As much as he had deluded himself in the months and weeks previous, that breaking her spirit was his only goal for her; deep down where he refused to acknowledge, he knew that wasn’t the case. And now, faced with the knowledge that he may broken that majestic spirit, he was annoyed. He did the only thing that he knew to try, he offered words of comfort, but he held no hope of it working. *text* “Those that truly care for you, will still care for you.”

Dominique: She had sent a text off to Zodiac and the cell was already jumping. She picked it up and found a reply for him instead. Reading it she rolled her shoulders as her muscles were starting to knot up. -I am not worried if they do or don't. They have every reason not to. If they do it only proves how much more the human heart is capable of than those acts of what feels superior. Do you remember being human? It was how this world was supposed to be. Now you want me to believe because something changed me I am destined to destroy what it is to conform to what I become?- Each word of her reply sank deeper. What the hell was she doing? She looked at the parts in front of her on the tiled surface and scanned them as if answers could be found beneath one as she lifted the items up. Maybe madness was setting in. Would this be part of the process too?

Doc: Doc read the question. Yes he did remember being human. He remembered how until he strong enough to fight back, that he hid and lived in fear of his father. He remembered how his mother would then suffer when he refused to come out of hiding. He remembered being beaten by his father even though he thought he could beat him. He remembered his father’s jeering laughter. He also remembered having to be a loner in school, because his dear father would go out if his way to pick a fight with him whenever he was with ‘friends’. Being a loner set him up as an automatic scapegoat for bullies and their cohorts. Living with perpetual anger and pent up resentment. So yes he remembered being human, it was a living hell.

*text* Why must you destroy? Why can you not step out and look objectively at what you try to destroy? Your desire to destroy me.. yes, that I understand. But why others? Why those that have done nothing to you? Most vampires only wish to protect the masquerade. As a human you knew too much. You became a liability. But even know, with what you are, have you tried to learn the other side? Or do you blindly ignore, and only believe what was told to you by religious fanatics?

Dominique: Dominique's eyes scanned the response. Her grandmother came to mind and she could not shake the devotion she had for her faith. Jane didn't share it but she respected it. When the woman who was a devout Roman Catholic faded from life in that hospital bed she was a witness to death being a blessing her grandmother spent her whole life preparing for. Her grandmother was stronger than a human should ever be and she was humble giving all the credit to her relationship with what Jane never could see. Jane was left scared, alone and angry for what it meant to her. So selfish and self absorbed she became. She learned nothing then and now when the unthinkable had happened would she finally learn something? Why destroy others? She knew it was possible to have this sentence delivered without acceptance. Was she ready to play judge and jury towards others without knowing if they were ones who embraced what they become or asked for it? -You are now showing reason? I was human and your whatever you call her cracked me over the head with a gas station toilet. She came to a convent and attacked. I am so ******* confused and waiting for hell to swallow me up. Until that happens I am supposed to be doing something...anything to help save a cursed world.- She sent that message off like the rest and looked at everything in front of her and felt a boiling of anger, confusion and everything else unproductive rise up and her inked hands sent it all flying across the room around her. She felt her jaw clench tighter than ever. She wouldn't give in to tears. If she started she was not so sure

Doc: Doc knew that before this precise moment, he could have tried reasoning, cajoling, anything, but it would not have done any good. She had been too locked into her beliefs and he had been too locked into the fight. As human, he had hated being the scapegoat, the odd man out, but he also identified with it. It was who he was. And it was who she was. They were not conformists. They would not do what others wanted for the sake of peace. Yet now, he wanted her to conform. but did he really? Or did he really want her to genuinely see the other side and make the same call he had? He wasn’t this conflicted with Catherine or Jacquiline. They could make their choice and he would be fine with it. Why did he want this one to choose to accept things as he saw it, so badly? It wasn’t that he was ‘suddenly’ being reasonable, it was because she knew too much and he had been partially guilty for her finding out. He had to rectify things. He had to make it right.

*text* You were a liability. You were a threat to the masquerade. You would not have listened. You know this. I know this. One of us had to win and one of us had to lose. I am not sorry I won. And you should not be sorry you are still here with the ability to think, reason, care, and become more. Do not dwell on the past. It never helps. I know this from my own experience. It will make you bitter, hard, and unfulfilled.

Dominique: Did he get that she was a paladin? It was all about the bigger picture. Eradication of the threat to human life. -I took on fighting against this existence. I got over the skull cracking and the other stuff personally. I get what you did. Any part I don't will eventually come to me but I am not sure where you think I am supposed to change jerseys and suddenly be batting for the other team. The fact is there is still this little problem that people are dying and being attacked. Those with the greater powers are bulldozing their way through the world and destroying it to suit their needs. Why? Do you see killing things doesn't necessarily change them? I came back and still love, still believe and still hope like hell there is a way to make things right even if it means the end of me with it-

[Dominique]

"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"

Doc: *text* “So educate and change those that need changing. Why eradicate all for the sake of the few miscreants? That would be like humans killing all blacks, because one black killed one white.” He frowned. It was clear if she did not see reason, she would be put down again and again. Especially if she was still working with the paladins. That **** for brains Ivy found that out the hard way. Apparently she decided to stay down. This would be Minx fate if he could not get through to her. And though the thought of killing, usually gave him a type of endorphin rush, this time the thought was met with no such rush.

Dominique: She was hit with a reply she was not expecting. -I am no ******* world history major. I made a choice and signed on with what was in my heart telling me what is right. I was about preservation and survival of the very basic human existence. It was about protecting those of all backgrounds and origins. Even those who are filled with every reason to be discounted in their own actions. It was about life. About making amends for the shitty human I was to those around me. It was doing something to make sure those who needed it were not imposed upon and were able to live their life uninterrupted and safe from those that are capable of changing them without the freedom of choice. How many don't get a choice? How many are just as ready to kill the human race just because they can- The message was sent and it appeared Zodiac responded. Her battle was growing it appeared.

Doc: *text* “And as understanding dawns and new facts come to like, should they be discounted out of hand? Or should they receive a fair hearing? By the past tense of your words, I can only hope that this is the case. When I was young in this existence, I took life. But the lives taken were those that eroded the very human civilization you wish to save. Thugs, thieves, murderers that the courts could not hold. Those that no one would cry over or miss. Those that would make others sleep better at night, if they knew they were gone for good. Now, time and new viewpoints, have altered my views. My actions are not now, as they were then. But I would not hesitate to resume if the innocent suffered and the courts failed.”

Doc hoped that if he planted the seed of avenging angel in her subconscious, perhaps, just perhaps, he may still have a chance getting her to see things. Right now she seemed to be stuck in the spiral of self-pity; and as much as he wanted to slap her upside the head for it, he had to tread warily or risk losing her for good.

Dominique: Dominique gave up the tool in her hand and took hold of the cell that was dancing on the tiles beneath it. Her fingers tried several times to type out a reply but she was finding her points were countered and each message she came up with was quickly erased. Finally there was one worth sending and she did. -I want it back. The rosary. It means nothing to you and it was my grandmothers. She died believing in what it stood for. Some things are sacred.- Her fingers tapped at the screen without inputting any more words. Her head was swimming in conflict, doing its own debate as the messages came to her but met another diversion when he replied sending her on a trail of further confusion. It was pointless to say anything. She was explaining herself when she had no reason to.

She delayed sending a reply to what he messaged. What was there that she could say that she hadn't already? -I will think on the rest of what you have said. Once again I have more questions than answers.-

Doc: *Text* “You can have the rosary.”

It was a simple thing. He didn’t want it, not really, but she did. He had kept it, because he imagined it would be useful. And if it made her listen to him, then it had served it’s purpose. And perhaps, she would think of this conversation and wonder every time she saw it. He could be way off base as well. It could be that it was valuable and she needed money. It was a peace offering of a sort. Time would tell whether his time texting her was a wasted effort. Why was it so important to him to have her listen? His brow was furrowed in thought, it couldn’t be because he cared, he cared for very little in the large scheme of things. And he was far from being magnanimous. So why did it matter? Why did it matter if this, tiny petite brawler of a female accepted his words or not? Most anyone could call him a ******* liar and he would shrug it off, uncaring what they thought of him. So why did this one matter? What was it about it her that made this so important to him?

Dominique: She needed to get her **** together. Her fingers rubbed slowly at her temples as her head bowed into her inked fingers. The voices that did their best to reason her into some sense of decent reasoning were gone. Now there was her own thoughts and questions to wait impatiently for her attention. What if it was true? Anything that was brought up to her, anything that could possibly be of benefit in what she was sitting there. Could she make something out of what she was originally viewing as a curse? The screen blinked. She looked at the cell as she lifted it up. Her grandmother’s rosary would be returned. -I will pick it up at Zodiac's shop- Everything else including the rare vintage mustang she considered gone when she sent the reply. Her eyes scanned the space about her, the walls and finally the floor where all the items she had swept from the surface in front of her now rested. It was clear she had to accept a lot of things and change and adapt with a few more. Nothing good could come of where she was right at that moment. As hard as it would be the time was upon her to take the heed in what she had not before. She sent the place where she would pick up the precious rosary and began gathering what she was responsible for depositing on to the floor like a irrational child throwing a temper tantrum.

Doc: *Text* “Very well I will deliver it shortly.” And he would. From this point forward, he couldn’t lie to her. Not and expect her to listen to him. He sent Zodiac a quick text as well. *Text* “I need to stop by and deliver something. It will not take long. If you are busy I will leave it with your girl at the desk.. but I would rather leave it with you.” Doc grabbed his jacket and headed to his lab. He had left her box of trinkets there. Locked securely away. Once he collected the box, he would head directly to Zodiac’s. He hoped she would be there.