"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"
Pyper: [ TXT ] No. He doesn't like me. He's angry, and he yells. His name is Ethan. He has a wheel chair. I liked looking at the spindles. But I'm trying to make him feel safe.
Doc: *Text* If you feel the need, you can send him to me.
Pyper: [ TXT ] I will. He threw up, after I showed him Bastian.
Doc: *text* Bastian?
Pyper: [ TXT ] He is a moving hand. Like the zombies. Roderic found him in a building.
Doc: *text* I would be interested in meeting Bastian.
Pyper: [ TXT ] I can bring him, for Halloween, when I show the costume.
Doc: *text* Excellent, I will look forward to that.
Pyper: [ TXT ] I hope so. He is depressed, I think. It's like what Paige described to me, earlier.
Doc: Bastian the hand was depressed? Or Ethan was depressed? *text* In reality Lucretia, there is reason for him to be depressed. He is not what he was. It takes a while for that reality to sink in with some. *hopefully that response would suffice for Bastian or Ethan.*
Pyper: [ TXT ] So, then I should make Bastian a person again? Find other parts.
Doc: *text* It's not that easy Lucretia.
Pyper: [ TXT ] Why isn't it?
Doc: *text* There are a lot of variables that could cause injury or death to Bastian if it didnt work. The odds are not in your favor.
Pyper: [ TXT ] We make certain sacrifices, in order to achieve the things, that people tell us will never be in our favor. Injury, death. Those things are obstacles, for greater things.
Doc: *text* Alright. As long as you know the risks and are willing to take the consequences, go for it.
Pyper: [ TXT ] Do you do that, for your work?
Doc: *text* I do.
Pyper: [ TXT ] When can we talk again? I think I have a lot to say.
Doc: *text* I am free now.. I have an opening tomorrow..when are you free?
Pyper: [ TXT ] Tomorrow. I would like to try to find Ethan. He fell out of his chair, and yelled at me the last time I saw him. I just want to see if he's okay.
Doc: *text* Alright tomorrow. I hope you find Ethan well.
Pyper: [ TXT ] Me too. I will see you tomorrow, Charles.
Doc: *text* Until then, stay safe Lucretia.
TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES, LET ME RAVAGE YOUR BODY, I DON'T NEED DRUGS WHEN YOUR LIPS ARE LIKE POPPIES. DROWNING IN SHEETS IS MY NEW FAVORITE HOBBY. USE UP YOUR BREATH, TELL ME HOW BAD YOU WANT ME.
"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"
October 15, 2014
Pyper: [ Text Message from: Pyper ] Are you free, right now?
Doc: *text* Yes. Please feel free.
Pyper: [txt] Which direction from the hunting woods?
Doc: *text* Head North take the first transit to Honeymead, then southwest from there.
Pyper: [txt] I will be there soon.
Doc: Doc straightened his desk and then went to the front desk to retrieve the package he had left for her.
Pyper: Lucretia's arrival time had been fifteen minutes or so after the last text message. Her hand curled into a fist and bumped to the door.
Doc: At the sound of the knock, he moved to open the door, he smiled pleasantly as he saw her. He made note of her appearance, hair, clothes and feet, before saying "Good evening Lucretia.. do come in."
Pyper: After the remodeling of her apartment (a courtesy of her relative Nevaeh), Pyper tried to set up routines in order to establish a sense of control. Having a rough start to their eternal bond, Ethan's refusal to accept Pyper and his role to her now, had deeply wounded something inside of her. Setting up her scheduled times to shower, to clean, to shop for clothing had taken her mind off of it. A little. Her sun dress was white cotton with a mesh of lace that hugged around her shoulders. The woman at the store recommended it. Her hair was down, in loose waves because of a recent shower. The moccasins didn't clash, they were black with white threading. She smiled, seeing the man after the door was pried open. "Hello, Charles."
Doc: "You look quite lovely this evening." He approved. It was apparently there was some effort being extending to her appearance. His smile took on a tone of genuine warmth. She looked like a young girl who seemed at one with nature and could therefore pass as human. A big improvement indeed. "How are you?" As she entered, he carefully shut the door behind her, and moved to the two chairs that were staged to be facing one another. She didn't have to sit, but he gestured silently to them in case she wanted to. He was going to try to get her into a somewhat structured routine,.. if she allowed it.
Pyper: "The woman at the store, said that the dress would look nice on me. So I bought it. I got new moccasins, too." And last but not least. "Thank you." She advanced into the office, and took the seat he offered. She slouched still. It was natural, and the same way she worked hours on the butcher's block on her projects. Projects she hadn't touched in several nights. "I, have concerns. Issues. I'm confused," she answered, shouldering a worn messenger bag.
Doc: Doc took the seat opposite of her, and nodded approvingly as she mentioned the new attire and thanked him. She started without preamble into her the reason for her visit. From the look on her face, he gathered it was serious. At least to her. It could be a situation that, to her, seems daunting and insurmountable, but in reality could be overcome. "What confuses you and how can I help?"
Pyper: Where was she to start? That question in itself caused the corners of her mouth to droop. She should begin with the thing that caused her the most anxiety. The man who only referred to her as 'Schizo,' when they spoke. "Ethan, is still gone. I am trying, to make things comfortable. I don't know how well I'm doing. He's not seen me since the night he fell."
Doc: He looked at her for a moment and then asked quietly, "Are you concerned for Ethan.. or are you concerned you have not done enough for Ethan?" Her answer would be telling and it would give him the tools to make a more appropriate response to her concern.
Pyper: The answer came out slowly, because it was being considered with the same extreme caution that any one of her projects asked for. "I, ... don't want him, to hate me." She started, light brows coming together with a harsh focus on her next sentence. "I didn't make enough effort, the last time I saw him. I ran away."
Doc: "You are concerned you haven't done enough for him." He said the words for her. "That is a normal feeling. I feel likewise for mine. It is not always easy Lucretia. I have one that we get along fine and we communicate. I have another that would rather see me dead when I first turned her." He smiled briefly, "It isn't as bad now.. but issues remain. There are two ways we could approach this.. first way, left him flounder on his own, until he approaches you. THis is hard to do. Second is have someone check on him and befriend him for you.. so you can monitor him from afar."
Pyper: Lucretia refused to indulge in the first option, and the hardest option at that. Leaving Ethan alone meant that she wouldn't know where he was, what he was doing. Roderic said that Ethan was her thing, something that was special to her. That it was understandable, to want to covet him, keep him safe. Keep him in sights. "Roderic said, he could look for him. Nevaeh, too. She tracks well, she's like me. But, she has different tricks." That's what she called them.
Doc: "I was hoping you would go with option two. It helps having multiple people to help you. Roderic would be a good first choice, a male figure for him to possibly open up to. Neveah? I am unfamiliar with her? Is she easy going? Unthreatening?" Lucretia had said Nevaeh was a lot like her, which Doc presumed to mean young and inexperienced. A threatening presence however, could be detrimental to what Lucretia was trying to accomplish. The people watching him.. befriending him needed to most unassuming and non-threatening. Roderic wasn't necessary unthreatening, but if he was willing to help he would know to tone it down.
Pyper: Easygoing might have not been a way to describe the other Telepath. After nights fighting the back-and-forth arguments clashing against one another and leaving her with nothing else to mull over. It distracted her from socializing, from working. She sat in her apartment, on the floor in front of the door and watched for it to open. For Ethan, or Roderic to come inside. Both had been avoiding her and confusion over both situations went beyond the Telepath's understanding. Lingering remains of those feelings from both situations made Lucretia less cheering, and more cautious. We can't trust anyone who is not Altaire. "Phoenix said, Paige wasn't good for Ethan to meet. She does things, he won't understand. Nevaeh is like that, too."
Doc: "Ah." Doc nodded slowly. "I know Paige. And Yes I agree, it would be judicious to not introduce him to Paige at this precise time. It sounds to me that Ethan is having a hard time adjusting. If Nevaeh is like Paige, perhaps, it would be best to Let Roderic see if he can befriend him." He looked at her, and reached forward to take her hand gently. "You are going to have to be patient. You want to see that he is alright and that is perfectly understandable. But you need to do it from afar, and let Roderic take the lead. Men are ******* stubborn. We have egos. We do not want females to see us.. being helpless. He needs time to find his strength."
Pyper: The male specimen was one that, the more Pyper studied, the more far from reasonable the half of the species appeared. Then again, her standard of the average male would have been compared to Roderic. He admitted to being a unique individual, saying that she was as well. Now they had things, egos, that needed to be protected? Why? "What makes it hard, to accept help, with a female being a male?" Lucretia posed the question, figuring that if anyone, Charles would be more than willing to provide a rational answer.
Doc: "Men want.. " He paused, "Some men NEED to be seen as stronger than a female. Not to put the female down. But rather, to make the female feel safe. When a female is able to do something a male cannot, that a male 'should' be able to do.. it can be humilating to the male ego." Doc smirked, "Lets take me for example, I appreciate women. I adore women. I especially appreciate a strong woman. A woman who can handle herself, by herself. Now the downside for me.. is that I want the woman to need me. It's a fine line. And it isn't easy to explain and much harder to understand for the female sex."
Pyper: Her silence meant she was calculating, comparing to other situations. Other than Charles, Pyper only associated with Roderic, and sometimes Calix. So, to her, these understandings needed to be applied to these two males. So she could see how they would react to the idea, if she stood back, and soothed their egos. Collect data from a self-concocted study. After a few moments, when there's realization that she hadn't responded, the fixed set of eyes moved, darting to any distracting object and then back to Charles. "Men, want these things? These things, in a woman." She's either verbally reiterating what he's saying, or asking him to confirm. It's unclear.
Doc: "To a degree more or less." He shrugs, "Some men don't a needy .. clingy woman. Other men, they like that, because it makes them feel needed. Personally, I don't like a needy clingy woman." As he explains, he wonders if the reason she asked had changed. And so he told her would he had told Catherine, "You should not make yourself into something you are not ..just for a man. Be yourself. Do not settle. Men are ******* dogs. If you find a man you like, you make him ******* earn you. Understand?"
Pyper: A man that she liked? Upon closer examination of her reaction to a set of changed locks, there's a subconscious part of her that had come to the understanding that her personality felt complimented by her sibling. He didn't reciprocate, and Lucretia didn't think he could, the way she desired to venture. "I, spoke to Phoenix. About.. " Were these things, you talked to, to other people?
Doc: "Sex?" He asked evenly. "There is nothing shameful about sex. It is a natural desire that happens between people." He paused, "However, care should be exercised, because,.. our kind.. vampires," he spelled out it,"We can create a monster if the copulation results in a pregnancy." He looked at her pointedly, "And unless the pregnancy is aborted, the monster will kill the mother." Yes he was being brutally honest and could give her a complex. "That's why you should always.. ALWAYS make the guy wear a condom."
"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"
Pyper: Nevaeh said that the sewers had a lot of condoms. Maybe she should drop down one of the grates, on her way home and take a couple. Just in case. "I will. Make him wear a condom. I spoke to Phoenix about Roderic. I, proposed, that he should... " Normally, Pyper was very willing and unfiltered in what she said, so why was voicing this again suddenly so hard? ".. be the first. She agreed but then her face was.. not agreeing."
Doc: Doc listened, "It's about what 'you' want, rather than what Phoenix wants. You do realize that, yes?"
Pyper: Her feet shifted, scuffing the floor with their bottoms. "I know, her opinion matters. She knows Roderic, how he is. Longer than I have worked for, and known him."
Doc: "Listen to me. Why do you want to do this?" He was wondering what her motivation was. Was Roderic pressuring her? Or was there something else? It did not strike him that she wanted to have sex for the proper reasons. And though she had the right to make own decisions, he felt an obligation to make sure she would not be hurt in the process.
Pyper: Pyper's brows came together, and her eyes stopped watching her footwear and lifted until they set on Charles'. "Phoenix said, that. You do these things with people, that you trust. I would like to experience, this. Roderic is a person, that I trust." Even though he had recently locked her out of his apartment, over a misunderstanding. That had hurt.
Doc: ".. No." he sighed. "No. Yes you need to trust and care for the person you have sex with. But it is so much more than that. It's joy, euphoria, and exaltation along with trust and caring. You don't have sex with just anyone you trust. It needs to be a 'special' someone .. more special than anyone else, type of special. Do you understand?"
Pyper: Her fingers tensed, dactyls illuminating with the strain of the skin stretching to its full capacity over her knuckles. Sinking into the chair, her eyes had to rise in their orbital sockets in order to keep their focuses on him. Did he know something that she didn't? She looked, pried into Roderic's happenings once every night. It was the way she learned other faces. Velveteen, Nemesis. "He is special." There's an edge, a natural air of protectiveness.
Doc: "Alright." He nodded absently, "And he does he feel that way about you? To have a successful sexual relationship, both partners be equally engaged. If that is the case. Alright. If it isn't. Then I repeat what I said before. You make him earn you. Don't give in because you feel ******* guilty." He knew she wasn't going to listen. Catherine didn't. But he said it. He did due diligence.
Pyper: That's where she fell flat, because that knowledge wasn't available to her. She couldn't just look into his head and see those things. A lot of things were still out of her reach. Frustratingly so. "I don't, think he feels that way. About, anyone. I haven't said anything. I don't feel guilty, I wouldn't." This subject was a weight, and she was sinking further down into her chair. Lucretia pushed off the arms, stood. She started to pace.
Doc: He had been so intent to make her understand, he didn't realize that he had been agitating her. "I apologize Lucretia, it was not my intention to upset you. I did not want you getting used."
Pyper: Crack, crack, crack. With their slight tremor, one hand popped the knuckles of the other. "People, are. Confusing, me." Crack, crack, crack. "They tell me, to be normal. But then, others, tell me. To be the same." Crack, crack, crack.
Doc: "All you really need to do, is 'appear' to be normal. You can be you. You can do what you want.. as long as you 'appear' to be normal, and no one catches you, not being 'normal'." He went silent for a moment as he let those words sink in, "You're not stupid. You know how to play the game. Remember when you would act like the doctors wanted you to act? It was just an act. That is all you have to do now. Act normal in front of people.. humans,.."
Pyper: How the doctors wanted? There would have been no point crossing through to the Canadian border, and coming here, if she had to play a similar role to the one maintained in a hospital. Pyper looked at this as a new start, to exercise freedoms that were foreign. That could be fun. Why was he putting together a cage again? Like they had. "You, can't, do both." Crack, crack, crack, crack. "Why are you, wanting me to be.. like they way that, they wanted me to be?" Marching the width of the office, her neck turned to keep her head in a immovable position.
Doc: "No You misunderstand. You pretended to do what the doctors wanted. But in here..." he taps his temple, "in your mind, you knew differently. You were compliant, and you did what the doctors wanted.. Not because you wanted to .. but you did it to throw them off, so they would leave you alone. Until you could get free. Same thing now. The difference is.. you have to 'pretend' to be 'normal', You can be want You want. You put on the mask of normalcy. Then when you are with those you trust, you can take the mask off."
Pyper: Charles was the one who didn't understand. Day, after day. To perfect the face of normalcy in a hospital had never worked in her favor. Her speech had always been a problem; when excited, or upset the breaks in her sentences became more frequent and it alerted the aides to stay close. With either extreme emotion, she had been marked in her records as being prone to violent behavior but inconsistently so. "This, this was suppose to be, new. Not the same, the old. People know, and they say it. They know and, I can't. Hide all of it. It comes out, I can't. Change me. Not under, not on. The surface."
Doc: "What do they know?" A pause, "What am I missing Lucretia?"
Pyper: "They, know. I am not. Like them." At the word them, her palm hit the back of the chair.
Doc: "So? You do not have to be like them. What does it matter what they think? It only matters what -you- think"
Pyper: "But, I have to be normal. To, do that, I have to .. pretend. I can't, but they know, already."
Doc: "Let's talk about 'normal'.. and what normal means. To me, normal can be a person with two arms, two legs, two eyes. Or..." he gazed at her, "normal can be .. a reaction to a sad movie. People cry. But not everyone. It is -normal- for people to have different reactions to the same situation."
Pyper: "There, is a standard. For normal. People. A lot of them, say, that I am not like, everyone else. So then, it is to be, assumed. That there is a standard. Isn't there, Charles?" Both hands were wrapped around the top of the chair like a pair of hooks.
Doc: "Yes there is a baseline. There are those that fall below the baseline and those that are above the baseline. I like you.. the way you are.. why take your unique view of the world and bury it, in order to be normal?"
Pyper: "To make Ethan, comfortable. Phoenix doesn't, want Ethan to know certain people, because they are not normal. So that, would mean, that I have to change. Push those things, deep. Hide them, in my copies."
Doc: "Lucretia.. we do this right.. we will live forever. Do you want to have to hide things in your copies forever? I sure as **** wouldn't. I would want my family accept me for who I am. And if they can't .. I dont ******* need them."
Pyper: "I, don't know. How to do, it, right. I, would need help." The tension was leaving, and without incident.
Doc: "That is why we talk. We talk.. we learn from each other. We share ideas, we share goals, we share thoughts that we agree with. Communication is critical for our growth. When we stop learning.. we stagnate and begin to die. I don't want to die. You don't want to die. So we work together to stay strong. We share techniques that have worked. We discuss plans that we want to try. You do not have to do this alone."
Pyper: "Because, I have you and, Phoenix. Altaire, too." We can't trust anyone who isn't Altaire. "I, am.. sorry. I got, angry."
Doc: "You have a right to you express yourself. Do you didn't hurt anything. You're fine." He toyed with it. Better now than later. She would be irate if she found out on her own. "I am not Altaire Lucretia. I am d'Atois."
Pyper: "I know. I have, seen. I look, some times." Often, truth be told. Lucretia looked often through the heads of the people she spoke to the most. Maybe they knew, but she didn't think they knew. She never returned to her seat but walked, at a slow rate. Not the feverish state as before. "Roderic, always asks, if someone is Altaire. Because, other people, aren't right. Like Axel, the man who, attacked, using Nevaeh's face."
Doc: "And he got his.. " he nods "A name doesn't make someone safe. You know this. What do you like in a person? Think about that. What is it about Roderic you like? And do you see that in others as well? Others that may not be Altaire?"
Pyper: "He gave me money, once." She's talking about Axel, not Roderic. Axel had been the reason Roderic changed the locks on her. "Roderic, is more like. Me. His views, differ. But, they are.. unconventional. You like, my views. I am interested, in his. In understanding. He, comes, and shares space, with me. In his apartment, we work on our projects. There's no need, to speak. But it is, comfortable. I feel better." Humming, she considered other people, then cleared her throat, "I have trust, in him. And you. I trust you. You, are d'Atois."
Doc: He nodded, "I am d'Artois. Thank you for trusting me." He didn't understand the significance of money, so he didn't pursue it. "There is nothing wrong with unconventional. Most of the leaps in technology, are because of the 'unconventional' actions of their creators. Unconventional is not normal." He smiled slightly.
TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES, LET ME RAVAGE YOUR BODY, I DON'T NEED DRUGS WHEN YOUR LIPS ARE LIKE POPPIES. DROWNING IN SHEETS IS MY NEW FAVORITE HOBBY. USE UP YOUR BREATH, TELL ME HOW BAD YOU WANT ME.
"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"
October 29 2014
Pyper: [ Text Message from: Pyper ] Charles? I'm outside your building. Are you at the office? I finished my costume. Our party is tomorrow. But I needed to try it on.
Doc: *Text* Sure come on in
Pyper: Lucretia put her phone in one of the impossibly unaccomodating pockets hover just over her left hip. With it away, her hand could turn the knob of the door and nudge it in. She stepped inside, careful to pick up her feet. She didn't wear moccasins; the nurses hadn't worn those. She wore white flats. They were equally as comfortable, once she put padding on the insides. Through the thin cloth wrapped around her face, she smiled. "How, does it, look?"
Doc: As the door opened, Doc looked up expectantly. He knew from their previous conversations she wanted to go as Nurse, a Nurse with a macabre and sinister side. He studied her outfit critically. He noted the suitable and serviceable shoes. He eyed the blood splatter on the uniform. He stood and walked around her getting a view of all sides. "A possible suggestion..?"
Pyper: She stood in the center of the room to accommodate any circling. Her arms were hung at her sides, limply in case they needed to be moved. Examinations with doctors usually underwent that sort of procedure. There lacked any tights, because none of the pictures she saw in the comic books she studied had worn any. There were superficial scrapes on her legs but they would disappear before the end of the night. The blood had been spritzed on using a saw. She had found one in a back room at the Happy Tree Taxidermy office. "Yes?"
Doc: "You need some blood splatter on your face and hair. Not too much, and smeared as though you wiped at it with the back of your hand? Depending on the facility, some nurses wear white tights..but not all of them." He circled her again, "all in all I think you look quite .. ominous .. I would be wary if you were my nurse."
Pyper: It meant she'd need to go back and buy another blood pack in order to make sure that she had enough. At the mention of tights, her legs bend outwards as far as they could. The skirt limited a lot of movement; it wasn't something she was use to. "I didn't, see that. In pictures. The tights, I mean. I could go back. To the Flats, and buy more blood. Work on it later tonight. To make it perfect." It's her turn to begin examining him.
Doc: "You do not have to do tights.. It was a suggestion only. But the hair and the face. If you want a fine spray of blood.. not a lot.. dip a comb in it.. and then run your thumb along the tines to spray it on you.. " As she started looking him over, he said dryly, "Phoenix likes to rub my head. Needless to say I am going to let it grow as quick as possible."
Pyper: She could understand the temptation that Phoenix faced when in the same quarters as Charles. Her fingers twitched, itching to do the same. Instead, they plucked at his clothing, attending to the details of the tattoos. Were they real? She almost dragged a thumb across some of the finer lines to find out but refrained. "You look nice, Charles. Different, because, of the hair. Lack of. I like your, costume," she assured him, smile growing underneath the mummy-wrap.
Doc: The tattoos were real, he actually had them done over the course of the week, the last one, after he had Phoenix shave his head for him. He offered her a polite smile, "Thank you Lucretia. I hope you have a nice time at your party tonight. If there is a contest.. you would have my vote." He paused for a moment, then changed the subject, "I met Roderic the other day.. he is in your family, yes? You mentioned him before when we spoke about Ethan. After meeting him, I began to be curious how Ethan was settling in."
Pyper: The mention of Roderic struck a reaction out of her. Her feet shuffled themselves along the floor and she silently counted to ten. It was fortunate that the gauze layered around her face made her expression hard to distinguish. That smile slackened but only for a fraction of the time she counted. It smoothed out and she cleared her throat. Roderic was still thinking, and his thinking ground her nerves together. Her anxiety was sometimes hard to maintain. "Yes. Roderic, is my. Sibling," her words broke up, exaggerated more than usual. It was her tell. "Ethan, is. Adjusting. He, has spent time. With Eli. I don't know, how, they, get along. With one, another. He, feeds. More now. And, is careful. He can, make things. He made me, a camera. For my, work room."
Doc: Doc nodded slowly, he caught that catch in her voice and the faltering smile. He chose not to mention it, if she wished to expound on it, it would be her choice. It was not his intention to upset her. Had he realized it would, he would not have said anything. “Yes I thought that is what you had said previously when we spoke of Ethan.” He canted his head slightly, “But I do not recall Eli having spoken about Eli? Is he another sibling? That Altaire lineage is quite prolific.” He shrugged as if to say ignore that, “However I digress, if Ethan wishes to talk, I would not be averse to speaking with him.”
Pyper: Often times, Lucretia forgets the things that she tells people, and more than that, she won't be able to recall in full detail stretches of hours at a time. So it was troubling to her that Charles was not told about Eli. It had been a while since that they had spoken, and it was her fault in it. Texting could only allow so much communication. Unless you were the type to have it glued to your fully capable hands. "Eli, is a sibling. Of Ethan's. I made, him, too. He, is sweet. Adjusted, better. Than Ethan. Helps him. I gave, Ethan. Your number. I hope, it isn't, a problem."
Doc: At the mention of Eli being Ethan’s sibling, Doc raised an eyebrow. He was surprised. She had seemed out of sorts at the issues she had been having with Ethan, so to hear that she had made another one, on the heels of those feelings, gave him pause. Not that she shouldn’t, but rather, it was his own curiosity of what had been the catalyst for her change. She had struggled with Ethan and yet in less than a matter of weeks she had rallied and created Eli. That bespoke a strength of will that was stronger than he first gave her credit for. He knew she had to have that characteristic to endure and come through the medical experiences she had gone through. But those were things from an outside perspective. Ethan was her own personal experience, not something someone else had forced upon her
Doc: So how did she go from wariness to acceptance? “What is Eli like?” It was a simple question, wide open, leaving room for an answer to go in any direction needed.
Pyper: Lucretia remembered the night that she first saw Eli. Ethan had been someone she had taken her time with, lingering amongst the bookshelves of the Honeymead Library to catch glimpses of him from amid a pair of leather spines. His chair had enticed her, and his forced dependence on additional accommodations reminded her of herself. Her handicaps were more internal, however. Not like Ethan's physical abnormality. His thesis also drew her in. His experiments, and his knowledge. Eli contrasted his sibling, from what she could immediately tell. Both of them were still new, and their experiences were still buried in a past that neither felt very open to sharing. A hand came up, and relieved her face of the wrap. Just her eyes and her nose became visible.
Pyper: "Eli, rode, in trucks. With sirens. Lights. Created, a lot of sound. Helped, people. I watched him. From across, the street. Cars, smashed together. He used to be, an EMT."
Doc: Doc nodded, “Ah.. a Medical Professional.” He unconsciously smiled, “He can still be an EMT. Just as I am still a doctor. He just needs to be more careful, mindful of timing. He could work third shift easily. I am on call for third shift at the hospitals. Most doctors and surgeons do not want that rotation. So I take it. It could prove to be quite beneficial to have him still continue to work.” He enjoyed medicine, more for the challenge than the desire to help people. But if people wanted to presume he was altruistic, he wasn’t going to fight to change their opinion. The running joke at the hospitals was that Doc worked the night shift because he had pissed off everyone on day shift.
Pyper: Pyper silently absorbed the information as much as she could without taking the lengthy hours to pick it apart and analyze it. Then she'd end up at her computer in her work room, researching how to best facilitate with Eli's needs. Ethan's were more difficult to figure out. During the transitioning, he became aggressive; his tones changed with her sometimes but their double meaning escaped from her understanding. He'd sound angry, but he wore a smile still. He never used her name, either. Something else she noted. He normally referred to her as 'Schizo.' Lucretia knew what it was sort for. She had obtained her file, knew her diagnoses. She never researched it. Something held her back from wanting to know. "I, can have him. See you, too. You, have more. Experience.
Doc: “Of course, if that’s what you wish. I don’t wish to intrude upon your family. I..” He wondered to how to explain, “tend to be curious. I like to question, poke.. prod, see what makes someone tick up here.. as it were.” He tapped his temple with his middle finger. “I find immensely intriguing, how one person deals with a situation compared to another person in the same situation.” His smile turned rueful, “And as for experience.. at least yours speak to you. I have one that refuses to speak to me. She is very much like your Ethan. Very angry at me. Doesn’t see the gift I gave her. Will be in the room with me, but she acts very much like I do not exist. I confess, I am tired of trying with her.”
Pyper: She didn't want to share that same experience with Charles. At times, her adhering to Ethan's needs benefited them both. He had built the security camera mounted in her work room. Pyper's feverish interrogations of other lineage members may have drive this motivation into her spawn. Now she could see exactly who ventured into her personal haven. "I, have interest. In it, too. In them, especially. They give me, opportunities. I learn, from them. Them from me. What I do, know. What, I can do. We have, had. Issues. Ethan, me. Eli, poses other, troubles." Without being aware that she had, Lucretia's hand hovered and absently pressed periodically into her lower lip through the mask.
Doc: “Do you want to talk about the issue with Eli? It is fine if you do not.” He looked at her pointedly, “But, you should know, it isn’t that I do not have interest in my spawn. I think it is the opposite. I have too much. I want to know her. She wants to know nothing of me. It is disheartening. I think perhaps if I stop everything in regard to her,.. I would be more at ease than I am now. She certainly has not issues ignoring me.” He leaned against his desk, “That is my way of saying.. it isn’t easy.. we do not always have the answers.. and sometimes we will **** up.”
"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"
Pyper: The kind of language that Charles used with her, was the only example - other than day time movies - of cursing she was exposed to since leaving the United States. It was surprising, that most of the Altaire she had been drive to for one reason or another, didn't curse. In her time alone, she had tried a few but found that they didn't feel right when her mouth formed to aid in their enunciations. Charles was refreshing in this; he spoke with her in a way that altered her expectation of normal. "Eli, kissed me. Once. One night, and I ran away, from him." Stories orbiting around the subject of her childer usually concluded in her running away from the scene of distress.
Doc: He had not expected that. He had expected ‘Eli is rash and isn’t careful’ or ‘Eli doesn’t want to feed’ or anything, but not, ‘he kissed me and I ran away’. “Oh…” He was quiet for a moment, as he pondered a suitable response. But a suitable response would be dependent on further information. “Well.. did you like it .. and you ran away because you did? Or did you not like it.. and that’s why you ran? Or..” He held up a finger, “it caught you off guard and that’s why you ran away?”
Pyper: She needed to present more of the information. She's hesitant to. What if something she said changed the outcome later? Lucretia's hands came together, picking at the joints. Popping the knuckles. One, two.. "I'm, just confused. I had, expressed. Interest, in another person. Not Eli. He came, I made him, after. I ran away, because, I was confused. On what, is okay now. I'm waiting, for the other. Person, to think. To decide."
Doc: He could tell she was nervous almost hesitant about saying anymore, he almost told her to forget it.. but then she spoke. Her words came about more disjointed and slow, as though she were making a conscious effort to force them out. Her answer when she finally said it, was a reason he had not thought of. There was a third party involved. He gave her a smile. “You’re running away makes sense now. I had not thought about that option.” He nodded as things begin to make sense. Her reaction when he mentioned Roderic earlier. From previous meetings with her, he knew she trusted him and looked up to him. Was he the third party? If so, he could imagine that if Roderic was the possessive sort, he might want to carve poor Eli up. And if she were nervous, she could have gotten tongue tied, and fleeing was the next best option. “Whenever you are in a situation that you do not know how to handle, caution is always best. A saying that was drummed into me as a child.. ‘If in doubt.. don’t’, basically, if you have to ask yourself if you should or shouldn’t do something.. the answer is ‘shouldn’t’. That’s because subconsciously you want to do something you know is wrong.” The irony of the words he said was the explanation that his mother used to give him; when he never had to ask himself ‘if’ he should or shouldn’t. He asked himself, ‘how do I cover my tracks’.
Pyper: People didn't look at Pyper and see a woman, from the experiences that she'd had in the past. She was not a sexual individual, nor contained much interest in any sex. Not before Harper Rock. After her introduction to some of the most oversexualized lineage members, her curiosities grew. Lucretia recalled Strix - at one point, a sibling - and upon inspection of her memories, watched her give Axel a pair of fuzzy, pink handcuffs. The blonde still didn't understand what they had been used for or what the fur did to aid in their role. Strix was dead now, or gone. Phoenix had said both at one point but she never seemed hurt by it. Phoenix seemed relieved about it.
Pyper: So it's not offensive when Charles admitted that he never saw her pursuing another person. In truth, it had never been her intention to but there was a pull. It confused her and to follow through with the barrage of advice gotten from several family members, she initiated the start of an adult relationship. It wasn't working out how she imagined it. How she thought these things were suppose to go. Simone was odd about it. Simone got angry about it. Paige had said it was because she was also drawn to Roderic. And now Roderic needed time to think. He was meticulous, and that she understood. It had also been a week since. Pyper gave him space, but her patience had been shaved down. Now most days, she holed up to practice her speech and involve in a project. She needed to be alone to lose herself
Pyper: "I, love Eli. He is nice. To be around. Look at. It's not, the same. Not like, the other person. I'm just, nervous. About the thinking. Worried. Phoenix, said to. Make sure that, he knows. Things, won't change. Even if, they don't go, the way. I want them, to. I have to, be the same. Treat them, the same. Even when, and if, I hurt. That's hard."
Doc: Doc listened and nodded. Because Phoenix had said she had to act the same, it had to be someone in Lucretia's family. Could be Ethan or Roderic. "Phoenix is correct, especially if the person in question is in your family. You do not want to do what I did. I did a bunch of **** wrong. I got bound to lineage member; got bound for the wrong reasons; I believed her when she said certain things 'didn't matter’. Well .. they did matter. It didn't work out between us.. now she hates me.. her sire hates me. I was kicked out of the family.. although they say I am not out of the family.. I am just not allowed in the family 'home'. Tells me.. I am family in name only." he sighed. "So yea.. having a relationship with someone in your lineage .. is ******* difficult. Every time you have a fight, family will pick sides. Whether you want them to or not."
Doc: He shook his head. "And if you break up.. you still have to see them. Day in and day out. For me.. its hard to be civil knowing how she screwed me over. So I started avoiding the family. Been thinking about starting my lineage, so that my Spawn don't have to even be bothered with it." he shook his head. Then asked, "How will you feel if they say.. no to your proposition?"
Pyper: Lucretia often found it very frustrating that even in her freedom, she had limitations. They may have not been a requirement to her existence - aside from protecting the Masquerade - but neither did she feel that they allowed her more room to extend her capabilities, and to learn. To understand the things she wanted to. She wanted to apply the things she already knew, and progress. All of these suggestions that people had given her (especially Simone's advice) inhibited any sort of conclusion that she could draw together on the facts. They weren't allowing her mistakes that she may, or may not be willing to make. In order to obtain information firsthand, instead through someone else's perspective. It's not something that caused any anger to point itself at Charles.
Pyper: Since the last time, Lucretia made use of the old 'Count to Ten,' tactic of her soothing methods. It helped, but it only extracted little relief in cases of exaggerated, emotional responses. She wasn't doing this now. Her voice may have come out like the crack of a whip - and the breaks never helped with the perturbing directness she formed - but it was her searching with a blind hand to discover something unseen. "I, would. Not let that happen. I can, expect him, to say no. I believe, he will. I will, be okay. That I tried. We will, be the same. He is comfortable, with sameness. I can, do that. For him. It won't, change. Unless, he changes."
Doc: Doc looked at her. Her stress level seemed higher than it should be for her about to go to a party. He moved to his desk and opened a drawer. He collected a an amethyst crystal. He crossed over to her, "Here.. take this." He held the crystal out to her. "You seem stressed. You are about to go to a party. I want you to have fun. When you are stressed, hold the crystal and focus on it as you clear your mind of the distractions that are stressing you." He waited for her to take it. "It can work. It takes practice. But given time you can learn to focus and rid yourself of the stress."
Pyper: The mineral had smoothed out stutters in its surface, the divots were interesting to feel over. Her thumb constantly swept over it. "I, try. Counting. That, is what I was, taught. I can, try this. See, if it works. I can let you know, next time. If I needed, it. If it helped. Thank you, Charles." Her nail got stuck at each dent when her finger curved inwards to continue its surface inspection.
Doc: Doc nodded, "You are quite welcome Lucretia, and counting helps. I count as well. It usually helps me. But at times .. " He shrugs, "When I get really angry.. counting doesn't always work. If I am frustrated or annoyed, it does. But I have found that when strong emotions are involved, it helped if I had something to focus on, something tactile. To help with the focus. I used a river stone when I was in college. I found it very effective when coupled with the counting."
Pyper: Pyper wondered whether she had ever seen Charles truly angry. He swore, that much she had already been exposed to. But that didn't belie extreme emotions, in fact, from what she had seen, it had made people feel better. It sometimes looked as though it made Charles satisfied that he made a point. "You, never seem. To get very angry. Even, when you talk about, couples. Partners, and binding."
Doc: Doc smirked crookedly, "I do get angry. I am not proud of my anger issues. But yes I do have issues. We all do Lucretia. Knowing who we can trust when we are vulnerable is doubly important for us. And couples.. " the smirk faded, "I have not had good experience at all. The woman I wanted to marry.. killed me. The woman I chose to bind to .. fucked my brother and threw it in my face." He went quiet for a moment. "I understand anger." He looked at her, "And as much as you want to believe it can be the same... I know it can't." He looked at her solemnly, "Be very careful. Never react in haste. You can call me whenever, if you need to. Alright?"
Pyper: People that love. Pyper knew that she loved her family; their individualism was something to be unlocked, to experience and indulge in. To find her own preferences. What she liked, what she didn't like. That wasn't the same kind of love, that Phoenix shared with Axel. They had made something together. They had made a fadebeast by physical means. Pyper had a lingering desire to attempt something physical. A relationship. If she had to love the person, maybe it would be better to wait. Avoid ruining things. If she waited, she would be sure. She wouldn't make a mistake. She wouldn't fail at something that bore too many potential consequences. Charles made her think. It's why she liked to be around Charles. "I will, always call. Or text, if I, need something. You, are
a good man, Charles. To me."
Doc: "I like you Lucretia. there are not a lot of people I do like. You are genuine, and I appreciate that. I appreciate you." It was simple, but true.
Pyper: She had to pull down her bandages to expose her face. She smiled, when the cloth was taken away. "I have to go, fix the costume. Before the party. I want, it to look convincing."
Doc: "You will be great. I know it." He smiled at her. "Have a good time."
Pyper: "Thank you, Charles." As had become habit, her arms came around his middle and they hugged him. "I will, talk to you, soon."
Doc: "I will look forward to it.. Have fun tonight. You look wonderful."
Pyper: "Goodbye, Charles." She let go, and with the crystal in hand, she left his office. The door clicked softly behind her.
TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES, LET ME RAVAGE YOUR BODY, I DON'T NEED DRUGS WHEN YOUR LIPS ARE LIKE POPPIES. DROWNING IN SHEETS IS MY NEW FAVORITE HOBBY. USE UP YOUR BREATH, TELL ME HOW BAD YOU WANT ME.
"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"
November 3, 2014
Pyper: [ Text Message from: Pyper ] I met Blake. And I spoke to Simone tonight. But I met Blake last night. No, I texted him. Last night.
Doc: *text* Alright, you liked him?
Pyper: [ P ] He makes sense to me. Explained things well. Did not get angry, if I was confused.
Doc: *text* No one should get angry if you are confused. That's just rude. If you are confused it is typically because the speaker did not make themselves clear.
Pyper: [ P ] Phoenix gets mad. Some times. I know that she is. She makes motions. I recognize them.
Doc: *text* She and I butt heads. She will say one thing.. which to me, means X.. but to her it means Z. It is a process we are still working on.
Pyper: [ P ] We have that problem a lot. I have that problem with a lot of people. Most people.
Doc: *Text* do not take it personally. It is not all you. It is not all her. It is a combination of things. How you process, vs. how she processes. Words that mean something to her, may mean something else to you. I have found repeating back to her in a different manner usually helps me find the issues the fastest.
Pyper: [ P ] I can try. Sometimes I get upset, if she doesn't understand. She told Calix, he could treat me like his childe. Why would she do that, Charles?
Doc: *text* I could guess. But I don't know. My guess is she may think Calix has more patience? Or that you understand them better? I will say this. YOU control your destiny. If She doesn't want to be your sire.. YOU pick who you want. Don't let her pick. This is your life. You decide.
Pyper: [ P ] But, I am Phoenix's. I control my things. I know that. Did she say that because she doesn't want me?
Doc: *text* No. That much I know. My guess is she thinks she is not good enough.
"--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--"
Pyper: [ P ] But, she is. I try very hard. To do things she will like. I made her a cage. I worked until I had to sleep. I fell asleep. I didn't want to.
Doc: *text* Tell her that. That you don't want anyone else, but her.
Pyper: [ P ] Now? I don't know where she is.
Doc: *text* Scream in her head. She does it to me all the time.
Pyper: [ P ] I don't think she'd enjoy that. Someone told me people like their heads private.
Doc: *text* Yes. Do it for me..
Pyper: [ P ] I did now.
Doc: *text* Thank you. You can tell her I told you to.
Pyper: [ P] Is she going to be mad at you?
Doc: *text* I dont care if she is. You needed to tell her. And I was afraid she would avoid you.
Pyper: [ P ] If she did, I would have asked Blake, to bring her with him.
Doc: *text* Good point.
Pyper: [ P ] I know how to manipulate people, Charles. I've done it for a long time.
Doc: *text* At some point however, you and she will have to learn to talk to each other without a mediator.
Pyper: [ P ] We can get through some conversations.
Doc: *text* the emotionally difficult ones?
Pyper: [ P ] .. No.
Doc: *text* And would you be comfortable with Blake there, to hear those conversations?
Pyper: [ P ] Blake can understand. I don't know if he'd have a bias, though.
Doc: *text* would Phoenix speak in front of Blake?
Pyper: [ P ] Probably not. She's different.
Doc: *text* Then you see my point.
Pyper: [ P ] What about you?
Doc: *text* What about me?
Pyper: [ P ] To mediate.
Doc: *text* You would need to ask Phoenix, she has say as well.
Pyper: [ P ] I will. Next time. She's texting. About what I screamed.
Doc: *text* It worked.
Doc: *text* Have a good evening Lucretia.
Pyper: [ P ] You too, Charles.
TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES, LET ME RAVAGE YOUR BODY, I DON'T NEED DRUGS WHEN YOUR LIPS ARE LIKE POPPIES. DROWNING IN SHEETS IS MY NEW FAVORITE HOBBY. USE UP YOUR BREATH, TELL ME HOW BAD YOU WANT ME.
