Wandered Into Destiny [Tiamat]

[Seiji (DELETED 10305)]

Where.. was he?

Who was he?

When...

And where?

Questions wandered in and out of the boys mind as he stared listlessly into the windows of some tavern he hadn't yet caught the name of. Not for lack of trying, mind you. Yet every time he craned his head back, the letters swam and blurred together, and the ache of his bruised neck protested until he couldn't take it anymore. The beanpole of a man was a mess, by any standard, and it was all he could do to stand there, taking in the sight of cheery patrons at ease with their peers, taking in warmth and drink that made him ache inside.

He was pale, deathly so. His reflection was a haunting image of drawn, baggy-eyed features and limp locks of hair. The purple had faded halfway, leaving visible brown roots reaching down to his ears. Everything about him was gaunt and ready to collapse, yet somehow he still remained on his feet. The coat he'd been so proud of was practically in shreds, hanging off his form as if it held the weight of the world. Bits of blood, leaves, and dirt stuck to it, and even a few twigs had somehow wound themselves in his hair.

He couldn't bear the effort much longer. Nor could he remember how he'd gotten here. Or where he'd been. Something was pulling him, somewhere, but he had no strength for another step. Leaning back against the wall, he slid down into a seated position. He wasn't sure which street he was on, or what had happened, but somehow it felt like the first time in a long time he'd had a moment to breath. To think. To try to pull some sort of feeble mentality back into place.

Where had he been last? He closed his eyes, struggling to think without succumbing to the lull of sleep. The sewers? The.. quarantine zone. Or.. Jaxon.. or was it.. and then there was... something.. being grabbed. Confusion. Pain. He groaned, feeling his body begin to tilt to the side. He had to move, to get up, to keep going. Something was.. after him? Something was coming.. would come.. he... He was so tired.. he forced his head up a little, dragging his eyes open.

"...Please..."

Please.. what? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he needed something.. somehow.. before it was too late.

[Tiamat]

The night had gone well, the paperwork at restaurant had been finished up quickly. She had gone to several of her favorite stores to pick out some new outfits. She tossed the bags in the trunk of her car and stretched slightly. That was when she spotted a form stumbling down the street. It almost looked like one of the many zombies that had been unleashed onto the city. This one, however, seemed… familiar. Tiamat moved to follow the shambling form.

She got a good look at his face when he collapsed on the sidewalk next to the tavern. Seiji. It was Seiji. The woman sighed as she crossed the street and approached him. He was a regular mess. Judging his looks, he’d been the victim of several vampire attacks. She knelt down and carefully prevented her skin from touching the pavement.

“Seiji dear, you’re a real mess. Let’s get you changed and fed shall we,” she said to him as she patted his shoulder. He had slipped through her grasp once, she was not about to let this chance of good fortune slip by a second time.

[Seiji (DELETED 10305)]

The sound of tires crunching asphalt filled his ears, but unlike the past few times he'd heard them, this time they came to a halt. He could barely lift his head, when a familiar voice he could only barely recall rose around him. He struggled to put a name to a face, and the face itself was a blur as he blinked slowly. Though her touch was cool, it felt like the warmest slice of heaven, and he managed some sort of slur and a nod that almost dropped his chin to touch his chest.

Getting up took more strength than he thought he had, but somehow he found his footing once again. Hearing a familiar voice had given him just enough to make each step, following her with an unsteady stagger that threatened to break his nose off the concrete. Half-lidded gaze saw only the passing tiles as a streak of gray and black, and he fumbled with the door of the car when they reached it. To say he collapsed into his seat was putting it lightly, and he barely managed to avoid shutting the door on the seat-belt with some sort of awkward motion that managed to get his arm stuck in it.

It was only as his head thunked against the window did he finally recall a name, his dizzy, barely concious gaze slipping towards the drivers seat. "...Ti...Tia..met?" He licked his lips, his throat dry, voice little more than a rasp easily lost in the sound of the engine rumbling. He didn't speak it a second time, but there was a flicker of relief in his expression that was tinged with desperation.

[Tiamat]

She'd have to correct him later on her name. She glanced over at him slightly before speaking to her phone. The car's speakers made a noise as her cell phone dialed out. "Joseph, prepare an IV with blood...and some soup. We'll be having a guest over."

the car carried them through the streets to the Sanctuary apartment building. She parked in her usual spot and looked to her companion. "Alright, we're here." She climbed out from the driver's side and smoothed out her dress. She stretched as she waited for Seiji to exit the vehicle.

[Seiji (DELETED 10305)]

Seiji had to fight not to pass out as the car took off. The steady thrum of the vehicle nearly sent him under, and the boy was left clutching the handle above the door until his knuckles were even paler than the rest of him. He didn't really hear much of what was being said over the phone. It all turned to static in his ears, and he started to shiver with the cold before hunkering deeper into the seat.

The drive seemed unnaturally short. In the blink of an eye, they'd arrived, and he was forced to move again. He couldn't even ask where 'here' was, taking every bit of effort just to open the door only to literally fall out, landing on the cement face first with a pitiful, painful sound. To say he was in a more pathetic state than usual was an understatement. It wasn't often for one to see a young man cry, but he had curled up onto his side now, feeling too ill to even try to get to his feet.

"M...Mary..." he mumbled, almost delusional as he sobbed into his hands once, then twice, before falling somewhat silent.