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Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 22 Sep 2017, 12:31
by Lancaster
THREE WEEKS PRIOR
________________________________________
Elliot Lancaster d’Artois woke up and didn’t know where he was. The room was unfamiliar. The woman beside him was unfamiliar, though the arm she had thrown over his chest was a comfort and the scent of her hair inspired affection. He might have sprung out of the bed if it were not the case; instead, he lay there for a good five minutes staring at her. Was this what it felt like to wake from a coma? Had he been in a coma? Why was he here? What was the last thing he had been doing? Had he got drunk and gone home with a stranger? Was it possible for him to get that drunk? Deep at his core remained unutterable sadness and despair, a darkness waiting to swallow him up. If this woman was a stranger, why did he feel the need to lean down and press a kiss to her crown? Was it loneliness, getting the better of him?
A one night stand, surely. Surely, he should leave. Lightly, he tried to ease himself out of the bed without disturbing the woman he was with. His foot got tangled in the blanket, however, and he lost his balance. On his way down to the floor he hit his head on the drawer of the bedside table, which had been left open. Stars danced before his eyes -- as well as his last memory before tonight.
Sewers. Blood. An unrivalled craving for blood. Vampire’s blood. Wild blood. Rage and sadness so pure, so basic, so instinctive and it was as strong as that darkness.
Until it was gone again.
Freddie assumed that it was the fall out of bed that had woken him up, his fingers touching at the tender bruise on his skull that would no doubt heal within minutes. He’d laugh about it later, none the wiser.
TWO WEEKS PRIOR
________________________________________
Elliot Lancaster d’Artois woke up to a stumble. Or, it was because he woke up that he stumbled. In his hand was one of those cheap white styrofoam eskies. In his pocket was a wallet. In his other pocket a phone. If he squinted his eyes and paid close attention to the street signs and the buildings, he eventually realised he was somewhere in Bullwood. What was he doing in Bullwood? Though that wasn’t the post pressing question.
HOW had he ended up in Bullwood? Upon inspection, he realised the esky was full of blood packs -- both human and vampire. He knew that he was taking them home to someone. He knew that he was going home. How did he know that? Home. He was confused. Where was home? A headache formed in the front of his skull as he turned on the spot. Home wasn’t in Bullwood. It was in Swansdale. Home was his apartment above the pub, and the pub was not in Bullwood. Why would he come this far for blood packs? And why the **** did he not remember?!
It was there again, that darkness, but it was threaded through with hope. He took a step off the curb to head toward the bridge that would take him across to the other side of the river but deep down he knew it was wrong. There was something inherently wrong with his perception of home. Because when he thought of home he did not see Pi. No, instead there was another woman. Dark-haired, piercing blue eyes, a softness to her features that Pi’s often lacked. When he thought of Pi now there was guilt and despair but there was acceptance, too. And he did not want to go to her, to her memory. But…
...it was the horn that yanked Freddie from his reverie. Bright lights forced him to bring his hand to his eyes as a car swerved around him, a partly balding man leaning out of the window to tell him, rather loudly and uncouthly, to get the **** off the road. Freddie stepped back onto the curb; he didn’t remember stepping out onto the road, though he must have. What had he been thinking about? Why …? He pushed away the doubt and concern for his own well being, and continued on his way home to Hannah.
ONE WEEK PRIOR
________________________________________
It was just a regular nighttime meandering. Every night (though not as often lately as he used to) Freddie would go for a walk. Sometimes Hannah would come. Tonight, Hannah was not with him. It helped with restlessness. He meandered without thinking, without looking, turning corners and crossing bridges without any second thought. He pondered random things; about Hannah, about he recent turn, about her past and what her ‘death’ meant for her future. Their future. Because they would be spending it together.
He wondered about his past and why it was still so uncannily absent. He wondered about the man he’d met and the information he’d tried to give that Freddie refused. He wondered about the curious blackouts he’d had -- quite a few of them since the incident on the road. And the dreams, all of them the same, with the same faces, the same places. And he always woke up confused, like he didn’t quite know where or who he was until he regained his senses and everything went back to normal. These were things he did not yet discuss with Hannah. He did not want to worry her. He wondered, until he wandered right into the hornet’s nest.
“Elliot!” someone called. Freddie kept walking. There were footsteps behind him, and a repeated shout. “Elliot!” Still, Freddie was completely oblivious, hands shoved into his pockets and eyes unseeingly staring ahead. “For ****’s sake. Elliot Lancaster, you tall lanky ****. Are you ignoring me?!”
And then he was there, standing in front of Freddie. A guy who looked like he could be twelve, but his eyes looked weary. Old. He wasn’t twelve, of course he wasn’t. His voice had dropped and he was very obviously an adult. Eyes of a piercing blue were narrowed, thin lips twisted as the guy clicked his fingers in Freddie’s face.
“Oi. Are you actually deaf, mate?!” he said, mimicking Freddie’s accent. Freddie blinked. And then swayed, as his world spun. There was a stab of pain that came and went in an instant, that familiar ice-pick to the brain. But it faded, and didn’t come back.
“...Axl,” he said. “Jesus ******* …. Christ,” he said, hand reaching for his temple. Everything was there. Everything. Just for a moment, it wasn’t just Lancaster. Nor was it just Freddie. It was both. They were one man. A man who’d lived a gypsy-like existence only to be stuck, a vampire. Only to slowly fall deeply for the woman who was his sire, the woman who’d left, who was dead. A man who’d spiralled so far out of control that he’d completely lost himself, had opted to become someone else. Someone else who’d found actual happiness. The darkness and despair was quashed, eclipsed by recent history. Lancaster-come-Freddie slammed a hand down upon Axl’s shoulder, needing the anchor to keep him steady.
“What the hell is wrong with you man? You’re lucky I saw you before Roxxy. She’s going to rip your guts out,” he said. “Where the **** have you been…?”
Lancaster-come-Freddie laughed, somewhat delirious. Where had he been, indeed?!
All it took was that blast from the past, thrown in at the right time, and all the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Those memories that had been so painstakingly locked away were now released, like a veritable Pandora’s chest. Except it wasn’t all bad. Freddie hadn’t known where he was going; that part of the city he’d subconsciously avoided for months had been entered, Swansdale spread out before him like an old friend. He and Axl went somewhere that wasn’t Lancaster’s -- Freddie wasn’t quite ready for that, yet -- and they talked. They talked for hours. The whole time, Freddie held his phone in his hands, twisting it back and forth, unlocking it before closing it again, eventually texting Hannah. How long would this lucidity last? He was coming home. And he had something to tell her.
CURRENT EVENTS
________________________________________
It did not matter how the laboratory was found, nor why Freddie, formerly known as Lancaster d’Artois, found himself inside of it. Now more fully himself -- though still preferring to be called Freddie -- he knew what he wanted. He knew without a single doubt that he wanted a cure. All along, he wanted a cure. Although his memories still wept at a slow pace, that voice inside told him that he needed to at least try; he would forever regret it if he didn’t. What if his participation made the difference between a win or a loss?
Quietly, he entered the facility. Without getting in the way of anyone else, he joined the militia. He barely spoke to those on the ninth floor; he was barely there. He paced the floors above, lurking around the stairs and the elevators, acting as a guard for the vampires who tried to storm the building.
There were too many of them. Whoever had leaked the news that there was a cure ought to be fired. Whoever hadn’t built a better firewall should be… well, Freddie wouldn’t say they should be shot but what was he doing, now? He was shooting those he thought ought to be kept at bay. Fully aware he had not been made judge and jury, each bullet he loosed caused a pang of guilt. He kept backing up, hoping that he wouldn’t have to kill anyone. Hoping that they would just stop, that something would be done to secure the cure and scatter the attackers.
No such luck.
Freddie ended up down on the ninth floor with the small group who acted as the last barricade. Most of them were Paladins, hunters who’d have seen the vampire dead regardless of how much he hated what he was, how much he would turn back given the chance. He’d never asked for this.
The security console was blasted in the crossfire and it didn’t look hopeful. The scientists who thought they were safe beyond the blast doors were anything but. The last resort, the very last hope, was that they get the cure and leave. They had to get out of this building. They had to take it somewhere safe. The vampire copped a bullet to the gut. A bullet or ten were returned, the foe in front of him eventually dispersing into ash. The room spun with emergency lights, alarms deafening as the doors behind him heavily clacked. The locks were open. Freddie had no idea how, or why. Safety protocol? Whatever the case, the scientists and their cure were now free game.
“The cure!” he shouted to everyone and no one in particular. “It needs to be safe!” he said as he backed through the blast doors, hoping that the hint would be taken, and that none of those still upon the ninth floor would turn against them. Not now. Not in the hour of need.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 24 Sep 2017, 15:45
by Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)
Hannah had known for some time that Freddie was really "Elliot Lancaster" who had owned a pub named Lancaster's. It had been an accidental find for their first date when she was looking for pubs with Karaoke opportunities. Every fibre of her being wanted to tell him then and there, but then they would have more than likely never had their first date and maybe he wouldn't even be in her life anymore. It wasn't positive how he would react to the news of his other life.
Besides, every few weeks, Hannah flipped back to referencing Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. At that point in time, Freddie had only had the first tier, perhaps two in his life. Forcing him to go to the tip of the pyramid would have had disastrous results in her mind. Weeks went by, then months, and Freddie had moved to the third tier. At least she hoped. They had went from friends to dating, to someone she loved to be around. And she knew he loved being around her too. They were comfortable together. They lived together, went on walks together when he was awake or she wasn't at work. Read side by side in bed together, shared that bed together. Their individual lives had almost meshed into an 'our' life perspective.
And then she died. And things with Freddie and his mental well being and advancement had been postponed to an extent. They had to work through a lot of things together. She had to be taught certain things. Learn all about herself and her path. Quit her job...though, she didn't really quit it because she had died. There was no way she could go back to being Hannah Lynn Woods, physical therapist. Eventually, she was hired back on under Iris' place of employment (part time) and it was something Hannah found herself enjoying, being a book lover. She had died and with that, almost everything else had died too. Her job, her friendships with those people she worked with. They moved because her need to work for Gino had died too. They needed to keep her out of his life, or him out of her life, as best as they could. Eventually Hannah had even dyed her hair and was now a blonde. She wasn't sure if she liked it, but for now, it was better this way. The only thing that remained and hadn't died, was Freddie and what he had meant to her. He had kept his word and they were working on things together.
So, when Freddie told her he had come to learn who he really was, Hannah listened and nodded her head. She then went to the computer and typed in Lancaster's in a search engine and pulled up pictures for him. She explained that she knew, but didn't care what he wanted to go by, because Hannah knew the real him. Of course she did. They had lived together for many, many months. So he could be Freddie, or Lancaster, or any other name, but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was how he felt about her and she about him. Anything else, they could weather as it came to him.
---Current Timeline---
"A cure?" Hannah looked at Freddie with a high rise of both brows. "Do you think there really is one?" That had been her response at first. Until he went on to explain his desires for it and the dangers that came with it. She felt apprehension. What if he died? They each thought they had almost lost the other before, but what if it really did happen? He wanted to be human again. Hannah supported it. How could she not? She had been human most their time together and that hadn't stopped their relationship. And if the cure worked, maybe she could become human again too. Maybe. Did she want that? It wouldn't change anything. She couldn't go back to work...could she? No. It was too dangerous with Gino around. She was sure he hadn't left the city, and that meant he was still a danger and threat. Still, the idea of being human. It left Hannah in high spirits, even if she couldn't go back to the old way of life.
"Go. Be safe. Call me often. Text me often. Either. I don't care. But..." She had wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him. "At the first sign of danger, you get out of there. I don't want or need a hero. I just want and need you." She watched him walk out their apartment door, and felt hope. But at the same time, felt fear. Fear for the unknown. Fear at the possibility of his death. Fear of losing him.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 24 Sep 2017, 17:05
by Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)
[against_peace][/against_peace]
The vampires were doing a lot of damage. At least, against his better judgement, he could admit that they had skills and tactics. They were trained or honed in on how to kill things, and Gideon wanted the world to see that. Especially, of certain vampires. Gideon had a list of them he didn't like. Every was number one. Then there was that Doctor guy, Mona had told him about and both were in the Gideon had created a fake Facebook account on his mobile phone, scrolled through the different applications until he found 'Go Live,' and pressed the icon. The main floor had the most vampires and the most 'action.' He recorded vampires and humans fighting. Shooting and stabbing the other. Snippets of conversations and orders. On two, he did a quick swing from the elevator with his camera, once Gideon saw that there were some near it. Were they trying to break into the elevator? Was that even possible. He caught some guy on three with a big sword, chopping through guards like they were swiss cheese. He didn't hesitate. He was almost like a machine. Who carried swords around anyways? Wasn't this modern age Canada? On four, he had seen a mammoth of a man ripping people apart with his bare hands at one point.
After he was done, recording about three minutes of video, he submitted it on his feed and tagged all the local Canadian News Stations. What they did with it from here on out was their business. Even if half of them showed it out of it being a potential hoax, people had still seen it. Some would believe it. Some would not. Still, he would make it his effort to make the non-believers, believers.
He stuffed the phone in his back pocket and then moved his *** to nine. The doors swung open and he heard some guy yelling about protecting the cure. Gideon frowned and looked around. What was going on? There were still five floors between them and any vampire. He moved to the console to see the security log and came up empty handed. The thing was destroyed. Had a guard done it? One of the militia members? A spy, maybe? Someone said a vampire had been in there hitting people a few hours ago. Gideon hadn't been hit, but that didn't really mean anything. Maybe he had just been lucky. Then again, he was bleeding from his groin in multiple places. Hopefully Mona didn't want any more kids. Ever.
"What's going on?" Gideon asked, looking directly at the guy who was on about the Cure. Was he a vampire, or was he a human? It was hard to tell with some vampires. This guy appeared human...A shot was fired and all the guards for the facility were dead. Someone had the key, and everyone who wasn't sitting on their thumbs knew it because they were all moving towards the protected doors. The Cure was right behind that door. And Gideon was one step closer to getting it. He just had to be faster than all the ones making their way inside.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 28 Sep 2017, 00:20
by Lancaster
[for_peace][/for_peace]
Freddie was a peaceful vampire, just as Elliot Lancaster had been a peaceful human. Elliot Lancaster who’d hated being what he was; he hated drinking blood, he hated that he sometimes lost his wits and could not control his impulses. Even now the memories stung, the way they returned to him like a slideshow, causing him to flinch and wince. There were thing that he had done that he would never have done as a human. Things he had tried to atone for. If there really was a cure and it worked, he wanted to wrap it up with a sweet little bow and take it to Cytherea.
Cytherea was the first he had turned because he’d killed her. He hadn’t meant to. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, dealing with a vampire who was not in control of himself. He’d tried to make up for it by giving her a second chance at life, but she hated it as much as he did. Whoever she’d become, however she’d turned out, Lancaster had blamed himself.
It was odd, however, feeling like he was two people. Like Elliot Lancaster was a fictional character and Freddie had nothing to do with him, or his actions, or his past. But the memories were there, and the same general disdain for immortality. The businesses Elliot Lancaster owned would still be there were he to be cured. He could still run them, and he could live a normal life. A normal life. He’d never thought that he wanted one before, nor had he considered his nomadic existence to be normal.
All of this flashed through his mind as the human in front of him asked what was going on. All uncertainty was banished. Many would call Freddie a traitor to his kin, but how many of them did he truly know anyway?
Behind the human, new enemies surged through the doors. Freddie knew that as a vampire, he had power. He hated that he knew how to kill, hated that he was good at it. The foe they had to face were not human, however. They were vampire, and they were hulking and hungry for destruction.
”Go,” he said, holding the door open and hoping that whatever was found beyond them was not worse than what sought to kill them now. But before the human could pass, Freddie grabbed him by the upper arm, stopped him in his tracks. ”I don’t know you, or your intentions, but please know this—we don’t all love being what we are. Some of us are filled with guilt and remorse and despair and you have to help us. We didn’t choose this…” he said. His words weren’t inflected with any allurist power. Freddie used no silver tongue to get what he needed. He only hoped that basic goodness would win the day.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 01 Oct 2017, 22:27
by Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)
[against_peace][/against_peace]
Gideon thought of the night he acquired the cure and some files on the cure. While he wasn't giving complete credit to the vampire who had gotten the door open for everyone who stormed in, he remembered his words. Regret was a human emotion. Was it possible for vampires to regret the choice they made or was forced on them? If so, how many were like him?
Personally, Gideon didn't give a rats *** if the guy regretted it or not, but after two weeks of getting names and numbers of people who might be able to help him replicate the cure based off the sample Gideon had and then the files about it, he needed a test subject. Nothing was guaranteed. Hell, the guy could die. And if he did, one less fanger in the world. If he didn't and it was successful, one less fanger in the world. Either way, it was a 'win' for the human population.
Very few people knew he had the Cure. Gideon might appear stupid in some respects, but he wasn't. Far from. He knew that having it meant he would have a target on his back. Esli had been the first he had told. His brother would rather die than tell anyone where the cure might be, especially since it was in his brother's hands. Then, Lasair. He hoped it gave them hope. He wanted to make the loss of their child mean something, some day and he hoped that this was it. It wouldn't take away the fact that their son had been murdered by vampires while she was very pregnant and obviously so, but maybe it would give people hope. Hope for a better day and night. Hope that no other woman would ever have to be in her situation because of the vampires. Mona had been told after. The order didn't matter to him, or meant anything. If he had been able to see Mona first, she would have been told first. But because they weren't family, or married, finding her had been a challenge. Gideon trusted those three to keep their mouths shut for different reasons, and maybe some of the same.
Then, there was the vampire that had gotten the door open. There was no way he didn't know. The choices were slim and Gideon came out a little too triumphantly. Words were exchanged, brief at best. A name and number. And once Gideon got people wanting to pursue this cure given the **** storm in the compound, steps were put into play. The vampire wanted to be a test subject, even though the risks were unknown. Gideon had been up front with that, but not with the fact that he was hopeful for his death as a vampire, or his rebirth as a human. If neither came...it was too risky for Gideon to let him waltz out of the new secure location. Something else, Gideon omitted. One final call was made from his throw away phone. When the person picked up, Gideon only said a few words at first. "It's time." Then, after a long pause from the vampire, he gave the location of the new lab. Life was going to change for the vampire, one way or another.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 02 Oct 2017, 12:55
by Lancaster
[for_peace][/for_peace]
Freddie had not come to this decision on his own.
Several nights had been spent in conversation with Hannah. There was no one who relied upon him, now. Most were independent, and even as a human he would have the means to help them. He still had the knowledge and the information, even if he was slow to get the memories back. Sometimes it was a smell. Sometimes it was a particular song. Sometimes it was just a building he passed on the street, but the memories would come flying back. Whatever was associated with that particular sight or sensation made itself known.
The pros and cons had been weighed, but the offer of the cure was secure. Could he trust the Paladin who’d gained it? Should he have tried to wrench it from the Paladins grasp before he could leave the compound? Or did Freddie believe that there were vampires out there who would benefit from the cure? Could he trust this human to be able to differentiate between the good and the bad?
What if they cured him, then killed him?
But why should they? He’d done nothing to them. He was a good man, who drank the blood of vampires in order to leave the human blood where it belonged. He wanted peace between the species. Vampires could help humans. They were not all bad, and their abilities could be used for good. Freddie was Lancaster, but he held all the optimism that Lancaster had lost. He was Lancaster, as he was before he had ever been turned. He had faith, and trust in other people.
Eventually, with Hannah’s help, Freddie decided that the sacrifice was worth it. If he was cured, if it worked, if he lived, then would she join him? Would she be cured, too? She would be alive again, free of the shackles that had ruled her life for so long. Could they then live a normal life together, in the sunshine? The possibility was too large to ignore.
And so he found himself, Hannah by his side, at the location the Paladin had given to him. He steeled himself before he entered, nerves flinging from head to toe and back again, twisting his gut into knots. He could die. He could only hope that whatever scientists had been brought on board, who remained on board, knew what they were doing.
”I’m here to see the man in charge,” he said to the first person he encountered, his hand in Hannah’s, his grip tight.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 18 Oct 2017, 23:25
by Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)
It was still hard to believe that there could be something in the world to give Freddie his old life. To potentially give Hannah her old life back. Still, if it was real; genuine, it would be amazing. More than amazing. Freddie could go back to--what? She didn't know. Would he stay as Freddie, or would he be Elliot Lancaster? And what about her? Would it cure her to be human again, or would she revert back to being a Blood Thief? Either would be better than being a vampire.
Hannah had nothing against vampires, and while some people could argue that it was fated, or even destined for her to become one given she knew a few vampires. But the thought had never crossed her mind. Hannah enjoyed life to its full potential, and found she missed her glowing skin, her much better vision than she had now, and the activities she could do during the daytime. To her, the view just wasn't the same off a cliff at night, as it was during the sun time hours. Still, if she hadn't become a vampire; the other outcome would be far less favorable. There would be no more Freddie in her life. Hannah would have no life, either.
And so, the possibility and the man beside her was what brought Hannah to the location. It wasn't that she didn't trust people; well, maybe she didn't, other than Freddie, and Iris on most things, but she didn't know who this person was. What if Freddie didn't come back? Hannah wanted to know where he was an where he would be, just in case. Could he take care of himself? There was no doubt about that in Hannah's mind, but the thought of him no longer being a presence in her life was the main driving force for her decision to come tonight. He could have came by himself. She suspected they probably would have prefered that, but no way in heck was she not knowing where Hannah might be able to find Freddie, if she needed to find him. "Here we go." Hannah said with a big smile on her peach painted lips as she felt his firm hand around hers, while they entered the building. She let Freddie do the talking, Hannah just offering herself as a presence for them to see, and for him to have. Should Freddie need it. "Should I wait? Until you're done? How long will this take?" There were so many questions with so few answers, which left Hannah frowning a little.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 21 Oct 2017, 00:04
by Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)
A woman who would fill the criteria of a bookworm based off appearances alone looked up at the male and female who were interested in seeing 'the man in charge.' She adjusted her thin rimmed blue colored glasses on the bridge of her nose, brown eyes darting from the one she expected and the one she didn't expect. "Oh. Right. You're him." She acknowledged before looking at the woman. "I was only told one vampire...not one and a friend." She looked at the male vampire with an apologetic look. "I only have clearance to let you go from here. Sorry."
If she was sorry, the woman with black hair and dark brown eyes didn't look sorry. Deep down, she had lost her empathy towards anyone years ago in the name of science. She understood that to make progress with medical and scientific aspects that sacrifices sometimes had to be made. She wondered if the vampire before her knew that. Knew that there might be a serious risk. A detrimental risk. It wasn't her place, or in her pay grade to tell him, so she just looked candidly at both of them.
Deciding to make the choice clear for the both of them, she stepped around the desk and forced a smile on her face. She turned to the male vampire, and extended a hand. "When you're done saying your goodbyes for now, I'll be glad to take you to the laboratory. I think it's pretty impressive, given the short notice to the powers that be." She did smile then, her passion and love for her field showing. "Oh. I'm Tabitha by the way." She looked to the both of them, offering her name to the both. Tabitha had nothing to hide. She was just the woman behind the check-in desk and so far everything seemed to be in working order. Even with the added guest.
----
Eventually, when they made their way to the secured laboratory, Gideon would meet Tabitha and the vampire test subject. "Thanks, Tabitha." Gideon said as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, almost presenting the guy as if he were some sort of Christmas gift. He liked her enthusiasm, but it could be a little creepy at the same time too. When she nodded, and disappeared into the elevator, Gideon nodded towards the lab that was mostly made out glass. Not your typical sort of glass-they couldn't have another incident like what happened weeks ago; but bullet proof, heavy duty glass casing. "I'm not sure what you expected, but I hope you have enough sick days at work. This might take a few nights and we really can't afford to let you run around town. Just in case something went wrong." Gideon explained as he swiped his key card, then stepped forward to an eye-level machine that did a retina scan.
When the doors to the lab slid open, Gideon stepped in and pointed to the right side of the enclosed lab. "We got a room set up for you. Offers a little more privacy than where we're at now. One wall has windows about three fourths the way up, but the rest are enclosed walls. Someone will be monitoring you and the progress twenty-four seven. There's really not a lot in the way of personal space, minus the bathroom. Which has a shower. It's not big, but if you've ever been to college, it's a million times better than that." Gideon's eyes bounced over to a shorter male who made his appearance known by holding a couple of towels, pillow cases and linens for the bed that was in the room. "This is Raul. He's got the first watch. He can get you just about anything you want or need. All you have to do is ask. You're not a prisoner, but, until we see how the first dose goes...the safety of my people is top priority." Gideon didn't apologize for any inconveniences the guy might have in the next day or two. To him, he knew what he was potentially signing up for, so there was no reason to apologize. "When you're settled, he'll come around with the first injection."
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 21 Oct 2017, 15:09
by Lancaster
[for_peace][/for_peace]
Freddie parted his lips to insist. He was there to get a cure. A cure for something that might not be fully curable. He was offering himself up as a guinea pig and the least they could do for him was allow him a guest, his partner. But as he looked at Tabitha and her cold calculation of him and Hannah, at the passion in her eyes regarding the laboratory they would be walking into, he had reservations. If this was a trap, if they were going to bind him and kill him for good as soon as he was human, then it would be better if Hannah wasn’t there. He was going into this with eyes wide open, knowing that there could be consequences. And he wouldn’t put Hannah in potential danger.
And if he couldn’t fully trust those who were about to take him into their hands, then perhaps the same could be said for them. They might not trust vampires. They didn’t know him. They didn’t know how good he strived to be, how he’d never wanted this to begin with. They might not approve a guest, because they didn’t want there to be some kind of coup. So, he didn’t argue. He didn’t resist. The few long seconds of hesitant silence was enough to show both women that he was not happy about the turn of events, but he turned to Hannah, turned his back on Tabitha, and took her face between his hands. With his palms cupping each side of her jaw, he kissed her first on the lips, and then on the forehead. He wrapped his arms around her, one last embrace before he let her go.
”I don’t know how long it’ll take. Maybe… you should go home. I’ll text you, I’ll let you know,” he said with a smile. He forced himself to feel optimistic, even excited. And he did feel optimistic and excited, as well as terrified and dubious. Mostly, however, he felt jubilant. He pushed that against Hannah, tried to infect her with it.
Hope.
Once she was gone, Freddie turned back to Tabitha and allowed the woman to lead him down the halls to where Gideon was waiting. He was handed over, not like a prisoner but like… well, he didn’t know. He couldn’t recall ever being in this kind of situation. He’d been to hospital once for a gall bladder surgery, but it never been anything like this. Gideon led Freddie through to a room, where he was given sheets and towels. A few days. He was glad that he had sent Hannah home. He nodded at Gideon, and thanked Raul. This was where he might have made a few jokes to lighten the mood, but he was too nervous. The whole quip about college bathrooms went right over Freddie’s head; from the memories that he had summoned, college wasn’t a thing he had experienced. In Australia, one went straight to University. The concept of college confused him. He’d never been to Uni, either. He’d stayed in plenty of single star hostels, however. This lab was a thousand times cleaner, though it was also a thousand times colder.
Still, he had signed up for this. And the sooner it started, the sooner it would be over – for better or for worse. He dropped the bag he’d brought with him on a chair, and made his own bed. The towels were left on top of the toilet, its lid closed. He then went back to the bed and sat, pulling his phone from his pocket. At least there was signal. He sent a text to Hannah.
’They say it might take a few days. I’ll keep you updated as best I can.’
Truth was, he didn’t know how functional he’d be, whether he’d even have wits enough to use his phone. He would do his best. He paced the room, then, until Raul came back; he was wheeling a small trolley, on top of which was a vial and a the needle in its sterile packet. Freddie didn’t say a word as he watched the … what was he, a scientist?... prepare the needle, sticking it in the top of the vial and filling it with the liquid that looked so innocuous, but which could mean the world. It could give him back his life. It could deform him. It could kill him. When the vampire realised he was trembling, he gripped one hand with the other and cleared his throat. When he was asked if he was ready, he didn’t hesitate when he nodded.
”Stick me, doc,” he said. He even managed a smile – which swiftly disappeared when the needle slid into the flesh of his neck. The liquid was cold as ice as it entered his system, and he tensed, eyes wide, wondering how fast it could work.
Re: Before Butterfly's Wings [Invite]
Posted: 25 Oct 2017, 23:21
by Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)
[against_peace][/against_peace]
"When will we start seeing results?" Gideon asked as he walked down the main corridor of the lower level to a vending machine, his attention on Raul. "Even though it's been injected right into his blood stream, I don't expect any immediate results. This isn't a flu shot, we're potentially altering genetics and who knows what else?" Raul fished a dollar out of his pockets, put it in the soda machine and pushed the Cherry Coca-Cola button, while Gideon pulled out some money for a sprite.
"A couple weeks?" Gideon wasn't in a rush to get the entire transformation done, but he didn't want to see time wasted on something that wasn't doing anything. People were only generous with their time and money for so long. "Maybe by three weeks." Raul suggested, before adding on, "It could be four to five. All medicine and injections that are given over a span of time don't work for the first week or two. It's just introducing it to your body, and any affects it has on your body, is so minimal. I would wager it might take three to five weeks to see any significant results."
Gideon collected his soda, while he nodded. As long as Raul and anyone else on his team thought that progress was being made, he was positive the plug wouldn't be pulled too soon. And given his reply and medical background knowledge, it seemed he would have a few weeks before anyone started breathing down his neck. "I want to know anything and everything. Even if it seems minor." Gideon concluded as he popped open the aluminum can and took a long sip of it. "Of course." Gidedon gave Raul a pat on the side of his arm, before moving with a "Thanks, Raul." He had other things to go tonight, like report home for baby duties.