Hemophobia

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[Blood.]

[Dripping down every door in the onsen.]

[Human blood, rich and fresh, slipping to the floors, slowly, then disappearing into nothing. The flow goes on like a wound that will not clot. And of course, there is the smell.]

[It's perfectly real, perfectly nutritious for those with a sanguine diet. Some of it is the night-and-starlight blood of those who have died on the Plane.]

[And it just won't seem to wash off.]

[ooc; What? He was bored, and he figures that the vampires are probably a bit hungry. As Scarecrow isn't going to own up to What He Does When Given Shiny Rings, feel free to use this as an event post. That is, other characters are encouraged to comment to each other, because Dr Crane won't be responding to everyone about it. This effect will last until the end of the plot.]

Comments

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Would you ever want to be something else?

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

You mean your Chevalier.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily. I'm just asking out of curiosity.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

From my experiences with Arkham's own superhumans, it always has its side-effects. But it is an interesting idea.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

That's what most of the people I ask say. It's always interesting, but never enough for people to want it that badly. Which is good, I guess.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Why do you think it's good?

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

The people that want it, from what I've seen, aren't that human to begin with anyways.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

That depends on your definition of human. 'Whatever an American does is American.' As monstrous as the Joker can be, he's still homo sapiens. It's just the side of themselves most don't like to face.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

I don't mean in the technical way. You should know I'm not one for science.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

I don't mean that either. Humans are terrible, Diva. The 'good' aspects of humanity are all co-operation founded on fear, and the 'bad' ones are the same. A love of power is only an expression of a fear of weakness. A love of others is just a fear of being alone. "The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." All of human goodness and society is the result of generations of blind terror fighting that state of being.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

That's not true! They're not all terrible!

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

DI Tyler, you mean?

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

{Silence}

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised you didn't protest 'a love of others is a fear of being alone.' But perhaps you stopped listening after you thought of DI Tyler.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

{Her expression is blank for a moment before she just shrugs, hiding that very heart-wrenching pain away with her airy self}

Well, it's kind of true, isn't it? Would I really love humans so much if I weren't alone without them? I've always thought of that, because Amshel has always said that I don't have any place among them.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[watches her a moment longer, then lets it go]

I'm sure you have some idea why he said that.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Oh, of course. Amshel, for as long as I can remember, always called me his precious treasure and other things like that. If I believe that I have no place with humans, then all that's left is the Chiropterans. But he always meant him and only him. Ne, it's why he killed Alexei and Grigori. I think if it hadn't been for his ideas of choosing the other Chevalier for me, he never would have let me have any others.

{Whimsically} I always knew that!

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Even knowing that, do you presently believe what he said?

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

I...don't really know. I think I want to say yes, but at the same time, no. There's a lot that's happened for me to feel both ways, but I'd rather wish that I did.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

We'll have to see what you think after a bit more time at the asylum.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

I guess so. But there are a lot of humans that would call the people there not human. I mean, we've all done pretty bad things, right?

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

I see nothing wrong with what I've done. But society does get so upset over illegal research... Sometimes, anyway. And sometimes it's perfectly acceptable, but educating women is witchcraft, and sometimes it's demonic not to kill a dishonored opponent, and so on. "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." A lot of humans know very little about anything.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

{She frowns}

I'd have to agree about the research, though.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

I thought you would. But in the 20's, I would've been one of the greatest psychologists to ever practice.

[for his birthday, he wants a time machine so he can just happily practice unethical psychiatry in a perfectly legal way]

[He'd probably even hold back his psychopathy since he'd get to use it rather well without breaking the law]

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

...The worst~

{:| No Crane.}