☼ twelve ☼

[deviances]

[He remembers most of it, he thinks. Or, maybe only some of it.

It's what he doesn't remember that scares him. He knows he's missing some pretty sizable chunks of time, and especially toward the end.... Once it reached the point that seemingly no amount of blood could keep him from falling over the edge and into some mindless void - or bring him back out of it, for that matter - he really doesn't know what he did. Not for sure. Flashes of memory... most of it clouded and completely unreliable. He's pretty sure he attacked someone. Maybe several someones. Goddess, he hopes not. But he doesn't remember who, so how can he even begin to try and do something about that?

Besides... what he does remember has him so wrapped up in guilt, he's not even sure where to begin. Apologies? Probably won't cut it. And he's already apologized to Darren, several times over. He should look for him. Or... maybe he should just wait for Darren to come find him. For all he knows, maybe the guy changed his mind and would rather stay the hell away from him. ... He hopes not.

Well. No matter what happened, what he's done, he's gotta face the music. And he's ready. ... Maybe.

He's standing in front of the library, not entirely sure of where to go or what to do right now. It'd be hard to miss him, he's the redhead with the troubled look on his face, fidgeting in place as his fingers twist into the chains on his pants. (Nervous habit - sue him.) His gaze is focused on the "ground", like maybe the stars there will suddenly give him all of the answers and goodness and whatever the hell else it is he needs right now.]


((OoC: Experiment over. ♥ You can still backtag in if you want and just didn't get the chance yet. Or, if you wanna imply something happened that we didn't actually thread out, hit me up. o7))

Comments

[grip_on_reality]

[Menzies is still wearing borrowed clothing that's just a tad to big for her and somewhat out of style, but she's well on the road to recovery from her ordeal--a bit stiff and sore, but otherwise back to normal. in particular, the small wound from her attempt to intercede for Eithan has literally been nothing compared to everything that's gone on for her since then]

[from the expression on his face, though, she can tell that the problem continued for him. a frown tugs at her mouth as she approaches, but once she's near, she still manages to start things casually]

What, worried you're gonna get sucked into a book?

[deviances]

[He looks to her as she approaches, and though he tries for a smile, it falls pretty damn flat - especially for him. He's still not sure how to face anyone here right now, after all of that... but, well, on the other hand, at least she caught on that he really didn't want to hurt anyone here. So maybe... she'd understand. Or, well, maybe she could help? Maybe. Big maybe.

But then, she asks something entirely different, and he appreciates how casual it is. It surprises a quick laugh out of him, brings a little bit of his usual light back to his smile.]

To be fair? That's already happened to me once here. [Grin!] Wasn't from my own reality either, so it's not like I even knew what the hell was goin' on until after the fact.

[grip_on_reality]

Oh yeah? [she can't help her curiosity] What book? [but she gestures at the door before adding:] Or should we risk going in and you can show me?

[because she's not sure quite what's going on with him or how she can help, but she's fairly confident that getting him to stop brooding in the middle of the Plane is a good place to start]

[deviances]

[He snickers, shakes his head as he starts toward the door with her. Book or no, yeah, they may as well go inside. Why not? Beats standing around out here looking like a kicked puppy, right?]

Man, I don't know if I could even spell it, let alone find it in a damn unmarked library. [Snort!] You from Earth? [He figures that's a safe assumption - look at the people he's met so far!] It's the one about the short guy with the stupidly long name, who helps a woman turn straw into gold, but then takes her kid away.

[grip_on_reality]

[she nods] Yeah, I'm from Earth. ...wait. [her tone is a bit incredulous] You mean Rumpelstiltskin? [she gives a short laugh. she really can't help her amusement; of all the things to get caught up in!] I'll 'ave to loan you some other books, sometime.

But if you're not 'ere for a book, what are you looking for? [she gives him a questioning look. the question is casual enough, though. she's not sure if he's ready to talk about whatever's going on with him, so she's left it open to work either way. it's up to him now]

[deviances]

[He snaps his fingers!] That! Yeah! That was the jerk's name. [He laughs, clearly still amused by the whole thing. Because honestly, in the long run, that could have been so much worse of an ordeal...] And hey, I'll always take a good book. Dunno if anything from Meridia or Tharia'd interest you, but I'm willin' to make a trade anytime.

[Ahh, that question. He's taking long enough of a pause to, you know, open the door - as well as try to carefully think of a way to actually answer her. He holds it open for her, like a proper gentleman, and motions with his free hand for her to precede him.

Any of that carefree attitude he had before, all of that easy mask of a joker that he expertly hid behind... it's gone now. Now, he's just guilty.

But at least he's refusing to be passive or idle about it.]

Uh. ... Guess I'm lookin' for somewhere to start... makin' up for shit? Dunno. [Sigh.] Not like I really have to tell you that it got worse. I think we both knew that was gonna happen.

[grip_on_reality]

[she shrugs] You never know. I'll 'ave to take a look sometime.

[as she heads in before him, she quirks an eyebrow, but she doesn't say anything else--not before he has a chance to say his piece. and once he has, she frowns as well, also growing serious. she'd been hoping that he'd find enough people willing to help safely, but...well, he's right. they did both know that was going to happen eventually]

[concerned, she asks:] How bad?

[deviances]

[He follows behind her, letting the door close behind them as he starts toward one of the sitting areas.]

Well, there's the shit I remember... for starters, I tried to attack Castor. But she punched me in the face and that sure as hell knocked me back around.

[Snort! At least that one ended well, right? But that amusement doesn't last. And once he finds a chair, he plops down in it, hunched forward with his chin resting on his joined hands. His gaze is on the floor - can't even look up, he feels so guilty about all of this.]

Then... Darren. He kept offerin', and it got to the point that I couldn't keep sayin' no, and he was insistin'... and he ended up gettin' turned. [A pause, to let that sink in... then, with a wince, he continues.] And I... I think I attacked someone else, but that memory's all fuzzy. Maybe I didn't, maybe I'm just bein' paranoid, but... That's when shit started gettin' a lot worse - like, no amount of blood was fixin' any of it. At all. So there are huge gaps in my memory, and...

[Silence, for a second... then he runs both hands down his face before pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes.]

Just... All the other shit else I could've done...

[grip_on_reality]

[the first words out of her mouth are a horrified whisper] Oh god...

[to be honest, she's surprised that he's just opened up like that to her; she wasn't expecting her question to get such a specific and detailed answer. but now that he has told her, everything about his current manner makes absolute sense because...well, she's not sure how she would react if she had done that, but she's sure she'd be in no better state mentally]

[she's quiet for a moment before she says anything else. and when she does speak again, her tone is calm and, if anything, a bit thoughtful--not accusatory or judgmental. she knows what experiments can be like, and she knows Eithan well enough to be sure that what happened is the last thing he ever wanted, so she doesn't hold it against him in the least--but she can understand his fear that others might] You know, I met Castor once. Didn't seem the type to 'old unnecessary grudges. And if it turns out she is, then I'm judging 'er too highly. [she hopes he knows what she means by that]

[but while she's hesitant to make him feel worse, that explanation brings up at least one more question. carefully, she says:] I don't know Darren. But when you say...turned. You mean...he's one of you now?

[as he goes on about the vague events and gaps in his memory, her expression tightens at the horrific uncertainty of it all. she wishes she could think of something comforting or helpful to say, but if you don't know who you might have hurt or how, it's hard to make it up to them. so she just asks:] So...what do you think you want to do about that?

[spiritofadventure]

[Castor is on her way to one of her favourite hangout spots, but the sound of her footsteps taper off when she spots Eithan. There's a tension that runs through her body, and while it's somewhat hard to see under her shirt, there's a thin cotton scarf wrapped around her neck that isn't usually there.]

[A moment of silence passes before she starts walking again, keeping a few armlengths between herself and the mage (enough reaction time, she thinks), and steps into his field of view.]

You feelin' better, fire-head? Or do I actually have to break your nose this time?

[deviances]

[He doesn't hear her coming, he's too wrapped up in his own thoughts. But when he hears that familiar voice, turns to face her...

Goddess fdjlksajflk No! No, okay, no, his eyes go a little bit wide and he holds up his hands, placating.]

N-No need for that! Seriously. For real. I'm fine, it's fine, it's all good. I swear. Please don't break my nose.

[Snort! ... Have a very sheepish - but still kinda fangish - grin.]

[spiritofadventure]

Good. You look better at least.

[deviances]

Yeah. Much. [Sigh.] I got some people to apologize to, but... otherwise, yeah. Back to normal. --Speakin' of which! I am sorry. Again.

[And he pulls a small box out of his coat pocket - chocolate candies, some Tharian brand. He holds it out for her. Please don't kill him for almost biting you? >: ]

What about you? Everything goin' okay?

[spiritofadventure]

Eh? What's all this for? [But she takes it, gently poking through the contents - ooooh chocolate!]

Me? Yeah I...Yeah. [Finally, a small smile on her face] Things are goin' alright.

[deviances]

Just thought you might like 'em. I mean, they're chocolate. Can't really go wrong with that, right?

[Her smile makes him crack a smile in return, and he nods.] Good. I'm glad.

[spiritofadventure]

No, you certainly can't.

[Castor smiles easily, but her face turns briefly somber.]

Listen, if you ever need...well...that...I don't mind helping you out, but just ask next time, yeah?

[deviances]

Yeah. Definitely. Of course. I just... I don't normally do shit like that, you've gotta understand. Of course I'd ask. But hey, hopefully you won't ever have to anyway, right?

i know we discussed this a *bit* but if it doesn't work just yell at me and i'll rewrite it.

[swerve]

[ eithan might not remember absolutely everything that happened during the moments in which the plane was having its way with him, making him go out of his mind from something that normally isn't such a problem because he takes care of himself – but darren does.

darren hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. he'd been completely in his right mind, had known exactly what he'd been offering when the words had come out of his mouth, and the other had warned him about what could happen. ( he hadn't cared. to be perfectly honest, he still doesn't, because he had been enough to help his friend, get him through an ordeal that would have ended horribly if he hadn't been there to do something about it in the first place. )

and now …

well. he's still trying to get used to the way things are going to be from now on. the newly-sharpened points of his teeth are currently digging into the swell of his bottom lip as he grits his teeth against a wave of dizziness that threatens to bring him to his knees. he hasn't fed recently – has been too worried of what could happen if someone in his own world were to see him, despite the fact that he spends most of his time alone – and that is every bit of his problem as he drops to the plane, hoping to whatever deity might listen to him this time around that eithan is around.

unknowingly, he finds himself at the library, and when he first sees that shock of red hair, the relief that courses through him is almost tangible. he can feel it all the way down to his bones, and on his approach, he clears his throat with the intention of calling out to him, to get his attention. but the points of his teeth have dug into his lip so much that he can taste the faint tinge of copper, and it sends a shiver through him that spans the length of his spine, flares out and ends in a tiny noise filtering up from the back of his throat.

damn it. ] Hey – [ he manages to call rather weakly, trying to make it sound like he isn't in as bad shape as he actually is, trailing off in a low chuckle that isn't the least bit convincing. ]

Feeling better?

it's lovely shush no yelling necessary ;;

[deviances]

[Where Darren is concerned, Eithan remembers a lot. He knows that he was there for him through the whole ordeal. He knows that he kept offering himself, no matter how many times Eithan warned him, no matter how much worse he got, how increasingly fewer and farther between his moments of complete clarity were. And, most importantly, he knows what he ended up turning him into. And he still feels guilty about it.

Part of him is seriously expecting that Darren will never want to talk to him again, or that things will be weird or awkward or... different. It's enough to make his chest tighten just at the thought of it. So when he hears the other calling out to him, he's... kind of shocked, to be honest. But he's also relieved - moreso than he can really find any words for at the moment, and he feels that relief wash over him when he turns and sees him, starts walking toward him in return.]

Darren! There you are.

[He's smiling, at first, but it shifts into a concerned expression when he notices how off the other seems - a little weak, and probably not just disoriented from... well. Changing.]

Y-Yeah, I'm much better. I think it's over, fuckin' finally. [Snort!] But... you okay?

okok. ♥

[swerve]

[ oh, how little you must think of him, eithan. it's going to take more than turning him into a vampire to have him not want to speak to you ever again.

( sure, you've just changed his life so substantially he's pretty sure there aren't the correct words for explanation, and things will never be the same for him ever again, but you know what? he's malleable. adaptable. he can work with this, even if it's going to take a hell of a lot of getting used to.

so don't worry about that. you're still kind of stuck with him. especially now that you're his sire. )

he's close to feeling like he's about to fall right over with the next stiff breeze – thankfully there aren't very many of those on the plane – but he manages to keep himself upright, to try to make it seem like it isn't as serious as it really is. the change had taken a lot of out him, yeah, but …

it's never quite that simple, is it? ] I've felt better, honestly. [ as he's sure you'll be able to tell by the fact that he's a bit more pale than he usually is, and he looks like he hasn't slept – which usually isn't saying much for him, but in this case … – in forever, but he's keeping up appearances because he doesn't want to worry you. ] But it's not too serious. I'm just glad you're better.

[ darren. asdlkhg ]

[deviances]

[He thinks highly of you, Darren. Which is exactly why he's left wondering why it is you're still sticking around someone like him. But... he's glad that you're still here - appreciates it more than probably either of you are completely aware of.

(Sire... yeah, that's not something he's never considred before. Gonna have to step up now, isn't he?)

Oh, he knows that look - he's been there before, about ready to drop at a moment's notice. (That kind of happened in overdrive recently, even! Whaddya know :|) So he sees right through the "not to serious" bit and gives his friend a knowing, rather unimpressed Look as he crosses his arms.]

Yeah. Thanks. I'm glad, too. You, though... You're not foolin' me. [He smirks a little.] Need blood, don't you?

[swerve]

[ bah. all told? he's convinced that this whole being a vampire thing is going to end up being pretty interesting … especially since before meeting you, they've only existed in books for him before. finding out that there's another world – worlds, even – in which they exist and it's not a secret sort of thing that needs to be kept under the radar is something that he's still trying to wrap his mind around.

but he'll get the hang of it, eventually. just give him time. ] Me? [ he manages to snort out a small laugh, shaking his head and holding his hands up as though to admit that maybe he's been trying too hard to make it seem like he feels no different. ]

… Okay, you got me. I … [ nngh. totally not swaying a little, here. ] Maybe.

[deviances]

[Yeah, it is pretty interesting. Trouble, too, but... Eithan's pretty sure Darren can handle it, one way or another. And hey, he's got help, right? It's not like Eithan's making him go through all of this alone.

Eithan shakes his head, the smirk on his face settling into something closer to a fond, sympathetic smile as he places a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. Please, don't fall over. That would hurt.]

Yeah, big maybe. [Snort! And then a pause, while he considers...] Hey. I'll take you to my world, yeah? We'll get you some, and it'll be okay. You'll feel a lot better. Promise.

[swerve]

[ he's pretty sure he can handle anything thrown at him at this point. he's always been versatile, and it doesn't matter what he's hit with along the way, he likes to think he's more than capable of handling anything that decides to come his way.

be it vampirism or something else. ( what else could there be? )

he's not going to fall over! he's not that far gone, not yet, but his balance is just the sliiightest bit off. once he gets some blood into his system, things'll be just fine.

but … oh. going to his world? that's a definite first, and he can't say that he isn't the smallest bit interested in seeing the place for himself. so, he nods, because he knows he needs this, and any way that he can get through it and make things easier both on himself and eithan, it'll all be for the better. ] You sure that'll be okay?

[deviances]

[Don't say that too loud. The Plane might take it as a personal challenge.

He nods, smiles a bit more. You know, actually getting to show Darren his world seems pretty awesome in its own right, even without the whole... needing blood thing. Oops?]

'Course I'm sure. 's probably the best option, anyway. And besides, I get to show you Meridia.