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Post by kilnarak on Jun 22, 2018 1:52:35 GMT -6
More than half a year later, Dr. Mura had finally called him back. Ari had all but forgotten trying to reach the man last November, when Raine had been trying to gather together all who had suffered from the yearly Nightmares. He certainly hadn't forgotten those, but he had pushed them as far back into his mind as he could, not wanting to think about them. It had confused him initially, when he'd gotten the call - it was unexpected, and he had wondered if he had missed an appointment somewhere. But the nervous voice on the other end of the line hadn't reminded him of a missed appointment, but rather had asked that they meet up and chat.
And so, Ari found himself seated at a small table near the front window of this particular cafe-bakery, slowly shredding a napkin while he waited for the doctor to arrive. He dreaded the meeting a little - he didn't want to think about October and the curse or whatever that happened then... but he was a little curious too. Curious enough to agree to meet up, at least.
He remembered the man, if a bit vaguely, from the nightmares - remembered wide yellow eyes, pupils slit like the cat he'd had as a kid. And he remembered seeing him, now and again, when he was at work - for some reason the man visited the Boss now and then - but it had been a good while since he'd last seen him there.
Ari fidgeted with his napkin a bit more, then forced himself to set it down. He considered the food set before him - a sandwich and a bag of chips from the counter, both untouched as of yet - and then instead of eating it he reached for the coffee set beside them and took a sip, glancing out the window. He wasn't really sure why, but he didn't want to be caught off guard by the other's arrival...
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Post by qhostqrowls on Jun 22, 2018 10:35:05 GMT -6
It had taken Faolan a long time to call back after hearing Ari’s message. He hadn’t known what to say, how to even reply to something like that, and had spent a good few minutes wondering if he wanted to call back at all. As unhealthy as it was, he had been dealing with the trauma of Halloween by simply repressing the memories and writing them off as nothing more than a very vivid nightmare. The less he thought about it, the better. What he could remember was horrible enough, and denial was an easy, familiar way of coping.
But eventually, he’d picked up the phone and called back, and the two had arranged to meet up in a nearby café after a few minutes of halting conversation. He figured it was the least he could do, and he was curious to meet the other man. Considering he knew nothing about any of it - why it happened, how victims were chosen - he figured it wouldn't hurt to try and learn a little more. If not, maybe talking about it would help.
The doctor hurried through the streets at a brisk trot, trying to make up for the time he’d lost pacing and doubting and almost calling to cancel. His expression had creased into a slight frown while he’d walked, and he corrected it with a shake of his head, and tried to keep the worry from his face as he entered the cafe.
He spotted Ari immediately. His eyes fell to the shredded napkin and the untouched food. Something about the man's nervousness quelled his own a little, and, if the shifter noticed him, he gave a small wave as he picked his way through the tangle of chair legs and tables that crowded the room. “Hey,” He smiled as he sat down, a little stiffly. “Sorry if I kept you waiting.” Now that he was here, all the questions he’d been mentally rehearsing and preparing for vanished. Just the sight of the other brought back memories, of frightened green eyes gleaming in the dark, of a hand clutching at his sleeve. He ran a hand through his hair, and watched the other with a look of careful concern.
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Post by kilnarak on Jun 24, 2018 20:56:05 GMT -6
Ari certainly wasn't hard to pick out of a crowd, with the leopard spots speckling his skin like oversized freckles. Most people just assumed they were tattoos or that he was a splicer, and that was fine by him. Supers, though, seemed to have an easy time sussing out that he wasn't entirely human - sometimes he wished they just thought he was a kid with body-mods instead, rather than something potentially worthy of interest.
Anyway, he wasn't surprised when Faolan picked him out, and he offered a small wave and a quirk of a smile in return when he spotted him. He leaned back a little in his chair as Faolan approached and sat down.
"Hey. It's uh, it's fine. I wasn't waiting too long. Did you wanna go get something to eat or drink? I mean... I don't know, I uh... I guess you don't gotta." He reached for his coffee again, twisting the sleeve a bit to straighten it.
He drew a breath, then tried again: "So uh, how've you been?" Maybe that was a bit too familiar, but... well, whatever. He was never good at meetings like this.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Jun 29, 2018 9:14:23 GMT -6
Ari seemed relaxed enough, a little on edge, but not as anxious as Faolan had expected. Meeting at the cafe had been a good choice, he thought. It was busy enough that they could talk openly, but not so busy they had to shout. At the others suggestion, he cringed inwardly. Of course, food. He should have gotten something on his way in. Not even a minute in and he’d already managed to mess up.
“Uh.” Faolan glanced at the display cabinet of food. “Yeah, good idea. Maybe a coffee...” he looked back with a sheepish smile. “I'll grab something in a minute.”
"So, uh, how've you been?"
The doctor hesitated before answering, swallowing down his usual positive reply. The whole reason they were meeting was to talk, properly. “I've been...okay. Uh. Not the best, but okay.” he sighed as he glanced out the window. “Had to get away from Wathais, for a bit.” the doctor paused, and shifted in his seat, fixing Ari with a cautious stare. “How about you? I don't...know what happened with you, in there...but I hope you're doing okay?” a small shrug as he trailed off. Maybe he was taking this too fast? Ari seemed pretty anxious, and diving right into how he died was a little...intense.
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Post by kilnarak on Jul 4, 2018 0:19:17 GMT -6
"It's uh... I mean you know, it's fine if you wanna go get something. I don't mind waiting a little bit. Might as well be comfortable, you know?" Ari smiled a little awkwardly at Faolan, gesturing toward the counter. When the doctor chose to sit down anyway, he inclined his head slightly, accepting that, and folded his arms on the table.
"Uh. Yeah I guess? It's um. I mean everything's been mostly, you know, normal? Since then... I uh, I try not to think about it right?" He wet his lips, glancing down from Faolan and at the sandwich on the table. "Make me wonder if uh, you know, if it's a curse or something?"
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Post by qhostqrowls on Jul 11, 2018 14:53:40 GMT -6
“I get you, I don’t want to relive those memories either.” The doctor shrugged, the motion weary. He was tired of the nightmares, and even though Halloween was months away, the creeping trepidation he felt as the days slipped by. The mere idea of having to go through yet another Halloween made him feel sick to the core.
He was quiet for a moment, unconsciously mirroring Ari’s action as he folded his arms on the table in an idle, nervous movement. On reflection, he knew nothing about the man sitting across from him, if he was a splicer, or a super, how many times he’d been through the Halloween Nightmares. Nothing. That was why he was here, he supposed, and there was no point in saying away from the subject.
“A curse? Yeah, that...would make sense. But...there are different people each year, right? I don’t remember the previous one, so uh, pardon my asking, but were you there? In the uh...maze?” He grimaced and looked vaguely apologetic for even bringing it up, but continued on. “And um, do you know anyone else who was in with us? I recognized a few people, but...I haven’t talked to them about it. I just...maybe there’s a pattern...”
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Post by kilnarak on Jul 13, 2018 16:39:49 GMT -6
Ari fidgeted at the question, looking down and worrying at his lip. He remembered - not clearly, but at least well enough to dread it. He nodded quietly, reaching to adjust the angle of his coffee and then to push a bit of lettuce that had fallen out of his sandwitch to the side - readjusting things while he worked up the nerve to answer.
"Yeah. I... I was. It's not always... you know, different people. But... But the setting is... is different. The-The first time it was a swamp... And-and then the maze... and the last time... the last time it was a hospital?" He fell quiet again for a few moments, his fingers grazing over the shredded napkin. "I uh, I've known some of them. I recognized you, in the uh, in the hospital. That's why... That's why I called you. You uh... the Boss likes you."
He trailed off again a moment, drawing a breath, then continued: "In the... the swamp I saw my... I saw my friend die, and uh... my... other friend? Raine? He was there too. He uh, he killed... the... first friend..." He chewed his lip a moment. "Raine was there the last time, too. In the hospital. He uh... he's the one who wanted to get ahold of everyone... afterward... But he doesn't remember the swamp. It uh, I think it's just me that remembers it..."
"In uh, in the... the maze? My uh, my boyfriend was... was there. He died... and then came back and... And one of my um. One of my coworkers... and uh, and a friend, Vik. But we all split up... there were a lot of people... every time... I don't know, I don't know what could be similar between them... I-I think I was the only one there each time? M-Maybe the man with the blindfold? I-I think I remember seeing him in the swamp and in the maze? I... don't know what his name is..."
As he spoke he seemed to grow more and more uncomfortable. He really didn't like thinking about it. Dwelling on it brought back flashes of memories, blood and pain, burning and dying. Gooseflesh rose on his spotted skin, and he rubbed at his bare arms, frowning down at the table.
"Do uh, do you remember... anything?" He didn't want to ask, not really, didn't want to dredge up these memories. But the other man seemed to want to talk about it, so...
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Post by qhostqrowls on Jul 15, 2018 7:34:18 GMT -6
Faolan frowned a little as Ari spoke, the expression not one of irritation but concern. Three times. He’d been through the nightmare three times. A surge of sympathy for the man coursed through him, and he looked at the other with soft, worried eyes. At the mention of ‘The Boss’, however, there was a flicker of confusion in his gaze. The only person who came to mind was...Maltheil? He had heard the man referred to like that before, once, and when he thought about it, the title made sense. He just hadn't expected Ari to be working for him. He didn’t seem the type, but he supposed he really did know nothing about him.
“The Boss?” He interrupted softly, wanting to make sure they were talking about they same individual. He stayed quiet for the rest of Aris explanation, however, becoming visibly more sympathetic as he detailed the horrors he’d been through. There wasn’t even anything clear linking the events together. It was frustrating and terrifying in equal measure - if Ari had already been through three, there was a good chance they’d both be chosen again, this year.
“I’m...sorry to hear that. I really am.” He finally said. His fingers drummed nervously on the table. “Three times, and all those people...it must've - it must be hard.” his mouth slanted as he took in how uncomfortable the spotted man was. He shouldn’t push for memories any more. Ari had clearly been through more than enough.
“Not really.” The blonde sighed and shrugged apologetically. “The…maze is just a blur.” Except it wasn’t. He remembered Viktoria and the snake all too well -could feel the sharp ribs of the monster slicing through him as he stood, frozen, unable to scream. “I...only remember Vik.” He said simply, eyes dropping to the table. “And a few co-workers. Nothing useful. I uh. Thought it was just a nightmare, you know? But this year proved me wrong.” Faolan rubbed at his temples in a weary movement. “Sorry, I know it’s hard to talk about, and you don’t want to relive it anymore than I do. It’s just...I don’t understand.” Something broke a little in his voice at those last words, and there was a fevered, frustrated desperation in his eyes. “I don’t know why and I don’t know how, it’s just so - infuriating, you know? There’s no way to stop it, or prepare for it. I don’t think I can do it aga-“
The doctor cut himself off with an audible exhale, shaking his head a little. Panicked rambling was the least Ari needed. The other hadn’t so much as complained, and he’d been through it more. “Sorry.” The words were a little stiff. “I just... hope you and I don’t have to go through it again. If you do, uh. You can talk to me about it, or if you need anything…” another shrug. “It doesn’t really help, I know, but...yeah.”
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Post by kilnarak on Jul 23, 2018 20:43:07 GMT -6
The question was an interruption in his 'story' - but a welcome one. Ari paused and nodded, glancing up at Faolan out of the sides of his eyes. "Yeah. I've, uh, seen you around. I do work around R.E.M. and Lucid, sometimes. I, uh, I see you come through." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Still, it was preferable to talk about than the nightmares.
Ari kept quiet when Faolan began to speak, his expression intent as he watched the other man speaking. He listened close, flinching now and then when Faolan's memories of the nightmare came too close to his own.
"Wish uh, wish I know why, or-or how to stop it, too. But it's... No one I've talked about it to... No one knows anything." He bit his lip, glancing aside. "Yeah... I mean, I uh. I hope so too. Neither-Neither of us." He drew a deep breath, then released it slow, trying to be more calm.
"Um. Maybe... uh. Maybe, since we can't uh, you know, do anything about that... Ex-Except not think about it... Um. Let's talk about something else? Or uh, or do you have to be somewhere?" He glanced up at Faolan again, his slightly pointed ears twitching. "So uh, so you're a doctor, huh? You're, you know, pretty young. I'm uh... I'm used to seeing doctors who are, you know, uh, old guys..."
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Post by qhostqrowls on Aug 1, 2018 21:22:30 GMT -6
Ari's answer confirmed what he'd been thinking, and he simply inclined his head rather then interupt again. It was weird to think that complete strangers noticied his coming and going, but not that surprising given the circumstances.
Faolan was a little dissapointed that their talk hadn't revealed anything much about Halloween. It was disheartening that no one knew anything about it, but there was nothing he or anyone else could do, and Ari was clearly uncomfortable talking about it any further.
"Yeah, I don't want to dwell on it either. No, I dont have anywhere I need to be." The man settled further into his seat, pleasantly surprised that Ari wanted to just chat. At times hed almost seemed like he wanted nothing more then to leave, so this was nice.
"So uh, so you're a doctor, huh?"
"Mmm, i hear that a lot," he grinned at the age comment, a little shyly. "But I mean, I only recently started working as an actual doctor. Med school and training took forever." He glanced to the side for a moment, considering. "Got a long way to go yet...How about you, though? You uh, said you work at Lucid...what job exactly?" The question was light and his tone soft, not sideways or probing in the least - he was genuinly interested and it showed in his body language.
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Post by kilnarak on Aug 2, 2018 1:54:20 GMT -6
"I uh. I mean, I do whatever needs getting done. Sometimes I'm behind the bar? Usually I just run errands though, you know, help uh, with other staff behind the scenes, right?" Ari shrugged a little, offering a slightly lopsided quirk of a smile, briefly flashing his teeth. "Run messages, pick up deliveries, you know, that sort of thing?"
"Not as interesting or important as, you know, saving people. Do uh, do you have a specialty? Or is it just general practice sort of deal?" He didn't really know all that much about medicine - hadn't been to the hospital in ages, since he was a little kid - but still it was sort of interesting. He was curious, although the setting of a hospital made him uncomfortable - something about the type of lights, the color of the walls, the floors.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Aug 2, 2018 3:06:37 GMT -6
“Wow, nice! I haven't seen you at the bar before. It sounds like its fun work, lots of variety.” he smiled back at Ari, encouragingly. He didnt oftenly frequent the club, but knowing Ari worked there was welcome information.
“Not as interesting or important as, you know, saving people.”
Faolan sunk down into his chair at the direct praise, a little embarrassed, mouth slanting slightly at the self-deprecating nature of the remark. He never knew how to respond to the way people viewed his profession - he was just doing his job, like everyone else was.
“They're important in different ways,” he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling faintly. “I trained in general surgery, and then trauma, so yeah, its general. As you could guess by name.” the smile turned to a grin, a bit more humor in the curl of his mouth.
Ari’s spotted markings caught his eye in the lull, and he remembered another question he’d been meaning to ask.
“I hope this doesn't sound rude, but uh, are you spliced, or?...” he left the question open. Some supers took offense to being compared to splicers, but these days, with how developed the surgery and body modifications were, it could be hard to distinguish the difference between natural traits and a talented tattooist
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Post by kilnarak on Aug 7, 2018 23:50:47 GMT -6
"I guess so... I don't know. 'Errand boy' doesn't have quite the same ring to it as 'Doctor,'" Ari smiled, flashing his teeth in a brief grin.
"What...? Oh. Oh, right. Uh. Yeah. Splicer, yep. I uh. I like cats? So you know. I uh, I forget about it sometimes, though. I mean like... you know, I'm just me?" Ari seemed a little startled by the question, but he answered quickly without too much thought. It took him a moment to realize what he had said - the easy lie that had come unbidden to his lips. Well it was safer that way, at least.
"What about you? I mean uh. You got... Eyes?" He winced a little as he said it, realizing how awkward it sounded.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Aug 25, 2018 3:51:23 GMT -6
Faolan shook his head and murmured his disagreement, a little embarrassed but not pressing the subject as Ari grinned.
"Oh, okay." Faolan nodded and gave an easy smile. Ari seemed put off by thr question- probably used to less positive comments about his appearance. His splicing was...defintley a dedicated look. Well done, though. "It looks really nice. But um, yeah...I got eyes." The blonde ran a hand across the back of his neck. "I had a friend in med school who went into plastic surgery, and then specialized in splicing. She...kind of 'encouraged' me to get them done. Theyre okay, though." He smiled, a little sheepishly, before folding his hands on the table. "Where did you get yours done? Do you know who your surgeon was?"
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Post by kilnarak on Aug 25, 2018 23:18:44 GMT -6
"You uh, you think so? It looks nice?" Ari blinked at Faolan, a bit self-consciously scratching at his cheek. He had been telling the truth in that it wasn't something he thought about too often, at least. The spots were just a part of him now - they had bothered him when he was very young, being different, but here and now... they weren't so strange really.
"Your uh, I mean. The eyes look nice too, yeah? I mean they're interesting, make you look a little more uh. Exotic yeah? Feral? I don't know. It's uh. It must be a little weird for patients though, huh? Are there many other doctors who are spliced?" He was rambling a little bit, words coming out before he really considered what he was saying. He was still a bit nervous.
"I uh. I mean, I used to run with a bunch of... you know uh. Like... troublemakers? When I was- When I was younger, right? I uh... I mean, I did a lot of stupid stuff back then, right? I don't really remember, yeah?" Another mix of lies and truth, but he'd already lied once, so he had to commit to it - the explanation came to him quickly enough, the excuse that he had been young and stupid - and he had been young and stupid.
"I came from further south down the coast. Came up here 'cause... you know, city's more... open? To... stuff like this." He gestured toward his face as he said it, the spots, the slight point to his ears. "And well, 'cause I wanted to get away from the- the past. Start fresh, right? Um. It uh, it gets a bit more chilly up here than I was used to..."
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