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Post by qhostqrowls on Feb 19, 2024 23:10:12 GMT -6
"I believe he does..." Faolan answered, wincing a little at the incredulity in her voice. He wasn't so naive as to think Domin was a peaceful vampire. But he did truly think he'd listen, and that his intentions were to help.
"I don't have the answers to that, Jen." He continued, suppressing an involuntary shiver at the coldness of her hand against his. He squeezed back again, as gentle as he had been throughout the entire interaction. It seemed to ground her, and that was what mattered.
"I wish I could promise that they wouldn't, but...I'm not an agent, so I don't know for sure. I do know that they would want to help you, though. You need help, not punishment. If I can see that, I know they will too. I know they can provide that help. You could work with us to stop this. Have access to resources you will never have working alone. Imagine how many women you can help with an entire organization behind you."
His tone was placating, encouraging. When she leant in he grasped her hand with both of his, staring into the depths of her eyes.
"I do care. I'd vouch for you."
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Post by jarahamee on Feb 20, 2024 2:30:12 GMT -6
At the mention of Domin, Jen’s eyes narrowed. She considered it for a few long seconds, and when she spoke, her voice was low and dangerous.
“I… would consider speaking to him…Somewhere neutral…Provided he does not bring any others.”
Hope and despair. Curiosity and aggression. Her body language told the surgeon that a part of her considered the offer, and the other part of her wanted to violently kill Domin for real or imaginary transgressions. She squeezed Faolan’s hand gently, then released his hand delicately.
“…You… you would vouch for me? You…don’t think they’d take me?”
Jen’s eyes became round and she leaned in towards Faolan, gaze softening. Was that true, or was he naïve? She was a murderer, of humans and vampires in their eyes. If she gave herself up to them, she knew that they’d lock her away for the rest of time.
She merely sighed, leaning close to Dr. Mura. She didn’t touch him, but she wanted to. His eyes were sad and kind, and he was beautiful.
“I… I like you. Come back to my room with me. I won’t hurt you.”
Her eyes betrayed her obvious interest in him, and she placed her other hand over his. Again, a myriad of emotions; loneliness, desire, a need for human connection.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Feb 20, 2024 8:06:26 GMT -6
“I could try to organise a meeting between you two, if you’d like?”
The man smiled, relieved she was even considering the offer. He knew she was violent, volatile, a criminal - but here was a chance to connect with someone he saw as more troubled than dangerous.
“I don’t know. You would…probably face some kind of consequence for…uhm.” He looked apologetic, and hesitated before continuing. “…any illegal activities.”
“But I work with supernaturals who have done much worse than you have, for many hundreds of years more. I think they’d deal with you as a victim, and not as a criminal. Or at the very least, a combination of the two.”
He smiled again, his teeth white and straight - a handsome, kind smile. When she squeezed his hands his eyes narrowed, almost affectionately.
And then at the offer, he felt a sudden rush of heat to his face, a drop in his stomach - had that been the vibe he had been giving off? That he wanted to sleep with her? Eda might have been a vampire, but Faolan suddenly felt more predatory than any creature of the night.
“Oh! Um - honey, you - you’re a very lovely woman, I’m flattered, but I’m gay. I have a boyfriend.”
He stumbled over his words, blushin.
“But, uh - if you wanted to talk more, somewhere private, I’d be happy to come with you.“
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Post by jarahamee on Feb 22, 2024 3:21:54 GMT -6
“I can talk to him… but I can’t give in. Or stop in my mission…You… understand, right?”
Faolan could see Jen’s optimistic expression fade, her smile becoming a somber turn of her full lips. That negotiation and surrender to the WDSA wouldn’t be an option. It couldn’t be.
She was a woman driven by a mission, and she was going to see this all through to the end. The determination burned in her eyes; the eyes of a woman who had been destroyed by what had happened to her, holding onto her last shred of sanity.
Her disappointment intensified when he clarified his position. He was gay and would never be interested. He had a partner already. A part of her had looked forward to him. Men were usually so eager, but she had struck out lately. All losses, no wins.
The vampire inclined her head towards the door. Her shoulders slumped a little. She could not take him to the bunker, or the apartment she had been using for her convenience. Perhaps she could take him to the Abandoned House to talk. It was quiet and they would not be interrupted.
“You.. you’re afraid of vampires… Did one hurt you too?”
A mixture of expressions. Sympathy mingled with dampened lust and raw curiosity.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Feb 23, 2024 21:21:21 GMT -6
"I understand." Faolan said softly, sadly.
She would die for her cause - very well might if things continued as they were. It hurt his heart to know it, and that there was nothing he could say to convince her otherwise. The cycle of pain and suffering and violence would continue as it always had. But he did understand.
He half-smiled apologetically at her palpable disappointment. The expression faded, and he slumped back in his chair a little.
"Yes. I dated a vampire for a few years. It ended up being a very abusive relationship."
He shrugged, in a 'it is what it is' kind of way.
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Post by jarahamee on Mar 3, 2024 2:46:15 GMT -6
Jen paused, as if thinking, and then offered Faolan her hand, almost hesitantly. Even wearing her high heels, she was short and slender, making him look tall by comparison. Her hand was cold and dry, like the skin of a snake, the fingers strong and thin.
“You…lead the way, then… I’ll…lead the way…”
She looked at him sideways, almost shy, as if she was afraid of the possibility of rejection. Her lip trembled a little, but the tentativeness and apparent insecurity vanished as quickly as they appeared. Steel appeared in her features, replacing her uncertainty.
A fierce, protective anger flashed in her eyes, and her lip curled in a snarl. Unsurprisingly, her canines were razor sharp.
“… They… they just do whatever they want. They don’t care about the rules. They don’t care about anyone but themselves and their own needs. We’re all just toys to them.”
Jen grimaced, digging the claw-like nails of her free hand into her palm. Blood pooled there sluggishly, but she didn’t seem to notice. Her expression became pained, but he knew that it wasn’t from the physical pain, but rather from the mental pain.
Her eyes became wide again, but this time, her expression was dangerous. Her free hand, talon-like fingernails bloodied, curled into claws. Her voice became a low growl between her teeth as she spoke, distorted and inhuman.
“Where…where is he? I’ll…. I’ll kill him. I’ll eat his heart.”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Mar 4, 2024 23:11:47 GMT -6
The door to the tea shop closed behind the pair with a gentle chime, and they were back in the relative privacy of the empty parking lot.
It was both a relief and a worry. Faolan smiled warmly at Jen, considering her. He wanted to help her. She hadn’t hurt him when she easily could’ve.
But she was unstable, temperamental, quick to anger. That made her dangerous, even if she was playing nice for now. Following her to a second location was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.
“Would you like to talk in my car?” He offered, as diplomatic as ever.
There was a tension in the man’s shoulders when her voice dropped to a growl, but he only reached into his grocery bag, fishing out the handful of tea-store napkins he’d grabbed as they’d left.
“Careful, don’t hurt yourself.” He chided gently, pressing them to her palm.
“And I’m not sure. I just wanted to get away from him. I left and didn’t look back. I’m not as brave as you are.”
He began to wander in the direction of the car. The night air was cool, and it was nice to not worry about anyone eavesdropping.
“He’s not worth the trouble.”
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Post by jarahamee on Mar 5, 2024 1:25:23 GMT -6
“Your car. Alright.”
Jen paused. There was an understanding and a sadness in her eye. He didn’t trust her, but why should he? She was just like his abuser, in this horrible body that had been forced on her. Her flesh had been forever changed by what had happened to her, and now she could never return.
Her gaze softened again as she watched him blot her hand. He really was kind, this young man. A part of her desperately wished she had something to offer him, but she shrugged off the thought. It was just as well.
She rubbed the back of her hand against her nose as her gaze drifted away.
“You…don’t feel angry? About what he’s done? You.. don’t think… he’d do that to others?”
The vampire turned her head, eyes wide. She spoke as if she could not conceive the possibility that anyone would have let something like that go. She ground her teeth together, making a loud ‘crunch’ sound.
“…You…don’t think…he deserves to be torn apart?”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Mar 5, 2024 21:45:30 GMT -6
The lights of the car flashed, and Faolan held the door open for Jen before walking to the drivers side.
The interior was immaculately clean - still smelt new, with a lucky cat air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror. Faolan closed the door behind him gently, and turned to face her.
“I do. But…I’m trying to forgive him.” He answered. “I can’t change what happened by being angry. And he made me miserable enough while I was with him, so…I’m trying to not let him keep hurting me all these years later.”
There was a familiar pain in his eyes, one Jen knew all too well herself. She’d suffered, and she’d been brave enough to fight back. All he’d done was run away and try to forget, and there was a flash of guilt across his face at the thought.
“I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Even him. Even…if he deserves it.” Faolan continued, voice stilted. “And I don’t have the strength to do it myself - how am I any better than him if I asked someone to hurt him on my behalf?”
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Post by jarahamee on Mar 6, 2024 0:45:17 GMT -6
Jen seated herself in his passenger’s seat. She could smell the faint scent of the man who shared Faolan’s life there, and in the back seat, mingled with the smell of car air freshener and wipes. Her new friend was obsessed with cleanliness, but she should have known as much. Most of the surgeon types were.
She reached out awkwardly, almost like a child, to clumsily pat his shoulder, eyes shining like a lioness in the dim light. She wasn’t used to comforting people. She realized that she wasn’t really used to interacting with people at all.
The vampire turned her head, expression softening. Forgive him? How could one forgive someone like that? Move on? Would pain like that ever fade?
She cocked her head as she watched him, her expression clouding with confusion as she mulled over his moral compass. Was it all really so important to him? Did this creature’s life have some value?
“….I… If I come across him… do you… care if I kill him?”
She turned her head the other way, eyes wide.
“He… deserves his fate…They…they all do… You know that… You… could have been me…. I could have been you… I just wanted to live….”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Mar 6, 2024 1:57:52 GMT -6
Faolan hesitated, torn.
“I think it would…it would stop him from hurting anyone else…” He finally answered, in an almost whisper. In the privacy of the car, the secretive nature of their meeting, he felt he could admit it.
You could have been me, I could have been you. The contrast between them had never been so great and so little. She was broken, turned, still fighting. He was hurt but healing in a way she never could.
His eyes suddenly filled with tears, the hot burn rushing to his face.
“You’re going to get yourself killed.” His voice wavered, almost broke. “Don’t - don’t let them ruin this life for you too.”
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Post by jarahamee on Mar 6, 2024 2:19:24 GMT -6
Jen seemed to relax as Faolan spoke, her hands shifting to his shoulders as she held him, gently, in the car. It hurt to admit that he was still angry. That he wasn't above all of this, but there was no shame in feeling pain, or being hurt. Anyone could become a victim after all.
She read the many microexpressions flashing across his face, trained from the many years she had to read her Master, evading his bad moods. He had been wounded by what happened to him. If only he knew the horror that might have awaited.
Her mouth made a somber line as the young man started to cry, and she released his shoulder, using the back of one of her long, sharp nails to wipe the tear away. Her expression was sad, but composed, her voice calm this time, as if she was a mother comforting her child. Her expression was one of upmost sympathy and concern, and she moved his body towards her, as if they were to hug, even though they were almost complete strangers.
"Oh, Faolan. They already ruined my life. I could have been happy, you know. I had this whole idea. I was going to have a family, meet someone I really liked after I had fun for a few years as a dancer. Then I was going to break into film and be a star! Can you imagine? I even met a few connections, things were going well... And now that's all dust, just like the rest of me. There's nothing left. I'm gone. I'm here only for this."
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Post by qhostqrowls on Mar 6, 2024 8:07:19 GMT -6
When she pulled him in as if for a hug, the doctor closed the distance between them to do so. His hand splayed against her back as he drew her to himself, and he felt the wild power coiled within her small frame. Like a kitten with the strength of a tiger. Strangely, stupidly, it only made him want to help her more.
He held her for a moment, biting back the surge of emotion. When he leant back he pressed his palms against his eyes, swallowing the last of the tears.
“You can still have that,” He said, his tone pleading. “This doesn’t have to be the end for you. You’re smart, and - and strong - you can have it all. Someone to love and look after you. You…you would be an amazing actress.”
His eyes were wide, gleaming in the dim luminance of the distant street-light.
“You deserve happiness. And - you can still have it. I know it seems like you can’t…like I don’t know what I’m talking about - but you can. You’re not dust. You are so much more than what they tried to make you.”
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Post by jarahamee on Mar 6, 2024 12:41:45 GMT -6
She hugged him, the gesture desperate and gentle at the same time. A part of her wanted desperately to believe him, but the other part knew well that they were past the point of no return. There was nothing for her to go back to, and whatever chance she had for a future had been mangled beyond repair.
The vampire shook her head. Her expression was sad but clear-headed. She knew all too well where all of this was going.
“Whatever is left of me isn’t the woman I was. That person is gone. She died in darkness, just like my dreams.”
She released him, almost reluctantly, putting her arms around herself now instead. She tilted her chin until it rested on her collarbone, staring down at her feet. She squirmed a little as she tried not to think about any of it, squeezing her eyes closed.
“… I just wanted to dance. He was a stranger who decided to take me. Like toys. They think they’re better than us, just because they’re cursed humans. They tell themselves it gives them the right. Only the right to die!”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Mar 7, 2024 18:51:59 GMT -6
“And you don’t think this…new version of yourself deserves a chance at happiness, too?”
Faolan asked carefully, folding his hands in his lap. He could see her blind conviction to her cause, and knew better than to think he’d change her mind. Not within their first meeting.
“It’s not fair.” He agreed softly.
And was she really so wrong? Rosenthal, Warren, whoever her master had been - all they bought to the world was suffering and a cruelty that worsened with age.
Not that he’d ever say so. But he didn’t have to. She could see it in his eyes.
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