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From:

lestercraft

Hey doctor. Can we, er. Talk, for a minute? [And then aware of how immediately bad that sounds--] I-it's not bad, or- at least it's temporary, s-so, er...

Christ I'm already fucking this up- it's probably easier to just- show you.

From:

heyboss

[Oh boy.]

Do you want me to come to you?

From:

lestercraft

Please. I-I'm in John's room at the moment.

[He hasn't really left it much since.]

From:

heyboss

I'm on the way.

[And he's there in moments, knocking on the door.]

From:

lestercraft

"The door's unlocked."

Arthur's a bit nervous about answering it, so of course the correct response is to avoid it entirely, back to the door like he can delay the obvious and burning through a cigarette to try and calm his nerves.

Which is not something he normally does in John's kitchen out of a general respect for his space, but since that's very much not on his mind at the moment...

From:

heyboss

He opens the door and walks inside, closing it behind him with a decisive click.

He immediately smells the cigarette smoke and is a little taken aback by it, considering he'd never thought that would be something that John would allow.

"Arthur?"

He takes off his jacket and sets it on a chair as he walks inside.

From:

lestercraft

At least he's ashing it in the sink, but that's more courtesy to the clean-up than John, and he stubs it in the dregs of water at the bottom.

"I-it's alright, doctor, just- um. I'm not- hurt."

Which is when he turns, before Sheehan can reach him to spin him around instead. His pallor is a more subtle change when he's already pale to begin with, but his eyes - pitch black, with blood-red irises, lock onto Sheehan's with full clarity and an apologetic grimace. His gloves hide the claws but there's a hint of fangs when he opens his mouth to continue, "I just had a somewhat unfortunate run-in with one of the visitors."

From:

heyboss

It stops Sheehan completely in his tracks and he stares at him a long moment, eyes wide. "What - what happened?"

After the question, he starts to move again, quickly to cross the room to reach him in the kitchen. He places his hand on Arthur's cheek, looking at his eyes, his teeth, with worried interest.

From:

lestercraft

His skin is cold - ambient rather than corpselike, but still - and he lifts a hand to place it on Sheehan's in reassurance. Even if it just means that the distortion around his fingertips, of claws beneath the gloves is more obvious then.

"Astarion's sire - the vampire that made him is here," he says, with the strained, even tone of trying not to let more emotion than necessary out. "He's trying to get people to tell him where the Admiral is - he tried to use magic to force me, but John's protection meant it didn't stick." He grimaces as he glances away. "So he- turned me, instead."

They were difficult to see from a distance, but up close the puncture marks are visible on his neck, almost framing the existing knife scar.

From:

heyboss

He trails his hand down to his neck, shaking his head as he pulls his fingers away and takes his gloved hand instead, not minding the claws obviously underneath. "Oh Arthur. I'm so sorry. You said - you said it was temporary?"

He hopes so, because this is the sort of fuckery that Arthur does not need.

From:

lestercraft

He gives a gentle sigh - something that really only serves to highlight how silent he is otherwise when he doesn't have to breathe - and he kisses Sheehan's knuckles.

"Technically I died, for it to have happened-" and it feels bad to say that out loud to Sheehan, to make him worry about it so much "- so- I can't say I know whether the rules are different for vampires or not, but in theory I imagine it should only last a week or so."

From:

heyboss

He clenches his jaw and then pulls him into an embrace. "Fuck," he mutters, closing his eyes. He wants to comfort him, to hold him, but it's so - odd to think about. So strange. So - completely unfair. It shouldn't be like this, he thinks.

From:

lestercraft

It's more of a relief than he thought it would be, that Sheehan isn't scared of him for it. That he's just worried for him. At least that he's getting a better handle on.

But he still squeezes back - perhaps a little tighter, because being this close to Sheehan is suddenly making him realise how fucking hungry he is.

"I-I'm alright, really," he assures warmly, pulling back from the hug before temptation turns to impulse. "It's- it's inconvenient, mostly. I can't enter anywhere without permission, John had to invite me in, so I'll be staying here until it wears off."

From:

heyboss

He doesn't even think about it because how could he? This is his first time dealing with a vampire. He's met Astarion previously, but they didn't talk at any length about anything in particular.

So.

He lets out a sigh. "Well, you're invited to mine any time you want," he assures him. "I - god, Arthur. I'm glad you told me, but - what an awful fucking thing to happen."

And with the unknown of what comes next, Sheehan doesn't like it.

From:

lestercraft

"I'm not trying to make light of it, but it's-" He pauses briefly, and smiles wrly. "I-I mean, I suppose I am, but- still, Les, it's certainly not the worst thing that could've happened. I'm still myself, Cazador didn't order me to hurt anyone else or be any more mindlessly obedient to him than it already forces me to be - John's put out, obviously, but it's-" he waves a hand dismissively. "It's alright, truly."

From:

heyboss

Sheehan blinks at him. "What do you mean he's - put out?" He walks past him in the kitchen to pour a glass of water for himself, a little shaken by the whole ordeal. Arthur knows himself well, but this is far from 'alright.' He's glad that he's so calm about it, but there's just something he doesn't like about the whole thing.

From:

lestercraft

"Well, I mean he's upset that I got killed, obviously, but, er..."

He pauses for a moment with a frown.

Oh.

Oh, yeah, he's hearing it now. And he rubs his face with one hand and a heavier, frustrated sigh.

"Right, right. Cazador did give me an order, I-I keep... forgetting it." And there's irritation in his tone, raw annoyance about the fact he cannot help but obey it. "He told me to 'pay no mind' to John. Ever since I've been having trouble- empathising with him. Paying attention to him at all."

Edited Date: 2024-06-14 02:39 am (UTC)

From:

heyboss

"Pay no mind to John," he repeats with an incredulous laugh. "What a fucking cruel and thoughtless thing to order. Is John alright?"

He needs to reach out to him.

From:

lestercraft

"He's..." He scowls, glaring away, and his new eyes really make it look a lot darker than the frustrated expression seems. "I-I don't know, genuinely. I can't- I'm having difficulty telling, half the time I can't even remember. He tried to defend me from Cazador when he found us, that's what prompted Cazador to order me. I know he'll be upset but that's just knowing John, not-" His jaw snaps shut with a frustrated huff.

From:

heyboss

He takes a drink, listening with a small nod. "It's alright. I'll talk to him." He puts a hand on his shoulder.

"This flood was a fucking mess."

From:

lestercraft

He rests his hand on Sheehan's and gives him a light squeeze. At least he can still feel Sheehan's concern, and respond properly. It was galling having his ability to fucking care be tampered with.

"This is the first one I've seen where- people have been outright replaced by others. I suppose anyone who might have thought to leave a fucking warning about it on the network was otherwise incapacitated. Or simply distracted, all things considered."

From:

heyboss

"And you've been here longer than me," he huffs. "But - it didn't affect me at all."

Which he is exceptionally relieved about.

"Maybe that means that it won't happen again for a long time, though."

From:

lestercraft

"One can only hope. It's not the first time we've had outside contact, mind you- there was a flood a while back- before Edwin arrived, I believe, where we were able to- contact people from our own worlds, o-or more accurately that they were able to contact us, somehow. I-I got to speak with Parker, during it, but-" his expression turns a little grim, as he leans against the kitchen counter. "I know John spoke to Kayne, as well."

From:

heyboss

"Kayne," he repeats. "That's the - one you made the deal with?"

He's trying, bless him, but he doesn't know how much he actually puts together.

From:

lestercraft

One arm folds over his chest, the other coming up to brush his neck - not the bite mark, but the knife scar.

"John and I only met Kayne for the first time after we... escaped the King's prison pits," he says quietly, eyes cast down so he doesn't have to look at Sheehan's concern. "When we were about to try and escape the Dreamlands altogether. He... w-we would have ignored him, but he had... he had the music box, I gave Faroe. He was so- fucking proud of luring me in with it, l-like he knew I couldn't resist."

Because of course he couldn't.

"He was the one that... gave us the knife. That goaded me into- into using it. And- after the King threw me out of the Dreamlands, back into- the real world, to Addison, I..." He folds his arms tight across his chest as guilt chills his stomach, makes the hunger turn nauseous. "I summoned him. To make a deal - I-I knew he was powerful, I- I just. Wanted John back."