abraxaslogs | ( closed ) » — the last beautiful thing i saw;

{ louis has his reasons to come to nocwich, ones that he has kept routinely. it’s deeply personal reasons that had shifted drastically. louis had lestat back. he had killed him, and now he had held his face once again, allowed the seduction of what had once been a vibrant flame to bring out the passion he thought had withered within over the decades since he left paris. lestat provoked a reaction unique in itself. it became apparent in the horizon where he was able to visit lestat’s domain, to see a piece of what made him.

the wolf killer with his pride preserved in a time capsule. at his prime.

he should know better when he told him about armand, let lestat shake louis’ domain with his bratty behavior shattering windows. they fell back into their ways, had argued and let the bitterness ring before it dissolved into a glimmer underneath the rubble. there lay foolish hope, or louis had believed it when they kissed. he wanted, he yearned, he felt shame.

the masquerade whisked him back into the current of dangerous waters. it mirrored their downfall, at a ball of all places, to feel their heartbeats sync again. how could he become so shameless? so befallen to the charm that once held him by the throat and possessed his every thought as if he were once a human at the alter. he fell for the pretty promises of having his pain taken away before, and he let himself think they could possibly make it work again. only since it became apparent they were more at equal footing in abraxas.

louis was ready. he wanted it to be them again.

he’s back at nocwich to see lestat again. louis has his answer. he waits. lestat has an infuriating way of arriving. he always did. except something is off…

he continues to wait at the marketplace for hours, let his feet carry him throughout every part they’ve been together. three days. the next day he arrived and then nothing. the third day brought silence and the familiar feeling of an emptiness he had felt in his last days before he arrived. no warmth. no golden solace in a heavenly face with endless blood to his name. by the third day, he finds he’s walking towards the same park he’d become accustomed. it’s the bench an angel once showed him. here he was ready to lay with a devil again. his hand lies on the ends of one bench handle, fingers on the crafted design curling inwardly as he tries to reach out via network. it’s static silence. he jumps into the horizon next, and finds the same dreadful feeling.

no.

his hand grips harder. his touch is colder. the handle of the bench breaks instantly, the crack of stone a thunder in his ears. he immediately lays the broken bench handle next to him, trying to even a calmness that is becoming unsteady. he’ll remain there for hours until he has to head back to solvunn. he can’t bring himself to speak as if saying something will make it true.

louis has never dealt with loss well; he’s worlds away, and he remains unchanged in this one aspect. }

Edited 2023-09-18 22:49 (UTC)

{ the right bench handle is broken. his grip had been strong enough to chip the ends of it. it’s made of stone. he holds half of what remains in his hand before he realizes what he had done. louis decides it’s time to move forward, back to solvunn. he’d sat at the park for quite some time. his feet don’t want to listen. instead he gets up, now needing to at least make sure the bench is taken care of. it’ll be without the other end, one side intact and the other broken — how unfortunate it’ll be to leave it unmade.

he stands up, watches briefly on the passerby before he finds the nearest person coming down the path along the bench. it’s the confidence in the walk that draws him in. it’ll do. }

Excuse me, young man. { his voice is lyrical, purposely relaxed when he talks to folks as to seem open. what comes out is a gamble of a question, but really he’s finding an excuse to remain a little longer. } Do you happen to know where Parks and Rec may be in Nocwich?

{ the smile he gives is sheepish as he opens his palm and puts forth his hand to show the broken bench handle. }

I’d like to get this fixed.

{ it’s been a long time since louis has gone to an appointment that didn’t come to him. he had easy arrangements in dubai. sometimes they were made for him, and others for… they made sure there were legal papers to sign. with all the money and connections, it was essential to contain the bubble he created. now he’s near the front of the marketplace where the water fountain is at, out in the open. the last time he’d been there had been after the whole pit dilemma.

it’s day two in nocwich. he’s currently sitting at the edge of the fountain where people have begun to provide a buzz as they start heading along to their activities. he didn’t specify where he’ll be, but he got the time range. louis figures it’s easy via network to make the meeting happen if he’s not far from the entry point for most. }

Miss Nadine. I would say good morning, but it’s always night here. I hope your travels treated you well. I’m at the fountain with the black Solvunn garments. Let me know if you have trouble finding me.

Edited 2023-08-19 07:44 (UTC)

[ He pauses when hailed, though the young man coming from a man who looks about the same age as him does make Rhy quirk a brow, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement. ]

Parks and...? [ He shakes his head. A park he can help with. The other thing... is a mystery.

As is the thing in the stranger's hand. ]

If you're not careful, someone will think you mean to sell them a badly-shaped paperweight. What is that?

[ He leans a little closer for a better look, curious. Nocwich is always dark in sky, but the streets are warmly lit and pleasant. In the lamps' glow, Rhy's golden eyes shine like embers. Maybe in a familiar hue, once glimpsed beneath a fiery mask. ]

Right. Language. I can’t assume everyone is from a version of Earth. I don’t know who’s in charge of up keeping the area.

{ he glances down at the handle and raises his eyebrows. louis may look young in some form, but he still has routines. he nearly questions if he had manifested the park, but no, it’s real. once he looks up, he’s able to see the warmth of a smile awaiting. it’s the gleam of the eyes that catch him off guard.

how can eyes mimic the light shining the place with the same golden array he remembers sunrises used to look like? there’s a pull to his mouth, bringing him back to his youth. it’s almost familiar. louis had worn golden eyes in his attire at the feywilds, and now his eyes are a cross between blue and green — still vivid. }

I gave up my business man days long ago. It’s part of the bench over there. I come here every first day.

{ it’s visible where he motions, to a lovely marble stone bench, in a faded grey that looks like what carves statues. an angel showed him, and it seemed fitting then. }

Oh... it broke? That's a shame. It's a lovely piece of art. I see why you'd like to make sure it's mended.

[ Obviously, it does not occur to Rhy that this man might have. accidentally torn the stone arm off the stone bench with his bare hand.

And does his voice sound... familiar? Hm. ]

You're one of the Summoned.

[ Every first day. Rhy knows what he means. And when he looks, he can see the pendant they've all been given in order to travel here. ]

Not one from Thorne. My name is Rhy. I don't believe we've met.

Oh. It did. { there’s a faint surprise as if he wasn’t the culprit. it makes his contained accent come out more when he adds pressure to the emotion. the sheepishness is back in an instant, almost as if he is embarrassed to have been caught. he is.

it also has not occurred people wouldn’t think he didn’t break it. he’s off his mojo. }

I keep wondering how many of us there are. It’s a big area. I’m in Solvunn. Louis de Pointe du Lac. { his formalities are shaped in him, and he sticks his hand out for a handshake. it’s a reflex. } Pleasure to meet you, Rhy. Do you know Istredd? He’s from Thorne. He has a good head on those shoulders.

[ Rhy will shake his hand; it's not a common gesture where he's from, but he's been here long enough and met many people. It has become familiar enough by now that he reacts immediately, squeezing Louis's fingers warmly. His smile grows. ]

The pleasure is one shared. Yes, I do know Istredd. Good head, good shoulders -- a good man, in general. We get on well enough.

[ Why does the name sound familiar too?

Rhy is reminded, suddenly, of Lestat. A promise made before Rhy left to go look for Kell and the others taken several months ago. Louis. Taken also. And important to Lestat.

--who is gone now. Rhy decides not to bring it up, though the bits of clues are slowly beginning to piece together. ]

Unrelated question: did you attend the Fey ball recently?

And I'm the woman with the white hair and white fur cloak carrying a big old fashioned doctor's bag. I'll be there in a few minutes.

[Nadine is nothing if not recognizable. But Louis has given her a pretty clear description, she can't imagine there's too many guys hanging around the fountain in black Solvunn garb.

As as she thought, he's easy to identify. She's not sure what she expected, but what she finds is a handsome man who looks to be maybe around thirty. But she could believe he was younger. If she didn't know how old he actually was.

She approaches with a smile, lifting her hand to wave in greeting. This little side-project is exciting, honestly. And the more she knows about Summoned that aren't or aren't quite human, the better she can provide for them medically.]

You must be Louis.

{ the eyes. it’ll reach him, and if he focused on his instincts made of the dark gift, he might have gotten there sooner. except he limits himself on purpose. a distraction for a distraction has presented, away from the empty feeling that has curled within him.

his fingers meet rhy’s as his pensive expression transforms with the question. it’s first contact he’s allowed outside the horizon for a while now, awaiting for the time he’d arrive here. it’s nice, it makes him feel human. he gives rhy’s hand a gentle squeeze instead of the hefty one he’d give and then retreats his hand. it clicks then. }

I think our paths may have passed in the Feywilds. We were in disguise there, but there’s always an aura that can’t been hidden away. I was there, yes. I borrowed a name from back home. Lanmò. May I asked you a question?

[ He doesn't mind the touch. Rhy even squeezes back, reflexively, a small, curious smile playing at the corners of his lips as he watches the other man's face. ]

Ah, yes! I had decided to be a phoenix that night. We had a pleasant little chat, didn't we?

It's nice to see your face. More handsome even than I imagined it. Doubly a pleasure to meet you twice, my friend.

Ask away.

{ he had avoided being presumptuous, to let the image of nadine be complete when she arrived. his fingers itch for a book, but instead he finds he’s begun to scratch along the fountain top. he’s been antsy lately. before he digs a hole, he hears his name and he immediately turns in her direction and smiles. }

If this counts as a doctor’s visit, you’re my first.

{ he jests, but underneath it didn’t start as such. he’d been wary of the doctors growing up, having been told of the experimental horrors on people who passed the brown paper bag test. he had encouraged finding a trustworthy doctor, and luckily he did for his siblings and mama. it cost a great deal to secure proper connections. louis couldn’t afford to get sick as the eldest child. then he got turned.

there was no point in it anymore. who’d thought he’d end up where is currently - willingly giving away his blood. what remains is that he is still seeking to form strong connections. }

Please, sit. If you have a moment to talk. I’d like to know more about your practice.

{ the admission and confirmation of that night makes him relax, allowing an easy break to a further open expression. his eyebrows rise up and he ends up chuckling. }

I’ll be damned. I did have a good time, I confess. You’re easy on the eyes yourself.

{ a genuine compliment that speaks as if it were from another era, even if louis had always been ahead of his. he ends up pausing briefly to assure. he can handle it. he can ask. }

I know very few from Thorne. He didn’t tell me much of who he met. Did you encounter a vampire named Lestat de Lioncourt?

[ ...ah. There it is. ]

He did. [ Rhy confesses quietly, and by the gentle, almost apologetic tone of his voice, Louis may have his answer without asking. ]

He mentioned you. As one of the taken, when Josselyn's cult was... active.

It’s probably best. Nothing could ever contain him, and Abraxas is no different.

{ considering he painted the mountain red for him. he still speaks with a fondness he shouldn’t hold, and there’s a sadness there too as if he were back in paris looking at lestat’s picture hanging up on the wall again. gone. it’s easy enough to contain. he’s done it before. all that remains — }

Thank you. There’s that. And I still have time left it seems. I could use a drink. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.

I think this is more just meeting with a doctor.

[Nadine smiles in turn as she joins him, setting down her bag at her feet. It's a great leather case with a myriad of little compartments. With a locking clasp.]

I'm guessing there isn't much point to checking your vitals.

[Just a little joke. What vitals would a vampire even have? No, anything she may learn will come from his blood. She's almost sure of that from their brief conversation.]

But of course, I'm happy to tell you anything about what I do. I'm a student doctor, an herbalist, and a licensed medical researcher. [A pause.] And I sell cannabis products, but that's medical-adjacent.

[ Rhy meets the fondness, the aching undercurrent of sadness, with a faint, empathetic smile. ]

Of course. Happy to buy you one. To thank you for the pleasant evening at the masquerade.

The tavern may be a good place to ask around for someone to fix the bench, too. Works out well enough.

Undead might have a different heartbeat. Ours are slower.

{ still registrable, to ensure blood circulation and synchronization with fledglings. the latter he hasn’t experienced, and quietly omits. louis does lean into the jest. he appreciates nadine’s easiness. it reminds him of a simpler time, even if their situation is anything but. at least for now, it’s nice to have simple - and simple can be giving his blood away for experimental curiosities of the likeminded. }

Would you like to draw the blood from me?

{ he can easily do it himself, but he wants to offer up the option. louis has a knee crossed over a leg, his arm extended onto it as he keeps the smile on his face. }

You’re accomplished. I imagine translating your skills to Abraxas must have been quite a journey. How long has it been since you arrive?

I don't think the actual undead have a heartbeat.

[Not that Nadine has a great deal of experience with the truly undead. More the vitally challenged, so to speak.]

And sure, I brought my equipment.

[A gesture to her bag. It's always fully stocked with everything she might need while on the go or making house calls. All of her blood drawing tools are neatly packed in an inner compartment.]

But, uh...you'd be surprised. I started my medical career here. I was an elementary school teacher back in my world. But when the world ended...I had to learn some basic field surgery and wound care real quick. I ended up having to use those skills a few times in my first handful of months here so I just...figured why not just learn to be an actual doctor?

[Nadine had, indeed, simply woken up one day and decided to go to medical school.]

I was one of the first batch of Summoned, I've been here over two years.

You got me there. Vampires were in the media. None of them got it, but they were close.

{ from his perspective at least. he is inviting questions, of whatever sort. rarely does he give a moment to be open. idle chat for his first official visit to the doctor's in abraxas is doing the trick. he turns an inner forearm towards her direction, the one closest. }

I would offer you a vein... { which translates to do what you must. he finds he is pleasantly surprised that nadine had only taken the journey of a doctor upon arrival. the prospect of being something else. of pursuing new paths and possibilities otherwise not given back home. could he...? the mention of two years makes him raise his eyebrows, the surprise settling earnestly. }

You're seasoned here. You've built your empire. Would be impressive anywhere. I haven't decided what I want to build in Solvunn myself. Back home I had everything I could want. My partner and I had built ourselves enough to make sure we lived comfortably in Dubai. I was ready for retirement in some way. Farmland isn't where I thought I'd end up.

{ let's ignore he comes from ole normie earth (minus the existence of vampires) and that there has been more than just farmland to behold in the last few months. }

That's a great idea.

{ he fully intends on getting the bench fixed, even if it takes more than one moon cycle and he has to tend to it next time. it's a reason to return. louis' smile is genuine, blossoming briefly from its gloom. }

My mama used to tell me it's the company I keep that matters. Thing is, I would twice scandalize her for the ones I kept many times over, greatly outweighing what she deemed good. It's to say, I look forward to getting to know you, Rhy.

The media's usually pretty bad about portraying anything right.

[Nadine makes quick work of assembling her equipment, an old fashioned needed with a small glass vial that screwed into it.]

It looks a lot worse than it is.

[The assurance is offered with a smile.]

And I wouldn't call it an empire, but...I'm doing very well for myself. But life's like that. You can be so sure of where you're going and what you want, and then end up somewhere entirely different. For better or worse. It's all what you do with it.

[Another little bottle comes out of her bag. It's simply habit to go about this the same as always, regardless of what Louis actually is.]

Okay, I'm just going to swab your arm to prep for the blood draw. I...don't know if this will actually numb the spot or not, but we'll see.

True. It's why I kept away from it. I'd rather keep a good book as company. I wasn't the one who minded the technology.

{ it's strange, that months later his tongue feels heavy as if he has to say it the way it is, but something has shifted as of late. he's not the louis that was taken the start of february which is strange in itself to think of his time in abraxas. he keeps still, except for his arm to bring it to a better position for the needle. }

You're right about that. I'm not sure what I'll do if I must remain here. I had a plan back home. Seems destiny decided otherwise. { isn't is so much easier to base it to something simple? to have it be someone else's decision even if the source may be unknown? he knows better. his small smile remains intact. }

You don't have to worry about pain lasting, I'll self-heal soon after or during? I never quite understood my own biology. We're in this together.

I only miss it sometimes. There's plenty of books around and I always liked reading. It's the radio I think I miss most.

[Not that Nadine's life is lacking music, it's just...different. Gone is that delighted moment of turning on the radio and being caught by surprise by a favorite song. Still. A small thing in the grand scheme.]

Destiny, as it turns out, isn't always set in stone. I was born with one, but here I am anyway. I'm sure you'll find a path for yourself here.

[There certainly never seems to be a lack of opportunities. So many people have found lives and careers and even family here. There's no reason it should be any different for Louis.]

Alright, let's just call this our first experiment then. And don't worry...I like a challenge.

[Without further ado, she uses her magic to find the optimal injection point and gets to work. She slips the needle in smoothly and gently, slips her fingers into the triple holes on the plunger and pulls back.]

I do miss a good vinyl. I do have to wonder if the books you have in the Free Cities are the same as Solvunn's. Wouldn't be far out if they restricted us to specific ones in each faction. I've dealt with that before. Truthfully, I've been wanting to get my hands on more.

{ the idle conversation helps, enough that the prick of the needle isn't felt at all and it's over before he knows it. he does watch the magic nadine uses with a curious gaze, feeling the thrum of it at the edge of his mind through his instinct. for a man that walks through solvunn, a magical commune, he hasn't entertained it much. }

By the way, where did you learn your magic? I've been considering the sort I'm willing to use. Healing aspects intrigue me. It's in my blood to self-heal, but I have thought about it, if that could be of use for diseases magic can't touch, for example. Unless magic truly cures all?

{ for specific reasons, he has laid clear of magic. he likes to keep grounded as much as possible. how can he, if he is inhuman? it has only made it more difficult coming to a world filled with magic where that's the norm. now he's having to reevaluate everything. truly, some days he just wants to be night garden and read books. seems destiny might have other plans, for him and the other summoned. he's just taking it day by day, but he also likes a challenge here and there. }

I think there's plenty of crossover with fiction books. History and stuff...probably a lot more kingdom-specific.

[It's all going well. Good. Just like a normal blood draw. Nadine's relieved that it's simple and quick.]

And I learned the spells I know in Thorne, when I lived there. My healing magic...that's not stuff I learned, that's just stuff that I can do. I can diagnose problems and 'see' someone's system with a touch, I can draw toxins and venom out of someone else, things like that. But....

[Nadine is securing and labelling the sample she's taken, using her own private code as she tends to do with blood samples.]

Magic does not cure all, and healing properties in your blood would likely fall under alchemy and herbalism. 'Herbalism' covers a lot more than just herbs. I use all kinds of things in potion and elixir making. Including biological components.

[She tries not to let too much excitement creep into her voice.]

( closed ) » — the last beautiful thing i saw;

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐫𝐡𝐲.

𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞.

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