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 Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:04 am
It had been an interesting day for Seamus. He vaguely recalled waking to the worried faces of his coworkers, and then being sent home after fainting from "heat exposure."
Just because his family was incapable of tanning did not mean he swooned at temperatures above eighty degrees Fahrenheit.
Now, the trip home was another blur. He was pretty sure he did not head home straight away at all, but instead staggered in a path resembling that of a bumblebee's. He remembered harassing the hoagie-shop owner, talking to a sign post, and somehow making it back to his home hours later. Up to his room he went, and down on the floor he'd fallen and slept, just shy of the bed that he'd been aiming for.
This morning he'd woken up to the sounds of their mum cooking lunch, and realized he'd gone back to the wrong home. He and Murphy lived on their own now.
So he'd left, still a little woozy, bidding his mother a cheerful greeting and goodbye and kissing each of his little sisters soundly on the cheek. She'd given him a thoughtful hum and a concerned hug, and told him that drinking away his sorrows over a girl was no good and that he was a healthy young man who deserved better than that "little tart."
He left, back to his actual house. Well, he'd been meaning to, anyway - until his stomach clenched and shudders wracked his body. He careened into an alley, heaving up all that he hadn't eaten and then some, but the shivers wouldn't stop and his muscles cramped and his mouth was dry. He was thirsty - real thirsty.
About that time, he remembered, and he reeled back to his feet. Old destination forgotten - he had to get to Valeriu's.
No, no, he couldn't go there. He knew the poor kid, and knew something like this would tear him up inside. No - they'd told Valeriu they were big boys and could handle themselves and didn't fear the Game, and Seamus was not about to go running to Valeriu for protection.
He stopped by his house (the right one, this time), strapped on some rubber gloves, and headed out. Even as his body churned and rebelled, and he knew it was that damn kid's fault.
So, across the street from Valeriu's house, after trying the other doors, he slammed his fist down upon the wood of this one.
It wasn't really a knock. More like he was trying to break the door down with his knuckles.
"Get out here, you freak!"
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:13 am
Quinn heard the stampede of elephants banging on his door, and headed for it from his room, throwing on a hoodie as he went, since he hadn't been wearing anything but boxers. He left it hanging open, but at least it pretended like it cared about covering anything. He pulled the door inside, and raised an eyebrow at the man in front of him.
He wasn't sure how he felt about this. The man was back again. And he was wearing rubber gloves, Quinn noticed. Smart, for someone who wasn't a player. He eyed the boy up and down. He didn't look so good.
Quinn sighed, and opened the door wider, motioning for the man to come inside.
"A second date? So soon? I'm not sure I'm ready."
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:23 am
Seamus stayed planted right where he was, frowning stubbornly even as he shook like a leaf in the wind. The tremors hadn't stopped, and he'd broken out into a cold sweat not long ago.
Ashy-grey wasn't the best color for his skin, either.
"What did you inject me with?"
Because whatever it was, it wasn't getting better. It was getting worse. Much worse. So much worse that his throat was burning from all the not-there that his stomach had tried to throw out his mouth--
Hcck. He staggered and slumped to the side as he leaned against the rail, attempting to cough and heave his very tongue out to the alley below. On second thought, he should have done that right on the porchstep, but he hadn't thought that proper.
"What did you do?" he ground out.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:31 am
"I bit you. It's my poison." He pulled his lips back and showed his fangs. "I think I gave you a bit more than usual, though. I hadn't unloaded it in a while." He frowned. "You shouldn't still be having symptoms. The last person I injected got better pretty quickly." Quinn honestly had no idea why he was still sick.
Was he just particularly allergic?
I don't know. Why are you asking me? You told me to shut up.
Are you really still upset about that?
No, no, I'm not upset. I'm just shutting up, like you asked.
Real mature, Quetzalcoatl.
Whatever do you mean?
...Fine. I'm sorry.
Your poison is addictive.
What? Why?
It isn't meant to kill. It's meant to convert.
"I think it's actually addictive. Come inside, honestly. You need to lay down. I'll fix it." He motioned for the boy to enter. Then, he paused. This was the perfect opportunity.
"If," he added, "You tell me who healed Vale."
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:39 am
The sight of fangs probably would've turned him even paler if:
A) Their family wasn't already as pale as all get out.
B) His skin wasn't ashy-grey right now.
Valeriu had fangs. But Valeriu did not bite people. Mark that - Valeriu did not bite the Carnegies and inject them with poison.
Still, he still had the strength to smile. And smile he did - in the way that the twins had perfected. Their angelic smile. The smile that made nuns coo at them and garnered them free treats when they were younger.
"I'll come inside and you can fix it," he said, quite sweetly. "If you go hang yourself." He pushed himself off the rail, sweetness gone.
"I wouldn't ever betray him. You'd have better luck milking the moon for apple juice."
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:47 am
Quinn's brow furrowed. It furrowed deeply. "Look, I didn't know it would do that. If you want to go drown in your own vomit, go ahead. But I'm proposing a way to heal you, at least for now. That's what you came here wanting, isn't it?"
Quinn shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. I don't know where this 'betray' stuff is coming from, though. It isn't like Vale and I are enemies." He raised an eyebrow at the boy's colorful phrase.
"That's a good one. I'll have to use that some time. Milking the moon for apple juice?" He chuckled.
His face dropped into a very serious expression immediately afterwards.
"Let's see if I have the proper way to use it down, though. 'You could go out there and try to survive without my help in your current condition, but you'd have better luck milking the moon for apple juice.'"
His eyebrow arched at the man, and he crossed his arms.
"That was the correct usage, I believe?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:58 am
He hesitated, though the look he gave Quinn was one of disbelief. He had trouble, struggling with the thought that Quinn and Vale were not enemies. Quinn just...did not compute. He couldn't imagine Valeriu even spending time with someone who'd harass and tackle innocent (very innocent!) humans.
Still. He was sick. Really sick. It was getting worse and worse. He honestly felt like he might die from his stomach trying to curl around and choke his own liver to death.
"You don't strike me as a nice guy," he put it bluntly, trying not to make it obvious that he was back to leaning against the railing for support. "And you come askin' 'round about Valeriu? You gotta be kiddin' me. He told us all about what's been going on here." It was obvious the mere thought was still difficult for Seamus to digest, the way his eyes stared at Quinn's feathers for a second too long as if contemplating which of the many gods had blessed this child with the power to end his now too-mortal life and send him into one of many possible Hells. "So's, I know - any Player that comes around is only lookin' for trouble. So you can't try and trick me, because he trusts us."
Frowning, he straightened himself out. "I'm willing to die to protect that trust, whether you're his enemy or not. So you can go take your deal and shove it."
He planned on walking back down the steps, maybe checking himself into a hospital. But what hospital could possibly carry the antidote he needed?
None, that's what. But it was a sight better than selling information in exchange for healing.
So yeah, that's what he planned. Maybe meet up with his brother, tell him goodbye and all that jazz--
If only the steps didn't try to kill him first. Because the world wobbled, just a bit, and he was tripping in more ways than one.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:05 am
Quinn knew that letting him die would make him no better than the blacksuits. Letting him die would be coldhearted, stupid, awful. The information wasn't that important. He didn't even know why he cared. He didn't know why it mattered, he just felt like he needed to know. He sighed.
"Fine. Just shut the hell up and don't move." He grabbed the boy's shoulders and pulled himself up, putting his teeth in the base of the boy's neck and being careful to only release a small amount of poison.
"It should clear up soon. Go home." Quinn turned away. "I don't know if it comes back. If it does, you know where to find me."
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:18 am
He bit him. He seriously bit him. Again! Are you serious?
Seamus was not going to admit that he was feeling slightly better. He was not going to admit that it not only made him feel slightly better, but more like high as a kite and as happy as one. There was that momentary, painful chill, and then he was back in a land of wonder and glitter-glue.
He didn't like it one bit.
He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck and fingers glancing over the puncture marks. He stared at Quinn, glared a bit, stared more, speaking quickly just before the door had closed.
"You should ask him. About it. Ya see," he dusted his pants off, straightening out and fighting off the buzz inside his head, "he was really worried about this kid named Quinn. Thought that it might hurt him, or get him mad, or whatever. Don't know why he cares," he added, bitingly. "After all, he got dropped the minute he did something bad for once in his life. Not sayin' that what he did, or what he's doin', is completely right -- but he could be doing a lot worse. And he doesn't have much choice."
He could stand again, and that was good.
"By the way," he paused at the bottom of the steps. "You try this on my brother? Then I get to see whether or not Players can survive a bullet to the brain, kapeesh?"
Okay, no, Seamus did not have a gun. But if the blonde approached Murphy, he would go out and buy one. And try not to shoot himself in the foot.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:25 am
Quinn turned around and leaned on the doorframe, looking at Vale's little Freckle-knight at the bottom of his steps. "I talked to Vale. We've...sort of sorted it out sorta kinda." Quinn sighed. "Thanks, though."
He laughed. "And no, I won't touch your brother. I promise. You've helped plenty. And like I said; you're the only one I wanted."
"Vale and I have a complicated relationship, Seamus. And...you're right. He could be doing a lot worse. And you're right. It was stupid that he was left when he was." Quinn sighed. "I think what really shows it, though, is that he's got people like you looking out for him. I don't have that. If that's any measure of who's the better person."
"And besides," He snorted, taking a step backwards into his house, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Who's Quinn? My name's Alex."
And the door was shut.
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