anomaly 008 . pairing & spam

[dinosize]

[ He spends a long time going over the file before he contacts her. Early life first, then moving on. Coming on the manner of her death is a sudden and brutal shock, and he has to fight down nausea for several minutes before he starts to calm down again. Flips through the list of her victims, trying not to think about the quantity, but just on the reasons. Finally, he breathes out and turns on the comm. ]

[ private to clementine ]

So. I might find someone to teach me werewolf hunting. Is that what you said?

[ spam ]

[ Catch Stephen around with a toolkit, fixing wobbly tables and chairs in common areas and the cafeteria. Feel free to have him fixing something specifically requested.

Alternatively, catch him floating down a river in CES. Chillin'. In a canoe. Like you do.

Also alternatively, he can always be found going for runs, at least once a day, up and down the stairs and in whatever environment the CES provides for him.

He has hardly said a word to his friends since Nick arrived. But he'll be doing his best to pretend nothing's wrong. ]

Comments

private

[visetvires]

That's what I said.

God works in mysterious ways.

[Her tone is efficiently neutral. She wastes no effort on sounding pleased to hear from him, hides her fear and anger well. This is when it starts. This is when they'll start to hurt her, she's sure.]

private

[dinosize]

Let's start.

CES.

private

[visetvires]

Are you giving me an order?

private

[dinosize]

No.

private

[visetvires]

Why not?

private

[dinosize]

Because I'm not much for obeying them.

[ If you can't take it, don't dish it out. ]

private

[visetvires]

Then what are you doing?

spam

[isahumanbeing]

[He wrestled with the idea of talking to Stephen again. He wanted to avoid another break down, which is why he left before. He at least has some idea why Stephen's mad.]

[It's actually when Stephen is out repairing something that he sees him again. He almost let's him go by.]

Do you have a minute?

spam

[dinosize]

[ The screw hole has been totally stripped in this table leg, which is why it's been wobbling. Stephen has discovered this and removed the screw, trying to remember an old trick he'd once heard for getting it to stick, when Nick approaches.

The look he shoots Nick is quiet and wary. (He thinks he's just being neutral.) ]

I've got plenty.

spam

[isahumanbeing]

[Since he's here, he takes a look at what he's working on. He glances to Stephen's bag to see if he has a dowel that will fit in the stripped hole. If he does, he passes it to Stephen.]

After you died, I kept replaying what happened. Maybe there was something I could've changed. Kept everyone alive.

Later on--[his voice breaks slightly]--when I knew I was dying... all I could think is I should've let her die.

spam

[dinosize]

[ It doesn't quite fit. Just a little bit too big. Stephen chews the inside of his cheek, considering.

He's thought about it. Shoving Helen in instead of sacrificing himself. ]

She wouldn't have closed the door.

[ He remembers, after a moment. ] - Toothpicks. [ For fixing the hole. He has a few, or at least he can knock some splinters off the rod. ]

spam

[isahumanbeing]

Probably not. If I let her go before the door was damaged it wouldn't have been an issue. [Just... casually talking about how he could have let his wife die.] Not that it matters now.

[He watches Stephen work for a moment.] I have something I want to show you. When you have the time.

spam

[dinosize]

[ He viciously knocks a few good-size splinters off of the dowel. Selects a hammer, and gently taps them in. ]

It was her the whole time, wasn't it? Not Lester.

[ He isn't looking at Nick, very deliberately not looking. He can't handle too much of this at once. ]

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ After getting out of Zero, Stephen was of special interested to the vampire. It was a few days after, his gifts already left for Stiles and Allison. And he was leaving Lydia alone for the time being to let her paranoia build. For the better part of an hour.

He'd taken notice of Stephen in the dining hall the day before, and had been more or less keeping an eye on the guy for the better part of following day and night, off and on. But always out of sight. The only time there wasn't a chance of Jerry being somewhere, watching, was if Stephen went into CES at any point that day. Because, apart from needing warden approval the sunlight in there was not something he would risk.

It was while most of the ship slept in the wee hours of the morning, that he would a last see the vampire. In the stairwell leading to the fourth level. Calmly leaning against the wall, eating an apple. His gaze intent on the early morning runner. ]

[dinosize]

[ He slides the iPod earbuds out, one by one, and comes to a stop. He hasn't even started to break a sweat yet; this won't be too much of an interruption to his morning routine. It's the apple that catches his eye, that makes him make the connection - since he's never seen Jerry's face. ]

Knew it.

[ Knew he was being watched. That vague prickle at the edge of his senses. Same thing he got when he was tracking down the future predators. Funny enough, he'd felt the most alone in CES, the least watched when there were the most people around him. ]

Can I help you?

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ If Jerry was impressed at Stephen figuring out who he was, he didn't show it. He just took another bit of his apple, watching the man. Letting him sit in silence while the vampire chewed. Only then did he shake his head, giving a slight shrug. ]

You're the one who stopped, guy. I should be the one asking you that.

[ He takes another bite. Everything about him slow, uncaring, and casual. ]

[dinosize]

It's Stephen.

[ Not that he thinks Jerry has forgotten. ]

And, what I should have said is - I knew someone was watching. [ Stephen has the eyes of a hunter, the body of a hunter. He is aware of the danger, keenly, and he doesn't back down regardless. ]

Am I that interesting?

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ Another bite. Another long pause as he considered the question. He pushed off the wall, leaning closer to Stephen. But it wasn't with an answer. ]

I'd like to know, what you think you're running from.

[ Because even the most fit humans didn't run nearly as often or as at odd hours, as Stephen did. ]

[dinosize]

[ Stephen's expression hardens. ]

Exercise, mate.

If I was running from something, I wouldn't be going in circles, would I?

[ There's a flush on his skin, though, something between anger and embarrassment. Wasn't he looking for a way out? Isn't that why he died? ]

spam for Jack

[dinosize]

[ By the time he gets to the Infirmary, he's shrugged his shirt off, pressed the cloth to the bite wound in his neck, which is still bleeding too quickly for comfort. Not life-threatening; if it was, he would have rushed, but as it is, it definitely left a few drips on the hallway outside.

Which he'll probably have to clean up later.

He knocks on the door as he enters. ]

Is a doctor in?

spam

[diealone]

[Jack is almost always in the infirmary during daylight hours now. Sitting around in his room isn't accomplishing anything, and he's still on the Barge and nothing's different, so whether or not Kate had been able to warn everyone to stay on the Island is looking less and less likely.

Unless this is some alternate universe thing, and that's still really not helpful.

Working is easier, and with David puttering around doing his own thing or Scott swinging by to hang out or help, Jack more or less has access to whatever he wants, and it's easier to feel like when someone says doctor, they're actually asking for him. Not just assuming he's some murderer who has no idea what he's doing.

So he spots Stephen pretty quickly, drops the chart he was looking at and heads over quickly, already trying to visually assess the damage as much as he can]

What happened? [Although considering their newer arrivals, Jack has a guess and it involves someone with very sharp teeth.]

spam

[dinosize]

[ He lets Jack direct him - exam table, sitting down, staying there, whatever. He may not be a wonderful patient when he's in the process of long recovery, but at the moment he knows he's out of his depth, medically, and he has no hesitation about putting his health in the hands of a doctor. Even though Jack is apparently an inmate. None of Stephen's business.

He winces, a little, at the pull of pain in his neck. ]

Is there doctor-patient confidentiality on an interdimensional space boat?

spam

[diealone]

[Once Stephen's sitting down and apparently not in danger of collapsing, Jack goes to grab something to clean and hopefully seal the wound. He sounds a little wry when he responds.]

The Hippocratic Oath doesn't list an exception for interdimensional boats, no.

[So go for it, he won't tell.]

spam

[dinosize]

[ And, dangerously, Stephen considers telling the truth. How it made him feel. Something about drawing himself back to life. ]

Vampire. The new one.

My fault. I provoked him.

[ Which is at least a little true. ]

spam

[diealone]

[Well.

Chalk this up as something he's never had to deal with before.

So Jack looks a little surprised, but still gestures for Stephen to move the makeshift compress so he can start cleaning the wound.]

Any idea on how vampirism transfers where he's from?

[Are you going to flip out and try to bite him?]