Christophe Guillory (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bitethehandthatfeeds) wrote2015-07-22 02:19 am
bitethehandthatfeeds) wrote2015-07-22 02:19 am
psl: immortals vs vampires
THIS SPACE FOR CUTE BOYS WITH RED EYES AND BLACK HAIR
[ the raid goes well.
they'd gotten wind of a possible slave situation barely a week ago— disappearing kids, signs of a vampire hiding their presence, rumors of a particularly nasty piece of work having been spotted moving in that direction after being chased out elsewhere. Rinne being Rinne, she'd confirmed everything immediately and had the place scouted out only a day or so later. between him, her, and her coworker hunter, they'd wrecked the bloodsucker's shit.
unfortunately, that leaves five or so kids, freshly freed from active mind control but still left with god knows how many habits and triggers left behind, as well as assorted amounts of plain old trauma. ]
they'd gotten wind of a possible slave situation barely a week ago— disappearing kids, signs of a vampire hiding their presence, rumors of a particularly nasty piece of work having been spotted moving in that direction after being chased out elsewhere. Rinne being Rinne, she'd confirmed everything immediately and had the place scouted out only a day or so later. between him, her, and her coworker hunter, they'd wrecked the bloodsucker's shit.
unfortunately, that leaves five or so kids, freshly freed from active mind control but still left with god knows how many habits and triggers left behind, as well as assorted amounts of plain old trauma. ]
[They're all in variable conditions, but four out of five bounce back into full awareness soon enough, even if they're skittish and unsure of their benefactors.
One of the children, however, seems.... absent. His red eyes open but unfocused, not tracking any outside stimulus. He's unresponsive, and if they didn't know better it might almost seem like his soul is outside of his body. Frankly, it's more that it's withdrawn fully, but he's been this way for hours.
He's also chillingly familiar.]
[ it's a problem, to be sure. Rinne's organization had already volunteered to take the children; it wouldn't be the first time they've deprogrammed a vampire's thralls, as Rinne herself was a prime example of.
but she'd taken one look at the child and bluntly announced that there was no way they could take someone that badly damaged, they just didn't have the time or expertise for that. May had been a little bit more delicate about it, but she'd agreed. and then they'd both just looked at him. ]
...you both can go to Hell.
[ ...but even without the eerie, upsetting familiarity of his face and unfocused gaze tugging at him, it's really a foregone conclusion that he would take the boy, at the very least to keep an eye on him while more qualified help could be found.
which is how he ends up being carried home in Chris's arms, face tucked against his collar. ]
but she'd taken one look at the child and bluntly announced that there was no way they could take someone that badly damaged, they just didn't have the time or expertise for that. May had been a little bit more delicate about it, but she'd agreed. and then they'd both just looked at him. ]
...you both can go to Hell.
[ ...but even without the eerie, upsetting familiarity of his face and unfocused gaze tugging at him, it's really a foregone conclusion that he would take the boy, at the very least to keep an eye on him while more qualified help could be found.
which is how he ends up being carried home in Chris's arms, face tucked against his collar. ]
[The boy is light, and familiar as he is, he's visibly healthier than Yves ever was. It's impossible to tell as he is that it's through no choice of his own, but that's how it is.
They're barely across the threshold when the kid stiffens, breathing shifting from unconsciously deep and even breaths to near hyperventilation in a split second.]
[ oh, hell, here it comes. keeping his own breathing and posture calm and steady, projecting reassurance as best as he can before pulling back so that the kid can see his face. specifically, who he is not. ]
Hey— you're out, you're safe—
Hey— you're out, you're safe—
[The kid doesn't seem remotely reassured that it isn't his former master carrying him, immediately starts squirming to escape Chris's arms with a deranged sort of fervor.]
Who--
Who--
[ immediately lets him squirm lose, with no resistance other than what's necessary to keep him from falling and cracking his head open. unfortunately, Chris is between him and the door. ]
My name's Christophe. I helped deal with the person who had you captured.
[ keeping a close eye on his reactions. it wouldn't be unusual if he had loyalty programmed into him; Chris doesn't think his master was the type (generally the ones who went for kids enjoyed terrifying them), but assuming one way or another would be a mistake. ]
My name's Christophe. I helped deal with the person who had you captured.
[ keeping a close eye on his reactions. it wouldn't be unusual if he had loyalty programmed into him; Chris doesn't think his master was the type (generally the ones who went for kids enjoyed terrifying them), but assuming one way or another would be a mistake. ]
Christophe? Christophe from when? I don't...
[his eyes start to unfocus again as he backs up, establishing distance and also curling in on himself]
I don't- Who am I?
[ ...sitting down, still calm, carefully paying no attention to the way he can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up ]
Yael. Your name is Yael— you haven't met me before. It's all right.
[ but haven't they met before? hasn't he known a Christophe? many Christophes? they might have even sounded a lot like this one— ]
Yael. Your name is Yael— you haven't met me before. It's all right.
[ but haven't they met before? hasn't he known a Christophe? many Christophes? they might have even sounded a lot like this one— ]
But you're--
[no
no, he doesn't have to know who he is to know better than this. arguing with someone about whether he knows them... is just stupidity. he crouches, puts his face in his hands and tries to steady his breathing.]
...Yael. Right.
I know a little more about you than that. Let me know if it will help; otherwise I'll keep my mouth shut.
[ said like this is all perfectly normal ]
[ said like this is all perfectly normal ]
[dooon't let on how discombobulated you are, don't show vulnerability, you're Yael, you're Yael, whatever that means. get it together.]
...Can't hurt to fact check.
[ ...
starts going through what Rinne had gotten during reconn: family, birthplace, where he'd grown. snippets of a life that he's probably lived different pieces of multiple times before; nothing new or particularly significant.
right up until Christophe mentions getting targeted and kidnapped by a vampire, anyway. ]
starts going through what Rinne had gotten during reconn: family, birthplace, where he'd grown. snippets of a life that he's probably lived different pieces of multiple times before; nothing new or particularly significant.
right up until Christophe mentions getting targeted and kidnapped by a vampire, anyway. ]
[Yael sits through most of it quietly, just absorbing and sorting information in still silence, but the moment it clicks is absolutely visible. He shudders, curling up tighter.]
Ah. Right.
... He's can't hurt you anymore. He's dead.
[ shakes his head ]
That would be my partner. She was in a similar situation when she was younger, so she makes a point of getting involved when she finds other ones.
[ technically true; she'd done most of the work. he'd just been extra firepower— but he's not letting on about that yet. his instinct is to establish himself as harmless first, and not entirely to be comforting; he's not inclined to ignore that impulse. ]
That would be my partner. She was in a similar situation when she was younger, so she makes a point of getting involved when she finds other ones.
[ technically true; she'd done most of the work. he'd just been extra firepower— but he's not letting on about that yet. his instinct is to establish himself as harmless first, and not entirely to be comforting; he's not inclined to ignore that impulse. ]
[He finally actually looks at Chris, rather than through him, and his gaze is entirely too piercing and analytical for a child of his age, even one so intensely broken.
Then he smiles, disarmingly.]
I think I'll thank you anyway.
[ what the Hell has he gotten himself into. still not letting his disquiet show, though, instead chuckling with the exact sort of breathless exhaustion one might expect after a pretty major ordeal ]
I never said you couldn't say thank you, just credit where it's due. It's no problem, though, I'm just sorry we didn't get you out sooner.
I never said you couldn't say thank you, just credit where it's due. It's no problem, though, I'm just sorry we didn't get you out sooner.
I'm out now, and that's what matters. He'd mentioned other kids...?
Four others. They were all pretty shaken up, but they'll be fine.
[ shaking his head ]
They're getting checked for any surprises that might have been left in their heads, at the moment. You would have gone with them, but you seemed in pretty bad shape; we didn't know when you'd wake up.
They're getting checked for any surprises that might have been left in their heads, at the moment. You would have gone with them, but you seemed in pretty bad shape; we didn't know when you'd wake up.
[ glances to the side slightly at the word "asleep," so... not actually asleep, no. ]
A few hours, at least. You weren't responding to anything, so we were pretty worried.
A few hours, at least. You weren't responding to anything, so we were pretty worried.
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