(no subject)
Title: Solutions
Author: me
Rating: PG
Characters: Abner, Conrad, Paradox
Chapters: 2/4
FYI: Based on LARP between Hughes and I. In this RP, Abner has moved in with Conrad in an attempt to both keep an eye on him and to find Adelaide. Lately, though, Conrad's behaviour has been strange...
The next night, Paradox was agitated, and Abner didn't blame him. His partner crouched on the arm of the couch as Conrad ate breakfast, ferret eyes glowing balefully.
Abner's trigger finger was itchy, too. Something was happening, something he hadn't seen before, and every instinct was telling him to GET RID OF IT. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Anything could happen when things moved into unknown territory, and Abner hated to be unprepared. As far as he was concerned, leaving this … problem… alone was like walking up to Adelaide wearing nothing but a sign that said 'Free Lunch'.
But there was something that stayed his hand, something besides the desire for Adelaide's disposal. If he observed Conrad's state long enough, it might tell him something important about a vampire's inner workings. He couldn't throw away a chance to learn more about his enemies, to add more weapons to his arsenal against the undead, simply because he was afraid. That was unthinkable.
No, this opportunity was too rare. He had to learn as much from this as he could. Then, if things got really out of hand, he'd take care of them. For good.
So far, 'things' were the same as yesterday. Conrad consumed the blood with less gusto than was usually displayed. And once again, he stared at the empty packet when he was finished, a small crease between his thin brows.
And stared.
And stared.
Paradox hissed.
The vampire jerked, startled, and despite his resolve to merely observe, Abner's hand flew to his gun.
But "Your rat's hungry or something," was all Conrad said, eyeing Paradox uncertainly. "If it bites me, I'm going to throw it out the window."
"He won't bite you," Abner said, fingers reluctantly sliding off the rough stock of his revolver. "You're filthy. He knows better."
"Sure he does."
Abner waited, but that was it. The vampire was stayed sitting, still holding the empty plastic bag, still looking at the ferret on the couch, silent again in that strange way that Conrad never was when there was something to whine about.
"Look at me," Abner said sharply, suddenly.
Conrad did, annoyance flashing like light over his glasses. "What."
The lenses cleared. The vampire's eyes were brown, and his skin was white. Not only white. Grayish.
Abner frowned. "You're the wrong color."
"Thanks. What a revelation. Been taking Worth lessons?"
"No. You've just eaten. You should be human-colored. Natural-looking. You aren't."
Conrad made a face, but it had none of its usual elasticity. "You really know how to charm people, don't you?"
Abner stood. He walked around the table and slid his gun out of its holster.
Conrad's brown eyes widened, lightening a shade, and his hands went up, palms out. "Hey, what're you doing?"
"Not killing you," Abner said. He brought the gun up, training it on the vampire's head. "But I advise you not to move. Paradox." He gestured with the gun toward the vampire. "Check him, if you don't mind?"
His partner chirruped and moved closer to the vampire. Conrad flinched, panicked stare going back to the gun, and suddenly squeezed his eyes shut. "Fine, whatever, bite me, kill me! I'm so not surprised!"
Abner didn't bother to contradict him. Repeating oneself did nothing to reassure Conrad. He had to learn things on his own, and Abner wasn't a fan of saying things twice. In the meantime, "Go ahead. I've got you covered."
Paradox nodded and humped over to the vampire. He hesitated, then slid over the back of the sofa and twined himself once around Conrad's neck. Without stopping, he slithered back around, and in an instant he was on the other side of the vampire, scampering off the sofa and onto the floor, running to the safety of Abner's shoes. He stood up on his hind legs and pawed at Abner's pants while chittering his report.
Conrad's eyes were still shut. Abner glanced down, holstered the gun, and leaned over to scoop up the ferret.
"Paradox says you're cold."
Cautiously, Conrad peeked out of one eye. When he realized he wasn't dead, he sulked. "I'm always cold. I'm a vampire, as you love to point out. Dead people are cold."
"Not immediately after feeding."
"How do you know?"
"And you smell."
"What the hell. I don't smell!"
Paradox said something else, and Abner amended, "Your scent is different. Not as…" He paused, the last word sticking on his tongue. Paradox made an impatient noise and twisted himself in half. Abner sighed, then finished. "Not as clean. More dead."
Conrad grinned for a moment. "Clean? I'm clean? Your rat thinks I'm - wait. More dead? What does that mean?"
"Where do you normally get that blood?"
The vampire glanced at the empty packet still in his hands. "I don't know. Worth. Lamont. One or the other."
"Is the blood still satisfying?"
"I guess? It's never been better than Taco Bell, really, but - waitaminnit, what the hell are you getting at?" Conrad held the packet away from himself. "D'you think something's wrong with it?"
Abner reached up to put Paradox on his shoulder. "I don't know. But I suggest you find out, before you get any deader."
Author: me
Rating: PG
Characters: Abner, Conrad, Paradox
Chapters: 2/4
FYI: Based on LARP between Hughes and I. In this RP, Abner has moved in with Conrad in an attempt to both keep an eye on him and to find Adelaide. Lately, though, Conrad's behaviour has been strange...
The next night, Paradox was agitated, and Abner didn't blame him. His partner crouched on the arm of the couch as Conrad ate breakfast, ferret eyes glowing balefully.
Abner's trigger finger was itchy, too. Something was happening, something he hadn't seen before, and every instinct was telling him to GET RID OF IT. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Anything could happen when things moved into unknown territory, and Abner hated to be unprepared. As far as he was concerned, leaving this … problem… alone was like walking up to Adelaide wearing nothing but a sign that said 'Free Lunch'.
But there was something that stayed his hand, something besides the desire for Adelaide's disposal. If he observed Conrad's state long enough, it might tell him something important about a vampire's inner workings. He couldn't throw away a chance to learn more about his enemies, to add more weapons to his arsenal against the undead, simply because he was afraid. That was unthinkable.
No, this opportunity was too rare. He had to learn as much from this as he could. Then, if things got really out of hand, he'd take care of them. For good.
So far, 'things' were the same as yesterday. Conrad consumed the blood with less gusto than was usually displayed. And once again, he stared at the empty packet when he was finished, a small crease between his thin brows.
And stared.
And stared.
Paradox hissed.
The vampire jerked, startled, and despite his resolve to merely observe, Abner's hand flew to his gun.
But "Your rat's hungry or something," was all Conrad said, eyeing Paradox uncertainly. "If it bites me, I'm going to throw it out the window."
"He won't bite you," Abner said, fingers reluctantly sliding off the rough stock of his revolver. "You're filthy. He knows better."
"Sure he does."
Abner waited, but that was it. The vampire was stayed sitting, still holding the empty plastic bag, still looking at the ferret on the couch, silent again in that strange way that Conrad never was when there was something to whine about.
"Look at me," Abner said sharply, suddenly.
Conrad did, annoyance flashing like light over his glasses. "What."
The lenses cleared. The vampire's eyes were brown, and his skin was white. Not only white. Grayish.
Abner frowned. "You're the wrong color."
"Thanks. What a revelation. Been taking Worth lessons?"
"No. You've just eaten. You should be human-colored. Natural-looking. You aren't."
Conrad made a face, but it had none of its usual elasticity. "You really know how to charm people, don't you?"
Abner stood. He walked around the table and slid his gun out of its holster.
Conrad's brown eyes widened, lightening a shade, and his hands went up, palms out. "Hey, what're you doing?"
"Not killing you," Abner said. He brought the gun up, training it on the vampire's head. "But I advise you not to move. Paradox." He gestured with the gun toward the vampire. "Check him, if you don't mind?"
His partner chirruped and moved closer to the vampire. Conrad flinched, panicked stare going back to the gun, and suddenly squeezed his eyes shut. "Fine, whatever, bite me, kill me! I'm so not surprised!"
Abner didn't bother to contradict him. Repeating oneself did nothing to reassure Conrad. He had to learn things on his own, and Abner wasn't a fan of saying things twice. In the meantime, "Go ahead. I've got you covered."
Paradox nodded and humped over to the vampire. He hesitated, then slid over the back of the sofa and twined himself once around Conrad's neck. Without stopping, he slithered back around, and in an instant he was on the other side of the vampire, scampering off the sofa and onto the floor, running to the safety of Abner's shoes. He stood up on his hind legs and pawed at Abner's pants while chittering his report.
Conrad's eyes were still shut. Abner glanced down, holstered the gun, and leaned over to scoop up the ferret.
"Paradox says you're cold."
Cautiously, Conrad peeked out of one eye. When he realized he wasn't dead, he sulked. "I'm always cold. I'm a vampire, as you love to point out. Dead people are cold."
"Not immediately after feeding."
"How do you know?"
"And you smell."
"What the hell. I don't smell!"
Paradox said something else, and Abner amended, "Your scent is different. Not as…" He paused, the last word sticking on his tongue. Paradox made an impatient noise and twisted himself in half. Abner sighed, then finished. "Not as clean. More dead."
Conrad grinned for a moment. "Clean? I'm clean? Your rat thinks I'm - wait. More dead? What does that mean?"
"Where do you normally get that blood?"
The vampire glanced at the empty packet still in his hands. "I don't know. Worth. Lamont. One or the other."
"Is the blood still satisfying?"
"I guess? It's never been better than Taco Bell, really, but - waitaminnit, what the hell are you getting at?" Conrad held the packet away from himself. "D'you think something's wrong with it?"
Abner reached up to put Paradox on his shoulder. "I don't know. But I suggest you find out, before you get any deader."