Charles Saville, MD, PhD (OC) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mattersofscience) wrote2016-05-31 10:57 pm
mattersofscience) wrote2016-05-31 10:57 pm
[At that, he laughs openly again.]
I do like working on a schedule. You can always be as prepared as you can be, and have an idea of what to expect.
But for this, maybe it's better if I don't.
I do like working on a schedule. You can always be as prepared as you can be, and have an idea of what to expect.
But for this, maybe it's better if I don't.
Charles, I hope you're doing okay after everything that's been happening. If I could see you sometime soon, outside of work, I would like that. I also have information about things we talked about before. I might have someone that can help.
The man that helped me with my daylight tattoo and so much of the magic I use returned recently.
The man that helped me with my daylight tattoo and so much of the magic I use returned recently.
[Well, this is a relief. At least one of the people he cares about in the city doesn't sound like he's been taken in for testing.]
Helter-skelter in the city or not, you haven't missed a beat. I'll meet him - gladly. [Whether an extra protection will conflict with the ones he already has is a matter that seems best sorted out by Nate, himself.]
Does he have the details of my situation?
Helter-skelter in the city or not, you haven't missed a beat. I'll meet him - gladly. [Whether an extra protection will conflict with the ones he already has is a matter that seems best sorted out by Nate, himself.]
Does he have the details of my situation?
That's... something else to talk about. About me and what I've recently learned. You're one of the few people I feel I can talk to about it all.
As for your situation, I talked to him mostly about the things you talked openly about. I thought to put you both in touch with one another. In case he has more questions than I can answer, and there's things you don't want to share through a game of Duplicity telephone.
[ He pauses for a moment, wondering how bad things have been for Charles. ]
Did they have you too?
As for your situation, I talked to him mostly about the things you talked openly about. I thought to put you both in touch with one another. In case he has more questions than I can answer, and there's things you don't want to share through a game of Duplicity telephone.
[ He pauses for a moment, wondering how bad things have been for Charles. ]
Did they have you too?
Sounds significant. [And... serious? Vampiric? It's a little hard for him to tell, when Kyle seems like he's in a good mood.] I have time now, if you want to talk. All I'm doing is running blood panels and thinking about how to explain myself to your friend.
I'll contact him. Thank you, Kyle.
[He knows what that question's about, and frowns at the selection of blood cultures in front of him.]
Not this time. [Somewhat dryly, he adds,] I suppose they maximized the entertainment value they could get from my sort of vampire the last time they experimented on me. [His frown deepens, and there's the pinching, and stretching sounds of plastic in the background as he pulls off his gloves. This conversation gets his full attention.]
Were you taken?
I'll contact him. Thank you, Kyle.
[He knows what that question's about, and frowns at the selection of blood cultures in front of him.]
Not this time. [Somewhat dryly, he adds,] I suppose they maximized the entertainment value they could get from my sort of vampire the last time they experimented on me. [His frown deepens, and there's the pinching, and stretching sounds of plastic in the background as he pulls off his gloves. This conversation gets his full attention.]
Were you taken?
Nate is one of the best people I've known here. If there's ways to help you, I think he'll be able to do it.
[ He's quiet for a moment, thinking about what he went through and just how he feels about it now. Charles is one of those that he thinks he can turn to more than most to be honest with him and who can maybe understand. ]
I was. Honestly, it's been a while since I've been taken for one of their experiments and I need to make sure some things are okay but... it was interesting. What I wanted to talk about. If that's okay with you.
I'm heading to the hospital now. I want to see you either way.
[ He's quiet for a moment, thinking about what he went through and just how he feels about it now. Charles is one of those that he thinks he can turn to more than most to be honest with him and who can maybe understand. ]
I was. Honestly, it's been a while since I've been taken for one of their experiments and I need to make sure some things are okay but... it was interesting. What I wanted to talk about. If that's okay with you.
I'm heading to the hospital now. I want to see you either way.
Thank you, Elle. I consider myself an organized man, but you're that and a selection of decorated organizers on top of it.
[He cherishes the peace, and the ordinary (relative to Duplicity) life that being contracted to Elle and Nate's bloodlust charm have given him.]
Of course. I'm lucky to have the arrangement we have, Elle. Living with you hasn't felt so much as like having a roommate, as it has actually having a home. [Which is a new experience for him in the city. He enjoyed living with Thomas, but the vibe was very much one of a politely shared bachelor pad.]
Of course. I'm lucky to have the arrangement we have, Elle. Living with you hasn't felt so much as like having a roommate, as it has actually having a home. [Which is a new experience for him in the city. He enjoyed living with Thomas, but the vibe was very much one of a politely shared bachelor pad.]
Edited 2024-09-02 20:11 (UTC)
[ Grateful for being over messages, he will miss the teary eyes, the wide smile, the clasping of hands before Elle replies. ]
That is what I want for you. For anyone who comes to stay here, of course, but I wanted you to be comfortable. To feel like you had your own space when you wanted it.
[ That was a lot of gushing in one message. Maybe too much? No. She wouldn't change it. He knows her well enough to know how she can be. ]
I'm glad that you want to be here.
That is what I want for you. For anyone who comes to stay here, of course, but I wanted you to be comfortable. To feel like you had your own space when you wanted it.
[ That was a lot of gushing in one message. Maybe too much? No. She wouldn't change it. He knows her well enough to know how she can be. ]
I'm glad that you want to be here.
This isn't the easiest city in the universe to cultivate a sense of home or normalcy, so I do want you to know that it's noticed, and appreciated. I've learned a great deal about the value of 'homey touches' over the past few months. [It's enough that, should he ever have a space in the city that's only his own, again, he'll think twice about keeping it as Spartan as his previous room was.]
Research on your own decorating preferences?
I've been enjoying the windows. It's odd to be able to see people and animals walking about during the day --that part hasn't worn off yet-- but it's been a good first step towards the idea of accepting a protective sunlight enchantment. [His mind isn't yet made up either way, but he's been letting the idea percolate.]
I've been enjoying the windows. It's odd to be able to see people and animals walking about during the day --that part hasn't worn off yet-- but it's been a good first step towards the idea of accepting a protective sunlight enchantment. [His mind isn't yet made up either way, but he's been letting the idea percolate.]
Make sure to check your desk before getting too involved with anything. It's important! XO Elle
[ What awaits Charles is a very elegant envelope with his name written in neat and curving script. Inside is a folded notecard. There is a simple hand-drawn design of green plants but inside is a hand-written note that reads:
[ What awaits Charles is a very elegant envelope with his name written in neat and curving script. Inside is a folded notecard. There is a simple hand-drawn design of green plants but inside is a hand-written note that reads:
- Charles,
It would be an honor if you would accompany me to the housewarming gathering hosted by Daphne Bridgerton this weekend at Lilac Cottage.
You'll find funds and a note of authorization for the purchase of anything you might need. It's not formal so remember: comfort above all else! And, since you might ask or wonder, you look very handsome in navy or hunter green.
- XOXO Elle ]
[Continued from here]
[He had imagined many times that this conversation would be more fraught, or difficult at this point - and parts of it have been - but there's so much more promise, happiness, and fulfilment in it beyond that.
This kind, giving, and deeply compassionate man. There's a feeling of safety, and of being held, in the hands touching his, and in the way Kyle's looking at him now. It all amounts to a feeling that's immediately precious to him, and one that he'll hold in his mind and heart for the hours, days, and months to come.]
You won't lose a friend, [Charles promises, reaching out to lay his free hand atop the two grasping his other one, and gripping firmly.] We care too much about the same things [and each other] and have been through too much for that to be something I see happening-- or that I'll allow on my part. [It's an easy reassurance to make, and one he's determined to hold himself true to. His friendship with Kyle is just as important to him as the love he's grown to feel for the man, and to let the former go over disagreements or romantic mismatches over the ways either of them might choose to love or spend time with others would be a waste.]
[He had imagined many times that this conversation would be more fraught, or difficult at this point - and parts of it have been - but there's so much more promise, happiness, and fulfilment in it beyond that.
This kind, giving, and deeply compassionate man. There's a feeling of safety, and of being held, in the hands touching his, and in the way Kyle's looking at him now. It all amounts to a feeling that's immediately precious to him, and one that he'll hold in his mind and heart for the hours, days, and months to come.]
You won't lose a friend, [Charles promises, reaching out to lay his free hand atop the two grasping his other one, and gripping firmly.] We care too much about the same things [and each other] and have been through too much for that to be something I see happening-- or that I'll allow on my part. [It's an easy reassurance to make, and one he's determined to hold himself true to. His friendship with Kyle is just as important to him as the love he's grown to feel for the man, and to let the former go over disagreements or romantic mismatches over the ways either of them might choose to love or spend time with others would be a waste.]
[ So much of Kyle's time in this city has come with horrific things, but the good things had come easily in many ways. He'd not talked about many things in his relationships with others. Those involved had just let them happen, in most cases but one that was still weird and hazy to him, and then gone along with how life went until... well until they weren't there anymore.
Having this talk was something else, and it felt huge in the way it made his chest tighten and yet right in the way this felt between them. He wanted Charles to know the truth. The man he'd been. Who he'd become not just with being turned but this place as well. How much he'd grown to be the man sitting there next to Charles, holding his hand, and working out their relationship.
Their relationship. He loves how that sounds in his head, and he can't wait to see how it turns out in action. With them actively working on it beyond all this city is. ]
Good. Because I don't plan to let it either. You started as my friend, and now you're so much more, and I will fight this place and others over what we have.
[ He leans in to tenderly kiss Charles' cheek. ]
So then... tell me, Charles. If I were to ask you out on a date, officially, as the first step of our new relationship... [ Yep, no matter the others in his life, saying that word to Charles sends a shiver up his spine. ] What would be the perfect date for you? What do you miss the most? And do you ride a motorcycle?
Having this talk was something else, and it felt huge in the way it made his chest tighten and yet right in the way this felt between them. He wanted Charles to know the truth. The man he'd been. Who he'd become not just with being turned but this place as well. How much he'd grown to be the man sitting there next to Charles, holding his hand, and working out their relationship.
Their relationship. He loves how that sounds in his head, and he can't wait to see how it turns out in action. With them actively working on it beyond all this city is. ]
Good. Because I don't plan to let it either. You started as my friend, and now you're so much more, and I will fight this place and others over what we have.
[ He leans in to tenderly kiss Charles' cheek. ]
So then... tell me, Charles. If I were to ask you out on a date, officially, as the first step of our new relationship... [ Yep, no matter the others in his life, saying that word to Charles sends a shiver up his spine. ] What would be the perfect date for you? What do you miss the most? And do you ride a motorcycle?
[The gentle kiss (a warm thing, and offered so softly) to his cheek brings a smile to Charles' face. Selfishly, though, it's not quite enough. He allows Kyle to pull away, but then frees one of his hands to draw him back in with a hand on his face for another kiss: to the other man's lips this time, drawn out, and savouring.
He feels vaguely dazed when they finally part, but it's a brilliant combination of sensations, full of life, colour, and depth. Charles exhales slowly, and tries to claw back awareness of what the other man had asked before he'd given in to what he'd wanted at the moment.]
You... you own a motorcycle?
[Yeah, he probably could have done better on the uptake with that one.]
He feels vaguely dazed when they finally part, but it's a brilliant combination of sensations, full of life, colour, and depth. Charles exhales slowly, and tries to claw back awareness of what the other man had asked before he'd given in to what he'd wanted at the moment.]
You... you own a motorcycle?
[Yeah, he probably could have done better on the uptake with that one.]
[ That kiss is something that Kyle could just sink into and forget the rest of the world. To have the taste of Charles on his lips. The comfort between them, shared in this moment, that is part of what makes Kyle feel so good with Charles. Everything feels so right.
His eyes still closed as Charles breaks the kiss, unwilling to bring himself out of that moment. Not yet.
At least until that commercial and he can't help but chuckle, smiling as his lashes flutter and he looks at Charles once more. ]
I do. A friend built it for me. I usually run places or just use the portals but I figured for a date, I should do it right. Pick you up at your door and all. Maybe a drive and look at the stars at the end of the night.
His eyes still closed as Charles breaks the kiss, unwilling to bring himself out of that moment. Not yet.
At least until that commercial and he can't help but chuckle, smiling as his lashes flutter and he looks at Charles once more. ]
I do. A friend built it for me. I usually run places or just use the portals but I figured for a date, I should do it right. Pick you up at your door and all. Maybe a drive and look at the stars at the end of the night.
[It startles him sometimes, in the way it does right now as Kyle looks at him through his lashes, that he somehow managed not to notice how almost preternaturally attractive the other vampire is until moments like these started happening between them. It feels a bit foolish to be suddenly hit by the realization, but not in a way that feels anything close to bad.
Charles blinks for a moment longer, but then comes back to himself, and smiles slightly.]
A medical professional taboo, [Charles observes impressively, surprised and genuinely amused. Motorcycles are terribly dangerous and ER magnets, in his direct professional experience. He's ignored them his entire life on principle.] I've never done, truthfully. I'll be ignoring a personal principle for you in this, you know.
[His tone says he's willing to try. Kyle makes dipping his toes into whimsy attractive.]
Charles blinks for a moment longer, but then comes back to himself, and smiles slightly.]
A medical professional taboo, [Charles observes impressively, surprised and genuinely amused. Motorcycles are terribly dangerous and ER magnets, in his direct professional experience. He's ignored them his entire life on principle.] I've never done, truthfully. I'll be ignoring a personal principle for you in this, you know.
[His tone says he's willing to try. Kyle makes dipping his toes into whimsy attractive.]
Edited 2024-12-03 04:25 (UTC)
[ Despite it all, Kyle can't help but laugh at that. It's a soft throaty sound even as he holds up both hands in surrender. ]
I swear I never had one before I had healing abilities. Back home it's been a sturdy truck for a lot of years.
[ And a boring care that got him through residency before that. Here though, so many things are different.
He smiles at that warning, all brightness as he leans in a bit closer. ]
I promise I'll keep you safe, and you can hold on as tight as you want.
I swear I never had one before I had healing abilities. Back home it's been a sturdy truck for a lot of years.
[ And a boring care that got him through residency before that. Here though, so many things are different.
He smiles at that warning, all brightness as he leans in a bit closer. ]
I promise I'll keep you safe, and you can hold on as tight as you want.
[The smile on the vampire's face tugs a tick wider at that. Usually one to put himself in the role of teacher, guardian, or gentleman to others, he's not used to someone else promising they'll protect him, even in a light-hearted way like this. It's the kind of thing he dismisses, because he's managed on his own for so long, and knows very well his own physical strength and experience in the world.
What if he did try something different, and tried to allow himself to relinquish a little responsibility?
Fanciful and silly. But maybe worth seeing what comes of it, for once? At least trying it? And then if it's not something he's suited for the way he already assumes, he can discard the idea again.]
Is there anything I ought to know beforehand? [A slightly confused, and calculating pause.] You don't have to wear jeans to ride a motorcycle, do you? [Not that he would mind, exactly, he.... just doesn't own any.] Everyone on motorcycles always seems to be wearing jeans, [he explains, belatedly.]
What if he did try something different, and tried to allow himself to relinquish a little responsibility?
Fanciful and silly. But maybe worth seeing what comes of it, for once? At least trying it? And then if it's not something he's suited for the way he already assumes, he can discard the idea again.]
Is there anything I ought to know beforehand? [A slightly confused, and calculating pause.] You don't have to wear jeans to ride a motorcycle, do you? [Not that he would mind, exactly, he.... just doesn't own any.] Everyone on motorcycles always seems to be wearing jeans, [he explains, belatedly.]
Edited 2024-12-05 01:10 (UTC)
[ Maybe it's a bit of luring. Maybe it's a bit of wanting to give Charles a special night, to take care of him, and be cared for by him, and let them truly have a full night of it. Together. ]
You don't have to wear jeans and I promise I'll be dressed up too. I have clips to keep your trousers safe. Promise.
[ Kyle smiles though as he leans in, kissing the corner of Charles' mouth. ]
Though, if you want, I can wear leathers. Not that I think you're looking for a bad boy image from me, of all people.
Otherwise you just have to not make sudden movements, and stay close to me.
You don't have to wear jeans and I promise I'll be dressed up too. I have clips to keep your trousers safe. Promise.
[ Kyle smiles though as he leans in, kissing the corner of Charles' mouth. ]
Though, if you want, I can wear leathers. Not that I think you're looking for a bad boy image from me, of all people.
Otherwise you just have to not make sudden movements, and stay close to me.
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