Temporary Reprieve {Specimens Crew, Plot}

[aaron]

Star couldn't understand the wolf's intention until he was nudged by him. "No, wolfie. Not now. I can't go in. I need to stay out here, understand? Not inside." He backed away further towards the trees.

But wasn't that the reason he was down here in the first place? To find Kiri? To tell her that he wasn't worth worrying about.

What would Kiri say, anyway? How would he react to him being okay? Anger, relief, indifference. His first guess had been that she would display some sort positive reaction, but he realised that he didn't even know her that well. He had gone on this suicide mission for a complete stranger! Someone he met over a snow angel, for Fate's sake.

He hardened his resolved. If she wasn't close to him, what could he lose? A potential friendship?

"Okay, doggie. Lead me in." He removed his glamour and glamoured in some neutral, casual clothing.

[eryk]

Sighing with relief as the boy finally decided to go inside Eryk stood to the side while the boy situated himself. His eyes narrowed at the name doggie and he flattened his ears tail drooping. Sufficiently moody now he padded out of the trees not caring if the boy followed or not.

The things I do out of the goodness of my heart...

Heart.

Oh crap! Cerridwen! I'm in another state! She's gonna kill me...

Completely and utterly downtrodden now his steps slowed until he stopped in front of the house. Not only had he run off to some random town in another state without telling his girl friend he also hadn't told his best friend and roommate. Both of them were going to kill him. He whined then plopped down about ten feet from the front door.

Playing hero sucks.

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke wandered into the kitchen to see Kiri in there, keeping herself busy eh?

He plopped down in the chair next to Garion, hearing his stomach rumble once again. He looked slightly embarrassed around the kitchen. The cookies smelled really good...and he just wanted to get something into his stomache. It was just then that he noticed someone walking in the door again, and he glanced at them for a moment before looking back to Kiri. He couldn't make out the pointed ears on the boy from here, so he had no idea who he was.

"Those really smell good...you must have learned quickly..." Locke said, the exhaustion returning to his body as the desire for sleep caught up with him now that he was warm and clean.

Once he took care of being hungry he'd probably be out within 5 seconds.

[Raelena St. John]

"We'll get ye th' book," joked Rae. She then led/carried Leo into the back room. There, as promised, was a clean metal table. Rae just dumped Leo onto the table, not really caring about all those little details. She began looking around for the various implements you'd need to transfer blood. Maybe she should just give up and maul the guy. Would be easier for her.

Sighing, Rae turned to Leo. "I'm goin' tae check somethin' wit' a lad. Be back tae fix ye oop."

Then Rae left, determined to find a certain boy with a perfect memory. She heard the various voices coming from the kitchen and headed that way.

Rae patted Morgan on the butt as she entered, winking at the poor girl. She then rounded on Locke. "Wha' do ye need tae do a blood transfusion?"

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke was caught off guard by such a question, and looked at Rae like a deer in the headlights.

"A b-b-blood...transfusion? You'd need hospital grade equipment to avoid infection but..." He looked at Rae. "If your planning to use your blood then that would be un-needed. Um, you'd still need something to inject it intravenously...like a n-n-n-n." He started sweating profusely and stamped his foot as if to snap himself out of it. "N-Needle. And a tube of some sort, or maybe just a syringe...wait a minute...is it your blood your using? If that's the case can't you just bite someone? We really don't have the materials here for that kind of an operation..."

Locke was still sweating madly, he closed his eyes and gripped his head to drown out the echoing voices swirling through his skull.

Even a mere mention...

[Raelena St. John]

"Well, I was tryin' tae be decent aboot it," drawled Rae. She wasn't quite sure why Locke looked jumpy about it. For that matter, most of the people there looked a little uneasy. Sighing, Rae rolled her eyes. "There's an extra crispy lad on th' table in th' workroom, an' we need m'blood tae get him on 'is feet, alright?

"If'n I turn 'im, 'e might nae get m'healin' stuff yet. Eryk cannae do it, an' neither could some mates o'mine," offered Rae, waving a hand, "so we need tae give 'im m'blood."

There, she'd actually thought something out for once. Give Rae a little credit. "Now, where can I get a tube an' a needle?"

[matt]

Matt wasn't the biggest fan of the Nintendo Wii. Moving the controllers around and swinging them like swords made him feel foolish, and thus everyone's fascination with the Wii puzzled him. It probably appealed more to casual gamers, he thought, or non-gamers, who weren't satisfied with a stationary controller in hand, who couldn't really experience a game without physically feeling it. Besides, he heard Carey Morton talking to his friends one day about how he accidentally launched his Wiimote into the television screen, and he was wary ever since.

But the promise that a game system was indeed in the house caused his demeanor to brighten. If there was Tetris for the Wii - he furrowed his brows trying to remember - they couldn't possibly screw it up. He doubted that anyone wanted to wave the Wiimote while shaping their body like an L-block, anyway. If there wasn't Tetris, there was probably Wii Sports, which was equally mind-numbing, if less fun.

He actually gave a small smile in response to cookies. Cookies and video games...what could be better? Maybe they had chocolate chip. He liked chocolate chip...

"Cookies..." Matt responded robotically, feet moving in the direction of the kitchen, seeking to find the promised treat. He poked his head in the doorway, unfazed by the group of people already in there, and resumed his search.

"Cookies?" He repeated, eyes wide as he searched the premises. He looked more and more glum as his search yeiled no cookies, and he glanced at Kiri, crestfallen and cookieless.

[Kiri Honeywater]

Kiri turned from Garion to smile at Locke then to smile at Rae as she entered. Then her smile faded with what came out of Rae's mouth. Her eyes flicked to Locke and his reaction to the questions. Stepping forward she stood in front of Rae her expression dark.

"Leave him alone. Can't you see talking about this stuff bothers him? Ever think they might've used that kind of stuff on them!" She snapped her small hands in fists. "Needle, tube, needle that's what you need he said it. Now leave him alone."

Normally the girl was a petite flower soft as any daisy, this daisy has grown thorns. "If biting him won't work how are you so sure your blood will? Why not get a healer or something?" She of course knew nothing of what she spoke about, all she was thinking was that she needed to protect Locke.

As Matt walked in she smiled softly and pointed at the oven as if answering his silent plea. It seemed everyone wanted cookies.

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke wasn't in the best shape, physically or mentally, but with the mention of needles and such his memory kept going back. Not back to the underground room, no back further. Sterilized hospital rooms, empty words of consolation, fear, pain, torment. Not physical anguish, he just didn't understand. Why him?

The group gathered in the kitchen might notice the lights flicker a few times, but Locke didn't. It was only when he felt the cling of his clothes to him that he realized what was happening. His eyes snapped open and then lowered in concentration.

'Focus...Focus...don't lose it. Control, maintain control...stay calm...keep it calm...don't lose control.' He repeated to himself as a mantra, he needed something to get the topic out of the way. And his mind was happy to provide it to him as he started reciting a book he had read before almost like a robot.

"The transformation that the virus known as Lycanthropy induces has been traced to several fluids of a Lycan. These being the colorless, odorless secretion that coats their fangs and claws, as well as their blood. All of these fluids require direct connection with the infected blood stream to take hold, contact to the skin will not suffice. It should be noted with blood that is exposed to air the virus will decay and die, and cannot be transmitted by a blood splatter. However, should someone touch a Lycan's wound with a wound of their own, the virus can be spread that way. Such instances of direct wound contact are uncommon at best, and the infection by mauling is far more common."

Locke finished his speaking and blinked a few times, he wasn't even looking at Rae or anyone else, he just...spoke. Spoke to do something to keep his mind off of it.

Sleep sounded good right about now, even better then food.

[Raelena St. John]

Rae looked at Kiri, arching her brows and smiling a little. The fairie girl had some bite, hmm? Maybe a bit of Rae had rubbed off from that first meeting. Or maybe Kiri was spending the right amount of time with the Cavans.

"If'n ye want, I could drop th' subject. 'course, crispy in th' other room might die," Rae shrugged, "which is fine wit' me. If'n ye want a lad's death on ye conscience, whate'er. Tain't botherin' me."

Locke's little ramble went right over Rae's head. She didn't understand but a word in five at best. It sounded like a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo to her.

"I regenerate," she drawled, waving an arm. "Wounds disnae last fir me in th' slightest. So, I figure m'blood goin' tae heal th' lad. Maulin' jus' turns th' lad inta a wolfie, which willnae do it."

Rae rolled her eyes, then looked at the younger couple. "Unless ye two ken better?"

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke glanced up at Rae. "You need direct blood to blood contact. Press a wound to a wound on him...if you don't have a wound, make one...if you regenerate too fast.." He looked to Rae and reached for one of the silver butter knives on the table.

"Find a way to make it not heal fast. And don't try to guilt me into this Rae, there is no hospital facility near here you could bring him to, and I'm not a healer. Panic and cry if you want, but there isn't anything I can do for him, not like I care."

Some of his old personality started to shine through, and Locke turned away from her. "Save some fools life or let him die, you're the only one that decides it now, I don't see how it's my problem." He placed the bitter knife back on the table and slid it across to her.

"With your strength I'd imagine you could make it happen, just a little cut is all it would take. But that would be risking your life for someone elses, not exactly a fun choice is it."

Why was he being so hard on her? She hadn't done anything wrong, it really wasn't he fault.

"In any event, it doesn't concern me, you just might want to keep whatever you do away from the children here, they probably haven't been exposed to it yet."

[Kiri Honeywater]

Feeling thoroughly chastized by Rae and more than slightly uncomfortable by Locke she stepped away. She went back to the oven to check on her cookies. Quietly she mumbled, "They look almost ready."

Kiri had a short little burst of anger, to stand up for her boy friend, to show some claws. Now she was back to her old self not wanting to cause more conflict. She didn't know anything of what Locke and Rae were talking about, and speaking up for him only proved to cause problems. The young fae tucked some stray curls behind a pointed ear and stood facing the oven.

Locke didn't sound like her caring sweet heart. He sounded cold and distant, but she wouldn't hold that against him. He'd been through alot over the past days or however long he'd been in that horrible place. She just wished that she could make things better, for everyone. Including this boy who was burnt to a crisp and was dying.

Finally the timer made it's little ting noise and she opened up the oven. Kiri grabbed a mit then pulled out the tray of cookies to set on the stove to cool. After that was done she shifted them loose set them all nicely on a plate and simply walked away.

[aaron]

Star looked at the doorway for a long while. He could walk away right now and everything woould be fine. He could fly away home and pretend he never set foot in the Academy of the damned. He quickly glanced at Eryk, who was being annoyingly neutral in this whole thing. h His hand hovered over the doorknob, then he let go, and rang the door bell.

The moment of the descision was completely effortless, like turning on a tap. But the moment after lft him wracked with a caulsterphobic feeling of not being able to turn back, to have chosen a path without considering everything.

He might as well do this right. "Kiri?" Star was suprised at how hoarse his voice was.

[Eve Stone]

Having smelled the cookies, and not caring about being soft or not she stood. On her way to the kitchen the door bell just so happened to ring. At first she figured, this isn't my house I'm not going to answer it. But no one came running to get the door so she shrugged and strode over to it.

"Hello?" Eve peered around the door barely opening it in case some mad scientist had somehow managed to follow them. When seeing a young boy she opened it wider a bit of confusion playing across her eyes. "And who might you be?"

Had he said a name? Not remembering all of te student's names or the people who lived their names she scratched the back of her neck staring at the boy.

"Um, are you here for someone? One of the...what's their names...Covens?" She frowned at the name because it didn't sound quite right but if the kid knew one of them he'd correct her. If he didn't then he'd state his business and she could go get those yummy smelling cookies.

She gazed beyond the boy spotting a down trotted looking wolf and recognized him as Rae's pack member. The wolf perked his ears up at her and wagged his tail then nodded at the boy. Like she knew how to understand sign language from a wolf.

[aaron]

Star blinked and looked around, his eyes resting on Eve as she spoke to him. His hands curled up and his throat constricted, his nerve starting to fail him. His eyes unfocused, then focused again, as he stumbled with his words. "Star... Aaron, Staar. With two a's, but people call me Star... as a name... a nickname I mean, but with one A. Like a star... which is my name..." His croak became more high pitched and fast but, he continued.

"Um...... Is... K-kiri here?" Star shifted uncomfortably, unable to look Eve in the eye. His hands wrapped themselves around each other, and he felt as if his legs were about to cramp.

He sniffed the air for the first time, to smell the tantalizing smell of cookies.

Food!

He realized how hungry he was, but refused to move until he knew if Kiri was here or not.