Ridgefield Planetarium (clutch only) Afteraftermath

set after this thread

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Raziyya had brought them to the planetarium. Beauregard had put out a polite request for anyone interested in, oh. Medic practice. That was what led to the unexpected inclusion of Ceri in this process, a surprise, but not an unhappy one.

In the side medic room was Tikanni, awaiting a fate of stitches without any numbing. The idea alone made Beauregard feel ill.

"I can keep you from bloodlusting, but there is the option of making this entirely painless," he said, leaning against the doorway to the room and feeling quite elderly as he spoke to the other vampire. Waiting for Ceri's arrival. "I leave it up to your preference. I have taken the latter before."

He still had the first aid kit he'd borrowed (stolen) from the planetarium although he had restocked it with better supplies The knowledge he had of medicine was not recent, he had first learned during the great war, but they were asking for stitching not cold medicine so he thought he would be able to do that much at the very least. His skill with a needle was only subpar to Arabella's.

Through out the trip to the planetarium his phone had been vibrating non stop and only as he entered the clutch space did he glance at the mirage of messages and updates from the college. So it was with a rather concerned twist of brows that he approached the back of the Dominus.

Raziyya was super kind to bring them back and he’d given his thanks before eventually making it in the medic room that was entirely new to him. He’d never really needed to be stitched up before here. It was clean and sterile in a way that had his nose itching, but the vampire meant to help wasn’t here yet.

Beauregard offered two solutions to turn to as Tikanni carefully sat down, burning shooting pain still there if jarred a certain way, but for the most part a dull thrumming of heat. He could be helped to not bloodlust or… or deadsleep.

Probably with too wide eyes, his answer was quick as the fear flickered to life. ”I’d like to be awake.” But, maybe that was asking too much? ”If that’s okay,” he added, unsure even though it had been offered.

It was a choice Beauregard would never understand. Having the edges of wounds pierced repeatedly with a needle sounded like a level of hell. But he wasn't here to override Tikanni's choices.

"That will be just fine," he said. "I'll be, ah. Out here."

And now a smile, faint and sheepish, appeared across a face looking unusually aged for the healing efforts.

"I think we both know I'm a bit squeamish."

He turned to find his timing especially good as Ceri appeared.

"You're right on time," he said, stepping out of the way to wave the other vampire in. Beauregard would find a chair to drag outside the room and make himself a statue upon.

The voice coming out of the room did not immediately identify who the injured party was but they were clearly in the middle of a conversation with Beauregard, so Ceri would pause to wait. Although it wasn't long before the Dominus was turning to step out. He considered asking the man about what had happened at the college. The messages he were getting weren't entirely clear. Yet he could smell a good deal of old blood coming from inside the room. Best to ask at a later time. So giving a nod in greeting he'd step into the room.

The vampire inside was not one he knew, although he wasn't sure he would have been able to identify much considering the wounds that litter the others face and body. Gruesome. It brought back memories of the battlefield and caused a shudder to run up his spine. He only faltered for a moment before going about grabbing a few more things he needed like a wash cloth and a basin of water to clear the blood out of the way.

"There is nothing I can do for the pain, so you will need to tell me if you need a break."

Grateful that he would be allowed to not be deadslept, he nodded and then met Beauregard’s smile with his own small one. ”No problem.” There’d be no hard feelings if the dominus didn’t want to watch stitching.

The vampire behind Beauregard was suddenly able to be seen and he blinked at Ceri, some anxiousness starting to bubble up in his stomach. As his healer for the evening stepped more so in the room, he lifted some fingers in a wave as the pause was felt, but then it seemed the vampire was off to start getting things ready.

Nothing for the pain, he grimaced. ”Yeah, I figured. I’ll let you know.” And even though he’d already bloodlusted earlier tonight, that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen again. It was a skulking creature in the back of his head that Tikanni was going to have to keep attention on just in case.

With everything set up on a trolley he'd pull it over to rest beside the vampire whose name he couldn't place. Dipping the cloth in the water he'd wring it out before wiping off one of the wounds. Next came the medical string and the sanitized needle.

"Ready?"

The experience was not going to be pleasant. Beauregard was just outside so he could only hope there would be no trouble in case of a bloodlust.

Ah, so, they were doing this! Tikanni tried to pull the tattered shirt off as best he could, flinching along the process, but eventually it miraculously fell away just as the rolling cart came over.

Water stung and he flinched from where he sat, offering an apologetic grimacing smile. Then there was a needle and his gaze slid over to it and then back to Ceri. Okay. Okay! He took an inhale and steeled himself, looking away. ”Yeah. Jab me.”

Perhaps he should have asked for psychic blood. It had seemed to work well with Xena. That was if there was even any available at the moment. Perhaps it would be an option if they had to take a break. For now though he was given the go ahead and promptly stabbed the needle in and began stitching. He was a relatively fast sewer in general, not of course at Arabella's level, and with a curved needle that went through flesh easy enough the smaller wounds would be only take several minutes. It was the longer more vicious ones he was worried about. Especially the cheek and those close to bones and nerves.

"You've been with Eventide a long time? I remember you from when I first joined."

There was some hope that conversation would distract from the pain. The man wasn't a new vampire, in fact Ceri was positive it was one of the older ones from before he'd joined. He just couldn't place a name.

When he’d said that, Tikanni hadn’t exactly expected immediately, but yep, there they go! He grimaced, tried not to think of the string sliding through as it tugged.

Conversation was welcomed and he jumped at it eagerly. ”Yeah, s’pose it's been four years?” A finger lifted and then another and another until the right amount of years as he recounted. ”Yeah, four. ”

His fingers were speckled with dark blood as he continued the work.

"Thats a long time. You must be settled then, what sort of job do you do?"

He wouldn't say he was the best at small talk. Whatever got them through this though.

It was, and thinking back, Tikanni was surprised that four years had already shaked hands and he was moving onto the next. Joining a clutch hadn’t exactly been something he’d expected to ever do, but now that he was here, Tikanni really couldn’t see himself elsewhere.

”I work at an animal rehabilitation center in Hawknell. It keeps me busy.” Which… there was the issue of trying to go to work like this. ”You?”

Animal rehabilitation center in Hawknell. It rang a bell of sorts, he had likely heard of it in passing before. Was it the one that often helped with the fairs? The society of something or another.

"I recently started a job at the college here as a guest lecture of music. "

He was considering if the man's current wounds had anything to do with the college considering all the notifications he had been getting from his work.

A college lecturer for music. It was a unique job and he caught himself looking towards him. ”What do you play,” Tikanni asked one of the many questions popping up.

And oh… that was the… y’know, he was going to continue looking away as he fought the need to pull his body away from the insistent tugging and pricking.

He'd finished with one of the wounds and there was a second or two before he started on the next.

"I play the violin, cello, and piano. I used to be a composer."

He could pick up an instrument and know the general ways on how it is played. There had in fact been other instruments he had tired to learn before but he'd always found himself drawn back into the comfort of the three he knew well. His parents had always wanted him to explore music, or at least it had been his mothers pushing that had gotten him into the art. If he hadn't gone to war he supposed he probably would have also become a composer, hopefully a well known one, and then died like all the other humans.

The small reprieve was nice, but then it started again.

Violin and cello were related from his understanding so it made sense. Piano as well! A trio of instruments that Tikanni could easily see Ceri sitting down with now that it had been pointed out. Being a composer though had him blink up at him with surprise.

”Would I know any of your stuff?”

Things were going relatively well, it seemed conversation was doing something to keep the other collected. He supposed Beauregard was suffering through their talk in silence unless the man had moved further away from the door.

"It's possible. I worked on a number of movies and video games."

That had been more recent when he had lived in New York. But he rather doubted some of his early works had survived the wars.

He was indeed listening in, albeit distantly. Healing was a distinctly exhausting effort, and if a vampire could truly doze, he'd be nodding off.

Instead, as his elbow throbbed, he closed his eyes and rest the back of his head against the wall.

Overdue, at least, for the two to have some greater conversation. There were simply too many vampires who didn't know one another in this clutch.

Movies AND VIDEO GAMES?!

”Wait, seriously?!” He moved with this, the thread pulling sharply and him having to move back with an exhale. Oops! That hurt!

”That’s really super duper amazingly cool.”

He jerked a bit as the man came forward, trying to avoid stabbing the needled where it didn't belong. Clearly the other felt the pain as he felt back into place and Ceri gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat. He was fairly certain the pain was enough for a reprimand for moving and therefore didn't say anything about it himself.

"It was fairly interesting work. I think I might even have some of the games still."

Collecting dust in a box somewhere. He may have composed music for them but he was not much a player himself.

He bet it had been! Tikanni would be down to hear all about it sometime, no doubt.

”Oh man, I’d love to play them sometime.”

It seemed he had another person to invite over. Xena had yet to drop by, however given her current situation he wasn't to upset at the matter.

"My house is always open if you wish to drop by."

He didn't particularly need to set any appointment, as he was rather fine with any of them calling at his house during the night. Though he supposed there would be a problem if neither Arabella or him was there to invite them in.

That garnered the biggest puppy dog eyes one could have with a human face. It was entirely unexpected, but sweet nonetheless. ”Really?” Seriously? ”That’d be SO crazy-tastic.”

His brows twitched just the slightest, inching towards a confused furrow as he tired to process what on earth the other had said. Crazy-tastic? Certainly he was not update with any slang of any kind but this word really felt odd. The meaning of which was entirely lost on him. All he could suppose given the eyes was that it had been a compliment of some kind.

"I am quite amenable to guests, anyone from the clutch is welcome to stop by at anytime."

Amenable. Tikanni bet he was a great host, there was nothing to suggest otherwise so far. He was even stitching him up.

”Where d’ya live? Here?”

He was getting close to the last of the wounds that needed stitching. So far the other had been a perfect patient. No bloodlusting.

" Yes I live on Rockwood Drive, its near the college."

He wondered if the other vampires all lived within Alder heights. It seemed the most sensible thing to do.

"It's the little cottage if you've ever driven by."

Small by Ceri's standards at least, though the house was a bit bigger then some of the others on the same street. The addition of all the land as well for his gardens.

Tikanni’s gaze went off to the side in thought, tracing a map that could only be seen in his mind’s eye. Rockwood Drive, alright. He nodded as it clicked, a house coming up in memory.

Gaze back to Ceri, he smiled with an ‘aha’, hand snapping along with it. Which, ouch! He flinched, but preservered. ”Yeah, I know the place. I’ll definitely stop by next time I’m around there.”

He was brought up short yet again for a moment as the other moved. He supposed that was to be expected. Thought it did make him wishful for a numbing drug at the very least. But they would be done in a minute or two.

"I look forward to it."

Was his gentle smile to the admission.

"It might sound a bit presumptuous but my garden is rather splendid in the morning light, if you enjoy those times as an animal of course."

Why would it be presumptuous? Not understanding, Tikanni nodded, latching onto the animal comment instead.

”You kiddin’? Being a dog is real fun anytime.”

Ah it seemed that this vampire also had a dog form. There was something to be said about experincing a four legged point of view. But Ceri was neither fond nor disliked his canine appearnce.

"I have had occasionally experience some fun in the form."

He said in tame agreement.

“Occasionally.”

”Bro, c’mon! You can have the bestest of times in it. I even went to a club.”

And partied and met a friend and generally it’d be a great time.

He finished up the last stitch and snipped the thread, grabbing for a clean cloth to do another wipe down before the gaze.

There were a few questions he had to admittance of going to a club as a dog. The most pressing concerned how an animal was let into the building in the first place. He was fairly sure that dogs were not generally allowed into such places.

"Perhaps you can show me how fun it is another time?"

There was a snip and then a sweeping of cloth before padding was put down. Tikanni watched what he could, thankful the worst part was over.

”Yeah, man. I would be stoked to do that.”

It seemed they would have a get together in the future as dogs then. For now he offered advice on not getting the stitches wet and the basic care that would be needed. Though he really was not sure any of it was needed. Could vampires get infections? While talking he cleaned up the tools he'd used as well as his own hands which had become smeared with black blood. One more vampire with stitches. He hoped this wasn't going to become a trend.