Glencoe Park
Glencoe Park isn't the largest in the area, but it's still fairly sizable. The grass is in a perpetually well-trimmed state, shining a healthy green year round. Near the southern entrance to the park is a playground cluster filled with swings, a merry-go-round, seesaws, huge forts, and a jungle-gym. Not too far from the playground are fields for both rugby and softball, enclosed by wire fences so that children don't run haphazardly onto the fields. Further into the park is a walking path through a small forested area.
Perhaps it's wishful thinking on the matter, but Ivan can be found in the park once again. This time however, he is not blindly running around like a headless chicken, but rather, swooping about, much like a vulture might in search of his prey. For a man in Ivan's position has many resources to draw from. The three interns that work in the office were given a task, to test their 'resourcefulness and problem solving abilities'. They had to find a friend of Ivan's, who had agreed to hide, and then report back the information to Mister Fontane.
Well, one came through with intel that Rose might have been spotted in the area around the park. And so here the man is, bundled up, as the clock strikes midnight. Waiting for someone he doesn't even know might be around.
—
What a great use of tax dollars and free labor. One of them may have had intel but sadly they were mistaken. Rose has not been in any park since the last time she was in one with Ivan. Where she has been is a dark place; and one where she's already contemplated ending her own life. If only her captors would allow such a thing.
Tonight is different, however. Tonight she's finally been turned loose, to hunt on her own. It's a thought that the woman can't stand, really, but she's starving. How cruel her captors have been to do all the things to her that they have. She's dressed in an outfit that she'd normally never wear, and dental work has been done to give her fangs.
Even though she's convinced that she is a vampire, she really isn't. Her supposedly silent movements aren't quite as silent as she would like. Her night vision isn't nearly what it should be. All Rose can see is a lone soul in the park, and that person is her prey. Hidden in the shadows somewhere around Rose is one of her captors, a real vampire. Just in case she tries to run.
—
It's a fairly depressing picture, all in all. Ivan walking around an empty park, despair his only companion. In between squinting out into the darkness, the man becomes quite accustomed to dragging his phone out of his pockets and staring, emptily at the screen, just willing some positive message to pop up. But of course, it doesn't, and he's left to continue to search and sulk all by his lonesome. For the moment, he's oblivious to Rose's (and her captor's) presence.
—
His lack of knowledge of her presence only fuels her beliefs that she's actually a vampire. Rose continues to walk towards Ivan, her stomach actually rumbling as she does so. That might give her away before anything else. Apparently starving a mental patient is a good idea, or so some people believe.
The 'vampire' Rose exposes her fangs just enough to lick them. She still can recognize who this person is. Her hunger brings her right up to Ivan, from behind. Both hands reach out for him as she prepares to make her move. If he doesn't notice her, she'll jump on his back. If he does…
—
You would think, all things considering, that the man would be more careful in his search. You would think that he would be jumping at every sound the outdoors bring. But then, you would be wrong. Ivan does not fear the night, due to both his peculiar abilities and the fact that, in preparation of a long night of traveling, he has thrown on as much silver over his body that he could find. And so, Rose will be allowed to creep up to him, quite close by. She's even close enough to launch herself on his person, although he ends up turning to face the 'vampire' just intime for the collision.
Ivan lets at a cry of surprise as he is, literally, attacked by Rose. At first, recognition is far from striking as the momentum sends him off-balance and crashing down onto the floor, with the surprisingly slutty 'vampiress' atop him. "What the fuck, man!"
—
Luckily for the both of them, the mass amount of silver is not even noticed. Even though small, and without any super powers, Rose does have a good deal of strength. She apparently is able to make Ivan topple over much easier than even she planned. It's not the best angel, all things considered, but she makes the best with what she's got.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Of course she's talking about the word fuck. Vampire Rose runs her tongue along her teeth as she prepares to lean in and take what she requires. Only then, in the partial light of the night, does she even realize who she's sitting atop of. It makes her pause just long enough to keep her from acting in any way at all.
—
Ivan is confused. He is unsure of what exactly is happening, and though he could throw the woman off of himself, and though he lifts his arms in preparation for bucking her off, the action is not made. He has never before protested having a female ontop of him, and he would not like to hurt her, so why would he now? This is all some misunderstanding, probably, just some…
That voice. He recognizes that voice. His eyes widen as they struggle to look past the darkness, and once they fix upon her visage, Ivan's breathing is halted. Surprise and disbelief colors his features. "R-Rose? S'that…" After a moment, he lets out a bright laugh, launching his arms upwards with the intention of curling them around her slight form and pulling her in to a tight hug. "Well what did you know! That bastard was right - I'm going to have to give him a bonus. Jesus fucking Christ, Rose, where have you been! We've all been worried sick! What the fuck have you been doing?"
It's not the reaction Vampire Rose might have expected, but it's the one she'll be getting.
—
This is so very far from what she's expected. This was not supposed to happen, at all. His reaction makes the man shadowing her growl softly, but he waits to see how it all plays out.
Rose actually shrieks at the man she's sitting on top of. "No." It makes no sense to him, likely, but she doesn't exactly look happy to see him. In fact, she actually tries her best to get up off of him and flee. She unfortunately doesn't move fast enough before she's in his arms. It isn't something she'd normally complain about, but this is different.
"Please, no." Her voice is the same, yes, but it may sound just slightly off. Her teeth are throwing off everything. Surprise, Ivan! Rose actively tries to break the hold. "You can't be here."
—
It's certainly a night of surprises. When Rose squirms and fights to break free of Ivan's tight hold, he loosens his grip on her, relinquishing the woman in order to peer up to her from where he lies upon the frozen floor, his expression just a little hurt and a lot confused. Furrowing his brows, he removes his arms completely. "What d'you mean, no? Rose - it's me. Ivan. Ivan Fontane. I'm your friend - you…you like me." Clearly, he's under the impression that she's merely lost her memory. Hell, it happened to her once before. But during this process, he notices her abnormal outfit. "What're you wearing? What's going on Rose?"
—
"I know who you are!" This isn't a threat, or said in anger, but there is fear to her voice. It would only be worse if she knew that she was being followed. "Ivan, please, you have to go. I have to go." Were she even a bit more sane she'd get up and leave, right then and there. Yet his comments on outfit cause her to blush deeply and try to cover herself.
"He made me. It's what I'm supposed to wear." Now that it's been said, she tries to get up and walk away. Even as the attempt to leave is made, she can be heard crying. "You can't see me anymore. It's not safe."
Her reaction worries her tormentor. He creeps closer but remains back to see what happens.
—
Ivan blinks not once, but twice when all evidence points to Rose knowing exactly who he is and what is going on. He just can't seem to wrap his head around why she'd be fighting against him, especially since she had gotten so good with trusting him lately! "Then what's the problem? What's going on?" He repeats, a bit more forcefully. Her despair is noted, raising the man's suspicion in addition to his adrenaline.
Finally, she slips up, offering him something he can latch on to use. "He made you do what?" Ivan offers, hus breath rushed and dipped with concern. "Who's he? Rose, what the fuck's going on? Who's doing this, who kidnapped you?" His voice rises just slightly in reaction to his growing anger, his hatred for a world that seems to continually beat upon a broken girl. But then, she's on her feet and heading off. "What? What - no! Stop, Rose!" He wastes absolutely no time in jumping to his feet to follow after her with an arm outstretched. In fact, he's about to grab her arm and force her to face him when a foreign rustling makes its way to his ears. Suddenly put upon the defensive, he stops and whips his head around, staring into the darkness.
—
It's very likely a good thing that he doesn't get a hold of her so soon. The poor woman might have snapped. "You can't, you shouldn't know. You don't want to." Even though she's denying him answers, Rose continues to cry. This is completely not fair. His distraction would be a perfect time to slip away, yet Rose has to turn and look at the same time. She's supposed to be the only thing that goes bump in the night in this area right now. Ironically Rose moves to step between Ivan and the noise, protectively. Only then does she turn to face him and maybe then he'll be able to see her teeth. If he's looking, that is. "You should go."
—
Rose succeeds in distracting him, if only for the moment. Although, her suspicious behavior is very much noted. Ivan did not get to where he is today by being an oblivious moron, after all. The rustling is filed away conveniently in the back of his brain as he finds himself actually glaring at the figure of the girl he's tried so hard to protect all this time. "Obviously I want to know, or I wouldn't have asked. Rose!" He barks, faintly irritated as he takes a step forward. "I don't think you fucking understand what's happening here. I've been out looking for you for what - two days straight now. I haven't been sleeping straight. Just - just c'mon. We'll go - you don't even have to go back to the complex if you don't want. You can spend the night at my place, we'll figure everything out then." His hand is extended towards her, clearly expecting her to take it. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
—
Now that's just plain harsh. The strength that Rose is showing is not going to last long. Slowly she turns to face him, fully, her eyes wide and shinning with tears. "They took me, he took me. He did this." There is no mention of who it is, but honestly she couldn't answer that question if she wanted to. Rose has certainly looked better, health wise, even if her outfit is rather appealing. Finally she points out her fangs, trying to tell him without actually telling him.
The hand goes without hers, but at least she isn't walking away. "It doesn't make sense, but it could be because I'm crazy." No, Rose doesn't actually look like a vampire, aside from her 'fangs'. The movement happens again as the man prepares to take action. Very soon.
—
It was harsh. But it's prompted results, so Ivan can live with being 'mean' for now. With his jaw clenched, the look he throws Rose is stoic and rock solid, clearly intent on making up for all of her fear and hesitation by being the strength in the situation. The fact that she refuses to accept his hand is taken in silence and with very little hurt, but after a moment's wait, he decides to put aside and try, once more, to approach the dark-haired girl. "Rose…"
Needless to say, he freezes upon seeing the vampire fangs she has on display. Eyes widen in surprise, before that familiar litany of denial finds its way onto his lips. "What…no…no…" No, wait. Something is wrong. Doesn't the creation of a vampire require three days? With this in mind, he steels his expression for a more verbal and more impactful debunking of that rumor, only to trail off upon hearing that rustling once again.
Suddenly, it makes sense. She's being watched. Which means, now is the time to act. His eyes close, and to everyone looking in his direction, he seems to just offer a tired sigh. "Rose, come with me…it'll be alright, I promise." This is what he looks like he's saying. But in actuality, the man is staring in the direction of the ruffling suspiciously, stepping away from the image of his body and reaching for one of the silver chains around his neck to wind around his hands. He is preparing himself for what may come.
—
"Ivan, please. Don't make this harder." She's obviously struggling with this entire thing. Running into him is just the icing on the cake. She's about ready to offer to stake herself whenever Ivan makes his move. Great. More people messing with her mind. She does fall victim to the illusion, though. "It won't be alright. I'll end it, though. I can't live like this."
Poor Rose doesn't see what's happening, or going to happen. The vampire doesn't fully see what's going on, either. Feeling as if his victim is going to do something she shouldn't, he lunges from his hiding spot with a great speed. He's fixated on getting to Rose to move her that he doesn't stop to properly assess the situation.
—
There! If Ivan hadn't been prepared, if he hadn't expected something fantastical of this nature to occur, then he would have missed it. Then the vampire would have escaped, taking his charge with him, and once again, Ivan would have been helpless, Rose-less.
But he was prepared, and with an emphatic cry, he thrusts forward to reap the benefit of his carefulness. His arm is jerked straight forward in a punch, and it is during this moment that Ivan looks to deliver an uncharacteristically powerful blow to the vampire's face with his silver-clad fist. He's hoping that the element of surprise will make up for his lack of brawl-experience, and will look to, if possible, proceed to press the silver up against every inch of skin he can reach. In the process, the illusion is shattered, revealing to Rose everything that just so happens to be occurring and exactly why Ivan is ignoring her.
—
How rude! She's just admitted that she'll kill undead self and now he's not even talking to her! Rose stares at Ivan, wondering why she isn't just walking away.
Her little vampire buddy knows why. He's not expected something like this to happen. The blow strikes true, sending the vampire reeling back. The use of silver only adds to his misfortune. He's taken so aback that he stands there for a moment, glaring at Ivan, wondering what exactly he should do. He had been told that she seemed to know about his kind but he didn't realize that she had friends. There's only so much he's willing to put on the line for this scam.
In the meantime Rose finally turns to see what is going on and shrieks. This man is not one that she's seen before. What a strong vampire she's turned out to be. She just stands there, mouth wide open.
—
From this day onwards, Ivan will carry with him, at all times, a weapon. He will keep a silver-coated dagger, or silver bullets, or silver anything really. But for now, he must make do with what he has - which is nothing more then jewelry. Breathing hard and thinking even harder, a new illusion is cast. Though he knows it wont afford him the same sort of advantage as before, he figures it'll still give him an added advantage as he unwinds the necklace from his hand. Rose and the vampire will see Ivan crouched down, recovering from the blow, and invisible to the naked eye, a strand of silver chain will be sent flying towards the vampires face even as Ivan runs forward to follow it up.
"Rose! Rose! Get me - I need a branch, Rose, please!"
—
His face is burning, literally on fire, so he knows that an exit is in order. He can't just run away so soon, however. He must recover the girl. With a deep growl the vampire springs into action, moving quickly to gather his prize and run away.
Rose shrieks again as she watches all of this unfold. Ivan goes down and she's about to be attacked by yet another vampire. Tears begin to roll but all she can do is hear him call out for help. No matter what her new life is calling for, or how hungry she is, Rose does as he asks. She runs off, only to return with a nice sized branch. She really is strong for a mental patient.
The vampire, as she is doing this, is surprised to find his face struck yet again by silver. The burning is killing him, almost literally, but it only stops him for a moment. Before long he's back on the move, only not after Ivan. It is tempting to rip his throat out but his eyes are on Rose, and on a speedy escape.
—
Ivan is not used to having to use his particular ability so often, so quickly. If it weren't for the adrenaline rushing through his body, no doubt he'd feel much more fatigued then he is letting on. But he cannot stop, he cannot wait. Upon seeing the vampires intentions, the man proceeds to close his eyes once again, manipulating the images, the way the entire world looks to anyone in a nearby vicinity. Except this time, Ivan himself is not the subject of the fake image - Rose is. "SWING, ROSE. YOU CAN DO THIS."
While Ivan is running after the vampire in a much slower pace, the vampire will see Rose run to the side, farther, with express fear in her eyes, looking all sorts of impressionable and kidnapable. But then, the image will wield the branch like a bat, and soon enough find herself ready to fight off the vampire. Anything to draw the vamp away from where the girl actually is.
—
If she ever returns to her semi normal and only partially sane self, she'll also make a note to carry around the much needed weapons that could end this fight now. Rose finally sees that she just will never be at peace unless she makes it herself. Then again, she's still tempted to watch the sun rise and end her own life. Funny how life works.
What happens next makes absolutely no sense to her. She does realize that this evil vampire is out to get her, yet he's running in the wrong direction. Rose watches with wide eyes as he faces off with nothing. The vampire, for his own part, avoids the wood that is thrust at him over and over. He does begin to close in on the image, knowing he's much stronger than she is.
Well, darn. She can't just sit back and be a victim. She runs after Ivan who is running after the vampire, the branch still in her hands. She's not certain what she'll do with it but it is there.
—
Now, there are two avenues Ivan could take. He could grab Rose and attempt to run off, keeping the image up in an attempt to distract the undead figure, and risk being hunted down and caught anyway, or he could end it. Right now, right here.
The choice, made in one split second, is fairly easy for the man. He doesn't waste time masking the real Rose, or warning her away. Why? Because he's much too busy literally ripping his second and last silver necklace off of his neck. Well, there goes his nice jewelry. It is held with one end in both hands, and the man launches himself forward, this time intent on capturing the creature of the night or failing altogether. Apparently looking to use the creature's distraction with the wildly swinging fake-Rose to his advantage, Ivan throws his arms over the side of the vampire's head, using the silver chain as a sort of rope that burns and binds against the vampires neck. It will be impossible for the undead to escape.
—
Finally he's able to position himself in a way that he can overpower the much smaller woman. As soon as he's there, however, it becomes apparent to him that this isn't what it looks like. He growls loudly and prepares to rip out Ivan's throat. It's only fair, especially since the girl seems to be worth more than his life. It's all about the message. Before he's there, however, he's caught in a burning trap of silver. This doesn't stop him from flailing and attempting to use his pure strength to make Ivan just disappear.
Rose, for her part, has finally stopped crying. For now. With the branch in hand she continues moving towards the pair. If anything happens to Ivan she won't be able to forgive herself. She's careful, since she doesn't want to hit Ivan, and moves in front of the vampire. The wood is struck against his chest as many times as she's able to accomplish. If only it were sharper; she'd stab him without fail.
Soon the vampire falls to his knees. He's still struggling but his energy is fading. Rose, caught up in anger, decides to aim her branch directly at his face. Apparently she isn't the twin to mess with.
—
The more the vampire struggles, the tighter Ivan pulls, burning the silver deeper and deeper into the vampires dead, cold, skin, completely ignoring the erratic way his heart is beating, the express fear he can practically taste in the back of his throat. But then, Rose is here. And she hit whacking and hitting the creature with all of her might. And he narrows his eyes, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "Break off the end of it!" He gruffs out to her, voice thick with all his exertion. "Break off the end, and then stab him! C'mon Rose, c'mon…"
—
What does he think she is? Some sort of strong man? Rose huffs at the command as she feels that she can't exactly do it correctly. The branch is held down and she tramps down on it with all of her might. The wood goes splintering but she's left with a decent size stick in her hands. This stick is now sharper than the branch had been. Rose is such a peaceful person these days that even in this she has doubts.
The vampire, now free from the abuse to his front, attempts to stand. If he can get Ivan in a certain position he will be able to at least inflict some damage on him. He's not allowed to harm the girl. His eyes are alight with rage and a desire for blood.
Rose, catching sight of this suddenly realizes how unsafe for Ivan this is. What if he were to rip out his throat? A glimpse of a flashback hits her hard, nearly bowling her over. Yet it's just enough to cause her to lunge forward with her makeshift stake and burry it into the vampire's chest.
—
And, just like that, it's over. And it's a good thing, too. Although the silver had been weakening his adversary, it's too much to ask for Ivan to continue to overpower a vampire. He waits, silver still held against that burnt neck, until he is absolutely certain that the vampire's unlife has been taken from him. And then? Why, Ivan can only slump, a mixture of exhaustion and panic as the body of the creature decays into black ash and goop. Cue the scuffling away from that incriminating pile.
"I…I…holy fuck," He cries out, wide eyes flying upwards to meet with Rose. A couple of seconds later, Ivan is moving again. He needs to get out - they need to get out. Now. "Rose - Rose, c'mon, we've got to go, now. Come…let's go?"
—
It's a lot to ask of him, of either of them. The vampire does go down, but instead of falling back stands there and watches. Rose is breathing hard, nearly panting as she watches, yet her eyes are fixed on the dying vampire. That could be her. It should be her. It looks painful, but it's something that she's willing to do.
Finally she looks down at her feet where another piece of wood rests. The tears resurface as the immediate danger is over. "Go. This will happen again. You'll get hurt." Undead or not, she still cares for the man. "Tell Hope I'm dead. She can't know."
—
"What?" Ivan looks clinically surprised, and with wide eyes, he heads towards her, scrambling to his feet and holding his arms out. "Are you - are you fucking serious? Rose! Stop it! There's no one else here - it's just me. I just - I just fought a fucking vampire for you, what the fuck! You're coming with me, damn it! I'm here to protect you Rose, please…"
—
There's that moment where she looks as if she's going to bolt, no questions asked. Rose looks at Ivan, into his eyes, and she practically melts. "I'll turn on you," she argues. Her stomach growls loudly to accent her point. "And Hope would try to kill me anyway." The woman lowers her head, then. She's not run off but she's making excuses. "There were more of them. What if they try again?" If anything, she feels she's a liability. "You mean too much to me. I don't want to hurt you."
—
"I have protection. I'm a strong person - just…Rose. Come here. You're…you're not a vampire - you can't be. They need like…time and…you didn't burn when you touched me and I'm all decked in silver…" Ivan is casting through his brain, his poor, adrenaline ridden, hopped up brain. At this point, the point during which he's become exhausted, his consideration for her emotions and her mental state is slipping away. He just wants to get home and he knows that he's not leaving this park without her. The silver, tainted as it is, is left on the floor, and he marches forward, with every intention of merely grabbing her hand and literally dragging her away, if need be. "I'll prove…we'll figure it out. Let's just go."
—
What he says makes sense, it really does. She's been questioning things this whole time. Yet he's no battle for the vampire blood that she was forced to ingest. It literally has taken her already unstable mind and cracked it. She continues to look down as she reaches for her own bicep, a nervous stance that she's used often as of late. That hand soon shifts to her head as the thought process is just painful. She's about to continue her protests but all she can muster is a pathetic noise as he begins to drag her off. Yoink!
She walks with him, since he's so determined. The thought of a good meal and solid night's sleep without the use of sedation are there, but she can't understand what her body is asking for. "My hero," she comments softly, just loud enough for him to hear. "Just don't let Hope know. She'll stake me." Seems like it's going to take a little bit more convincing, but at least she's not fighting him.
—
Distantly, Ivan recalls a promise he had made to a certain twin. A promise to call her the moment he found her counterpart…and then he remembers the hate in her eyes, and just how tired he is presently, and how messed up said counterpart happens to be, mentally. And he lets out a low, weary sigh. "She wont know," he intones. Not until he dips into his reservoir of strength and rebuilds the mess those rogue bastards have made, bit by bit. Not until he manages to at least reconstruct a semblance of the world he had lived in earlier. For now, his hand slides down her arm to settle in her hand and lead her off to her house.
