History

De Soto Pharmacy


Large windows on the front and sides of the building allow outside light to shine upon the grey walls with a festive green horizontal stripe. Two cashier centers have been set up on either side of the entrance, though generally only one is occupied at any given time. Neatly lined rows of shelves comprise the majority of the pharmacy, carrying a vast assortment of over-the-counter medication, herbal remedies, bandaging, greeting cards, junk food; pretty much everything one could expect to find on a pharmacy shelf.

At the very back of the De Soto Pharmacy, is the actual pharmaceutical department. A pharmacist is on duty here twenty-four hours a day, filling out prescriptions.


The temperature of the day was quite normal for Dallas. The oddity of it was the humidity. Now, edging up on midnight, fog rolls through the city and the distinct sounds of thunder can be heard in the clouds which converge overhead. There's yet to be rain. The air conditioning inside the pharmacy offers a bit of reprieve from the heat. Still the power flickers every so often. Once or twice an hour. Just to make it seem downright eerie.

Alexa is behind the counter as always this late at night. Her company tonight is a book on herbalism that she seems to be idly perusing while listening to the radio in between power flickerings.

~*~

Weather is largely immaterial to the youthful-looking man that steps quietly along the sidewalk, his head held slightly upwards, chin jutting slightly to prove a challenge to any that might dare the foolishness of attempting an assault. Dressed in customary dark tee and jeans, the vampire opens the door to the pharmacy with easy grace. Face expressionless, he steps inside, making only the briefest pretence of sweeping his glance across the shelves. Spotting potential listeners, is all. In one hand is an A4, brown envelope, thick with papery contents.

~*~

Air conditioned or not, considering the hour the pharmacy is mostly empty. One other employee up at the front checkout. Alexa hears someone enter. It's the only thing that causes her to glance up from the book. The lights flicker briefly and she mutters, "I swear to all that is holy that if that is you, poltergeist, you need to stop it. That's starting to get on my nerves." While she talks, her eyes land on Will. She blanches a little and ducks down behind the counter.

~*~

A brow lifts, slowly, as Will simply stands for the moment. "Are you unwell?" he queries, mildly. "I have the information I promised on your past." His tone is easy, relaxed, even gentle. Otherwise motionless; unfortunately unaware that it is not necessarily unthreatening to be so.

~*~

"I'm…" Gulping, Alexa curls up against herself. Trying to make the poltergeist stay away. "I'm fine. You all need to stop though. Your f-friend… he told me what you did." There is a distinct noise of her rustling in a bag for something. Trying to locate an item. "How… how you that girl like me died… right after he met her."

~*~

A gentle 'hmm' sound comes from Will's suddenly-pursed lips. "I understand. I assume you met a gentleman of roughly six feet of height, human, blue eyed, brown of hair, and somewhat excitable regarding the events of which you speak?" he queries, with a gentler tone to his voice. "The man in question is now more comfortable with himself. The girl in question was a terrible person, who met her end at the hands of rightful authority." The wrong side of the truth line. "I can explain further if you wish; you are in no danger from me or anyone else that I am aware of." Since Isobel has been told to stay out for the moment.

~*~

"Y-yes. Your associate." Pulse racing, blood pumping at an exorbitant speed through her body, Alexa finally grabs hold of the thing she was looking for. "S-stay where you are and ex-explain!" Peeking up over the edge of the counter is a small container of pepper spray.

From the front, there's a call of, "Yo! 'Lex! You good back there?"

It receives a reply of, "Y-yeah. Fine, just dropped something."

~*~

"The gentleman in question is no associate, merely a man who happened to be present at the time," says Will, easily, showing only a faint amusement at the brutal weapon point in his direction. "I was being held as an illegal prisoner of the organisation that caused the damage to the Mayor's rally I am certain you will recall reading reports of? That organisation was taken down and myself rescued by rightful authority; it happens that my immediate captor bore some passing resemblance to yourself. That is all."

~*~

"I don't believe you, that would have been in the news." Alexa sets her finger to the top of the pepper spray, preparing to spritz him with it. "You're lying. Trying to lull me into a sense of security so I believe you, and then you'll strike. Why else would you be so interested in helping me, or finding out about my past. I fit your modus operandi…"

~*~

The vampire's head tilts. "Do you truly believe that everything that occurs in this land goes reported in the news?" he asks, levelly. "You do recall the Mayor's rally? Have you heard from that organisation since? I am bound by oath not to speak of it much more. What exact modus operandi do you mean, Alexa?"

~*~

The finger presses down on the top of the bottle. Not hard enough to spray the liquid inside. Just enough to offer a threat. "The one where you track down young women that look like me and do away with them. You, the other vampire, that man who accosted me… you all know of a woman who looks like me who is dead, yet none of you will tell me who this woman was." Her voice is shaky, her pulse still swift. She seems to be quite terrified.

~*~

Though the pulsing heartbeat is somewhat distracting, Will does not move, keeping his lips close together to try and avoid a visual incident if his fangs do pop. "If you read this information I have, I will point to the ultimate ancestor of whom you are the perfect image. There is another, the one that everyone refers to, that was killed during the raid to end the organisation which I mentioned. She did look like yourself, but not to an incredible degree." Almost a lie. Will could tell the difference.

~*~

Poor Alexa. Trying to be brave, she barks out nervously, "Just toss the envelope over the counter." Her finger wavers a little, depressing the top of the spray. It is a pitiful spray that shoots out across the counter and won't do a lick of good. Except for the concentrated smell of the pepper. The lights flicker again. This time the dimming lights are accompanied by a pill bottle flying off the shelf and crashing to the floor behind the vampire.

~*~

Will does not have the decency to flinch as the spray comes his way, letting it strike his face without movement. There does not appear to be a particular reaction; instead his head whips sideways as the pill bottle flies across. Eyes flick over it, then he artfully ignores it, filing away the information for future reference. Unusual kinetic activity. He does toss the envelope over the counter with depressingly inhuman deftness. "The name you are seeking is the sister of your ultimate grandmother; Ysolde."

~*~

Falling on her head, Alexa drops the pepper spray in favor of opening the envelope. The strong aroma from the spray lingers, making her eyes water a little. Drawing out the papers she looks them over, seeking out the name he's offered her. "No one can look exactly like another, with the exception of identical twins. It's a genetic anomaly." Slowly she rises up and sets the papers to the side of the dampness on the counter. "Do you have a… a portrait… an oil painting?"

~*~

"There is such, but it is not here," Will replies, easily. "If you would care to see it, I am able to show you. I will not allow photography or video of it due to its age." For a moment, he watches her, nostrils flaring slightly against the stench of the pepper spray. "I can assure you that this is as anomalous to me as to you; a freak of genetics."

~*~

"This is true? It's verifiable?" Alexa catches the nostril flare just as she glances at the papers once more. Reaching beneath the counter she grabs a roll of paper towel and begins to wipe up the mess. "I… w-would like to see it, though you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little disinclined to go somewhere alone with you." Until she can verify he's not a serial rapist, or a killer of some sort.

~*~

"It proves somewhat of a quandry," says Will, letting a faint wry humour enter his tone now. "I can offer only my word that you will not come to harm whilst visiting it. It is held within a specialist contractor's climate-controlled vault. Is there an assurance I may offer to hold your fears at bay?"

~*~

Assurance would not have been necessary had someone not scared her half to death. Alexa mulls over it. Slowly there comes a nod. "Y-yes. Allow me to bring a friend with me." She'll have to consider who to bring as she really doesn't have many friends thanks to her poltergeist. "Safety in numbers and all," she offers with a faintly forced smile.

~*~

Lips purse once more. "I will allow this if you will ensure that the details of your friend are delivered to my assistant prior to the engagement," Will allows, pleasantly. "I may need to meet them first; I am taking you to a private collection of works, after all."

~*~

Murderers don't typically have assistants do they? Alexa idly starts to twist her hair around her fingers. A nervous habit. "I would need a way to contact your assistant first." She will also need to find a "friend" to bring with her. "Though what details would be necessary?"

~*~

A sliver of white card appears in Will's hand, offered forwards at arm's length. "The details for my assistant are on here. General personal details; name, place of work, etcetera. The contractor does not allow anyone in to the collection without prior knowledge in case of vandalism. I have sufficient of your details already."

~*~

The offered card is allowed to linger there while Alexa looks torn between taking it and letting it drop to the counter. When she does grab for it, her fingers brush against that of the man. "Skylar Murphy," she blurts giving the first name that pops into her mind. "He's a smith. I think he has his own shop."

~*~

At the touch of the finger, Will's eyes flash up briefly into his head. Entirely involuntary, and only for a fraction of a second, but then they are back and level on Alexa. "Young Skylar currently has one of my pieces for repair; it will prove a doubly useful meeting. To both see the portrait and return my piece to me."

~*~

"H-he's not one of your… associates… is he?" Alexa flips the card over to see if there is anything printed on the back. Verifying that there isn't, she slips the card into the lab coat. "I will provide what particulars I know to your assistant. To Erica."

~*~

"I have met Skylar once," Will tells her, "when I arranged to have him repair something for me." He does allow a slow nod. "If you would be so kind, I will give her warning to expect your call. I shall not place further restraints upon your time for now?" After all, he really should let her compose herself properly.

~*~

That the potential creepy stalker serial killer has only met her "friend" once seems to put her a little at ease. There is no large conspiracy to get to her so far as she can tell. "Alrig…" The words cut off as the power shuts down completely. Behind the counter Alexa crashes her knee against something. Crying out she drops to the floor. "Ow. Alright."

~*~

Nostrils scent now at the blood starting to trickle from Alexa's knee. The faint sound of fangs slipping out is loud to Will's ears, though he maintains a rigid control over his movements; i.e. none. "Are you alright?" he asks, gently. "I am more able to see in the darkness than you, so I can assist if required."

~*~

Bleeding. She's bleeding. There is a vampire right there. Immediately Alexa begins grabbing at the shelf beneath the counter. Trying to find the first aid kit. "I'll be fine. It's just a… a cut." She flips the latches open on the kit and draws out gauze. It's not pretty but she wraps her knee up as best she can to staunch the flow. "I'm sorry."

~*~

"Very well," Will replies, his voice altered by the fangs glistening in the darkness. "I will leave you to your business." He turns, taking quiet, measured steps away from the girl, away from the pharmacy. "Good evening."

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