Gothic Horror RP - (Currently not accepting)

[Iron Vadim]

Sweeney Todd gave a cynical, humourless smile "If heaven is something we make on Earth, as the cliché goes, then yes, it's a tender subject." As he lost the two angels in his life, Lucy and Johanna; but at least one of them was alive and hopefully well, even if he hadn't seen her (at least, to his knowledge) and never would. But no one had to know about that, so he didn't say anything further. Everyone had their problems, after all, so they should stick to their own...

Victor looked curiously at Mr. Todd, wondering what he could mean with his cryptic phrase, and what that hurt look meant, but it was now replaced by a slightly irrated emotion. It didn't seem like the man was willing to divulge anything further though. He looked back to Dr. Jekyll, listening to what he had to say to the young doctor. He smiled and nodded at his suggestion. "I would like that, doctor." Victor said, sounding genuinely eager. It was almost as if he had read his mind, as the young man would prefer to find out more on other subjects, than to return to his own work, which he feared so. He finished his tea, then stood to follow Dr. Jekyll.

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Jekyll gave a polite nod to the other guests and stood, leading Victor out into the passage way. As they made their way to the ballroom, he looked sideways at the doctor, and smiled peacefully at him.

"What have you been up to, Doctor Frankenstein?" he wondered out loud, but it was clear from his tone that he was not seeking an answer from the young doctor. "Do you know why I asked you to come? I suppose not; you see, a friend of a friend of a friend of mine - it sounds suspicious already, doesn't it? - once mentioned to this friend, a good Doctor Lanyon, that he knew of you. Word travelled on to me about a brilliant student of biological science with an interest in what constitutes the soul and the spark of life, and when it came to choosing guests, I remembered that name." He stopped in the passage, and grinned mischievously at Victor. "And between you and me, Doctor, I am as much using this convention as a test for the reception of my own theories as I am using it to allow others the same privilege. But that's our little secret, Doctor." And he tapped the side of his nose with a finger to emphasise the point, still grinning wickedly.

[Iron Vadim]

Victor nodded to Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett, bidding them good day before leaving after Dr. Jekyll. He walked alongside him through the hallways, making sure to stay close so he wouldn't get lost. The place was so dark after all. He felt a tinge of fright when Dr. Jekyll suddenly asked him what he had been doing. His mind was racing to come up with either some excuse or half-truth, or just say nothing at all, when the elder doctor already continued on, explaining why he had been invited to the science convention.

He just refrained himself from heaving a sigh in relief. He had kept thinking that it was a mistake to come, that it would inevitably lead to the world scorning him for the terrible sin he had committed, and that if someone knew of his research, they might repeat his mistake. But now he found that he was curious again for knowledge, to know what theories and findings others had found; and Dr. Jekyll's mysterious comment only raised his curiosity further.

He smiled and nodded "I understand, doctor. Unconventional science may lead to new, wonderful discoveries, but it's also a dangerous path to thread... Not everyone is so eager to let go of the old and embrace the new." Victor gave a soft sigh and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand "If I told anyone about my research, they'd think me mad. I'm just wondering how far your definition of unconventional goes, doctor. But if anything, I'd be happy to find out more of your work. It seems so interesting and ... such a noble purpose you're striving for."

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"Please, call me Henry, Doctor Frankenstein," Jekyll nodded to him, walking on until they reached a huge set of double doors. "As for a noble purpose... let me put it this way, Doctor: think of arsenic."

He pushed open the doors with a deafening creak, and walked into the ballroom. It was huge and ancient, the floor tiled with black and white marble. A small wooden stage had been set up in the middle, and it was this that they now approached, Jekyll's cane clicking on the tiles with every third step he took.

"What you have with arsenic is an incredibly strong material. Consider its uses - in the right amount, it can be used as a medicine, to treat many harmful diseases such as syphilis and sleeping sickness. It can be used to pyrotechnic displays and even as colour pigment. Incredibly useful, I'm sure you'll agree, but take a little too much..."

Jekyll climbed some low stairs at the side of the stage, approaching a large chest which sat beside two tables near the back of the platform. "...and the effects are devastating. HJ7--my chemical formula--is an incredibly strong material. I have experienced its effects first-hand. Its symptoms are deadly. But I remain convinced, Doctor, that I just used the wrong amounts. If I could just... find a way to level them out, somehow, to cure its symptoms... salvation would be within our grasp."

[Iron Vadim]

"Then you should call me Victor, sir.. er, Henry." Victor said with a smile, looking a little sheepish though, as he still felt it a bit wrong to address an elder like that. His mother would have smacked him up the ear if she had been there to hear it. He looked to the other man, looking a bit surprised at his odd analogy. "Arsenic?" 'Rat poison... also 'popular' for suicides, I think, if you take enough. But it does have other, useful outcomes indeed.' He nodded as he listened to the older doctor's explanation, standing by him at the stage.

He followed Henry to the large chest, and wondered what it contained as he looked at it. "Well... even water is deadly if consumed in large quantities, so it's always a matter of dosage. When even a small amount is already deadly, then that can be a problem indeed... Come to think of it, you wouldn't know which amount works or which doesn't without test subjects." He frowned a little "But in your research, could you actually use mice? They don't have the same complicated emotions as humans do, I'd say... then what..." He looked to the other man, when he couldn't help but notice the odd phrasing of his last sentence. "Our grasp? What do you mean with 'our', sir?" And why salvation?

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Jekyll looked back at Victor, staring at him for a few moments before turning back to the chest, unlocking it with a key from his pocket. "The grasp of the human race, boy, our grasp," he snapped, momentarily irritated. "And you are completely correct. Mice were useful to a point, then cats and dogs. But only to a point. It... all seemed to be wrong, those experiments. They failed painfully, Victor, disastrously, but... I told myself, it was because I was testing it on such stupid creatures! How could they have a true distinction between good and evil? Animals are just wild beasts, if anything, all evil! Was it so surprising when they turned around and attacked each other? Attacked me?" he had frozen in place, bent over the chest and staring at his own hands.

"But... Victor... it was when they attacked themselves that... I... I thought it was all due to them being so beastly, just animals with no stronger emotions. No good and evil in beasts, only in humans. I had to test it on a person, but with those results, who in their right mind would volunteer? No one. Only two kinds of men would take that potion - a truly good man, or a truly mad man. I am still not sure which he is, but the result... the result is Hyde."

He took an old book from the depths of the chest, and handed it ceremoniously to Victor. "These are the notes, in diary form, up to the night on which I tested the formula on a person. I am afraid that they go into no detail on that night nor beyond it - but the pages marked from then onwards are the nights on which Mister Hyde visited me. I do not wish to alarm you, Victor, and so please excuse me in revealing these things so slowly. But I fear your reaction to the full horrors it holds, and... I do not want to bring harm to you, or anyone. Please... if you can only understand one thing, understand this."

[Iron Vadim]

Victor was a little taken aback when Jekyll suddenly stared at him, irritated. He mumbled a 'I'm sorry' after the doctor's initial comment; then listened to what he said about test subjects. Come to think of it, he never thought about using mice instead of working with a human body straight away. Perhaps things would have been different... or maybe they wouldn't have, as experiments with mice, no matter the outcome, probably would have been unsatisfactory to quench his curiosity; and thus he would still have created the human body of his monster.

He nodded in understanding, until he suddenly said that the result was Mr. Hyde, "Wait, result? You used him as your test subject, you mean, or ... result?" He asked confused, but then realised he wasn't as shocked as he probably should have been. But then again, who was he to judge someone who used human test subjects when he himself hadn't done much different. Just dead ones. Parts of them anyway.

Victor took the diary carefully, as if it was made out of glass and the wrong movement would make it fall to pieces. He opened the book, his bright blue eyes skimming over the words. He was a fast reader, but it still took him a while to work his way through the written passages. He frowned a bit "It seems like those animals went mad indeed... hurting each other and even themselves." He spoke a bit absently while passing those pages, then came upon the part that had a 'H' at the top to indicate where Mr. Hyde visited, but it was really vague upon the experiments themselves. He looked up from the book "Sir, if you don't mind to talk about it... what exactly did you do on Mr. Hyde? Did the formula make him become so... erm... well, the way he acted last night?"

~

Sweeney sat back in his seat, holding the cup of tea in his hand, taking an absent sip from it from time to time. So he and Mrs. Lovett were left alone, and they probably weren't really that much use at setting up the convention, nor was he particularly interested in doing so. Perhaps others would still come downstairs to join them at breakfast, and one of them might be wanting to have a shave.

He gave a slightly annoyed sigh. He shuffled a bit in his seat, seeming frustrated. Even though he had killed Judge Turpin, he felt that that fire, that lust to kill, still hadn't been quenched. His hands itched to grasp his razor and slice someone's throw, to see that waterfall of rubies running again, and to see the light of life extinguish in his victim's eyes. No, it hadn't lessened at all. He felt that he needed it as badly... no, even more than that he required food.

And then the barber's prayers were answered when he saw a man enter alone, one that looked quite tired, probably from the journey, and his face had stubble from at least several days. Todd had to keep from grinning maniacally. He stood up and nodded politely to the man "Good morning, sir. You look like you're in need of a shave. My name is Sweeney Todd, I'm a barber, hired by Dr. Jekyll to be of service to the men attending the convention... I can guarantee I'll give you the closest shave you'll ever have, sir."

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"Mister Hyde... Mister Hyde--" Jekyll faultered, and drew himself up to his full height, gathering as much dignity as he had left. "Victor... please do not think me mad for this. I have myself for that. But you see, I have always believed that there is, in every person, good and evil in equal parts. They fight each other, one's good side and one's bad, a battle of wills raging inside every single one of us!"

He took a step back, and turned to the chest, digging out what appeared to be a box, locked and wrapped in cloth. "When I couldn't find any test subjects, Victor, I, being unable to quench the longing for the posibility of such a wonderful discovery... I drank the potion. There was no other way... and... Mister Hyde, Victor, and I speak in theory alone here; I believe Mister Hyde is the evil side of my nature, unleashed into his own form. It is hard to believe, I know, and I would prove it to you, if I were not worried..." he stopped for a moment, looking down at the box in his hands. "I... I could show it to you... tell me, Victor Frankenstein - are you a fast runner?"

~

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then looked back at Sweeney. "That would be quite useful, barber. My commendations to the Doctor for his fore-thought on the matter! Nothing like a shave to start the day, wouldn't you say?" He smiled a jolly smile. "Where would you like to do this then, mister?"

[Iron Vadim]

Victor nodded, agreeing on what he said about the battle between good and evil in everyone, but then he frowned, confused and starting to get worried, when Dr. Jekyll took out the box and went on about the experiments, on himself. "What, you... you knew those animals went mad and you drank the potion yourself? That is..." He could just refrain himself from saying 'madness'. He didn't think it would be a good idea at the moment to anger the other man.

He grew more anxious at Dr. Jekyll's words, that Mr. Hyde was Dr. Jekyll's own evil incarnate? But that's impossible, it couldn't be, maybe the man was joking, he thought. But no, he looked very, very serious. He swallowed a lump in his throat at the last, ominous words. "W-what?" He squeaked, trying to resist the urge to run right now. "Sir, you can't be seriously..." But it made sense, of sorts... that Dr. Jekyll suddenly seemed to grow ill and retreated, after which Mr. Hyde suddenly turned up... but it couldn't be. They looked so different. But then, it was also impossible to create life from corpses, wasn't it...

~

Sweeney smiled brightly at the man's words. He couldn't wait to slice... 'No, just a moment longer, dear friend.' He thought, as if talking fondly to his razor. "There is a parlor room next door, I believe, sir. If you'd get seated there, I'll just go retrieve a few items from my room, I won't take long." He glanced to Mrs. Lovett for a moment, then quickly left the dining hall to head to his room, and retrieve shaving cream and a blanket. He gripped the razor from the holster on his belt, and tried to keep from running. It would look a little silly if someone saw him running eagerly like a little boy running to the candyshop with a pocket full of money. As promised, it only took a little while before he returned with said items, and entered the parlor room.

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Jekyll unwrapped and unlocked the box, with a different key this time, and placed it on the table. Out of it he took a graduated glass, a phial of red liquor and a sachet of powder, placing them before him as he sunk to lean his elbows on the table. He carefully measured ten centilitres of the liquid, and then added the powder, holding the glass up to the light to squint at it through his glasses. See how it glittered in red, shining like a warning light and throwing off fumes of vapour! Then to royal purple and finally watery green - such a plain colour for something so very powerful...

This metamorphosis complete, he turned to Victor, looking him in the eyes. "Now, sir, this will look painful, and indeed it is. But do not try to help me. It will only endanger yourself further," he warned, and then put the glass to his lips, swallowing its contents in one gulp.

Here it came again - the nausea, the horror, the grinding of bones - Jekyll doubled over with a scream, clutching at his throat and twitching with the spasms of the transformation. It would all be over soon, he knew, but each time it would always feel as if... as if it was death itself.

~

The guest waited in the parlor room, having found a chair to sit comfortably in. He looked up at Sweeney as he entered, smiling at him. "Quickly, if you could. My stomach is crying out for one of those muffins."

[Iron Vadim]

Victor stared in disbelief as Jekyll prepared the potion. Surely, this must be some kind of joke, maybe it was a practical joke set up by Jekyll's friend, Mr. Hyde, and just meant to scare the bejeezes out of the younger doctor. But the other man was still dead-serious about what he was doing. "S-sir, are you really... maybe you should, erm... can't I ..." No amount of stammering from the younger man seemed to persuade the doctor to cease his actions, and he only left Victor in horror.

He still couldn't believe this was actually going on, but he was seeing the changes, he gasped at Jekyll's screams and winced at the horrible sounds of bones shifting. He gave a yelp at a particularly loud one, and thought he could already start to recognise Hyde. 'I-I got to get out of here!' The message rang clear through his mind before his body obeyed at last. He ran as fast as he could, back the way he came. He had to find Mr. Todd, Mrs. Lovett, anybody!

~

"Of course, sir, I wouldn't want to hold you up... I'll polish you off in only a moment." Sweeney said as he walked behind the man, giving a small grin at his own play of words. Taking the material he had brought from his room, he put the blanket around the man, then prepared the shaving cream, after which he lathered the man's lower face in it. He took his precious razor out of its holster, unfolded it and sharpened the blade upon a leather strap. He only paused in his movements when a pained scream sounded from somewhere in the castle. "Huh... I guess someone is doing similar work." He remarked.

But before the man could react or ask what he had meant with 'similar work', the barber had already brought the razor blade, so sharp it could split a hair that fell upon it vertically, to the man's face. He made a quick work of most of the skin lathered in the foamy cream, until he came to the man's throat. "Well, my good man, this is it. I thank you for your volunteering, for I have craved a while for this..." He said, before suddenly slicing the sharp blade through the flesh of his throat. Sweeney Todd sighed happily while watching the rubies cascade upon the virgin-white cloth.

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"Victor... Victor!" cried Jekyll around his agony, unable to follow while half-way through transformation. Damn it! If the boy ran, he wouldn't see! "Victor! Come... back... here!"

Hyde straightened up, tightening his belt a few extra notches to make up for his smaller, thinner body and rolling up his trouser legs before packing up the equipment, taking care to lock everything up again and sitting back on the chest. He considered chasing Victor, but decided that pretty soon, the boy would be back, and with more scared, stupid people, no less. Smirking, he climbed up onto the chest, throwing his hands up into the air. "Let the fun begin!" he roared to the universe in general, and then grinned as his voice bounced around the ballroom to his tremendous glee.

[Iron Vadim]

Now to hide the body, Sweeney thought as he looked around. For now, he could put it in one of the heavy chests against the wall, he decided as he walked over and opened one. It was relatively empty, so it would do perfectly. It even had a lock and key, even more perfect. He went back and dragged the corpse over to the chest, tossed it in and closed the lid. He locked it, then left the key in one of the vases nearby, which would do for now. He could think about getting the body outside during the night, then tossing it into the river from the cliff. Yep, perfect.

Well, almost, he noticed as he saw a spot of crimson upon his sleeve. He gave a soft sigh, then cleaned his razor carefully with a tissue, placing the tissue in some drawer, folded the razor and replaced it in the holster. Then he put on his jacket, which covered the sleeve that had a bloodsplatter upon it.

The barber walked back into the dining room, just in time to see young Dr. Frankenstein burst through the door. He raised an eyebrow "What's the matter with you, lad? You look like you saw a ghost. Or rather, you're being chased by one?"

Victor panted, recovering his breath, then looked to Mr. Todd, and Mrs. Lovett at the table. "Dr. Jekyll... Mr. Hyde... is... change... potion..." He stammered between gasps for breath.

Sweeney rolled his eyes "English, please. In correct sentence structures."

"Gah! Dr. Jekyll is Mr. Hyde!" He yelled out suddenly.

The demon barber stared at the lad for a moment, then shook his head "You're still not making any sense, lad. How could they be? Jekyll is taller than me, and Hyde is a good head smaller. Unless that potion is a shrinking potion of sorts, I don't really see what you're trying to say..."

Victor gave a frustrated cry, then suddenly grabbed the man's arm and pulled him along to the ballroom. "Fine! I'll show you if you don't believe me!"

Sweeney's eyes narrowed dangerously, as he hated it when anyone touched him, except for Mrs. Lovett to some extent, and decided the boy was lucky he was somewhat curious and had just satisfied his thirst for blood, or else he'd be a corpse already.

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Hyde was sitting on the chest waiting for them when the pair arrived, legs crossed and a smug look on his face. "Why, Mister Todd! Good day to you, sir! I didn't think I would see you again this early!" he called out, pushing himself off of the chest and practically mincing to the front of the stage. "Look at me, I'm all on display! And Franky, you came back."

Hyde grinned, and gave Victor an (admittedly fake) smouldering look. "Hmm, I knew you would, Franky darling," he purred, in the same voice he had used to address Mrs. Lovett earlier.

[Iron Vadim]

"I didn't think so either, Mr. Hyde... I thought you'd only be back by evening." Sweeney spoke a little sourly. His previous good mood was starting to dissipate already, while the urge to shed someone's blood was rising again. It was so addicting after all. "So, what was it now that-..." He looked aside, expecting the young doctor there, but no one was there. He blinked, then looked back to see the lad standing right behind him. He coughed "What's your point now, Dr. Frankenstein?" He spoke annoyed.

When Victor entered the ballroom, he gasped to see Mr. Hyde standing there. He wasn't certain what he had expected, maybe still a mid-transformation but it had taken too long to get to the dining hall and back. He almost squeaked when Hyde addressed him with 'Franky darling' with such a tone of voice, bringing a blush to his face while he tried to hide behind Mr. Todd's thin frame.

"D-Dr. Jekyll... he showed me the potion he spoke off. He drunk it and ... became Hyde. Hyde is Dr. Jekyll's .. evil side or something..." He tried to explain to the dark-haired man, who seemed to look increasingly annoyed. The young man gulped at the two sets of eyes upon him, both of them looking very dangerous. Oh, what had he gotten himself into...