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 Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:02 pm
The day after its excursion with Calder, Malodore found itself in need of a rest - or, rather, the minipets did. Ombra apparently had had enough of being moved from room to room; the cwn pup had resorted to flinging himself around Malodore's room, banging into tables and bookcases and generally being a nuisance. Even Luce sitting on him proved fruitless. At last, exasperated, the plague doctor emerged from the undead dorms with Ombra on a leash (if a pup thrashing on the end of a leash like a dying fish could be called 'on'), Luce walking nicely by him with a bit of a smug expression... as if she were saying I am the good one, look how good I am. "You can run around in the graveyard," Malodore muttered, unimpressed as Ombra jerked hard to one side, making its wings rattle. "Maybe you'll fall into one. It would serve you right..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 8:00 pm
A few nearby headstones suddenly gained an eerie glow, the area echoing with horrific, throaty growls that did not sound even remotely friendly. The glow zigzagged around, the growling grew louder, and suddenly there was a little fire beast jumping over an entire headstone, coming to a skidding halt in front of the Plague Doctor and it's Pups.
The Death Charm - now about the size of an adult maine coon cat - sat awkwardly, clearly just staying put in it's position after skidding, white hot eyes staring up at the Doctor. Both ears were perked, and after a moment of staring his angled jaw opened, his hot tongue rolling out of his mouth.
Oh oh oh he knew this one! This was that metal bird that he'd given a key to forever ago! DC threw his head back and let out a gutteral noise, almost a roar, in greeting. As terrible as his noises were, his body language just oozed happy, right down to the way he jumped up on all fours and instantly brought his chin down to the ground, tail high in the air and wagging.
Pups! There were pups! It was play time!
"DC! That's enough!" Amrita's voice finally cut through the silence, the ghoul herself appearing moments later through the maze of taller headstones, looking as though she had been running. "You don't need to---Oh! Mal! Hello~" The Vetala smiled, her reprimanding of her too-noisy and too-excitable fire beast dying on her lips. Suddenly she looked apologetic, raising a finger in a one moment gesture before turning, her hands cupping her mouth.
"CHRIS! I found him! And Mal!" She knew of course that Christof wouldn't care if she round DC again or not, but the Doctor was sure to get his attention.
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Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:38 am
Christof sighed, giving Scruff's leash a tug, practically dragging the patchworked scareon behind him as he tried to keep up. He had thought pet-walking would be romantic. It had mostly involved trying to stop DC from setting random things (including himself) on fire. With a noncommital, 'oh good' sort of groan in his throat, he caught up, Scruff rolling down the hedge of tombstones to bump into his boot. Malodore! He immediately straightened his jacket and hefted the plump creature up to join the Plague Doctor and Bodysnatcher shyly.
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Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:29 pm
"Ah - buon giorno, Amrita... ah, and Christof too." The plague doctor opened its beak in a smile, though it seemed oddly stiff (even for Malodore) and its beak closed again quickly. "It is good to see you both... how are you both... doing?" It wanted to apologize, but it felt oddly awkward and strange about doing so. And yet the incident had been on its mind. "After... after everything that went on at Prom?" Which could cover a multitude of things, including but not limited to the chandelier falling on top of everyone. "All stitched up?" Because it had to be useful, of course. Ombra lunged at the two strange minipets, overbalanced, and fell over.
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Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:57 pm
"I'm okay." She said without hesitation, Moving to Christof to take the poor fat scareon from him. Scruff had always been one of her favourite minipets, and keeping it off the ground with the rowdy pets seemed like a good idea. The Vetala cuddled the chubby scareon, nuzzling her face into the fluff that wasn't near electrified screws as the Doctor clarified it's question.
That was a tough question to answer, really. When she thought about Prom, she thought about the shock of Riley and, moments later, Aymet's collapse. There was a brief memory of dancing with Christof and getting glitter'd by Remi, but that was about it. She was still finding glitter in her hair, even now.
"Better." She murmured, overcome again by intense memories and rising guilt at how she had acted. Since it had brought it up, she couldn't help the words that just tumbled right out. "I'm sorry...that I acted how I did. That....that wasn't fair to her. Or...or you." Deep down she knew Malodore wasn't the only one she had to apologize to, but she really couldn't bring herself to go see the Mindflayer just yet. Too many fresh memories, too many re-opened wounds. "I'm r-really sorry." Amrita peeked up from Scruff's headfluff, her brows knit worriedly.
"A-and...You?" At least she had the decency to stop burying her face in Scruff's neckfluff to ask.
DC. on the other hand, found the pup to be his new best friend. The Death Charm howled in excitement and pounced, eager to play.
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:24 pm
Christof gave a grunt as he warily watched Amrita heft up the plump scareon, glancing to how Malodore's dogs had certainly grown. It had been a while, he supposed.
"In-one-piece. You-the-same-I-hope?" He signed warily, letting the leash hang.
There was much to talk about, but finding the courage to bring it up was.... tricky. On one hand, he knew Mal was always game for talk of Science. On the other, the guinneapig he had in mind was a sensitive issue with the plague doctor.
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:00 am
" Si, I... Amrita, I am deeply sorry for not giving you warning," Malodore said quietly, turning towards the vetala. "Everything happened so suddenly. It was a great deal to process, that Riley was alive once more, and I did not know she would be present until only a short while before..." It shook its head. "I do not blame you. It is strange and... and painful, even for me." It looked to Christof, opening its beak just a little bit before speaking. It didn't feel like it was in one piece, quite frankly. "Well enough, under the circumstances," it said, finally. "I have returned to my original chambers, at least. What is 'normal' seems to change rapidly as lightning."
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:21 pm
"I-It's okay. I...I imagine it would be im...impossible to get word out to everyone before." Especially since it happened so fast, as Malodore said. She was content enough to nuzzle into Scruff's fluff, not worried or bothered at all by the amount of slobber the chubby beast was getting all over her. The awkward feelings came back; the shock of seeing her there, the pain of knowing something was wrong...and of course the shame at how she acted towards someone who was once her friend.
"Glad to hear it..." That was like getting back to normal, right? Though it was right; what was normal changed in the blink of an eye. Though it wasn't quite the same, that is pretty much how she felt the situation with Riley went. One moment, she was alive and well, affectionate and happy...and in the next she was distant and trying. Her gaze shifted this way and that, feeling awkward under the circumstances, and eventually couldn't help but ask:
"I-is it true that, um...that she can't remember us? At all? Did she...remember you, at least?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:17 pm
"Could-not-remember. As-though-undead-but-not-undead." Christof signed irritably before moving closer to the plague doctor to gauge what expression he could note on the stiff masked face.
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:45 pm
"No," Malodore said, with a sigh. "It is exactly as Christof says - as though made-undead, or made-ghost, but without actually being either of those things. Perhaps the Insanity is what provided that trigger, of sorts... I have been learning from Nurse Cricket. It may be that we will be able to learn more about the process. It is certainly advanced beyond my current knowledge." It wasn't entirely sure where to go from there, so it ducked its head instead. "I have been doing what I can. It is... hard, but Calder has assisted me some. He is gifted in matters of the heart. And also having those around me who care," it added, more warmly. It definitely counted both Amrita and Christof as dear.
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:26 pm
Amrita frowned at the near-irritable way he was signing to her, not quite appreciating it, but in the end unable to fault him for it. Instead she sighed, feeling off for a whole new reason; with Riley back, Christof would disappear most days again, wouldn't he? She couldn't bring herself to be that selfish though, even in her own thoughts, and chased away those unhappy feelings and worries.
"If anyone'll be able to figure this out, it'll be you." She offered, lifting her head from Scruff's neckfluff to smile at the Doctor. "You're...a lot stronger than I could ever be. I don't think I could ever do what you're doing." It was a compliment, really. Amrita was in awe over the Doctor's work ethic, especially regarding someone who can't remember what they had together. "If you ever need help, or just something distracting, let me know?" She wasn't sure if she could face Riley just yet, but if it for some reason needed her to help...she'd do it. For Mal. But outside of that...maybe they could make plans on how to kill off Hunters. Or go fishing. She wasn't picky, really.
She had more questions, she had more worries, but she couldn't bring herself to say them. She didn't want to upset her friend or make it dwell too much on what was going on. Instead she looked at Christof, as if seeing him for the first time. He was...looming awfully close to the Doctor, wasn't he? Pretty intently, too.
"...You okay, Chris?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:52 pm
Christof glanced up, brows furrowed still with a wary expression. His pursed lips wormed as he sat heavily on the ground, leaning against a headstone and nodded slowly. "Things-strange. Unfair. Curious-how-it-was-done. Mistress's-revival." He signed before patting his leg for Scruff to come. The fat scareon gave Amrita a joyful lick before practically rolling out of her arms, oozing to the ground, and lumbered over to the hunchback with a flop that left his round yellow belly turned up into the air for rubs.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:06 am
"Of course," Malodore said, opening its beak in a small smile. "I find that, ah... my previous state of near-obsession is not sustainable and, indeed, unhealthy. I do not wish to be trapped in a cage of my own making, no matter how tempting it may feel." The plague doctor shook its head. "Distractions would be welcome... though, ah, not of the kind you provided at our last meeting." Which was to say don't go and get horribly injured so I have something to do, per favore.It nodded after it had deciphered Christof's words. "That I still do not know. I am hoping I can glean some information - the lead scientist there asked if she could see my notes on Insanity. It may be that I can learn something from her. I do not trust the Bogeymen, even though they have rendered me a great service. For now, our purposes may run in the same direction, but trust? No. Never."
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:34 pm
Amrita almost whined - almost - when Christof insisted on making Scruff leave her. At best she pouted for a moment, and set to wiping off some of the globs of scareon drool from her arm and shoulder. Not that it mattered in the end, as it all ended up wiped on her thighs anyway.
As if magically understanding what it meant when it said not like last time, Amrita gave the Plague Doctor a thin smile as if to say I make no promises. It wasn't like she always ended up horribly injured! She actually spent a lot of time tring to do the opposite!
Christof's inquiry - while difficult to decipher from her point of view - was something she was suddenly curious about too, looking towards Malodore for it's answer. "They're being cooperative?" She seemed understandably surprised. "Did you give her your notes? Did you get anything back?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:18 am
At Malodore's words, Christof fell silent, staring down at the fat, slobbering scareon that had started to make an odd coughing noise as it rolled over onto it's massive belly. Something had twitched oddly inside as his stitched fingers had run over the fur. It was, at least, a good distraction from his own morose thoughts. Malodore hadn't been alone in it's reaction to the situation. But the plague doctor had probably been more productive about it. It was good it was leaving it's room, at least. Keeping busy certainly helped.
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