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 Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:33 pm
He had duty work. He always had duty work. If he wasn't in the lab, he was in the greenhouse or in his own lab, and outside of that, he was doing some errand. There was no time for anything else. It was all time reserved for her. For questions. For theories. For checking phones.
For doors.
Today, Melvin sat in one of the few available chair in the lighthouse, sitting on guard duty for the evening. It was a nice view, the sea stretching out for miles, and without the fog to obscure the beach, it was calming.
He adjusted the surgical mask about his face, wiped off his glasses on the artifact handkerchief he kept, and resumed staring out into nothing, thinking and gently stroking the faint scar on his wrist.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:39 pm
Lawrence arrived with startling quietness and stood in the doorway admiring his own view. He did not care about the ocean that stretched out picturesque before them but instead was interested in Melvin. He'd seen the man on twitter many times, bickering with Rep or other people and making fairly pessimistic questions. There was a list in his head of people on the island, their names as he knew them, origins and problems, he did not get to use it often but here and now was an opportunity he was not keen to miss out on.
After some time standing there he finally opened and closed the door more loudly, feigning a more audible arrival. "Evening pardner." he said airily, moving to sit next to Melvin, making a show of looking out of the window.
"Quiet tonight so far?" he asked conversationally.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:52 pm
The door shutting made him jump in his seat and he turned to see the man who entered. Well, what seemed to be a man, as loosely as he could use it.
He had checked the Lighthouse shift sheet and knew who he would be with was a Jan, but who knew if that was a woman or a man. He never met the man as far as he could remember, but after seeing him, he felt he had. Sometime maybe at a party? Or a meeting? It was on the tip of his sleep-deprived mind.
The hunter looked a mix between some spiritualist and modern pretty-men who lived in the city. He wore what seemed to be a long skirt, with lots of hanging jewelry with symbols that he didn't know. His coat was a startling white, well maintained, and showed the sycthes of Death Division.
"Seems so. Nothing had come out of the water or flown overhead as far as I can tell. Not really paying attention." He admitted, not caring if the other person knew he was zoning out.
He glanced at the man just enough to notice how short he was sitting before looking back out at the water.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 4:06 pm
Lawr remembered Melvin. The man had been there when he woke up with Rin. They had read off his name. The name he hated, the name that was not him any longer, but it seemed for now that the blonde man was somewhere else far away. "That's good at least." he said, checking the horizon briefly before turning his attention once more to Melvin.
He smiled in a gentle sort of way. "You look stressed." he said kindly, leaning on his good hand. He had a good idea why the man was so tense and far off, but he wanted him to say it, wanted to hear it out loud."Is it anything you want to talk about? We are stuck here for some time."
He paused before adding. "Forgive me, I was a medium and also dealt in self-help before the island. Sometimes I fall into the old habits. You don't need to tell me anything if you don't want to pardner. Just figgered a burden shared is a burden halved."
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 4:20 pm
Melvin slowly turned back, his eyes lingering on that far distant horizon for too long even as he turned his head before looking at Jan.
"When aren't people stressed on this island?" He said with a shrug. "I was just thinking."
He glanced down now, noticing that the hand Jan was not using was nothing but a stub. It made him feel comforted, and somehow more at ease to see it.
It was a nice arm.
He looked up at the man. "I guess that's why you have all the jewelry? Is that a medium thing?" He looked back at the water, leaning back in his stiff chair.
"Must be hard to do tarot readings on this island. Nothing but grim outcomes." He said, his voice slightly muffled behind his mask.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 4:29 pm
Lawr didn't argue, people were always stressed on the island. He wasn't, of course, but everyone else seemed to be. He nodded serenely. "Yes, many of these." and he splayed his hand over the chains and necklaces with a showmanship that came as easily as breathing. "Are potent spirit focuses and good luck charms. They are effective too. I only ended up on this island after surviving a catastrophe where every other civilian died. They hired me on for a reason."
He did chuckle at the mention of grim tarot readings. "Many of them are, I must admit." he fished in his pockets and drew out a deck in a decorated golden case. "Would you like me to do a reading for you? You may be surprised."
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:01 pm
"Luck. I could use a bit of that right now." He said, wishing he would get some clue or insight that would give him the answer. It had been over a month and he was miserable in that he had made no progress in helping her.
He looked at the charms, not knowing which one was spiritual or for luck, but guessing either one would be good in his case. He wasn't a particularly spiritual person himself. He went to church with his family, celebrated the major holidays, and prayed quietly at night just to live.
But the afterlife - those were things he was less and less sure of these days.
"I suppose you could do that." He said, grabbing the bottom of his chair to turn it slightly.
"Is...that how you lost your hand? The catastrophe?" He asked.
It was such a lovely arm. It made him wish it had a bit less. A divide above the elbow was just...more natural.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:24 pm
"I lost my hand to save a person who hates me now. Such is life though, you move on no matter what, I have other people to help, other places to be." he smiled softly. "Now let me see..." The deck was drawn out of its container, strange twisted patterns adorned the back of each one and they had clearly been used often. The pale man closed his eyes, making strange, careful hand gestures over the deck, muttering something - which seemed to be in latin - under his breath.
Suddenly the preparations were over and he drew the first card.
"This is your past, what has gone before this moment in time." He turned it over to reveal the Sun card, in this case a radiant figure whose heart shone brightly stood before a blazing sun on a horizon. "The Sun." he said. "Happiness, Optimism. You had a good life or at least were happy with what you had. This is one of the most optimistic cards, I am going to say that things, for the most part were good, at least in comparison to now."
The next card he drew was the three of wands, a figure in a robe stood before a tree, one hand raised. "This card is the three of wands. It represents a mission. Or a journey. Something with optimism tied up in it. You are moving towards something, seeking for something. At least, this is what the card says to me."
The last card was drawn. "And now for your future." the last card was flipped. It showed a wolf, howling at a moon high overhead. "The king of pentacles." he said. "Now this card is fascinating. It says that what you need is someone to guide you, like the old wolf. In this deck, this wolf, well. He is the guardian of the dead, he leads souls to the underworld."
Butch in his thoughts made a satisfied sort of sound.
"This card means that you will find success in what you seek, what you need, provided you listen to the friend who has come your way. I think what this card is saying Melvin." and he made no explanation of how he knew his name. "Is that you should let me help you. In fact I insist you let me help you. I have never had a deck turn out a hand like this before, it is pointing in the direction you should go."
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:50 pm
Melvin was surprised that Jan had lost his hand to someone else who seemed human, as the opinion of some monster wouldn't be mentioned by a hunter or would matter. He wondered if it was Rep, just out of instinct and his record of dismemberment.
The fact that Jan could just shake it off had him deeply envoius. "You move off pretty quickly. I wish I could be that forgiving." He still didn't forgive Rep for what he had done and said, and he wished he could just shrug off the man's words, his life, as if it was nothing ot him and move on to someone else, but he was stuck in too many ways. He knew no one, he didn't rust anyone, and he feared for anyone who would be near him. He was a rock, a heavy burden of a person where he did nothing but act as a plague to them. If Jan worse symbols of luck, Melvin was the opposite of these.
As the cards were taken out, the Lifer waited, wondering if there was anything he had to do. He never got his cards read, mainly because he had never believed in that sort of thing. The supernatural, aside from what he saw as monsters, was not something he believed too much in. With time on the island, and given the dream he had, he had to put many of his views on reality and what was possible into question. To comfort him, he let any possibility come to his rescue.
The Sun had him startled. It made him think of Rep instantly. The past. They were friends. Life for the most part had been good for him. He had been making friends. He was now a Intermediate hunter. He had his own lab, project, and finally had a stable girlfriend. He was finally feeling as if he GOT how to live on the island.
The next card had him confused. A tree. It made him think of Life. "I'm....trying to go on one." He was waiting to open that door to find her, but he had yet to make a step towards it. The fact it was optimistic had him excited, hoping that by whatever celestial powers were deciding these cards, it was at least a nice comfort to say that he might be successful.
The next card was a wolf and the moon. Moon. The Life's counterpart, but offensive. It made him think of Harrison and his cruel words. The wolf, he didn't know. Nothing in his life had ever involved wolves. The word KING though - that made him think of the one Moon he did know. The blonde that had once been his king. The one who let the Other Rep kill him.
He was on the edge of his seat as he listened, and was surprised that he was being told he needed a guide. The woman in his dream, she had guided him somewhat, but she wasn't here.
Did she mean he needed someone else?
He thought of the words. Guardian of the dead...No. of Souls. Rin was lost. She was elsewhere. She needed to come back. She was lost right now.
"I lost someone. She's gone right now...but...she needs to come back." He was worried what Jan would think. He didn't know this man, but then again, the closest person to him had laughed when he told him about Rin and his dream. What would Jan think?
"I...I'm not sure you can do much to help me. I'm...kind of looking for something, but there is no information about it." He wasn't sure how he could give everything to this stranger, but his eyes went back to the man and his stump.
It had to be a sign.
"She had a arm like yours though...."
A lovely arm.
He hesitated and looked up at him. "I...wouldn't mind the help."
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 6:08 pm
Jan's smile was almost beatific as he listened to what Melvin had to say. "I learned a long time ago how to deal with my anger and resentment, it is what I try to impart to others. In time you could learn to be forgiving, if you truly sought to be."
"Ah." he said, and for a moment, his expression seemed to glaze. "You mean Rin, yes? She was the one who told me to come here, to try and speak to you. It may have been her who guided us both to this duty." again that distant smile as if listening to a voice only he could hear.
Butch volunteered his own voice and was told to shut the hell up.
"She did. I can feel it when she speaks to me. It is destiny that brought me here to your side, I feel it now more than ever. I will help you. And you in turn perhaps can help me, with practice and time we might even be able to channel her words through me. You might be able to speak to her again, wherever she is."
He beamed. "I will help you reach her. You are no longer alone, the wolf has come to your aid."
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 6:24 pm
Jan was given no time to react before Melvin sprang from his seat and hand his hands on his shoulders, face less than a foot away as he stared wide-eyed at the other man.
"SHE SPOKE TO YOU?!" He shouted. "What did she say?! Can you talk to her? DID YOU HAVE A DREAM?! Where is she? I need to talk to her! I need to ask her to talk to me again." He said, his voice demanding yet desperate as he looked at Jan, bright eyed red-rimmed from long nights before books in the library reading fine print about portals and waking up from short naps in lab chairs.
Realizing how close he was, he eased back, and took deep breathes, the fabric of his face mask pulling in and out. "I....I spoke with her. She needs me, but she wasn't talked to me lately. I didn't know she was talking to you.....how? How did she find you?"
He had to know so he could do whatever was necessary to speak with her again. He needed help to free her. He needed help to bring her home.
"Please. If you can help me.....I need to bring her home." He said, his voice quieter now.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:05 am
Melvin's eager response made Jan smile gently. "Indeed she spoke to me and I can speak to her. But." and he raised delicate finger here. "But she is difficult to find, she is trapped far away from here, it takes a great deal of focusing and mediation to find where she is."
He bowed his head. "She found me because I am sensitive to these things, receptive to the voices of those who have none."
Raising a brow he went on. "I can help you but you must realize there are things you may need to do to get her back which might not make sense to you. But they are important and they will open the door you seek. Now."
He looked thoughtful. "Firstly we will have to look into increasing the spiritual link that exists. This will require several things from you, firstly an image of Rin, the more intimate the better and something from her possessions. These will be kept as focuses. Secondly, you were in a relationship with her yes? We must visit some of the places off island you both visited, retread the steps you trod."
The blue gaze turned more intent. "All of this is only step one. How far are you prepared to go to speak with her again, to have her back? Because I will not waste my time if you are not fully committed to this cause, great dangers lie between her and us.""
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:21 am
He felt a deep well of envy that Jan could speak with Rin, and he felt torn that he was not as receptive for Rin to speak to him. Maybe she had been trying all this time and he somehow was never as receptive as he had been when he had that dream. "I want to speak with her. I want to help her open the door to get back home from whatever horrible place she is. I....I owe it to her for what she did. I have things I still need to tell her."
He eased back down into his seat, dropping his hands. "She tried talking to me, but I haven't had her contact me ever since. I think...maybe I had to get close to death to hear her." He had cut himself, and maybe that had something to do with it. "I thought...maybe the door could be opened somehow that way. I kept looking into books and any data death had on file, but they don't say anything with what little I know."
All information was too specific or too vague and all he had to go by was that Rin didn't have her body and was trapped behind a door.
He looked up at the list he was given. "I can do that....but Rin and I didn't go too many places off island. I'll....have to make a reservation that might take some time to one place. I can take you to other places though." He just felt bad that he and Rin didn't go to many places aside from running errands off island. They did eat out, watch movies sometimes. That was something.
"I have pictures of Rin." He brought out his phone. "Just....the more intimate ones are in my apartment." He also had a video, but he wondered how intimate Jan needed. Would Rin be upset if he showed Jan that video, and didn't it reveal too much about Melvin in turn?
How far are you prepared to go to speak with her again, to have her back?
"We...have more than pictures."
He left it at that.
"I also have all her things. I know what he prized the most though. I can bring you that."
It seemed simple enough. He had no other alternatives. He had wasted enough time.
Rin was probably suffering.
"Have you....done this a lot before?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:49 am
"Don't worry, not everyone has the gift that I do. You tried, you did not do anything wrong, in fact you did all that you could. She knows. She knows that you have been trying." He did not pat the other man, but everything about his expression and posture seemed to soften in sympathy. "She knows that you have been hurting all this time."
Generously he nodded. "That is fine too, simply anything that might permit me to step into her spiritual echo, if reservations need to be waited on then you will have to exercise your patience for her. We can try the other places too. I can tell already she will be pleased when I manage to tell her about how helpful you have been."
At the pictures once again he nodded. "That is excellent, anything that we can get, the closer we get to knowing the true Rin, the face that she did not show the rest of the world, the closer we get to understanding the key we will need to unlock the door. I have seen a great deal in my time, I am not easily distressed and I am strictly confidential."
"As for my credentials, I have spent almost my entire life as a mediator between people and what they have lost. I have helped so many people, deserving and not. But you, I can tell from the cards you deserve this, you have been suffering too long."
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 11:56 am
He stared at him, the sympathy, the help, that someone believed him and was on his side, all but melted all his reservations completely.
He was going to get answers and the help he needed, and when Rin returned, everything would be better. He could tell her what he needed to tell her, get that second chance to make things right, and show everyone not to just give up when things appeared their worst.
Rin was still here trying to come back. "I'll do whatever it takes, whatever you need, to help her." He whispered, and tried not to break down in front of the other man.
"If....I don't really have much, but if there is anything you want or need for helping us..." He tried off, not trusting his own voice from cracking as he took a few deep breathes to collect himself.
Melvin, I don't like this.
Again, Saliva was ignored. It had been getting worse.
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