Regroup (RP)

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Aug 5, 2025 12:46 pm
"Benji," Benji gently corrects. "It’s a long story, but the short of it is that I’ve been lost underground for several days without, er… food. When I ran into the two of you... well, I'm afraid my Hunger got the better of me. As I said before, I would never have behaved that way under normal circumstances but I was in a rather desperate situation."
Aug 5, 2025 12:57 pm
- Emma -

The lie is flimsy: 'Snake bite ... right. That's why you need a rape kit.' but they don't argue. The rape exam is unpleasant but turns up nothing. "Your'e fine, Emma." The doctor says gently. "No sign of forced penetration, or any penetration at all. Who did this to you? This bite is pretty bad." They want to do all sorts of tests —HIV, hepatitis, and precautionary tetanus and such, but they don't seem overly worried about the blood loss, not wanting to risk a transfusion.

"We should wait for Dr Johansen, the plastic surgeon, to do the sutures." She explains, possibly guessing from your appearance —overlooking the current dishevelled state— that you care about how the end result will look. "He is very good, you will barely have any scaring, and it is easy to hide... most of the time."

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 12:58 pm
- Benji -

"Whatever." Ernie says at the correction.

"'Days'? 'Underground'?" Frank asks. "Like beneath the tube lines? How did you get down there?" He is trying to make it sound like mere curiosity, but the topic of 'getting down there' seems of particular interest. At least they are talking.

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 1:10 pm
"It’s… complicated," Benji says. He suspects that matters of portals and wizards and demons are a little bit beyond Frank and Ernie’s grasp right now and he doesn’t want to confuse things. "I don’t entirely understand it myself. Anyway, you definitely don’t want to go down there! There’s a whole nest of vampires just a bit further down, the way you were headed, and they’re really not the type to apologize after biting you…"
Aug 5, 2025 1:12 pm
"You mean, there won’t be ANY scaring" Emma visibly calmed down after the test results came back negative, but the thought of ending up with even the tiniest! of blemishes on her skin had her as (or more?) worried than anything that might have happened to her while she was unconscious.

She wasn't going to accept any other answer. If 'Dr Johansen' couldn't get the job done, then she will just have to fix herself up some other way.
Aug 5, 2025 5:23 pm
Persephone laughs again and says, "Yes, I ...'arrived,' many times. Some large, some small, wave after wave. It helps to know how to let your body do that. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the easier it is."

It strikes Persephone suddenly that she is not at all comfortable with herself, though she is comfortable of her sexuality, at least.

Then, in reply to Viv's next few statements, Persephone says, "Well, you don't have to leave! But my sister lives her with me for the time being, and she's headed home. And don't worry, we don't need to squeeze every O into this afternoon! What are you doing tomorrow?"

But when Viv comes in with the attempt at sex kittening, Persephone can't help but relent. She giggles and says, "We don't have much time, so I'm gonna give you the crash course in scissoring. Come on..." She takes her by the hand and rushes back to the bedroom, undoubtedly not stopping until she hears Circe unlock the door.

When that occurs, she laughs and jumps out of bed and throws her clothes back on. She tells Viv to take her time. "It's OK, I told my sister that I was here having lunch with a girl I'm dating. Oh, um... are we dating now? I'd like that."

Before Viv can reply, Persephone runs out the door to greet Circe, who is likely standing there with the delivered, uneaten food in her hands, which had been left outside the door for the past little while!
Aug 5, 2025 5:44 pm
- Benji -

"...the missing people..." Ernie says to himself, not expecting you to be able to hear him from over there.

They both wave aside your warning about the danger, they are, they feel, 'armed and prepared', and survived one vampire already, and are on a mission. "So, how does one get down there?" Frank asks. "Just out of curiosity?"

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 5:46 pm
- Emma -

"That's the spirit." Your doctor says encouragingly. "Dr Johansen's the best." Unfortunately by this she means 'the best the NSH has to offer', but you have a bag full of cash...

... or you did, you look around the cubicle and see just your bloodied slacks and pants, and even your top is bloodied down by the hem and your coat has a stained patch where you sat on it, but you don't see your purse anywhere.

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 5:47 pm
- Persephone -

"Really? Maybe I need to get to know myself a bit better." Viviana says, possibly implying a lack of arrival on her part, though she certainly seemed to enjoy what she did achieve and happily dives back in for more, appreciating the view on your newly introduced position.

"Dating!?" She squeaks when you bring that up, this is all going much faster then she expected, but she does not seem displeased. "OK... but may I should go before your sister gets back?" She is still hesitant about anyone knowing, but it is too late.

"Your food is getting cold.... Oh!" Circe says, then her eyes go big as she sees you coming out of the bedroom, flushed and with your clothes on not-quite-right. "...Oh!!"

Viviana was not yet dressed, and is now taking her time exiting the bedroom.

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 5:57 pm
Persephone can’t help but blush. She stammers, "Hehe, um. Well, I guess I thought we had a little more time… Sorry! Oh, uh… this is … Oh, well in a minute she’ll emerge, I think?" She turns back, expecting Viv to be close behind, but she isn’t.

She looks back at Circe and says, "Um, excuse me…" And then, in a whisper just for Circe, she adds, "She’s new to queer romance and still wrestling with the shame, so… don’t make a thing of it ok?"

She returns to the bedroom door and cracks it, saying, "It’s ok, my sister’s cool. You can come out. And, uh, do you mind if I introduce you with your name? I know you’re kinda … well, private is the word I guess."
Aug 5, 2025 5:58 pm
Emma gave the doctor a flat look. She wasn’t reassured. She should have been grateful to even be alive, but all she could think about was the risk of her perfect body being marred, and there was no way in hell she was going to accept that.

"Can he come here and stitch me up so I can get out of here?" She was irritated, and impatient, and she was already reaching for her purse to grab her phone to search her contact list for a 'healer'. Only there was no purse to find.

"What the fu - ?" Her bloodied clothes were piled on the chair near the bed. She shoved them aside, hoping see it underneath. "Has anyone seen my purse? I had it when I came in."
Aug 5, 2025 6:15 pm
- Persephone -

"Of course I'll be cool. I'm down with the gays, you know." Circe says, defiant in her newfound support. "But you and I are going to have words, later."

Back in the bedroom Viviana says: "I think the word is actually 'mortified'. But sure... You know we don't even know each others full names?" She sounds a little scandalised by this, not knowing, of course, that you have a dossier on her.

"I think I'm going say hello and then leave. I'm not really hungry." Viviana says her growling stomach calling her a liar.

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 6:16 pm
- Emma -

"He is quite busy." Your doctor says. "Very in demand. You know. And his work takes time. He will be here just as soon as he can be."

"Please sit still." Your doctor exclaims as you rifle through your belongings —finding your phone in your coat pocket, but no purse. "That bandage can only do so much and the more you move the wound the worse the healing will be.

"That's all you had when you arrived." She corrects you a little defensively, motioning to the pile of discarded, and probably unwearable, clothes.

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 6:30 pm
It was all so unfair!

All the work she put, all the risks she has taken - it was all for nothing. No - even worse than nothing, because she was going to be left with an ugly scar on her thigh as a reminder of her failure. She was cold in the loose hospital gown. She could feel the dried blood on her legs. Her hair was a tangled mess, her whole body ached, and she felt lightheaded from the blood loss. Dizzy. Weak. Exhausted.

And even worse than how she felt physically, was the crushing helplessness. She couldn't even keep track of her own purse. How did she ever think she can contend with vampires, and demons, and witches? She felt small, and out of her depth, and completely powerless.

Lying back in her bed without saying another word, she stared up at the ceiling as her throat tightened. The first few tears rolled quietly down her cheeks, but she couldn't hold them back once they started. Her shoulder shook, and soon she was sobbing uncontrollably, her breath coming out in short gasps for air...
Aug 5, 2025 7:50 pm
- Emma -

The doctor sighs, she is way to busy to be dealing with crying women, but she she still does feel some sympathy.

"It will be alright." She says lamely. "Given the apparent nature of the injury we made him wait outside. Do you want us to fetch your boyfriend?" She asks, not making sense, but possibly reminding you that you left your invalid husband, unattended, hours ago.

What do you do?
Aug 5, 2025 8:06 pm
If there was one thing that could make Emma feel even worse, it was the reminder that she had left David alone at home this morning, still with a high fever, barely able to move, incapable of taking care of himself. She didn’t even know what time it was now… he must be worried sick about her. Or maybe he was in an even worse state than she was.

What the doctor said about him being here didn’t make sense. But then, nothing made sense right now.

She tried to rein in her sobbing, forcing herself to just inhale and sniff back her tears. It didn’t quite work. The tears continued to run down her cheeks, but at least she was no longer wailing
Aug 5, 2025 8:44 pm
Persephone smirks at Circe's claim to be 'down with the gays', but nods in understanding that they need to talk.

When she returns to the bedroom, she blushes and says, "I apologize; I ... don't normally move this fast, but..." She just shrugs. Then she continues, "So, yeah, introductions!" She jokingly extends a hand to shake, as if meeting a business contact for the first time. "I'm Persephone Mei Zhang. I'm from California, USA, though my parents came from Shenyang, in China. I went to undergrad at U of London and got my MBA from Stanford. I work in computer tech and the startup world, mostly doing marketing and talent acquisition, as well as venture capital management, so please don't ask me about code or anything! Not my area. It's nice to meet you!"

After Viv replies, Persephone says, "The food is out there now, but I totally understand if you wanna run. Can we maybe get together to talk, so we can get to know each other better, tomorrow or later this week? And yeah, if you're OK with it, let's call it 'dating.'" She kisses her on the check and smiles warmly.

She seems sweet, actually, but SO repressed! Let's see what she's like once she opens up.

Persephone heads back out and does a quick introduction!
Aug 5, 2025 10:24 pm
"No, no, no, you don’t understand," Benji says, shaking his head. "I’m just one vampire and it took considerable effort on my part not to kill you. Any one of those vampires could and would kill you without batting an eye and I would guess there’s at least fifty of them down there, maybe more."
Aug 6, 2025 10:54 pm
- Emma -

Your doctor is called away —this is A&E, after all— and it feels like a long time that you sit alone with your tears before Dr Johansen comes to see you. He is a dashingly handsome doctor with a swarthy skin and startlingly white teeth.

"How are you feeling?" He asks gently, looking over your chart and trying to get a sense of your emotional state. "We are going to move you to surgery. Do you have any questions?"

An orderly and a nurse wheel your bed out of the examining room and deeper into the hospital.

What do you do?
Aug 6, 2025 10:59 pm
- Persephone -

"Viviana, Norwood." Viv says. "I do boring stuff with computers for banks... and don't ask me to code either, I only did a little in college, but I was young and needed the money."

When you introduce her to Circe —who was standing guard in the middle of the living room, so there was no exit except past her— Circe is friendly and welcoming. "We met the other day at Black Sheep." She says, stretching the definition of the word 'met' to include 'I saw you'.

"Oh, uh... yes. Your sister seems very popular with the staff there." Viviana replies, not meeting Circe's eye.

"I bet she is." Circe says with an impish grin that Viv misses.

"It was nice meeting you." Viv says, still looking at her feet in a way that makes you suspect she would rather have skipped this whole part. "I, uh, have to run..."

Circe glances between your date and the food for two on the counter, looking only a bit sheepish that she disrupted your 'meeting'.

What do you do?
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