snake skin, snake sin

I have, actually. I found out a few things concerning the amount of oxygen molecules your hemoglobin can carry, which tends to be four or five, slightly higher than average people.

Can you roll up your sleeves please? [She pulls out a needle and begins prepping it along with the other equipment.]

[He obliges reluctantly.] Which allows us to what, do things more efficiently than other people?

Oh, um - I’m checking your white blood cells to see what it is that causes them to heal you faster.

I mean, I was going to tell you anyways. It’s not a secret and it’s your blood so you deserve full disclosure.

Guess I beat you to it. I don't suppose you found anything useful.

Only about a small needle full.

Fine. The sooner we get this over with, the better. But let's skip the meaningless chit chat. I want to know what you're planning to do with it.

I only need a small sample of it, is that okay?

How small is small?

todd-campbell

A Stifling Fear || Todd & Gabriel

It was an accident. He knew it was. The shattering of the glass jar that held all of those important, extremely expensive murtlap tentacles. Todd intentionally looked away as he cleaned up the mess he’d made. It wasn’t his fault. He knew it wasn’t. Silvia had called for him, and he’d turned, and the jar had slipped out of his hands and smashed across the cold cement floor. Some water had collected on the outside of the jar from the cool air of the shop, but still. He’d made a mess of important potion ingredients when sales had already been down for the month. Todd didn’t usually make this many messes, or make any at all. Before the attack he didn’t have the nervous jitters or have to look behind his back to see if anything was there. It was easier when he could pretend things were fine. When things were fine.

Silvia shushed his multiple apologies when Todd reached the counter and dumped the ruined ingredients in the rubbish bin. “I don’t want to hear any more sorry’s from you. You do more than enough to help here.” Todd tried to apologize again anyways, and she placed a frail hand on his shoulder, a smile creasing her face. “Maybe you should take a break. Go get yourself something to eat; you look pale.”

He nodded obediently, he had a hard time resisting her words of advice when he knew it was she that had done so much to help him. To save him, in some cases. Todd’s thoughts reminded him of the jar he’d let slip, the way sweat had pooled at the back of his neck when the customer asked for them. The way their fangs poked out from their teeth, their polite - but equally deadly - smile. Todd shook his head, thinking that if he did it violently enough he might kill the braincells that had to do with the memory of the night he was attacked. Of the vampire that attacked him.

Todd made his way out of the Galipot, feeling increasingly anxious the farther he walked away from it. Sweat was again sliding down his neck, underneath his armpits and across his forehead. He felt clammy and ill, and suddenly, very dizzy. He turned into the nearest ally and leaned against the cold brick wall, hunched over with his hands on his knees. He was breathing heavily, tears forming in his eyes for some unknown reason. Todd kept breathing, rapid short breaths that made his head light and uneasy. He felt a hand - cool and hard against his hot, sticky skin - touch his shoulder gently, and the contact was enough to scare him into taking a deep breath and he held it, and passed out.

#p: a stifling fear #bc: todd

He walked alone. But then again, he always walked alone at night, making his way through the street with his hood pulled over his head. To readily attract unwanted attention to yourself was plain stupidity. Even he was smarter than that, and he held no claims in regard to his own intelligence, because intelligent people kept their wand somewhere they had easy access to it. A sudden urge had flashed through his brain before he left his dingy flat, telling him to leave it at home, and for some subconscious reason even unknown to him, he had obliged it. Gabriel knew he was fully capable of protecting himself if the need arose he had werewolf abilities and auror training to thank for that but it was safer all the same to avoid making a scene. Besides, he quite enjoyed slinking around, catching glimpses of other people while they glimpsed nothing of him back in return; it was a good trade.

It was one of the few times he'd been given the day off. Gabriel had messaged his father a couple of days in advance, asking him if he'd wanted him to come visit, but his father had sent back a hasty reply, saying that he didn't need anyone to take care of him and that Gabriel was better of staying where he was, so he'd spent the day brewing more Wolfsbane potion. After having done it so many times, one would think that he had it perfected down to an art, but if he let his attention stray for even half of an hour, some component would fail horribly and turn the potion into a failure. He'd read a bit of old literature, updated his supply of Wolfsbane it was always better to have more at hand just in case something went wrong, and had then gone out on his own. All in all, it had been a good waste of a day.

Taking a left at the next intersection of the narrow, winding street, he noticed someone stumbling past into another smaller alleyway. Gabriel didn't think too much of it at first. After all, it was likely that someone had simply had too much to drink and was now suffering the consequences they well deserved. But instead of the muttering, singing, or the groaning incoherence that usually followed drunken stumbling, all he heard was sharp intakes of breath, alert, as if whoever it was was having trouble breathing. Frowning, he shook it off before he heard the heavy thump from behind him, and he hesitated before reluctantly turning around to find out what had happened. Ironically, Todd Campbell, the one who had given him the ingredients to brew his Wolfsbane, lay passed out in the alleyway. Taking a whiff as he walked up to him, Gabriel noticed Todd didn't smell of spirits at all not that he had expected him to, anyway. He leaned forward, shaking Todd's shoulders, but still, no response. Scanning his body a couple of times for his wand strangely, he ended up finding that it was placed behind Todd's ear he withdrew it and conjured a non-verbal stream of water, splashing Todd in the face.

You better not be. Surprisingly, I wasn’t talking about you though. I was referring to people at work.

And they've designated you as their nanny.

You know I can tell when you’re lying, right?

I lie plenty, but I wasn't lying about that.

Sounds good. Im afraid I didn’t catch your name what was it?

#gc: rose #yes #them blues

Probably because I never offered it. It's Gabriel.

I always am. This includes your messes too, mister.

Me? There must be a mistake, then. I don't make messes.

So I take it you aren’t the biggest fan of the ministry.

You can take it whatever way you want.

#gc: rose

You really think the Daily Prophet actually publishes news?

but if I actually did eat dogs I think that would be pretty news worthy.

When I say news, I'm being liberal.

#gc: rose

Why can’t anyone clean up after themselves?

Stuck doing dirty work?