dr hans grimm

curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back

[theyoungergrimm]

@gabriel-enchanted

The idea had been to arrive at the cabin, to not raise any suspicions about who he was, and to see if he could find out any useful information about the things which were happening to him. That had all gone flying out the window when he’d placed the mask on his face. It hadn’t been immediate, not quite. At first he had only felt a little light-headed, but quickly that feeling continued to the rest of his body. It had felt as if every step was a struggle to stay on the ground.

Stumbling out of the cabin he had reached for his GPS to make sure he could get back to the facility safely, only to find his hand fading away, his body blurring until it was only light. He spun around looking for the source of this magick, hoping to at least see Micah, but there was no one close by, no one even looking in his direction. There was a pressure at the back of his mind, like if he just knew the right way to reach out he would find something there, but he had no answers. Maybe if he got far enough away from the cabin it would stop, maybe this was all just another dream. He moved forward, feeling as if he was going to float into the sky at any second, too distracted to notice the footsteps nearby.

[theyoungergrimm]

greta-grimm:

Bullshit. That’s what it was. Whatever ‘project’ Hans wouldcall this, there was no reason for him to be wandering the forest at night.Armed or not, it was dangerous, and if his intention truly was to sleepwalk outinto the middle of nowhere for academic purposes, then he could have ordered ateam to follow him to ensure his safety. Greta wondered at times if Hans hadsome sort of death wish, or if he intentionally placed himself in thesesituations because he liked to torment her in his own insignificant way.

Whatever the scenario, she wasn’t going to allow him toremain out here alone. For better or for worse, Greta had to accept that thetwo of them were in this together. If anything happened to him, now of alltimes, the tentative balance of power would continue to shift unfavorably.After such losses, they needed to present themselves as both united, and strongto any who looked in from the outside.

“No.”

Greta stated flatly. Her movements brought her quickly tohis side, somewhere in the back of her mind, Kharon stated the obvious risksinvolved of venturing into the forest, virtually unarmed, but Greta promptlyignored them and silenced the automated creature pending any serious threats toherself or the facility. “I’m not leaving,” Greta reiterated, she could furtherthe point and go on about how nothing was fine, how nothing had been fine forsome time now, but she dismissed the notion from her mind. “You have twooptions, you can accept my help and fill me in on what exactly you’re doing outhere, or you can refuse my help, and have it forced upon you just the same.Decide, Hans.”

His jaw tightened at her words. The way she planted herself in his way, solid and immovable and inconvenient, was beyond irritating. It was how she had always behaved, as if she were entitled to everything she wanted, that she could take anything she wanted from Hans and he wouldn’t be able to say a damn word in his defense. The anger welled up in his chest and then he remembered the night of the solstice, the way she had looked lying on the ground, not breathing, not speaking, nothing. He was still angry, it would take more than this to erase the constant low boil of rage which existed inside of him, but for just a second it was covered by the cold scared feeling that had overwhelmed him that night. He’d thought what he wanted more than almost anything was for Greta to be out of his way, but the chance had been there and it had terrified him.

“I have been having...dreams.” He wasn’t entirely sure if that was the right word for them anymore. They certainly happened while he was asleep, but there was something so solid and real about them, and he remembered them completely when he was awake. “And then I wake up and I’ve walked somewhere else.” He wasn’t about to share how far exactly he had gone, and weighed what else he wanted to tell her. Too much and he risked spilling secrets he had worked hard to fix, too little and she wouldn’t be able to provide any help. As irritating as she was, he couldn’t deny that she was intelligent. “Are you happy?” He turned and continued to walk, half-expecting her to turn back and hide in the facility. Hans didn’t have his dream to guide him anymore, but if he just kept walking in this same direction surely he would stumble across something.

[theyoungergrimm]

erasmusrowe:

Well. It sounded alot like Erasmus was about to get hurt, and then be observed healing from it.He narrowed his eyes, but figured it would end up being something along thoselines. He couldn’t truly expect to go through this without having to deal witha few pushes on his boundaries, but the mention of being strapped down wascertainly threatening to cross the line. Erasmus tensed as the techniciansapproached him, but with great effort managed to ease himself back against thechair and rest his arms at his sides. This would certainly prove more difficultthan he had expected.

No serious harm.He wanted to laugh at that. This was the first time he was make a real effortto trust Hans, and he was hoping now he wouldn’t come to regret it. “Alright.”He said finally. “Let’s just get this bit over with so we can begin.” Erasmusdidn’t like hands on him, especially those from someone he didn’t know, and hisexpression showed it. Eyes were hard as they went from person to person,grunting as they tightened the straps on him to secure him to the chair.

Reverse engineering.He remembered Hans wanting to make a difference, to use the vampire’s abilitiesto benefit those that had suffered the same way he had. It was that reminderthat had him settling down the best he could, his eyes drifting closed as he waitedfor the devices to be placed and secured. “Just no wood.” He stated firmly. “Anythingbut that.”

“Let us know if we need to readjust the straps,” Hans said before closing the door. He settled in his chair and leaned closer to the microphone. “We’re only testing your healing, no need for unnecessary discomfort.” His voice came from two small speakers set up near the ceiling, and he watched Erasmus through the one way glass. Perhaps the setup was a little more imposing than he would have preferred, but it was effective for most of his tests. Being a faceless man with a voice only ever heard through a speaker system was intimidating enough for the majority of his subjects, and it meant that if there were every any escapes they couldn’t point to him directly.

Hans’ eyes skimmed over the data streaming across his monitor from the scanners they’d hooked up to the vampire. The information there was interesting: the slow, almost imperceptible heartbeat, the temperature of the skin, the many other things that separated the vampires from what they had once been. “Can you tell me a little about the effect that wood has on you?” His voice was calm and slightly tinny as it echoed through the speakers. “Have you personally been harmed by it? How does it feel different from ordinary harm?”

His hand came to a halt on the small metal panel in front of him and he flicked the cover open. Doublechecking a chart, Hans entered a few numbers and rested his fingers on the enter. “Alright, trial one.” He pressed the button and watched the jolts of electricity leap from the nodes into Erasmus’ body, leaning forward to watch with interest.

[theyoungergrimm]

maevetuath:

Maeve watched with intrigue as the human emerged from the underbrush. He was…not exactly what she had imagined. Tales of wicked humans and an iron-filled mausoleum painted an image of a grotesque, monstrous creature who preyed upon magicks like a bird with a worm. Both he and his sister were foreigners, and initially disregarded upon their initial settlement. When Maeve had heard of their forthcoming, she laughed in the messenger’s face and shooed him out, finding the whole idea preposterous. Humans, in Arain? The non-enchanter sort? Ridiculous. 

And yet, they had managed to garner something of a reputation with the magicks over a period of time. Maeve heard less and less about the going-ons of their facility, and waived it off as simple misdirection or lack of interest. Her eyes and ears had reported nothing as to what they had seen, and she gave little consideration as to what power they held in the forest. That is until Aibell revealed the actions taken against her sworn protectorate. The very thought of someone worsening the state of her favorite toy was enough to make Maeve’s blood boil with rage.

But that rage had suddenly surpassed. The man before her was far from a shambled gremlin, and instead a classically handsome and well-dressed individual. No doubt he was freezing in his suit, considering the weather was still far from the pique of spring. Maeve could not care less. It was diplomatic, carefully chosen and a well-crafted appearance. It showed respect for her and her position, as well as the importance of their meeting. He stank, as all humans did, but it was something she had learned to overcome with enough exposure. He was fit for a human man, she would admit. Maeve enjoyed the curl of his hair and the glint in his blue eyes. They told a rich story of an intelligent man – one that possessed an enigma which Maeve intended to crack wide open in time, one way or another.

“My reasons for meeting are plain and few. I shall spare you pleasantries and be brief, as is kind in this sort of weather.” She replied, head held high. “First, I believe the most intelligent move for the forest, politically, is to gain an understanding as to what the intentions of other parties may be. Arain is an ancient and revered land of magick, and has not previously been open to your kind for a number of valid reasons…nevertheless, you have settled and are now to be considered a staple of this forest. So, I shall ask you this: What sort of legacy are you hoping to leave here? You shall die much sooner than the rest of us, and I would like to know what you intend to leave behind when that day comes.”

Among his precautions, Hans had brought along a small recorder stashed in one of his jacket pockets. It wouldn’t do anything to protect him, but a record of their conversation would be invaluable afterward. If there was one thing old legends and tales had prepared him for, it was that the fae were tricky. They couldn’t lie, that had been determined through a multitude of tests within the facility’s labs, but that didn’t stop them from having fun with the phrasing of their statements. Hans was no stranger to creative truth-telling himself, a skill which had helped him often in the past and was proving more than useful in the forest. With a recording, he would be able to do an in-depth analysis of every word Maeve spoke. For now, he was only able to run over what she had said in his mind. It was blunt, more forward than he would have expected, but all with an edge of diplomacy to it.

“You’re absolutely right,” he said, looking at her calmly. “I will not live as long as you, no human will. It’s a harsh reality, but it’s also part of what drives my species. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all.” The sun was descending below the trees, a slight halo surrounding Maeve’s shape and sharpening her features with shadows. “I may not be here to see what happens next, but what I learn and what I create will be. I will be the first to admit that I do not know nearly as much about the intricacies of your courts as I would like to, but I have seen in every species I’ve come across a desire for more. To be more. That is what I want, what all of us within the facility want. Science is about forging new frontiers, reaching for knowledge and using that to create something new.” He smiled, the bright and charming smile of dinners and fundraisers, one which promised no end of fun if the other party decided to play along. “And what are your intentions? In the interest of open communication.”

[theyoungergrimm]

arainwisp:

Willow felt heat rise in her cheeks. For him to speak to her in such a way when they were in a sacred space was far beyond infuriating. ❝Yes. What are you doing here? No one comes here.❞ Only August or those who had made a terrible mistake seemed to find their way to such a place. ❝Have you forgotten so quickly that I am not the one that may control you?❞ She practically spat the words. ❝I don’t want to be anywhere near your mind. Not anymore. You were truly wondrous once. Now you hardly know who you are.❞ Sentences poured out even as her feet moved through the grass. The area around her grew even darker in a way that felt almost suffocating. ❝You tell me nothing of the link’s effect on you, but I can only guess that I am not the only one experiencing something from this. Do you feel my pains as I feel yours?❞

Hans was angry most of the time. He’d been angry for years, quiet and sharp and cutting into his lungs. The rage that swelled up inside him at her words was nothing like that, it was a scream, shattering violently and turning his chest hot. Her question went unheard as his head tightened. “No.” He stepped forward, his heart beating rapidly as he did so. “You do not judge me. You do not get to have a problem with the way that I am.” There was a little warning voice inside of him, the one that begged him to be quiet before he revealed too much, before he allowed himself to be weak, but the anger inside of him pushed it down into silence. “You are a monster, you and all the other wisps.” From a distance he could hear his voice beginning to break with every bit of anger and pain he had not allowed himself to express. “You were there. You came to my home and my life while he did what he did to me and you did nothing. You could have taken me away, I prayed for you to do it, but you ignored me and left me in that house with him. I was a goddamn child and none of you gave a shit, so don’t expect me to give one about you.”

There was something wet on his face, tears he hadn’t shed since his mother’s funeral, when his father’s hand had clamped down tight on his shoulder and a growl had ordered him to stop. He reached up and swiped them away, too angry to hate himself for it. Hans was next to Willow now, close enough that he could have reached out to touch her and order her to do whatever he wanted, but he couldn’t bear to reach out and make contact. “I was wondrous? I don’t know who I am? I know exactly who I am, and that is what you let him turn me into. I am what you turned your fucking faces away from and abandoned. If there is anything wrong with me, it’s because none of you cared.”

[theyoungergrimm]

micahtabor:

Micah supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised by something as small as a hand reaching out to hold his own, but it was unexpected nonetheless. When people touched him it was typically either for the sake of violence or for unemotional intimacy, but this, a soft touch just to express appreciation… it was so foreign that for a moment, he was almost disoriented. Micah looked down to their joined hands before blinking back up at Hans, squeezing back very softly after a short moment of dazed hesitation. “You are welcome,” he answered, offering a tiny smile. 

A shapeshifting creature… “Not a guardian, I assume?” Micah had no idea if guardians even possessed the magick needed to do something like this. Werewolves and mermaids certainly didn’t, and they were the only other shapeshifting sort. Unless whatever this was wasn’t a typical life form. It hadn’t felt malevolent enough to be a ghost or a demon of some sort, though. It had been decades since he’d had access to his fathers library, so while he’d spent hours reading about magickal entities when he was younger, it was entirely possible that he was overlooking something obvious. He’d just have to throw himself into research now, that was all. “Don’t worry,” He teased, winking, “We’ll figure it out. You’ve got the best enchanter in the whole forest playing for your team, after all.”

If Micah had been a more sentimental person, he might have thought himself disappointed when Hans finally let go of him. As it was, he lingered for just a moment, missing the warmth of the contact before sliding both of his hands into his pockets, just for something to do with them other than awkwardly hover. 

After a moment, he set to work shuffling through them, drawing out blank talismans and an assortment of crystals. Black tourmaline was what he’d been after most, and he had plenty of them but the amethyst… no, definitely not right for this. Purple agate… he seemed stressed, so maybe that would be a good one, and since he had dragon blood jasper and garnet, he might as well give him those, too. He stared at the rose quartz for a long moment before tucking it back into his pocket with the rest of the nonessential crystals and then set to work reasserting his intent for the crystals, and once satisfied, began giving them to the human.

“Don’t keep the garnet in the room with you when you sleep,” He instructed, passing the small crystal over. “It’s for healing but it’s also for positive energy and revitalization, so leave it in your office or something and then keep it with you during the day. Dragon blood jasper is another healing one, but it’s also for vitality… it might be okay, or you might have to leave it with the garnet. You can try it and see. Purple agate should be fine to keep with you, though. It alleviates stress. Just don’t have the point facing towards your head.” He handed Hans those two as well and then turned to reinspect the black tourmaline. “These are for protection.” He hummed, thoughtful, cast a spell of reinforcement and something to absorb a little damage and passed three over to Hans, keeping the fourth one back for additional spellwork. This one specifically he was going to place an extra charm on. Nothing fancy, but it would signal to him if Hans was actively being hurt. If that happened, he could cast a tracking spell and hopefully find him in time to be of any use. He retrieved the chalk from earlier, crumbling the rest of it into his cut palm, reached around to press his hand back against Hans’ neck absently and then curled his hand around the crystal and cast the spell. 

Instead of one medium sized crystal, he was left with two smaller ones, smooth and circular in shape and flat. His own he attached to the inside of the same bracelet he’d cast the warming spell on, against his wrist. “Bracelet or necklace?” He asked Hans. “You don’t actually have to wear it,” He added, “Just keep it in a pocket or something if you’d rather, and don’t lose it. It’ll let me know if something’s wrong, or you’re being attacked or killed or something.” After recieving the answer, he took one of the blank talismans and used magick to fix it to the crystal before passing it over. 

On the rest of the blank talismans, he cast warding spells, things to help banish those with negative intent and keep the areas they would protect clear. Giving them to Hans, he explained, “Wards. Put them out of sight in whatever spaces you’ll be occupying most. If you end up with extras, I suppose you could keep them on you, but I think it’d be better to have them stationary, so just put them wherever you think they’re most necessary.” 

One thing that both irritated and attracted Hans was how difficult to understand Micah could be. It wasn’t that he was particularly hard to read in any given situation, but the way he changed between interactions was endlessly surprising. That he could go from the disdain and rage that had invaded the facility and lain in wait in Hans’ office to a man offering protection, tentative touches, and nearly shy smiles was practically a research topic all on its own. Hans would need more time to think on this, but there were several things that were clear. Micah had not met his touch with rejection, had in fact hesitated to pull his own hand away, was offering multiple means of protection beyond what had initially been offered, and was even willing to protect Hans in person if at all possible. It was similar to reeling in a fish, in the situation that the fisherman found himself actually liking what was on the other end of the line far more than he’d ever thought he would.

“No, not a Guardian,” he said with a sigh, leaning back on the log slightly and turning up his head to look into the sky. It wasn’t quite a full moon, which he was grateful for, but there was enough light to see clearly by. He’d never much liked the countryside. There were too many memories of home in it. But there were times when a moment of silence out here in the forest felt almost right. It hadn’t started like that, in the first months in Arain he had been filled with wonder and fascination but never a desire to be out on his own. Things had been changing and shifting in his mind though, something out there pulling at him. Not in the same way his dreams pulled, less a sense of longing and more a feeling of finding the place he fit. “It couldn’t be hurt, at least not by bullets.” He shook his head and glanced back at Micah and the crystals he was pulling from his pockets. “The best enchanter?” he asked, voice dry but fond. “Did you win some sort of competition or are you just saying that to impress me?”

He reached out to take the crystals and rolled them over between his fingers as Micah spoke. Even with years of a strong and unshakeable belief in magick, there was still a little part of him that raised a skeptical eyebrow as the idea of crystals and all of the other things which could be found in any New Age occult shop. But he was fairly certain that if Micah was offering them, there was some sort of legitimate magical basis behind the instructions. “Thank you, Micah,” he said again, slipping the crystals into his breast pocket. The black ones he eyed in consideration. He wasn’t sure yet what specific experiments could be run on these crystals, but with an extra or two he could do tests and keep their protection. “Bracelet.” When it was handed to him he rolled up his sleeve and slid it up over his watch, before pushing his cuff back down to hide it carefully. It would only be noticed if someone grabbed him by the wrist, and anyone doing anything of the sort would have a lot more to worry about than jewelry.

“Not that this hasn’t been lovely, but I do have a question.” The words came out softly, with a sense of calm he had been forming since he had begun considering what he wanted to say. It needed to be good, nothing that would push Micah to change his mind about helping Hans or just return to wanting him dead. “Why are you helping me? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it and I do like having you around, but what’s in this for you?” A little risky, but given the things he’d noticed in the last few minutes, Hans was inclined to think it would turn out well.

[theyoungergrimm]

emmareids:

She smiled up at him. She felt a bit like a child honestly, the way she was sitting on the ground, sketchbook in her lap. Though she often sat on the ground, a bit more in tune with nature and uncaring of getting a little dirty than some others. Then again, you had to be slightly okay with such things when you were out and about as much as Emma was. She often traipsed through off parts of forests or other natural locations. Just to get to a far off ruin that she knew was there but wasn’t quite as easily accessible as other places because it was left abandoned for years.

“I know, it’s quite strange isn’t it? I always knew there was more going on in this forest than meets the eye but… I believe there may perhaps even be more than I expected going on here.” It was a mystery, and it was frustrating. Emma didn’t like not knowing things. And more so, she didn’t like being unsure of where to go to the get the knowledge that she sought.

“I’m afraid not… nothing more than the flash that happened, but I do assume you saw that…” She shrugged, it was a hard thing to miss honestly. She couldn’t imagine there were many in the forest who hadn’t seen the light. Plus it was shortly before the mer and vampires had showed up. So - everyone had at least heard about it by now. Of that she was almost certain.

Well. She certainly wasn’t being as interesting as she had been during their first meeting. It wasn’t for a lack of intelligence or a spark of curiosity, the things which made so many of the people Hans had met boring. He had seen them in her before and they were still there now, but they were hidden under a layer of shyness. It was like all the curtains had been drawn shut, keeping out distractions and outsiders, at least as far as he was concerned. That wasn’t an issue by itself. Hans had drawn far more hidden people out of their shells in the past. But whether it would be worth the time was another question. She was definitely a magick of some type, but how helpful she would be in the end remained to be seen.

Hans ran a hand over the top of his hair and stepped closer to the cairn, keeping his ears pricked for the sound of a Guardian on its way. “It’s frustrating,” he said, turning so that he could keep an eye on her without staring directly. “There’s so much to learn here, but it’s all so...restricted. I can see how much can be done with magick, how much it could teach us and create, but there are too many people in this forest determined to keep things as they are.” He laughed softly, a little irritated. “But we need to grow and learn. That’s the point of being alive, isn’t it?”

He took another step forward and was brought to a sudden stop a few feet away from the cairn by some sort of invisible barrier. It wasn’t at all like what kept them trapped in the forest, that was just a stroll that brought you back where you started. This was something solid and immovable. “Was zum teufel ist das?” he muttered, taking a slow step to the side and quickly hurrying as he realized the barrier continued. It didn’t curve around the cairn as he’d initially thought, instead it was circling him and Emma where she still sat. “Did you do this?” he asked, turning to stare at her and slowly sliding his hand down to where he kept his gun hidden.

[theyoungergrimm]

kainanxrowe:

Kainan wasn’t certain what it was about the other that slightly unnerved him, but he found himself standing a little taller and speaking a little more carefully around him all the same. In fact, the easy ‘lead the way’ took him a bit by surprise, he’d expected more difficulty convincing the man of the importance, but he seemed to have come at the right time. Boredom could be a strong motivator. So he wedged himself out of the horrible contraption they were passing as a chair and began to walk down the hall, before turning slightly to keep an eye on the human and think of some form of small talk to pass the small journey. “Could you not hire one of the humans to do the paperwork for you if you find it so mind-numbing? Or tell a vampire. Their boredom threshold is likely much higher.” It was kind of a tease and Kai felt his lips pull in a more genuine amused slant before he hesitated.

“Do you prefer the elevator or stairs?” Taking whichever the other chose, Kai eventually got them down to the dusty room and felt a bit foolish for how simple and mundane a request he had. “I spoke to a few of your staff but no one seemed to know much about this room.” He opened the door and walked in, feeling much of the stifled awkwardness automatically leave his shoulders as he walked closer to the piano to trail fingers across the key protectors. “I would like to ask your permission to do maintenance -is that the word?- on the piano -it is slightly off-tune but I doubt human ears could tell - and in exchange, I would like for my brother and I to have access to it whenever we would like. Can that be arranged? Please?” 

Walking beside Erasmus had helped Hans develop the practice of walking a half step behind someone else, just far enough back to keep an eye on them without trailing too far behind. He doubted that Kainan was going to try anything. If it had been one of the younger vampires he would have been more suspicious, but this one had demonstrated responsibility and control, as well as a willingness to keep the alliance going. And if Hans was somehow wrong about that, multiple defense systems had been developed and quietly installed in the months since the vampires had arrived in the facility. “I would love to have someone else do this particular work for me, but unfortunately being in charge of a facility like this one means that there is some work that can’t be passed off to others.”

They took the stairs down, Hans reluctant to trap himself in an elevator with a vampire, even one like Kainan, and he glance around the small room. It was a bit of a surprise that this was what the other had needed him for, something so small and insignificant. Hans watched as the vampire ran his fingers across the keys, and his mind flickered back to the original construction of the facility. This had been meant to be a way for employees to unwind, take a bit of pressure off and chat and play music or whatever it was they wanted to do. It seemed that things hadn’t quite panned out that way, given the layers of dust that had settled on some of the furniture. “I don’t see why not. Even if you don’t play very well, it’s empty enough in this hall that you wouldn’t bother many people.” 

[theyoungergrimm]

erasmusrowe:

Allowing himself to trust someone like Hans was proving to be a difficult challenge. Erasmus had been easing into it, even opening up a bit to the human and openly supporting his actions towards progress. Taking part in it all posed a threat that Erasmus may not come out of this as anything more than another perished study, his corpse left for the picking of the scientists working the bodies he brought, but he had been repeatedly telling himself that Hans saw more worth in him to avoid that being his fate. He’d protected the human, and hopefully, the same would be done for him as he placed himself in such a compromising position.

The chair in the center of the room made him uncomfortable, as did Hans’ planned exit. The unknown felt like it would swallow him up, but he remained as calm as his blank expression portrayed, moving to the chair that he was motioned to, and taking a seat. Erasmus eyed the two assistants, watching their movements and wondering if they would attempt to strap him down. The term ’uncomfortable’ didn’t seem like it would be much of a hassle to deal with, whatever it was, but Erasmus couldn’t help but to ask. “What exactly is about to happen?”

The list of possible experiments had seemed endless when he’d first sat down after his conversation in the forest with Erasmus. There was so much that he wanted to study, from the weakening effect of sunlight (some sort of photosensitivity, a variant of an allergic reaction?), to the need for an invitation (some sort of psychological effect, some barrier that had been built up?), to the countless other questions he’d scrawled in his notebook since meeting Dahlia. In the end he’d settled on the question that drew him the most, the one ability of magicks that created envy within him above anything else. If there was a chance of experiments stopping after this one, he’d need to research the healing effect as much as possible.

“We’re going to be testing your regenerative abilities,” Hans explained from where he leaned against the doorway. “We know some things, such as the general amount of time it takes to heal from particular types of injuries, but the actual process hasn’t been properly observed. If we can determine what it is about your body that has changed  to allow this behavior, we’ll know more about the differences that have occurred and from there work on reverse engineering this whole situation.” As he spoke, the technicians picked up several of the small scanners and nervously approached Erasmus again. Hans gestured to them. “They need to place these on your body in various locations so that we can observe and record. None of this will hurt you, and we have no intentions of causing any kind of serious harm to you in this test.” He nodded to the straps. “These are sensitive devices though, so it’s important that you remain still, so I do request we allow you to strap you in place. Does all of this sound acceptable?”

[theyoungergrimm]

maevetuath:

A Regal Rendezvous

Closed Para || @theyoungergrimm

It was close. The sun had teased the horizon for nearly an hour, and the chilled air bit at the exposed skin of Maeve’s face. No doubt the flesh of her cheeks was stained pink from the cold. At least she’d look somewhat alive. Some would say the pallor of her features was frighteningly ghost-like, as she often resembled the snow itself. Luckily for her, the centuries of warring left her fairly unmarred; it was difficult to mark one who was as shapeless as herself, after all. 

She wanted to appear presentable for the young Grimm Doctor. Not for any personal reason, but rather as an image of monarchical prowess; a crown of flowers and golden embellishments woven through her braided hair. Even if this was a secret meeting, she would let it be known that she was still a queen, and deserved such respect. She had faith that the younger Grimm would be courteous and cordial. After all, as the younger sibling of diplomatic relatives, personality was often the main factor in remaining out of your elder’s shadow. She knew that far too well, after all.

Even though she felt strength in the winter season and donned a fur lined robe, Maeve grew colder as the sun began to fade beyond the distance. She knew that humans often had difficulty with the concept of time, as it was a very fleeting thing to them, but Maeve knew that a man of great status would never be late, and yet…he may be pushing her patience. What remained, that is.

Her pointed ears perked up at the sound of leaves breaking under heavy footfalls. She inhaled deeply at the sound of an approaching creature while her hand hovered over the gilded dagger at her side. A sense of relief washed over her as the sharp scent of iron hit her nose, reassuring her that the other party had arrived. “Kind of you to show up, Doctor.” She mused teasingly, the words sliding past her lips in a silken voice full of mischief and intrigue. 

After sending the reply, Hans had grown far more cautious. He had been swept up in the moment, in the excitement of meeting with one of the queens, and had looked past the incredible danger he had agreed to place himself in. Perhaps it would have been wisest to go to Greta and David and whoever else he deemed necessary and tell them what was going on, but he could just hear Greta’s condescending tone as she asked what he’d been thinking, how he could have agreed to something, all the while acting as if she was so much smarter than him. 

So instead of doing anything like that, he left a message on his computer to be sent if he wasn’t back within eight hours and packed his coat pockets with some of the tech they’d been developing to combat and defend against magick. The walk was long but he was growing used to the trip out into the forest. His walks to see Micah before so much had changed had been of a similar length, and his sleepwalking excursions had taken him much farther than this.

Through the trees he could see a woman standing there, in clothes so impractical for the scenario that she could only be a fae. With the way she held herself, prouder than even the conceited posture of every fae he’d encountered so far, she was undeniably the queen. “My apologies, your majesty.” The words sounded strange on his tongue, something from a different world. It was odd that he could step from his facility, filled with modern developments and ingenuity and walk into a conversation from an older age. “Thank you again for reaching out to me, there’s been too little conversation in this forest.”

He stopped across from her, glad that he had chosen his best suit and jacket to wear. Diplomacy was as much about how you looked as what you said, and he knew how to look good. It would have been too cold without the gloves he had found in his office one day, some sort of stilted apology from one particular enchanter. He’d been reluctant to wear them at first, but recent developments had led to a willingness to test them, and the warmth they spread through his body was one of the better apologies he’d ever received. “So. What in particular did you want to speak with me about?”

[theyoungergrimm]

dunhamconnor:

@theyoungergrimm

Connor had his right hand on his head, massaging in small circles as he scribbled away with his left. He’d been going for about ten hours straight now, minus the occasional bathroom break and a few quick walks around the room to get his blood flowing. There was a massive list to work on, but for now he was focused on the oxygenation of his wide array of blood samples, testing both blood counts and clotting patterns. It was tedious to say the least, but in the long run it could give him a better idea of the healing and regeneration habits of magicks, and with some more research answer the whys and hows. 

He leaned into his microscope, the end of his pen tapping restlessly on his desk, and that’s when he heard his door open. “If you came to collect my reports from yesterday they’re on the edge of my desk.” He muttered. “If not…just a sec.” He didn’t know who was behind him, but for this crucial twenty seconds of observing, they could wait. 

Clicking his tongue at the finding, Connor jotted down a few quick notes and then spun his chair around, brow raising at the sight of Hans himself standing there. “Oh.” It wasn’t often he was face to face with the man, and it made him wonder if there was something serious he’d come to tell him. “I was just finishing up a few test studies on werewolf blood.” He said as he stood, resulting in a few popped joints from being hunched over his desk for far too long. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

In the midst of the articles and interviews and dismissive comments Hans’ work had received before Arain, there had always been a few who had sought him out. Some had had their own experiences with magicks, others were just looking for something more to study. Those numbers had skyrocketed after the discovery of Arain, with Greta’s involvement making the project more ‘reputable.’ That fact stung a little, so when he had returned after a trip into the forest to see several emails from one Connor Dunham, seeking to work with him specifically, he had been more than a little happy to meet him.

Connor was a good employee, hard-working, intelligent, and willing to do as he was told. What with the consistent disappointment the hunters provide, anyone who was able to do their job and do it well was a welcome member of the team in Hans’ view. He leaned against the doorframe and waited for the other scientist to finish his work. “Evening,” he said, checking that the room was empty apart from the two of them before stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “Glad to see that you’re working hard. I can’t wait to see what progress you’ve been making.” This was true. The development of regeneration and healing study was a project particularly close to his heart, and Connor had turned in several intriguing reports since joining the facility.

“I actually have a bit of a favor to ask you.” He pulled out a chair and took a seat, leaning back with an air of nonchalance and smiling at the other man. “Several weeks back I brought you a few vials of a vampire’s blood. Said vampire has agreed to be a part of future studies, including ones in which I believe you could be quite helpful.” He reached out to pick up Connor’s reports, flicking through them absentmindedly. “Before I say any more, however, the subject has requested their privacy be respected, so if you wish to be involved, I am the only one with which you would be able to speak of this.”

[theyoungergrimm]

emrysofembers:

Emrys’ normally bright eyes glowered down at the thin-framedman, the two stood in juxtaposition of each other, and absently Emrys wonderedwhat business such a person had in the forest. The hunters Emrys hadencountered were built quite differently, they had broad shoulders, and eyes thatheld hues of understanding. “It would not be the first time the bumbling ofyour employers affected us all.” Emrys stated flatly, he could guess that theman was probably more academically inclined than the men and women Emrys hadmet to date. He hoped that would mean the man would be of some assistance, butif sarcastic remarks were all this stranger had to offer, then Emrys would haveno qualms towing a corpse through the labyrinth instead.

“I’ve experienced magick like this before, but not quite onthis scale.” Emrys said as he moved to brush his hand along the frozen wall, hehad a thought, and in the next instance he was crashing the heavy fist of hisright hand against the side of the labyrinth over and over again. Each blow echoed around them and proved justas ineffectual as the last, he heaved again and again, the skin on his knucklessplitting as blood dripped in the snow and ran red against the smooth sheet ofice. Emrys ceased after twenty solid seconds of pounding the wall to run thefingers of his undamaged hand along the wall, finding some satisfaction in thathis first assessment had been the right one.  Seemingly unbothered by the mess he’d made ofhis hand he moved to walk past the scrawny human,  “looks like there’s only going to be one wayout – we have to get moving.”

Hans glowered at his back. Ridiculous of him to call the humans bumbling, when every creature like him in the forest had failed miserably at their one job. The Guardians were there to guard the forest, but every new horrible accident showed just how truly incompetent they were. For a moment, Hans’ thoughts flashed back to the fae who had offered him a deal to dispose of the Guardians, and despite the untrustworthiness that had seeped from the fae, he almost wished he had taken it. He wasn’t foolish enough to say anything of the kind to this Guardian. If the creature didn’t know who he was, Hans wasn’t going to take the initiative to clarify it.

He rolled his eyes in disdain as the Guardian slammed his fist ineffectually against the wall and shook his head. “Well, just walking isn’t going to get us anywhere.” He rested one hand on the wall. “There’s no guarantee this is a simple maze, so just using the right hand method isn’t going to get us anywhere.” He thought back to long nights of studying and then dug into his pockets. “We can use Trémaux’s algorithm.” He pulled a hat from his pocket and looked at it regretfully before beginning to cut it into small squares with his knife. “If you have anything we can leave to mark the path, that would help.” The wind grew louder, almost sounding like a high voice calling out and growing steadily closer.

[quoted-books]

Monsters are bad things, but monsters that do not walk and talk like monsters are the worst.

Matthew Dicks, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend (via quoted-books)

[theyoungergrimm]

Hans glanced from the note to the large black bird that had delivered it to his window, pecking and scratching insistently until he had finally undone the locks. Now it perched on the windowsill, staring at him with dark eyes while he stood at a safe distance, ignoring the slight itch in his nose. After his third time reading over the words, barely able to believe what he had been given, he turned and went to sit at his desk.

It was too good to be true. A chance to meet with one of the Fae queens, something he had wanted since arriving in the forest, and the chance to do so before Greta was able to insert herself in the situation? Of course there was danger here. Many of the inhabitants of Arain could crush Hans if they chose to, but the High Queen of the Unseelie would have no trouble at all. This could easily be a trap of some sort. But the draw of the opportunity was too strong, tugged too firmly at the pieces of Hans that had longed for the fairies from the stories to appear. He bit the inside of his cheek and glanced at the door before shaking his head and adjusting his glasses. 

Picking up a pen, he wrote out a quick response before he could talk himself out of it. Standing, he folded the paper and handed it to the raven, wincing a little as it cawed and flapped its wings at him before taking the note delicately between its claws and vanishing into the trees. With a sigh, Hans slid the window shut and locked it again, a slight smile on his face.

[theyoungergrimm]

sorinvikare:

The night was young and though the majority of the Strix were already out and about, Sorin had yet to make it past the chapel doors. Currently, he was perched lazily in his favorite spinny chair- he’d been considering dragging it back to the chapel for ages, and he’d finally done so. Nobody had questioned him. By now, most of the humans knew better than to bother, because most of the time whatever he was doing was relatively harmless and it wasn’t like he was going to listen to them anyways so there was no point. 

He didn’t have any plans for the night yet. He could have visited Harper, maybe, or David, or perhaps he could venture outside the GRF and see what was happening elsewhere, but he’d had enough adventuring lately. He was content to remain on home turf. Maybe it was divine intervention when entertainment came to him instead, in the form of a brave (or maybe foolish) human waltzing in to the chapel like he owned the place. Which, Sorin realized upon his introduction, he did.

“Oh, hey,” Sorin drawled, his spinning coming to a halt. “Who ordered takeout? I call first dibs.” He shot the human an amused grin, not truly having any intention of trying to snack on him- he knew the people at the GRF were supposed to be strictly off- limits, and the Grimm siblings even more so. “Just kidding,” he added, because he’d learned that most of the humans in the facility were stuffy people with no sense of humor who seemed to be looking for an excuse to start waving around wooden stakes. “What’s up?” He asked. “You need a bodyguard or something? Am I finally gonna get a uniform? Or did David send you?” He rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. “David is un copil mic. You can’t trust anything he says.” 

The joke caused his eyebrows to raise, but instead of glaring or bolting for the door, Hans just smiled slightly. If there had been any doubt in his mind before about which vampire this was, he was completely sure after that. Safety wasn’t much of a concern, really. Willow would heal him and any vampire that even attempted an attack on him would be the catalyst for a great deal of trouble in the facility, and from what he had seen there weren’t many who would be willing to do that, even if only for Amalia and Henrik’s sake. Hans stepped walked down the few steps from the doorway and glanced around. He’d only been in the chapel once since it had been built, wandering in by accident while reading a report. It was different now- dark, with signs of life (or unlife) scattered about.

“No need to worry about David,” Hans said, waving one hand in a slight dismissive motion. “He’s a little tightly wound. Though you aren’t helping with that much. We all have to deal with the aftermath of your pranks.” A slight laugh, and then he stopped in front of the vampire. “Sorin, yes?” He held his hand out to shake. “But no, I’m only here to talk. I find you and your clan very interesting and I would love to learn more if you have the time.”

[theyoungergrimm]

micahtabor:

“You’re welcome.” Micah nodded sagely. “Best wine I’ve found in this entire forest. I suppose I’ve lived in worse places than here too, but none that I’ve ever been incapable of walking away from whenever I wished.” Unless you counted his father’s home- but hadn’t he done exactly that, when all was said and done? Sure, it had been a much more complicated event than simply walking away but that’s what it had all come down to in the end. 

“It’s symbolic, I suppose,” Micah answered absently, giving a slightly distracted grin. Hans’ questions were part of what made his company fun. He wasn’t sure who else would have asked such a thing, significance of the location. “You’re being called towards something, yes? What drives you, the heart or the mind? What’s being affected most? Best to cover both bases in case, though I’d wager it’s not the heart. But,” He laughed, “I wouldn’t be surprised if blood from anywhere would work just as well. When I take magick from someone, there needs to be a blood exchange. I like to use the throat, but there’s no reason an arm shouldn’t work just as well, in my opinion… less lethal to cut an arm, though, so looking at it from a standpoint other than purely in the interest of magick and how it works, the throat is best. But in this case I’m not trying to take any magick from you, I’m just trying to detect whether or not it’s there. Anyways, I suspect there are quite a few fancy extra steps we enchanters take in spells that we don’t absolutely have to. This could be one.” Or, maybe it wasn’t. Though he refrained from saying so to his current company, Micah was of the opinion that no matter how deep one delved into studying magick there would forever remain a layer surrounding it that science couldn’t explain. "May as well go all out, hm?”

He watched closely as Hans followed his instructions. “Close to the base of your skull, but not past the hairline,” He instructed, once the human was done with the one over his heart and reaching for his neck.  He accepted the chalk, drawing a few tiny sigils on his fingertips before tucking the chalk safely into a pocket and picking up the knife. He cut into his palm, a more than familiar action by now, deeper than he had to for this spell out of simple habit. “Alright,” He said. “It won’t hurt or anything. I’m not certain what you’ll feel, if anything, but there’s no reason it should hurt. Please don’t talk until I’m through. It shouldn’t take too long, but I’m going to be concentrating.”

With that, Micah wrapped his hand around the back of Hans’ neck and began reciting the spell, utilzing pieces of the one he used when draining magick and one that was used by healers to isolate and identify curses and hexes. Hopefully it would be enough for him to see whether any magick was going on and maybe even be able to tell if it was fae or enchanter in origin, but like he’d told Hans earlier, anything more in depth than that and he’d need to gather some materials and perhaps even make a circle. He hadn’t been speaking loudly, more of a whisper than anything, and soon enough even that was over with, silence falling between them.

He’d never had to cast anything quite like this before. It was weird, to be poking around, linking himself to someone in such a way but having no intention of drawing their magick away for his own use. He’d certainly never done anything like this with a human. There was an obvious absence of the magick he was familiar with, but… there was something. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever felt before, and he wasn’t sure what it was. He wanted to pull at it, to investigate, wanted to solve this mystery no longer to simply help a friend but to sate his own curiousity. The spell wasn’t quite what he needed to be able to do that, though, and the runes he’d drawn kept him from trying. 

After a moment, he decided there was nothing more for him to find out and he pulled away, severing the spell and the connection between them. He simply stared at Hans for a moment, and then he reached for the wine, taking a long drink and trying to organize his thoughts and clear his head, looking to the side. “There was magick,” He said, finally. “But it felt… weird. I suppose it could feel different from usual if it had been placed there and it wasn’t… native, or what have you, but I don’t… there’s no way it was anything from an enchanter, I can tell you that for sure. The problem is that it doesn’t feel right for a fae, either.” Micah was mystified. He’d felt the magick in countless enchanters, knew how to recognize what came from his own species, but he’d felt the magick than ran through the bodies of a fair number of fae as well and none of their magick had felt anything like that. “But what other options are there?” It wasn’t something he expected to recieve an answer to, a question directed to the world around them as much as it was to himself or to Hans.

He made a frustrated noise, scrubbing the back of his hand over his face. Maybe he was just drunk. Maybe it was an odd branch of magick, maybe the spell was distorting things, maybe, maybe, maybe. There were still far too many variables. But one thing he was sure of. “It didn’t feel as if it were residing there with malicious intent… so it’s not a curse. Not yet, at least, or not directly.” And that only brought up more questions. “I’ll have to gather materials and we can meet whenever you’d like to try and pinpoint exactly what’s going on here. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more right now. But at least now we know that whatever is going on, there is some sort of magick at work.”

He fell quiet a moment, mind still tripping over itself. “Have you had any especially weird encounters lately? With a creature that didn’t seem quite right, or with someone who was acting  bit off? Anything that left a lasting impression? I…” He exhaled, shooting Hans a look. “I don’t like this. Do you want me to give you some protective charms, or cast something defensive on you? I’m not sure what else to do.” Micah frowned. He genuinely couldn’t remember the last time he’d tried to protect anyone other than himself or Gabriel (or the dog). It had probably been… hell, it had been years. Decades, even, back before he’d killed his parents. To be offering it now was… it was almost unsettling, and he didn’t know why he was. He didn’t know why he wanted to, only that he did.

There were times when a scientific approach to magick became frustrating, when the phrasing seemed ridiculous and vague, as if magick users were somehow decades behind the rest of the world. The fact that there was a spell based on the erroneous idea that the heart had anything to do with emotion would have been enough to cause a tremendous eyeroll in any other situation. Despite the foolish nature of the statement, Hans couldn’t help the warmth in his chest at Micah’s belief that Hans was driven by the mind. He’d been too often dismissed or ridiculed under the belief that he did not follow logic and rationality, that he was too driven by emotion and what he wanted to believe. For a brief moment he thought how strange it was that the person who somehow seemed most able to understand him had been in Hans’ office only a few weeks before intending to kill him. “Rather unscientific of you,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “We could actually work to figure out which steps are of value by removing variables-”

He was cut off at the feeling of Micah’s hand on his neck and it took everything in him not to pull away from what could only be described as germ-ridden and disgusting. Presumably the enchanter had some way to keep diseases from spreading this way, or he would have died long ago from exchanging blood with his victims. He schooled his wince into a more neutral expression and focused his attention on Micah’s expression. In a weird way this felt like visits to the doctor as a child, sitting on the edge of a bed and waiting to hear if he was healthier than he’d been the last time or if something horrible was happening. Of course, no doctor’s visit had ever felt like this, like there was something inside of him reaching out and being held by some force. As he watched he could see a glow in Micah’s eyes, fainter than the one which had been there in the field that night, but clearly similar. Hans bit back the questions, remembering Micah’s warning, and when the enchanter pulled away he blinked.

The news that there was definitely some sort of magick at play made Hans almost dizzy with relief, likely would have even if Micah hadn’t said it wasn’t a curse. He hadn’t realized how strong the fear was that every word ever said about him would be right, that he was a madman blindly stumbling down some path with nothing but shame and regret and death at the end of it. But he was sane. It wasn’t his fault. Almost unconsciously he reached out to hold Micah’s hand in his own and squeezed it. Gratitude was a rare feeling for him but right now it was bright inside him. “Thank you.” At the enchanter’s question he frowned, searching through his memories for anything that could have done this to him. A thought occurred, but he was hesitant to mention it, afraid of where the story could lead. But if there was any possibility that Micah would be able to figure it out.. “There was a creature of some sort that appeared around the Solstice, one that could shift forms but... it felt different than this.”

He glanced down and realized he was still holding onto Micah’s hand and pulled it away, running his hand through his hair and sighing. He missed the contact, oddly enough, but things were more complicated here. Every move had to be so carefully calculated, and that went double with this enchanter. Hans wasn’t one to admit to lacking anything but if he listened to the tiny voice of honesty in him, there were very few people in the forest who gave a damn about him. He couldn’t afford to do anything that might push away one of that tiny number, and being too forward, too needy, could do exactly that. Weakness had no value. The offer of protection came as a surprise and he glanced back over at him. 

“That would be-” he took a moment, looking for the words. “I would appreciate anything that might help.” It was possible that giving him more permission to cast spells on Hans was a bad decision, that any sort of talisman or charm could be a way of spying on the facility or worse, but when he thought about it Micah wasn’t in the habit of lying to him. Not that there had never been any points of tension - that morning in his office returned to mind - but even there, Micah had been honest about his thoughts and intentions. It was an odd realization and Hans tilted his head, looking at the other. 

[lair-du-vent]