003

[wavesofjade]

I Would Like Anyone - Student Or Staff - To Pay The Hospital Wing A Visit Should They Still Be Suffering Any Ill Effects After The Events Of Last Week.
I Understand That This Has Been A Highly Distressing Time For Some Of You.
I Cannot Heal That Kind Of Pain As Much As I Would Like To But It Is Often Said That A Friendly Ear For Your Troubles May Work Wonders.
Please Do Not Hesitate To See Me If You Should Have Need Of Someone To Speak To Confidentially.


[Filtered to Murdoc Donoghue]
Well, Now.
That Was Exciting Wasnt It?
I Trust You Have Returned To Your Usual Self Now.

Comments

[wavesofjade]

I don't mind.

[Dolores smiles wanly, and her voice lowers slightly to avoid any chance of being overheard]

It wasn't long after Simon died. I.. suppose you might say that I fell in with a bad crowd - cliché, I know, but that was the short of it. I met a vampire, called Daniel.

[She pauses and chuckles]

At least, he said his name was Daniel. Vampires have an astonishing ability to.. alter your perception of things, and it only becomes stronger as we age. He had me convinced that turning me would give me more time to make up for my mistake. In a way, he was right.. but it wasn't clear to me at first. I was so.. so angry, Philip, when I realised the full scope of what he'd done to me. I moved away from my parents, and I will admit that I had every intention of ending my existence..

[There's another smile, softer]

Then I met Salvador.

[thegluethatbinds]

[He nodded sombrely. To be honest, while he would never regret saving that little girl's life, the change in his entire life had been a source of much stress and, as much as he tried to stifle it, anger towards his circumstances. Dolores is right; he really isn't the type to let things he can't control rile him up. But what she didn't know is exactly how much he lost, how much his world had been tipped over upside down by that one night.

Not the sort of thoughts you'd want to have on a full moon, which might explain his slightly worse state today.]

Professor Vantas?

[wavesofjade]

[She nods]

That's right. He was eight years old, when I first met him.

[thegluethatbinds]

[A dry chuckle.] It seems like half the Hogwarts staff knew each other from young.

[wavesofjade]

I knew Salvador, and his brother Kankri, from many years ago.

[Her voice sticks a little when she says Kankri's name, but she continues speaking]

I met Sybille when I worked at St. Mungo's.

[thegluethatbinds]

[Kankri...that was the name of Salvador's dead brother, wasn't it? Coulson decides to pursue that topic no further, turning instead to yet another staff member who has popped up in Dolores' past.]

How did you meet her? Was she injured?

[wavesofjade]

She was.. It was an injury from her job. Ah.. she saw through me far too easily.

[thegluethatbinds]

[Unless Sybille worked with vampires on a daily basis, the only other occupation that might've helped her figure out Dolores' nature would probably be one in the Defence against the Dark Arts line. The fact that she was in for an injury further pointed to a job that required some action.

Coulson nodded; it seemed that Murdoc wasn't the only other member of the staff that might've been an Auror.]

It must be a comfort to you to have so many of your friends working in the same place.

[wavesofjade]

[Dolores laughs and then presses two fingertips to her lips, letting out a small, pleased-sounding hum]

It is, very much so. Some of them.. do not yet know of my condition, however.

[Sal, she thinks, is in denial]

[thegluethatbinds]

Have you ever felt the need to tell them?

[wavesofjade]

Of course.. but the question is often 'how'.

[She sighs]

I informed Murdoc of it, after the Inquisitor arrived. Sybille is aware, as is Rhys, and yourself. Salvador.. I know that he's intelligent enough to suspect something. I haven't aged a day since we met.

[thegluethatbinds]

It's definitely not something to be taken lightly.

I haven't figured out how to tell the rest of them either. I'm not even sure I want them to know. Being a werewolf isn't something I'm ashamed off, but it isn't exactly something I'd like to broadcast to the world.

[wavesofjade]

[A small sound of acknowledgement leaves her, and she's quiet until they reach her quarters. She pushes the door open and moves inside, murmuring a few spells to light candles and torches, then she turns to him with a smile.

So few people had been in here, simply because she spends all of her time at the hospital wing, with very little need to sleep. It's very simply decorated, but there are little trinkets here and there to make it feel more homely]

Can I get you anything?

[thegluethatbinds]

[He takes a quick look around, before he looks back at her and shakes his head. The flames from the candles almost seem to be glowing in the dark, like fireflies in the night. It provides a very comfy atmosphere.]

No thank you Dolores.

[wavesofjade]

I'll have some tea, if you don't mind. Please, make yourself comfortable.

[Dolores moves off to the kitchen area and hums softly to herself while she makes a drink. If Coulson is listening closely to the ambient sound in the room, he might hear a quiet rustling coming from a covered box by the window. If he investigates, he'll find three fruit bats looking back at him]

[thegluethatbinds]

[Bats. He's not too surprised, but at least they don't seem to be aggressive. There's a small quirk at the corner of his mouth as he contemplates how one of them looks suspiciously like a co-worker back from his WAND days.]

[wavesofjade]

[When she returns with a cup held between both hands, she can't help but let out a soft chuckle at his interest. She crosses to him, and leans down to peer inside the box at her little pets]

This one is Zephyr, this is Shade, and this one here is Scirocco.

[thegluethatbinds]

Zephyr, Shade and Scirocco. Interesting names. Have you had them for long?

[wavesofjade]

[She smiles]

A few years now, they're still babies, really.

[Not really, but since her last bat lived to be over thirty, she can't help but think of her new ones as babies]

Would you like to hold one? They're quite tame.

[thegluethatbinds]

If you don't mind. I can't say I've ever held a tame bat before though.

[wavesofjade]

[Dolores sets her cup aside, and opens the box, reaching in. She doesn't have to even grab hold of one of the little creatures as they all shuffle towards her, and she brings out the one who makes it first, holding it gently]

Zephyr, this is Philip. Don't worry, he won't bite.

[It's hard to say if that last statement was meant for Coulson or the bat, but she offers it over to him]

[thegluethatbinds]

[He chuckles slightly, before he carefully cups his hands together to hold the fluffy thing. He had never expected a bat's fur to be so soft. The leathery wings hold around Zephyr's body as the bat peers up at him.]

Are they usually this docile?

[wavesofjade]

[She looks pleased, and smiles up at him, giving a small shake of her head]

They were hand-reared, so they have no fear of humans. It means they can never be released into the wild, but I make sure to give them the best quality of life that I can.

[thegluethatbinds]

Hmm.

[A thumb brushes against Zephyr's warm body, and the bat squeaks up at him, maybe to showcase his displeasure? In response, he obliges and loosens his hands slightly, allowing the bat a little more leg room to stretch out.]

Do you normally keep bats as pets?

[wavesofjade]

[She chuckles softly at Zephyr's displeased squeaking, and runs one fingertip gently between his ears]

Since I was a child. My parents wanted me to get an owl.. but I wanted a bat. I remember I was quite petulant about it.