Nor blush if o'er your heart be stealing / A love for things that have no feeling :

[hisheartsdesire]

WHO: Toby, Dorian, and Lucy.
WHERE: In Dorian and Toby's apartment, Maurtia Falls Gov't Apartment Complex.
WHEN: The night of May 6, after this.
WHAT: Everyone wants to find out what the hell happened to Toby.
WARNINGS: To be updated if necessary.

Things are all more or less in place. Toby has promised Lucy that he won't let Dorian be cruel to her, and he's already requested that Dorian behave himself. Now, it's a matter of checking if there's anything physically wrong with him, and it won't be long before Lucy arrives.

So right now, Toby is sitting on the sofa, fingers idly drumming its side with one hand while the other handles a glass of whiskey.

Comments

[brushoff]

Dorian's in the kitchen pouring himself a drink—gin and tonic. He's got a feeling he's going to greatly need this after dealing with Lucy Pevensie, someone who his relationship with is testy at best. He told Toby he'd behave, and he'll behave! Though, it might kill him a little in the process. God, he doesn't like Lucy.

So don't mind Dorian as he pours a little too much gin in his g&t. There's a pause, before he grabs another glass.

"Lucy doesn't drink, does she?"

[illuminescent]

Lucy, meanwhile, is standing at the door, staring at it for a moment, taking a breath. Lately, every time she sees Dorian Gray, she feels the need to steel herself. Dealing with him is tiresome at best and loathsome at worst, and there is no telling which one she'll suffer with on any given day.

She knocks, carefully, and waits. If it were only Toby, she would just open the door. But there's no winning with Dorian, so it was better to just stick with her most mannered self.

[hisheartsdesire]

After a few moments of quietly considering Dorian's question, "You know, I'm really not sure. Though I doubt she's as casual a drinker as either of us."

Then there's a knock on the door, and Toby rises to answer it. Heading over, he glances at Dorian with a pleading expression—you will cooperate, won't you?

"Hello, Lucy. Thanks you for your help," he says before stepping aside and gesturing for her to come in. "Is there anything you need before we start?"

That and, how do we start? Obviously the medical field has come a long way since the 1700s.

[brushoff]

Dorian takes that pleading expression and files it away. Once again, Toby's reminding him to be nice, to behave...urrrrrrgh.

As Lucy enters the apartment, Dorian just takes a quick swig of his gin and tonic. Steel yourself already, buddy. "Care for a drink?" he asks, smothering his vitriol under forced pleasantness.

[illuminescent]

"No, nothing, but if you'll sit, please," she says, pleasantly enough, or, at least, without any malice. She looks over at Dorian, eyebrow raised.

How one man who is so kind can love one so vile, she can't claim to understand it. But she behaves. Says nothing that could be rude. "No, thank you."

[hisheartsdesire]

Having only greeted one another, the awkward tension between them seems already to have increased exponentially. Like they could feel each other walking on egg shells. But Toby is determined to get checked up, and he's certain Dorian has no intention of leaving him after the incident went up on the network.

"Of course," he answers while shutting the door behind him. "Would the sofa be all right, or is a sturdy seat better?"

You know, the same sofa that Toby and Dorian have had sex on how many times now? But no one really thinks about that sort of thing when they visit, do they?

[brushoff]

Dorian leaves the kitchen, glass in his hand, as he just watches. He doesn't really see any way he could be useful in this scenario—he can't really help make Toby feel better and he can't help Lucy out with whatever she's doing (it's her power, isn't it?)

So, Dorian walks into the living room, leaning up against the wall as he watches Toby and Lucy, ready to spring into action if either of them need him.

[illuminescent]

She shakes her head, because it doesn't really matter. She's already looking him over, taking her bag out and opening it. She learned basic modern nursing - reflexes and heart rate and other things one gets done at the doctor's office, but she doesn't take out anything that would involve his blood pressure or his heart.

She knows better, at least. "Wherever you are most comfortable, please."

[hisheartsdesire]

"The sofa, then," Toby says with a few nods before they make their way to the living room.

There, he situates himself on the sofa and wonders about asking for an ultrasound as Mister Erik Lensherr had suggested. Unsure of what else to do, he rests his arms at his sides, the fingers of one of his hands softly scratching at a sofa cushion. Should he ask what Lucy is going to do, should he ask the procedure for unusual scenarios?

He clearly has questions on his mind but isn't sure about vocalising them.

[brushoff]

As Toby makes his way to the sofa, Dorian follows, brushing past Lucy without even looking at her. Petty? Absolutely. But Toby didn't want them to fight, he's going to try his hardest not to fight. And if not talking to Lucy is the simplest way to do so...well, he's up for that.

Sitting down on the couch, Dorian squeezes Toby's hand a little, trying to be sympathetic more than anything else. "You've got this." He doesn't know what else to say, but he can at least be reassuring.

[illuminescent]

Either Lucy doesn't notice or Lucy doesn't care. She's moving into Toby's space, her thumbs feeling at his pulse points, her frown growing a bit, but not because something's wrong, but because nothing feels wrong.

She looks at him, and holds his hand. "You may feel a bit warm."

She lets her power loose, the warmth of it like the sun - and maybe for someone who hasn't felt the sun in ages, it's odd and strange. But it's going through him, pressing against his skin, and if Dorian is still holding his hand he feels like he pulses with the heat. It will last longer than a second, longer than a few minutes. It will last almost an entire hour, before his skin fades to cold again.

[hisheartsdesire]

At Lucy's words, Toby nods and nervously swallows. Because while warmth could easily be life and nourishment, it's more readily associated with the sun and death and normalcy of being human. He still can't forget what it was like being in prison, his powers nullified, and noticing Dorian's obvious discomfort at him being plain and utterly human.

Then he feels the warmth going through his body, and it's very strange but not nearly as terrifying as Toby feared. His now-warm hand squeezes Dorian's back, and it's quite possible Dorian recalls the warmth of the sun going through Toby's body that fateful day on the beach in Whitby. Unlike back then, he's not burning up; his skin isn't charred, blistered, or flaking.

The way he is warm now isn't anything like being a human, but it also doesn't seem harmful or dangerous. Unfortunately, this warmth cannot return what is missing—it cannot repair a body that isn't injured and has everything intact. It cannot repair the broken bond between a sire and a fledgeling who has turned into dust.

[brushoff]

Dorian feels the warmth through Toby's hands and he can't help but frown a little. It's worrying, feeling Toby so warm. It's a sign that Toby is human or, worse, Toby is dying. He can't help but think of the time back on the beach, of Toby burning up in the sun, and it just makes Dorian even more guilty that he hasn't told Toby about what truly happened back home.

It's a guilt that he's going to end up taking out on Lucy.

"Is that heat really necessary?" he can't help but ask, giving Lucy a frown. He knows that him asking this would seem utterly strange to Lucy but dammit, warmth has an entirely different connotation when you're dealing with vampires. "Surely you can control your powers better."

messing up tag order just for ic interjection

[hisheartsdesire]

"Dorian, please," Toby chides his lover, giving him a look. One that says something like Not right now. If you want to argue after the fact, do it later, out of my sight and earshot.

[illuminescent]

She pulls her hand back, and looks a bit annoyed. "That is how my powers work," she explains, and stands up. "If you are still not well, Toby?" she asks, and thinks, no. This merits a hasty getaway, but she's disinclined to go back on any word given, so she stands ramrod straight and does not make to leave.

[brushoff]

Dorian receives that look loud and clear. And, as Toby gives him the glare, Dorian can't help but settle further into the sofa, pulling away from Lucy and practically pouting. It is not dignified. But hell, he's fully aware that Toby's look is pure 'stop that and behave.' So, he simply sits and waits, being quiet as he borderline sulks.

[hisheartsdesire]

Shaking his head when he turns to Lucy, "It's n—I don't feel especially different... Just. Warmer..."

Still, that doesn't mean they should give up. Lucy does work at the clinic, and she does have her bag here. So perhaps...

"Can you tell, or is there any way to check if my insides are all right?"

[illuminescent]

She quiets, and sighs a little. "You are not like other people. I could not say if what is ordinary for you is ordinary for others," she explains. Inside. She could give him a full workup, but it might not tell her anything. "But if you wish me to, I could try and see what passes for normal. But my power is inclusive. It would not miss something physical."

Meaning she doesn't necessarily think anything is wrong with him.

[hisheartsdesire]

"I see." Toby thinks things over for a few moments.

Not to say he doesn't trust Lucy's judgement, but he is quite curious about what passes as normal for him. After all he hasn't seen a doctor since... well, he'd never really seen a doctor to any degree of regularity before Ivor turned him. Until his vampire heart attack or whatever it was hardly an hour earlier, it never really seemed important to learn about his physical body. It can recover from injuries, especially after feeding. Exposure to sunlight can cause severe to fatal damage. Those are the only things he's really needed to know—that is, until tonight.

At the same time, Toby doesn't want to prolong anyone's discomfort. And right now, any of them could cut the tension with a knife. With that in mind, Toby rises from his seat. "I have no reason to doubt you. Since you didn't find anything wrong, then surely there isn't anything wrong. Thank you, Lucy. I didn't mean to trouble you this evening..."

That both Dorian and Lucy had to endure one another's presence is more than enough trouble for all of them. Yet as much as Toby would prefer to escort Lucy home, it probably would really irritate and upset Dorian even more. Besides, he'd promised to make it up to his lover afterward.

"Much as I'd like to see what passes as normal for me, that doesn't seem nearly as urgent. For now, the danger seems to have passed."

[brushoff]

As Toby stands up, Dorian does also. The tension is obvious, the tension is there, but he can't help but ask this. He turns towards Lucy, and fixes her with a small frown.

"Out of curiosity, and this certainly isn't a slight on your abilities, but do you know anyone who does have experience with vampire physiology?"

It's not said in a smarmy tone, it's not said in a way that implies Dorian's being a jackass for the sake of being a jackass. It's an honest question. Because they all know something wrong happened. The question now is, what.

[illuminescent]

"We think them oft able to heal themselves," Lucy admits, thinking. None of her healers are any kind of expert on the unique features of a vampire circulatory system. "But I will find out."

She picks up her things, gets ready to go. "As it is, it seems he will not die of this, not tonight, certainly. Keep me informed, and I'll find someone who can better help than I."