A toast to that invincible bunch, the dinosaurs surviving the crunch [OPEN]

[primogen_vampirate]

WHO Mina and OPEN
WHAT Dealing with massive amounts of owwie
WHERE The pharmacy/clinic
WHEN Evening, Day 13
NOTES Multiple threads and threadjacking welcome and encouraged
WARNINGS Blood and medical stuff, most likely

Mina rarely indulged in sloth. Despite all appearances, it was her least favorite of the Seven Deadly. But after the whole disaster with the box, she gave herself an entire day and night just to stay in bed. She didn't rest. Not much. For the most part, she lay there stewing in her own juices. But at least her body had a chance to recover.

Slightly.

The problem with a limited blood supply was that she had to ration how much blood she used to heal her wounds. And so it was practicality, not the Masquerade, that left her to wake up still lacerated and bruised the next night.

Feeling sulky and bitter, she dragged herself out of bed. She didn't bother pulling on her suit, as she had absolutely no intention of speaking with anyone. Instead, she pulled on an oversized, button-down shirt she'd found in the closet of the master bedroom. Slipping into a pair of boots, she made her way out the door, crossing the sleepy, little village. She didn't particularly care about the wolves. At this point, she was just as likely to eat them as ignore them. But none gave her much bother as she made her way into the clinic.

It was beneath her dignity. Far beneath her dignity. But once inside, she peeled off her shirt. Dressed only in her unmentionables and her boots, she sat down on a cot that she had set up against the far wall, taking out a suture set. Gritting her teeth, she started to stitch up the slashes along her arm.

Comments

[porcelainpride]

"I suppose so."

He tilts his head at her, not-so-subtly admiring the jewels. "You're very calm for someone with an enormous gash in their arm. I'm impressed. And a Frost Giant, was he?"

[primogen_vampirate]

"Yes, from Norse mythology. Apparently."

Mina held out her hands for Kurt to get a better look. There was a ring on each of her fingers, each more garish than the last. They looked old. Antique. In particular, the one on her left hand, middle finger. It was burnished bronze, shaped like an owl's head, with two topazes for the eyes. An old gift from Jack.

She sighed, admiring them a little herself. Old pirate's habit. She was constantly showing off her jewelry, as if to show off her own success.

"Yes," she murmured. "I am calm. Because the world is full of strange things. This is just one more."

[porcelainpride]

"Nothing should surprise me anymore, but I'm afraid quite a few things do."

Kurt leans in, cooing appreciatively at her rings. "Oh, they're lovely. Where did you get them?"

[primogen_vampirate]

With a throaty laugh, Mina spread the fingers of her left hand, pointing at each ring in turn. "This," she said as she indicated her pointer finger, wearing a silver coil, inlaid with mother of pearl letters, "is silver from Athens. The letters spell out the name of Pallas Athena, the goddess of war."

She moved on to her middle finger, the one with the owl ring. "This is Spanish. They say that Captain Jack Rackham once raided it from a Spanish ship."

Next was her ring finger: A silver ring with a Celtic knot. In the middle was a sparkling amethyst. "I was given this by my dearest friend Anne, in honor of my birthday." Birthday. Embrace. The same thing.

Finally, she came to her pinky finger. It was a gold ring, with a white seal. There were letters, but they were so faded they couldn't be read. "This," she said slowly, "I will admit, I came by through nefarious means."

[porcelainpride]

Throughout this explanation Kurt's composed demeanor has rapidly changed to one of wide-eyed bewilderment. When Mina finishes, he's outright staring at her, with an expression somewhere between amazement and wonder. Then, swallowing hard -- "I was expecting an answer like..."Macys", but...tha-that's good too."

[primogen_vampirate]

Mina laughed. "Macy's is fine for a suit, but when it comes to jewelry, I like pieces that are one-of-a-kind. They make for better conversation starters. You understand."

[porcelainpride]

He nods rapidly, still gazing at the rings. If anything, the look is even more covetous than before. "It adds a certain je ne sais quoi, to be sure. I'm in a perpetual state of mourning for all the pieces I left behind. I had some antique wooden brooches that were to die for."

[primogen_vampirate]

"Tell me," Mina mused, lowering her hand. "How, precisely, does a gentleman go about wearing a broach in the year 2011?"

She was a bit glad to change topics. She didn't feel like getting into the stories of the rest of her rings, let alone the one on her pinky finger.

Still too difficult to process the reality of it, really. Even after all these years.

[porcelainpride]

"With no small amount of pride. It takes a special man to pull it off, and I am fortunately very special." Kurt smiles happily, crossing one leg over the other. "The hippopotamus head was my favorite."

Also don't think he's given up on getting the more in-depth story on those rings. Not for a moment.

[primogen_vampirate]

"A hippopotamus head?" she said, half incredulous, half awed. "I should have liked to see that." She paused. "Although, truth be told, I don't think I've ever seen an actual hippopotamus before."

She gave Kurt another thoughtful glance. "I don't mean to be rude, darling, but I do feel I ought to ask...when you say you're a very special man, do you mean something by that?"

[porcelainpride]

"A very small one. It went with my duck pins." Kurt sighs, heavily, obviously lamenting his lost brooches.

Then, straightening up a little, becoming more formal and almost cold, he replies, "I mean many things. I'm a countertenor, I'm a mostly-straight-A student, I speak French and I can change a tire in three and a half minutes. I'm also gay. Does that bother you?"

[primogen_vampirate]

"Not particularly," Mina replied. "Assuming that the word 'gay' means what I think it does."

Modern slang was still a work in process for her.

"Although, if you are a countertenor, I might impress upon you to sing something for me. I do enjoy music."

[porcelainpride]

Kurt relaxes a little, smiling slightly. "I'm glad. You seem like a very intelligent person, but it's better to be safe than sorry. And I couldn't possibly." He waves a hand dismissively, with an expression that suggests yes, yes he could possibly.

[primogen_vampirate]

"Yes, I am intelligent," Mina replied with a sly smile. "And I will get a song out of you, Kurt. If I have to, I'll throw a bloody party for it. No one escapes one of my parties without a song. And that includes me."

[porcelainpride]

"I think an excellent party is the only way to bribe me into singing." That's obviously a filthy lie, but Kurt looks happy whilst telling it.

[primogen_vampirate]

"Well, my darling new friend Pendragon," she said the name with some contempt - she knew he was lying about his identity and she hated it, but she had to respect that, "keeps promising to throw a proper party. But I fear he doesn't quite have the attention to detail required for that. To say nothing of the fact that he seems a bit unpopular."

[porcelainpride]

"Clearly he is, because I don't know him." Kurt looks decidedly excited at the notion of a party.

[primogen_vampirate]

Mina turned her wrist, pulling up a video of Gabriel from the network. "This is Pendragon," she said, showing Kurt the screen. Marvelous inventions, really. Too bad Kindred didn't show up on them. "Bit of a lout, but seems to enjoy festivities."

[porcelainpride]

"Ohhhh, I've seen him on the network. If he's a fan of parties he's a friend of mine." Then, almost bouncing next to her on the cot -- "Can I help plan? Please please please?"

[primogen_vampirate]

"Darling, you hardly need my permission." She paused. "Although, I would urge you to be very careful dealing with Pendragon. I'm quite certain he's something of a sociopathic liar. They always throw the best parties of course. Just...be careful."

[porcelainpride]

"I'm very cautious. Stranger danger and whatnot." This is said sort of glibly because frieeeeeendssss. :D

[primogen_vampirate]

"Well, you're certainly old enough to take care of yourself," she said. "And you can tell Pendragon that you're my friend. Perhaps that will earn you some credit with him."

She just didn't know what to make of the man, to be honest. He was energetic and entertaining, but at the same time, she knew all too well that he was lying.

And she was beginning to form an inkling about some of his lies.

[porcelainpride]

"I certainly am." Kurt pauses a moment, then pats Mina's knee, affectionately. "But thank you for the concern."

[primogen_vampirate]

The familiarity was unexpected, but Mina didn't mind it terribly much. She would just chalk that up to changing times. Certainly, she didn't view it as any sort of threat.

She rather liked the boy, actually.

Which probably meant protecting him from Anna, but no matter.

"You are most welcome, Mister Hummel."