Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (Invite only)

Mara kept her hand clasped around Amir's for the drive back to the Manor, keeping him steadied on the bike behind her. She could feel the warmth on the back of her neck as sluggish blood continued to flow from the wounds upon his face, but she also knew he would be concentrating as he could on mending his injuries from the inside out.

She ran the bike right up to the entrance of the Manor, parking it as close as she could. Climbing off, she tried to find someplace uninjured to rouse Amir from his daze.

"We're back. Come on, we need to heal you up."

Time was definitely a factor. Vampires weren't made of blood, after all. The fact that the scalp wounds were bleeding slowly was saying something. They should be closed, and not bleeding, or bleeding like crazy. A slow drip meant resources were being diverted elsewhere, and possibly running very low.

Mara took Amir's kilij from him, knowing he'd want the blade's edge sharp, and offered her shoulder instead. Even from where she stood she could see that Amir's ankle was going to be little good to him; it flopped uselessly at he end of his leg and every now and then a fragment of bone popped out of the torn leather to fade into dust on the ground.

Bao would have called ahead, she was sure, so she simply focused on getting Amir back to his rooms in one mostly whole piece.

Amir 13 years ago
Amir was doing his best to focus on regenerating as he leaned against Mara's back, but the focus simply wasn't there. His knee continued to regenerate in painfully slow bursts but nothing else was happening. He wasn't sure he'd ever been so low on reserves.

He hadn't noticed anything fading to black until suddenly Mara's face appeared in front of him and it occurred to him they'd stopped. The Manor loomed above, looking intimidating, and he briefly wished for an escalator.

The walk to his rooms was long and blood-spattered, but they eventually made it. The only place that made any sense to go was the bathroom. As he eyeballed the bathtub with distaste (and with one eyeball) he realized the regeneration process was really going to suck.

Mara left him and everything went dark again. When she returned, Bao and Dana were both in tow and they bore various items Amir vaguely recognized as potentially useful for patching up vampires.

As much as he detested it, he didn't put up a fight when Mara unbuckled his right glove and deftly slipped the needle of an IV line into the vein on the back of his hand. She reached forward and very lightly touched his jaw.


"Here first," she said.

Amir nodded, feeling irritable, and closed his eyes.
Bao 13 years ago
The first thing Bao had done was told Dana to put her seatbelt on. He then jammed the car into gear and made use of the performance aspect of his car. As he drove he called the Manor and had as much ready for Mara as he could.

It wasn't hard to find them, just follow the trail of blood, dirt and ashes. He worried about the ashes. Trusting that Dana would simply stay with him Bao made a brief detour and picked up the cart he'd had assembled. He didn't pause to count the bags of blood but there were many, bandages, scissors, tweezers, a water pick and a few other things.

Mara had very sensibly set Amir up in the bathroom. Without words Bao handed a bag to Mara to attach to the IV line. He then took to silently leaning up against the wall. He couldn't tell his creator off under the best of circumstances and certainly not now. Besides, by rights, Mara would get first go.
Dana 13 years ago
Dana slipped into the car and floated down to the seat regaining her body. As he put the car through its paces, she clung to the door, and closed her eyes. She could not watch Bao drive.

It was hard to follow that trail, what was happening that little bits of ash were mixed among the dirt? Dana felt useless and helpless as she watch Mara and Bao handle Amir's first aid.

As she stood there, wanting to touch, hold and cradle Amir, large tears welled from her eyes and flowed unbidden down her cheeks to splash on the tiles.
Mara 13 years ago
Mara raised an eyebrow at Amir although he couldn't see it. She knew he was going to be in a less than congenial mood. Not only did he have to be in considerable pain, but having two of his children and his lover observe him in one of his less elegant moments would prick at every nerve he had.

Surprisingly, Mara felt equally bad for Dana, who seemed not to know exactly what to do with herself. She turned to the young woman, smiling in what she hoped was a confident manner.


"Dana, in the closet in Amir's bedroom, there are several very warm blankets. Can you put them on Amir's bed please?" She gestured to Amir, who was shivering in the cold of the tub. "Blood loss," she explained. "We'll have him up and grousing in no time."

To Bao she nodded her chin, indicating he go with Dana. She seemed to trust him more; perhaps he could talk to her. Reassure her. Amir was an ancient, created by an ancient. Give him a day, two tops. He'd be fine.
Bao 13 years ago
Bao felt his temper strain as Dana came perilously close to becoming very emotional. As it was he had to think about not snapping at her. That in and of itself was evidence of how upset he was over all this.

He understood what Mara was trying to get him to do though. He nodded and followed Dana, waiting for her to speak. Being comforting was not one of his better skills, he could reassure a jury but this was something different. He needed an idea what Dana needed.

He also suspected that Mara was going to engage in some of the nastier things needed to put Amir back to rights. Bao certainly was in no hurry to see that and it would undoubtedly be worse for Dana.


"He will be fine. Come, find those blankets."Â?

Bao found, somewhere buried in him, a small smile for Dana.
Dana 13 years ago
Dana blinked at Mara in watery confusion for a moment, before the words she spoke sank in. Help, she could help Amir. With a nod she left the room, not even realizing she had company until Bao spoke.

Nearly jumping from her skin, she turned and offered him her own weak smile.


"I know Bao, he's an ancient. My head tells me that, my heart... my heart is still trying to get over seeing a wolf eat him."

She crossed to the closet, through the starlit fantasy of Amir's bedroom. On the top shelf in the very back was a small stack of thick black blankets. She pulled all the blankets down, and carried them to the bed.

Placing them on the pillows, she very carefully pulled back the comforter, and folded it into a neat rectangle. After laying it on the pillows next to the others, she took the first blanket and with a shake, had it mostly across the bed.

The physical movement helped to steady her a bit, and she worked steadily, placing each of the three blankets on. She placed them precisely knowing Amir's preference for perfect order in his things.

When they were exactly how she wanted them, she laid the comforter at the foot of the bed, for more warmth if it was needed. Finally her hands had nothing more to do, and she felt decidedly at a loss again.


"Ah, I...I think I shall go to my room, and perhaps shower and change clothes. I wont be long. Ah, is there anything you need me to obtain while I am gone?"

A shower and fresh clean clothes would help. She did not enjoy standing about in almost her underwear with no shoes on.
Bao 13 years ago
"That, I will admit, is one of the more ugly situations I have ever seen. But you must remember that he is trained for this. It is his job."Â?

Bao helped her arrange the blankets on the bed.

He frowned a bit as she decided to retreat. That was something he didn't approve of. She had to learn how to confront this now.


"You may. If you wish, but that will not make it easier. It will not make it not have happened or go away."Â?

If she was uncomfortable with her appearance that was nothing compared how Amir must be feeling.

Realizing he'd been a bit harsh, Bao tempered his initial reaction with a small smile.


As far as what we may need, I think the servants were quite through. But you might check with Mara."Â?

She was better at doctoring Amir than he was. Although, they'd both had plenty of experience.
Mara 13 years ago
Vampire triage. Mara gave a little snort as she cut away the remnants of Amir's boot and tossed them aside. They could regenerate almost anything, but the fact of the matter was skin could not close around shattered fragments of bone. The white wolf had done a very thorough job on Amir's ankle; it was hanging by tendons and skin and a little muscle; the remaining bone looked like it had been shredded and stuck out here and there. The walk out of the park had ground twigs, leaves, stones, and dirt into the remainder.

Mara got to work with various kitchen and office supplies. Trying to dull the pain would be pointless; this was hardly the only injury causing Amir any discomfort and after his last brush with Xephier and sedatives, Mara didn't think he'd be too receptive. So she sat on the edge of the tub, cutting away shredded tendon, flushing the open wound, and carefully picking out whatever was in the way. Regeneration was fastest and easiest when the parts were neatly severed.

As she worked, she tilted her head toward Amir, whose normally golden skin was grayish and not at all healthy. She would be quick; the sooner he fixed his jaw and fed properly, the sooner he would feel better. It was simply a waiting game at this point.


"Do you want to tell me about it?"

She didn't think he was ready to discuss the night's events, but she asked anyway. Amir was her creator, surely, but he was also the best friend she had. And over the years he had acknowledged her the same way, in his quiet manner.
Amir 13 years ago
Amir focused his will into directing his blood supply to his crushed jaw. He could feel Mara cleaning up his maimed ankle, each touch sending red hot fire up his leg, but he didn't move. The sooner the better. He kept his right eye closed, unable to grit his teeth against the pain but determined not to make a sound regardless.

Mara's soft voice penetrated the fog like a beacon. He listened and considered. Did he want to talk? What was there to talk about?

The fact that your creator wants you dead, answered an irritable little voice in his head.

Nonsense. Subira relied on him; he was he most loyal of her children, the strongest.

Exactly.

He'd done his job, he argued with himself. That was what she'd set him to do. She couldn't have known he would run into... into what? Packs of bloodthirsty werewolves on a night when they were at their maddest? When they naturally hunted in packs?

Amir let out a short, exasperated puff of air through his nose and jerked his head quickly, negatively. He had nothing to say. At length he lost his focus completely and the entire scene slipped away for a few moments, which was all right with him.
Dana 13 years ago
Dana shook her head and sighed. "I know it will not go away, Bao. But what is there for me to do here? Sit and wait while he mends himself? I need something to do."

She knew she was not being kind but she could not seem to help it, and he hadn't been all that kind. She was just heart-sore enough to be a little petty with someone she considered a friend.

"I have done all I can here, it will not do to have me hovering over Amir, waiting for him to be angry that I saw what I did."

She sighed again, hugging her arms around herself. "I am not so unaware of Amir's...flaws that I think he will be happy to have me here and be kind. He will in a few days, but now? Not so very much."

It was difficult to offer him a return smile, but she managed.

"Yes, I'll check with her."
Bao 13 years ago
"Sit and wait... with us."Â?

Bao emphasized the last two words. Dana had not proven herself entirely but she had made a start. She had been an informant and had helped them save Amir. The wolves would have won with out her information and he knew it.

"It isn't easy. But we have both, Mara and I, have been in this position before. It is possible you noticed something we didn't. You had a unique view point."Â?

He didn't think the wolves had noticed Dana at all. That could be advantageous and if she had kept her wits, even a little bit, she may have noticed something.
Dana 13 years ago
As her arms tightened around her torso, she studied Bao. He was offering her much more than companionship with those words and she was strangely leery. She had not imagine anything so disturbing as this night when she offered Amir her services. War, even between humans, but most especially between those more than human, is ugly and frightening and so very violent.

At some point she had leaned against the wall, and with its support she lowered to the floor. Her head tilted back so she could give Bao the weight of her gaze. She did not give him a blank face that would protect her. He knew her well enough to know it would be hiding a great deal. Instead she gave him the fear and the worry and the anger that burned and twisted her.


"Thank you, I will stay. But Bao, I do not know if I can tell you much."
Bao 13 years ago
She was closing herself off, trying to protect herself. That much was evident in her body language. Bao couldn't say he blamed her. Dana hadn't been brought up to this, she most likely hadn't even considered anything like this before. Bao was momentarily grateful his maker, no matter how beat up he was right now, had not left him so ignorant.

He couldn't let her run and hide like this. One couldn't find courage when it suited them, you found it when it was needed. He offered her his hand to help her stand. Now was an excellent time to learn how to stand on her own two feet.


"If you can't tell us much, then stay, listen, learn. Either you will know what to look for next time or you will find another way to assist."Â?

Combat, while he was more than capable, was not his biggest strength. It would probably never be Dana's, but she had other talents that could be put to use.

"You may never have to see anything like that ever again. You will have to deal with the aftermath and the worry, but you won't have to be face to face with it."Â?
Dana 13 years ago
Reluctantly she put her hand in Bao's and let him pull her to her feet. She helped, but did not do it all on her own. It was not an easy thing to return to her feet, and face this mess. So much had occurred in the last forty-eight hours. It was quite difficult to believe that just last night she'd been loved beneath the weight of the full moon.

She did not take her hand from Bao's. She was up, but not quite ready to stand alone again. Dana listened carefully to his words and nodded.


"I can only hope you are right, Bao. I would be glad to never see such a thing ever again."

Stepping closer to Bao, she gave a small smile. "Shall we go see if Mara needs our help?"
Bao 13 years ago
Well, she was standing, that was a start. Dana, however, would have to get used to this fast. He doubted the wolves would be content with a near victory. The odds were they would become more aggressive and may start hunting them.

"Yes, we shall."Â?

Bao was certain Mara would have matters more than in hand. Amir might even be moderately functional at this point. But he let Dana lead them back to the bathroom to see exactly what the situation was.
Mara 13 years ago
Mara nodded, although she knew Amir wasn't watching. His head slipped to the side a bit although his jaw continued to mend. She watched it carefully, eager for him to be able to bite down on something so he could feed properly. She couldn't help thinking it had been a damn good shot by the wolf, even if he had been aiming for the neck. She hoped he hadn't realized how debilitating an injury that prevented feeding could be.

The blood from the bag was nearly used up so she broke off her neatening-up to replace it. If anything, the second bag went faster than the first, and by the time she'd finished wrapping Amir's ankle to hold it in place while it regenerated the blood was half gone.

She hoped Bao and Dana were talking. Mara wasn't sure what Amir would think of them all showing up, beyond having injured his pride. Even Amir couldn't deny they'd saved his ass though, and that was thanks to Dana.

Leaning forward she wrapped up his mauled knee although it was no longer bleeding. Perhaps it would be kinder to Dana, she thought, to cover the worst of the injuries. But from a practical standpoint, Amir would probably head for bed and spend some time in the darkness, fixing himself up. It wouldn't do to get blood on the sheets. So, while it was physically unnecessary, she continued to clean and wrap the messiest injuries.

She finally reached the side of his face, which looked, indeed, like a massive wolf had tried to chew it off.


"That'll be fun times," she said, her voice not unsympathetic.

Amir's one dark eye opened again and his lips twitched up slightly. She saw his jaw mostly back in one piece and held her hand out to him.
"Good yet?"

A sight nod was confirmation enough. Mara, still sitting on the edge of the tub, leaned forward and gently pulled Amir toward her, tilting her neck and offering him something far more effective and faster than a bagged food supply.
Amir 13 years ago
Amir opened his eye once more as Mara wrapped up his ankle, which immediately began to regenerate. Even with such a trickle of blood as was provided by the IV line, his body was putting itself back together. He continued to focus on his jaw, though, for the purpose of accomplishing that goal faster.

Mara wrapped up anything else that was oozing and gross, something Amir figured he could have done himself, but Mara seemed not to mind and he was tired, sore, and willing to let her. By the time she reached his head with a little quip, he was a little more awake and offered her a slight response.

When she reached around to lift him he braced one arm against the slippery marble of he tub and wrapped the hand with the IV in it around her waist. He wasn't about to refuse her offer; he bit carefully, loathe to undo anything he'd recently fixed, and felt a surge of relief as Mara's blood, warm and rich, filled his senses.

With it came an unaccustomed feeling of... what? Warmth? Comfort? He wasn't sure. Amir considered himself confident, certain in his place and his position, secure in his goals and abilities. He didn't experience stress. Or doubt.

Why, then, did he feel reassured that Mara, Bao, and Dana were there? It didn't matter. He would heal, and he would contact Subira and life would go on. He didn't need reassurance.

And all the same, his arm tightened around Mara's waist. He broke away from her before he normally would have and scowled, more at himself than anything else. Sitting fully upright he murmured,
"Thanks."

And then he gathered up another detestable bag of blood and hooked that one up, too, jabbing the needle higher up in his arm than the first.
Dana 13 years ago
Dana stepped into the bathroom doorway as Amir pulled away from Mara and thanked her. Their embrace was so incredibly intimate that it took everything in her to not turn and walk out of the suite. The only outward sign she showed of her distress, was a tightening of her hand in Bao's.

She blinked several times and tried for a small smile on her lips.
"You are looking much better Amir."

Seeing him up and moving warmed her heart, but he still looked like a wolf had tried to eat his face off. If she were a different person, she'd berate Amir for the choices he'd made tonight, but she had no desire for such things. What she really wanted was to climb into the tub with him, and hold him close, touch him. It was then that she realized she'd not touched him since she'd left his quarters earlier in the day. Her palms itched and she stepped forward one hesitant step pulling her hand from Bao's.
Bao 13 years ago
Amir feeding on Mara didn't bother Bao at all. Bao had provided sustenance for their maker before, it was part of their job. Apparently, however, Dana was a bit disturbed by it. He had no words of comfort, and simply shrugged it off.

Quickly assessing Amir Bao was pleased with the patch up job. Mara did have a gift. He said nothing as Dana approached Amir, nor did he make any more forward. Instead he leaned against the door again and raised an eye brow at Amir in silent question. Did he need any more and from a different source?
Amir 13 years ago
Amir looked down at himself and smiled wryly. He looked better? He raised an eyebrow at Dana, keeping his expression as untouched by pain as he could. "Better?"

He was limiting himself to short phrases; while the structure of his jaw was intact there were still plenty of necessary bits left un-mended and it was difficult to be articulate. Less than an hour after having been mauled by Xephier, and he was considering moving himself into his bedroom - not bad as far as regeneration times went.

He caught Bao's raised eyebrow and considered. he didn't relish the idea of having to be carried, or otherwise assisted, to his bedroom. With one knee out and the opposite ankle nonfunctional though, he had little choice unless he took Bao up on the offer. Eventually he'd see about snacking on one of the various humans that worked in the Manor, but he preferred not to let them see him this way, something Mara and Bao understood.

He lifted one shoulder at Bao, answering just as soundlessly. If Bao was offering, he would take him up on it. Amir didn't doubt he'd be blood-starved for the next few hours while things fixed themselves up. Taking advantage of Bao's offered wrist, he focused this time on his knee and ankle, not drinking too deeply, releasing Bao's arm with the same thanks he'd given Mara.

Dana was behind Bao by then, having moved toward him, but Amir didn't know exactly what she wanted. He looked like a lupine chew toy. He would willingly embrace her, reassure her, but was that what she was aiming for? He wasn't really very soft and cuddly at the moment and Dana had a profound dislike of messiness.

Feeling slightly more stable, he managed to lever himself up to a standing position, leaning against the bathroom wall. His clothing felt like it weighed about three hundred pounds and he couldn't wait to ditch it. And the inside of his apartment felt like a meat locker but that, too, was attributed to most of his blood supply going anywhere but for warmth.

In response to Dana's half-question he swallowed his pride and held his left hand out to her, the one that had taken the least injury. He could have staggered to his bedroom on his own by then but he wanted to speak to Dana, when he could, and suspected perhaps she wouldn't mind accompanying him.