The Lost Voices {Tag Lore}

[Isabelle Sweet]

Well, no WAY Lore was letting Crystal take off like that by herself after THAT revelation!  Vampires, huh?  At least she knew how to deal with vampires.  Her brother killed them for a living, after all.

"Wait!" she called, but Crystal was fast.  Good thing Lore was fast, too.  She easily kept pace with the other girl, though she wouldn't even have needed to keep her in sight; her fear was so strong, Lore could smell it even in human form.  She wrinkled her nose.  Fear smelled like cold, bitter sweat, and she didn't like it.  It made HER scared, thinking that Crystal was tangling with a vampire (or vampires, plural) that was making her this terrified.  This had to stop.  Lore wasn't going to sit by and let someone from her own school deal with shit like this, when she had the power to help.

Putting on an extra burst of speed once she hit the parking lot, she made it to the passenger's side of Crystal's car almost as soon as the other girl did.  "Crystal," she said, barely even winded from her sprint through the mall, "please, wait.  I believe you.  I've seen vampires, too.  I can help."

[Crystal Deboir]

"....you do?" she asked slowly. She stared at her, trying to determine whether or not Loreanna was lying. She had never gotten along with her, but she hadn't known the girl to be malicious. She turned slowly from her car door, and faced her fully.

"How can you help? I've heard that before, from someone who was some sort of... witch. And he didn't help at all. In fact, he made it worse. Some stupid vampire accosted me at school and tried to talk to me after that. I'm a magnet for them," she cried angrily.

[Isabelle Sweet]

Lore shook her head impatiently.  "I'm not a witch.  I know people who get rid of monsters for a living."  She was choosing her words carefully.  Even though they were pretty much alone, this was a public parking lot; words like 'kill' drew attention. 

Lowering her voice, she asked, "Is there a way you can meet me somewhere again?  Without the vampires knowing where you are, just for a little while?  I can't help you directly--- I'm no Buffy--- but I can introduce you to someone that deals with this sort of thing all the time.  Will you trust me?" 

The moment of decision.  Lore almost held her breath, afraid that even that motion would shatter the fragility of this rapport between them.  Then, slowly, she held out a hand.

[Crystal Deboir]

Crystal swallowed hard. Did she trust Loreanna? She'd never known the girl to be cruel, or a liar - but in these times, was anyone really safe to trust? She thought briefly of Jack, and closed her eyes tightly, trying to will all of the apprehension and doubt away from her.

She took Loreanna's hand, very timidly at first, and then gave it a little squeeze. "I... I think I can. Soon. Tonight. I think I can get away. He doesn't always follow me home... Sometimes he's not there at all. I guess he has other toys," she spat, because she knew that's what she was, in the end. A toy.

"I trust you," she whispered. "But I'm afraid that I might just be a problem. I don't want to get anyone involved who they can hurt..."

[Isabelle Sweet]

Relief, like sun after a storm, warmed Lore all over.  She tried to convey some of that in her smile, and the way she gripped Crystal's hand back.  "Good.  Tonight, then.  Can I come over to your place, or would you rather meet somewhere else?  Somewhere... safer?" 

It was too risky letting Crystal come to her place; if vampires knew where she and Vin lived, there would be serious trouble for both of them.  The guildhouse might be a better bet-- no vampire in his right mind would dare go after Crystal there.  Well, there was that time with Kain, but... no, he hadn't been in his right mind, that time.  So it didn't count.

"Don't you worry about me.  The vampires won't hurt me.  Not if they're smart, and know the people I know.   And even if they don't... well, I can take care of myself."  She winked, looking more confident than she felt.  Basic hunter training and werewolf biology were a good start, but depending on the vampire, Lore could easily be toast.

[Crystal Deboir]

She shifted uncomfortably. Her house was... a bad idea. For one, her parents would give anyone who came into the foyer the third degree, particularly because they wanted to know just what anyone wanted to do with Crystal these days. High school dropout, not going to try and even bother finishing - she'd been taking online classes, but that hadn't really satisfied them. She was out late, or didn't come home at all... No. Crystal didn't feel it necessary to subject Lore to that sort of punishment.

"I don't know anywhere else to go, nowhere safe, not really," she stammered. She didn't. Jack's apartment? That -- no. She wasn't talking to Jack right now, and her stomach twisted a little when she even thought of what damage she was doing. Irreparable, probably. She was good at that, though.

"If you can think of anywhere, I will meet you there. Well, so long as I can find it," she said, half-laughing. "My GPS is as blonde as I am." She made an attempt at a joke, and it was a decent one, at least. Light humour suited her much better.

[Isabelle Sweet]

Lore thought about it for a moment, but she'd already decided on a safe place.  However, she couldn't just have Crystal wander into the guildhouse alone.  They'd have to meet somewhere else first, somewhere neutral.  Like... the mall, for instance.

"Meet me back here later, if you can," she suggested.  "Over by the Apothecary-- you know, where they do those sodas and malts?  I'll borrow my brother's car.  He's not working tonight, so it shouldn't be a  problem.  We'll go somewhere safer from there, where there are people who can help.  Sound good?"

It wasn't going to be easy, convincing Crystal this was the best idea.  She probably didn't trust anyone anymore.  For all she knew, Lore could lead her straight into another vampire's lair.  But Lore wouldn't, of course, so it was just a matter of hoping Crystal trusted her enough to let Lore help her.

[Crystal Deboir]

Crystal nodded - she knew where it was. She'd wandered in there wondering if there was something she could use as a ward. She'd gotten as far as the door before she realized she was being stupid, and had left. "Okay, I think I can do that," she said slowly. She thought about going home and just grabbing a Taxi back, but if something went wrong, she'd have to make a hasty exit, which she'd need her own car for... Decisions.

"Is seven o'clock okay?" she asked. She mentally rushed through her head to try and find a checklist of things that she had to do - a very precious few, she found. She never had much to do these days, except for laying low.

[Isabelle Sweet]

"Seven is fine," Lore agreed.  There was always someone around at the guildhouse, no matter what the hour.  She wondered if she should talk to her brother about this, but she knew what his solution would be:  track down the vampire(s) and kill them.  Case closed.  Except Lore had a feeling that Crystal's situation was a little more complicated than that, so she wanted to be sure of the exact details before anyone went running off to kill anything.  Obviously, Lore had inherited a more rational mind than her brother, at least on the subject of vampires.

"Well, you have my number," Lore concluded, figuring she should let Crystal go, now that they had this arranged.  "If anything comes up, let me know.  If something's really wrong, and you can't say what it is, just say 'I have a headache' and I'll know to bring help.  See you at seven."

She started back to the mall, where she'd parked her bike, but she paused and turned before she went far.  "And Crystal?  Be safe."

[Crystal Deboir]

Crystal nodded once. She felt... a lot better, suddenly. She sat in her car as she watched Loreanna vanish from the parking garage and back into the doors of the mall, and hit the door locks. The sound made her jump a little, but it still couldn't shake that buzzing feeling she had in her stomach, the feeling that she might actually find help to sort her problem out.

She picked up her phone with a sigh, and turned it on. She dialed Jack's number, not surprised that she got sent right to voicemail - she actually laughed a little, because she knew she deserved it. "Hey, it's me. I'm sorry I didn't answer, I've been having phone shit all day. Dropped service for the last six hours. Anyways... going to get it fixed tomorrow, so I should be able to reach you then. Sorry I missed you." She paused. "I miss you," she added, voice weary. She hit the end button, and then turned it off again.

Once she'd gone home, showered, and changed into clothing more conducive to her current state of mind - jeans, sneakers, and a black v-neck sweater with a white shirt underneath, she threw her blonde hair into a messy ponytail and went back out the door. She ignored her parents' questions as to where she was going, though she did skip over the Mustang in favour of her mother's TSX. The car was quiet, and a lot less obvious.

At six fifty-seven, she pulled into the empty end of the mall parking lot, not quite to the garage yet, and peered over her steering wheel. She didn't know what kind of car to look for, so she just sat back and turned the radio up a little. Loreanna would find her, right?

[Isabelle Sweet]

It had taken a lot more haggling than Lore anticipated to pry the keys to the Nova from Vin's fingers, and the teen werewolf wound up pulling into the lot at five minutes past seven.  She hated being late, especially when it was important!  Vin seemed to have a sixth sense for when she was hiding something from him, and he didn't like it.  She'd had to promise to stay home all weekend just to get out the door. 

The things she did for her friends.  Well, sort-of friends.  Crystal needed her, anyway, and that was enough.

Recognizing the blond ponytail, Lore pulled into a spot just across the way from Crystal and killed the engine.  The Nova wasn't subtle in the least, but it was still running after thirty or so years.  Lord knew how; it was held together with duct tape and prayer.

"You can follow me in your car, if you want," she offered, stepping out of the ugly green car and crossing the short space between their vehicles.  "Unless you think you might be followed.  It's up to you."  She was handling this with kid gloves.  Best to give Crystal options, not force her into anything.  She was trying to help her, after all, and it wouldn't do to scare her off.

[Crystal Deboir]

Crystal cocked her head a little as the green car pulled into the parking lot, but once she saw the blonde emerge from it, she brightened a little. She opened her door, swinging a foot out and listening to Loreanna while simultaneously turning down her radio. "Uh.. no, I doubt I was followed. This is designated mom vehicle. If he's taken an interest in my folks lately, I've missed it," she said dryly. "I think I can follow you." She eyed the Nova suspiciously, holding back the comment that if it suddenly died, Crystal definitely had AA covered. She looked back at Lore, and smiled.

"Thanks... you didn't have to do this. I'm... just really glad. Maybe all of this can finally end, or at the very least, maybe I can find a way to sleep at night." Without Jack, anyways. That was the only place she could sleep with any peace of mind, and it wasn't much, given the fact that she was LYING to him about a lot of things concerning herself.

[Isabelle Sweet]

Lore noted the look Crystal gave her (brother's) car, but wasn't bothered.  She knew it was a heap.  It started and ran, though, and that was all she needed just then.  It would get them to the guildhouse.

"Hey, no problem," Lore told her, smiling brightly.  "We're going to go see some friends of mine who deal with... friends like yours."  Vampires were sneaky bastards.  She didn't want to say the word out loud, in case any were lurking in the shadows, listening.  Was she getting as paranoid as her brother?  Nah...

"Let's roll.  It's not too far from here."  Back in the Nova, and the engine roared to life.  At least they didn't have to worry about Crystal's car being followed.  Now all Lore had to worry about was Vin's car being recognized by someone who could cause them trouble.  That would be so much failsauce.

[Crystal Deboir]

"Good," Crystal said. She nodded to Lore, feeling confident at least that the girl would be able to help her. As she followed Loreanna, she drummed her fingers lightly on her steering wheel. She couldn't remember a time recently where she'd felt so sure that someone would be able to help sort her mess out with her. She smiled a little - something about the way Loreanna conducted herself had changed since school. She'd always been confident, but now... she couldn't explain it. The way she spoke made Crystal want to believe what she said, and since Crystal had very little at the moment to put faith into, Loreanna seemed as good as anything.

The drive wasn't terribly far, just unfamiliar. Some of the roads they took didn't even show up on her GPS, and Crystal simply assumed that wherever - whoever - had taken precautions to make sure that people didn't just stumble upon them. That was good - it meant Griffon wouldn't be finding her anytime soon, and that was always a plus.

Once they'd arrived, Crystal popped out of her car, locking the doors behind her. She walked to the Nova, waiting for Loreanna, all the while looking around. "You don't think they'll be angry that you brought me, do you?" she asked, worry edging on her voice.

[Isabelle Sweet]

"Nah, not a problem at all," Lore assured her.  "These guys deal with the monsters on a daily basis.  It's in their job descriptions.  Now we just need to see if anyone's here tonight..."

They entered the building, but it was unusually quiet.  Lore made a humming noise in the back of her throat.  "Must be a busy night.  Everyone's out.  Let me check the infirmary.  Someone's usually there, at least."

A detour to the right and down a short hall, and they found the room Lore wanted. 


"Loreanna," greeted Doc Mitchell, who was leaning back in his office chair and reading a paperback novel.  "I do hope they haven't sent you out on a dangerous mission already.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to patch you up for a few years yet."

"Nope," Lore replied, grinning at the doctor.  She'd always liked the Doc.  He'd stitched together her brother more times than she could count, and sent him home breathing.  "I have a friend here who needs some help with a vampire problem.  Crystal, this is Doctor Trey MItchell, better known around here as just 'Doc'.  Doc, this is Crystal.  Is anyone here tonight, or did I miss the party invitation?"

"Oh, I'm sure we can find someone," he said, checking a chart on his desk.  "There are a lot of missions tonight, so I'm expecting a larger volume of patients this evening.  I could use your assistance, if you're not busy, Lore."  He gave her a hopeful look. 

"Eh, I'm sort of on borrowed time right now," she sidestepped.  "And vehicle, if you know what I mean."  Doc nodded.  "Right.  Who would you suggest?"

Mitchell considered this, then looked to Crystal.  "It might help if you described exactly what sort of 'vampire problem' you're having, young lady," he told her, not unkindly.  "I might be able to make a few recommendations."