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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 3, 2011 21:48:51 GMT 9.5
It had been 48 hours since Kathryn had arrived at the Sanctuary and for the first time in many years she felt as if she was in the right place. Granted that she had arrived in dramatic circumstances but she knew that this was where she needed to be, Gregory had been right when he said the Sanctuary had a way of drawing people in.
Having spent the night in the infirmary she finally convinced Helen that she was well enough to move into one of the guest rooms and could at least have some form of privacy. She slowly opened the large wooden door to reveal her room, examining each part closely before entering. She certainly wasn’t used to a room like this, it made her whole home in Hollow Earth look like a shoebox but she was grateful for Helen’s hospitality. She took one look at the four poster bed in the centre of the room before collapsing onto it; she heaved a heavy sigh of relief working her body into the mattress as she did. Comfort had been something hard to come by in the passing weeks in all senses of the word. She rolled onto her side looking out the window at the purple haze of the morning sky, she smiled at the site. “A room with a view” she said to herself, Helen always knew what her preferences had been.
She slowly rose from her bed to look down at the small bag of belongings beside her, after all this time to look down at this was depressing. She reached inside the bag and slowly began to pull out items, each one was sentimental and each one had a memory attached to them which was almost impossible to shake. Tears began to fall as she looked at each one of them closely; the diary her mother had given her, the protection ring the village in Mongolia had given her as a thankyou gift, but it was the last two items that particularly hit Kathryn hard. Kathryn carefully pulled out the tiny gold telescope and carefully read the inscription on the side.
“To Kathryn, Happy Birthday & thank you for everything – Helen”
One of the few happy birthdays she’d had over her lifetime she thought. She had no idea what Helen would think if she knew she still had it. At the very bottom of her bag though was an item she didn’t remember putting in there but one that was tough for her to see. The tears were now streaming down her face as she looked back down at a small photograph her only reminder of the happiest time in her life. The photo was a simple one, herself and a young man in an embrace smiling at the camera. All she could manage was one word to come out of her mouth, already trembling from the site of the photo, “Daxun”.
Memories of happier times slowly back to her like paint to a canvas but with every happy memory came the horrifying ending. On the day when a whole city block had exploded thanks to Adam Worth’s monstrous experiment Veron’s mother was not the only person she had lost. Daxun had been working in his shop which had only been a few streets away; his tiny shop stood no chance from the intensity of the explosion and on that day neither had her heart. She quickly shook the memories from her mind as the depression once again consumed her and all that was left was the empty feeling and a desire to stop it. She quickly headed out the door, avoiding the lift and using one of the many sets of stairs she had passed on her way to her room earlier. Kathryn only had one destination in mind, a place she had only passed briefly but one she knew would satisfy her desires.
Kathryn arrived in the kitchen but didn’t stop to admire the quality of the appliances Helen had, she took one final left out and found the door into the wine cellar.
As she stepped into the large cellar Kathryn was not surprised at the site. Many bottles of wine which had possibly once been there were now missing. A large smile crossed Kathryn’s face “Oh Nikola, still taking Helen’s wine after all these years” – Kathryn moved passed the wine and went to the far side of the cellar, wine wasn’t strong enough for her in this case. Off to the side was what Kathryn was after Helen’s very small collection of spirits. Kathryn eyed each one of them as if they were a priceless jewel before eventually deciding on 2 bottles of 1955 Russian vodka. She smiled at them as if they were her children, before heading back to her room to make the painful memories fade away.
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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 12, 2011 14:34:31 GMT 9.5
Kathryn slowly wandered back into her room, she had no sense of urgency in her steps; each one was slower than before until she slowly pushed the door into her room open. She placed the two bottles of pure Russian vodka on her desk along with one large glass she had picked up in the kitchen on her way out. She carefully opened one of the bottles slowly and gently take more care than what would normally be needed to open a bottle but she was waiting for something, a moment that most normally ignore. And it was at that point she heard that soft popping noise of the bottle opening and smiled in delight.
She began to pour her drink watching as the clear liquid continued to pour out of the bottle. But where most would stop after a shot full Kathryn kept going until the contents had nearly reached the top of the glass and it was only at this point when Kathryn stopped. She placed the bottle down, picked up her glass and walked over to the window on the far side of her room. The old city was certainly a site at this time and she appreciated the sceptical. She placed the glass to her lips and began to take small sips, each time letting the contents slide down her throat. Every time Kathryn stopped for a moment and savoured the cool burning sensation, it had been something she truly missed.
She walked back over to her desk and looked at the sorry state of her only possessions before looking again at her photo. She raised her glass to her photo before quickly slamming down the remaining contents in one quick gulp. Disappointed the effect had not happened sooner Kathryn went back for a second glass, what she failed to notice was that she had left her door ajar, letting anyone walking past clearly see what she was doing.
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Post by ingridrichards on Nov 12, 2011 15:02:54 GMT 9.5
Ingrid had only just arrived from the New York Sanctuary to the Old City Sanctuary. She was tired but far from ready to sleep. More like jet lag, she presumed. Coffee was the only answer for her at this juncture, but she doubted that Helen kept the stuff stocked in her kitchen cupboards. Tea wasn't nearly strong enough for her, especially when she had spent the better part of six hours on a plane trying to soothe a Siren-like abnormal. The little bugger was now down in intake heavily sedated with a mix of oldie-type music. Ingrid had tried classical composer at first but that seemed to irritate the creature even further and it had nearly busted her ear drums with it's high-pitched shrill.
Ingrid yawned and stretched her arms up as she did so. When she brought her arms back down she moved the leather bracers she wore just above her wrist, so that the snaps were facing the underside. They helped keep skin-to-skin contact to a minimum when she wasn't seeing patients and she quite liked the intricate design that had been burned into them. As she walked on down the hall she noticed a door ajar. She couldn't help but take a peek inside when she walked past and noticed a woman slinging back a glass of what she thought was vodka as evident from the larger bottle on the table.
"Hello," Ingrid said, stopping just outside the door. "I don't think I've ever seen you here." She gave a friendly smile, putting her hands on either side of the frame.
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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 12, 2011 15:16:04 GMT 9.5
Kathryn was about to take another gulp of her freshly poured glass when the sudden arrival of a young woman in her doorway startled her. She seemed friendly enough but Kathryn wasn’t sure if she was in the best frame of mind for conversation. At the very least she thought she should respond to her question. She placed the glass back on the table and gave the woman her proper attention, it was the best she could do.
“Hello, I am not from around here no. I arrived about 48hrs ago”
She wasn’t in the mood to explain where she had come from or why there were two bottles of vodka sitting on her table. But the obvious fact that she had so little with her made her realise even the dumbest person could work out she was a refugee. She hated the word refugee but that’s exactly what she was she had nothing and this was the only place she could now call home. She looked away from the woman and walked back over to the window, the distant look in her eyes made it clear to all she wasn’t sure where she belonged anymore. She let out a heavy sigh before looking back at the woman.
“I apologise, I wasn’t exactly expecting visitors. My name is Kathryn.”
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Post by ingridrichards on Nov 12, 2011 15:38:13 GMT 9.5
Ingrid stayed at the door frame, deciding not to come in unless invited in. She was probably overstepping it just a bit by intruding but she had to get her mind off the last twenty-four hours. Everyone else was pre-occupied with other things and it would be a bit before Helen was able to play a game of catch-up with her so Kathryn seemed to be the only one seemingly not occupied. Though the look on her face told Ingrid she perhaps had things on her mind.
"Ah," she said with a nod. "My name is Ingrid. I just flew in from the New York Sanctuary. It's nice to meet you."
It was normally customary to shake hands at this point but Ingrid made no move to extend her hand to do so.
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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 12, 2011 15:52:49 GMT 9.5
New York Sanctuary? Unbelievable Kathryn thought. She had not expected the network to have spread to as many places as it had. But this was Helen after all her determination to help others would have meant that there were probably Sanctuaries in all parts of the world that she had no idea about. She looked at the woman and gave her a small smile.
“Well Ingrid it’s lovely to meet you. You’re the first person I have met who works at one of the other Sanctuaries.”
She could clearly see the woman was tired but she could also see that she wanted to hang around. Kathryn decided that maybe Ingrid’s company may be better than the bottom of the bottle.
“Please come in and sit down, I apologise for the mess I only moved into these quarters a few hours ago and I haven’t had much of a chance to settle in”
That wasn’t totally true and Kathryn knew it, her perfect memory meant she already had a floor plan of the Sanctuary in her head, finding the wine cellar had been far too easy. She watched as Ingrid sat down and made herself comfortable before continuing the conversation.
“So tell me about yourself? What do you do in New York?”
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Post by ingridrichards on Nov 12, 2011 16:15:19 GMT 9.5
"I think I'm the only one aside from Declan from the London house that visits," she said with a soft laugh as she walked into the room.
Ingrid was use to messes. She tended to keep her lab and office in a bit of disorganization but she always thought of it as organized chaos, so whatever kind of mess Kathryn had, Ingrid overlooked it.
She smiled as she sat down in an empty chair, smoothing her hands over her charcoal colored slacks before clasping them together and resting them on her lap.
"Oh, wow...where do I start?" She gave a thoughtful look, wondering if she should tell her life story to a stranger. Ingrid figured the cliff-notes version would suffice. "I basically grew up in this Sanctuary about twice a week since I was five so I could get help controlling my little...gift. And now I'm a physician at the New York Sanctuary."
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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 12, 2011 16:37:13 GMT 9.5
The smile that came across Kathryn’s face was obvious, it was clear to her that Ingrid was an abnormal just like herself. It gave her great comfort to know that she had also had difficulties and she decided to make Ingrid at ease.
“You are not the only one with gifts my dear. Although in my case I am still discovering new ones.”
New ones indeed she thought. All she knew at this point was she flawless memory had now increased to the point where she could virtually keep an entire library in her head without any trouble. She also had learned in the last 24hrs that her ability to heal was now so fast there was little to no sign she had been attacked only a few days ago. She had no idea where these abnormalities would eventually lead; all she did hope was to keep her personality, her identity.
When she heard Ingrid say she was a doctor she was not surprised. Helen had a way of inspiring people to go and help others in the world and Ingrid seemed like a younger version of Helen willing to do whatever was needed to make others better.
“So you’re a doctor, well you don’t know how happy that makes me. I guess you could say I am a doctor as well, only in two very different fields. My full title is Dr. Kathryn Lawson I am a doctor in Archaeology & science”
When she had finished she was surprised by the reaction on Ingrid’s face. It was something she was not used too.
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Post by ingridrichards on Nov 13, 2011 9:31:12 GMT 9.5
The name didn't ring any bells in Ingrid's mind. She shifted in her chair before crossing her legs at the ankles, trying to take some pressure off her boot-clad feet.
"I'm afraid I'm just a simple medical doctor," she said with a humble smile. "Who also dabbles in teratology, obviously."
She was by no means an expert like Helen on the subject, but she could identify various species of Abnormals. Though, when it came to her little discovery sedated down in the holding area she wasn't sure where to start.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your abnormality?"
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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 13, 2011 12:40:16 GMT 9.5
It had been the first time she had ever been asked and for the first time in a long time Kathryn didn’t have the words to answer.
“Ah...My abilities are a little difficult to explain”
How could she explain that her abnormalities had been suppressed in Praxis? Only Helen fully understood her plight and the difficult task of now trying to discover what she could do.
“I am still learning what I can do. I may have known a long time ago had it not been for something that happened to me. But what I can tell you is my memory is perfect and my ability to recall information is far beyond what most normal people can recall.”
It was about all she could tell Ingrid at this point, she didn’t want to explain the full extent of her past and the fact she may look in her early 30s but was in fact well over 160 years old.
“By coming here I guess I had hoped Helen may be able to help me learn the full extent of what I can do. I am still not used to having abnormalities appear at random times”
She turned away confused and slightly ashamed. She had been living with this for most of her life and yet she could still not wrap her head around the idea that in fact she was an abnormal. For years she had helped them in Praxis, earning the respect and love of many but to be considered one herself was not something she enjoyed, even now.
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Post by ingridrichards on Nov 13, 2011 13:18:00 GMT 9.5
Ingrid nodded. She herself knew what it was like to not have a full understanding on what exactly she could do. It wasn't till she was at least seven that she fully understood and accepted what she could do. Helen had helped her with that.
She watched as Kathryn turned away and Ingrid frowned. It was obvious the woman was not thrilled to be what she was and that struck a cord within Ingrid. But Kathryn was obviously in a fragile state and needed support.
"It's a hard transition," she told her, looking down at clasped hands. "But, I wouldn't fret. Helen is a bit of a miracle worker when it comes to helping people like us."
Ingrid was certain that if it wasn't for Helen, she would probably be locked up in a mental institution by now.
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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 13, 2011 14:14:11 GMT 9.5
Kathryn allowed herself to smile for a brief moment, Helen was indeed a miracle worker, she had helped so many in her long life she just hoped that Helen would help her even after she had pushed her away for so long. She walked back over to the table and picked up her glass and began to drink again, by this stage all she wanted was for her doubts to disappear and for a split second she forgot Ingrid was there.
“Oh I know Helen is an amazing woman. She and I have a lengthy history and even when I knew her all she wanted to do was help.”
Maybe it was the alcohol finally taking affect or that she was comfortable in Ingrid’s presence but she had not expected to let that slip. Even though it was all still raw trying to forget her past was now all she wanted to do and that included the good times as well as the bad.
“I just hope I can be a help to Helen here. If she helps me it is the least I can do but help in return.”
She took another sip from her glass, letting the burning feeling slide down her throat but unlike before she was not enjoying it, maybe her thoughts were bothering her too much.
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Post by ingridrichards on Nov 13, 2011 14:32:16 GMT 9.5
"I'm sure you'll find your place here," Ingrid told her. Her eyes cut to the bottle as Kathryn poured herself another glass. The sight made her shift again uncomfortably as it dredged up memories of her own mother's alcohol abuse. She quickly cleared her throat to push the memories out so she could focus on Kathryn.
The proximity allowed Ingrid to see flickers of Kathryn's future, her essence swirling around her head like a heavy scent. It was those types of visions that never bothered Ingrid, but the skin to skin contact visions would reek havoc on her mind. She saw Kathryn's need for answer and the urge to find them at the bottom of a bottle. The images made Ingrid sigh aloud.
"And not to be rude, but that vodka isn't going to give you the answers you want."
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Post by DR KATHRYN LAWSON on Nov 13, 2011 14:49:21 GMT 9.5
Kathryn gave Ingrid a sideways glance as she took another sip from her glass. She could tell that Ingrid had past issues with alcohol, not herself directly but possibly a family member. Any outsider would always come to the same conclusion that Kathryn had issues with the bottle but if they understood half of what she had been through then maybe they would be more sympathetic to her plight. But at this point in time she was in no mood to explain herself and if anyone had issues with her then she didn’t care.
“I’m not looking for answers”
No she wasn’t, she had all the answers she needed, all she wanted to do was forget. Forget who she was, who she had been and who she ever will be. She had been alive longer than she cared to remember and she had seen more than she ever wanted to, she was not at her lowest now but she was getting that way.
“I understand your concern Ingrid but I have gone through much more than i should care to remember recently and at the very least i need this tonight. I know how that sounds too but few can understand why.”
She put the glass down on the table and brushed it aside. At least for now she was done with drinking her issues away.
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Post by ingridrichards on Nov 13, 2011 15:25:02 GMT 9.5
Ingrid gave a curt nod. "My apologies," she said. "My visions can sometimes be a little off."
It was true. Her visions were never an exact science. Especially when she sometimes only got pieces of the whole. It was frustrating at times, but it was just the nature of it. One thing was true about her vision though. She saw that Kathryn wanted to revisit a bottle at another time.
Ingrid simply sighed, uncrossed her legs, and stood up.
"I should probably go though. There's a new abnormal waiting for me downstairs that I should tend to before he...or she wakes up." She smiled softly. "Though you are more than welcome to join me if you'd like."
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