Here on (Misery) Business [Eluard]

[Lyre Maybridge]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 300px; padding: 30px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/jjzs9.png); border-left: #ffcccc solid 10px;][STYLE= color: #ffcccc; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; line-height: 70%; text-shadow: 1px 0px 2px #7C7C7C;]I'm in the business of misery[/style][STYLE= background: #F0F0F0; width: 340px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; color: #999999; padding: 10px; border-left: #ffcccc 10px solid;] Originally, Lyre had planned to come on Saturday where she figured the surgeon would have the day off, or at least she assumed he would - she wasn't sure when busy surgeons with their extra curricular activities got the day off. But when the nightmares had gotten worse and she could barely get a wink of sleep during the night, it began to worry her because things never usually got worse in her dreams, just repeated. So she figured, sooner meant more time to convince him and selfishly she could hopefully get some sleep without his lifeless eyes staring up at her in these dreams. Unfortunately it had taken her a little longer then she had thought to find his home. Not the apartment she had seen him frequent in these dreams, and the one he left from the night before his soon-to-be murder, but the one where she had a better chance to explain what she could do. Anyone could find his apartment and where he worked, but from what she gathered not many new about his second apartment where he went to get away from it all, and she assumed for the little girl that was there had a part in the second apartment too. It would better prove that she could predict things, instead of coming up and sounding a little too suspicious for anyone's liking, really. "Yes, I'm looking for Dr. Verlaine? Yes Dr. Verlaine, I'm coming to tell you that you're going to be killed soon by meeting this person in this alleyway at this time. No I don't have any evidence other than my word that I can predict things in my sleep." She puffed up her cheeks, dropping her head onto her knees folded up to her chest. "That's sounds soo convincing, let's believe the little girl who claims to predict things with no evidence other than her word." She spoke aloud to herself, sarcastically. It was Friday, one of the few days she had off at her job at the little cafe. Normally she would have spent the day slaving over text books and attempting to understand them, but she wasn't sure how long it would take to find this particular apartment. She had the apartment number, the door had been engraved into her skull from many nights of just 'seeing' it, and the outside of the apartment as well, but unfortunately quite a few of the apartment buildings looked a like. So after attending a few, knocking on the doors and getting the wrong person, she came upon one that had no answer. After staring at it for several minutes and peering into the future, she had come across the right apartment, now all she had to do was wait until he arrived back home. Whenever that was. With a quick cast at her watch, which displayed brightly that it was nearing five p.m. and she had been sitting outside his apartment door for well around three hours. With another huff she peered over her crossed arms resting on her knees and very nearly wanted to let out a groan of frustration. She was terribly thirsty and she didn't remember seeing a water fountain on the way up, and being too stubborn to leave should he come while he was gone, even though she could simply knock. Waiting, she decided, left a bigger impact - or so she hoped - then leaving and coming back. Or it could make her seem like some stalker. Lyre let out a particularly loud groan of frustration and buried her head back into her folded arms upon her knees. [/style][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; background: url(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s67/Tainted-Goddess/Lenalee/shelliana_dgm_0016.png); border: #FFcccc solid 10px; margin-top: 10px;][/style][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; background: url(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s67/Tainted-Goddess/Lenalee/shelliana_dgm_0016.png); border: #FFcccc solid 10px; margin-left: 05px; margin-top: 10px;][/style][STYLE= float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; background: url(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s67/Tainted-Goddess/Lenalee/shelliana_dgm_0016.png); border: #FFcccc solid 10px; margin-left: 05px; margin-top: 10px;][/style]

[STYLE= text-align: right; font-family: courier new; font-size: 10px; width: 420px;]MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY[/style]

[Eluard Verlaine]

Eluard had been called in to answer to an emergency case that day because the surgeon on duty was already deep into another patient. Literally. There had been much distress from the accident victim’s family and a lot of panic in the operating room as well, but in the end, they had managed to stabilize the person and give her another chance at life. Although she was still not out of the woods yet, Eluard’s role had ended and he was returning home with some groceries. Recent events made him barely aware of the world around him and he was aching for sleep and quiet and Jenny’s smiling face.

What he hadn’t expected to find was a girl slumped down near the door to his apartment. Slightly puzzled, he quirked a brow as he approached her. “May I help you?” The plastic bag of supermarket goodies swung forward slightly at his abrupt pause and brushed to a stop against his leg. She wasn’t his neighbor, or anyone who lived in this building. He would know, because he knew every person from every apartment from the entire building, as well as the marital status and if they had pets. A good chunk of them, he had even vaster information about. It was in his nature to make sure his home environment was within his scrutiny and surveillance.

Absently, he rummaged in his pocket and drew out his keys. “You look tired,” he observed. Given his circumstances and secret activities, it was unnerving to come across any sort of strange situations. Finding a young woman curled up so near the door to his actual home was one of them. Still, because it was the address he never gave anyone, he allowed the circumstance the benefit of the doubt.

[Lyre Maybridge]

"May I help you?"

Lyre nearly jumped out of her skin, head jerking up so fast she might have caught whiplash before scrambling up to her feet and tilting her head slightly to look up at him as she suddenly fumbled with her hands and tried to hold his stare. He was unnerving but she had a job to do and she wasn't about to back down because the guy had a real piercing look to his eyes. At his request to know if he could do anything for her, she suddenly lost his gaze and directed it elsewhere, absently noting how much nicer this place appeared to be then her apartment. Then again, he was a doctor and probably made loads of money and could afford it.

Lyre could feel the hesitance once again creep back up into her stomach as butterflies erupted and she clenched her hands into fists and bit the bottom of her lip. Honestly, she didn't know if he was a mutant or not because if he was, his powers must have been something like hers. Nothing immediately obvious. But it was honestly now or never, either get up the nerve to tell him or continue to let the nightmares plague her and allow his death, which she couldn't.

"I.. uh.." Grey eyes glancing at him from the corner of her eye as she sucked in a deep breath, voice nothing but a low whisper. "I know who you are.. White Serpent." Shoulders stiff, she continued. "I need to talk to you about something in private, something very serious that involves you and a future.. informant."

She glanced away again before looking up at him, eyes steeling with resolve. There! She thought subconsciously, That has to get his attention. After all, it wasn't information that most, if anybody should really knew. Especially the informant tid bit. Though at the shift in atmosphere, her body tensed and her chin lowered a miniscule bit, hands still clenched at her sides and like an animal ready to flee at the first sign of aggression she slid her foot back, waiting. It was obvious he could take her out as she wasn't built to fight instead she was lithe and agile and was shamefully, quite good at fleeing. But it was always survival of the fittest in the world, wasn't it? She knew she couldn't take him and instinct had her ready to run should he try to attack. But another part told her in plain daylight it would be a stupid move, though it wasn't like someone hadn't done that before either. She could never be to careful.

((Oh gosh, short. Sorry :c ))

[Eluard Verlaine]

His eyes widened only slightly at the ominous proclamation. Someone had finally linked the dots and found him out? Was she messenger, some deliverer of dark threats? His grip on the groceries bag tightened and a rush of anxiety grated him on the inside. All pretense of cordiality or friendliness were abandoned in exchange for an icy front. “Don’t speak that name again,” he cautioned her quietly, then motioned to the elevator. A firm, resolute finger indicated they should take it.

If she agreed to accompany him, he’d take her to the last floor, then up the stairs to the door that led onto the rooftop. Eluard used a key and allowed them passage to what looked like a park in the sky. The rooftop was decorated with potted plants, from large to small, thick to slender. There was a fountain nested in the middle of it all where the water jumped high and tumbled down permanently. A paved walkway of fine quality slithered around the fountain and contained vegetation. Several fancy benches were placed around the roof-park, four of them making a square around the fountain. The little sanctuary on the roof had been a community project initiated by the administration of the building. Situated in the busiest part of town, the entire apartment complex was home to the wealthier side of society, just below, if not including, the occasional media divas.

Calmly, Eluard walked over to the benches by the fountain, noting that there was only one other person on the roof and he was spread on a lounging chair somewhere on the opposite end of the space, facing away from them and definitely out of earshot. The man seemed to be enjoying the last heat of sunlight, looking for an autumn tan. Sitting on a bench, the information dealer turned to the girl he had brought with him, inviting her to sit with a gesture of his hand. The look in his eyes was steely. He placed the groceries between them.

“Who do you work for?” He was openly scrutinizing her, trying to ignore the anxiety in his chest. “I’ll hear what you have to say and I’ll want to know how much your employer wants to keep quiet about my identity.”



((Shorter works!))

[Lyre Maybridge]

Watching the friendly appearance melt away from the man before her, and seeing it replaced with such an icy face had her insides clenching as he gave her a warning never to speak the name. Pointing toward the elevator to which she followed obediently and in silence, standing beside him and staring at the doors ahead. Honestly though, with a hidden glance toward the man beside her, she didn't know his first name. Only what was spoken and once or twice "White Serpent" is all that she really gathered from and pieced it together. Everything else was a rush of images or scenes and she never really got to see his real name. Lyre knew he worked at the hospital, but she had never gone because she was sure that the medical bill accompanied by it would give her a heart attack and just another expense for her to pay, among other things.

The way up felt agonizingly long, so the small little 'ding!' that signaled the stop to the top floor she very nearly jumped. Hand clenching to not fling up and clutch the fabric of her shirt, and she thought warily that this trip to warn this man may be the very reason she visits the hospital and for a heart attack no less. The sight that greeted her at the open doors had her eyes widen, it was really quite beautiful up here with a fountain and all! Her apartment rooftop was rather crumby and she wasn't to sure if it would even hold her weight and she had never been particular fond of finding out.

Following the blond man to the bench and seating herself when he gestured to do so. Hands folding on her lap as she inclined her head to him, listening to him and his obvious thought process that she was working for someone though she couldn't exactly blame him. Precognition users seemed to be rare.

"I have no employer or anything as such, and I must confess I don't know your real name, either." She explained, looking ahead toward the fountain and glancing at the person across the roof. Should this man attack her, maybe he would help the afterthought coming to her before she took a steady and deep breath, calming her frazzled nerves.

"I'm a mutant, a precognition user." With a slight shrug of her shoulders, the memory which she was about to tell causing her body to slouch forward and her feet to inch together in nervous habit. "I came because I have seen you in my dreams." Face flushing after a moment the own image seeping into her head as she sat ramrod straight, hands clutching her clothes or she would be threatening to wave frantically around as the blush darkened. "Not like that! I see the future in my sleep!" She explained - more to herself than probably him - in one breath before grabbing hold of the seriousness of the situation, this wasn't the time to act the fool, his life was on the line. "I am.. unsure if you are a mutant or not. My dreams don't show many specific things, but I do know your association with mutants and can only hope that you'll believe me."

With another breath she looked him steady in the eyes. "I've predicted your death, the informant in which you are going to contact within a weeks time will kill you."

[/blockquote]

[Eluard Verlaine]

The beginning of her explanation was more of a confession and Eluard drew back, arms crossing. His eyes studied the emotion that played on her face and he remained decidedly neutral. Anything she told him was met first by cynicism born of experience. Lies were commonplace in his affairs and expected them more than the truth.

Her saying that she was a mutant, however, did make the light in his eyes pause momentarily. The implication of her power immediately rattled inside his mind, the idea that she’d “seen him in her dreams” effectively making him pale a little. There were all sort of mutants out there but the ones who were adept at gathering information that was not supposed to be had were the greatest threat to him. Eluard seemed to miss her embarrassment completely and her clarification was definitely not needed. He released his arms from across his chest and instead lowered his elbows on his legs, hands coming together somewhere around chest-level.

Eluard had never told anyone, explicitly, that he was a mutant. The more perceptive and hopeful assumed, while the rest preferred to think he wasn’t, whether because they were mutants and liked to think themselves superior or were humans and preferred to think he was “on their side.” Eluard wasn’t sure if to believe her. His association with mutants could have been tracked and she could have been sent here to confirm the connection to him, but when she told him that she had “predicted his death,” Eluard’s eyes widened slightly and his gaze was locked with hers.

Death was an inevitable part of life and it came for everyone. Eluard knew that many of his dealings were dangerous and fully expected to die young, but it still came as a shock to find out his time of lights out was so close. For a moment, he just stared at Lyre, completely still, trying to decide if she had been genuine in her news delivery. Even replaying the moment in his mind didn’t give him any signs of hesitation or gesticulation associated with untruths. His expression became very grave. “You’ve seen this in your dreams?” He sought to confirm. What he asked next, he asked with utmost reluctance, though it came out only with the slightest hesitation. “Can the future be changed?”

Eluard had always been one to believe in fate, or destiny. If “his time had come” he fully expected to be unable to avoid it, even if he did dodge it once. Death was supposed to chase you like a tireless specter until it finally got you. His eyes narrowed slightly, in defiance of his own beliefs. “You wouldn’t be here if it couldn’t be changed, would you?” That seemed like an unnecessary cruelty and this girl’s aura, that he could see, was not that dark. The information dealer took in a breath and looked away from her, hand resting against the side of his face. “Why have you come to warn me?” He assumed it was because she had seen him helping mutants, but it never hurt to make sure.

“What you’ve seen in your visions about me must have allowed you to trust me, considering you’ve told me of your power.” He looked back to her. “What is your name?”

[Lyre Maybridge]

[/i] her when she told them. Lyre honestly couldn't remember a time anyone but her family, before she left, believed her words about their future.

"You've seen this in your dreams?"

A quiet nod. Her hair had been left down that day and so it filtered in front of her sight and she rose a hand to brush the loose strands away from her face.

"Can the future be changed?"

Lyre went to respond but his eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips and waited. "You wouldn't be here if it couldn't be changed, would you?" With a faint smile, Lyre clutched her knees in her hands, leaning forward a bit. "Right. The future can be changed, and your death can be avoided. I recommend avoiding the informant.. completely. Try.. laying low for awhile." She ended a bit awkwardly, because honestly laying low sounded like something someone would say off a TV show. "But.. unfortunately I won't know how this.. affects anything until tonight. If you do believe me that is.." The images of those who didn't believe her, fluttering behind closed eyelids as she clenched her hands, digging nails into the skin and frowning lightly.

"Why have you come to warn me?" Lyre cracked one eye open, glancing at him to see he had turned away from her. Opening both grey eyes fully she looked at him and gave a soft smile before looking down at her feet. "Because you have helped many mutants before, we could at least return the favor." She spoke quietly, before looking up at the fountain and taking a deep breath. "And because of your daughter. I know this is all strange and probably a bit like invading privacy.." She trailed off for a moment, twisting her hands together and refusing to look at him. "But I don't think she deserves to be taken away from everything anytime soon." Lyre could feel her throat tighten, the images of her own family and her own father brushing up against the front of her mind. Eyes steeling in an attempt to hide the emotion that threatened to surface. Lyre had never expected to leave her family so soon, and so abruptly, it was a painful experience that if she could try to prevent some from having, she would.

Blinking at his exclamation of her trust and then question of her name she smiled and held out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Lyre, Lyre Maybridge."[/ul][/size]

[Eluard Verlaine]

The information dealer couldn’t find any reason not to believe her. As for the informant, he would be dealt with, but he would not be present. Eluard’s eyes remained stony for a time. If all of this was true and the man would be an assassin, his associates needed to catch him and force him to explain who had sent him. Eluard didn’t say anything for a while after Lyre explained why she had come to warn him and offered the name he had wished to know. He suddenly felt very old and tired. It was a miracle that he hadn’t been killed yet and his good fortune seemed to persist, today coming under the form of a grey-eyed girl who had seen his death and had chosen to prevent it.

Blue eyed stayed on the fountain. “Thank you,” he said in the end, releasing a quiet breath. “I’ll avoid the meeting.” Another pause before he looked to her. “If you don’t already know – my name is Eluard.” He rested his chin on his hands, elbows on his knees. “If you have seen I help mutants, then you should know I’m going to extend the same offer to you.” His eyes lowered briefly to the groceries bag between them. “Should you ever have need, you can come to the safe house I run.”

For a moment, he hesitated, then straightened and pulled out a black card with white lettering and numbers on it. He extended it to her. “You have here a number you can contact if you’re in trouble and the address to the place where you can come.” He cast his gaze to the fountain. “Just make sure you’re not followed if you do choose to arrive. If you’re being pursued, call the number instead.”

Eluard sat back against the bench. He was quiet another moment. A plump, grey pigeon landed on the fountain’s edge. “You said you’ve seen my daughter,” he began, in a calm and leveled voice that wanted to hide the disquiet he felt. “What else have you seen?” It was a pointless question, really. Even if she told him everything she had seen about his life and acquaintances, there was no way he could erase her knowledge or prevent more from becoming known to her. It would be in his best interest to keep her safe from now on so that whatever she did know remained with her only.

“Where do you live?” He asked with certain interest and glanced to her carefully. “Have you ever had run ins with the DNCS?”

[Lyre Maybridge]

It came as a surprise to Lyre when Eluard thanked her, clearly showing on her face as she gazed at him with a slightly shocked expression. Eyes a bit wider and mouth threatening to fall open before she quickly shook herself clear from the thought and a sense of relief blooded through her bones like a flood gate finally opening. Body falling into a more relaxed pose as she continued to listen to him and about how he believed her and that he was actually going to listen and avoid the meeting.

As he introduced himself as Eluard, Lyre rolled the name around in her head. It sounded and fitted him a lot more than White Serpent did, the only name she had known him by until now. No one in her visions had ever addressed him as Eluard and as he stood up straight she followed his movements with her eyes, taking the card from his hands when he pulled it out to give to her. Hands wrapping around the small card as she gazed down at him, small white numbers popping out against the black card. "Thank you." She whispered quietly, looking up at him with a small smile before gazing back toward the fountain, allowing the silence to settle around them before he spoke again, asking of what else she had seen. It was the most common question she got, and she couldn't really blame those who did believe and ask her.

"About you? I've seen only bits and pieces, most of what I saw tended to center around the upcoming of your death. To leaving for work and your other apartment up until your death." She cringed at the mention of it but took a deep breath and continued. "I only saw bits and pieces of your regular life, and your home here as well as your daughter. Most of the time if it wasn't around the informant and you," She specifically left out his death this time, it felt so odd to talk about someone's death like a normal conversation and she hated it. "But I see a lot of things, major events to unimportant ones. The place where mutants go for refugee, I saw you once in surgery." She gave a light shrug, conversation slowly dying off. "I can't quite control what I see in my dreams, I'm not even sure if its something I can control."

The question about where she lived had her look over at him and blink in confusion before dragging her grey eyes away from him. "I live downtown." She spoke, almost sheepishly. Downtown was a nasty place to live with the crime rate. Her apartment wasn't anything amazing either, the people who built it couldn't even afford to get a person who was at least decent in interior design. If you wanted a nice looking apartment you'd have to gut it and re-do it, but if you had the money to re-do the apartment space, you wouldn't be living in that building to begin with.

The question about the DNCS had her pause, form tensing at the question as she refused to look toward him. "I have, they tried to take me from my home." She spoke quietly, almost hesitantly. "I saw it though, and fled the night they came." There was a long pause, grey eyes looking down as her form slumped over in some sort of defeat at the memory. The anger was there, it lingered and she doubted it would ever fade. They drove her from her home, that was not something she could forgive. "I don't think they're quite aware of what I can do though. My town seemed to have the idea that I could inflict extreme misfortune onto the people I choose to interact with. I guess in some ways if you didn't know about mutants it would look like it." Another long pause as she gathered her thoughts. "They came prepared for someone who could inflict the misfortune I had predicted many times over." The memory of the men moving around her house carrying tasers fresh in her mind and she sighed. "That was the last I saw of them though. I try to avoid anything that would leave a paper trail. Cash only, working under the table. No license with a current address." A part of her always wondered, if that would be enough in the long run as she watched the pigeon fly off. A small part of her hesitating before looking over at him, "Are you a mutant?" Unsure if that was something appropriate to ask, but she felt the need to anyway.