badfic_manor | Dosage 1 John Preston [Video]

[As long as Preston's thinking, he has something to work with.]

The hallway we're in is part of a larger building with grounds - everyone that's been abducted here is basically sharing the same living quarters. None of us are here by choice, and honestly, if you have any flashes of insight how to leave, it would be for the benefit of all; there's quite a number of people here currently out of sight who have homes and responsibilities to return to. [He inclines his head slightly to indicate the doors all lining the hallway, and the nameplates.]

_{[John follows his gaze. He felt...no he thought that this man was reasonable. He shook his head to clear it but the nagging feeling returned.]}

Where can I get more of this?

_{[John reaches into his pocket and retrieves a small vial full of amber liquid.]}

[Oh, frame of reference problems. He has a pretty good between the lines on this one, but he's a little wary of anything that reaches into "assumption".]

[At least the question is less paranoid and accusatory, which bodes well for Not Being At Gunpoint in the near future.]

That'll depend heavily on what 'this' is. If I'm guessing correctly, it may not be something that's been invented yet in the time period most of us are from, and it may depend on how... "considerate" our abductor has been - there's a cabinet in the lab that stores a good handful of commonly useful things that we've been monitoring and regulating. There might be someone here capable of synthesizing it, but it might take time depending on how hard that is... I don't remember hearing "biochemist" yet as a profession. It may turn up if we get transferred somewhere else temporarily, but I wouldn't count on that, most of those places have been very much the wrong time period.

How dangerous could any withdrawal be?

As dangerous as letting an angry man behind a gun. This is Prozium, and it suppresses emotion. This is my last dosage, which I am scheduled to take in as little as 3 hours.

[Tris isn't in easy view, even if she is within 'easy running distance' for her. However, there is a pretty decent draft running through the hall.]

[He knows exactly what that wind means - but isn't going to react to it.]

[He does frown a little at that, seeing the problem - particularly if he's never been off it before, this is going to be ... rough.]

I'm not sure the few scientists we have could synthesize it on this notice - the best I know of is from a century earlier than I am. We may have to mind damage control; our captor is hardly considerate on such matters.

[And he's eying the pistol.] I do have a request. If you're not going to shoot me, could you lower your weapon? You seem far more competent with firearms than I am - I'm sure you could have it out fast enough if a threat occured, and I'd rather not risk a needless fight due to someone happening across this, assuming the worst, and interfering.

_{[John obliges and lowers his gun, reholstering it.]}

I am a master of gun kata. Even without my pistols, the movements are a form of combat on their own.

_{[John notices the subtle wind that wasn't there prior.]}

Did someone open a windown?

[Tris walks up, probably looking like something John wouldn't expect to see. Medieval dress, hair all up in braids and sparking just a little for effect, and her fingers wrapped around the ribbon keeping her medallion on, not that it's visible. She hopes he asks, though, because technically she's bound to not show it off...]

No. That would be me. I'm a weather-witch.

[She's totally not trolling him, what.]

And what might I ask is that?

_{[Something makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He notices her fingers are curled around something, tightly. He realizes it might be a weapon.]}

What's in your hand witch?

...A weather-witch? I have power fundamentally tied to the weather- lightning, the movement of the earth, winds, rain... And this is the medallion that proves I am certified to practice as an adult mage, and won't, as my brother puts it, "pee on the bushes". It means I've taken certain oaths to do things like not destroy buildings just because I'm vexed with someone. If I had less control over myself and my magic, that wouldn't be difficult. [It all feels like bragging and it's pretty clear she doesn't LIKE explaining it, but she's pulling her medallion out and letting it sit there.] I didn't ask for this power; I was born with it.

[martial art that incorporates firearms - ...damnit, curiosity can wait.]

[Well, she did stay out of sight until he wasn't at gunpoint, and was definitely present just in case.]

This is Tris - Tris, this is John Preston, who has, apparently, just been pulled here.

_{[John relaxes a bit, but is wary that she can manipulate the elements.]}

Are you with him?

_{[He nods at Saguru.]}

[She's used to that sort of thing.] It also means that I promised not to attack another person with my magic unless they pose a direct and obvious threat to myself, or other people around me. You aren't posing a direct threat to anyone here, are you?

I've worked with him in the past, here. We're from different worlds, so we've no personal history between us beyond what's a side-effect of working together. [Tris does not have friends. :| Aside from her siblings. And Soma. And Keth. And Glaki, and-- ...okay so she does have friends shut up. She won't easily admit that.]

[He nods, choosing to not really react to the territorial-protective undertones.]

She's helped with catching a killer recently, and defending those who couldn't protect themselves.

Does it look like I'm posing a threat right now? I'm calm...but you. You are agitated, an emotion that leads to anger which leads to violence. Comparatively, you are more a danger than I am.

Agitated, yes, but it's controlled. If I didn't have control over my emotions, this manor wouldn't be standing. Part of the reason I was given this is because I achieved a level of control that most people don't manage until they reach their thirties. Compared to how I could be, this is nothing.

You fail to realize that while I may seem unstable and wrong, you are able to lose control. No matter how good you think you are, you'll never be as good as this.

_{[He shows her the vial]}

...[Tris raises an eyebrow.] I'm sorry, I don't know what 'this' means. If it's some kind of drug, you can always run out. The control and strength I learned as a child will always be there, no matter what.

_{[John pauses to give this consideration, then points at Saguru.]}

He told me there was a possibility of manufacturing it.

Possibility. A maybe-thing. My control is sure. [Tris's hair sparks are going away now.] The sparks in my hair were just for effect- I'd never lost control of my magic at all.

Why flaunt your power if you don't intend to use it? I use these guns. I planned on using them today. But your little friend here convinced me otherwise.

[...Problems, there are a few. Particularly since he can't really mention that they do have a biochemist, assuming said biochemist would go along with this.]

... It depends on how well someone from the 1700's has caught up to the technology of my time, much less making sense of that, which may use things that don't exist in my day - it's possible, but it won't be a quick thing.

We've already established that I will be feeling in approximately 3 hours if I don't take this then. I'm assuming you're buying time to try and make me feel your side of things.

[Tris is raising an eyebrow.] Would you have known or believed I was a mage without the show? [She's going to let Saguru handle... well, the problem of the drugs wearing off.] If you think you may pose a threat to others when off the drugs, I can negate that.

[He nods to Tris on that...] More logistics and honesty - if I told you we could replace it immediately for certain, I'd be lying.

Dosage 1 John Preston [Video]

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...moving over here to keep things on one thread...

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im starting to lose it now... its crowding my browser

Sorry 'bout not explaining the Thread thing sooner ^^; long threads do that.

Yeah.

Re: Yeah.

...Apologies, "too smug" is kind-of his natural state.

Pfeheheh