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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 3, 2016 2:41:39 GMT -5
Dorian HumbertSimon was enjoying his new skin. The young nubile form of Christine Montgomery. To his delight he had been recognized by some other school children. He of course knew who Christine was having seen her at the school before. It was his luck that she should be the one to discover his latest work. She was so beautiful in her terror, so ready to fight, just on the verge of tears. He had watched her fondly, he followed her as she ran, taking his time to let her fear get the best of her. He was just about to take her when that fop showed up. An auror by the looks of him. Simon left that day disappointed, but not without hope. He'd see her again at the school and he'd wait to make his move. Meanwhile he would keep busy in another way. Christine, in her terror, had left plenty of DNA for him to collect and use for his polyjuice potions which he was currently using in the park he had last seen her. He was wearing a similar outfit that she had worn when she went running. He had used her image to trick another young girl into following him. Once alone he had stunned her and dragged her to a waiting carriage. He was just closing the door and rounding the other side when he saw a man approach.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 4, 2016 0:26:27 GMT -5
Dorian had spent every moment he could with Christine, but their time together was hindered by Aleksandra's presence. The woman was doing her job, and Dorian was getting used to the idea of Christine being looked after by someone other than himself. But his time spent away from her was spent worrying about other aspects of her safety. The lurking presence she'd felt in the park some weeks ago, paired with her missing hotel room key were his main concerns. Independent from any feelings of being watched that Christine may have had, the missing key would have been a concern but not so high on his list of worries. However, knowing that the killer had watched Christine's terror-stricken reaction to the gruesome display made recovering her hotel key all the more important. The area had been combed many times over and all evidence had been already identified and brought into the department's storage facility. But it was Lex's shift with Christine which meant Dorian could not be there if he wanted to keep up appearances that he and Christine's relationship was purely professional, and his mind forced him back to the park in search of any missed clues that could lead him to the killer or to the key.
It was just before noon and Lex had taken over "babysitting" as she sometimes put it, more than 2 hours ago. Dorian had made an appearance at the office, but the second he could slip away he returned to Hogsmeade Park and followed the path Christine had taken on that fateful day. He turned the corner which lead to the center of the park, the same spot that Penny Young had been left. He must have been thinking about Christine more than he realized, as he imagined her here in the park near a carriage.
It took him a moment to realize that this was not his imagination, nor was it a trick of the light. Christine was here in the park, seemingly alone. He had not received any word from Lex about an outing and even if he had, this location would have been a wretched place to allow Christine to come. Dorian's speed increased slightly as he approached Christine.
"Christine," he called out as she was preparing to get into the carriage. "What are you doing here?" His tone was harsh, almost reprimanding. He couldn't believe how reckless she was being by coming here.
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 4, 2016 0:57:07 GMT -5
Simon paused his actions. Christine. That was the girl's name. The man was calling her...or him rather.
He didn't know the man's name, but he quickly recognized him as the one who had arrived at his last scene. What was his relationship to the girl he was pretending to be? Were they involved? Was he family? How should Simon respond?
Of course he understood the risk of using polyjuice potion and not knowing too much about the person you were imitating, but he took the chance anyway. Now he had to bluff his way out of it.
"What are you doing here?" he challenged in return.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 4, 2016 1:11:57 GMT -5
"I'm working. Something I had expected Aleksandra to be doing. Does she know you're here?" He looked around, but saw no one nearby. She was alone.
Dorian couldn't think properly, there were too many thoughts racing through his head. He was in shock to see Christine out of the hotel, alone. He was furious with Lex. The girl had either allowed Christine to wander alone, which logically he knew could not be the case, or she had done such a poor job at keeping watch over Christine that Christine had managed to sneak out of the hotel unnoticed. But why was Christine sneaking out in the first place? And why would she come here, of all places? Dorian grabbed Christine's shoulders. "Christine, you shouldn't be here. It's not safe. There's nothing here for you." Frustration, anger, and worry mingled together in his voice. What was she thinking by coming here? What did she expect to accomplish?
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 4, 2016 1:24:00 GMT -5
Simon was struck by the raw passion the man in front of him held in his voice. His concern for Christine's welfare was seductive. Simon couldn't resist his next actions.
Producing a few tears he folded himself into Dorian's chest, "I know...I just couldn't help myself. I'm sorry. That poor woman and what happened to her, I can't get the images out of my mind."
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 4, 2016 1:49:49 GMT -5
The anger he felt towards Lex and the frustration he had with Christine were silenced as she began to cry and pushed her body against his. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "I know," he comforted. "I'm so sorry, darling. Believe me when I say I understand. But this is not the place for you." He curbed his desire to chastise her for running away from Lex and the hotel. Instead, he stroked her hair and held her close.
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 4, 2016 2:02:48 GMT -5
Simon wanted to laugh, part of his "sobbing" was to hide the shaking of his laughter. He was flirting with disaster at this very moment, but at the same time he had learned something of infinite value. Christine had a lover. Not just a lover, but a man who cared very deeply about her. If anything should happen to her it would cripple this man who was so strongly holding onto him.
He wheedled a few more tears before seemingly pulling himself together.
"I'm sorry I worried you so."
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 4, 2016 2:56:58 GMT -5
Dorian was already mentally running through the list of available aurors to replace Lex. She obviously wasn't to be trusted with such a serious task. He would have a long discussion with Christine later about this outing. She simply couldn't be running off to crime scenes. She couldn't be running off at all. He would have to alter the protective charms he had placed on her hotel suite. She couldn't be trusted with the ability to disapparate from her room. It was simply too dangerous for her. He needed to be sure she was safe from harm until this madman had been brought to justice. There was no way for Dorian to know that at that moment he was closer than any auror had come to the psycho they were looking for.
"Let's get you back to the hotel. I need to finish the search for the key."
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 4, 2016 3:31:58 GMT -5
So, Christine was staying at a hotel and she had misplaced her key. Wasn't that convenient? There were only a handful of hotels that would cater to someone of her class and really only one came to mind. He was taking a chance, but the information would be worth it.
"Do we have to go back to the Avalon so soon? Could we not walk for a bit and get some fresh air?"
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 4, 2016 23:46:51 GMT -5
Dorian clinched his jaw and inhaled sharply. Christine clearly had a death wish. There was no other reason for her behavior. Her question infuriated him. He focused all his efforts on maintaining his calm composure when he really just wanted to shake her and scream that she was being foolish and selfish by putting her life in danger like this. Taking a slow, deep breath Dorian lifted Christine's chin so that their eyes met. There was something different about her, but he couldn't say exactly what it was. Perhaps the stress of being where such a traumatic event had occurred was affecting her more than she knew.
"Darling, I know it's suffocating being under constant guard. But it simply isn't safe here. The hotel is heavily protected. Nothing can get to you there, but I can't keep you safe out here. Not completely. Please understand, my love, you simply cannot be out of the Avalon right now. If I lost you again, I..." Dorian's breath faltered. He couldn't think about what he would do if anything happened to her. He couldn't let her see the flames in his eyes as he imagined the terrible things he would do to get her back. He sighed and then continued. "It won't be much longer. We're getting close to capturing this madman, and then you will have your freedom again."
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 5, 2016 0:31:53 GMT -5
Simon truly was a sociopath. He could be thrilled - and he was having discovered Christine's whereabouts - and manage to keep a straight face.
"I understand. I'm sorry. You're right." he said as though admitting defeat with just a twinge of guilt. Not his own guilt for impersonating the girl, but guilt he assumed she would feel after Dorian's words.
"How close are you to catching him?"
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 5, 2016 0:52:06 GMT -5
"Close," he promised. He was sympathetic to her situation and her emotions, but he could not have this conversation with her now. It was inappropriate. The case was ongoing and he wouldn't burden her with any unneeded, troublesome information. "I promise you, your dreams will be free of this monster soon enough, but I really must insist we go back to the hotel now."
Dorian looked at the carriage behind her. It was strange that Christine would have disapparated from the room, as Lex would have never just let her out the front door, but then instead of apparating to the park she brought a carriage...from London... "Christine, how did you get out of the hotel?"
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 5, 2016 0:57:45 GMT -5
"I apparated." Simon answered. Dorian was smart, he had no reason to imagine that his "beloved" was really the monster he had just been referring to, but Simon could hear the confusion between Dorian's words.
"I shouldn't have. Let's get back to the hotel. The Avalon."
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 5, 2016 1:28:04 GMT -5
Dorian looked at her again. There was something strange about her being here. About her. While he still couldn't place exactly what it was that was different, he knew something wasn't right. "Alright, dear." He placed his left arm around her waist and pulled her close, while placing his right hand in the pocket of his coat where his wand happened to be. "I'm going to have to have a chat with Lex and Marcus when we get back about them letting you wander around by yourself."
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 5, 2016 1:32:40 GMT -5
"Don't punish them. It was my fault, not theirs." Simon didn't care in the least if someone were punished, but it rang true as something his soon to be victim would say.
Simon too had a hand on his wand, he was waiting for them to disappear in the alley, it would be easier to stun Dorian there and take off.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 5, 2016 1:41:38 GMT -5
This was not Christine. At this realization, he knew exactly what had been missing when he looked into her eyes. There was no love for him there. Although Christine had not verbally expressed her love for Dorian, he had begun to feel in her kisses and see it in the glances she stole at him. But when he had looked into this...creature's eyes, he saw only darkness. Dorian drew his wand and swiftly placed it to the imposter's throat. "Who are you?"
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 5, 2016 1:47:11 GMT -5
Simon released the laughter that had been churning in his gut ever since Dorian so easily gave up Christine's location.
"Took you long enough I suppose. I'm a little disappointed that it took as long as it did, then again I never would have known she was staying at the Avalon without your help."
If he thought he saw darkness in Simon's eyes before, there was straight malice in his expression now. Gleeful dark malice.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 5, 2016 2:09:03 GMT -5
Rage flared inside Dorian and he jabbed his wand deeper into the throat of the beast wearing Christine's face. "You're not getting anywhere near her, you bastard." Dorian grabbed the imposter's wrist. "Incarcerous." Ropes sprung from his wand intent on binding the fake Christine.
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Post by Simon Montague on Oct 5, 2016 2:18:11 GMT -5
Simon just managed to palm a blade before the ropes circled one of his wrists. He deflected the attack with a sneer "Just like an Auror." Simon taunted.
"Going for justice, never the kill." he punctuated his last words by using that same knife and slashing at Dorian's midsection. He was a doctor after all, he was well skilled with non-magical instruments, and magical ones. It just so happened that if Dorian was cut with this particular blade it would require magic for the wound to close, even a small cut could be deadly.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Oct 5, 2016 11:47:56 GMT -5
They were too close for the imposter not to make contact with the knife. Dorian felt the blade slice through stomach. At first there was a sharp sting, then a burn. Instinctively he wrapped his arm around himself, and felt a warm sensation flow over his hand as blood began to spill from the wound.
He could not let this monster get away. Too many people had died at the hands of this murderer. And too many lives were at risk should Dorian fail now. Christine's life was in danger. He staggered backwards, his hand unable to hold back the blood. But he would continue on. He sent a stunning spell at the imposter, the incantation uttered with such contempt that it shook his entire body.
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