[ Much as he doesn't want to, Elijah does eventually go home to Chloe. He's delighted to see her of course -- Chloe is more than just his creation. She is, in so many ways, his best friend. She understands him like so few people do. Now Elijah has Ezra again, and even Hank to some degree, but the one who has held Elijah together for the last ten years has been Chloe. Always Chloe. She's certainly too good for him and he knows it.
And she nearly died because of him.
Their reunion isn't awkward, at least Elijah hopes it isn't. She'd been made aware of his condition, of the changes in his needs and all the rest and didn't seem bothered by it. Elijah knows she would never be bothered by it. By him. Chloe accepts him and cares for him and would protect him from anything. That's the problem, of course. Chloe may not be bothered by the changes, by the blood or the liquid diet or the golden tinge to his eyes but Elijah is. It had all felt so normal when he'd been with Ezra and Hank. They're werewolves; adding a vampire to the mix wasn't going to change much.
But in his home, in his space, Elijah feels like a stranger. The windows need to be tinted, the silver melted down and given away. The lights are all too bright for his eyes now. Everything feels too different, except for Chloe. Sweet Chloe. She doesn't deserve to deal with something like this. She deserves to be protected, but Elijah can't protect her.
He doesn't trust himself. He's done the research, tried jabbing and poking himself and testing a million things, but he doesn't know the full extent of his abilities. He doesn't want to know. Was there a point to testing himself for weaknesses when he could turn into mist? Was the a point in learning to fly as a bat if he wouldn't really want to?
He doesn't know. It's been a week and he still doesn't know. There is so much Elijah doesn't know, it paralyzes him with fear. He hasn't felt like this in so long that he does what he did last time his precious control was so forcibly taken from him. He retreats. He hides away.
This time he locks himself into the panic "basement" he'd had built for Ezra once he found out he'd become a werewolf. It's much larger than Hank's basement. The amenities are actually pretty good. Bed, bathroom, fridge -- it's all here. Everything is nailed down and nearly indestructible. It's safe here, and he won't hurt Chloe or anyone else, and he's free to try and work in peace on this synthetic blood project. That's definitely his reason for locking himself down here. To get work done. At least that's the bullshit excuse he tells Chloe when she finds she'd have to hack the door to get in. She can, but she wouldn't like to. ]
I'll be fine. Don't worry. This is only temporary.
[ He doesn't really like seeing Eli off but it's necessary. As fun as it is, it really isn't healthy to be inseparable like they were as children. They need to be their own people and the distance and time makes the pull of his blood in Eli lessen. His instincts tone down from "me" to "brother" after a few days.
But they're still connected, of course, so as he goes back to work and starts trying to deal with all this supernatural bullshit he can start to feel it encroach. Eli's anxiety. Eli being scared of himself. It gets strong enough that he has to excuse himself to the bathroom and splash cold water on his face with some deep breaths. So he isn't surprised when Chloe calls him, as he was just about to do it himself. He's grounded himself from Eli's feelings when she calls and he says he'll be right over.
Of course. Eli's never handled not understanding something well, wanting to hide himself until he does. So scared of seeming weak or unknowing. Well, he can't hide from Ezra.
So he goes in with a nice greeting to Chloe and heads towards the basement. He knocks on the door. ]
[ Elijah can't exactly keep Ezra out. He knows this. His brother is a part of him. They may have devised ways to keep certain things from bleeding through, but they are connected.
It shouldn't surprise him that Ezra would know something was wrong. It does. He hasn't had much time to think about the way things should be. Things aren't the way they should be, now. It's hard to accept sometimes. He gets lost in his own thoughts so often, fear overtakes them if he isn't careful. If he doesn't distract himself or take a break or.
Or Ezra appears. ]
The door should open for you.
[ The DNA locks keep everyone out. Everyone but Elijah -- and Ezra, of course. When he enters, Ezra will find Elijah seated on a bolted-down chair, messing with an extremely sturdy-looking tablet. His hair is loose, his skin paler than it was before. It has been a week since he's fed. Maybe he's hungry, or maybe he's ignoring it. Either way, his heartbeat is slow. Very slow. It doesn't seem to be affecting his movements much, at least. ]
[ Which is good because Ezra could easily hack it and get in. Can't hide your passwords from baby bro.
He heads down into the basement, hands in his jacket pockets as he comes upon his twin. Yes, Eli's very much a wreck right now. Ezra bites his cheek and heads over to him. ]
Hey. [ He says it casually. ] You look like shit.
[ His wolfy instincts can... sense that he's weaker. Easier prey. ] What's the deal, big guy?
[ He'll ignore that comment about his appearance, thanks. Though his instincts certainly do flare up as he approaches. Werewolves are dangerous. They're supposed to be enemies. Elijah ignore it. He looks up from his tablet once, then back down at the screen in his lap. ]
I'm trying to figure out if I can isolate what it is about blood that makes it a suitable energy source in vampires.
[ That's clearly not the answer to his question. ]
[ Yeah, he figured. But it's better and easier for him to say it. ]
Well, you're not gonna find your limits just sitting here with your thumb up your ass. [ He shrugs. ] You're more likely to hurt someone when you're scared, you know. Scared of yourself. Makes you more likely to lash out.
Someone who isn't scared doesn't lock themselves up in a fucking bunker, Eli.
[ He starts to move closer to him. ]
Taking precautions is fine. But you can take better ones when you know what you can do. [ Ezra's expression and voice soften a little. ] Hiding from Chloe isn't the way to protect her.
[ Woah, hey. No need to yell, Eli. Except he is. And he's standing now. (It's ok, the tablet is break-proof.) ]
Am I supposed to wait until I lose control and hurt someone? Or am I supposed to purposely let this thing out of me? This desire, this need -- I don't want anything to do with it!
[ Well, this is what he wanted. Stop hiding from it, Eli, let it all out. He doesn't flinch, just shrugging. ]
Honestly? Yes. [ He meets his eyes, unblinking. ] This shit is a part of you now and you have to accept it. I'm sorry you don't have anyone to guide you like I did, but you can't hide from yourself.
[ He tilts his head a little. ] You can't be a coward and let it control you.
Am I a coward now? [ Elijah snarls, clearly not keeping a very solid lid on this thing. ] For being afraid of the very thing that hurt someone close to me—something that killed me, in case you've forgotten?!
[ There's definitely a hiss to his words, one he manages to catch as he tries to calm himself down. There's no reason to be upset. This is his brother, even if he is being kind of an asshole. ]
It killed me too. [ Ezra's face is getting harsher and his eyes flash amber for a half second. ] In case you've forgotten that.
[ He steps closer, taking his hands out of his jacket pockets finally. He's being an ass on purpose; it's always been the way to get Eli to push back and grow. ]
You accept it because it's the only choice you have, Elijah. I didn't know you were the type to roll over belly up at the first sign of hardship.
[ Thanks to not having eaten all week, Eli's eyes are leaning more towards red than gold today. He doesn't flinch either when Ezra tries to rile him. Some logical part of him knows that that's what he's doing, but it still stings just as well. ]
It saved your life, don't patronize me by pretending it was anything else!
[ Now's definitely a bad time for that twin jealousy to come out but here it comes. Elijah steps closer now too. ]
You have Hank! You've had his support this entire time. Don't pretend like you know what it's like! Isolating myself was the only choice I had.
And you're not the only one who's ever been alone! So don't act like I have no idea what it's like.
[ He's getting toothy. This may have been intentional on his part, but it's getting close to the full moon and they still have heaps of issues between them. It's not hard to bring it all to the surface. ]
Like now. You have me, you asshole. But you've always conveniently forgotten about me when I stop making you look better, huh? [ His eyes flash and stay a smoldering amber. ]
C'mon, let's do this. Finish that fight we started when you broke my nose.
[ Eli's hand goes up to his neck, over the puncture marks at his neck. Unlike Gavin's, his are slowly fading. Without a living sire, they would heal fully within the month. The show of fang is definitely getting Eli's hackles raised. He can feel his fangs start to extend. His instincts know he's in danger, but he won't be easy prey. Not by a long shot. ]
You? [ He scoffs, the sound dark and low. Humorless. ] You always leave! Why should I count on you when you might leave again?
[ He levels him a stare, angry and frustrated and everything he's been holding back is trying to force its way through. His eyes settle on a dark red, darker than they've ever been. ]
I should have broken more than your nose. I should have never let you leave.
[ He shrugs off his jacket and tosses it onto a nearby desk. His own mark is obvious on his neck, seeming to shine in the fluorescent lights of the bunker's lap. ]
Maybe if you finally stop being such a goddamn crybaby I won't leave. Poor Eli, always needing Ezra to take care of him. So weak, even after getting all that power you've always wanted.
[ But then he... grins. He's getting fuzzier and his teeth are getting sharper, ears pointier. The thing about being a werewolf, he always craves a good fight. And fighting his powerful vampire twin? The best sounding thing ever. ]
Yeah, that's it. Come on, show me what you can do. Show me how tough a vampire really is.
I'm your older brother! You're the one who never showed me any respect!
[ He hisses as he spits out each word. His eyes are nearly glowing red now, fangs drawn and fingers sharpened to claws. He hasn't quite lost it yet, but he's very close. ]
I never wanted this! All I wanted was for us to be together! [ He snarls, his face distorting to something far less than human. ] It's your fault! I was supposed to take care of you!
[ Oh he likes this... yes, good. Lean into it, brother. Dig your fingers into your wounds and see what power you have. It's the only way to know what you're capable of. Maybe the full moons for werewolves aren't always a bad thing.
Ezra's back pops and rolls as his muscles re-calibrate for a fight, his claws growing as he gets even fuzzier. ]
Maybe I wanted you to listen to me, not take care of me! Have you ever thought of that? [ His own voice is rough now, a crackling rumble underneath his words. ]
Stop being scared of yourself and give me something to respect then. [ And then he rushes towards him with a rib rattling growl. ]
I'm not the one who's scared, you just never listen!
[ Elijah hisses loud in response, letting himself give in and let go of his control. His clawed fingers grow long, limbs turning gaunt as his skin gives off a faint mist. Yeah, this is him losing control. There's no flush to his skin, no life to his glowing red eyes. Only anger. Only instinct. And that instinct tells him to fight back.
Without another word he lunges back at Ezra, all claws and hisses and baring his fangs, his movements and sound more befitting of something undead. ]
[ Yes, good. If there's one thing he's learned, you feel your humanity more when you finally embrace the dark part of you.
He jumps on him, trying to dig his claws into his pale flesh. He smells like the dead now and it spurns his animal instincts on. Make him defend himself. Let him see just how much he can take, what defenses he has. ]
Not scared, huh?! [ He roars. He's not an alpha, but he has some sway being his mate. ] Then prove to me you're strong enough to be in our pack.
[ He isn't scared. He won't be. Some instinctual part of him tells him he's stronger. Maybe that part is wrong, maybe it's underestimating Ezra, but vampires are nothing if not arrogant bastards by design.
Ezra lands the hit and manages to draw blood, more black and sludge-like than the vibrant red of something living. Elijah may not be entirely aware of himself, but he can smell the danger and the strength coming from him—this is a werewolf. His alpha's mate wouldn't be weak. He's a predator. But Elijah is a predator too.
Rather than shove him off, Elijah simply dissipates from underneath Ezra's grasp, reappearing behind him to try and slash at his back. He's definitely going to fight dirty, sorry. ]
[ The smell of his 'blood' makes his nose curl. Ugh, not appealing at all. That's probably mostly the point, huh? But despite all of this, he's still his twin. No amount of vampire or werewolf instincts is ever going to override that to him.
When Eli turns to smoke and goes behind him, he actually laughs a little as he slashes at his shirt. Ezra stumbles forward, feeling the wounds starting to knit back together. A little slower than if they'd been human hands, but it's nothing life threatening. ]
There we go.
[ He whirls around and pounces on him again, aiming to sink his teeth into him this time. A show of dominance, demanding submission. Ezra doesn't bite much, he doesn't really have the innate instinct for it like Hank, but in this situation...
Come on, fight him off Elijah. Tap into yourself more and more. ]
[ Much as he's gone, Elijah remembers the taste of Gavin's blood. He can smell it in the air, even as the wound heals. Elijah blocks Ezra's attack with his arm, keeping his teeth far away from anything vulnerable. It still hurts though, he hisses in response and tries to shove him back. He won't submit to Ezra, no way. He's the younger brother. He doesn't get to make Elijah do anything. He hasn't forgotten -- he's had Ezra's blood. Ezra is prey. ]
I don't have to prove anything to you.
[ Elijah licks the blood off his clawed hands, eyes bright and grin wide at the taste. Even the fading smell of blood sharpens his senses, every one of them is honed in on Ezra now. He's a predator, lost to the need now that he's tasted even a fraction of what he's wanted to badly. He rushes Ezra this time, looking to climb and bite and break more skin so he can have more of his delicious blood. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
And she nearly died because of him.
Their reunion isn't awkward, at least Elijah hopes it isn't. She'd been made aware of his condition, of the changes in his needs and all the rest and didn't seem bothered by it. Elijah knows she would never be bothered by it. By him. Chloe accepts him and cares for him and would protect him from anything. That's the problem, of course. Chloe may not be bothered by the changes, by the blood or the liquid diet or the golden tinge to his eyes but Elijah is. It had all felt so normal when he'd been with Ezra and Hank. They're werewolves; adding a vampire to the mix wasn't going to change much.
But in his home, in his space, Elijah feels like a stranger. The windows need to be tinted, the silver melted down and given away. The lights are all too bright for his eyes now. Everything feels too different, except for Chloe. Sweet Chloe. She doesn't deserve to deal with something like this. She deserves to be protected, but Elijah can't protect her.
He doesn't trust himself. He's done the research, tried jabbing and poking himself and testing a million things, but he doesn't know the full extent of his abilities. He doesn't want to know. Was there a point to testing himself for weaknesses when he could turn into mist? Was the a point in learning to fly as a bat if he wouldn't really want to?
He doesn't know. It's been a week and he still doesn't know. There is so much Elijah doesn't know, it paralyzes him with fear. He hasn't felt like this in so long that he does what he did last time his precious control was so forcibly taken from him. He retreats. He hides away.
This time he locks himself into the panic "basement" he'd had built for Ezra once he found out he'd become a werewolf. It's much larger than Hank's basement. The amenities are actually pretty good. Bed, bathroom, fridge -- it's all here. Everything is nailed down and nearly indestructible. It's safe here, and he won't hurt Chloe or anyone else, and he's free to try and work in peace on this synthetic blood project. That's definitely his reason for locking himself down here. To get work done. At least that's the bullshit excuse he tells Chloe when she finds she'd have to hack the door to get in. She can, but she wouldn't like to. ]
I'll be fine. Don't worry. This is only temporary.
[ Obviously, Chloe calls Gavin. ]
no subject
But they're still connected, of course, so as he goes back to work and starts trying to deal with all this supernatural bullshit he can start to feel it encroach. Eli's anxiety. Eli being scared of himself. It gets strong enough that he has to excuse himself to the bathroom and splash cold water on his face with some deep breaths. So he isn't surprised when Chloe calls him, as he was just about to do it himself. He's grounded himself from Eli's feelings when she calls and he says he'll be right over.
Of course. Eli's never handled not understanding something well, wanting to hide himself until he does. So scared of seeming weak or unknowing. Well, he can't hide from Ezra.
So he goes in with a nice greeting to Chloe and heads towards the basement. He knocks on the door. ]
Eli, it's me. Let me in nerd.
no subject
It shouldn't surprise him that Ezra would know something was wrong. It does. He hasn't had much time to think about the way things should be. Things aren't the way they should be, now. It's hard to accept sometimes. He gets lost in his own thoughts so often, fear overtakes them if he isn't careful. If he doesn't distract himself or take a break or.
Or Ezra appears. ]
The door should open for you.
[ The DNA locks keep everyone out. Everyone but Elijah -- and Ezra, of course. When he enters, Ezra will find Elijah seated on a bolted-down chair, messing with an extremely sturdy-looking tablet. His hair is loose, his skin paler than it was before. It has been a week since he's fed. Maybe he's hungry, or maybe he's ignoring it. Either way, his heartbeat is slow. Very slow. It doesn't seem to be affecting his movements much, at least. ]
no subject
He heads down into the basement, hands in his jacket pockets as he comes upon his twin. Yes, Eli's very much a wreck right now. Ezra bites his cheek and heads over to him. ]
Hey. [ He says it casually. ] You look like shit.
[ His wolfy instincts can... sense that he's weaker. Easier prey. ] What's the deal, big guy?
no subject
I'm trying to figure out if I can isolate what it is about blood that makes it a suitable energy source in vampires.
[ That's clearly not the answer to his question. ]
no subject
Which is what you're trying to distract yourself with. You could do that in your normal lab, not down here.
[ He's still standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets. ]
no subject
[ His response is small, clear but quiet. Like it should be obvious why he's down here. ]
I don't yet know the extent of my abilities, so I am isolating myself in order to avoid anything... regrettable.
[ Yes, he sounds very clinical about it. This is definitely not affecting him! ]
no subject
Well, you're not gonna find your limits just sitting here with your thumb up your ass. [ He shrugs. ] You're more likely to hurt someone when you're scared, you know. Scared of yourself. Makes you more likely to lash out.
no subject
[ Yeah, he is. He totally is. He can't lie to Ezra but he's damn well gonna try. ]
I'm taking precautions. I already know vampires can damage androids easily. I'd rather not have that happen again.
no subject
[ He starts to move closer to him. ]
Taking precautions is fine. But you can take better ones when you know what you can do. [ Ezra's expression and voice soften a little. ] Hiding from Chloe isn't the way to protect her.
no subject
How the hell else am I supposed to!?
[ Woah, hey. No need to yell, Eli. Except he is. And he's standing now. (It's ok, the tablet is break-proof.) ]
Am I supposed to wait until I lose control and hurt someone? Or am I supposed to purposely let this thing out of me? This desire, this need -- I don't want anything to do with it!
no subject
Honestly? Yes. [ He meets his eyes, unblinking. ] This shit is a part of you now and you have to accept it. I'm sorry you don't have anyone to guide you like I did, but you can't hide from yourself.
[ He tilts his head a little. ] You can't be a coward and let it control you.
no subject
[ There's definitely a hiss to his words, one he manages to catch as he tries to calm himself down. There's no reason to be upset. This is his brother, even if he is being kind of an asshole. ]
How am I supposed to accept this?
no subject
[ He steps closer, taking his hands out of his jacket pockets finally. He's being an ass on purpose; it's always been the way to get Eli to push back and grow. ]
You accept it because it's the only choice you have, Elijah. I didn't know you were the type to roll over belly up at the first sign of hardship.
no subject
It saved your life, don't patronize me by pretending it was anything else!
[ Now's definitely a bad time for that twin jealousy to come out but here it comes. Elijah steps closer now too. ]
You have Hank! You've had his support this entire time. Don't pretend like you know what it's like! Isolating myself was the only choice I had.
no subject
[ He's getting toothy. This may have been intentional on his part, but it's getting close to the full moon and they still have heaps of issues between them. It's not hard to bring it all to the surface. ]
Like now. You have me, you asshole. But you've always conveniently forgotten about me when I stop making you look better, huh? [ His eyes flash and stay a smoldering amber. ]
C'mon, let's do this. Finish that fight we started when you broke my nose.
no subject
[ Eli's hand goes up to his neck, over the puncture marks at his neck. Unlike Gavin's, his are slowly fading. Without a living sire, they would heal fully within the month. The show of fang is definitely getting Eli's hackles raised. He can feel his fangs start to extend. His instincts know he's in danger, but he won't be easy prey. Not by a long shot. ]
You? [ He scoffs, the sound dark and low. Humorless. ] You always leave! Why should I count on you when you might leave again?
[ He levels him a stare, angry and frustrated and everything he's been holding back is trying to force its way through. His eyes settle on a dark red, darker than they've ever been. ]
I should have broken more than your nose. I should have never let you leave.
no subject
Maybe if you finally stop being such a goddamn crybaby I won't leave. Poor Eli, always needing Ezra to take care of him. So weak, even after getting all that power you've always wanted.
[ But then he... grins. He's getting fuzzier and his teeth are getting sharper, ears pointier. The thing about being a werewolf, he always craves a good fight. And fighting his powerful vampire twin? The best sounding thing ever. ]
Yeah, that's it. Come on, show me what you can do. Show me how tough a vampire really is.
no subject
[ He hisses as he spits out each word. His eyes are nearly glowing red now, fangs drawn and fingers sharpened to claws. He hasn't quite lost it yet, but he's very close. ]
I never wanted this! All I wanted was for us to be together! [ He snarls, his face distorting to something far less than human. ] It's your fault! I was supposed to take care of you!
no subject
Ezra's back pops and rolls as his muscles re-calibrate for a fight, his claws growing as he gets even fuzzier. ]
Maybe I wanted you to listen to me, not take care of me! Have you ever thought of that? [ His own voice is rough now, a crackling rumble underneath his words. ]
Stop being scared of yourself and give me something to respect then. [ And then he rushes towards him with a rib rattling growl. ]
no subject
[ Elijah hisses loud in response, letting himself give in and let go of his control. His clawed fingers grow long, limbs turning gaunt as his skin gives off a faint mist. Yeah, this is him losing control. There's no flush to his skin, no life to his glowing red eyes. Only anger. Only instinct. And that instinct tells him to fight back.
Without another word he lunges back at Ezra, all claws and hisses and baring his fangs, his movements and sound more befitting of something undead. ]
no subject
He jumps on him, trying to dig his claws into his pale flesh. He smells like the dead now and it spurns his animal instincts on. Make him defend himself. Let him see just how much he can take, what defenses he has. ]
Not scared, huh?! [ He roars. He's not an alpha, but he has some sway being his mate. ] Then prove to me you're strong enough to be in our pack.
no subject
Ezra lands the hit and manages to draw blood, more black and sludge-like than the vibrant red of something living. Elijah may not be entirely aware of himself, but he can smell the danger and the strength coming from him—this is a werewolf. His alpha's mate wouldn't be weak. He's a predator. But Elijah is a predator too.
Rather than shove him off, Elijah simply dissipates from underneath Ezra's grasp, reappearing behind him to try and slash at his back. He's definitely going to fight dirty, sorry. ]
no subject
When Eli turns to smoke and goes behind him, he actually laughs a little as he slashes at his shirt. Ezra stumbles forward, feeling the wounds starting to knit back together. A little slower than if they'd been human hands, but it's nothing life threatening. ]
There we go.
[ He whirls around and pounces on him again, aiming to sink his teeth into him this time. A show of dominance, demanding submission. Ezra doesn't bite much, he doesn't really have the innate instinct for it like Hank, but in this situation...
Come on, fight him off Elijah. Tap into yourself more and more. ]
no subject
I don't have to prove anything to you.
[ Elijah licks the blood off his clawed hands, eyes bright and grin wide at the taste. Even the fading smell of blood sharpens his senses, every one of them is honed in on Ezra now. He's a predator, lost to the need now that he's tasted even a fraction of what he's wanted to badly. He rushes Ezra this time, looking to climb and bite and break more skin so he can have more of his delicious blood. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)