who: Elizabeth Swann & Victor Frankenstein when: June 27th where: Their apartment What: Victor misinterprets Elizabeth's arrival as a home invasion. warnings: None status: COMPLETE.
The key was outstretched to her in offering and her hand reached out to take hold of it. It was familiar to the touch and her fingers curled tight around it, pressing it deep against her palm, as she nodded towards the representative that was speaking to her. The nods gave the allusion that she was being receptive and polite and absorbing the information being given to her. This wasn't actually the case. Whatever it was that was being said to her, she'd long since tuned out, as her mind tried to process what precisely was happening. There was a disconnect between what they were telling her and what she'd known was supposed to be her future. Granted, she knew futures were never set in stone and that likely hers was altered the moment Caroline and Abraham had traversed to the past, but she'd been fairly certain that she was meant to have a future in that reality. In Chicago. In the 21t Century.
Not in another reality, in another similar situation, but yet again alone.
She let her hand lower down and open up to let the key lay against her palm, eyes examining the notches and dull edges of the brasswork. It was for the apartment in Chicago and her eyes flashed up to look at the person, as if this was some cruel joke. "Often residences you've already lived in arrive," she was informed. That was new. Chicago hadn't had houses or apartments appear out of thin air. At least, not yet. It was mainly spaceships and pirate vessels that did that sort of thing. Sighing heavily, she nodded in understanding to that, and gave her best attempt at an appreciative smile. It wasn't long before she was on her way.
Pushing the door open, sometime later, she stood in the entrance way and stared ahead of her. The lights were on and the air was at a desired temperature. It felt lived in. But if it had come from back in her reality from the same time as her, wasn't that to be expected? Pulling her key from the door, she let it shut behind her, but didn't move any further just yet. She cast a glance off to the side wall, noting the photographs that had both been taken during their shared time in Chicago and the pictures they'd had printed to be framed of family members that had never arrived. She turned and took a step closer to reach out and press fingertips against the glass of one frame. Her hand soon fell down by her side and she took a step backward, pivoting her form, to move down the hallway.
Her gaze was fixed ahead of her, with the intent of inspecting the rest of the dwelling to see if it had all arrived, that she didn't even notice the study door open and the individual inside. She walked right past it and into the bedroom, fingers brushing against surfaces as she walked. She moved for the corner of the bedroom, noting her trunk, and bent down to open it up. The latches creaked loudly and she pushed open the lid, peering down inside, to let her fingers brush against the handle of her sword. Holding the lid still open, she bowed her head, and sighed.
Living in their apartment had been an exercise in pain that Victor had been quietly bearing while finding things to do, anything to do other than the things that his mind considered. His heart had ached the moment he stepped through the door and he’d felt the loss of Ethan’s presence as much as he had Elizabeth’s. He’d barely slept since he arrived, preferring to spend his days and nights refreshing his knowledge. He got enough sleep to keep functioning and then went back to work. He knew Elizabeth would not approve. Vanessa wouldn’t have approved either. No one might have, but then no one was here to stop him, so he continued on.
The heat had been quite a lot for him on top of all of that and so he was mostly distracted by the impenetrable heat. Every so often the lack of what was flared up and he found himself particularly lost to it. It was then that he wished he’d never been cursed with the ability to feel because it did nothing for him but make things difficult.
Admittedly, he was half exhausted in this moment because he’d slipped into sulking, into memories. So the sound of the door opening was only vaguely noted and the sound of it shutting as well. Slowly he came to the realization that someone was walking around in the apartment and he grabbed for one of the heavier books in the study. No, it wasn’t a useful weapon, but Elizabeth’s sword was in the other room and he needed to be able to get to it quickly before he could properly defend against whoever was in the apartment.
He slid out of his study and quietly swore when he heard the sound of the trunk opening in their room. This was not how he meant to have to deal with an intruder. He threw open the door, hoping to take them off guard, but instead found himself caught off guard as he noticed Elizabeth’s form. “Elizabeth?”
Though she'd been careless, and not paying attention as she moved through the apartment, the same could not be said for when she'd heard the door thrown open. Acting on pure instinct, her hand clasped fully around the hilt of the blade, drawing it up as she rose from her crouched position. The lid of the trunk fell with a thud as she turned to face him with sword drawn and ready. And there was a moment where her expression was purely defensive, ruthless even, but that moment did not last more than a second before recognition took her.
"Victor," she stated, more out of surprise than any need to address him.
She'd not thought to ask if he'd arrived here. The individuals at the base had said none of her people were here. She supposed, in retrospect, that this was in reference to those of her world. It was the most logical assumption with the statement after all. And yet, she'd only thought of him, and coupled that along with the piece of information of how very few individuals had arrived from the universe with CARV. She'd simply assumed he wasn't here. And she was preparing herself, mentally, for the full weight of that belief to come crashing down on her as the night progressed.
The sword dropped from her grip and landed with a thud against the carpet of the bedroom. She looked to the book he had in hand and then back to him. "That's a poor choice of weapon."
He really should have expected the sword pointed at him. Instead, he stood there knuckles white as he clutched the book. This was likely why Sir Malcolm had told him he could not come with him to Africa. He was not a man of action. He was a man of intellect and knowledge. He was better set to stay among people and not in a place where he might have to fight people. At least outside of his adventures with the vampires.
He looked at her quietly for a moment, waiting for her to lower her weapon. Once she did, he felt the first hint of real amusement that he’d felt in days. “Well, I was coming to get your sword so I might stand a chance, but it seems you got to it first. I don’t really have much by way of weaponry. My doctor’s tools aren’t in my study at the moment.” He gave her a hint of a smile, something very few people actually saw. Genuine smiles were a rarity when it came to Victor, but around Vanessa or Elizabeth it was a more prominent feature.
“I guess I could have gone for my scalpel, but…”
The hint of a smile was enough to bring her mind full circle. She wasn't to endure this latest adventure alone. He hadn't gone and forgotten their time together. He was here, clutching a hardbound text to his chest, and smiling at her. Her own beginnings of a smile arose. "I am glad you had the mind to try and come arm yourself, even if I beat you to the punch."
Then there was the quiet sound of a laugh from her. "You would have needed to get in closer should you have chosen the scalpel as your defense." Still, it was no matter.
She took a step towards him now, eyes fully upon him, "They did not tell me to expect you."
Victor felt a tightness slowly uncoil itself from around him. Elizabeth was here and she knew him for whatever it was worth. Time had passed, of course, but she was here now. He felt the weight of the knowledge that she wasn’t there, the weight of knowing that Ethan wasn’t his so much as a version of him that didn’t remember their time in Chicago lift off his shoulders. He could handle Ethan as long as Elizabeth was there.
“I asked after you, but no one had seen you and days went by and you didn’t show up.” His expression sobered slightly. “I wasn’t sure you’d ever come.” A pause. “Ethan is here, but he doesn’t remember Chicago. He knows about Lily -- Brona. I think he’s upset. Well, no. I know he’s upset. I just don’t know whether or not we’re friends.”
"Has it only been days, Victor?" She didn't like the notion of him in this world believing as she had, that he was alone. She'd been given an almost immediate reprieve. His wait had been at least days by his own statement. She prayed it was few in number. "I'm glad to have at all," she then stated. This wasn't her world or the world she'd built a new life in, but she wanted to be at his side, regardless of universe or town.
She frowned. "Only Ethan?" That would not do. It had been Vanessa who had bridged the divide between the two men previously. "Well, if that's the case, it's difficult to say. He was cross for a lengthy amount of time about the subject of Lily."
“I have arrived the 13th of June. It is now the 27th.” He’d felt it as if it had been weeks. It hadn’t been and for that he was lucky, but, this...this had been quite some time. He tried not to overthink the amount of time that had passed. “I’ve already had an interview at the local hospital. I didn’t think it ideal to wait.” Mostly because he knew he would need something if he was truly alone. He wished that he could have found something more akin to a family practice, but he’d also figured the distraction would be welcome. It would give him something to do.
There was a nod at her question. “Only Ethan.” And he was uncertain how to handle to loss. The main option, one he’d known and been told, was to talk to Ethan, to see what might be salvaged, but he had never been good with his words, never been kind with them. He self sabatoged. He was good at it. “He was. We had figured our way past it eventually, but I fear we might not move past it if I do not speak to him. Only I haven’t yet figured out how that will happen.”
"Two weeks," she said, quietly, as her frown grew. It could have been far worse but he'd already spoken how he was uncertain if she were going to show up. It had been enough time to bring forth doubt. She glanced downward, her head giving a slight shake of disapproval at something neither of them had any control of, before lifting her gaze back up to him. "For medical practice or the morgue?" It wasn't an unfair question. He'd been relegated to the morgue in the beginning of their lives in Chicago. People held his moniker against him. Perhaps this place would be different. She recalled being told that they weren't as easily recognizable in this world and for that she was grateful. She wanted the anonymity.
"I've never known him apart from Vanessa but that does not sound as though it bodes well," she commented, with another disapproving shake of her head. She took a step towards him, hand reaching out to take hold of his, delicately. "It is impossible to move forward without speaking to one another, Victor. You know this." She gave him the smallest smile of support. "I'm sure it'll come to you in time."
Two weeks. It had been two weeks hadn’t it? “Medical practice,” he replied after a moment. “No one here is aware that I am actually Victor Frankenstein.” A pause. “Well, they know that’s my name, but they believe that my parents were just very enthusiastic about the books.” He shrugged slightly. “It works in my favour quite a bit more than things did at home -- er -- in Chicago, I mean.” He shrugged slightly. It was easier to be himself and to get work. He didn’t have to worry so much here. It was a relief, truly, but he still had to keep some things under wraps.
There was a somewhat pained expression at the thought of the lack of Vanessa and what it meant for him and Ethan. Ethan had become his family and now? Now, he wasn’t sure. “I know it is, but I am not good at speaking.” He sighed. “I’ll figure something out, I’m sure.”
A medical practice. She couldn't prevent herself from smiling wide at that clarification, even with the seriousness of the conversation they were having. She'd known he'd missed actual medicine. A nod of her head. "We've anonymity here. How quaint," she said, with a bit of sarcasm. Their lives had been on public display for consumption by all and because of this people had felt they had a right to comment on their choices. Elizabeth hadn't ever been fond of it but she had twisted this to her advantage. After all, the entire business with the Black Pearl was built on knowing people would want to come to see their favorite pirate ship. As he stumbled over the correction about Chicago, she bowed her head, giving a small nod. Chicago was home even though her heart still longed for the open ocean.
She tilted her head back up and caught the look. A hand moved to take his, holding it in her own supportively. "I'm sure you will as well."
He’d certainly preferred practising medicine. Of course, he might have had a lot of things thrown back in his face about his life decisions. He had no desire to bring back another creature. Not after Lilly. He couldn’t suffer that same pain. He couldn’t live with what he brought back. Not again. Not like that.
“At least when it comes to the people outside of the Displaced. The Displaced still know us. Though, I think they know the books and various other things when it comes to me. I don’t think they know Penny Dreadful. I’m not sure I’m in a place where I’d really like them to know me that closely. Hopefully I can avoid any real notice on that end.” He sighed a little, taking comfort in the feeling of Elizabeth’s hand in his. “Thank you.”
"The Displaced will always be fewer in number than the rest of the public. It's manageable," she mused. If some few hundred people were aware of their backgrounds, so be it. It was better than strangers feeling entitled to come up to them in the streets. "That's not so surprising. People always tended to think of the novel before anything else in your case." She didn't have this luxury. She was only known for her involvement in the film franchise. And she knew her films were more wide reaching than his television show had been.
There was a nod in response and she lifted his hand up, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.
That was true enough. The less people he had to put up with, the better. He’d never handled strangers coming up to him and making judgment calls very well. Perhaps it didn’t matter. He would find a way to manage in this new setting. “I’m just going to have to figure this out.” He shook his head. “Do you want something to drink? I have some tea made or there’s cider in the fridge.” Not that he’d been one to drink cider. It was just a habit of buying things for Elizabeth and by the time he’d gotten home, he’d already bought it, so there was no going back.
She lowered their hands and glanced past his shoulder, down the hall, in the direction of the other rooms. She hadn't taken the time to really explore the apartment. She'd been anticipating an adjustment period to the idea of solitude and ignoring the feelings that idea brought up. All of that was circumvented now with his presence. Only, it left her unsure of what to do now. She supposed something as simple and set in the present as a drink together was a good place to start.
She turned her attention back to him and raised a brow. "There is?" She couldn't say if they had been from the same moment back home or not but she knew that there hadn't been any in the fridge the morning she was pulled from. She'd a distinct memory of wanting to pick some up later in the week.
Victor smiled a little and nodded. “There is.” His gaze dropped for a moment. “I guess I had to get used to the idea that I wouldn’t go home and find you there.” But he was glad now that there was something here that would maybe make her happy. He hoped anyway. “We can figure out where to go from there.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “But for now, I’d just like to be happy that you’re here.”
"I was preparing myself for tackling that idea. I wasn't looking forward to doing so," she informed him, knowing full well he hadn't had the luxury of escaping that concept. But he had smiled and that brought her's up to meet it. "I'm glad you thought of me," she decided to add, before nodding her head.
"Let's start there. Everything else will fall into place."