Who: Sylar gabrielgray & Davina Claire harvestgirl What: Needs versus wants. When: Friday, June 12 Where: Hope Springs, 109C, third floor, Davina's apartment Rating: Audience Discretion is Advised Warnings: He's psychotic in the 'I'm a potentially reformed sociopath' way. She's a witch with attitude. Status: Closed/Completed GDoc
~*~
Knocking was considered polite. It was a courteous thing to do. Sylar knocked on the door to the woman's apartment. He waited five heartbeats for a response. None came. He let himself inside. The lock turned over as if it were a loyal dog at the touch of his mind to its tumblers. Telekinesis still remained his strongest acquired gift. He had a feeling it had to do with the fact he understood the mechanics of it as a person more than many of his other abilities. Some of them were only gifts.
Telekinesis was a talent.
Sylar had always wanted to be talented.
He stood in the living room for another three heartbeats. Time moved strangely for a man who wore no watch yet always knew it was passing. Gabriel Gray had died a watchmaker's son yet not all at once. He had risen as Sylar who was outside Time yet also inside. The perfect paradox. He was Schroedinger's Cat as much as he was the mouse in life's game of cat versus mouse. This woman had power. She was younger than he'd thought. Time had not been kind to her in her short number of years.
Sylar wished he could feel sorry for that.
"Hello. I hope you don't mind. I let myself in because you didn't respond when I knocked."
It made perfect sense to let himself inside. No one could fault his manners. He'd knocked. She had not responded. He had needs from her. She was home and could respond to those needs. There was no time to waste standing outside knocking into infinity when her life was literally trickling by every second which passed. Time was not on her side. She was mortal. Time was never on the side of mortals. Time was barely on his side and he was immortal. Sylar did not want to wait either.
He refused to do things which he did not want to do.
That was stupid.
"Everyone has wants. They often get confused and think their wants are needs. They are wrong. I have a need, not a want, and I am not wrong. I am never wrong. Not anymore."
Explaining things to other people was harder for him than it would be for most. His gift allowed him total understanding. Sylar could tear anything apart down to its core elements to understand it more completely than it could ever understand itself. Trying to share that understanding with people who did not possess his gift was the same as a man trying to teach his dog how to speak to him. The man might get the dog to bark on command, but the man would never get the dog to speak to him in plain English.
Animals could not ascend to the same level as humans anymore than others could ascend to his level.
"Will you help me fulfill my need? I do not know how to barter with you though I could be amenable to it. Please know I am a hero. I am trying to be a hero now anyway. I don't want to hurt you."
~*~
Davina did not know how to react to this strange man. He was very large and seemed imposing, maybe even more so than Klaus. Why he had just let himself into her apartment and what he might want were beyond the teenage girl. She did notice he seemed desperate for whatever it was, though. She hadn’t even heard him knocking, as she’d been lost in thought or something. That seemed to happen to Davina a lot, especially since she was still grieving the loss of Kol.
She couldn’t help staring at him as he spoke to her. There was something about this man that was very unsettling. He definitely wasn’t normal. And she was not keen on being here alone with him, even if she was a pretty bad ass little witch. She would have felt better if Marcel was there right now. She missed him almost as much as she missed Kol. And Josh. She missed Josh too.
“I’m sorry.” She said after a moment. “I have no idea who you are, or what you’re talking about.” And she certainly hadn’t invited him in. Was he threatening her? She didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. Obviously he had something going on that only a witch could fix. But how did he even know she was a witch? Had someone put a big flashing sign outside of her apartment?
“What is it you think I can help you with?”
~*~
"I murdered my lover, but this place resurrected her. Gave her life. The vampire-wolf mongrel, Niklaus, made her vampire. She is immortal now. I can make her whole."
Sylar explained everything matter-of-factly. The history of what they had experienced was a short one. There was nothing in it which Davina Claire should not understand. She had much understanding of the Mikaelsons. He hated she mourned their witch brother. The death of the gifted was always worth grieving. So few were born with talents. So many were born without. It was a strange balance the world kept, every world, not only the one Sylar and Elle came from before Test City.
He knew Davina and her people were not of his home. Their paths were different. Their lines were stranger. Explanations of their powers, gifts, persons were harder for Sylar to work out even with his gift at full power. It took everything in him to keep from screaming at the girl she had to understand what he needed. Why was she being stupid? Sylar was not a man who yelled now. Yelling was stupidity at its finest. It showed a lack of control. He was in control.
He had to be in control to be a hero.
Cocking his head to the side, an almost mechanical ticking motion, he stated, "She cannot walk in sunlight. The light can kill her again. Take her from me. She is mine. You are a witch. You can make her a protection charm to walk in daylight. She needs this to live. She has to live. I have to make her whole."
Elle was as much Sylar's responsibility as a the cheerleader Claire. She was possibly even more so given her experiences with him. It had been him who had stolen her life in the first place after all which meant if not for him? Elle might not have arrived in Test City. She might not have suffered as she had. Her peace might have been found in her first life in their world. Another man might have made her happy. Life could have become simple for her. Now she was a monster trying to be a hero and it was his fault because he'd murdered her first.
~*~
The way he spoke was so...to the point, there didn’t seem to be much emotion in it at all. Davina could sympathize with him not wanting to lose this girl. She hadn’t wanted to lose Kol, and if she could have him back here, then she would have been so happy. Instead, she felt like she was all alone. She was all alone. She had somewhat of an understanding with the Mikaelsons here, but they weren’t her friends.
The last time Davina had felt so alone, she’d been dead. She knew what it was like to be resurrected, so she could empathize with whatever Elle was going through.
Davina scoffed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “Of course he did.” She said. “It’s not a day that ends in Y if Klaus isn’t ruining someone’s life.” She thought of the dagger that Kol had made, the one that could put Klaus down. She didn’t have it with her, but she wondered if she might need it.
“So you want me to make a daylight ring for her.” Davina concluded, crossing her arms. She wasn’t entirely opposed to it, but she had some concerns. “I have some questions first. Let’s start with who are you, how do you know me, and most importantly of all, how did you know where to find me?” She couldn’t picture Klaus having sent this guy here.
~*~
Questions were valid under the circumstances, he supposed. She was clearly not as talented of a witch as he had imagined. It was possible she was weak due to her age. All the Mikaelsons seemed to fear her in some way or another which had to speak more for her powers than her own actions did. It could be she had no self-confidence. That was a common flaw among the very young. Gabriel Gray had been a man with no confidence until he had transformed into Sylar and accepted who he was and how much he had to offer the world.
Putting her questions into order, he answered each as succinctly as possible, "I once was a watchmaker's son called Gabriel Gray. Now I am Sylar and I am a hero. I do not know you. I found you by reading the minds of the Mikaelsons. They all fear you in some way or another. You were easy enough to find with telepathy."
Matt Parkman had thought he would use his gift for evil. Helping Elle survive was hardly evil. Sylar wished the man were there to witness his transformation. Surely he would see Sylar was a better man now. It was undeniable in his mind's eye. There was no desire to dissect the young woman before him to find out how her powers worked or where they came from in spite of the fact he couldn't tell off-hand. She was an enigma to a man who hated puzzles of all kinds. He was far better now at resisting the urge to solve every puzzle presented to him using whatever means were necessary.
It occurred to him she hadn't asked the most important question of all to him.
"I entered your apartment using telekinesis. It is my strongest acquired gift though I have many."
~*~
Davina considered his answers. It probably shouldn’t have amused her that the Mikaelsons were afraid of her. She really only had major problems with Klaus. She kind of liked Rebekah, and Elijah was okay. She just couldn’t see past Klaus murdering Tim. Tim had been one of her only friends. He was normal, and he’d only been killed because he knew Davina. It wasn’t fair. And Klaus wasn’t the only one she was angry at for that. She also blamed herself.
And now of course, Kol was gone and Davina couldn’t do anything to help him either. She would do her best if and when she ended up back home. Dwelling on it here was not helpful to her. She just missed him so much. She’d only known Kol a short time, but he’d changed her life. She wondered if it was the same for this Sylar and his lady love. Maybe he’d only realized he loved her after he’d ended her life or something. The world was messed up that way. And why should this be any exception?
“I can help you with that.” She finally said, after contemplating whether or not it was a good idea. “But I need your personal guarantee that she’s not going to hurt anyone.” Davina didn’t have a problem with vampires in general. Marcel was like a father to her, and Josh was her best friend. She just didn’t know anything about this Elle girl, and she wanted to make sure someone would keep her in check. Klaus certainly wouldn’t care enough to. He’d likely passed that responsibility on to Elijah.
“And I need a Lapis Lazuli. There should be a jewelry store in the mall.”
~*~
None of the witch's words mattered to Sylar except for her agreement. She would help him. Voluntarily. He'd be able to keep his word and stay a hero. Matt Parkman be damned. Sylar could be a hero. He was more than his past. He would be more than his origins. He would be a true hero. Elle was a part of that for him. She was necessary for his continued recovery. Sylar knew without knowing how to explain he knew if he lost her?
He'd lose more than his status as a hero.
Could he keep her from hurting anyone? Who was anyone? It was too broad of a promise for Sylar to be willing to make to some juvenile he'd barely met. She was going to do this for him because he would ensure she would do it. They were both kidding each other to think it was a request. Sylar didn't make requests. Even if he was a hero, he still knew his needs trumped other people's wants. Some lives were more necessary than others. His life was certainly more necessary than hers.
"You'll have to be more specific."
Sylar focused on what he'd need to know in order to offer her his word.
It would matter in this world if he broke his word. Elle would care. Claire would care. Test City's people would care. They could turn on him in an instant and, while Claire was invulnerable, Elle was too young to defend herself still. She would need more care than he could offer her. They could do better. Sylar could do better for her. All he had to do was focus his mind, unravel the strands of the problem, pull it apart and put it back together again. He could fix anything. He was more than a watchmaker's son, but he was still as meticulous as ever.
"Do you mean you do not wish her to feed from a living person? I cannot promise that. She could starve. She could die. Do you mean she can't kill for food? I can keep her from killing. That I can promise. Would you consider it a breach of contract if she killed or hurt another to save her own life? Is she not allowed self-defense? I cannot agree to this. Elle's life has meaning to me. It has meaning to the world. She should be allowed to defend herself and if you say she cannot, I will do it for her and mine is a terrible wrath to face."
Lapis Lazuli was more than a stone. He had to ask to ensure he understood.
"As for the stone, do you mean you need a literal lapis lazuli from any jeweler or do you mean you need me to kidnap the alien Gem Lapis Lazuli, bring her here, and cut the gem from her body to be used in the spell? I require specifics. It's an unfortunate side effect of my gift."
~*~
“Killing anyone.” Davina said. She guessed she hadn’t realized she had to spell it out for him. But that was fine, she didn’t mind being specific. She wanted them both to be clear on this, because if Davina did spell a ring for Elle and she hurt someone, Davina would ultimately feel responsible for whatever she did. So she had to be sure that wasn’t going to happen. “And no, I don’t mean self-defense, I mean cold-blooded murder.” Like Klaus, she added silently. She would always have her issues with that particular Mikaelson.
Davina didn’t even know what to say about the alien bit, that was news to her. But then she guessed it made as much sense as anything else here. Necromorphs. Aliens. Okay, whatever.
“I mean the gem, from a store, I don’t want you cutting anyone open.” That was just insane. “The spell requires a Lapis Lazuli and she will have to wear it at all times to protect her from the sun.” She nodded. If she had one of those, she could do the spell and then Elle would be free to walk in the day.
She was glad Sylar had come and not Klaus, because she would not have been keen on helping him with anything not related to Hope. And that was only because Hope couldn’t help who her parents were.
“You bring me the stone, preferably in a ring and I’ll do the spell.”
~*~
Nodding at her explanations, Sylar agreed, "It will be done. I like the idea of giving her freedom in a ring. There are so many rings which denote only servitude or ownership. Elle deserves one which gives her freedom back to her. Too much has been taken from her already."
Sylar could avoid murder. It wasn't as if he had to murder to live. His gift allowed him to absorb the gifts of others through understanding though he didn't like the idea of learning someone so well as to absorb them into himself. Claire was already a part of him forever as were so many others. He didn't want to be diluted further. What would happen if he became too much others and not enough himself?
He didn't want to find out.
All he wanted was to free Elle.
"Thank you very much for your assistance. There will be no cold-blooded murder on our parts. We are both warm-blooded mammals---Joking," he smiled suddenly, wide and abnormally bright, "I have a sense of humor. I just rarely get to use it. Once I was a man named Gabriel and puns were my favorite form of humor. I will bring you all you've requested and, in return, I will owe you a favor. You'll only have to ask. Me? I only require it does not make me a villain once more. I like being a hero."
He gave her a short bow in farewell before heading to get what she'd asked for to help Elle.