..... (burningdown) wrote in the_dome, @ 2013-05-17 19:47:00 |
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Entry tags: | 03-29-2017, justin, justin and zania, zania |
A Condition
Who: Zania and Justin
When: Afternoon
Where: Eatzy's 24 Hour Diner
Warnings: None
She waited till it started raining to leave the house, the umbrella double protection from any sun that might peek through the clouds. Being unable to go out in the sunlight was making her life difficult, especially when it came to work, and she knew by this point she’d missed at least one shift. Maybe two. Which was why she was heading to the diner now, instead of her brother’s house, because if she’d missed work, then he was most likely filling in for her. Which he probably hated. It was one thing to run a diner and another to stand in as a waiter.
Zania entered through the back, checking the office first before heading out to the main diner. She’d been dreading this conversation for days, but if there was one person she needed to tell, it was him. “Justin,” she loudly whispered. “I need to talk to you.”
Justin had been filling in for Zania, and yes, he hated it. He didn't really mind dealing with people, but he had never been a big fan of waiting tables and while it didn't show on his face, or in the tone of his voice, he was pretty irritated with his sister, and his situation. Justin was behind the counter, placing some fulfilled tickets to the side when Zania appeared. He glanced at her calmly before wiping his hands on a dish towel. "You're late," he pointed out simply. "Where've you been?"
“I know, I know,” she said, coming further into the diner only to grab him by the arm and start to drag him towards the back. “I had issues getting here. We need to talk, and then I’ll take over.” If he was still okay with that and didn’t think the customers would be in danger of her ripping out their throats. She couldn’t see it happening, but the last few days had been bizarre enough that anything was possible.
Issues getting there. Yeah, sure. The rain was a huge hindrance, apparently. Sighing, Justin glanced around to make sure the diner was under control before allowing Zania to pull him toward the back. He was still irritated with her, but lecturing her on responsibility would get him nowhere, and he really didn't feel like arguing with her at the moment. Once they were alone, Justin lifted a dark brow and crossed his arms against his chest. "What's up, Zania?" He was already mentally preparing himself to say no to whatever it was she was about to ask of him. Of course, Justin realized it might be unfair to assume she wanted something, but he wasn't entirely sure why else they needed to talk in private.
Once they were in the back room, Zania felt a little more free to talk, not wanting to alert any of the customers to her current condition. As far as she could tell, no one had reported surviving a bat bite, but that didn’t mean that others hadn’t. If they were anything like her, they weren’t going to come forward. “I got bitten by a bat,” she said, showing him the scar on her hand, “Monday night.” It was Wednesday now, which meant she’d lived longer than anyone else. But there was a catch... a big one. “Before you freak out, I’m fine. I’ve just developed... a condition.”
Justin's ire toward his sister dulled significantly when she told him about the bat bite. His gaze lowered to the hand she was holding out toward him, and Justin lowered his arms quickly, reaching out to take her hand in his. "Jesus, Zan. Did you go to the hospital?" Word had spread pretty quickly about the bat bites. How people were dying. There was an icy sort of fear in his gut, something he hadn't felt in a really long time. Justin tore his gaze away from the scar to look at her again. She looked healthy enough, but what if she just keeled over? What was he supposed to do then? "How can you be fine? You've heard what's been happening to people who've been bitten, haven't you? You shouldn't be here, you should be in the ER."
“Hell no,” Zania said, eyes widening. “You don’t understand. I know why they’re dying, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to help them. Not all of them.” It might save lives, but could the dome really deal with a dozen new vampires? She still didn’t know enough about herself to say yes. What if she needed to drain a person of blood by the end of the week? Then it would do more harm than good. “See, um, this is gonna sound crazy, but the bite started something. And I think that, if you don’t finish it, you die. And if you do, you live. So I’m okay.” Wow, that sounded confusing even to her, but how else was she supposed to explain it. It seemed better to take baby steps than to dive right into ‘I’m a vampire’.
Justin's brows drew together in confusion as Zania rambled on, and he tried to keep up, but it was difficult to understand what the hell she was saying. She knew why people were dying, but wouldn't help them? And then something about finishing a bite, and living. All Justin could do when she finished was stare at her before finding an appropriate response. All he managed to come up with was, "What?" Because sorry, no, it made no sense to him. Maybe she was high, or on drugs or something. And if that was the case, Justin knew he was going to be pissed. Leave it to Zania to ditch out on her job so she could have some fun.
Zania let out a huff, frustrated that all her rambling hadn’t gotten anything through to him. She just knew that if she came out and said it, he’d think she’d lost her mind. “If you get bitten by a bat and don’t consume blood, you die,” she said. “My friend cut his thumb while peeling apples with me and I just reacted. And then after that I changed. Do you have a mirror? Or a knife? I can prove it.” She’d rather the mirror than the knife, but being in a diner one was definitely more abundant than the other. However, both would prove her point.
Unable to help himself, Justin continued to stare at her. He was beginning to think she had lost her mind, because he was still confused as hell and he had no idea what she was talking about. "What exactly are you proving to me with a mirror? Why the hell do you have to..." Justin trailed off, his confusion shifting into realization as he straightened a bit. Yes, his sister had completely fallen off the deep end. "Jesus Christ, Zan, did you drink someone else's blood?"
“That’s besides the point!” she snapped. Yes, it was disgusting, but he was missing the most critical piece of this conversation. Zania circled around to the other side of the desk and began to dig through it, looking for something to prove her point with. She really didn’t want to use the scissors and was relieved when she found a pocket knife. It was still pretty common to stash weapons just about anywhere. “Watch,” she said, then took a deep breath and cut a thin line down the center of her palm.
By nature, Justin was a calm individual. He had seen a lot of horrible shit in his life, and over time, he had steeled himself against most of it. If it had been anyone but Zania with his pocket knife, he probably wouldn't have batted an eyelash, but seeing as how it was his sister cutting into her palm, Justin was quick to react. He jumped forward to snatch the pocket knife from her hand, eyes wide with confusion and surprise. "Have you completely lost your mind? Have you been--" His words caught abruptly in his throat, and Justin watched as the cut in her palm healed almost instantly. Setting the pocket knife on top of his desk, Justin closed his gaping mouth before trying to find that calm center inside of him again. He needed calm, or he might start to believe he was hallucinating. "What's going on, Zania? What happened?"
She was ready for his reaction. In fact, she anticipated it, since she would have likely done the same. If she hadn’t seen Mannix cut and re-cut open his own hand, she wouldn’t have had the courage to do it to herself, but she knew it was the quickest way to prove that she wasn’t making shit up. Even December hadn’t been able to argue with the appearance of fangs, but she didn’t want to cut Justin. “I got bitten by a bat,” she said as calmly as possible. “And then I got a taste of someone’s blood. And now I heal super fast, I don’t have a reflection, and sunlight burns my skin. More than it did before.” As a redhead, it had always burned, but now she was talking the ‘charring’ kind. “I also have fangs,” she added timidly, which was a rare occurrence.
Silence fell between them when Zania finished speaking. Justin said nothing for a good while. At first, he was thinking of the best way to get Zania to the hospital to get checked out. Her bite, and her brain. He could throw her over his shoulder, but he knew she would just pull his hair out, so that wasn't an option. Knocking her out wasn't a good idea, either. But through all of those thoughts came a simple one. She had cut herself, and it had healed, right in front of his eyes. That didn't happen to normal people. And he had sold enough drugs in his lifetime to know there was nothing out there that caused immediate healing. Justin took a few steps back. Not to get away from her, but to find the chair he knew was somewhere behind him. He just needed to sit. When the back of his legs bumped into it, Justin lowered himself to the seat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees so he could run his fingers through his hair. Finally he was able to speak. "So, what you're trying to tell me is... you think you're a vampire, now?"
Zania was used to her older brother being calm and cool in all situations. If he’d panicked during the zombie invasion, she hadn’t been around to see it. By the time they met up again, things had calmed down. Even when she was having a meltdown, he managed to remain grounded. That was how she saw her big brother-- as untouchable, unshakeable, even if it wasn’t always so. Seeing him caught off guard was a rarity for her and was almost more startling than anything else. She sat on the edge of the desk, feet dangling inches from the ground. “All signs point to yes?” she said. “I can’t even get in a house without being invited in. And I know I sound certifiable, but I have no other explanation for what’s happening to me.”
"Yeah, it makes you sound certifiable," Justin said dryly as he peered up at his sister. Who was saying she was a vampire. And he would have called her crazy to her face if she hadn't tried to prove it by slicing herself open with a knife. "Are you sure it's not just... maybe it's an infection. Like rabies," Justin suggested, clasping his hands together loosely. "The symptoms may seem like vampirism--" Which was supposed to be a myth, thanks. "--but there ought to be a cure, right? Maybe the hospital knows how to get rid of whatever it is you have."
“Okay, first? I don’t think rabies would allow me to magically heal myself,” Zania pointed out, her attitude coming through as she cocked her head to the side, one hand on her hip. “And second? There is no other explanation for the mirror trick. Come on, I’ll show you,” she said, nodding towards the office door with the intent to lead him into the bathroom. A pocket mirror wasn’t effective enough. He needed to see her standing next to him to get the effect. “I’m no expert, but have you ever heard of there being a cure for that? I think if I went to the hospital, I’d end up some kind of experiment. I don’t want people cutting at me, thanks.”
“I said like rabies, not that it was rabies,” Justin pointed out. It was easier to think there was some new strain of animal diseases around than vampirism. He sighed and considered telling her he didn’t want to see any mirror trick. This was his sister, and she was trying to explain to him that she was a vampire, with fangs and bloodlust and the ability to heal herself. It was difficult to comprehend, let alone accept. But he stood anyway, to follow her to the bathroom, still feeling slightly apprehensive. “Try to realize this is all kind of strange for me, Zan. Don’t talk to me like I ought to accept it like you’re telling me the sky is blue.”
“I know it’s strange for you,” Zania said, looking back at him as she pulled him into the women’s bathroom. “It’s strange for me too. You think I’m not freaking out?” she asked, checking the stalls to make sure they were alone before turning to him. “I haven’t been able to leave the house because of the sun. I knew I couldn’t just call in sick because you wouldn’t believe me. Look,” she said, standing beside him as she faced the mirror. “I wouldn’t make this kind of shit up, Justin. The only reason I haven’t had some kind of a mental break is because everyone else who gotten bitten? They died, and I’m not dead.” Not really, though her heart had stopped beating.
"Because you drank someone else's blood," Justin said slowly. He glanced in the mirror, feeling taken back by the fact that Zania wasn't in the reflection. Just like the old-school vampires he used to read about in school. Dracula. Lestat. Zania. What the fuck was going on? Despite his inner turmoil, Justin remained calm on the surface. Freaking out wouldn't help matters, and it would only cause Zania to freak out. He turned toward her, studying her face, as if looking for any noticeable changes. What did this mean? Was his sister the undead? Would she go crazy and attack people? Would she die eventually? "I don't know what to do," Justin murmured, feeling more than a little out of his depth here. "How do you feel? Are you in pain?"
“Just a little bit,” she said with a small cringe. It was hard to think of what she’d done as drinking blood. It was more like... licking Mickey’s thumb clean. Thinking about it made her hungry, which in turn made her a little bit sick. She didn’t know if she could do this drinking blood thing. “Weird, isn’t it?” she asked, looking towards the mirror. That was something she’d never get used to. “I’m still me,” she pouted, then wrapped her arms around her brother in a sudden hug. It probably wasn’t the best thing to do, seeing as how she’d just told him she was a vampire, but she wanted people to remember she was human. “I feel okay. A little bit hungry, but I haven’t really decided what to do about that yet. But not in pain.”
He refused to look in the mirror again. Not being able to see Zania in it prompted a sick sort of feeling in his stomach, but Justin decided he could panic later, when he was alone. So he kept his eyes averted, even as his arms came around her to return her hug. Honestly, Justin was still digesting the fact that vampires could even exist, let alone his sister was suddenly one. It didn't occur to him that he ought to be afraid of her, or that she was something different. She was just Zania. Blood sucking, no reflection, fast healing Zania. Opening his mouth, Justin struggled for something to say. He wanted to have the right words to make her feel better, but he was still a little overwhelmed with all of this. He usually had the answers, and now he didn't, and Justin wasn't sure how to handle that. Finally, he rested his chin on top of her head with a sigh. "If you ever feel like you need blood, and you might hurt someone, you come find me first, okay?" It was potentially stupid of him to offer himself up like that, but he would rather his sister bite him than hurt someone else.
“I don’t want to bite anyone,” Zania whined, her eyes tearing up at the idea, though she brushed them away instantly. She was not going to cry over this. She refused to. Everyone else who’d been bitten was dead and she needed to celebrate the fact that she was alive, no matter what the condition. If there was anyone she could cry in front of, it was Justin, but that didn’t mean she was going to let herself go there. Not in the women’s restroom of the diner. “But what if I hurt you?” she asked, pulling out of the hug so she could see his face. “What if I can’t stop? I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you, Justin.”
It was kind of a relief to hear that Zania didn't want to bite anyone. It wasn't that he thought she would revel in being a vampire, but he had begun to wonder if she had stopped to really think about what was happening, and what it meant. Lifting a brow when she pulled back to look at him, Justin pushed some of her hair behind her ear in what was meant to be a soothing gesture. "I'll be fine, Zan. And I'd rather take that risk than know you're out there with the potential to lose control on someone else. And if you don't want to bite anyone... I don't know, maybe we can figure something out. Maybe we can somehow... I don't know, rig something so that I can donate blood rather than having you bite, you know? We'll get it taken care of however you feel most comfortable." If it had been anyone else, Justin would have said See ya and been gone. No way would he have offered himself, even at the expense of others. But this was his sister, and family meant everything to him.
It was hard to argue with him when she didn’t have an alternative, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be out on the lookout for one. Zania had yet to figure out how much blood she needed and how often. Humans had a pretty set limit to how much they could lose in a period of time, so it wouldn’t be difficult to figure out once she knew her side. What worried her was if she needed more than one human could offer. “I don’t really know what I’m capable of,” she admitted. “I know that the scent of blood makes my fangs come out instantly, and that very first time I couldn’t help but latch onto it. The next time, I was prepared, so... there’s some degree of control.” Not a lot, but she hadn’t started fighting Mannix over December’s bleeding hand, which was a plus. “I don’t really know how it’s going to affect me, since I haven’t been one long enough to learn. I do know that I can’t work day shifts anymore, or if I do, I have to come in before dawn and stay away from the windows.”
Justin had to mull that one over for a few moments. Obviously his concern was with Zania, but at the same time... He sighed and lowered his hand back to his side. "I don't know if it's a good idea that you work here at all, Zania. There's knives, and always the possibility of a cook cutting himself. Being around so many people, especially if you start to get hungry? If you don't know what you're dealing with yet, I'm not sure you can promise that you can maintain control." And the last thing he wanted was for his sister to attack someone, on purpose or not, in his diner.
That was a problem she hadn’t thought of and it put her in a whole new, very different, state of panic. “I have to have a job though! I just moved in with Clementine and I can’t tell her that I can’t pay for anything. I don’t even have a location set for the club and who knows if that’ll bring in enough money. It’s just the night shift. What are the chances that someone’s gonna cut themselves on a butter knife?” The cook was a different issue, but hopefully he wasn’t cutting himself often either. That would be unsanitary.
Sighing, Justin glanced up and realized they were still in the women's restroom. He reached out to take her arm, tugging her gently. "Come on, let's go back to the office and we can talk about this." He didn't want anyone walking in on them, especially now that Zania had no reflection. "We might be able to work out the night shift. But you gotta show up, Zan. And if there's any chance that you can't control yourself, you gotta tell me. Like you said, you still don't know what you're capable of, and I'd rather not have you find out while you're working."
She followed him back to the office, having forgotten where they were having this discussion and not minding the change of scenery. The topic was more important to her. “I will show up! I’d been doing fine until this happened and I couldn’t get here without catching on fire,” she said, lowering her voice for the last three words. “I swear I’ll let you know if there’s a problem and as soon as I get my club running, I’ll split the time and you’ll have even less to worry about.” It was hard to make predictions about what she would or wouldn’t do when the club was running because it wasn’t there yet. She had no idea how that might affect her income, but she figured she’d make it work.
Justin walked over to sink down into the chair behind his desk. He ran both hands through his hair again, wishing that he somehow had a do over for the day. He was still feeling confused and out of sorts by all of this. Locking his fingers together, Justin placed his hands on top of his head and leaned back in his chair, studying Zania. "You think you can handle all that? Working here and trying to open some club while you're adjusting to what you are now? Could be overwhelming."
“Could be,” she agreed, taking a seat on the other side of the desk. She didn’t like sitting across from him like this. It made her feel like she was in the principal’s office. “But unless you’re offering to pay my way, I have to make it work. The club thing is slow going. I have all the equipment I need, but I’m still a long way off. I have to have something in the meantime and I don’t make enough mending clothes for people to cover it.” None of that had anything to do with her being a vampire and she had a hard time seeing how they two over-lapped, except for the part where she might be faced with urges she couldn’t control. So long as those were based on exposure to blood, Zania thought they could be kept to a minimum. “Come on, Justin, let me try it. If I start thinking about eating the customers, you’ll be the first to know.”
Justin barked out a small laugh and closed his eyes as his hands slid down over his face. She had a point, he supposed. Because he wasn't in the habit of loaning Zania money. Or anyone, for that matter. He felt responsible for her, on some level, but that didn't change the fact that she was a grown woman. And now he was going to have nightmares about his sister turning into a creature of the night and sucking the blood from his customers. He wasn't going to make a profit at all if word got out that a vampire worked there. Though Justin wasn't sure as to how many people would actually believe it. After a long moment of silence on his end, Justin lifted his hands from his face and opened his eyes to look at her. "All right. But if... this starts creating problems, you're going to have to find somewhere else to work." He didn't want to be a dick, but ultimately he had to look out for himself and his well being, and that included the diner.
His laugh earned a grin from her and she knew she’d sold it. He wasn’t going to suddenly start paying her way and if he’d continued to push her leaving the diner she would have started arguing that it was discrimination. Until she did something to endanger the customers, Zania thought she deserved to keep her job and was glad her brother decided to take that chance as well. “Got it,” she smiled. “You like me on night shifts better anyways. I make it in on time and there’s less customers to deal with me.”
"Yeah, but if you don't show, guess who's got to cover?" Justin pointed out with a look. "But it's fine, Zania. Just be careful. I'll change the schedule around so you've got the night shift, and I'll make sure you're out of here before sunrise." The diner occasionally got busy between one and two am, but after that it tended to slow down significantly. So Zania shouldn't be faced with too much temptation. "And you keep me updated on what's going on. If anything changes, or you find out anymore information about... what you are, let me know." Justin liked being kept in the loop. He loathed surprises of any kind, and this had definitely been a surprise.
“That was true before I was a vampire,” she pointed out. Yes, she’d missed work the last few days, but now he understood why. She’d been a decent employee before then, only calling into work when she really was sick... or so hungover that it had to qualify. “Thanks, Justin,” she smiled, “I’ll let you know. I didn’t want to spring this on you, but I really didn’t know how else to do it. Cause, you know, it’s crazy.” There was no way to tell someone she was a vampire without them thinking she was completely nuts. In some cases, that would be to her advantage, but when it came to family, she needed them to believe her.
Zania wasn’t the best waitress, but she had done all right. And Justin knew she needed the job, at least until she found something she could do that was more profitable. He rested his linked hands lightly against his abdomen, wondering where his mind would end up taking him once Zania left. He might begin to wonder if he had dreamed this whole thing. “Yes, it’s crazy as hell. But I have to say, you’re handling it better than I think most people would have.”
She wasn’t going to point out that she’d cried herself to sleep last night, when no one was there to see her. Zania put on a strong face because it felt like the only way to get through this. When she let herself fall into despair, it was crippling until she got over it. “I think that’s only because I haven’t had to drink blood yet,” she admitted. “Right now it feels surreal. And if I stay away from the sun and mirrors, I feel like me.” If there were other perks to being a vampire, Zania hadn’t figured them out yet.
"Well... you are still you," Justin pointed out. Except for the healing, and the freaky mirror thing, Zania was Zania. He was hoping that being what she was now wouldn't change her. His sister drove him nuts sometimes, but she was still his sister and Justin didn't want her turning into someone he couldn't recognize. And he did his best not to think about her drinking blood. It wasn't that he had a weak stomach. Quite the opposite, really, but for some reason the thought of it reminded him of the zombies and that was something he would much rather forget. "Anyone else know about this?"
“Mickey,” she answered. “He’s the one who cut himself. I couldn’t exactly keep it from him when I was growing fangs in his kitchen.” She’d definitely tried, but the fact that she’d sucked the blood off his thumb was a give-away that something was wrong. “And then December and Mannix, who I wouldn’t have told, but Mannix got bitten by a bat too, and Mickey was freaking out, and now Mannix is also a vampire. So they know.” She wasn’t pleased about December knowing, but she knew why Mickey had told her. And there was no avoiding Mannix finding out if he wanted to live. “And I should probably tell Nic.”
Both of Justin's brows lifted as Zania spoke. He did his best to keep up. Mickey knew. December. Mannix. Who was a vampire too. Great. Two vampires in the dome. Maybe more? "Yeah, you should probably tell Nic," Justin murmured. It was a little unsettling, knowing there were others out there. Some had died, obviously. But what if the ones who hadn't were dangerous? It was something to think about. His lips twitched briefly. "Start with the mirror thing. It's more to the point than slicing your hand open with a knife."
Zania’s mind followed along the same lines as her brothers. There were two of them that she knew of, but there could be more. “Be careful about who you invite into your home,” she said with a small frown. That would be important for everyone she knew, both if she could get in, or anyone else. At his suggestion, her lips turned up into a grin. “You think? I liked how overly dramatic it was,” she said. “But it does still hurt. Kind of itches for a few minutes after it heals up.” She wouldn’t have thought of it herself, but she’d seen Mannix playing with the knife and the healing factor fascinated her. “But yeah, I’ll start with the mirror and try not to give him a heart attack.”
"I'm not a fan of over dramatic," Justin reminded her dryly. "And something tells me Nic wouldn't be a fan of it, either." Justin wasn't too worried about a vampire getting into his house. He rarely had guests as it was. Justin had always preferred his privacy over a lot of company. Unless it was female company. Pretty female company. Justin rubbed both hands over his face before he stood. "You going to be able to work right now? If you need to go home..." He would understand it this time. Hell, he felt like going home after all this.
“Yeah. Yeah, I can work,” Zania nodded. “I think doing something normal might help, actually.” It would give her something to occupy her mind, which was better than sitting at home and thinking about how everything had gone wrong. She needed to unpack, and she’d enjoy hanging with Clementine, but she also needed to earn some cash. Justin had been there working her shift and she’d sprung some major news on him; he probably needed a break more than she did. “Let me take over for you,” she said. “You can re-work the schedule and we’ll go from there.”
As thrown as he was by this whole thing, Justin had to admit he was relieved when she agreed to work. They had been in the back longer than they probably should have been, but seeing how Zania's news had actually been important, Justin wasn't overly concerned. "I'll change the schedule around and let the others know about the changes." No one really enjoyed the third shift, so Justin was doubting he would hear any protests from the other employees. He looked at his sister then, and had the vague thought that he probably needed to go out later and have a strong, stiff drink. "You need anything, you tell me, okay?"
“Of course,” she smiled, grabbing a spare apron from a nearby chair. “I’ll head on out. You take a breather.” She’d probably be sending Nic to get blood from her brother, as soon as she spilled the news to Nic, but for now she didn’t figure she needed anything. As a paramedic, Nic should have the supplies that would prevent any biting from taking place, which she figured was all for the better. It was still hard to imagine drinking blood, but she knew she would. She could feel it, a craving, deep inside her. Tying the apron around her waist, she headed out into the diner, picking up where her brother left off. It was nice to do something normal, something where she could just be herself, no matter what that was.