slayers_desire | kidnapping Clark to a red-sun Earth

April sticks out her tongue. She has a faint recognition of one super-villain who is a gorilla. Just can't remember its name or origin story.

"We have all the time in the world." April acknowledges. "But I am more than glad to come in for other tests someday soon. Since I am one of two vampires that was born in my world, I am curious about everything."

Her fingers twitch again; there's another one of those hopeful rushes of feelings, glad to learn, sharply interested, full of compassion, like a fruit smoothie except with emotions instead of fruit. Her thoughts run fast, and she's bright, and all of that is reflected in the way she reacts to things. In the super-positive emotions associated with learning.

"I'm totally up for it. Actually. I have a test-tube and a swab right here, and if you could just... swab the inside of your mouth?" She takes a small cooler, no bigger than a camera case, out of her backpack.

That's Victor. Confused about coital relations, perfectly prepared for surprise DNA tests.

Clark's a little amused at her preparedness, because she totally should've been a Boy Scout if she wasn't one. "Some day I'm going to find out how in the world you carry all this stuff on you."

April is also amused. "Sure. I am okay with that. I am also totally fine for having my blood taken too."

With her vampire needs, April can't be nervous around blood.

"I'm a master packer. Comes from five years in the Nexus. You gotta be ready for anything." She looks surprised. She hadn't been expecting to take blood today, but she has everything she needs for it, from gloves to swabs to the needle. "Actually... do you want to do that now, or later? I'd be cool either way."

Clark's a little surprised by the suggestion too, but whatever his girlfriend is comfortable with is fine by him, and he wants to be there to support her if she needs it. "I had to do a cheek swab once," he comments as April does that part. "This woman showed up claiming to be my biological mother, and the court ordered I submit to a DNA test. I had to sneak in and swap my sample for Pete's because I had no idea what would even show up."

"Now is just as good. I am comfortable now." April notes. Of course in a couple of moments she won't be able to talk as Victor gets her swab.

She had never heard the story about the claimed biological mother story from Clark before. And wonders who it had been. And why they claimed it.

The swab is properly stored and set aside.

"Ugh, I hate it when folks use science to be punks." She gets out the materials she needs, all in one convenient inner pocket of her bag, reaches for her arm. Remarkably tender, tying on the tourniquet, alcohol-swabbing the crook of her elbow, and, after a glance for permission to make sure it's okay and she's ready, she takes her blood.

Clark watches her work, a little bit jealous, because when he gets a blood sample taken it always involves green kryptonite and a lot of pain. And the one time it didn't, he was out cold. April doesn't seem bothered by it, though.

"This whole medical thing's new to you too, isn't it?" he asks. He'd never really thought much about it, since it wasn't part of his own life either, but since she was raised in the demon dimension it stands to reason she's never had a checkup either. Yet another thing they share, with Victor being the one to help out there.

There is only a slight pinprick of sensation from the needle, but beyond that there is no pain. And when the needle is withdrawn, the wound heals.

"I have never seen a doctor in my lifetime. Never had doctors in Qua-Toth. And no real reason to see a medical profession since coming to the regular world. The only healer I trusted was James. And he is special..."

"I don't think I have ever seen vampire blood in a scientific manner."

She had been reaching for gauze and a bandaid, but when it heals up on its own she's like, oh yes, of course. She takes off her gloves by turning them inside out. There's a grace in the way she works, something loving in the way that she cares about the people she looks after.

She seals the blood, places it in the cooler next to the swab, zips the cooler, and takes out a bag for medical waste for the needle and the gloves. "James? And if you don't mind me asking, what sorts of things can you do?"

"James is a Pockla demon," Clark says, smiling fondly. He feels owes James a lot for helping them after he rescued April from the Scourge. "Very grim reaperish looking, but specializes in healing."

As Clark explains about James. April covers the next question.

"Vampires in my dimension have enhanced speed, agility, strength and healing. I am no where as fast or strong as Clark there... but who is? And I do get hurt. But usually the healing will recover me quickly enough in most cases."

"Unlike the vampires in my dimension, I was born biologically instead of infected. I had a childhood. I can go out into the sunlight. And I only find slight discomfort in religious artifacts and sacred places."

"I do have to... consume blood on a daily basis. But it is animal blood. And I am not the only vampire who prefers drinking only butcher blood."

"I also have my visions. Which were inherited, but not due to the vampire genetics. My mother was born with visions, and had them before she was infected. And then eventually went insane."

She'd never heard of a Pockla demon, although she's always interested to hear about healers. Victor has a few important healer friends of her own, most recently she's met someone who can make her joints stop hurting when she's around him, which is thrilling and vaguely heartbreaking at the same time. It's always just a temporary relief. "He sounds awesome."

"Okay, that makes sense. Though... the visions. Do you control them? Do they cause you any discomfort?" She's a bit concerned to hear about the insanity on her mother's end. "And that empathetic power, do you know where that's drawn from? Do you get impressions in your mind of how people feel, or is it something else?"

Clark doesn't want to answer for his girlfriend, letting her decide what to say and how to say it, but he sits in silent support of her, absently rubbing his palm up and down her arm in small circles.

"They are about 60 per cent uncontrolled, and 40 per cent controlled. The uncontrolled ones usually come at night, when I dream. But when I need to see something... I usually get a good insight to what I need to know. I have only had them hurt me once or twice."

"And those were big visions. The kind were telekinesis, another mental powers I didn't even know I had were activated."

"My mother went insane mostly because of her turning. The vampire that created her... broke her mind with a lot of horrible things."

"As for my empathy... I more see the emotions of people through aura sight. That is why I knew Clark was infected with something bad. I saw a dark tendril in his aura. And that is usually how I know when I am talking to an alternate of Clark. Because this one..." She touches her boyfriends knee. "...Is just incredible if you could see his colors."

"I want to take those colors and recreate them in a big art assignment for this semester. If I could get my hands on the right metals."

"I'm really sorry," she says, gently. "About your mom."

And then her gaze turns, soft, to Clark. "I can imagine. Heck, he's a gorgeous fellow and all I get to see is his outside." It frustrates Victor, sometimes, how beautiful everyone she knows is. She feels outcast because of it, because her own self-image is so terrifically dim and distorted. Rather like some vampires of myth, Victor is unable to look in the mirror and see herself. "I can maybe help you out with the metals you need. I'm pretty into robotics, so... if you just tell me what you're thinking of, sometime, I can lend a hand on what you need and where to look."

And then: "Aura sight? I'd be, if it wouldn't be trouble, I'd, well. I'd like to know, what you see in me. If it wouldn't be, y' know, uh, a stupid thing to ask, I, um."

He looks a little embarrassed when April talks about his colors, and he wishes he could see what she sees sometimes. But he smiles, and tucks a stray strand of hair back behind her ear.

Speaking of his aura, it's recovering nicely, that dark tendril uprooted and gone before it could finish strangling his colors. They're still a little muted, a little subdued, but brightening all the time.

"It's not stupid," he assures Victor, giving her leg a gentle squeeze. "It's kind of comforting, knowing what you're really made of. What you look like to other people."

"You know. If you are not bothered by telepathic sensations in your mind... I could show you what the aura sight shows me when I look at Clark. Or even when I look at you."

"Your physical auric body has gray clusters, which tells me there are some health issues. The main etheric auric body is orangish-yellow, the signs of an intelligent, detail-oriented, scientific person. Also deep reds, showing me that you have strong will-power and are survival-oriented. I also see bright signs of pink light sparkling all over, showing me your artistic and affectionate side towards your friends, family and loved ones. And there are splashes of a dark forest green, relating to how you see yourself."

Because those dark greens tell April that Victor has low self-esteem, she is not going to detail them in great depth. What is more important is the other colors that are stronger in the other woman's aura.

((thanks for the note Victor-mun. Adjusted appropriately. As April is in a state of awareness, feel free to throw any visions at her that would be important to your pups))

Victor thinks she has an idea of what the dark green means, because she knows that her low self-esteem is an issue. Rationally, she understands it, but she can't mesh what she knows is a problem with what she's certain of, in her mind. It's like being aware that there are monsters in the closet, beyond a shadow of a doubt, but they're invisible monsters that speak another language and there's no way to get through to them.

"Golly, I'm a regular rainbow," she murmurs, splitting into a smile. "Thank you so much, I really like that. Ah. Though the gray might be worrisome, I know about that stuff. It's just joint-pain stuff, no big." She's in treatment, but she doesn't think it's improving any.

She glances to Clark, nudging him shoulder to shoulder and giving his wrist a gentle squeeze right back. She is so carefully affectionate. "If it'd be okay, I'd love to see the way his aura looks like. I don't usually let folks into my brainplace, but just to take a peek, I think it'd be just fine."

"I am totally okay with it," he tells her with a smile. He's glad that she trusts April enough to let her into her head, and he gives April's hand a slight squeeze, letting her know that it really is okay with him. That he trusts her, no matter what he said when he was hallucinating.

Settling herself, April reaches out her gifts to touch both Clark and Victor minds. The telepathic touch is gentle. Soft enough that they will only receive and not worry about any secrets being overheard.

As April's senses were seeing Victor first, it is that aura that is shared between the thought-link. Then slowly she shifts over to Clark.

Of course Clark's physical auric aura is a clear red, showing that he is powerful, energetic, competitive and a passionate person.

Then for his etheric auric body, the main color is blue, the colors of a person who is calm, and collected, and also caring, loving, who love to help others, is sensitive and intuitive. There is a shining light of bright royal blue that says Clark is on the right path to his destiny of being a hero; and that new opportunities are coming.

Speaking softly, April mentions, "It changes slightly when his persona alters. Kal has more orange colors when he is in control. And the brainwashed Kal-El had an orangish-yellow coloration."

It's good that she's just skimming the surface of her brain, because Victor's mind is full of traps, full of pitfalls to keep out intruders. She wouldn't have let April get hurt, go anywhere near those traps, but it's still good that they're not even at the trap level.

It's strange to see herself like this, but not unpleasant. Those sickly gray splotches like bald spots, the other colors vibrant, she feels proud of the mingling shades. And then she sees Clark's. "Isn't that pretty." Red and blue, and there's a big chunk of her that is not surprised at all by that combination. "That's interesting," she says, so softly. "Even down to the soul."

He's fascinated by Victor's aura. The colors shouldn't go together, mixed together with no regard for artistic balance, but it's very her in its mismatchedness. And there's a kind of strange beauty about it, only marred by those gray blotches.

Clark's never gotten the chance to see his own aura quite like this, and he can tell that right now it has to be a little off, and while they watch he can see the slightest brightening of the aura and the way the light of the sun soaks in and strengthens him. "I wonder if they're my favorite colors because of this," he says out loud, and he can see why April loves to watch him and his aura.

Softly disconnecting from their minds, April feels a brush of a whisper at the back of hers for a second. And stares out-of-focus as the vision takes priority in her mind.

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