06 | (backdated) log

[stefanged]

Who: Stefan and Tony
What: Tony's hunting Stefan down after visiting Misa in the hospital. Stefan, on the other hand, thinks he kind of deserves all of this.
When: backdated to April 23-ish?
Where: Tokyo, near NTT Medical Center

Ever since Misa had been admitted into the hospital, Stefan couldn't bring himself to fully stay away. It was his fault that she had been injured like this. If he hadn't texted her to apologize, then maybe she would've been alright... (But then, a little voice in his head reminds him, someone else would've paid the price.)

He still doesn't know the language here, even though he's absorbed enough to understand the bare basics. Some nights, he wanders back to the hospital, just to check up on her. Although he can't quite bring himself to say hello, he lingers for a while before heading outside. He stands out like a sore thumb, not just because there's dark circles under his eyes and he carries himself like the foreigner he is, but also because he (knows he) doesn't belong here.

Technically, he should be back in Locke with Danny, Walter, and the two doppelgangers he forced back into his home. The brief respite wasn't enough to quell his guilt, though. He'd returned, ostensibly to deliver cupcakes to Misa and finally man up enough to apologize in person. (His doppelganger, on the other hand, was reveling in his newfound affinity for blood, which didn't surprise Stefan. It upset him, but it didn't surprise him.)

So he sighs, stuffing his pockets before he debates on taking the transporter home. Misa doesn't really need him here, not when she needs to recover first.

Comments

[oncedevil]

While Tony's tracking skills were improving, Stefan proves to be considerably easier than he's expecting. Mostly because wow the guy sure does like to hang around the scene of the crime, doesn't he? Or at least the person. That made his task much easier, that's for certain, given that he doesn't have to go chasing the guy down all over the world.

Just for that, he might go easy on Stefan. Might. Depends entirely on why he's doing all this lurking.

"You're the last person I'd expect to see lurking around here. What's the deal, hoping for another easy snack?"

Well, okay, probably not the nicest way to announce himself as he hops down from a nearby roof. He'd been watching, waiting to see if Stefan really was going to be stupid enough to show up again.

[stefanged]

"Uh..." Stefan jumps back, more from the sudden intrusion than Tony's actual words. Still holding the bag of cupcakes in his other hand, he raises an eyebrow at Tony.

"Yeah, because feeding on the girl I like is a lot easier than snagging blood bags from the hospital."

He pauses for a second before he adds, more seriously, "I haven't... exactly..." I haven't eaten since that night. His gaunt face certainly speaks for itself. Sure, he's had human food since then, but none of it's been sticking around in his system for long.

[oncedevil]

Cupcakes certainly don't seem like something a crazed, blood-thirsty vampire would be hauling around. Still, that doesn't meant Tony's going to immediately drop his guard even if those cupcakes do smell pretty tasty. He does lift his nose and sniff the air, very similar to a dog and highly undignified, then tries to act like he totally didn't just do that you saw nothing.

He pauses at the words, straightening up and regarding Stefan warily. "So you do like her," Not sure if that makes it better or worse. Also now might not be the time for being sassy, Stefan, unless you like broken noses. "Helluva way to show it."

He paces back and forth a few steps, but doesn't draw any closer. Though by his posture it might be easy enough to assume he's not exactly being friendly right now by any means, even if his tone is fairly calm and even. "You haven't exactly what?"

[stefanged]

Considering Stefan's not sure what he just saw, he decides (wisely) to not say anything. He may, however, look slightly bewildered because did Tony try and sniff him? Or those salted caramel and chocolate cupcakes he'd brought along? (Olette really needed to stop stress baking. Between these and the dozens of cupcakes Stefan had received in December, he was growing tired of these baked goods.)

He grows silent at Tony's words, losing the attitude entirely as he glances back towards the hospital. "Don't I know it. I mean, I haven't... had any blood."

Stefan snorts, almost bitterly. "It's kind of against my religion." What would his imam say? Scratch that, what would the interfaith community say? Blood wasn't halal, or kosher, or in line with any of the major religions. There wasn't really a group that would understand - or even acknowledge - his plight. (Well, that, and he's not keen on drinking from a blood bag.)

[oncedevil]

Probably for the best, Tony doesn't like to talk about it and sometimes can't help himself. He's forever a creature ruled by his stomach, and those cupcakes do smell mighty tasty. No, focus, this is for Misa not for cupcakes. How can you grow tired of baked goods? Stefan you monster.

He narrows his eyes, focusing sharply on Stefan at that. "So... how close are you to making several mistakes you're gonna regret later?" Because resisting feeding always ends in regrettable mistakes, he knows this. At least that's how it works with Shou, maybe Stefan's a different kind of vampire but he can't imagine they're all that different.

"Y'know I'd wager biting people is too, but it's kinda too late for that, don't you think?" In other words, you're going to have to make some sacrifices, Stefan. Not an option anymore. Although he can't blame him, that preserved stuff probably tastes awful.

[stefanged]

That's a good question. He hasn't properly fed in about two days now? With the caffeine and sugar in his system, the pangs of hunger don't bother him as much. Plus, he's been through numerous Ramadans. No food isn't a total stranger to him.

Gripping the bag of cupcakes tighter, Stefan lifts his head up to properly look at Tony. "Not close enough."

He winces at that last comment, because as much as he deserves the truth, it still hurts every time. "I mean, there was a hadith somewhere, but..." This wasn't the time for a religious discussion. Not when the Qur'an had explicitly prohibited blood consumption in the same breath as pig meat. "I haven't... it wouldn't feel right."

[oncedevil]

How long will that last? Again Tony's basing his knowledge entirely on his experience with Shou, who gains no real benefit from normal food any longer. He can eat it, but it's kind of useless to him and no longer breaks down entirely properly.

"You're not gonna have much of a choice for long," If vampires could simply not drink blood, why would they even be vampires? There's something more to it, and while he can commend Stefan on his efforts in fighting his nature he can also take a few wild guesses at how bad this is going to end up if Stefan persists. "What're you doin' out here anyway, walkin' your cupcakes?"

What is a hadith and what's that even got to do with anything? He does not know.

[stefanged]

"I know." He knows, and yet some small part of him just wishes someone would stake him through the heart. It would save him the grief of determining how he would regularly go against everything he had ever believed in. "I'll figure it out soon. There's gotta be synthetic blood, or animal blood, or something that isn't a person."

Wait. Did Tony just...

"You can tell they're... cupcakes?" Stefan scrunches up his face, almost amused as he glances down at them. "They're for Misa. Um, she said she'd always wanted to try my sister's baking, and so I might've..." He coughs. "She might've shipped these."

He hadn't planned on directly announcing his presence when he dropped by. He would compel whoever he needed to, but the actual details of visiting her were still murky.

[oncedevil]

Sorry, Stefan, you're not so lucky. But perhaps with time he'll at least somewhat come to terms with the fact that he has very little choice in the matter. "I don't think synthetic's gonna work," Animal might? Tony can't say, but as far as he knows they don't make a soy-based blood. Sorry, dude.

Uh, oh. Oops. "Uh..." The answer to that is complicated and he'd rather not say thank you very much. "Yeah?" By... methods. Of course. The fidgeting and inability to adequately explain himself is totally not shady by the way, not shady at all. "You asked your sister to bake apology cupcakes?" Stefan please.

[stefanged]

"Not yet. No one's been able to replicate hemoglobin's oxygen-carrying ability, even though..." He pauses, staring down at his veins and making a mental note to test his blood out in the lab later - and maybe some from a blood bag or two. (His prioritizes are clearly in the right place.) "Nevermind. That's more of a science thing. I'll work it out."

The sudden fidgeting nearly causes Stefan to laugh. Biting hard on his lower lip, he hides his smile behind his arm. "Nah. Olette stress bakes pretty much all the time now. I'm hoping this is the last batch."

Maybe he shouldn't foist his sister's cupcakes on everyone: this is maybe the third time someone's called them apology cupcakes in as many months. Cautiously, he asks as he grabs a salted caramel and chocolate out, "You want one?"

[oncedevil]

Excuse Tony's blank expression, any time someone starts to go into science details he starts to space out. Not out of disinterest, mind you, he just genuinely has no idea what anyone's talking about when they science. Magic. "Uh... huh."

Yes, whatever that means. Just nod and play along. "Why would you hope that? Those smell great." He clamps a hand over his mouth one moment too late after realizing he said that out loud. Damn it all. No filters, this one. None at all.

Maybe Stefan should stop doing things that he needs to apologize with cupcakes for? Although, if an apology is going to happen cupcakes are a pretty good way of going about it. And of course, he really can't say no to a cupcake, even if he does shoot Stefan a wary look. "...Even if I take this I think I'm still morally obligated to punch you on the nose, just so we're clear."

[stefanged]

After twelve dozen cupcakes, Stefan could live without ever seeing another one again. (Though he'll admit, having a ready stash of cupcakes does help, even if they're not-quite-apology cupcakes.)

"You probably should." He wouldn't fight it, anyways. Not when it would distract him from his own mental turmoil. "Was that the whole reason you were looking for me?"

Because frankly, he didn't think this was a chance meeting. Not when he didn't believe in coincidences.