⚝ apothecary。

@matthew d。ᵏⁱⁿᵍˢⁱᶻᵉᵐᵃᵗᵗʳᵉˢˢ The bite itself wasn't entirely as bad as it probably could have been. The vampire that attacked him was a little /too/ hungry or something because their fangs dug in deeper than normal. Guess it doesn't help that Christopher's skin is like tissue paper most times. Fragile. He hated using that word, especially on himself. He was not, by any means, fragile. However, the years of wear and tear his body went through, of course he would go down over something like this. After the crash, the numerous relapses, the numerous attempts at his own life-- Christopher really put himself through the ringer, both willingly and unwillingly. Now he has to be careful about what he does, where he goes, what time he heads out, and (more importantly) knowing what's in the thing he is about to consume. Having a history behind his back made him more cautious about everything around him. This attack... will most likely make him burrow in the apartment for weeks before he felt safe again to even return to work.

If his frazzled mind glued itself onto a triggering topic, his panic would spiral and this situation would become even messier. Matthew doesn't need to see that. He doesn't need to see the PTSD or the aftermath of everything Christopher's been through. Always fearing the worst possible outcome, he never has tried opening up to anyone any further than telling them the basics about himself. Times like these really bit him in the -- he /needs/ to start talking to people because what would happen if Matthew hadn't noticed what happened? Christopher would've had no one to call for help. He would've perished in that alleyway, his body would've been found who knows how long later, and the town would try to solve the mystery. He would've--no. No, /don't/ think about that. Don't focus on that. Think about something good, something /positive/.

He could feel the squeezes to his hand and those were enough to bring him out of that headspace, grounding him to the moment. Christopher wasn't even aware he had squeezed his eyes shut in the midst of it all. When he looks up, he sees the sky this time. It's still very dark though some stars could be visible. They twinkled gently back at him and in a weird way, Christopher felt reassured that everything was going to be just fine. The attacker was gone. His heart is still beating, his blood is still red -- it was going to be alright. He's alive, he's breathing, it's going to be /fine/. At least that's what he keeps telling himself, lips parting slightly to murmur the words nearly inaudibly under his breath.

Was he trying to comfort himself or comfort Matthew? Bit of both, really. He could sense the other was in great distress about something. They were only just starting to become more friendly with one another. Sometimes Christopher would go into the apothecary just to bug him because, as he proudly claims, he has mastered the art of being annoying. Or maybe he's just hung out with Felix too much and the little menace rubbed off on him. Either way, Christopher /loved/ to annoy the people he cared about. Absolutely /loved/ being a pest to them. He loved teasing people, especially -- it's how he shows affection. It's all with good intentions, Christopher knows exactly when to stop and what not to say. In the end, Matthew was the most recent person to endure his annoying shenanigans. Popping up at odd hours in the apothecary just to rearrange the shelves Matthew /just/ organized only to leave immediately after with a grin and a peace sign over his shoulder. Matthew, however, was struggling with something. Christopher, in a way, was just trying to help him relax. Comedy, humor -- it's how he himself coped. So he'd try to make the other laugh or smile so that he didn't look as if he was trying to solve the world's biggest crime of all the time.

Focusing on Matthew's voice just like he said to, Christopher made sure to keep his eyes open while being carried to safety. He focused on the sound of his voice, the words he used, how he said them, let his mind run freely around those details -- and the next thing he knew there is something foul on the tip of his tongue. The human grimaces a little, nose scrunching up is disgust. He groans quietly and lifts his free hand to weakly try to push the remedy away, making it so a few drops end up landing on his cheek and chin. "Gross..." Christopher grumbled, refusing to take any more and wanting to spit it all out. What was in that thing, anyways? What even was it? He's always been a stickler about not accepting anything that he doesn't know. This remedy is unknown. The ingredients in it are unknown. That could spark the paranoia. A remedy that helped him go underwater ended up making him physically sick for several days. Unfortunately, he has a somewhat sensitive immune system. Comically enough, he was more scared of the remedy than the vampire that attacked him.

@christopher b。ᵐᵒᵒⁿˢʰⁱⁿᵉ Normally, Matthew wasn't so easily unnerved but the alarms sounded in his head and put him in the sort of autopilot that made he fingertips buzz with that jolt of adrenaline that carried your feet for you. He could chalk it up to being out of practice as a hunter. He'd lived a normal life for who knows how long to keep his head on straight and after his fateful run in, he really wasn't sure what he was even capable of anymore. It was only in situations like this where he found second nature beating him to the punch(sometimes quite literally). He must have been a skilled hunter because he always left himself baffled with his level of skill. Even his build and general quirks or everyday habits made him think he might have been quite the opponent for any of his adversaries. And now, having bested a /vampire/ for the most part, he wondered just how much more he was capable of. How far he'd go. How far he's gone...

But that wasn't the real pressing issue right now. What the hell was going on right now? Who the hell was the attacker? How bad is that bite? From the looks of it, the answer to that last question was the easiest to answer unfortunately. His stomach twisted painfully at the sight in a way that told him he at least knew subconsciously from experience how bad this situation is or could get. The clock was ticking at this point and he had to remedy the situation fast. Remedy. The Apothecary.

He watched warily as Chris' eyes swam a bit to focus on him and his lips turned up as the male recognized him but the smile was laced with anxiety and he did once over of his entire body to make sure there weren't any other injuries sustained before he even thought about moving him from his spot on the alley floor. He couldn't even give a chuckle of amusement at the other's remark about them being even, riddled with a sense of protection that made him laser focused. It was so dark, he was glad Chris could make him out but now he needed to move.

Chris himself was still somewhat of a stranger. An acquaintance? If he were being honest, the way the guy in front of him had shown up to his aid so frequently was a bit concerning in the beginning. He had thought after the third time that Chris was keeping tabs on him but at some point they cleared up that misunderstanding through casual conversation on one of the days Chris had come into the shop for the remedy to insomnia. Now it was just a running joke and connection between them that made Matt feel like he was in debt to the other, whether Chris felt that way or not. Maybe keeping him from bleeding out in this alleyway really would make them even. Right-

He wasted no time in taking the t-shirt from his own frame off to bundle up and press against the wound in place of Chris' hand now covered in blood and though that left him in his tank, now smeared with fresh blood, he would deal with that later. He gripped the males hand once, twice and then placed it over the shirt for him to hold in place so he could lift his body off of the ground. "Okay yea okay- focus on my voice, okay? I'm here alright? And we're going to the shop. The apothecary will have a remedy for the bite and then you can rest but not right now. We're almost there-"

His words were rushed but he wasn't lying, they were nearly back in the shop and he kicked the door back open, carrying Chris carefully over to the nearest flat surface. He quickly the lights and rummaged around with strangely relaxed fingers and sure eyes, scanning the shelves as if he knew the shop like the back of his hand. He was quick to find the remedy and he was back to Chris' side, pushing his thumb into his chin to part his lips so he could pour a few drops down his throat. Too much might send him into hallucinations anyway so he avoided overdoing and watched for choking or loss of consciousness. He waited a long moment to simply observe, continued speaking and squeezing the male's hand. "You got it, man just relax and swallow as best you can. I know it's almost impossible but it's gotta go down. You're doing great"

@matthew d。ᵏⁱⁿᵍˢⁱᶻᵉᵐᵃᵗᵗʳᵉˢˢ Between the blurry mess of panic, fear and confusion, blips and glimpses of reality started to flood his vision. He was starting to recall exactly what led up to this moment. He left the apartment, only leaving a wallet behind. The night was peaceful despite the air being somewhat brisk. And there was hardly a soul in sight. Once in a while, a car might pass by with its high-beams blaring into his eyes and blinding him momentarily. The crack in the sidewalk. Yes, he remembered tripping over that. He remembered glaring at it. He remembered turning around and noticing a shop's lights still on. The apothecary. Remedy. Insomnia. There's a remedy for insomnia there that he gets all the time, it's how he met... it's how he met... someone. Someone there. A new worker. Someone with runes decorating his body. Runes that, in a weird way, were similar to the Nordic ones he himself had scattered around in his tattoos.

His name... What's his name? It's sitting right on top of his tongue but he's so dizzy, it's hard to think straight. Christopher was barely able to keep himself upright much less be able to form any form of cognitive thought. A few more glimpses of memories and-- vampire. It was a vampire. A rather hungry one, it seemed, because it dove into his throat like he was a piece of steak. It bit down so hard that it had actually begun to choke him. Unable to breath with that and the hand over his mouth, the panic had built and built until Christopher's heart pounding could be heard over the sound of his blood rushing in his ears. Then it got blurry again, however this time, it was because of movement. Someone entered the alley and then the next second, Christopher could feel his legs giving out as his body slid down the brick wall, collapsing to the ground in a heap. The pavement felt cool against his forehead. He lets himself lay there for a few minutes, trying to swallow the lump in his throat that refused to go down. Then, he starts to move and somehow manages to push himself on to his back, trying to get a sense of what's going on around him. Christopher forces his eyes to open, forces his vision to focus, forces himself to recognize who it was leaning over him.

That face. It looks familiar. The name-- what's his name?

"M.. Matthew..?" The human's voice was raspy, almost as if he swallowed sandpaper. A trembling hand lifts up and covers the side of his neck for a few seconds before pulling back, now stained with something warm and something red. It took him a few seconds to finally piece together that he was bleeding heavily. "F-.." Christopher's hand trembles more. The panic is back. The attacker was now no longer in sight, having fled upon seeing the other male show up. Right. Matthew. Matthew scared the attacker off, he had saved him just now, right? The thought earned a weak chuckle, his eyes falling shut for a few seconds only to slowly peer up at him; dazed, unfocused but smiling faintly. "G-Guess we're even now, huh?"

They were still mysteries to each other. Christopher doesn't know much about Matthew and Matthew doesn't know much about Christopher, yet... somehow, whenever Matthew seemed to be in trouble, Christopher would be in the right area at the right time. It was him that extended a helping, comforting hand to a complete stranger. The first time it happened, purely coincidental. Second time it happened, it was a little odd but it seemed like they both kind of pushed past it. Then a third time came around and it was most certainly not a coincidence anymore-- it was a pattern. It's not like Christopher was stalking the dude! He'd just... end up being there... Right when Matthew needed help. Strange? Understatement. Stalker-ish? Probably, but he /swears/ he isn't even doing anything!

Pressing his hand into the bite mark to hopefully slow the bleeding, Christopher does his best to keep his eyes open and stay awake; tries to focus on something despite the panic still gripping his throat. His eyes were starting to flutter. Now it was a struggle. "I ne-need.. s-something to focus o-on, I.. I can't.."

@christopher b。ᵐᵒᵒⁿˢʰⁱⁿᵉ Becoming acquainted with the shop had it's perks and one of them was being able to close up alone which meant he could study in peace in his downtime. It wasn't as if they were ever particularly busy and it was quietest at night which he obviously used to his advantage. A space away from his own home where he could try to find the answers he'd sought after ever since his return to Magnolia Springs. Most nights he felt no closer to an answer than the last but every now and then he would come across a piece of information that he could add to the book he'd started to keep track of everything he thought was important.

That's where his mind was tonight. Finding even a shimmer of hope within the dusty pages of his small collection of books he kept on him from the library. To say Matthew was immersed in his quest for knowledge (or really just an answer to his questions, if anything) was an understatement. His eyes strained from the hours of reading and by the time he even looked up from the worn book in his hand, it'd been far past time to close. And he was no closer to answering the riddle of his mind. No closer to understanding why today's weather reminded him of so many cities he'd called home during his time away. How he'd gotten to those places. Why he couldn't remember the reason for going. Why all of those places felt like home. Why not a single memory of his came to the forefront of his mind complete. Always muddled and in bits and pieces like abstract art.

Even just standing in the apothecary gave him a since of nostalgia so strong that he wish he knew why in a way that ached in his chest. The familiarity though he was sure he'd never worked there before his return. The way he could stand at the counter and just feel emotionally charged. Or on some days emotionally drained. Putting a finger on the why of it seemed to prove impossible in the state he was in which pushed him further into his quest for answers. What connection did he have to this place that kept him up with his broken thoughts some nights or begged an answer in research louder than most questions. Why did he even think to come back to Magnolia after his altercation in the first place? What drew him back? Some nights he wouldn't stop searching for answers til his body gave out on him- which for a nephelim, was quite a damn while. And tonight was looking like one of those nights.

Up until he got a text from the shop owner. A quick check in to remind him not to stay all night because they knew him well enough already to know that's exactly what would happen if he was left to his own devices. He tutted at the message in amusement, caught red handed being studious as ever and sent a quick 'thanks' before pocketing his phone and closing up for the night, waiting until he was all packed up to turn off the rest of the lights. Through the large windows of the shop, the entire street was visible down most of the block and every now and then a person walking by would catch his peripheral but he rarely had a reason to pay them much attention so when he saw figures, his first mind was to continue with his tasks, going to close the blinds before he locked up. But as he approached the window casually, his focus on figures automatically became clear and what happened next made his dark orbs dilate in shock, his body reflexively moving before he could process what was going on. All that mattered was that one moment Chris was there (that was definitely Chris) and then the next his body was snatched into the dark depths of the alleyway.

Matt cursed under his breath, already on the move and running to his bag to grab his steel, dragging it over his runes for soundlessness, sight in the dark and speed and then leaving the shop unattended as he hurried out and over to where he last saw Chris. The sound hit his ears before anything came into sight, the struggle in Chris' voice clear and fear inducing as he flung himself into the alley. when he was met with the scene before him fear turned to anger and before he could make himself known, Matt was using his soundlessness and speed to his advantage in catching the attacker off guard, on them in seconds to grab them by the throat and make them detach from Chris. Then swiftly, he threw them to the ground, pressing his boot into their chest and adding pressure until the sound of Chris struggling to breathe caught his attention. The struggle to keep the attacker from running or help Chris only lasted a moment and he kicked them away before stumbling over to Chris to look him over, worry knitted in his brows as he knelt over the mundane male's body. " Chris can you hear me? Look at me? Focus man- look at me. Stay awake okay? I'm gonna move you okay? Just stay awake"

@matthew d。ᵏⁱⁿᵍˢⁱᶻᵉᵐᵃᵗᵗʳᵉˢˢ Another late night walk meant many things. Clearing his head was a main thing, of course, but it wasn't the only reason. There's been a lot going on lately. A lot more than usual, that is. Being overwhelmed was the understatement of the year in Christopher's books. Dealing with the culture shock after moving from Australia to Magnolia Springs, overcoming the whiplash of finding out that supernatural beings do in fact /exist/, having his heart broken not once but /twice/ since arriving to this tiny yet quaint town -- shall he go on? He never liked talking about it so he never /did/ talk about it. There was nothing /to/ talk about, really. happened, he moved on. Case closed, right? Except, the feelings still lingered after months of so-called "healing." Therapy sessions turned sour after a certain situation with his previous therapist and now Christopher isn't even in therapy at all anymore. He can't. Not after him.

So, he takes walks. Long walks. Back in Australia, he had nature trails to use -- that's what he preferred, actually. However, the nature part of Magnolia was on the side of town that happened to be in the opposite direction and while Christopher had a perfectly working bike to use, sometimes it's nice to not be in a rush to get to one's destination. So here he is, walking along the empty streets late at night all alone. The headset that decorated his neck like a necklace was blasting music that he could hear clearly. The paranoia of never being truly alone outside always kept him from putting the headset on properly, choosing to instead listen to his music this way.

Tripping over a crack in the sidewalk, Christopher stumbles briefly but is able to quickly regain his composure (after turning to scowl at the crack like it was at fault). When he turns back around, he happens to catch site of a store that still had its lights on despite the time. Just as he realized that it was the apothecary, the lights flicked off. Damn. They must be closing down just now then. Was it Matthew that was working the shift tonight? The store was across the street from him, just a little ways ahead. A few more paces and he'd be able to see what was in the window. Christopher /has/ been meaning to go back in there to get that remedy for insomnia. Next time when he swings through the area he'll have to--

And that's about all he remembers. To him, it was just a normal night. A normal, quiet night. He always walked this path since moving here. Nothing had ever happened before, so he never felt the need to be overly cautious -- and it was even leading him to slowly feeling more comfortable here in this town, going as far as bringing his headset with him on walks was a pretty big step. However... his vision is going in and out suddenly. His mind is no longer wandering on about fitting a visit to the apothecary into his schedule. It was fuzzy now. And now everything is spinning, 'round and 'round. Was it light-headedness? Was he about to pass out? But from what? There's... Is there something on his neck? Christopher tries to move, tries to fight the numbness as it floods his veins and makes start to go lax. He tries but it's like there is something grabbing him, holding him, pinning him. He can't move now. Anytime he tries, it gets tighter, harder. It's starting to hurt now. Christopher resorts to trying to let out any noise he could, unsure if anyone was close by to hear the strained cry he managed to make before a hand suddenly clamped over his mouth. A hand. A hand? A... hand? Oh. /Oh/. That's right. The alley. Something grabbed him. Something grabbed him and pulled him into the darkness just as he passed by. And now that something is more like a some/one/ and that specific someone had latched onto him... literally, it seems.