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Post by Charlie Dudox on Jan 6, 2005 0:47:47 GMT -5
The sun was high in the air before she woke. In those first moments of returning concience she felt fine. It was only when she tried to move her head that she body awoke to its many complaints. Her brain seemed to be pulsing within her skull and threatening to explode. Her stomach ached and she entire body seemed drained of all its energy. She had felt like this before, it was called a hang over and it was rarely a saturday morning when she did not wake up with one when she was at the University... except for the morning she woke of still inebriated. That always made cooking breakfast a bit of an adventure. As she allowed reality to slowly filter through the fuzz of her brain she became aware that she was not in her apartment, in bed... nor in her arm chair which was occaisionally as far as she made it on a bad (or very good) night. She want outside, nestled in Daniel's arms. Unfortunately, she could not say that this was the first time that she had woken up in the arms of a man and not been completely certain how she had gotten there. But that was the Charlie that she had hoped to leave behind at the university. In her still half asleep state, the only word that could come to mind was "oops".
Slowly she disentangled herself from Daniel's still slumbering arms and slipped her clothes back on. As she went through the mindless motions, the events of the day before began to clear from the haze. Daniel had been kidnapped and she, scared mindless, had rushed off to the rescue. She had found Daniel, alive and relatively safe when that woman had placed her under a love potion. Never before had she felt such jealousy. With Amariette, she could understand why Daniel was interested in her... she supposed. Daniel had freely given away his love, and he had been free to give it. She had no claim. But with Bella it was a completely different story. She had felt cheated, spited, laughed at by the hands of fate. It was the actions that followed that made her feel deeply ill. Had she really stooped to the level of magic potions? Had Daniel even understood what he was getting into? Had she? If there was a hole to climb into, she might have just curled up and died. She should get the horses ready, as people in Invernis would begin to worry if their return was not swift. The idea of getting back on a horse, of that swaying motion beneath her and a half day's worth of travel was nearly as overwhelming a thought as what in the world she would ever say to Daniel when he woke.
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Post by Charlie Dudox on Jan 7, 2005 0:24:49 GMT -5
daniel_p_carter: -"Unnnghhhh..." Came the moan as a pair of hands reached up to a stubbled face, rubbing a pair of blue eyes. His head ached and throbbed like he had been hit with a two by four. When his eyes opened he was expecting to see his ceiling, his book cases, be in his bed in his own house but much to his surprise, he was no where that he could identify. He swore in some foreign language that couldn't be identified and gropped for his glasses which he found in the dirt near his head. Putting them on he noticed the marks on his wrists and arms, the throbbing in his ankles, and even more to his shock that he was under a blanket in the middle of the country in some kind of encampment ... naked. Looking around to find the source of all this(C)- daniel_p_carter: -he spotted Charlie Dudox, the beautiful young anthropologist and secret crush Daniel had been harboring for quite some time now, only he wasn't as happy to see her as usual. "JESUS!" came the cry as he wrapped the blanket around his waist in a hurry and scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, looking around with an expression of complete consternation on his face. "Charlie... what... how..." He stuttered breathlessly, "What the hell is going on here? Where are we?" The question really on his mind was how did he get out of his clothes and onto a bed roll in the middle of nowhere. He closed his eyes, holding the blanket up with one hand around his waist, the other going to his temple trying to calm himself into remembering(C)- daniel_p_carter: -exactly what had happened to him. He remembered... coming home... to Invernis. That was it. The double does of Isabella's potion had completely erased his memory of the past two days as effectively as any neuralizer. He opened his eyes again and looked at Charlie with a more clam and less wild manner. "Ok ok... whoa... let's ask a more pertinent question; where are we going and where are we coming from? And why can't I remember anything about it?"(F)-
Charlie Dudox Charlie went a bit wide eyed as she watched Daniel scramble with the blanket. If the potion had done a number on her, it had obviously been much stronger on Daniel. She picked up his clothes that were strwen about the grass and tossed them to him. "You don't remember anything Daniel? We are on are way back from Xexoria. You were kidnapped by the Tempus Priestess." She left it at that, hoping that she didn't have to connect the dots for him about why he was nude or why she was buttoning up her own rumpled shirt. Wowy, they had made quite a mess of themselves last night. At that moment she yearned once more to find some sort of happy little hole to climb into. Instead she decided to stay useful while he figured out their little escapade.<C> Charlie Dudox "Does your head hurt half as much as mine? I'll make some tea or something." She began to rifle through the bag that Bella had given them of provisions. It was mostly an excuse not to look him directly in the eyes and give him a chance to get his clothes on. Since she had met Daniel, so many months ago, she had wanted to get him into bed, but last night was all wrong. Sure he had been great, and despite the hang over, she could feel the amazing glow that came after a spectacular night, but she didn't want it to be that way, not in the haze of potions, not forgotten by morning. She found no tea and instead poured him a glass of water as well as one for herself. Then in the reflection of the canteen she began to fix her hair. <C> Charlie Dudox The morning had done little to fade the beauty that he had seen in her the night before. Her black ringlets caught sun's light as she pinned back the loose curls to reveal her soft olive skin. The potion had lowered their inhibitions, but how much of what they had seen in each other was all that for from the truth?
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Post by Charlie Dudox on Jan 7, 2005 0:54:57 GMT -5
daniel_p_carter: -He shook his head, grabbing up the clothes she threw at him and made a very awkward but successful attempt to at least get his pants back on without too much incident. He began searching for his socks and shirt wondering in partial fear of what was going on here, why they were both in less than they should be and why he felt like he had been run over by a frieght train. "No... I don't remember any of it.." he admitted somewhat sheepishly. Was it possible? Had they... oh dear god, he hoped they hadn't... It was not that he did not have strong feelings for Charlie because he did and though he lied to himself about them he knew deep down that much was true... my it was totally improper, it violated every professional code of ethics(C)- daniel_p_carter: -for one, and there was that huge issue of him being affianced to another woman that made his aching head reel to think about. Regardless of why Amariette went off with Theoren or what had happened between her and Theoren that did not give Daniel any liscence to ... but he wouldn't have, he just wouldn't have. He couldn't bring himself to even look at Charlie half the time in fear he might be breeching some unspoken rule let alone... And his head hurt so badly. He shook his hair out and tried matting it down by licking two fingers and straightening out the rogue pieces with them. "Yeah, my head feels like someone's been at it with a hammer," He replied, picking up his shirt and accepting the water from her gratefully. "Why can't I remember anything?"(C)- daniel_p_carter: -He sighed and took a seat on a log and rubbed the side of his head. "And why do I have this headache? God, feels like I've beendrinking but I am highly doubting that was the case at all..." He knew himself well enough that he didn't touch liquor.(F)-
Charlie Dudox She took a sip of water and winced visibly when he asked why he couldn't remember anything. If she could rewind things twenty four hours, she would do so at a moment's notice. She took the near-empty little vial of love potion and tossed it to him. She could not count the number of one night stands she had had when at the University. Often, she would pick out a man that interested her at the beginning of the evening and would wake up in his bed or some less conspicuous location the next morning. It was nothing that she was ashamed of. She would thank them for a lovely evening, let them know if she was interested in a repeat experience and be on her way. But with Daniel she found herself equally unable to make eye contact. <C> Charlie Dudox "The priestess doused you with it yesterday at the temple. We both had a splash of it last night." She didn't lie, not even in circumstances when if could save her from a hell of a lot of trouble. It would have been easy enough to explain to Daniel that they had drank a little and gone for a tumble under the covers. He certainly didn't remember any differently. But if she had said that, it was possible that she never would have been able to look him in the eyes again. Those gorgeous blue eyes, that she could stare into for hours... that smile. Perhaps the potion hadn't completely worn off. How she would love to go over and smooth his hair for him, kiss him all over, see if perhaps this morning he would remember her. <C> Charlie Dudox With those thoughts she quickly doused her face with the remainder of the cool water. Straighten yourself out Charlie! Last night was a mistake and her thoughts could not be so squarly on repeating it once more!
daniel_p_carter: -He caught the vial as he was pulling on his shirt. Pulling socks and boots on first he paused before lacing up and looked the unmarked vial over. "What is that even supposed to mean to me? What priestess? And what is this stuff?" He was looking right at her, no shame or fear in his brilliant blue eyes, wondering why she was hiding her deep brown ones from his line of sight. He had no idea that she could now validate the rumors running around the academy of 'is as passionate in bed as he is in his work'. Everything was so... shifty. And his head was pounding too hard for him to sort it out. "Charlie, what is going ON?" He shook his head again as if to dismiss the idea. She wasn't going to tell him squat from the looks of it. He scratched his(C)- daniel_p_carter: -face, irritated at the feeling of newly grown hair and started rolling up the bedding and packing in the supplies. They were close to Invernis, close to the Capital as well. He could feel that much, the air was just like home, it all looked like Ulster, unless he was being tricked again. "How far are we from Emain Macha? How long have we been gone? I should go back there and see if.. they got back yet." He said, a small amount of worry glossing over him when he thought of Theoren and Amariette. Not that he much cared what happened to Theoren at this point. "I really need to talk to Mari, find out what was going on, why she left so quickly. You know she didn't even say goodbye to me?" he shut his lips together tightly then, not wanting to dwell on it much(C)- daniel_p_carter: -And then there was the academy. Lord only knew how long he had been gone from that. The winter semester was almost over, tests had to be taken, things needed to be graded, and the faculty had to know that their dean of the anthropology department was still alive and well and not off on another red herring that was getting him into trouble. (F)-
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Post by Charlie Dudox on Jan 7, 2005 0:56:19 GMT -5
Charlie Dudox She looked back to him as he raised his voice in frusteration. Despite any aches she might be feeling, her eyes were suddenly clear and piercing. "You've been gone about two days. We still have half a day's travel. THAT is a love potion and I'm sorry. I didn't really think things out like this." Her words came curtly and a bit louder than she had meant as though she was being forced into saying things that she had hoped he would allow her to avoid. With that she stood up, mumbling softly "I'll get the horses ready, I'm sure everyone is worried sick about you." She didn't make a comment about Amariette. What was she supposed to say. I'm sorry your fiance ran off with another man and gave me the opportunity to sleep with you? <C> Charlie Dudox She doubted anyone would quite understand that twisted logic. She could not really justify it herself, after all. She began to strap on the bags in silence, giving Daniel time to absorb what she had just told him. If he was mad at her, it would be justified. If he was mad at himself, she would probably not be able to talk him out of that either. Either way he had made it pretty obvious where his thoughts still lay, and they were not with her. Well, fine. She could deal, she supposed, and there would be a bottle of wine for her back at the apartment if she could not.
daniel_p_carter: -What he heard made him sink to his haunches and back down on the log. What was he supposed to say? To feel? Charlie, i'm really disappointed in you?, Charlie, you didn't need that potion, had the circumstances been different? Charlie, I'm going to tear you a new one? "So... we... you and I..." He murmured, the color running from his face. His life suddenly just got a lot more complicated. "Oh Charlie..." He said, laying his arm across his knees to form a resting place for his head. "I... I'm not angry." It was a little while before he could say it. "I'll admit, I feel a little violated, dare I say it a little emasculated. In the past two months I've been kicked around and manipulated by just about everyone I know and I'm not too happy about it. Amariette's gone ...(C)- daniel_p_carter: -I don't even know where she's gone... I don't know what's happening to me or her, I don't even know what's going on with me and you... I don't know a damn thing. I'm confused and I'm tired and my head is throbbing... I think I'll just work on those for now." He said rubbing his eyes in frustration. Perhaps, he thought, part of the problem lay in his inability to take care of himself outside his medium. In his younger years he had been quite adept at taking care of himself in the jungle and the desert, but when it came to women he seemed to simply be unable to operate. Now the problem had gotten to the point where it had violated his code of ethics and he just wasn't alright with that. "Just.. point me in the direction of Emain Macha. I have a job to do now(C)- daniel_p_carter: -and I need time to clear my head." Clear his head... what a job to undertake.(F)-
Charlie Dudox :for a minute she did not know how to respond. Perhaps she should just leave it at that, with him feeling hurt and manipulated and simply let that fester up inside of him. He was speaking to her as though she had played some nasty trick on him, and that tore her up inside. Their horses prepared she pulled herself up on her own bay mare. The minute she did, she could feel how sore she was from all the riding she had done in the past two days. She wouldn't be surprised if, in an hour. She would rather walk than ride another moment. "Maybe I can't convince you of what you don't remember Daniel, but last night you saw me add that potion. We both were on it and at the point that things went too far. I can't say that I was any more able to stop it than you were.<C> Charlie Dudox I wasn't out to take advantage of you." She swallowed deeply, as she felt the sharp pain that such an idea caused her. But, for both their sakes, she did her best not to let it show. "Emain Macha's half a day's journey on this road, you can't miss it. We are going the same direction. If you want to catch up with me, we'll together, but I'm not going to force anything from you you don't want." With that she gave the horse a small nudge and started down the dusty road at a walking pace. He would merely need to pull himself together and hop on his own horse to catch up but some how, Charlie guessed that she would spend the ride alone, wrestling with her miserable conscience.
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Post by Charlie Dudox on Jan 7, 2005 0:58:05 GMT -5
daniel_p_carter: -He watched her ride off and then looked to the horse waiting for him. It looked rather expectant, as if it was a little exasperated that Daniel was moping instead of moving his ass. A few minutes passed as Charlie rode on down the road until she'd hear hoofbeats behind her. Daniel wasn't a slouch, he could ride, he could trek, he could do anything he wanted to, he reckoned, after he stopped being a doormat and started to stick up for himself. Slowing the horse to a walk as he came up beside her he smiled, ever so slightly. "Hey." Was the first word, and then several minutes of long silence. "You know, even though I don't remember it, I think I ought to thank youn for coming all of the way out here to save me from the Xexorian clergy."(C)- daniel_p_carter: -Another small smile was offered before a few more minutes of silence which was really Daniel picking his words rather carefully. "When my father died, I felt somewhat helpless at first. I hated the feeling, that awful feeling of having your hands tied, unable to do what you want, be with who you want..." He said with subtle intonation. "And I don't for a second believe you tried to take advantage of me Charolette, I don't believe that at all. I also have faith in myself that I wouldn't have accepted that glass if I knew what was in it, but I don't think either of us could really be sure." A pause as he cleared his throat. "Either way... I can't really regret it, either, having no memory of it... but... " He looked over at her. Charlie was a beautiful woman. (C)- daniel_p_carter: -It didn't take a scholor to know that meant both inside and out. "Part of me wishes I could." It wasn't a reconciliation. He still had a lot to sort out... maybe his feelings for Charlie would fade, but right now he was left questioning everything, his feelings for his fiance, his place in Ulster, his Lordship, his mindset, his values... but he smiled at her. And it was a good smile. That was a start.(F)-
Charlie Dudox She returned the smile "I think I'd just about go to hell and back to keep you safe Daniel. But I'd prefer you didn't get kidnapped by any nasty demons and force me to test that theory." She gave a small wink before falling back into silence as thoughts tumbled through her head. "I wish you could remember too... and me too. Mostly I wish there was no potion involved at all." While the demon thing and been said a bit lightly, this she meant in all seriousness. Anything they had last night had been tainted. She had made no effort to take the small remains of the vial with her though Daniel could have pocketed it if he wanted. It was awful stuff that obviously caused nothing but trouble. After a little while she broke their quiet thoughts once more.<C> charlie_dudox: Danny's confession that he had felt violated had hurt her more than any other words really could. "I'm sorry you feel violated. I know how that is... I was once..." Her eyes stared straight ahead on the road, her posture a bit stiff as if she was letting known a secret that she found difficult. "who ever didn't get what they wanted. I'm attuned to my body better than most. I caught on before whatever was in the drink took too much effect and found someone safe to take care of me. I know you said you believed me already but I just thought you should know, I would never wish that on someone else." She had taken something from him, the night before, whether she meant to or not. <C> Charlie Dudox Here and now she was giving him something, a secret that only the boy who had taken her home and tucked her in when she was too out of it to even speak. There was no equivenency here. She knew that she could not make anything even-steven, no matter how long she spoke. Still, it needed to be said, for some reason.
daniel_p_carter: -He listened in silence, knowing how important it was for her to be able to speak. Maybe one day if he was married, if he got his head on straight, once she got out of school, maybe one day he wouldn't be afraid to tell her the rest of what he was thinking at the moment. Right now wasn't the time thought. "It's ok, Charlie." He said, and really, he meant it. It was ok. Or at least, it was going to be ok. "Don't think this means, if you do come back to the academy, you'll get an A in my class. You have to earn that one." He said with a wink and a goofy smile. She'd already earned enough for one day. His trust, his admiration, and his thanks for more than she could imagine. He had a lot of life to think about, but fortunately he could already see the(C)- daniel_p_carter: -skyline of Emain Macha in the distance. It wouldn't be too long now before they got there, but the Dr. Daniel Carter that came trotting through those gates would be a little different than folks remembered him. Perhaps a little more jaded, assertive, changed. But at the very least, they'd be home.(F)-
Charlie Dudox: She came him a playful look of disapointment. "You know if all teachers had such strict grading policies with students they slept with, I would never be able to keep up my grades." After a moment of thinking about most of the professors, she made a face. That certainly was a visual that she would not want to dwell on. "I doubt you would want me in your class any way. I have a bad reputation of a know-it-all with a habit of publicly humiliating teachers when they claim to know more than they do. Are you sure you can handle me?" She was certain that Daniel could. Unlike many current scholars, she was deeply schooled in the classic texts of archeology and anthropology as a child. Her father was a staunch member of a group of scholars who believed that these "out of date" books held m Charlie Dudox: Her father was a staunch member of a group of scholars who believed that these "out of date" books held more wisdom in them than they were given credit. Charlie followed in his foot steps on this particular point. When they reached Emain Macha it would be time for them to each go their seperate ways just as they did, Charlie gave the young duck a devilish smile. "You'll have to let me know in the syllabus just how much extra credit sleeping with the professor will give a girl. So I can plan out my studying accordingly." she gave a small wink, making it obvious that it was a simple joke before taking her fork in the road. It would be lovely to get home and fall into bed, exhausted from the entire ordeal.
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