The Other Martin

[Martin]

It was night, and library was silent, almost oppressively. Yet the oppressive silence, while threatening, was comforting in a way. Martin knew that he was alone, and that was both a terror and a relief.
''Heeeey, Marty.'' Said a voice.
It came from inside his head.
''God,'' Martin hissed to himself. ''Not you again.'' He let Quidditch Today! fall from his hands. He wasn't reading it, anyway, but sitting in the library without a book looked abnormal.

The Other Martin laughed. ''Not you? You adress me as if I'm a different person. A foreign being.''
Martin sighed, and pulled the skin between eyes with two fingers.
''Shut up.''
The Other Martin ignored Martin's demand. ''Because I'm not. I'm you. And you're me. And neither of us would be complete without the other.''
Martin sighed. ''You aren't me. In fact you aren't you. You aren't anybody. You're just......'' he grimaced, and continued. ''A product of my brain, triggered by chemical inbalance and emotional trauma,'' he said, repeating almost verbatim what the Muggle doctor had said.
The Other Martin laughed. ''Don't pull the science card on me, Marty. You know there are things beyond science. If there's anything this school has taught you, it's that.''
Martin slammed his fist into the sofa. ''My life,'' he said, practically shouting, ''is bigger than you. And you are not me.''
For a moment, he thought the Other Martin had gone, but then it came back. '

'Aww.'' he said. ''Poor Marty. You're pissed 'cause of Ruby.''
Not that, thought Martin. Anything but that. ''Don't talk about her,'' he snarled, his voice tight.
The Other Martin practically giggled. ''I found your soft spot, haven't I, Marty? You lovesick idiot.'' He altered his voice to a horrible, Cockney, childish version of Martin's. ''Hewoh, my name Mawtin Avawiahmente and I'm in wuv.''
Martin's voice came up his throat thin. ''Enough.''
''Do you know why she's been givin' you the cold shoulder, Marty?'' He quieted his voice to a sick, conspiratorial whisper. ''She doesn't love you.''
''I said ENOUGH. And she does love me. She told me.''
Martin could practically hear the Other Martin grinning.
''Not anymore. You see, teenage girls have such terribly high expectations, and you just weren't exciting enough. What was it, Marty? A date, a kiss, a conversation? Whatever it was, you, Marty, fell flat.''
''GOOD LORD,'' Martin screamed, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!''
Heat welled up inside him, and he hurled Quidditch Today! across the room.

The heat vanished and left an unpleasent cold. The Other Martin and his laughter had gone. There was only Martin, and the books, and the dark.

[Zelma]

"ow!" she shouted and screeched and whispered to herself, "d**n!" "Martin that hurt!" she came out from the shadows on her crutches. "And...who do you love? And who were you talking to?"

[Martin]

Crap, Matin hissed to homself. Someone heard, and I threw a book at them. Well, that looks normal. Well, it's to late now. I'd better just act as normal as possible.
''Uh, Hey Zelma. Who was I talking to? No one, really. I was just going over some things for my History of Magic exam.''
He tried in vain, to fix his dishelved hair, and continued. ''I'm sorry that hit you, it was an accident. I don't normally go around throwing books at crippled girls..no permanent damage, right?''

[~*..::Arion::..*~]

Arion already knew he was there, though it was only because she could sense him. She carefully avoided using her heightened sense of hearing, refusing to eavesdrop, though she recognized the feel of the voice. It was Martin, though she couldn't smell anything human about him. She supposed that was both because of the medicine she was taking, which dulled her ability to smell, and because he wasn't human. Still, he was always more calm than the agressive Sarentegra, whom she had just escaped. But inside, a turmoil of fear and anger gripped her throat, and it wasn't because of Liam's little sister. Tarin had been following her, even now could be watching, though she couldn't hear him anywhere. She had rushed inside and taken more of the potion, hoping it would still her bloodlust and having the wish granted, for the moment. But there was no magic potion, no cure, that could rid her of Tarin.

[Martin]

Arion was entering the library as well. This certainly is lovely. Now a teacher and student think I'm completely psychotic.
Well............maybe I am.....
''No!'' He exclaimed, shaking his head as if to jostle the thought out of place. Of course, that made him look even more strange........
Martin stood up. ''Evening, Ari-uhhhh, Professor.''

[~*..::Arion::..*~]

Swallowing and wetting her sticky throat, she silently edged into the library, her eyes narrowing slightly as she squinted in the direction of Martin and one other, who seemed to be complaining about something, was it...a book? Arion couldn't be sure, seeing as her ears were more prone now to breathing and heartbeats than anything else. She was so tired, and all she wanted to do was curl up and hide. The library would have been a perfect place...but here the students roamed...after bed hours. Perfect. "It's after hours." Her voice was light and airy, and her form was mere black against black. Noting the confused looks on their faces, she stepped forward into the golden light. Her skin looked like it was glowing, her outline faded slightly. Her eyes were unusually bright and penetrating, and seeing as she was soaked through from the hail outside, her clothes looked dark as they clung to her skin. "Move along." The question was aimed at Zelma, for Arion suddenly wanted to talk to Martin. "Mr. Avariamente, would you wait here a moment?"

[Martin]

In his concern for the exposure of his mental condition, Martin had forgotten that he was out after hours, and that he was now officially caught. The evening was getting better and better.
''What? Oh, yes, Professor. And---me and Zelma----we weren't doing anything-----uh, well, you know.''
Martin winced. Conversing with other people was always akward when he was tired (which he was).

OCC: Pretty puny, I know........I'll try to make the next post bigger.

[~*..::Arion::..*~]

Arion raised an eyebrow, the smallest of smiles playing on her lips. "I know." She watched him for a moment, but turned her head when she remembered how nervous she was when people ever stared at her. She followed Zelma's retreat with her eyes, making sure the door was closed before turning to Martin, her smile gone. "Talk with me?" It was odd, but she suddenly felt like he was the one to tell, he was the one to talk to. They both had problems...and he was different from the rest. There was a piece of him that she suddenly understood, and she needed someone to talk to anyway. "How's your problem coming along?"

[~*..::Arion::..*~]

((Your post size was fine. I'm personally pretty tired myself, so, I can understand the lack of super-human length. I forgive you. ;D))

[Martin]

''Well, Liam-------Professor Liam-----told me he would try to make a remedy, one he makes for his sister, who apparently has a similar problem. But the strange thing is, I did some research…to find out exactly what the cure would do............and I noticed that I don't have all the symptoms of a werewolf. I mean, there are moments when I wake up in the morning and completely forget where I wad the previous night, and aching bones, and that sort of thing. But there are symptoms I don't have............unnatural aggression, an unhealthy desire for meat, things like that. So I wonder...''

OCC: Okay, thanks ;D.

[~*..::Arion::..*~]

Arion looked at him, shaking her head softly. "You have Lir's Syndrome." She remembered how he tried to tell her. He had thought he was a werewolf, but she knew better now. But...the desire for meat? Agression? "Not all of your symptoms can be blamed on Lir's, though. You were bitten, weren't you?" Arion no longer suffered with Lir's Syndrome, though she now wished that was her only problem. "Either way, there is no cure." She paused after saying this. There WAS a cure, but it wasn't worth the price. She subconsciously ran her tongue over the sharp upper fangs that lined her mouth.

[Martin]

''Perhaps......I mean, I thought I was a werewolf. My uncle told me I was, and I exhibit some of the symptoms, but not all of them, like the unhealthy aggression, I don't think I have that.......''
His voice, and his thoughts, stopped in their tracks. Arion's tounge was running over something in her mouth...........two things. They were white, shiny, and familiar.........
What? Arion? She couldn't. She had always seemed so perfect, perfect in a distant, human sort of way, and so innocent...
''Professor.......................you have the same teeth that I have.''

[~*..::Arion::..*~]

"What? Oh..." She closed her mouth, putting her pale, slender fingers over her lips to hide them. "They're not exactly the same." Great. That was three people who were either catching on or knew for sure that she wasn't herself. "It's nothing really." Well, that was the biggest lie possible. "Don't worry about it." She was older than Martin, higher in rank, yet for some reason, she felt a little like equals tonight.

[Martin]

Martin laughed from lack of breath. ''I have fangs exactly like those.........I always had thought they were wolf fangs, and a side effect of my infection, but I'm looking at everything differently now......'
slowly, and somewhat hesitantly, Martin pulled back his upper lip to reveal his teeth. He felt ashamed, almost, to show them to someone, it was also exhilirating, in an unwholsome sort of way, as only revealing a secret to somone can be.
And besides, there was something present in Arion, a sense they were alike, though she had to be at least five years older than he was.

[~*..::Arion::..*~]

Arion knew it now. She felt more comfortable around him because he was a half-vampire, just like her. However, that had to be impossible. You couldn't have Lir's Syndrome and be a vampire. Tarin said it was impossible. She had felt better after the bite. Or....had she? "Are you...are you a vampire, Martin?"

((Ooo, cliffhanger. And now, I must be off! Goodnight, "Martin"! I hope you sleep ok. Don't let the nightmares ruin the dreams.))

[Zelma]

"Lustrial....." she whispered and grabbed a book, making sure not to fall. "Oh and uh..no Martin, i'm fine." She blew her bubble gum into a bubble and the pop was nerve-wrecking. "Sora and I must be getting to bed, i ran from him today, i'm sure he feels horrible!"