Re: The Age of The Masrui

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 21:32

He gave one more nod before heading out of the coffee shop, getting into his car and pulling off. Twenty minutes later, pulling in to Karsi and Louis' drive and stepping out of the car.

"It's weird how quickly they grow, creepy." Faye smiled as she flicked through the photographs.

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 21:37

“It’s not surprising with how much she eats that she’s growing. Never not hungry that child.” Theo chuckled.

Karsi would've been in her home office when eventually the housekeeper would have shown Dorian up. Looking up from behind her desk as the door was opened.

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 21:43

"Cal told me you wanted to speak with me about something, my schedule is enough to make anyone cry so I hope an out of hours visit will do." Dorian began, slipping the greeting as he folded his arm across his chest. "What's going on, Karsi?"

"Sounds like Chris."

"Hey!" Christian frowned. "Having a good appetite is good, it is healthy - your all nuts with your 'too much food' stomachs."

Faye laughed.

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 21:47

“To the point, okay.” Karsi nodded in slight amusement, gesturing for him to sit down.

“She’s right to be fair, I don’t know where you put it all sometimes.”

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 21:50

"Who needs small talk anyway," Dorian chuckled, moving to sit himself down on the chair opposite her. "I assume things aren't okay? You wouldn't need to see me if things were okay."

"I burn it all off, between work and football." Christian shrugged gently. "Speaking of food though, what does this place do?"

"Lunch things - potatoes, sandwiches, salads and wraps."

"No mixed grill?"

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 22:02

“Things are probably going to be okay for us soon and the thing that’s - “ Karsi started before shaking her head. “Being longwinded about things isnt going to help how you take this. You’re either going to be offended or you’re not, even though it’s not my intention.” She hummed before closing down her laptop so she could face him properly. “Since he got back into work Caius has been working on a cell regeneration treatment in the lab, you’ve seen his face haven’t you? What they did to him, the big cross scar on his face? He tried lasers and all sorts and nothing eased it so he threw himself into research… then with what happened with Tesni and the cancer - he started dissecting the Masrui drug. Found something in there and added it all together and he’s come up with a decent treatment for skin cell regeneration. Trials finished last week on the animals and the treatment is moving to human trials in a few weeks once we get approval.” She explained tentatively. “I don’t -“ she grimaced, taking a deep breath. “I know that it doesn’t bother you as much now - but I also know that it’s caused you a lot of distress, the scars you have. And I know that the base of them was my fault. Caius took a chance last week before we got the approval for the human trials and did the treatment on himself and even though the healing isn’t done yet it’s working and it’s expected to fully get rid of his scars.” She went into her drawers and pulled out a file before handing it over to him. The insides containing specifics of the science along with before and after pictures of the treatment working on scarred animal skin, then Caius’ own. “I wanted to let you know we were doing it… and offer you a place in the trial, if you want it?” She asked quietly then. “And then to offer you a percentage of the profits from the treatment when we sell it considering it was your grandfathers pill Caius ravaged for parts to get the treatment working.”

“You’d need a pub for that Chris, not a tiny cafe.” Theo chuckled.

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 22:14

Dorian's shoulders tensed, leaning forward to the edge of his seat as he listened. Back hunching so he was able to easier lift his hand up to scratch at his cheek. Once she had finished talking, he hesitantly took the file from the desk, flicking through it's pages and pausing to stare at the before and after images. "So, this is all well and good, isn't it? This file, the success pictures but where are the fuck ups? How has this gone wrong with the animals. My grandfathers technology always had a dark side to it, and I'm still investigating what made Tesni's pill fuck up so how do you know that this is safe? What have the negative side effects been so far?"

"A sandwich isn't enough to fill anyone and salads are made for rabbits, not humans."

"If you want to pay for double filling you can." Faye shrugged non-chalantly.

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 22:24

“In the earlier stages of the treatment there was necrosis due to infection - a few allergic reactions. Sepsis from open wounds. But in the version that we’re ready to trial on humans, the one Caius used - nothing so far. My brother wouldn’t have used it on his own skin if he thought it wouldn’t work - the reason he’s been basically living in his lab is because he couldn’t face being out for too long with the scars on his face. He was desperate - which is why the idiot didn’t wait for FDA approval before testing it on himself but it’s worked so far.” Karsi said quietly. “If you would rather wait until the trials are over - or not do it at all I understand. But I owed you this after everything… I know I’ve not exactly been a good person when it comes to you, and I wanted to take even a small step forward in making amends for that.”

“It’s lunch, Chris. Not dinner. A sandwich is fine.”

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 22:33

He leant back in his seat once again, though his shoulders remained tense as he eyed her suspiciously. Asking, brashly; "Why?" before expanding, "You were content enough before with screeching about how I was obsessed with you, why the sudden change of heart? I don't trust this, Karsi - you, I mean. I don't trust you, in this moment."

"Wow, sorry dad. I prefer eating with Wren and Cain, they let me eat however much I want - they need to cook more? They will! It's great. You should really interact with our family more, both of you - they aren't so bad."

"My family is you two when it comes to all of them, that's it. I like it that way too." Faye whispered, slipping from the booth and going to help herself to menus. Sliding them down to her brothers, though not having one for herself. "Take a look, it's good."

Just after midnight, Altair's phone would of began to ring with an incoming call from an unknown number.

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 22:41

“Because my daughter gave me a talking to and she made me realise how unfair I’ve been on you. That intentionally or not me and my brother flipped your entire life on its head - you were hurt as a result of me being spoiled and selfish and unstable.” Karsi whispered, lowering her gaze to the desk. “It shouldn’t have taken my daughter telling me what’s what to make me realise I’ve acted poorly.”

Theo flinched when Christian called him dad, going quiet as he looked at the menu.

“Who is this?” Altair answered tiredly as he sat up and answered his phone.

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 22:52

"Al, s-ssorry, mes. I do- don't knows wh-wheres I- I am." Marlowe slurred from the other end, groggily leaning her head forward to press her forehead to the cool plastic of a pay-to-phone machine. "D-Don't feels good."

Faye frowned as she watched her eldest brother, asking quietly; "Teddy? Come let me show you the little garden then have at the back - can we talk?"

"I think I can work out which daughter that would be," Dorian mumbled, leaning his head against his hand with a small sigh. "Poorly? That's the word you are choosing, hm? I can think of a lot more worse ones - more directed at your husband than you though I suppose. It just - we went from you giving me the pep talk I needed over a coffee that I could finally afford to buy rather than steal to you hating me and it was so jarring, Karsi. You don't remember any of it, and I get it isn't your fault especially since I'll never know if I ever got all my memories back but... difficult, isn't it? Named the first jet ski I brought after you, well, not directly after you - I called it 'Electric Lightning' or something tacky like that, thanks to you I ever got one. You promised me I'd get one eventually."

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 22:59

Karsi laughed softly at the name of the jet ski, reaching her hand over to grab his hand from his cheek so he wouldn’t scratch. “I really am sorry for how you’ve been treated, by me, by everyone.”

“Sure. Yeah.” Theo nodded absently, only half listening to what she was saying.

“Marley? What’s happened? Why aren’t you calling me off your own phone?”

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 23:06

"D- Don't knows... I - I don't- remembers what happened. Eating, dr-drinks s'hen nuthin'.. wo- woke up d-dress is... all like to-torn a-and I was i-in some a-alleys. Feels f-funny."

Faye frowned, getting to her feet and heading towards the back of the cafe, slipping around a corner into a small outside area with climbing plants and flowers lining the walls.

"Hey, I'm not damsel." Dorian snorted. "You have no idea how many lives are enriched by my presence and would fall apart without me - it's unbelievable. Especially at the minute, not enough of me to go around. Your family would fall apart without me, both Levi's and the Rousseux's though I suppose my family is yours so our family would fall apart without me."

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 23:09

“I know that by helping Tobias you’ve helped my daughter and my grandchildren a lot - so thank you, for that.”

“You okay?” Theo asked as he followed her out, absently looking around.

“I’ll ping your location through and come get you. Is there anything you can see near you to help me find you sooner?”

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 23:17

"Uhh.. Uhh..." She mumbled, the sound of the phone dropping as she moved away from it and stumbled towards the street. Voice coming through two minutes later, " 'ellow lights. Looks li- ikes something bu-" the line went dead then as the phone ran out of enough money to continue the call.

"That's what I was going to ask you. What's going on?"

"They're a good little family. They'll need you though, Tesni has called off her friendship with Henry entirely - he is devastated but she's had one too many reminders of death recently hasn't she? She's scared so, I need to focus on keeping Odette calm and stop her from going for Tesni's throat and watch Henry like a hawk for a little while."

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 23:22

“She loves him a lot… if I had to bet money on it I’d wager she’s in love with him too. Not in the way she is with Tobias but… in her own way.” Karsi nodded sadly. “After what happened to her when she was a kid in the system she’d rather cut people off before they cut her off so it hurts less for her. It’s a survival thing. I’ll go round and see her soon, see if I can talk her round.”

“What do you mean?”

Around twenty minutes later Altair got out of his car near the phone box where he’d had the called traced, squinting in the dark as he looked around.

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 23:30

"Don't pressure her too much. Selfishly this has been the kick that Henry has needed to finally get out of the house and come to mine which the kids are going to love and Odette is really going to appreciate - there is a silver lining to this. I'm just telling you for her sake, that's all - she might need you. As for this..." He tapped his fingers against the file. "I... I'm not sure. Can I look over it all and get back to you?"

"You've gone all quiet all of a sudden, something is up... what is it?"

Marlowe was sat against a red-bricked wall, her body floppy as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Tights and the bottom of her dress ripped and torn, scratches from fingernails and bruising from being grabbed running the length of her arms.

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 23:35

“Of course, just don’t leak it.” Karsi chuckled gently. “The patent hasn’t gone through yet and my brother would probably kill me if it got out. I may be jumping the gun here but who knows… maybe in a few years time we may be able to help Henry too with his eyes - if we can keep going with this kind of technology.” She offered him a small smile. “It feels… wrong to ask to be your friend after all this time and everything that’s happened but… can we start to build a bridge over the water?”

“Nothing, I thought you needed to talk?”

“Marlowe?!” Altair called several times before finally spotting her. “Oh no… Jesus. Marley? Marley can you hear me?” He asked as he got down next to her, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her before scooping her up into his arms to head back to the car.

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 23:43

"This is the talk. You always said you hated dad, why - why are you so against talking about him? We weren't even singing his praises, we were talking about how he treated us wrong, I thought you'd be on board with that."

"Mm?" Marlowe hummed blearily, eyes fluttering open as she was picked up though they closed again as her head fell against his shoulder. Lifting a trembling hand up to rest her palm on his chest, "Ohs, hi's you. I didn'ts even ca- calls how did you kn-know it was time to gets me?"

Dorian swallowed thickly, giving a small nod of agreement as he slowly got to his feet. "Yeah, yeah we can start building the bridge - sure."

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 23:47

“You called me Marley.” Altair said sadly. “I think - I think someone put something in your drink so I’m taking you to a doctor, okay?”

“Thank you…” Karsi offered him a warm smile.

“It just makes me think about Bea, that’s all.”

**BestNameEva** Wed 27 Oct - 23:52

"What about her?"

"I'll be in touch about this stuff, so I'll see you soon." Dorian hummed, waving goodbye with the hand that was holding the file before making his way out of her office and heading back to his car.

"Good, he is gone." Louis mused, popping his head into Karsi's office. "The cat keeps yelling at me for food even though I've fed them, Logan is asleep so I don't want to wake him up to sort it. What am I meant to do?"

"No, no.. home. You says you take me home, nos where l's."

Phoenix Wed 27 Oct - 23:55

“All the mistakes I could make so that one day when I’m gone she’s sat discussing how terrible I am.”

Karsi chuckled lightly at that, getting up from her desk. “I’ll sort them, they were mine originally before he stole their hearts with his little Dr Dolittle routine.”

“You need checking over Marley.”

**BestNameEva** Thu 28 Oct - 0:01

"She's never going to do that," Faye insisted with a frown. "You've got albums full of pictures of her, your doing a job you hate so that you can spend all the time in the world with her. You love her, and you'll always make sure that she knows it. You're not dad, Theo, you'll never be him."

"Jus' sleeps, sleeps." She mumbled, voice trailing as she slipped unconscious again.

"How did it go? Any offence taken?"

"Home sweet home." Dorian sighed in relief as he stepped in through the front door, heading straight towards the bedroom to throw the file down on the bedside cabinet.

Phoenix Thu 28 Oct - 0:07

“How many people told dad he wouldn’t end up how he did?” Theo shook his head. “No man sets out to be like that. Especially not our dad, not when you listen to how people talk about him.”

“I don’t think so. He didn’t entirely trust me but… I can’t blame him for that.”

“Finally.” Odette grinned as she got up off the bed, having waited up for him. Quickly crossing the room to wrap her arms around the back of his neck and kissing him deeply.

“It’ll be okay, okay? I promise.” Altair whispered as he set her in the backseat, carefully buckling her in before getting in the front and setting off.

**BestNameEva** Thu 28 Oct - 0:12

"Oh, hi." Dorian hummed in happy surprise, lifting his hands up to rest them gently on either side of her waist as he kissed her back deeply. Keeping it brief though as he pulled away, "You didn't have to stay up."

"He's just dramatic. You don't owe him anything, Karsi, nothing at all."

"Especially not our dad. What does that mean?"

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