They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Valerius stops by for mental treatment and Doctor Montgomery scrambles to clean up after his murder

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A city floating in the center of a lake, Ravok is a place of dark beauty, romance and culture. Behind it all though is the presence of Rhysol, God of Evil and Betrayal. The city is controlled by The Black Sun, a religious organization devoted to Rhysol. [Lore]

They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Dexter on June 7th, 2012, 9:30 pm

Season of Summer, Day 7, 512 AV


There was a very loud rushing sound and Dexter experienced the panicked sensation of intense vertigo. It was as if a powerful wind was bearing him aloft, tossing him high into the air. For one terrifying moment, he thought he was lying flat on his back on a tall pillar, and if he moved a muscle, he would roll off the edge. Then, as the world revolved sickeningly around him, more and more of his surroundings came into focus. He was not in danger of falling to his death, but was in fact staring at his own wooden ceiling.

The nightmares had been the strangest he had ever experienced. He remembered walking through some sort of heavy white mist, the stuff weighting him down as he tried to move through it. But the more he had struggled the heavier the fog had become, and soon it was thick liquid, drowning him....He shuddered, putting the thought from his mind. He was safe now. It had only been a dream. He was warm and comfortable in his own bed now.

But no...that couldn't be right. His bed was soft and cushioned. The surface pressing into his back was hard and cold. What was more, his whole body ached terribly. He felt like he might be violently ill. He realized there was a foul taste in his mouth, as if he had just washed it out with sewage. With growing apprehension he sat up slowly, finding that his body was responding very reluctantly to what he told it to do. Of course, as an old man who wasn't in the best of health, he always moved somewhat awkwardly, but this was different. It wasn't only the stiffness of his old bones that was troubling him but also an extreme sluggishness, as if he was still moving through the cloudy substance from his nightmare.

Turning his head gingerly, as his neck was as unnaturally sore and stiff as the rest of his body, he took in his surroundings. He was indeed sitting on the floor of his small, one-room cottage, but he was not the dwelling's only occupant: there was a prone woman beside him -- her brutally severed head lay a few feet away, a look of the utmost torment and agony frozen on its face. A flask lay at Dexter's right hand, a familiar oozing white substance slowly dripping from it and staining the wooden planks of the floor. There was also a nearby meat cleaver covered in the ichor and an unsheathed sword cane coated in it as well.

Although he surveyed the scene carefully, the old doctor had realized what was happening the moment he had clapped eyes on the decapitated young woman. His mind was slowly clearing, and memories from what seemed like millenniums ago came rushing back to him. Then, as realization slowly dawned on him, he laughed aloud. It had worked....Relishing the moment, he slowly raised a cold hand, pale and lifeless, flexed his fingers experimentally, and then crawled over to where his cane lay. It was in two pieces: the long, sharp blade and the polished, hollow wooden shaft of the cane itself. Wiping the slime from the blade on the hem of his nightgown, the man sheathed the blade, the handle of which blending seamlessly with the rest of the cane.

With an almost juvenile grin upon his wrinkled face, Doctor Dexter Montgomery pulled himself to his feet, leaning heavily upon his cane. He looked over at his bedsheets which were spotted here and there with crimson. He chuckled to himself to remember when he had been concerned with trivial matters such as coughing up blood. None of that mattered to him now. He was unhindered and ready to reach his full potential. Although his body was as old and frail as it had ever been, Dexter felt as if enormous power was welling inside him, and he was eager to release it. A small mouse suddenly scurried out from under his bed and, screwing up his face in concentration, Dexter tapped his cane loudly on the floor. Infused with the fledgling wizard's power, the sound caused the poor creature to keel over dead with terror. It was a start.

But then Dexter noticed the sunlight streaming through the curtains drawn over his bedside window, which overlooked a deep Ravokian canal. He was brought back from his revelry and realized he had no idea how long it had been since he had begun his transformation into a Nuit. He knew it had been late at night when he had done his victim in...he looked sadly at the corpse. A regrettable, yet necessary, sacrifice. It was for the greater good, he told himself. He had so much left to accomplish in this world.

The old man stretched his stiff body, grateful to be alive, or dead, or -- whatever he was. He glanced suddenly at the front door. Good, it was latched. That would deter anyone who tried to gain entry to the psychiatrist's home. Or would it?

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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Valerius Nitrozian on June 8th, 2012, 6:33 pm

"You have a problem, Valerius, and it's gotten worse ever since you started working with those animals", his older sister informed him. "I've heard of a doctor here in Ravok, a doctor that deals with ailments of the mind. You should see him. I'm getting tired of your attitude."

"Are you implying that I'm insane?" Valerius arched an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "Would you not develop a bit of an ... attitude if your aunt made you - a Nitrozian - clean cages and feed those cursed animals, dear sister?"

"You know next to nothing about Kelvic. She was right to let you start with the most basic tasks. You can't expect to be allowed to experiment on Kelvic with no training at all. You could have ruined years of aunt Amanda's work."

Valerius shrugged his shoulders. They were in his private quarters in the Nitrozian estate. He sat down in one of the comfortable armchairs and poured himself a glass of wine, drinking from it slowly while his sister stood in front of him, rambling on and on.

"And the way you dress! Of course you should dress befitting of your station, but you don't clean cages in a suit that cost a hundred gold mizas. They are probably laughing at you behind your back!"

Valerius yawned a little and took another sip.

"You always order everybody around as if you are the best and the whole world is just there to serve you."

Valerius nodded.

"That's because I am the best, dear sister. I am a Nitrozian, and I studied at the University of Zeltiva. You should have gone there as well. It might have given you an entirely new point of view."

"Who do you think is more likely to attract Rhysol's attention and eventually become a Druvin - me, the brilliant, intelligent scientist or you, the boring housewife who does accounting for fun?"


She ignored that.

"I never see you laugh or cry. You look at my children as if they are a particularly annoying kind of animal. You made my son cry because he can't read properly yet. He's five for Rhysol's sake! Do you not care about others?"

"Your behaviour hurts the family",
she continued. "A little arrogance is fine, but this is too much. You have no common sense, and you never do anything useful! All you talk about is your great research, but I have yet to see results! You need to contribute to the family business!"

Valerius put his wine down and waved his hand as if to dismiss her. He was getting bored.

She lowered her voice a little.

"I know what you do, Valerius. I know your dirty, little secrets. I've seen some of the people you've dragged into your room. What do you think father would say if he knew?"

"I'm pretty sure he already knows. Father is a very observant man. He probably approves. You on the other hand most likely bore him to death."

"I'm not talking about your ... business associates. I'm talking about those others."


Valerius raised a hand. He didn't want her to say it out loud.

"What is the doctor's name?"

"Dexter, Dexter Montgomery. He's old and quite the gentleman."

Valerius smirked a little. That probably meant that he was a man of questionable reputation living in a shack.

Who had ever heard of a mere doctor treating insanity anyway? He would be more impressed if she sent him to a hypnotist!

Still, he replied, "I will visit him at once, dear sister. You know that I always aim to please you."

~~~

A bell later Valerius was standing in front of doctor Dexter Montgomery's rather unimpressive residence.

The young man looked perfect, with auburn hair, brilliant blue eyes, pale skin and a suit cut after the newest fashion. His leather boots had been polished, and he had gloves on as he didn't want to come in contact with whatever dirty things the doctor had in his house.

He also held himself completely straight.

His purse was filled with gold mizas. Everybody could be bought. The good doctor would probably be quite willing to write him a note in exchange for a little financial aid. It didn't look as if he was particularly rich.

He raised his hand and knocked, hoping that the man was home so that he could get it over with.
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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Dexter on June 9th, 2012, 1:25 am

Just as Dexter was lazily starting to wonder how best to dispose of the young woman's corpse, he heard footsteps outside of the small cottage. If he had had the need to draw breath anymore, he would have held it. Instead he said a silent prayer to Rhysol that the sound was simply made by an innocent passerby. Unfortunately there was soon an unmistakable knocking at the front door.

Looking wildly around the dwelling for someplace to stow the body and its severed head, he considered pushing the dead girl under his small bed, but decided she would be extremely noticeable. Then his eyes fell on the hearth and the gray ashes from a long-gone fire within. Yes, that was the only thing for it.

"Half a chime!" He called to whoever was at the door. "I'll be there in a second!"

Throwing caution to the wind in what was perhaps one of the most foolish ideas he had ever had, he began roughly slicing the dead Nuit into small pieces using the large meat cleaver he had removed her head with in the first place. Ichor splattered the front of his silk nightgown but he paid it no notice. When he had divided the corpse into several chunks of pale meat, he began gathering the revolting material up in his arms and hauling it over to the fireplace. Severed arms and legs stuck out at odd angles when he finally managed to cram the dismembered girl inside.

"Almost there!" He called over his shoulder.

With trembling fingers he crumpled several pieces of parchment from a nearby supply chest into loose wads and stuffed them in around the pieces of the body. Then, after Dexter hastily produced a few sparks with flint and steel, a fire was soon crackling merrily at the hearth, slowly devouring the doctor's murder victim. Her cold, lifeless skin began smoking and puckering from the heat. However, the Nuit's remains were not burning nearly quickly enough to pass for anything but a human body, and the old psychiatrist was worried that whoever was at the door might kick it down if he kept them waiting much longer. For all he knew they might be investigating the girl's disappearance.

Dragging his supply chest, desk, and a nearby chair in front of the fireplace (with some difficulty as he also had to lean heavily on his polished cane) to hide its contents from view, Dexter hastily crossed to his wardrobe and removed a fine shirt, velvet pants, and dress coat, pulling the clothes over his night gown. After he had put on a pair of polished leather shoes as well, he quickly drew back the latch on the front door and breathlessly nodded to the man standing outside.

He wasn't intimidated in the least by the expensive dress of his visitor, as he dealt with wealthy clients on a regular basis -- he didn't provide his services to just any old riffraff off the streets.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, sir, I wasn't expecting anyone today. How may I help you?" He gripped his cane tightly, the mark of a slave that had long ago been branded into the back of his right hand standing out noticeably against his stretched, pale skin.

The ichor-coated butcher knife and ichor-dripping flask were still lying clearly visible on the floor behind him, and as he realized this he also began to detect the strong smell of burning flesh. He knew it was unlikely he would be able to fool the man without pushing his own magical abilities to the limit.

Last edited by Dexter on June 9th, 2012, 7:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Valerius Nitrozian on June 9th, 2012, 10:46 am

Valerius frowned. Half a bell seemed more likely judging by how long the doctor made him stand outside as if he were a commoner, a servant or worse and not a member of one of Ravok's most influential families. What was the matter with the man anyway? Was his place such a mess that he had to clean up first? Was he naked? Drunk? Both? Did he need to remove the traces of whatever illegal activities doctors occasionally enaged in?

The Nitrozian started tapping his foot on the ground impatiently, and after a few more chimes he knocked again, louder this time to make the doctor hurry up. He had better things to do than to spend his day dealing with some kind of charlatan that he hadn't wanted to visit in the first place.

As the door finally opened, the frown on Valerius' face deepened. Doctor Montgomery looked just as he had expected - old and utterly plain. He seemed to have gotten dressed quite hastily, and that mark on his hand ... was that a slave mark? What in the world had his sister been thinking that she had sent him to a former slave?

"Shouldn't doctors always be ready to see a patient?" he asked. "What if this had been an emergency? I could already be dead!" He strode past the doctor, into the house as if he owned it and took a look around. It was just like the doctor himself, nothing special.

"I don't need help", he replied coolly. "My dear sister seems to think that I have a problem, that my attitude leaves something to be desired. Why, she's even implying that I'm going insane and that my behaviour is harming our family's reputation. I just need a little note from you, stating that I'm perfectly fine and that it is she who needs to see a doctor."

"I will of course pay you well."

It was then that he noticed the smell and immediately covered his nose. "By Rhysol, what have you been burning here? It smells disgusting! Open the window at once." He tried to take a look at the fireplace, but unfortunately the doctor had put several pieces of furniture in front of it. He could see a knife and a bottle filled with a rather suspicious looking substance lying directly behind the man though.

Something was definitely up.

He would need to have a word with his sister when he got back.
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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Dexter on June 9th, 2012, 7:22 pm

Image

Dexter silently berated himself as he realized he had forgotten to don the gloves he usually wore in front of visitors. This was certainly one of the most illustrious men ever to knock on his door, and the doctor knew he couldn't be impressed by the old slave brand. But perhaps, he thought with amusement, it would do the pompous whelp some good to be treated as an equal by a former slave.

"Shouldn't doctors always be ready to see a patient?" The young man demanded. "What if this had been an emergency? I could already be dead!"

"I trust that if your life had been in any real danger," Dexter said with a small smile, "you wouldn't have knocked. Besides, I'm not the sort of doctor who would have been able to save you from a life-threatening ailment or injury anyway. I do apologize for my unpreparedness, however; but my patients tend to make appointments ahead of time by way of courier."

But the well-dressed man had already made his way brusquely past the doctor and into the small house.

"I don't need help," he stated coldly. "My dear sister seems to think that I have a problem, that my attitude leaves something to be desired. Why, she's even implying that I'm going insane and that my behaviour is harming our family's reputation. I just need a little note from you, stating that I'm perfectly fine and that it is she who needs to see a doctor."

The old man looked at his patient sternly.

"It may be worth listening to your sister where you attitude is concerned, young man," he lectured. "As for whether or not your sanity is causing you to behave in such as way as to damage your family's social status -- well, we'll soon find out. I'm not about to send you off with a note without even examining --"

"I will of course pay you well." The younger man broke in.

The doctor was silent for a moment. He was indeed in need of money, and desperately. Ever since he had squandered away his gold paying for doctors and apothecaries to treat his illness, he had been living as a commoner, something he wasn't quite fond of. As far as he was concerned he deserved to live like nobility until the end of his days after he had been forced into slave labor as a child. But then, he thought slyly, if he made a regular patient of his visitor he would profit even more greatly in the long-term instead of making a few quick mizas off of the bribe he was being offered.

Fixing his new patient with a disapproving glare, he replied, "Don't you try to bribe me. I am not about to sacrifice my principals to help along my finances." He drew himself up proudly. "You will earn your note of good health from me, I am afraid, not buy it."

The arrogant youth didn't seem to have much experience being put in his place in this manner and seemed about to reply scathingly, but he was suddenly distracted by something, as he quickly covered his nose.

"By Rhysol, what have you been burning here? It smells disgusting! Open the window at once," he ordered.

The old doctor frowned grimly. This was the thing he had been dreading since his guest had arrived. "Ah, yes, the smell. I am terribly sorry about that, of course. I had a -- a guest over recently, and she -- she doesn't cook well." At this he couldn't help but smirk inwardly. "I'm afraid we'll just have to allow the fire to devour her 'meat'. I will, of course, offer a slight discount to compensate you for your discomfort." As he spoke these words he laced them, using a small amount of Djed, with very subtle, calming underlying messages, such as You can trust me and I am not dangerous. These assurances would hopefully go unnoticed except by the recipient's subconscious.

He quickly crossed to his bedside and threw open the small window.

"Now, then," he said, turning around to face his patient. "I believe I have neglected to introduce myself. I am Doctor Montgomery." He extended a hand to the man, who he learned was called Valerius, a member of the quite reputable Nitrozian family. "Please, lie down," Dexter said, gesturing to a long couch which the wealthier man was sure to find of inferior quality.

The doctor pulled two pieces of clean parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink from the supply chest in front of the fire. Then he walked stiffly, leaning heavily on his cane, to the armchair in front of the couch he had instructed his patient to occupy and sat down, setting the bottle of ink on a desk within arm's reach of the chair. With Valerius' consent Dexter copied down his age, height, and weight.

"Now," he adopted the soothing voice he always used to address patients and crossed one of his legs over the other, smoothing the parchment over his knee, "please, tell me about your sister. Why do you think she wants you to see me? What is your relationship with her like? Tell me about your day-to-day interactions with her. And please, if you feel like sharing anything else important about your life with me, do so. The help I can provide will only be as beneficial as you allow it to be."

He refilled his quill from the bottle of ink and poised it over the first piece of parchment.

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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Valerius Nitrozian on June 11th, 2012, 6:26 am

"Somebody else could have knocked for me", Valerius replied. "I could be lying on the ground, mad with pain, bleeding and with broken bones. What do you think House Nitrozian would do if one of their own died because of you?"

The man's statement that he was not that sort of doctor was met with raised eyebrows.

"If you are not that sort of doctor, what sort of doctor are you then, Mister Montgomery? I was under the impression that even doctors that treated insanity had to know some real medicine."

As the self proclaimed doctor looked at him sternly, Valerius frowned. He didn't appreciate being lectured, but at least Mister Montgomery seemed to consider his bribe. He reached for his purse, about to remove a substantial amount of gold mizas, but withdrew his hand again as the doctor murmurred some kind of nonsense about his principles.

He looked at him incredulously.

"It smells more like you cooked your guest", he stated and wrinkled his nose. His guest had to be the worst cook in all of Mizahar, judging by the thoroughly nauseating smell. A doctor that surrounded himself with such people couldn't be a good doctor. "I hope you didn't eat any of that meat."

Had the man just said that he would give him a discount? Did he expect to be paid? Why should he pay for something he wasn't doing voluntarily?

"My sister will of course pay you", he informed him. "It was her idea after all."

He would definitely not spend his precious money on such nonsense!

He did not shake the doctor's hand, but walked right over to the couch. He didn't lie down though, but simply sat there. He had never heard of a doctor making his patients lie down - unless it was necessary for the examination - and he wouldn't accomodate the man's strange desires.

"My sister is a boring, little housewife", he told him. "She gives birth to child after child and works as an accountant. Surrounding herself with numbers makes her happy! Can you imagine that? She also has no style. She thinks there is something wrong with me because I go to work dressed like that, because I treat our slaves like slaves and not old friends. Apparently I'm a cold, unfeeling bastard, a pervert, arrogant, expect too much of those around me and have delusions of grandeur."

"In my opinion she just wants to hurt me because I'm better than her, because she can't bear the fact that I'm brilliant, and that she'll never be my match, no matter how hard she tries. I'm what every member of our family should aspire to be."


He ignored the question about his life. His life was none of this wannabe doctor's business.

"In short, Mister Montgomery, I think you have the wrong patient", he concluded.
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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Dexter on June 11th, 2012, 7:45 am

Throughout his patient's megalomanic rant, Dexter simply listened impassively, his face expressionless, nodding occasionally and scribbling things down upon the parchment in his lap. Extremely narcissistic and Favors hyperbole were just a few of his observations. When Valerius finally concluded his angry tirade by informing Dexter than he had the wrong patient, the old doctor set his quill aside and gazed pensively at his notes for a few moments, pressing the tips of his long fingers together meditatively.

In truth he was not, as it would appear, considering his subject's case. He had reviewed hundreds of cases like this in the past, and he had had a suspected diagnosis almost the moment Valerius had strode arrogantly through his front door. His mind was instead working furiously, a plan, brilliant in its simplicity, he thought, blossoming from an idea he had just had. Suddenly he fixed the younger man, who he hadn't failed to notice had stubbornly refused to lie down on the couch as instructed, with a severe expression.

"Valerius, Valerius, Valerius..." he said sympathetically. "You are quite right, quite right indeed. I can only imagine what it must be like to live with such a patronizing family." I can only imagine what it must to be like to live among any sort of family at all, he thought bitterly, thanks to selfish slave-holding bastards like you.

Suddenly he broke into a fit of coughs, and clapped an old handkerchief, already stained with blood from when he had still had blood to cough up, to his mouth. When his convulsions finally subsided, he looked at the scrap of discolored white cloth in horror. There was a sizable amount of thick ichor there. What could it mean? Hadn't his transformation cured him of his ailment? Apologizing with forced casualness for his illness, he quickly stowed the kerchief back in his coat pocket before Valerius could inspect it too closely.

"But I think we may be of some mutual assistance to each other," he went on. "You are of course in perfect health. Under normal circumstances, however, I would still charge you a small fee for my time. But I think," he said slyly, "that there is another way in which you can make your payment."

Setting his case notes aside, he suddenly stood up from his chair and walked, leaning heavily on his cane as always, to stand beside his open bedside window, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he passed by the fireplace. He gestured to the city, with all its winding canals and lazily drifting Ravosalas, that lay sprawled out before him.

"Isn't it magnificent?" He said to no one in particular. "The wealthy and powerful apathetically ruling the poor and downtrodden." He said this with only the slightest hint of irony in his voice.

"And look there, Valerius." He pointed. "Towards the City Center. The Institute of Higher Learning!" He spoke these words as if in awe. "All my life I have dreamed of unlocking its secrets, but a former slave could never hope to gain access. Unless...." And here he turned to face Valerius Nitrozian.

"You are powerful and respected," he said, hypnotically infusing his words with a grandeur that he knew would go straight to the younger man's head. "Couldn't you help a poor old man see the inside of the institute? We'll trade notes -- you receive a slip of parchment assuring your dear sister that you are in good health, and I -- I shall receive a letter from you, to the Institute, vouching for my character and intelligence, and instructing them to allow me to enter."

He hobbled back to his desk beside the armchair, folded a blank piece of parchment in half, and tore it in two, his trembling old fingers making a slightly untidy job of it. Holding the quill, bottle of ink, and one of the halves out to Valerius, he allowed his proposal to sink in. He was sure it had been well received, for it was greatly beneficial to both of them; and the small bit of magic he had worked couldn't have done any harm either.

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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Valerius Nitrozian on June 13th, 2012, 5:54 am

As the so called doctor said "Valerius, Valerius, Valerius", the Nitrozian frowned. It sounded rather like an old man talking to a little boy. Was he still not aware who he was facing? He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Dexter coldly. He'd better change his treatment of him soon, or else ...

"It is quite hard, sometimes", he replied. "My family, especially my sister, do not appreciate me. I could send them all to you if you like." He wanted to say more - his family's supposed mistreatment of him was one of his favourite topics - when the man suddenly began to cough. The Nitrozian frowned harder and moved as far away from Dexter as the couch allowed it.

Sick people disgusted him. And this man was especially disgusting. "By Rhysol, what is wrong with you?" he wanted to know. What was that substance he had been coughing up? "You are a doctor, can't you treat yourself?" He looked away until the doctor's coughing fit had subsided in case whatever disease he had was contagious, but then he acted as if nothing had happened.

As Dexter stated that he was in perfect health, he nodded. "That is what I've been trying to tell you all along. But please continue, which alternate form of payment do you propose?"

He glanced at the window. "Yes, yes, it's magnificent", he murmurred indifferently. "That's how it's supposed to be. The wealthy are supposed to rule."

As the man mentioned the Institute of Higher Learning, the Nitrozian arched an eyebrow. He was about to tell him that it could never compare to the University of Zeltiva that he had attended, but then he decided not to in case the man's comment about payment had something to do with that.

As Dexter called him powerful and respected, he smiled and nodded. "I can write a letter for you, Doctor Montgomery. I could claim that you are a friend of the family, an important business partner of mine and that it would be good if the Ebonstryfe granted you access. How does that sound?"

He accepted the piece of parchment without hesitation and started writing.

"By the way, this conversation will stay between us", he told him as he briefly looked up. "If anybody finds out I've been seeing you and asks about our meeting, you will tell them that I'm an intelligent, polite young man who absolutely adores his sister."

"Do you understand?"
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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Dexter on June 14th, 2012, 5:39 am

"I can write a letter for you, Doctor Montgomery," Valerius agreed. "I could claim that you are a friend of the family, an important business partner of mine and that it would be good if the Ebonstryfe granted you access. How does that sound?" He said, as already he began transferring these words to the parchment before him.

"By the way," he glanced up, "this conversation will stay between us. If anybody finds out I've been seeing you and asks about our meeting, you will tell them that I'm an intelligent, polite young man who absolutely adores his sister. Do you understand?"

Dexter smiled serenely and inclined his head.

"Nothing less than the truth would suffice, Valerius."

As the young Nitrozian's hand moved swiftly across the page, the doctor examined him from head to toe. His face expressionless, his eyes scrutinizing the younger man's body, he appraised its physical health and fitness. The boy was obviously healthy and well-fed, his body young and in considerably better shape than Dexter's....

But the Nuit put the repulsive thought from his mind at once. There were thousands of other young bodies to choose from in the city; it would be foolish to take the body of such an influential man, and one who had just become a convenient ally. Besides, he thought, he had already taken one innocent "life" -- so to speak -- and he was not eager to repeat the experience. Perhaps he could find a freshly dead specimen, one that hadn't even been buried yet, but one that he wouldn't have to kill. After all, Dexter thought stubbornly, his soul had not completely been given over to the darkness yet. He had only killed twice in his life, and in both circumstances the murders were of the utmost necessity, he reasoned. He had not yet become a monster. He was still a man, and would act as such.

Suddenly he was brought back to reality by a particularly loud pop! from the fireplace. Glancing down at Valerius, he found that the young man was putting the finishing touches on the letter. The doctor quickly read through it over his patient's shoulder and, finding it to be satisfactory, scribbled a formal note down on the other half of the parchment:

I, Doctor Dexter Montgomery, hereby stand witness to the impeccable mental
health of my patient, Valerius Nitrozian. He suffers from nothing more than the
constant irritations of his family. From what I have been told, it is my profes-
sional opinion that it is his family members who should seek treatment of mental
ailment, not he.


D. Montgomery

Dexter folded the parchment neatly and held it wordlessly out to Valerius.

"Will this be acceptable, then?" He fought to keep the reluctance at compromising his professional integrity from his voice.

As soon as the business was finished, the doctor decided, he would show his guest the door. He had work to do, and it was unnerving how the presence of this arrogant young man seemed to lead to the abandonment of ethics and principles.

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Dexter
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They're Both Insane [Valerius]

Postby Valerius Nitrozian on June 20th, 2012, 7:09 pm

„The truth, of course“, Valerius replied and smirked as he finished his letter, unaware of the way the self proclaimed doctor was looking at him. Finally he was done and handed it to him. Dexter would notice that the Nitrozian had a very nice, elegant handwriting. He never scribbled, he almost painted. Valerius was of course a perfectionist.

The letter said:

To the teachers of the Institute of Higher Learning and the Ebonstryfe

I have made the acquaintance of Doctor Dexter Montgomery a while ago. He told me of his desire to study at the Institute of Higher Learning. While he is of less than noble origin, he is a man of great intelligence and skill and a useful ally of my family, almost a friend. House Nitrozian would be grateful if a man of his potential were granted acess and won’t forget this favour soon.

Valerius Nitrozian.


„That is acceptable, yes“, he replied once he had read Dexter’s note. He couldn’t help but smile. He doubted his sister would ever try to send him to a doctor again after this. To be honest, he was almost tempted to force her to go to Doctor Montgomery now and give her a taste of her own medicine.

„I’m very pleased to do business with you“, he told him. „I hope you’ll enjoy your studies.“
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