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tampered2009-01-18 11:27 pm
warped-inside.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2009-01-18 11:27 pm
Log; completed
When; BACKDATED to Saturday morning, January 17
Rating; PG
Characters; Mohinder Suresh (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
orderonto) and Toshiko Sato (warped_inside)
Summary; Mohinder acquires his final victim
Log;
It's early morning, barely sunrise, but living close to the beach affords Tosh the chance to indulge in one of her favorite treats -- watching the sun rise over the water. It reminds her of her home in Cardiff, and further back than that, her childhood in Osaka.
The morning is cold and wintery, so she's bundled up well, sitting on a rocky outcropping well up from the water, her ever-present computer resting on her knees.
xxxx
He needs help. He's starting to realize it. The first and only thought that goes through Mohinder's mind when he considers what help might be in this place is Toshiko Sato, based on what he knew of her work, as well as what he knew of her temperament. And so he finds himself tracking her down to the beach, in the early morning.
He stands motionless for a moment, watching her and considering turning back around and forgetting he ever came, feeling guilty and nervous and disgusting, with the brownish-green, hard scales starting to form along his cheekbone and brow. Maybe he shouldn't do this.
Mohinder shifts nearby and clears his throat, finally announcing his presence, hands deep in the pockets of his sweatshirt.
xxxx
Tosh jumps a little at the sound, grabbing at her computer to keep it from tumbling off her lap as she turns to see who's there. A surprised smile turns into a gasp as she spots the...what look like scales, but couldn't possibly be, marking Mohinder's face.
"Mohinder? What's happened?" She sets the laptop aside and stands, noting his body language and growing even more concerned. "What is it?"
xxxx
Taking a few steps closer, he presses his lips into a thin line, not quite a frown. It makes him angry, at himself and at the rest of the world in general, that he can't hide what he's done anymore, physical evidence spreading quite literally over his body.
Her response agitates him, rather than being placating with the worry that is evident in Toshiko's voice. The look of consternation turns into a scowl quickly enough. He shouldn't be bothering her with this, even if she did present some small ray of hope.
"Something terrible. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have followed you and found you like this. I shouldn't have come, I'll go. It was good to see your face again."
xxxx
He's not getting away that easily. Tosh is a difficult person to put off once she's decided something needs her attention. Closing the rest of the distance between them, she frowns as she looks up at Mohinder.
"I can see that. You're right, you shouldn't have followed me out, you should have called me straight off. Come on, let's go back to the house, you can tell me what's happened and who's done it, and I'll try and find someone to help."
She reaches out and takes hold of his arm, eyes still studying those strange marks on his face. "You aren't...I mean, you're not contagious, right?"
xxxx
Unable to meet her eyes, his own glance upward at the sky, to the right, becoming avoidant as he clears his throat again. The hand on his arm makes him feel caged and nervous, as if she could feel the texture of the large, hard patches on his lower and upper arm even through the thick fabric that he always wears. He knows that she can't, but the nervousness won't dissipate.
"No-- no, it's not contagious. It was me, I did it to myself, of my own accord. Now I can't make it stop, and I thought that you might...you're a very brilliant woman."
xxxx
"You did it to yourself?"
Tosh releases his arm and steps back, to have another, more serious look at Mohinder. "What? What did you do? Why?"
Several possible scenarios are going through her mind, and she wishes she had access to the equipment and supplies back at the Hub. Or to Owen, because she's no kind of doctor, she's only assisted with the simplest examinations, or with autopsies.
"If Rodney gets to feeling better, from whatever happened to him..." she murmurs.
xxxx
His jaw clicks and he stares across at Toshiko, expression worried, not about her or about himself, but worry for what her reaction will continue to be. Especially if she's been told what he's done to himself. Mohinder shakes his head, pushing aside memories of Maya trying to convince him to destroy what he'd discovered.
"Changed my DNA. Tried to give myself superhuman abilities. But my research was off and now I'm suffering from that bout of Hubris."
The mention of Rodney McKay brings an odd light to his black eyes. He answers in a quiet voice.
"I'm sure that he'll be very fine soon enough. Someone like him, no doubt his mouth is what got him into trouble."
xxxx
Good god. Tosh's eyes grow wide and she stares, horrified. It's not that Mohinder would do such a thing, but that he must be suffering from a great deal more than just shame at being so wrong about his research. And the idea that he might be changing somehow, to something other than completely human -- and if the appearance of his face is any indication, that's not an unlikely asessment -- makes her feel a little sick inside.
"Why would you?" She shakes her head at him, then begins to walk past toward the path leading to the house. "We'll get some samples, send them over to Martha, and I'll have to look at your research, Mohinder. And I wish you wouldn't be so dismissive about Rodney. I thought you two were friends, and yes he is a bit abrasive sometimes, but he doesn't deserve what happened."
xxxx
"I had my reasons." His voice is defensive and growing in volume as he speaks. "You wouldn't understand why I did what I did. I don't regret having done it, only having been wrong. I don't want Martha and I don't want to share my research-- I just wanted your opinion on how to reverse this. The fewer people I speak to or meet the better for me right now."
He turns his back on her, stalking a few feet forward before pausing.
"I'm not being dismissive. I didn't dislike the man, but he certainly had nothing good to say about what I'd done. Possibly he got what he deserved."
xxxx
"Well obviously I don't understand," Tosh retorts, stopping to turn halfway and glare back at him. This sounds like one of the utterly stupid things Jack would have done, except that Jack is immortal and Mohinder is not. "You're talking about trying to turn yourself into something you're not, through...I don't know. Genetic manipulation? Implants? Magic potions? It's foolhardy and I can't begin to imagine why you would want to!"
She crosses her arms over her chest. "I'm not a doctor, nor a psychic. How do I give my opinion if I've not idea what we're even talking about." The remark about Rodney gives her pause, and after watching Mohinder's back for a moment, she adds slowly, "You think he deserved punishment for disagreeing with you about your research?"
xxxx
"I would gladly have explained it, but as I said-- I realize it was a bad idea to involve anyone else. Even someone like yourself with experience with people focusing in areas that are less than orthodox."
He turns back around then, whirling and wearing an irate expression with clenched teeth and heated gaze. He shouldn't be upset with her, but she's providing a convenient subject for his uncontrolled endocrine system and his misdirected disappointment.
"I think that he helped me with my research, in the end. Well, not that it was fruitful in the end, but he was put to good use for a short time."
xxxx
Tosh is about to snap back at him, that he can't have it both ways, wanting help but refusing to open up about his work, when Mohinder turns and she sees the anger in his eyes. It's not like him at all, and it's a little frightening.
"You knew where he was? He went missing for days, and you're saying you knew? What happened to him, Mohinder? I keep hearing things about giant spiders and something called wraith and he looks terrible. Whatever he's been through, it's horrible, and how could you know about that and not tell someone?"
xxxx
The anger on his face subsides, but never leaves, hiding instead behind a slightly self-satisfied mask of vague irritation or amusement. He's almost pleased that she's so upset, although he isn't sure why-- the monster inside of him doesn't feel guilty for what he's done to McKay, at the very least. Perhaps the others, but not McKay.
"Because it was me. I did it."
xxxx
Shaking her head, Tosh instinctively reaches for a handgun she's not carrying, and mentally curses herself for imagining she'd be safe out here. "No, I don't believe you. You wouldn't. Whatever he's been through, Mohinder, it was horrible. You wouldn't do that to a friend, to anyone."
But he hasn't been acting like himself since she first noticed him there behind her. And now Tosh begins to realize that the effects of Mohinder's failed experiment are more than just physical.
She slips her hand into her pocket for her mobile. Lacking a weapon, a call for help will have to do. He needs to be contained until she can figure out exactly what's going on.
xxxx
It's all spiraling again. Out of his control. Not working the way he wants it to. He sees her hand go for her pocket, listens to her heart-rate rise, and this is when he decides he's had enough. He shouldn't have come here; now he has to involve Toshiko. And he doesn't want to do this, she's a very nice woman, but he has to. It's a matter of survival.
Mohinder is on her form in a minute, one hand wrapped around her wrist, not bruising but registering his threat with an unmoving grip. He lifts the other hand, ready to press it against her mouth and nose, thin green film already seeping from the surface of his palm like the back of a poison frog.
"What are you doing? Trying to call someone and tell them about me? I had to take McKay. I can't stand the hunger."
xxxx
Tosh realizes her mistake the moment Mohinder reaches for her, and jerks her arm to pull away from him, but he's a lot stronger than she expects. Nonetheless, she's not going down without a fight, shoving and kicking at him, her angry protests muffled by his hand until she finds herself no longer able to make her body do what she needs it to do.
The image of Gwen's staring, terrified eyes taunts her as she stops struggling altogether.
xxxx
"Shhh," Mohinder whispers, pressing one long finger against her lips, to make sure that she's still breathing and conscious, that his venom worked properly to paralyze. He'll take her back, use her to fill the hole that damn Rodney McKay left in his plans, use her to meet the quota to keep himself surviving. He presses a small kiss to her forehead before hefting her, like so many other unmoving bodies he's carried away to cover in silk somewhere in the dark.
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry, but I told you. I need your help."
[ooc note: Since this is backdated to Saturday morning, Toshiko has now been missing for a day and a half. With the chaos at her house concerning Rodney and Dawn, her absence probably wasn't noted at first, but anyone who would normally expect to hear from her can now realize they haven't. Also, if someone wants to come across her abandoned laptop, let me know!]
Rating; PG
Characters; Mohinder Suresh (
orderonto) and Toshiko Sato (warped_inside)Summary; Mohinder acquires his final victim
Log;
It's early morning, barely sunrise, but living close to the beach affords Tosh the chance to indulge in one of her favorite treats -- watching the sun rise over the water. It reminds her of her home in Cardiff, and further back than that, her childhood in Osaka.
The morning is cold and wintery, so she's bundled up well, sitting on a rocky outcropping well up from the water, her ever-present computer resting on her knees.
He needs help. He's starting to realize it. The first and only thought that goes through Mohinder's mind when he considers what help might be in this place is Toshiko Sato, based on what he knew of her work, as well as what he knew of her temperament. And so he finds himself tracking her down to the beach, in the early morning.
He stands motionless for a moment, watching her and considering turning back around and forgetting he ever came, feeling guilty and nervous and disgusting, with the brownish-green, hard scales starting to form along his cheekbone and brow. Maybe he shouldn't do this.
Mohinder shifts nearby and clears his throat, finally announcing his presence, hands deep in the pockets of his sweatshirt.
Tosh jumps a little at the sound, grabbing at her computer to keep it from tumbling off her lap as she turns to see who's there. A surprised smile turns into a gasp as she spots the...what look like scales, but couldn't possibly be, marking Mohinder's face.
"Mohinder? What's happened?" She sets the laptop aside and stands, noting his body language and growing even more concerned. "What is it?"
Taking a few steps closer, he presses his lips into a thin line, not quite a frown. It makes him angry, at himself and at the rest of the world in general, that he can't hide what he's done anymore, physical evidence spreading quite literally over his body.
Her response agitates him, rather than being placating with the worry that is evident in Toshiko's voice. The look of consternation turns into a scowl quickly enough. He shouldn't be bothering her with this, even if she did present some small ray of hope.
"Something terrible. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have followed you and found you like this. I shouldn't have come, I'll go. It was good to see your face again."
He's not getting away that easily. Tosh is a difficult person to put off once she's decided something needs her attention. Closing the rest of the distance between them, she frowns as she looks up at Mohinder.
"I can see that. You're right, you shouldn't have followed me out, you should have called me straight off. Come on, let's go back to the house, you can tell me what's happened and who's done it, and I'll try and find someone to help."
She reaches out and takes hold of his arm, eyes still studying those strange marks on his face. "You aren't...I mean, you're not contagious, right?"
Unable to meet her eyes, his own glance upward at the sky, to the right, becoming avoidant as he clears his throat again. The hand on his arm makes him feel caged and nervous, as if she could feel the texture of the large, hard patches on his lower and upper arm even through the thick fabric that he always wears. He knows that she can't, but the nervousness won't dissipate.
"No-- no, it's not contagious. It was me, I did it to myself, of my own accord. Now I can't make it stop, and I thought that you might...you're a very brilliant woman."
"You did it to yourself?"
Tosh releases his arm and steps back, to have another, more serious look at Mohinder. "What? What did you do? Why?"
Several possible scenarios are going through her mind, and she wishes she had access to the equipment and supplies back at the Hub. Or to Owen, because she's no kind of doctor, she's only assisted with the simplest examinations, or with autopsies.
"If Rodney gets to feeling better, from whatever happened to him..." she murmurs.
His jaw clicks and he stares across at Toshiko, expression worried, not about her or about himself, but worry for what her reaction will continue to be. Especially if she's been told what he's done to himself. Mohinder shakes his head, pushing aside memories of Maya trying to convince him to destroy what he'd discovered.
"Changed my DNA. Tried to give myself superhuman abilities. But my research was off and now I'm suffering from that bout of Hubris."
The mention of Rodney McKay brings an odd light to his black eyes. He answers in a quiet voice.
"I'm sure that he'll be very fine soon enough. Someone like him, no doubt his mouth is what got him into trouble."
Good god. Tosh's eyes grow wide and she stares, horrified. It's not that Mohinder would do such a thing, but that he must be suffering from a great deal more than just shame at being so wrong about his research. And the idea that he might be changing somehow, to something other than completely human -- and if the appearance of his face is any indication, that's not an unlikely asessment -- makes her feel a little sick inside.
"Why would you?" She shakes her head at him, then begins to walk past toward the path leading to the house. "We'll get some samples, send them over to Martha, and I'll have to look at your research, Mohinder. And I wish you wouldn't be so dismissive about Rodney. I thought you two were friends, and yes he is a bit abrasive sometimes, but he doesn't deserve what happened."
"I had my reasons." His voice is defensive and growing in volume as he speaks. "You wouldn't understand why I did what I did. I don't regret having done it, only having been wrong. I don't want Martha and I don't want to share my research-- I just wanted your opinion on how to reverse this. The fewer people I speak to or meet the better for me right now."
He turns his back on her, stalking a few feet forward before pausing.
"I'm not being dismissive. I didn't dislike the man, but he certainly had nothing good to say about what I'd done. Possibly he got what he deserved."
"Well obviously I don't understand," Tosh retorts, stopping to turn halfway and glare back at him. This sounds like one of the utterly stupid things Jack would have done, except that Jack is immortal and Mohinder is not. "You're talking about trying to turn yourself into something you're not, through...I don't know. Genetic manipulation? Implants? Magic potions? It's foolhardy and I can't begin to imagine why you would want to!"
She crosses her arms over her chest. "I'm not a doctor, nor a psychic. How do I give my opinion if I've not idea what we're even talking about." The remark about Rodney gives her pause, and after watching Mohinder's back for a moment, she adds slowly, "You think he deserved punishment for disagreeing with you about your research?"
"I would gladly have explained it, but as I said-- I realize it was a bad idea to involve anyone else. Even someone like yourself with experience with people focusing in areas that are less than orthodox."
He turns back around then, whirling and wearing an irate expression with clenched teeth and heated gaze. He shouldn't be upset with her, but she's providing a convenient subject for his uncontrolled endocrine system and his misdirected disappointment.
"I think that he helped me with my research, in the end. Well, not that it was fruitful in the end, but he was put to good use for a short time."
Tosh is about to snap back at him, that he can't have it both ways, wanting help but refusing to open up about his work, when Mohinder turns and she sees the anger in his eyes. It's not like him at all, and it's a little frightening.
"You knew where he was? He went missing for days, and you're saying you knew? What happened to him, Mohinder? I keep hearing things about giant spiders and something called wraith and he looks terrible. Whatever he's been through, it's horrible, and how could you know about that and not tell someone?"
The anger on his face subsides, but never leaves, hiding instead behind a slightly self-satisfied mask of vague irritation or amusement. He's almost pleased that she's so upset, although he isn't sure why-- the monster inside of him doesn't feel guilty for what he's done to McKay, at the very least. Perhaps the others, but not McKay.
"Because it was me. I did it."
Shaking her head, Tosh instinctively reaches for a handgun she's not carrying, and mentally curses herself for imagining she'd be safe out here. "No, I don't believe you. You wouldn't. Whatever he's been through, Mohinder, it was horrible. You wouldn't do that to a friend, to anyone."
But he hasn't been acting like himself since she first noticed him there behind her. And now Tosh begins to realize that the effects of Mohinder's failed experiment are more than just physical.
She slips her hand into her pocket for her mobile. Lacking a weapon, a call for help will have to do. He needs to be contained until she can figure out exactly what's going on.
It's all spiraling again. Out of his control. Not working the way he wants it to. He sees her hand go for her pocket, listens to her heart-rate rise, and this is when he decides he's had enough. He shouldn't have come here; now he has to involve Toshiko. And he doesn't want to do this, she's a very nice woman, but he has to. It's a matter of survival.
Mohinder is on her form in a minute, one hand wrapped around her wrist, not bruising but registering his threat with an unmoving grip. He lifts the other hand, ready to press it against her mouth and nose, thin green film already seeping from the surface of his palm like the back of a poison frog.
"What are you doing? Trying to call someone and tell them about me? I had to take McKay. I can't stand the hunger."
Tosh realizes her mistake the moment Mohinder reaches for her, and jerks her arm to pull away from him, but he's a lot stronger than she expects. Nonetheless, she's not going down without a fight, shoving and kicking at him, her angry protests muffled by his hand until she finds herself no longer able to make her body do what she needs it to do.
The image of Gwen's staring, terrified eyes taunts her as she stops struggling altogether.
"Shhh," Mohinder whispers, pressing one long finger against her lips, to make sure that she's still breathing and conscious, that his venom worked properly to paralyze. He'll take her back, use her to fill the hole that damn Rodney McKay left in his plans, use her to meet the quota to keep himself surviving. He presses a small kiss to her forehead before hefting her, like so many other unmoving bodies he's carried away to cover in silk somewhere in the dark.
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry, but I told you. I need your help."
[ooc note: Since this is backdated to Saturday morning, Toshiko has now been missing for a day and a half. With the chaos at her house concerning Rodney and Dawn, her absence probably wasn't noted at first, but anyone who would normally expect to hear from her can now realize they haven't. Also, if someone wants to come across her abandoned laptop, let me know!]