RAIK DURMAZ
Human
Posts: 104
Age:
35
Occupation:
Bartender
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
You’re as sweet as maple
Last seen Apr 26, 2024 16:43:21 GMT
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Post by RAIK DURMAZ on May 18, 2021 19:58:22 GMT
Raik wasn’t sure what he was expecting of Mystic Falls, but it certainly wasn’t this. The town was so small, yet it was supposed to be overrun by vampires. He was worried they’d come to the wrong place; his brother probably misheard whoever told them about this place or even put the wrong town into the sat nav. Nonetheless, it seemed like an ideal place for the pair to settle for a while. Raik was keen to pull Remzi away from cities, away from all the partying and drinking, convinced it drove his desire to feed on innocent humans. It was something he didn’t like to think of all too often. It felt like a dream at times, struggling to accept that his brother was technically dead and now runs around drinking blood. Why the fuck did he agree to their road trip? He should have stayed in Detroit, got a stable job, found a nice girl to settle down with, but no, he chose to travel across the country with his little brother. Months filled with drinking, things and sex. But look where they ended up— in some quiet town in Georgia, looking for someone to create a daylight ring for Remzi, whatever that was supposed to be. The eldest Durmaz was out of his depth and had no idea where to start with their search, but was determined to find a ring for his brother. Ever since his brother drowned in the pool, Raik had this feeling of guilt buried deep inside. He was the big brother; he was supposed to protect Remzi. He’d let his sibling down. While Remzi lay in their motel room, with the curtains pinned shut until sunset, Raik was out exploring the town. Although, his exploring of the town square itself was short, having finished walking around in less than an hour. He told his brother he would check out the town, see if he could find any other vampires, but how does a person even do that? Open a vein and see who comes running? He was at a loss, and the pair had only been there a few days. Raik sat in the park, eating ice cream, as he tried to formulate a plan for the brothers. He was assuming it was nighttime all the bloodsuckers came out to play. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Can’t see any vamps roaming around. Weather is beautiful today. I’ll bring you back an ice cream” He hit send on the text Remzi, grinning to himself, knowing the message would push his brother’s buttons. He was positive the brother would find a daylight ring soon enough; he wouldn’t leave Mystic Falls until he had secured one for Remzi. At least Mystic Falls was pleasant so far. Even though he had grown up in a city, Raik was always drawn towards towns, finding them much more bearable. Perhaps he was just growing old, seeking a tranquil life. Life in the military can do that to a person. As he basked in the sun, finishing his ice cream, Raik peered over the top of his sunglasses, certain he clocked a familiar face in walking past. “Frank?” He called out loudly, removing his sunglasses with a look of uncertainty. Frank was the last person he was expecting to see in Mystic Falls. The last time he saw his fellow teammate was when Frank was medically discharged from the military, though the pair kept in touch after that. FRANK DAMASCA
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 121
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Apr 9, 2024 17:20:15 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Jun 5, 2021 18:05:32 GMT
Pushing up out of the seat opposite Freyja, Frank bent, hugged her awkwardly with the growing bump that held his niece or nephew between them. In just a few months they were gonna make their appearance, shrieking their way into the world, hopefully healthy after all that had happened since they’d been … nope, he wasn’t going there. He huffed out a breath, drew back enough to kiss Freyja’s cheek. The baby was going to be fine, Freyja was going to be fine and without Theo there he was gonna step up for the both of them in a way he hadn’t at the start, too shattered by what had happened to take care of the woman his brother loved. "Come by for dinner on Friday, OK? I’ll cook.” He’d heard enough from Theo to know that Freyja couldn’t, but that hadn’t been the motivation. He was trying to step up now that he’d started the scrape the pieces of his shattered life together. Broken shards left littering the ground after the worst had happened.
He pushed it out of his head as he said his goodbyes, leaving enough to cover the check on the table, offering to walk Freyja back to her office but being turned down. They were all scrabbling, the process somehow made worse by the way the truth of it was held tight between just a handful of them. Frank headed for the door of the Grill, his lips pressed hard together. He still hadn’t told his parents, covering the lie with emails, stilted messages filled with lies tapped out from his brother’s email address, Oscar worthy phone calls that left him retching in the bathroom afterwards, the act tearing something deeper inside of him every time but how could he turn back now? Theo was still gone and with each passing day the lie was constricting tighter in his throat but he couldn’t get the words out, hadn’t told anybody outside of that tiny circle that his brother had died out in those woods. Theo was gone.
That sense of his brother being right there, just out of reach had lingered all those weeks. Glances aside feeling like they should’ve revealed Theo standing right there, the word asshole on his brother’s lips in the way it always had been, that laughing affection between them that could never be replaced. Frank felt it as he stepped out the door, glancing back at the table to see Freyja still sitting there. His throat constricted as he nodded. One hand coming up to sign to her. "Love you both. Bye.” Family. He still had them, gathered around each other in that circle. Freyja, Kit, Niko, Dom. The child growing in Freyja’s womb the only one tethered to him by blood but family was so much more than that.
Turning away, Frank started across the square. Family, the people you would give anything to protect. He raised a hand, running fingers uneasily over the long healed wound in his side as he glanced warily around the square. That sense of helplessness had struck again as Freyja had shown him the wounds the asshole who’d killed his brother had put on her out in the woods, the story … the truth that someone was still out there, painting targets on them … leaving him in that heightened state of awareness. A constant prickle between his shoulder blades that shouldn’t have felt alien but it did now, here in a town that should’ve been idyllic but was really hiding this dark underbelly.
God he hated it.
Frank dragged a hand over his face, starting across the square towards his car on the other side, where he’d parked when he’d driven over after morning classes. His Wednesday afternoons were always free, time he’d once spent catching lunch with Theo, hanging out on campus until his brother headed into his early evening class. Now … now they were time to be filled to avoid him sliding back down that slope and into the grief that still lingered black and oily at the bottom of it, ready to drown him if he wasn’t careful.
Frowning, Frank slipped a hand into his pocket to retrieve his keys, almost gouging himself in the thigh with them when the sound of his name alone had him startling. Fuck. His hand clutched around them like he could tear them out and stab someone in the throat with them if he needed to. He half turned, brow furrowing deeper as he stared at the hulking form on the bench, sunglasses in hand, long hair pulled back, eyes squinting up at him. "Raik? What the hell…” The laugh that rolled out of him was a little uncertain, his hand releasing the grip on his keys leaving the ghost of the feel of them behind. He dragged his hand out of his pocket, extended it to the guy who’d helped Kit keep him alive after the IED had blown, leaving him bloody and useless on the sand. "What are you doing here man? Last time we spoke you were in Vegas.” He dropped onto the bench next to him elbows planting on his elbows as he glanced sideways at the medic. They’d stayed in contact afterwards, the bonds you made at times like that rock solid in his experience.
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RAIK DURMAZ
Human
Posts: 104
Age:
35
Occupation:
Bartender
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
You’re as sweet as maple
Last seen Apr 26, 2024 16:43:21 GMT
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Post by RAIK DURMAZ on Jun 9, 2021 14:49:29 GMT
This town was the last place Raik had expected to see a familiar face, so he was taken aback when he saw Frank Damasca stroll past him. Since his discharge Raik made an effort to keep in touch with people, even if it was just a quick text here and there. He knew it was important to keep those connections strong as some of the other men didn’t cope as well since leaving the military. Plagued by nightmares and PTSD. He wanted to make sure he was there for people in their time of need. Obviously, there were some nights Raik would wake up in a cold sweat, forgetting he was back in America, not patching up the wounded out on the field. He'd always been an open book, rarely keeping things bubbling away inside. He also utilized any service the military offered to help with that type of thing, which was helpful. No matter how much training a person receives, it can never prepare them for what they’re about to see out there on tour, but it was what Raik signed up for. He signed up for war, but the school being bombed pushed him over an edge. They were just children. They didn’t sign up for a war. Their whole lives ahead of them just ripped away in an instant. It caused him to take a step back from the job and consider how much more of this he could take before finally having some sort of mental breakdown. That was the final straw. It didn’t tarnish his time in service though, being in the military was the best thing he ever did. Sculptured him into the man he was today, and he had formed rock-solid friendships with some of the men. Seeing Frank prompted Raik to think about Kit Clarke. The man who was willing to sacrifice himself for his friend, pushing Raik to attend to Frank before him. Contact with Kit fell radio silent at one point, to which Raik later found out was because the other man had been arrested for killing his brother. It was hard not to pass judgement on something like that, but Raik tried his best to understand why Kit killed his brother, although he just couldn’t imagine snapping at Remzi and taking his life, even though his little brother pushed his buttons every day. Nevertheless, he still had a touch of sympathy for Kit. The military affected men differently, and Raik was lucky to be one of the few who was left with minimal long-term effects of what they'd seen. Raik finished his melting ice cream and pushed his sunglasses into his pocket as he got to his feet to greet Frank with a welcoming smile, "Nice to see you" He too extended his hand to give his friend a firm handshake. He returned to his original position on the bench. "Ah, yes, Vegas" Raik laughed lightly, his mind running through the sequence of events since the brothers left the lively city. Since Remzi was turned. "That city took years off my life" The drinking, partying, staying up late. It was the type of life he was unfamiliar with until the Durmaz brothers took a road trip. Before, he was the person who would have a few beers and call it a night at 11 pm, but with Remzi, the pair were staying up until the sun made an appearance the following morning. "I'm here with Remzi. We're just visiting some friends we met over in LA." A lie he'd rehearsed in the car on their long drive from LA to Mystic Falls, one which he had drilled into Remzi too. They were here to visit someone they met in LA. Someone who Remzi worked with at that awful bar back in LA. Raik hated lying to people as well. Firm believer honesty was the best policy, which is why his voice faltered at times when their mom called to see if the pair were okay, causing Remzi to snatch the phone away from his brother, assuring his mom everything was fine. They were safe and well. It was easier lying to their dad, as he just took everything at face value and didn't ask any probing questions. He understood the brothers were out there living their life. They were blowing off some steam, especially Raik. "How are you anyway? What brings you here?" FRANK DAMASCA
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 121
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Apr 9, 2024 17:20:15 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Jul 2, 2021 19:44:35 GMT
Two men had kept him alive long enough to get to Ramstein, for the docs to get him stable enough that he’d survive the flight back to America. Kit, with his own body and mind jolted by the explosion, hands red with blood Frank knew he come from the wound that had almost torn his arm free of his body as he kept the enemy at bay with his gun. Then Raik. The medics arriving was always a reason for relief, that knowledge that someone with more training was there to hold together the shattered bodies of your team, and his arrival that day had come with a scream of attitude that hadn’t made it past his lips. By then he’d been too far gone on the medications Kit had fumbled to get into his system from the ragged remnants of a first aid kit from the truck to see more than blurs approaching. Hands scrabbling weakly as he was examined and patched, a kaleidoscope like image of the guy’s face that wouldn’t come into focus until later.
The truck. The side of his gurney at Ramstein. The hospital in Bethesda as he’d swum in and out of his medicated haze.
Raik was sure as hell looking better now than he had. He imagined that made two of them. Lines carved deep by the time spent at war still there, but softened in some other way, the same way his own had been, the way he still hoped Kit’s would as he saw his friend ground down by the guilt of what happened when the explosion that had wiped out half their team had kept him in its agonising grip.
Frank knew that if Raik was sticking around he’d see that weight still on Kit, the man he’d been no longer the man he was. For now he was throwing that shield back up, the one that hid the grief that had crushed his own heart until it felt like there was nothing left but torn and pulverised flesh, desperately waiting for something to stitch it back together. A touch of uncertainty to his laugh the only thing that might’ve given him away as he’d extended his hand to Raik. Frank let out a long breath, giving Raik’s hand a hearty shake as he brought his other hand to clap it against Raik’s other arm. ”It’s … good to see you too.” That faint hitch in his voice that he wasn’t sure came from fear or doubt or some sort of relief.
Settling on the end of the bench as Raik sank back down, Frank leaned forward, elbows on slightly spread knees, his turned to keep the medic in sight. He managed a huff of amusement as Raik told him he was right. A light whistle sliding out between his teeth. ”It’s Vegas, man, what did you expect? I swear, Chaco’s bachelor party there? We barely got out in one piece.” His throat felt like it was closing up the minute he’d said it, leaving him clearing it just to try and dislodge the fist that closed hard around his windpipe. Chaco had been driving the truck when the IED hit, his wife had been inconsolable at the funeral he wasn’t allowed out of his hospital bed for.
Bobbing his head, Frank sniffed in a deep breath. The memories were still raw, probably always would be but shying away from all of them was only going to leave those wounds bleeding so heavily that they’d eventually end up mortal. ”So I can thank him for dragging you out here…” Frank nodded, letting out another sharp breath of amusement out through his nose. He clenched his hands together between his knees, his teeth raking over his lower lip before Raik’s question hit. Hazel eyes cut sideways as he straightened up slightly. Frank slipped a hand into his pocket, retrieved his Whitmore ID to flash at his friend. ”You’re looking at the second Professor Damasca. I’m teaching. Boring the next generation of minds with the history of our illustrious country. You should sign up, take a few classes at Whitmore, maybe sharpen that brain of yours up, if you’re sticking around that is. Have you and Remzi got plans other than friend visiting?” He wasn’t sure how Kit would handle another face from back then being around. Another reminder of what had been, someone who knew enough about what had happened to likely have an opinion on his guilt. It was pressure, enough that it would probably leave Kit struggling for air the way he’d almost been at the thought of the first Professor Damasca.
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RAIK DURMAZ
Human
Posts: 104
Age:
35
Occupation:
Bartender
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
You’re as sweet as maple
Last seen Apr 26, 2024 16:43:21 GMT
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Post by RAIK DURMAZ on Jul 12, 2021 19:17:01 GMT
Chaco. Another name from the past. The man who unfortunately was killed in the explosion which nearly took Frank. Life in Chaco had already disappeared by the time Raik and the team arrived. It wasn’t as bad as those who were holding on when they arrived but lost their battle despite everything been done to try and save them. It was heartbreaking to see the light fade from someone’s eyes, knowing there was nothing more to be done, but it was something Raik had to live with it. It was a given in his line of work. It was one of the first things he was told in training. You can’t save everyone, and it was something you had to accept otherwise you’d never make it out there in the field. A low laugh rolled out of him at Frank’s comment about Chaco’s bachelor party, “I was expecting a bit of partying, but that city is wild” The brothers didn’t exactly get out in one piece either with Remzi losing his life. As always Remzi was dragging Raik anywhere and everywhere, but he wasn’t complaining. It peeled him away from his life in Detriot, otherwise, he would have happily settled down in a two-bedroom apartment with a full-time job, possibly a woman to share his bed and start a family with. He was the complacent type, but Remzi yanked him away from that. Forced him to do something with his life rather than just accepting what was expected of him by his parents. A solid marriage with lots of children. Sometimes he was grateful to his brother. It didn’t stop a stream of messages from his mom though asking him if he’d met any nice ladies on his travels. Sure he’d met some nice ladies, but no one worthy of taking home to meet his family. Especially not his mom who judges people so harshly. He had yet to bring home any female worthy, in his mom’s eyes. Raik’s gaze fell down on the ID card Frank showed to him, a smile appeared on his face, “Professor Damasca? Look at you” He responded with a chuckle. His mind mulled over the idea of attending classes at college. At one point he would have jumped at the chance to go college. It was his dream, but his parents broke the news they couldn’t afford to send him to college. The funds wouldn’t stretch that far for the family so the second option was the military. It was a blow to him, but he understood money was tight for the family, as it always had been since he was a baby. Holidays and other luxury items were rare in the Durmaz household. They had the bare necessities needed to get by. Plus growing up in a rough neighbour you couldn’t exactly walk down the street with the newest phone without running the risk of getting mugged. But Raik was older now. He had his own money. College could be included in his future plans, not that he had any at the moment. Sorting Remzi out was his only plan. “I’ll have to see what classes that have to offer. It would only be me though Remzi is… Remzi didn’t like school at all” Too busy playing the popular kid whilst Raik was sat at the front of the class absorbing every single word that fell out of his teacher’s mouth. His mind was like a sponge for knowledge, only yearning to know more. A poster was plastered to his childhood bedroom wall, even now, with the words. ‘Knowledge is power’. Remzi would constantly mock him for it. Raik had no other plans in Mystic Falls, but he was looking for somewhere quiet to settle, for a short time a least. He longed to be away from busy cities. Hopefully, he could convince Remzi to stay put here for a while, though his brother wasn’t going anywhere until they’d got what they came for. A stupid daylight ring so his sibling didn’t need to lock himself away every day. Reality hadn’t set in for Raik yet though. He hadn’t fully taken in what had actually happened to his younger sibling, instead, he was doing what he always does. Just trying to move forward. Looking for a solution to the problem. A problem that can’t be fixed. Being a vampire was permanent and Raik had no idea what he was going to do once he let that set in. He shrugged casually at Frank’s question, “Not really mate. I’m hoping to stay here for a while though. The town seems pretty uneventful, which is what I like” He was concerned that by bringing his brother to town he was going to disturb the peace, “Have you spoken to Kit recently?”FRANK DAMASCA
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 121
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Apr 9, 2024 17:20:15 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Aug 8, 2021 16:10:51 GMT
They’d seen death almost every day there. Knowing that every time orders came down and they were heading off base there was a chance they might not come back. It didn’t matter if they were given brief reprieves from it, trips back home to decompress, to let someone else rotate back in to try and bring peace to somewhere that never seemed to hold onto it for long. You could travel halfway across the world to leave it behind but there were always traces of it clinging to you. Dark cobwebs that had left a grim pall hanging over them for just a few minutes in the middle of that night. Men gathered around, loosened from the shackles of the uniform by the booze they’d already sunk. Faces grim until Chaco had cracked some wild joke. Laughter broke it all, if you could find it still in all of that darkness.
Frank fought for it now. His throat was tight from the memory, grief’s grip tight but the sound was there in the wake of his whistle. Rusty, probably rustier than it had ever been but forcing that grip to loosen. ”That’s what you get for being a choir boy,” he joked, a nudge of his elbow in Raik’s ribs. That had always been Theo’s role, the steady to his explosiveness. The twin who’d settled down, who would’ve been at lunch with them today, love filling his goofy face as he’d looked at his pregnant girlfriend.
The ache intensifying, Frank had tried to push the thought away. Theo was gone. He was gonna be the one there with tears in his eyes as the baby was born. Faintly green despite it all but trying to at least hover over those big footsteps his brother had left behind.
The second professor Damasca. It was the way he would’ve introduced himself before but as Raik had wrung what he was doing now out of him, Frank had dialled it back. His shoulders shrugged, pushing the ID back with a long breath. ”It was that or start washing dishes somewhere. Least this way I’m still boring someone with all that history stuff, you know.” A passion turned a job while he’d tried to keep some grip on his career. Another reserve weekend would come up hard some time soon. Days away from the town and the weight it was still gonna be pressing on his chest like a concrete block. ”There’s a med school,” he said honestly. ”If you’d ever thought about becoming Dr. Durmaz. We can get Remzi one of those dish washing spots.” Humour laced his words. Without Raik’s medical knowledge he’d have come home in a pine box, just like Chaco. A flag draping his coffin, gone before he could scream over his own brother’s body.
Shifting on the bench at the thought, Frank tried to burn the images out of his brain. Curling forward, elbows planted on his knees, fisted hands propping his chin. Dark brows beetling as he watched Raik shrug off his question about his plans. Mystic Falls was a hell of a place to find on the map for just a little visit. If it hadn’t been for Theo finding his way to Whitmore he’d never have known about the place. His answer had a low laugh rolling out of him, the strain obvious in it. ”It’s pretty but I wouldn’t exactly call it uneventful. You might wanna watch out for your brother here.” Like he thought he had been for both of his. At the mention of Kit, Frank sat up, nodded. ”He’s here too. Got myself a roommate. Did you … stay in touch?” There were gaps, for all of them, after he’d been released from the hospital. More after Kit had killed Kace and people in his life had started putting up walls between them all.
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RAIK DURMAZ
Human
Posts: 104
Age:
35
Occupation:
Bartender
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
You’re as sweet as maple
Last seen Apr 26, 2024 16:43:21 GMT
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Post by RAIK DURMAZ on Aug 21, 2021 21:23:14 GMT
Raik chuckled at Frank’s comment. A choir boy indeed. The one who stayed in line and said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. At first, he felt out of place in the clubs. His body was stiff as he tried to move in tune with the music. He’d never been a party animal as a teenager, so his clubbing experience was limited. Every time he and Remzi stepped into the strobe lights and pulsating music he was convinced everyone knew he didn’t belong there. It was a foreign atmosphere to him, but that's where the alcohol stepped it. The marvellous liquid that makes a person feel top of the world. A few sips of his body and his body would ease up. His muscles were no longer aching from the tension. A few more sips and he’d be having the time of his life. All his anxiety melted away, lost in the music. Remzi however got too lost in the music, sometimes dragging Raik along for the ride. What started as a few drinks at the bar turned into a huge night out, the pair rolling home as the sun was rising. Just how it had happened the evening Remzi was turned. If only Raik had put his foot down and told them to call it a night, but he too was fuelled by the magic liquid. The world was their oyster at that moment. The pair were invincible until Remzi fell face first into a pool and drowned. To this day he couldn’t understand exactly how his brother had drowned. Questioning why his survival instincts didn’t kick in. He’d never been on the same level as Remzi on a night out though. Intoxicated to the point you have no fight or flight response. Your body left floating as it’s taking in water, despite your lungs trying to force it out. Raik just couldn’t understand it. Teaching was a damn sight better than washing dishes. He was proud to see a fellow soldier had left the military and leaped into something meaningful. It was easy to allow yourself to be brought down by the harrowing memories out on tour. Some didn’t piece everything back together after being discharged. Forever shattered. “Is there?” Med school piqued an interest in Raik, as he sat up slightly. Dr. Durmaz. A dream that slipped through his fingers like water when he was younger. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he couldn’t blame his parents for their lack of money. His mom fled Turkey to start a new life in a country where she didn’t even know the language. He accepted the facts and aimed elsewhere. The military. Remzi washing dishes though? The man barely knew how to wash his own face. Raik hoped one day something would spark his brother's interest. Something he too could be passionate about and wanted to progress towards, instead of progressing to the bottom of the bottle. Raik frowned at Frank’s revelation. Pretty but not uneventful, and to watch out for his brother? “How so?” He asked, an indication of concern on his features. He wasn’t even sure if Remzi needed looking out for now. The man was immortal… apparently. The concern washed away as he broke into a smile at the news Kit was living with Frank. He shook his head in response to Frank’s question, “For a while yeah, but after his brother… I did text him a few times but nothing. I thought it was best to leave him be, y'know… he had his own shit to deal with without a text from me popping up every few days” Naturally he was disappointed the friendship had fizzled out, but perhaps it was one to be rekindled if Kit was also in town. “I’m glad you two are living together though! Who’d have thought it? Us three congregating in a small town in Virginia” FRANK DAMASCA
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 121
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Apr 9, 2024 17:20:15 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Sept 20, 2021 15:06:06 GMT
Choir boys weren’t all that rare in the military. There were plenty of men who enlisted who saw it was a way for them to their duty, imagining that putting their own lives on the line was going to save scores of others. They could’ve gotten dirty in the trenches, literally and metaphorically, but some, like Raik, and himself in a way, Frank guessed, clung on to it. Sainthood a possibility for the future, in Raik’s case at least. His own bright and shining armour held some tarnish now, what had happened since the explosion had torn his life apart for the first time dulling it down.
Letting Raik’s laughter roll over him, Frank stared down at his hands, closed around his ID as he flashed it to Raik. No sign on them of the crescent moons his nails had scored into his palms the night Theo had died, no redness from the wringing, from the lake of tears that seemed to have spilled out of him without running dry. No outward sign of what had been cut from him in that clearing. Swallowing hard, Frank tried to push the image of his brother’s blood on his hands from his head as he pushed that ID back out of sight. Theo was gone, spilling the horrific tale of how he’d gone right here in the middle of the town wasn’t going to bring him back. It was just going to leave him sobbing on another team mate’s shoulder.
It should’ve been easier talking about work but Theo was tangled up in almost every part of that too. A deep breath in at Raik’s question and Frank managed a grunt in response. He nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching into something less carved in granite. ”Theo went there. It’s why I came here. He was already on staff and he put a good word in for me when it came to applying. I could do the same for you, write some sordid tale of how you saved my ass.” He wanted to choke up at that, his throat thick as he tried to swallow the sensation away again. If he had died would Theo have still been here to stumble into the path of whoever had stabbed him to death. A question the police still hadn’t answered.
Frank had hoped that the pressure would ease as he’d hunched forward but it had merely shifted positions, settling on his shoulder blades, his back instead. The twinge of a joint that was never going to be what it was and that reminder again of just why he was still there and others weren’t. Two men had risked their own lives for him, holding those shattered parts of him together so he could be back here and Theo wouldn’t have been right where he was now.
Those hazel eyes had lost any gleam of humour as he propped his chin on his hands and glanced sideways at Raik. He couldn’t tell him about Theo now. It would only open that Pandora’s Box of why he hadn’t lead with that. Long minutes into this conversation and he still hadn’t been able to find the words ‘my brother’s dead’. From the moment Kit had led him out of the clearing where Theo had died it had seemed easier to hide the agonising truth, wrapping his guilt and grief up in a shroud in his chest, only letting it loose when he was alone or with those wrapped up in their own. Not a word to his parents yet, nothing to anybody at the university. Always just those lies instead, tossd out with a breezy confidence that wasn’t even entirely skin deep.
Straightening up, Frank sniffed in a deep breath as he gestured around the two of them. The town at large would go, his own loss only a tiny part of that. ”Pick up one of the papers. There’s something new and bloody on the front pages practically every other day. It’s home … but Mystic Falls isn’t exactly Shangri-la.” It was something far redder in tooth and claw and Kit was as aware of that as any of the rest of them. A slow bob of his head in understanding, Frank slid a hand back into his pocket. ”Anybody who didn’t push him away got pushed away, if you get what I mean. We’re keeping each other afloat, you know?” He extracted a stub of a pencil from his wallet, a receipt from the Grill, and balanced it on his thigh to scrawl his address on. ”Kit works most nights but you should stop by. Bring Remzi too. We’ll grill, have a few beers, celebrate fate bringing us all together here.” Frank raised his brows in invitation as he held that scrap of paper out. There’d be two gaping holes at the table – Kace and Theo – but he doubted either he or Kit would begrudge a man still able to hold on to his brother.
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RAIK DURMAZ
Human
Posts: 104
Age:
35
Occupation:
Bartender
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
You’re as sweet as maple
Last seen Apr 26, 2024 16:43:21 GMT
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Post by RAIK DURMAZ on Oct 18, 2021 13:16:05 GMT
Raik's mind wandered off for a moment, internally amused by the idea of Remzi putting in a good word somewhere about him. His brother was always putting in a good word for him with the females, as he'd always been the one excelling in that area. The man had the ability to sweet-talk any woman into bed, whereas Raik lacked that. He could chat to women, but Remzi had progressed to the next level in that area. It was challenging to throw himself back into the single life when he returned from the military, as the last thing on his mind while on tour was a relationship. He was there to work, not find a wife. Luckily the nightclubs in Vegas were full of single eager women. Women who were easy to please, especially once Remzi had told them about Raik being a military man, with a few lies sprinkled in there for good measure. Raik was happy to play the part, though. Lapping up the attention while sipping on his overpriced vodka soda. A smile on his face, clearly appreciative of the gesture, "Yeah, that sounds great. I'll drop you a text once we've settled down and everything" Plus, the brothers needed to make a decision on whether they stay put in Mystic Falls or move on to the next place. "Hope Theo is doing well too" He added as he glanced over at Frank, "Though it sounds like he's doing pretty well too"
His eyes drifted from Frank as he leaned forward, focusing on the green in front of them. Watching as the locals go about their days, seemingly carefree. Some were apparently oblivious to what was painted on the front page of the newspapers. Raik too was somewhat ignorant of the situation. He was merely following his brother's suggestion when the pair chose Mystic Falls, failing to do any research on the place before arriving. Once the daylight ring was secure on his sibling's finger they could look at moving on. "I guess there's a bad side to every town and city, but we'll be on guard" Detroit having more bad sides than good. Surely this small town couldn't be as bad as their adolescent neighbourhood. Raik listened, nodding slowly in response to Frank's comment. "Yeah, it's understandable" He pictured Remzi doing the same thing. Raik tried to speak to him after the overdose, but his words were going in one ear and out the other as if it was a joke to Remzi. He tore his eyes away from watching the locals as Frank pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket. Raik reached out, taking the paper with a grin on his face. "I'd love to" He slipped the piece of paper into his jacket pocket, zipping it up to keep the note secure. "I'll be sure to drag Remzi along too" So long as the sun had faded from the sky at that point. The cell phone in his jean pocket buzzed loudly and Raik reached in to slide it out. "Speaking of Remzi" A text asking where he was, with some colourful language about Raik boasting about the excellent weather. "Promised I would take an ice cream back for him... he's feeling a bit sick at the moment" He slid the phone back into his pocket as he got to his feet, "It's been really good seeing you. I'll drop you a message once sometime next week" Hopefully, the brothers had sourced a ring by then, so it was one less thing to worry about. "I'll catch you soon" He gave Frank a firm pat on the shoulder, the same warm smile still lingering on his face as he turned to head back to the hotel. FRANK DAMASCA
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