Another Ordinary Day [Vincent]

[Clarisse Prideaux]

“and remember to come see me sooner next time, dear. The quicker we catch an ear infection, the quicker it can be treated and the less it will hurt.” Clarisse reminded a teenaged blonde as she sulked out of her door cradling her ear in her hand. Supersonic hearers were prone to ear infections, and this one had been particularly bad. Fortunately and ear infection was a pretty tame side effect compared to some that Clarisse had seen come through her office. As the girl walked off down the hall with a recommendation for a doctor’s visit in hand, Clarisse closed the door to her office half way and returned to her desk to fill out the necessary paperwork.

She sagged slightly into the rolling chair, a little whimper catching the edge of her sigh. She was bone tired, but she would never let it show in front of a patient. Clarisse had spent more time than was necessary puzzling over the incident with James, trying her best pinpoint the type of power that could have been used to execute his attack. Even with all of her research experience she couldn’t recall a single one. It would require digging in Hammel records…and that would require Claude knowing she was digging around in the first place. Rather than overstep her boundaries, Clarisse had resigned herself to simply waiting around to see what she could do. She could only pray it would be something

In her tiredness today, she hadn’t done much with herself (by her standards). Her hair was loose around her shoulders, falling in black waves across her cheeks until she reached into a desk drawyer for a bobby pin to pin it behind her ears. Rather than her usual business-like pencil skirt and blouse, she had opted for a modest black dress. Three-quarter sleeves and a skirt just above the knee ensured that it was indeed businesslike. Of course she wasn’t too tired to pull on her stockings, or sport a pair of heels. But said heels were certainly shorter than what she usually were, the tiny red-patent kitten heels barely lifting her petite frame an inch off the ground.

Anyone who had known Clarisse for very long would have noticed the subtle shift in her attire, but anyone who only knew her vaguely (as most of the people she interacted with daily did) wouldn’t notice. Clarisse was banking on this to make sure no one knew something was amiss. The alert hadn’t been raised yet, so Clarisse simply had to pretend it was just an ordinary day.

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent was still technically on the clock so to speak but to be honest, his duties never really ended. Being head of security for the institute was a full time job which left very little time for personal errands or pleasures. There were hundreds of children to account for and making sure each and every one was safe from any would be bigot was always at the top of the business list for Vincent. Pilot Ridge was pretty tolerant of the meta-human population but there were a few here and there who voiced their hatred of the metas running around free. Vincent had seen all sorts of hate in his life and while this sort of hate hit close to home, it all really came down to the same cause and that was fear. Non powered humans were afraid of their meta counterparts or jealous of them and both those feelings created fear which almost always led to hate. It didn't matter what supposed reason someone gave for trying to attack the school or infiltrate it for malicious reasons, it was Vincent's job to stop them and remove them by any means necessary.

Still dressed in his usual attire when on the job at the Institute, Vincent sat in one of the several uncomfortable chairs in the hallway just outside of Dr. Clarisse Prideaux's office. His jacket was unbuttoned and as always, he wore no tie, much to Claude's distaste. Dressing in a suit was bad enough and Claude should be grateful he got Vincent to wear what he was wearing now. Ties just made him feel like someone was choking him all day long and that just wasn't going to fly. Vincent rested his head against the wall behind him, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. He hadn't been here long but Vincent Romanov wasn't a patient man by any means. He bounced his leg quickly as he let out a long annoyed sigh. Vincent still had several things on today's agenda and wanted to get them done as soon as possible so he could at least enjoy a quite dinner in town.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the door to Dr. Prideaux's office opened and a young girl emerged, holding her ear. The voice from within the room said something about an ear infection and then something about getting to the doctor. Vincent opened his eyes and leaned forward in his chair, his gaze going to the floor for a second. The young girl passed him quickly and Vincent looked up quickly, studying the girl out of habit. He thought he might have recognized her from passing in the halls at one point or another but couldn't be sure. With another heavy sigh, Vincent shook his head and stood up, his hands dropping to his side. He straightened his jacket and then made his way over to the door to the office. Letting his hand rest on the doorknob for a second or three, Vincent finally turned the knob and pushed his way inside slowly.

Vincent poked his head into the room first, giving it a cautious once over, much like a kid does when called into the office for doing something wrong. "Hello?," he said, unsure of whether or not he was supposed to come on in or wait to be called. This was his first time seeing Dr. Prideaux and wasn't too sure how to treat the situation. Vincent had pulled the good doctor's file before coming to see her and from what he read, she seemed top notch. No doubt Claude thought highly of Clarisse as well or he wouldn't have allowed her to practice here. Not many people excelled in the field of dealing with meta-human ability side effects. Vincent wasn't even sure if there really was a field or if Clarisse was sort of given that title unofficially.

[Clarisse Prideaux]

Clarisse was surprised when she heard the swishing of the door against the floor as it opened. There had been no knock. Granted, she didn’t have a “knock first” placard on her door or anything, but usually students made a point to do so unless they had an appointment. Turning slightly in her chair, Clarisse blinked. That would explain the lack of knock: This was no student. However, he seemed to act a bit like one. Often the students newest to visits to Clarisse were like frightened animals exploring a new enclosure. Those unfamiliar with Clarisse’s patient, kind, and warm bedside manner occasionally expected to be subjected to some kind of science experiment. What they didn’t realize was that for the most part they were getting just another school nurse…only with the occasional special trick up her sleeve. Vincent clearly didn’t know what to expect, and it wrote all over his cautious face. “Hello.” She responded gently, offering a warm smile as she stood up from her chair. Beckoning him further inside of her office, she pushed her chair back into a neat place under her mahogany desk.
“Please Come in Mister…” She trailed off, furrowing her brow.

While the large man (surely he was a head or so taller that the petite French woman) looked familiar, Clarisse could not say she could put a name to his face. She laughed self-consciously and put out her hand, palm down in a demure fashion. “I’m…sorry. I can’t recall your name.” Squinting slightly in though she dug through her memories to try and uncover something about her newest visitor. He was dressed as an employee, but he wasn’t a teacher. She had the teaching staff down rather well by now, having seen most of them come through to drop off students. It was possible he was involved in an area with which Clarisse didn’t do much interfacing. Reception….Janitorial staff (though he looked a little too overdressed for that position)…recruiting…security…Security! Clarisse tilted her head and regarded him with a more scrutinizing eye. Had she seen him patrolling the grounds once or twice when she had begun the walk home a little later than usual?

She couldn’t be certain, but that didn’t stop her from being pleasant. On the wall opposite from her desk she gestured to a plush fainting couch. It was a lot cozier than the hospital bed that occupied the back half of the large office. “Have a seat, if you like.” She offered, still smiling quietly. “What can I help you with?” Fortunately there didn’t appear to be anything glaringly wrong with the man before her. He was standing upright. He wasn’t bleeding. He didn’t appear to be outstandingly fatigued. Clearly his vision was fine since he’d found her office and he couldn’t have been disoriented or he probably would have gotten lost. Clarisse’s question quickly shaped up to be a very good one. What did he want?

Then a thought struck Clarisse that made her heart skip for a few moments. If, like Clarisse had originally suspected, this man was affiliated with security, perhaps he had news of James? Or at least some insight into what on earth was going on? Certainly security would eventually be alerted to such a powerful breach of Hammel’s peaceful borders. Clarisse’s mind raced, and though her eyes appeared casually distant, her face and body language all read to that of a professional and well practiced nurse. Hopefully if this wasn’t who Clarisse thought he was, he wouldn’t be able to pick up on her tired nerves.

[Vincent Romanov]

The office wasn't quite what Vincent had been expecting, but to be honest, he was sort of picturing Frankenstein's lab. Doctors or any other medical expert made him nervous, always had. They were always so analytical and out there, poking and prodding in places they were not welcome or wanted. Doctors seemed more interested in their findings than their patients and that sometimes meant they would go to any lengths to solve the problem before them, even if it meant hurting the patient. Meta-humans were perfect test subjects, as Vincent had always been told and had seen a few times. Several of the less.....well...civilized countries carried out all sorts of horrific meta experiments. His time in the military had shown him the horrors which humanity could reach.

The inside of this office was rather welcoming and didn't really look like a doctor's office. It had quite the woman's touch, but something about the place still made Vincent nervous. He pushed further inside upon hearing Clarisse's voice and slowly closed the door behind him. The woman sitting at the desk in the room took him back a bit. Even dressed so professionally, Clarisse stood out from the norm. Her dark hair attracted Vincent's eye first and then her proper and quite meticulous looks. Her make up and facial features almost didn't seem real and for a second, Vincent suspected she was a figment of his imagination. She reminded him of a picture from a magazine. Had she not stood up, Vincent might have stood there all day just staring at her like some star gazing child.

Smiling just a bit more now, Vincent took a few steps toward Clarisse and nodded. "Vincent Romanov," he said, giving his name and taking Clarisse's hand gently and perhaps not quite as gentlemanly as she might be accustomed, "but you can call me Vincent if you want," he threw out there, giving a goofy little smile. It wasn't like he was head over heels for this woman, but like most typical men, a pretty face and warm smile often made them melt into little boys. "Claude wanted me to come down and go over my.....well....," Vincent went on, slipping his hands into his pockets, looking around the room quickly, "my problem I guess. He likes to keep things as organized as possible like that," he finished, his speech slowing at the last few words as his eyes once again rested on Clarisse. However, it wasn't her pretty face which moved him this time, it was her in general. Clarisse just wasn't acting right, and while Vincent had never met the woman before, he just felt this wasn't really her.

Vincent's gut just told him all this was wrong, but as to what exactly was wrong....well that was a mystery. Furrowing his brow, Vincent's decades of training took over and he began cataloging everything said and all body movements. A lot of people usually called him paranoid at moments like this and while they could have been right at times, Vincent's gut had never led him astray. When you had faced violence and war as much as Vincent did, you sort of developed a keen instinct on situations and people. Shaking his head, Vincent pretended to shrug off his feeling and smiled at Clarisse once again. "I've never been to see someone like you before.....A side effect expert I mean," he said, sort of falling over his words nervously as he looked for a place to sit down. "So....do we just talk about it or is there some sort of dog and pony show we put on to figure things out?," he asked her, scratching the back of his head.

[Clarisse Prideaux]

Clarisse nodded, though the gesture was hardly visible: she had to look up quite a ways to look Vincent in the eyes when he was in close enough proximity to shake her hand. “Vincent. Pleased to meet you. I’m Clarisse. Doctor Prideaux if you prefer, but that makes me feel old.” She admitted, giggling slightly at his smile. He was a little wonky, but still somehow managed to be closed off. Clarisse chalked it up to nerves. Many of her patients detested hospitals and specialists; it was the reason she kept her office as inviting as she did. The homely room made it easier to relax in, which in some cases meant making her job a lot easier.

She blinked, surprised at his choice of words. “Pro…blem?” She repeated slowly, turning her head to regard him out of the corner of her green eyes. Noticing the slow in his speech, Clarisse wondered if Vincent was even in the correct place. Did Vincent even know why he was here? “Your side-effects?” She suggested. It was a better word than ‘problem.’ Granted ‘side-effect’ made the whole of meta-humanity sound diseased, but Clarisse often felt the word was the lesser of two evils. There were some days where being politically correct just wasn’t worth it. “Claude is like that, isn’t he?” She said genially, hoping that the small talk would ease Vincent’s nerves (hands in pockets, eyes darting about the room…Clarisse knew the signs). “I wonder if he gets it from James.” She mused, referring to the recruiters well-known compulsive tendencies. Granted, those were a side-effect as well, but those were difficult for Clarisse to treat at this point in her research.

Thinking of James made her stomach turn slightly, but she pushed thoughts of the attack out of her mind for now. Vincent’s facial expression had changed for a moment, clueing Clarisse in that her anxiety was perceivable. Before she could smile, pass it off, and continue in her façade, a yawn over took her. For a moment her eyes went wide in surprise, and she popped a hand over her mouth, turning away from Vincent slightly. As she yawned, her eyes squeezed shut. The yawn was so powerful that her eyes watered slightly and she laughed a bit when she caught her breath back. “Oh my, please excuse me.” Clarisse implored, laying her hand gently on Vincent’s arm. “I’m exhausted. Quite sorry.” She said again, gesturing to a couch opposite her desk. “Please have a seat, if you’d like.” She offered, stifling another yawn. “Oh my word…” She mumbled shyly, shocked at her display of exhaustion. That wasn’t like her at all.

Blinking, Clarisse tilted her head as she moved to her desk to clear off the work she had been doing there, making room for whatever she would need to do with Vincent. “Really?” That would explain his nerves as well. Reassuringly, Clarisse looked him in the eyes and smiled charmingly. “Well from what I can see, you are not a dog nor a pony.” She joked, the corners of her eyes creasing in the sincerity of her smile. “So a show will not be necessary.” Clarisse assured him, reaching into her desk for a pad of paper. “But if you don’t mind, a few notes would be nice. But first…” She turned in her rolling chair, crossing her legs to face him, leaving the pad behind her to be polite. “Why exactly are you here?”

It was a valid question. Vincent didn’t seem to be suffering from any side-effects currently, and though Claude had sent him, Clarisse couldn’t figure out why for the life of her. Perhaps Claude just wanted to make sure his file was up to date? “Besides to make sure I’m doing my job?” she teased gently, yawning quietly behind her hand again and shaking her head with disappointment. “Excuse me, again.” She said, blushing slightly.

[Vincent Romanov]

While Clarisse was nice and gentle enough, her presence and speech made Vincent a tad uneasy. It wasn't the sort of nervous uneasy, but the defensive sort. This doctor was hiding something and while everyone was entitled to their secrets, Vincent didn't like them. Secrets only brought trouble and sometimes they got people killed. The army had enough secrets and Vincent had had enough of both of those monsters. Just what Clarisse was hiding certainly wouldn't be unearthed from this meeting, especially since this was all about Vincent and his condition. So, with that said, Vincent would just have to put his curiosity aside and follow up on his gut feelings at a later date. He would make it a point to pull Clarisse's personal files himself this time and dig back as far as possible on her just to be on the safe side. Hammel had a way of attracting trouble and Vincent needed to be sure Clarisse wasn't bringing any with her.

Flashing a nervous sort of smile once again, Vincent looked down momentarily as Clarisse touched his arm, sort of indicating for him to sit down on the couch. Giving a slight nod in agreement, Vincent moved over and sat down on the small couch, adjusting his jacket as he did so. He then stretched his arm out and rested it across the back of the couch rather casually, trying to look relaxed. Clarisse had moved to her desk during this, finding her own chair and a legal pad on which she would right her notes about Vincent. Clarisse was very lady like in her movements and manners, despite her rather large yawn earlier. This sort of attracted Vincent as he had been raised with an old world look on women.

Giving a small chuckle at Clarisse's jest as to Vincent's job duties, Vincent shrugged his shoulders. She did know some about him or at least enough to know his role here at the school. Being head of security often left him sort of isolated from the other staff members at Hammel, seeing how he followed a different chain of command. Vincent answered directly to the Headmaster and in times of emergencies, could override any orders or concerns of any teacher or employ here save for the Headmaster. This sort of left a sour taste in the mouths of some teachers, but Vincent tried rarely to exert any authority outside of the normal. He mainly concentrated on keeping the students safe first and then the school. It would be interesting to see just how Clarisse felt about him.

"To be honest doc, I'm not sure as to why I'm really here. No offense or anything, but I don't think you can help me with the problems my ability brings," he said with a sigh. "Too much strain on the body I'm afraid," he said, tapping the area near his heart, "but I hear your pretty good at what you do, so maybe you might be able to tell me something I haven't already heard before," Vincent added with another forced and nervous chuckle, lowering his hand to his lap. "You see doc, I manipulate kinetic energy. I absorb too much without doing something to release it and...well.....my heart just can't take it," Vincent finished, giving a better description of just what Clarisse would be facing.

[Clarisse Prideaux]

Clarisse did have her secrets, and there was some speculation among the staff members to the exact nature of Clarisse’s past (many knew she had been married, few knew what had happened to her husband), but the one thing Clarisse was rarely associated with was trouble. She kept her past to herself, but everything else was written on her sleeves. Just keeping quiet about the attack was enough to drive her mad. She was sure Vincent already knew what was going on, being that he was head of security, but it somehow didn’t make her feel any better about sharing what she’d discovered with anyone. It was because of her own secrets that Clarisse was so hush-hush about the attack. Right now, it was something that belonged to Chase and James…she’d just been dragged along for the ride.

She watched him sit, tilting her head as he expressed a measure of skepticism in her abilities. Nodding slowly, she chewed the inside of her lip. There was really nothing to do with an attitude like that, but Vincent wasn’t being disrespectful, so Clarisse really didn’t mind much. There was no reason to prove herself to him: it wasn’t her job. “Oh goodness…thank you.” She said demurely, waving her hand a bit as his compliment. “I do my best to help everyone.” She finished, though she continued to explain. “There might not be a cure, but even traditional medicine has some ways of alleviating pressure or pain from overexertion.” She added, looking over her desk as if searching for something pertinent to the conversation. She was sure that somewhere she had a list of such techniques. Chest pains were a common side effect in metahumans with abilities stemming from energy absorption or manipulation…she usually kept the advice on hand. Her brain was just too scattered to find it right now. She would have to look for it when she didn’t need to focus on what Vincent was saying.

Clarisse scribbled down short notes on his side effects, which was odd considering he’d yet to describe his abilities. It was a bit backwards from the way she usually worked, but at least he was talking. Vincent struck Clarisse as the silent type…and he certainly didn’t like the doctor. It wasn’t that it particularly mattered, as the powers themselves were simply the cause of what she truly studied. Often she was able to find that understanding side effects first better helped her understand abilities…usually her patients simply thought in the opposite order.

She hummed sagely and nodded. “ and when you release the energy…is it released from your body by expressing it---something kinetic of your own actions? Running, jumping, striking---“ She listed, looking into his face conversationally as she spoke. “Or is it released in an energy field?” Clarisse inquired. She didn’t see why it wouldn’t be both (and likely would be, if Vincent had had formal training), but if anyone knew his ability it was going to be Vincent. She wanted to make sure she had all of the facts straight before she gave her entire diagnosis.

Clarisse laid down her pen and looked at Vincent with a gently scrutinizing expression, her green eyes almost searching his features for the words she would need to explain. “Storing too much kinetic energy is probably disrupting the natural Electromagnetic fields in your body, causing them to short circuit a bit.” She mused, hoping that Vincent would know what she was talking about. At this point she was really only thinking out loud; more information would be necessary to determine what was actually going on. “Your heart…It doesn’t know what to do with all the excess pulse signals, so you have probably experienced some chest pains due to arrhythmia, which is your heart beating out of time.” Clarisse rolled her pen idly against her paper, still looking at Vincent. She tilted her head. “Are my assumptions…do they sound somewhat correct to you?” She asked, opening the floor to Vincent’s own opinion.

[Vincent Romanov]

Everything which pretty much rolled out of Clarisse's mouth went in one ear out of the other for Vincent. He never was a man of academics or big fancy words and while Clarisse was keeping it simple enough, Vincent still found it hard to find interest to keep up with what was being said. He was pretty simple when it all came down to it in the end, but it was that straight forwardness which made him such a good soldier. Vincent saw the world in black and white, for what it really was and how it really worked. Sometimes, those with high academic learning tended to apply silly thoughts and notions to why certain things happened. For Vincent, things happened because they happened, be it good or bad. For every action, there was someone or a group of someones standing around pulling the strings. Of course, he wasn't one to put down education, but he liked to think that education was for those with the drive and understanding to pursue such boring topics.

A small and simple laugh followed Clarisse's questions and for Vincent, it didn't really carry much meaning. He found the seriousness with which Clarisse approached the problem he brought to her amusing. She didn't even know him from Adam, yet she was willing to pursue his case with enthusiasm. Her proper and straight laced demeanor was apparently more than just show and compared to the relaxed and everyday composure which Vincent brought with him, it was an odd couple making right out of some old television show. Clarisse no doubt came from some wealth and her parents were probably strict in her upbringing and learning. Hammel no doubt played a part in the seriousness of her attitude and Vincent was glad to see that the proper teachings which they tried to beat into him actually took with someone else. "To be honest doc, you probably understand more of what you just said than I did, but I think I get the basic idea of what your trying to tell me," he said, lifting one leg to rest it across the other lazily, kicking his foot awkwardly, "As for what I do with all that energy, your pretty much on the money there too. I can increase my strength, endurance and stamina and while I won't be catching any speeding bullets, I can increase my speed and reaction time to Olympic levels," he added, giving an arrogant and rather proud smile. Vincent was good with his ability and enjoyed the look on the faces of those people who sorely underestimated him in a fight. It was rather hard to get the better of someone who could turn almost all your attacks back on you at the drop of a hat.

Having a chance to brag about his meta-human abilities was enjoyable, but Vincent really wanted the meeting to be over with soon. Sitting around just wasn't him and to be honest, he enjoyed doing his job. He spent more time here at Hammel than he did at his small house in Pilot Ridge. Being able to stay awake for long periods at a time was just another byproduct of storing so much kinetic energy during the day and so, he put it all to good use by pulling double shifts. He liked the third shift the best as it was quiet and something about the dark just relaxed him, especially during the summer months.

[Clarisse Prideaux]

Enthusiasm was probably the best way one could describe Clarisse’s attention to her work. Side effects had made her life hell at certain points, and taken her father from her (so it was assumed) before she even really knew him. Clarisse was aware of just how deadly they could be, even when they seemed so drastically small. Vincent played off his side effects as something he just had to deal with, but there was certainly no stopping them from causing a heart-attack or stroke. With as important as his job was (especially these days) Clarisse couldn’t very well have his heart give out.

She blushed slightly at his admission of misunderstanding, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of the lax nick-name ‘doc’ or because she hated to sound pedantic. “Ah well…the basic idea is all you need for now. At least until I know more and how to better put it in the layman’s terms.” Clarisse assured him. Generally Clarisse preferred check-ups like this to take place with a set appointment, that way she could read up on her patient beforehand. This impromptu visit was actually making Clarisse seem less professional than she usually did, despite Vincent’s flattering perception of her straight-laced nature.

Like his easy laughter, Clarisse found something alluring in Vincent’s arrogance, even letting her professional mask down long enough to chuckle heartily at his comment. “Well no wonder you don’t like being cooped up.” She said, smiling over her shoulder at him before scribbling something on the pad again. “Remind me not to underestimate you should we ever cross paths as opponents.’ Clarisse didn’t find the same smug joy in seeing the face of those who dared to cross her at an inopportune moment, but she couldn’t deny that there was a level of amusement in seeing someone’s jaw drop when her powers were in use. “But hopefully that won’t happen…and it certainly won’t if we don’t figure out a way to help you take better care of your internal organs.” She said slowly, tapping her chin in thought.

She could tell, and had already mentioned so, that Vincent wasn’t comfortable in the office. It could have been that he had extra energy (stored due to his abilities) and simply didn’t like to sit or that the doctor itself just bothered him…either way Clarisse wasn’t going to be able to do much convincing without a bit more cooperation on his behalf. “And speaking of,” she murmured “there isn’t much right now that I can do, unfortunately.” Clarisse admitted, closing her notes and swiveling in her chair to face Vincent completely. “I’ll probably need to read through the files that the school has on you before I can make an educated guess.” Brushing her hair out off her cheek and crossing her leg, Clarisse shook her head. “At least a better one than the hunches I’ve been giving you.”

Reaching towards a cardholder on her desk, the Frenchwoman took a business card between her fingers and held it out to Vincent. “If you like, I can meet with you somewhere else on campus when I’ve made a diagnosis and we can discuss it then. That way it interferes less with your work.” She quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at her coworker. “Unless your preference is to come to my office…” She trailed off, and then waved her hand. “Either way, I don’t see why you ever have to sit on that couch again unless your side-effects are directly injuring you in some manner…or you need minor medical attention.” Flipping again through her notes, her gentle green eyes scanned the points one last time. “Though from what you’re telling me you’re fairly difficult to damage.”

[Vincent Romanov]

Much of this meeting had been like watching a pair of awkward high school kids making small talk with each other. Vincent wasn't sure why he was even really here and Clarisse seemed to be just as lost on the subject as he was. It wasn't as if she were ignorant, just more like caught off guard. Vincent hadn't made any real appointment, he just sort of showed up and expected things to go in some odd yet normal direction. All he wanted to do was what he was paid and expected to do throughout the day. Vincent was here to make sure everyone stayed as safe as humanly possible, especially the students. Teachers came in second as they were more than capable of taking care of themselves and each other. The students were the high risk cases, especially the ones with highly volatile and unstable powers. Stressful situations could bring about consequences of epic proportions in some of the students here and that had to be avoided at all costs.

Letting the good doctor ramble on once again, Vincent half listened as he watched all the slight body movements Clarisse made. It was a habit and one hard to break. Vincent may have left the army, but he would always be a soldier and nothing would or could ever change that fact. Clarisse was relaxing some the more time she seemed to spend around Vincent, but something was still making her nervous and upset. As for what could be bothering her, it was anyone's guess. It could be something personal or even something professional here at the school. Then again, it could even be something personal here with someone at the school. Relationships between coworkers was common and there was certainly plenty of people to become enamored with at Hammel. It seemed several of the teachers here were involved with one another in some form or fashion and while Vincent frowned upon this himself, there wasn't anything official against it in the employment policies. Dating in the workplace only led to trouble in Vincent's eyes and it compromised one's ability to competently defend the campus if need be. How could one choose between protecting the children or protecting their loved one when the inevitable attack hit Hammel?

Vincent snapped back to full attention when Clarisse mentioned going through his files more extensively. Personal files were off limits unless properly authorized and while Clarisse had the clearance to dig deeper than most, it still put Vincent on guard. Medical files were off limits to even Vincent, considering the doctor/patient confidentiality law, but in the same manner, some things were off limits to Clarisse. Leaning forward this time, Vincent cleared his throat and fell into a more professional mode. "I'll have my medical file copied and sent over to you doctor, but I'm afraid that's all I can give you access to at the current moment. Most of my file is for Claude's eyes only, which I still don't know how he managed to pull off," he said with a shrug and a small chuckle as he stood slowly, offering his hand to Clarisse. "I usually make my evening rounds around five o'clock or so if you need me. You can find me out in the courtyard usually," he said with a wink.

(sorry its so horrible, but its all the muse I could rustle up.)

[Clarisse Prideaux]

Secrets were not Clarisse’s specialty, but they were certainly a big part of her life. Truth be told, she was not surprised when Vincent suddenly became steely at the mention of his records. In retrospect she probably should have been clearer in explaining she only needed to know his medical history, but it was a little late for that. It wasn’t unlikely that Clarisse could get hold of his personal history, but why would she need to? Clarisse rarely used her influence at the Institute to its full extent. If she needed to snoop, she would, but if the occasion didn’t call she wasn’t going to butt into other people’s pasts. It wasn’t fair. At least as long as she kept her own past secret it wasn’t.


“I assure you, Mister Romanov, that you won’t need to do any copying of your medical file.” She gestured to a filing cabinet in the corner of her office. “I’m one of the heads of medical staff here. I already have access to it.” She explained, the returned his level gaze. “I can assure you that whatever it is making you uncomfortable about me reading into you will stay safely hidden.” Her smile broke over her face again, almost dreamily coating her features. “I understand the value of privacy, and I won’t need anything more than your medical records.” As Vincent moved to stand, Clarisse mirrored him, pushing herself delicately out of her chair and shaking his hand. “Courtyard it is.” She said softly, a blush blooming across her cheeks. She’d been caught off guard by his sudden return to a swaggering confidence, and the wink was enough to bring the light pink to her cheeks. “Enjoy your evening, Vincent.” She prompted, folding her hands in front of her. “We’ll speak again soon.”

(Oh please. It’s perfectly fine. :3 Apologies mine is so short.)