To Love A River

After the deal was struck, Love was surprised when Ezra simply left through the door confidently - Although she thought that perhaps she shouldn't be surprised by anything this strange vampire did. 

Shaking her head slightly she fell back onto the bed feeling drained. The eventful interaction had not only left her with a lot of new questions that lay within a past that she had hoped she would never have to face, but she was also now tasked with infiltrating a notorious and potentially dangerous military unit. 

In this windowless room and without a communicator Love was unsure as to the time of day, but guessed it was the early hours of the morning. Groaning slightly she decided to do a little training before washing up in preparation for whatever test she may face from the Helsing Captain. 

Stepping out of the bath that was now free of glass, Love stood in front of the small bathroom mirror and swiped a hand across it to remove the condensation, and then froze. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the changes to her appearance. The last 24 hours had been a whirlwind of changes that she had not had the chance to fully digest the changes that she herself had gone through.

Love vaguely remembered the painful sensation of burning inside and out. Upon waking she had also realised that her voice sounded a little different to her ears, but her attention had been pulled elsewhere. She had also registered that her eyesight had improved somewhat, but this was not particularly noticeable at first, that was until she'd realised that she could see in the dark, clearly and vividly. But once again her attention was pulled elsewhere. 

Now however, she was able to inspect every minor change to her appearance.

Both the poor and somewhat toxic air of the outskirts and the insufficient diet had always given Love an unhealthy pallor to her skin, along with brittle nails and dull nutrient deficient hair. Even the meal she had been served in her room the last evening was similar to what she would usually receive in the outskirts. A grey porridge-like substance alongside a military grade food pill.

The food pills were a futile attempt to deliver all of the main nutrients needed for the human body to function healthily. But the artificiality of the small pills failed to deliver what a balanced diet of real fruit, vegetables and red meat would have provided. 

Love flexed her hands which now ended in smooth rounded fingernails with perfect cuticles and ran them over her skin. After many years of training and tumultuous early years of abuse within several undesirable foster homes, her skin had been marked with the trials of her past and present. But now she marvelled at the smooth imperfection of her ivory skin. Every scar, burn and callous had disappeared as if her body had become a new, blank slate. 

Her face also had undergone some minor alterations. Love had always been attractive but never strikingly so, due to her pallid skin and almost lightless grey eyes. Now her complexion was healthy and vibrant, her fair skin contrasting in an enchanting way against her delicate black eyebrows and raven hair. Her hair had also become healthy and seemed a little thicker and longer, falling like a dark curtain down to the middle of her back.

But it was her eyes that had caught her attention when she had first swiped her hand across the mirror. They were no longer a dull grey, and instead sparked with life, seeming to ebb and flow with the appearance of liquid mercury. They reflected back the fluorescent lights of the bathroom like two shining orbs of silver, framed by thick black lashes. 

She was unsure how to feel about this odd metamorphosis. It felt equal parts rejuvenating, as though she had a second chance at life, and eerily unsettling. 

Nervously she lifted her lips to inspect her teeth, remembering Ezra's pointed incisors with slight repulsion, sighing in relief when she saw nothing but straight white teeth. 

Pulling herself away from the mirror Love dressed in a slight daze, still unsure whether she should be feeling elated or freaked out at the changes to herself, both inside and out. She felt as though she needed time to digest all of the new developments and to fully test herself physically in order to absorb the enhancements to her physique into her fighting styles. 

However, once again Love's thoughts were interrupted, this one in the form of a shrill alarm at the door. The stoic and expressionless forms of Quinn and Anna in their black uniforms, faces half-covered with the trademark filtration masks, appeared on the small holographic screen above the doorlock, waiting patiently to lead Love down to the training hall. 

Love tied back her long hair and fixed her own mask in place, not through necessity in the clean air of the Helsing compound, but more so to hide her face. She had always felt more comfortable when her expression was hidden and with her new appearance, she did not wish to draw any further attention than necessary. 

Rolling her shoulders and taking a steadying breath, Love pressed the button to talk in order to let the guards know that she was ready. It was time for the Helsing Unit entrance test. 

**