Lets Play Doctor {Ceri & Jean}

Rain. It fell from the sky in great sheets, obscuring the world in a thick fog of water. It was through this rain that Jean ran, his foot steps throwing up great spurts of liquid with every step. With each step his eyes whirled about him, taking in his surrounding as if he was some sort of stalked animal. And in a way he was, or so he thought. After all he and his would be companion had only recently escaped the death trap that had been Vatican City. Narrowly avoiding a fiery and untimely death that would have , with out a doubt sent them sight to hell. Even now, through the cloud of rain he could see the flames still burning high in the distance. The city of god was on fire, and it was as if god him self was weeping for what had been lost. Jean him self would have shed a tear for all the art that would and had been lost in the blaze, but he couldn't bring him self to feel remorse for the church that had ordered his grandfathers death. No, they preached that their god was all forgiving and all loving... But Jean knew the truth of the matter. Their god was a wrathful thing, jealous and petty unlike any mortal being.

Jean weaved through the warren of alleyways and back streets that made up Rome proper  , his every footstep taking him deeper into the squalor that hid beneath the gild that attracted so many to the city of conquerors. But Jean hardly noticed the filth that he passed, nor the crime or corruption that became all the more evident with each passing second. No, with a simple paper bag clutched to his chest he moved wanting to get in doors sooner rather then later. Knowing that while their enemies where more then likely busy with the burning of their city... That sooner or later they would eventually turn their eyes to those that had escaped the cleansing fire.

Still, he knew that he and the woman that e had rescued had some time before they had to move again. So as he approached the scummy little hotel that he had rented for the night he let his frantic foot steps slow and with a sigh he swung the door opened and moved quickly past the used and sickly looking woman that manned the front desk. She sat there, paying no mind on what was going on about her... Eyes locked on the television as she watched what he could only guess was the latest news out of that most holy of cities. JEan said not a thing as he rushed up the stairs, taking them nearly two at a time tell he reached his floor, near the top of the run down building.

His foot steps echoed down the almost silent hall and his shadow moved ever so slowly over the peeling paint. Shifting the bag into one arm he took out his room key and slowly opened the door. "I'm back." He said softly as he walked into their run down room. "I wasn't able to get much but..." He let out a soft sighs. "We really dont have any other options." Walking deeper into the room he set the bag with a soft thud onto the table. "Anything happen while I was out?" Small talk. He wasn't very good at it right then.

Wet. She was very, very wet. She was basically soaked to the bone, and it wasn't even the FUN kind of wet either which was rather... disappointing. Although.. was she even wet anymore? Was she dry? Was she even wearing any clothes? She wasn't even positive where she was right now except for the fact that it wasn't raining on her anymore. Ceri was in a weird state of consciousness, and not. It was probably the only reason she wasn't screaming out in pain, or completely unconscious. Lilith watched the girl from the back of her mind, lips tightened into a thin, disapproving line. The girl was letting questions fill her thoughts; Why was I even there? How am I going to work like this? How am I going to get back to London? Will my boss fire me for being unable to dance or bartend? Would it have made a difference if I hadn't been here at all? Endlessly they filled her dazed mind like the droplets on the window pane. Her lips twisted a little more as those little wings flapped in some frustration, sweat beading on both of their foreheads. One was from exertion, and the other was some subconscious mental fortitude that was keeping her awake and calm. Despite how all the questions came to her, she didn't care about any of them. Care to answer any of them right now.

The shining beacon of his Holiness was burning. The lives that had been lost, the destruction, the war that she had just participated in… She didn't give a damn about that either. We had to make a stand. They were closing in, and they would have eventually found you. Silence. Lilith frowned more as she walked forward and stared at the girl. Her golden curls lay in a damp heap on either side of her head, their normal shape lost. The normally bright blue eyes had dulled, rolling over to look at the window as the rain continued to beat down on the world. Would they have found her? She never did anything to strike against their God. She did what she had to in order to survive. When in the world had he ever been there for her? No… No she didn't care about the stupid war. They could have found Sareph. Her eyes closed for a moment as she turned her gaze towards the door. She thought she could hear thumping in the hotel. Though, that could be some couple going at it at the moment. They certainly will look moreso now. It was the first thing she had said since Jean had took them away from the burning beacon of a city, from when he had saved their lives.

Keys jingled in the door, and it soon opened. "I'm back." Ceri blinked slowly as if she were already doped up on some kind of drugs, forcing herself to give him a very weak smile. God it was getting harder to focus. "I wasn't able to get much but… We really dont have any other options." She licked her lips and winced as she tried to shift slightly and failed. Nope. There was no moving for her in the foreseeable future. Lilith took a deep breath, she was starting to lose her ability to keep Ceri in this strange in-between state, and she knew that the pain would start to take over. "Anything happen while I was out?" "No… nothing happened." She whispered, a hand reaching for the bag, pulling out the unlabeled pill bottle that was within it. Two little pills came tumbling out into her palm, immediately going down her gullet as she took a deep breath. "Its alright Jean. Thank you for finding someone that had it." She gazed at the ceiling for a moment before turning her head to look at him again, reaching a hand now towards him. "How were things out there?" She asked him, patting the bed beside her on the right side. She hadn't turned on the TV at all while she had laid there just… thinking. It was funny… he was probably now the only other person that she would feel comfortable and just alright in the current situation aside from he best friend who was so very far away at this point in time. She really should probably text her or call her or something to let her know where she was. Then again… ugh… this war shit made everything so complicated.

"No… nothing happened Well that was something at least, Jean for what ever reason had expected to walk in on yet another war zone. He knew that wasn't likely to happen... Given that those that would eventually enact their vengeance had their collective hands full dealing with the fall out of that evenings actions. Plus he had to admit, they or at least he him self had played little enough part in the attack, only killing two individuals the entire time he was their... One of which had been an ally of sorts. Still, he could only let out a sigh of relief when he saw that for the most part his damsel was still in one piece. You should not have been so kind to those that would harm wounded females! Jeans eyes narrowed some, but he could not help but agree with the Old Wolf. Maybe it was true that he lived in the past, but the thought of anyone hurting a woman was sure to set his blood a boil. Calm your self, we took care of him did we not? that they had... And the murder still weighed heavily on his soul. The man was an innocent, or as innocent as any man could be while they defended their home. And he had taken away that life with out a second thought, without hesitation. With out remorse.

It hardly mattered that now, well after the mans body had cooled, that he regretted the killing. He had let the rage over take him, the blood lust... And even hours after the salty taste of the mans blood still lingered on his lips. You did what you had to, do not weep over the nature of survival. Yet again Jean could not bring him self to respond, he was not an animal. He had chosen to kill while other options where available. Was he no better then a rabid beast? Where the reasons behind the killing enough to wash away the sin of it all? That wasn't for him to decide. "Its alright Jean. Thank you for finding someone that had it." His eyes refocused on the woman for whom he had darkened his soul and shook his head ever so slightly, as if to clear it of the cobwebs that had started to take up home there. "Eh, after yar in my work for a few years you get a nose for finding these sort of things. Naw finding someone who spoke English on the other hand? That was the trick"

"How were things out there?" Jean ignored her gesture and slowly walked to the window before drawing back the surprisingly clean curtains. "Is as well as ya can imagine. People be confused, cops are all over dah place and well... Its as if everyone out there is holding their breath for something worse to happen. Dun know what else there is ta say about it." His eyes looked off into the distance, and watched the pale tendrils of smoke rise up into the air. "Kinda surprised the fires still goin' ya would think the rain would ave' put it out already." With one final sigh he turned back to her and slowly walked closer before sitting on the bed. [color=pink]"But enough of that... We need to see to you."[color] A small smirk came over his lips and his almost bitter tone turned to something almost joking. "Otherwise ill never get that life time of free dances, and where would that leave me?"

It was a miracle that there weren't any forces that had followed them, or found them after the fact. It was a wonder that no one questioned why a couple of people, especially dressed as she was, were escaping the explosions and fire. How could she possibly ensure that this would not trace back to her once she went back to London? That Sareph and her would remain safe? You can't know for sure. Perhaps you should try moving again-- No. Ceri's eyes rolled down to her leg as she stared at it a moment, her lips grimacing as she could feel more of the pain seeping into the rest of her body. Lilith was letting go bit by bit while the drugs began to break down within her. No…. there was no way that they could stage a major move right now. If she stayed behind…. Maybe Sareph would have a chance. Shit…. she should call her… She hadn't told her best friend where she had been going, what she was going to get herself into. That…. she might not make it home. This war…. why had she really joined it? Yes, due to Lilith but…. was it more than that?

Her head turned again as she stared at the ceiling. Maybe it was more than that. Maybe she had wanted to actually rebel against the forces that had put her in the position she had been growing up. The whole "fuck the system" sort of thing. Maybe that was it… She didn't know now. DId it really matter now? No. It didn't matter in the least bit. What she did know for sure, was she was never doing anything like this again. She could not afford to. That was the bottom line. "Eh, after yar in my work for a few years you get a nose for finding these sort of things. Naw finding someone who spoke English on the other hand? That was the trick" She stared at him as he spoke to her, smirking with a light chuckle as she closed her eyes a moment. "Aye, that would be the trick…" They were in Rome after all. English may be a language that pervaded the world, but it still wasn't a first language here. And drug dealers? The likelihood of them speaking well was even less. Those blue depths opened, some of the brightness returning as she could feel the oxy pumping into her veins, seeping into her muscles and bones as Lilith let go entirely. She could tell the demon was much relieved, and now quite exhausted. Thank you. Hey, I can't have you dying on me. That would be SUCH a downer! Damn demons… You mean you'd have to find another host.

She blinked and furrowed her brows as he instead walked over to the window, her head lolling to the side so she could continue to watch him. Something… was weighing on him. Her mind was beginning to clear as the pain faded, but she knew the oxy may muddle her up all over again. "Is as well as ya can imagine. People be confused, cops are all over dah place and well... Its as if everyone out there is holding their breath for something worse to happen. Dun know what else there is ta say about it." Well…. the epicenter of their main religion DID just get blown to pieces. "Probably half expect the apocalypse at this point." She murmured quietly, sniffling as some water dripped down her face from her hair. "Kinda surprised the fires still goin' ya would think the rain would ave' put it out already." She chuckled softly and shrugged in the slightest, a thin smile twisting about her lips. "The fires of hell burn long… Or something like that. I might be talking out of my ass."

Wait a minute. She stared up at the ceiling as the smile faded entirely and a cold gripping settled into her stomach. She…. she was talking with him…. so easily. Like he was Sareph or something. Yes he had saved her life but…. no. No she didn't relax around anyone like this ever. The clench grew tighter in her stomach. "But enough of that... We need to see to you." She blinked and looked at him, "Otherwise ill never get that life time of free dances, and where would that leave me?" A little smirk passed across her lips, but in her mind she was reeling, that fear gnawing at her as her mind went into overdrive again. "A very sad man I should imagine. You ever done anything like this before sugar?" She asked him quietly, bringing a hand up to brush some locks of hair from her face. What was it about him? Why was she so scared about this? You're letting him in. Letting him see pieces of the real you. Darling you clung to him trembling after he killed that man to save you. You-- Shut up. Don't you DARE say another word. She didn't want to hear anything more that the demon had to say, and that fucking little chuckle that Lilith gave did nothing to help her. And yet to him it would have appeared as if nothing had changed in her demeanor, her expression, the look in her eyes. She would have been tired, in pain, and possibly a little sarcastic. What was she going to do now?

The smell in the air was simply disgusting. There was no other word for it, unless of course one was to use repugnant or horrendous. In fact any word that was meant to convey some sort of repulsion would have fit that nights stale, wet air just fine. If anything, any single word could not describe the putrid air that made its way to Jeans oh so sensitive nose. In a way though, he was glad that he was the only one that could smell the corruption that hung about the cities of man. It meant that the every day person could stroll down a city lane with out threat of impending doom, it meant that mothers could let their children play at a park with out worrying overly much about someone or worse something snatching them from their play ground, it meant that children could run, love, play and learn with out being in constant fear for their lives. But sometimes... Just sometimes Jean wished that others shared  his senses. He wished that others could understand the constant pain he was in. He wished that he had someone, anyone in which he could confide. And while he could sympathize with pain to some extent, he at times forgot that most people where just... People. And while some may have shared the space in their head with a demon, that did not mean they had a tolerance for pain anywhere near as great as his.

So as he looked at Ceri, the pain obvious in her eyes and in her smell Jean could only try to relate. He tried to understand that she was hurting, that she was worried, and that at her core she was feeling vulnerable, which even for the most stable of people was never a fun feeling. In the end though he failed. Why he didn't know and he found that he honestly didn't care. It could have had something to do with the coming of the full moon, or the fact that he was tired beyond belief. Maybe it had something to do with the guilt he felt over the murders he had committed. What ever it was it translated into a lack of empathy for this woman's pain and fear, and it made him not care about what was going on about them.  And while he kept the kind and concerned facade in place, Jean knew that sooner or later this sheep that he had saved would eventually see through his disguise and when she did, he knew that she would be afraid of him... And he wouldn't blame her. After all, who wouldn't be afraid of a monster?

"A very sad man I should imagine. You ever done anything like this before sugar?" Jean smiled then, and while he aimed for it to be something reassuring in the end it had far to much teeth for that. Far to much simple need. "Once'a twice hun' dont ya worry bout' a thing." His voice of course was soft, gentle even... But it still held an edge. "Naw, anything else ya need ta say before I get down to work here? This may take a'while and I doubt that ya will be in any mood ta talk after we get ya all patched up and a ready to go." His hands drifted down to her leg and with gentle fingers he began to explore the would, hardly touching it as he waited for her to speak. His feral eyes of course had moved from her and now focused, even in the dim light of the hotel room on her leg.

She was right though. For as pissed off as Ceri was at Lilith, it was because she was right. She was letting him see the hints of her that only Sareph ever got to see. Or… was she? Even right now she was hiding behind her mask, not letting him see what was REALLY going through her head. But as her blue eyes searched his face, she saw the exact same reflected back at her. A facade hiding the true face, the real person beneath. What in the world were they really afraid of? "Once'a twice hun' dont ya worry bout' a thing." She merely nodded once, catching onto that sharpness that hid beneath it all. It only sought to confirm what was already running through her head. If that were the case, then did he even really want to BE here? She was tired….

"Naw, anything else ya need ta say before I get down to work here? This may take a'while and I doubt that ya will be in any mood ta talk after we get ya all patched up and a ready to go." Ceri looked away from him to stare at the ceiling, the fake smile fading away as she let the mask melt into nothing. A very apathetic and almost bitchy-resting face was on her features now, a hardness taking over the normal softness that was her being because most men seemed to like women to be soft. When she turned her eyes on him, they may as well have been full of ice as opposed to that sparkling brightness they normally held. No masks right now. No false pretenses. "Why do we always hide Jean…." It wasn't a full question that was intended to get an answer, and yet it was just that. She sighed heavily as the Oxy wormed its way through her, muddling it all up as she could feel his hands begin to pry. Her lips twitched in discomfort, hissing as he hit more sensitive points. You are such an idiot. I said to shut your fucking whore mouth Lilith, I don't want to talk to you right now.

Ceri brought an arm to lay over her eyes as her body relaxed, groaning before muttering, "Sareph is going to kill me." Getting back to London was NOT going to be fun. And now she had to wonder… If she was letting him see the real her, would he do the same? She wasn't a charming person, in fact she was more prickly like shards of glass all arranged in a pretty fashion. It had to be the drugs. That had to be why she had said fuck it to the mask. Well… it was time to get the ouch started.

Jean would have noticed the change that suddenly over took Ceri if he had bothered to look up from his silent probing, but he didn't and honestly... If he had, Jean probably would not have cared so wrapped up was he in his own mind, and his own thoughts. In fact it was that uncaring attitude that would allow him to work with out flinching, seeing as his normal countenance was that of a chivalrous man and the one thing a truly chivalrous man did not do was cause a woman pain. If he had been of his normal mind, Jean would have hesitated at the very thought of what he was about to do. After all if he failed to set her knee correctly she would be for ever scarred, and it would be his fault for her handicap.  And while he was a person used to making tough choices, he was never one to decide the fate of others. He was not one to play god in such a way. Then again, what choice did they have? Taking Ceri to the hospital was paramount to suicide, as he was sure that the Templars would be watching those closely... He knew he would be, and while he at times doubted the intelligence of their organization he  did not doubt their competence.

With those same gentle fingers he started to work, but stopped short when Ceri spoke one last time. "Why do we always hide Jean…." Jean sat there for a moment then, contemplating the question as a man on death row contemplated his last meal. Now that was a question he often asked him self, but no matter how hard he tried he could only come up with one answer: He hid because thats what monsters did. He held no delusions about what he was, and though he thought that most others judged him and his kind unfairly he could not fault them for it. So with a voice devoid of inflection he spoke. "Well I dun know bout your girly, but I hide to avoid the lynching that would surely come mah way if i didn't." He looked up then and smiled as though it pained him to do so. "Afta all is not every day that you see living prof of what go's bump in the night ya know?" With that he looked back down and let his hands resume their work. "I am the next best thing to Frankenstein's monster, so it makes an odd sorta sense. Oh and you may wanna bite down on something love, dun want you losing that pretty lil tongue of yours."

With out any farther warning, and only waiting a few seconds after his last words he went to work. Quickly and almost expertly setting the bone and splinting the offending leg and knee as best he could with the supplies he was able to buy on such short notice. It was painful he was sure, even through the drug filled haze she was currently in. But what did pain matter as long as you lived through it? What ever didn't kill you made you stronger... Or so he kept on telling him self.

"Well I dun know bout your girly, but I hide to avoid the lynching that would surely come mah way if i didn't." Ceri let off a little scoff of air from beneath the arm of her eyes, a lynching eh? Her arm shifted slightly as she let a single eye peek out to meet his gaze, the blue seeming to shrink beneath how large the iris of her eyes was becoming. Or maybe it was her expression. Who knew. "Afta all is not every day that you see living prof of what go's bump in the night ya know?" An odd grin spread over her lips as she let out a loud scoff of a laugh. "We are what goes bump." The smirk faded to nothing as suddenly as it had arrived, "Both of us." She could hear a child crying in the back of her mind, a father slamming his fist into her small broken body. She saw the image of the demon that had approached her, and what she agreed to in exchange for living. She could see what the girl did to live, and the friend that she ran away from home with. But what remained was the reflection of that face of the child that stared blankly at the ceiling as she was abused, and how it remained on her face now.

Her arm slid away as she undid the leather collar around her neck and pressed it in her mouth, "I am the next best thing to Frankenstein's monster, so it makes an odd sorta sense. Oh and you may wanna bite down on something love, dun want you losing that pretty lil tongue of yours." Her jaw clenched as he went to work, no sounds coming from her as she just stared blankly at the ceiling at the pain in her leg. She reached a hand towards the child that she saw there, trying to touch fingers as sweat beaded on her brow. If he was Frankensteins monster, then what was she? Was she Coppelia? A dancing, smiling doll that you could play with any time you wished as long as you paid for that dance? Yes… She was just a doll wasn't she. Her arm lowered as her eyes shut tight against the pain, her breathing slightly erratic as he finished his motions and fixed her broken parts.

The room swirled as her blue gaze refocused on that shitty ceiling with its peeling paint and water marks, her mouth letting the collar fall away. There was no way she'd be wearing that one ever again. She panted as some of the pain lessened as whatever had been wronged was righted. "Then I guess we are both the results of our creators, huh? Thats fucked up." She murmured quietly, her head lolling to the side as she stared over at the window. "Thanks Jean." It was a sincere thanks despite the bitter tone that she had taken on before, and yet the edge hadn't left. Fuck… she forgot what a trip Oxy was...

Pain was one of the only constants in life, from the day you're born to the day you die you live a life full of it. The only other certainty that existence held was that each and every individual would eventually die and fade away. So what was the point in living if everything you strive to create will soon vanish after your death? Whats the point in struggling to survive? For each individual it was different, and while Jean could speak for no one but him self, at least he knew why he struggled through this thing called life. And when he finally took that final plunge into the void he knew he would be laughing as he did so, and if he managed to flip off a few devils on his way to oblivion well so much the better. In the end he would be happy when he died so long as he accomplished two things while he was still living. And no these thing was in no way altruistic, and was in fact fairly selfish. For one he wanted to kill the man that had ended his grandfathers life. He wanted this unknown man to know the same fear and pain that the old man had felt in those final moments. And when finally Jean stood over this man, his bloody heart in his hand and the taste of his blood on his lips... He could be happy. The second thing he wanted out of life was all together a much nicer thing, something that any man wanted when he reached his age: A family.

That of course was all together more difficult to accomplish, and while he had loved any number of women in his time none had ever truly loved him. How could they have? None but his own blood had truly known what sort of man he was. Others could only see his outer shell and while that was in fact part of who and what he was... It was but a small part of the greater whole. Underneath that civilized facade was a man who had killed, who to a point enjoyed killing and when he him self had difficulty coming to terms with and with him self... How could he expect others to accept him as he was? It was selfish to expect that of anyone, and while he never claimed to be a good person he could not put another living human being through such an ordeal. Life was hard enough with out him adding to it.

"Then I guess we are both the results of our creators, huh? Thats fucked up. Thanks Jean" He only grunted at that, as he finished up what little he had been able to do and packed away what was left of the materials he had bought. "Difference being love, I don't hate whats been done ta me. Can ya say the same?" That was not a total lie. With that he stood then and walked towards the door but as his hand touches the handle he pauses and glances over his shoulder. "Ill be back in the morning, but I don't think it will be safe ta move ya for a day or two. So try and get some sleep mkay?" His tone of course was somewhat dry, but he did try and smile one last time before he exited to room. He was not sure if he managed it or not.

EXIT THREAD