Raphael is drawn to the Safe House

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Time: April 27, around two AM
Place: on the front lawn of the Manor
Status: PUBLIC (anyone up at 2AM who wants to find him catching his discorporation out there)
Summary: A tired and weary Archangel discovers the Manor



Thunder cracked above him, splitting the night in two as the sky wept its cold tears on a dark world. His wings dragged pathetically behind him in jagged streams, the firey feathers jutted in irregular directions. The steady rain had long since washed away the blood smudged on his skin and face, but it still stained his torn clothes in cruel hash marks. His braid was partially undone, the wind catching the crimson strands and whipping it across his face like blood sliced across pale skin; a cruel reminder of what he had escaped from.

Raphael closed his arms around the bunny held protectively against his chest, its dark grey fur touched with blood that was not its own. The Archangel had taken off his labcoat and wrapped it around the miserable creature in an attempt to keep it warm, but the rain had soaked through the once-white fabric rather quickly. By the time Archangel and bunny reached Lower Tadfield it was about two in the morning and both were soaked all the way through, cold and shivering. Still, Raphael kept on, feeling drawn by an unknown force that seemed to tug at his weakened aura.

That force seemed to grow in intensity the further into town he moved. The moment he stepped down a pathway that lead to the front of a large beautifully-designed building it was as if he had stepped through an invisible wall... The rain still fell steadily but he had this strong surge of safe safe safe thrumming through his wrangled body. The relief was so overwhelming it dropped him to his knees, the wet ground shifting beneath his weight. You're safe... You're safe now...

He let out a sigh he hadn't realized he had been holding, curling heavy wet wings around him. The manor looked very elegant, perhaps a resort for the financially well-off. He wondered if he could stay here for awhile, or perhaps maybe just for the night so he could rest his aching body after trudging in the rain for eight hours.

If nothing else, maybe someone would be willing to take the poor bunny from him, perhaps give it a nice meal and a dry blanket.

He closed his eyes, tightening his hold as he surpressed another bout of shivering, and just enjoyed the feeling of being truly safe for the first time since he left Heaven.


((•))

Comments

[kristallprinz.livejournal.com]

The girl had probably seen nothing he had to remove from her memory. Better not to let her see anything like that either...

"Why don't you go help with the bar?" he asked, hoping it looked bad enough to warrant two people setting it in order."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael stirred a bit, trying to slide his crunched wings out from beneath his back. He could slightly sense that someone -Joe?- had left and felt a pang of sadness. I didn't get to thank him! He also sensed the man that asked to be taken home, which meant despite channelling every bit of energy he had, the teleport hadn't worked. He would have apologized if he'd had the strength to speak.

In a dimly-conscious part of his mind still desperately trying to stay afloat in the muck within his mind, he was still reliving the events of the previous day. There was still a bitter young man waving a gun, there was a Hellbeast nearly fatally wounding him. There was a shot fired and blood and death... He whimpered weakly, his chest aching for that poor boy that lost his sister and felt he had nothing else to live for.

"She was all I had!"

"I'm through listening to what you have to say!"

...There is blood... So much blood and death and he took his own life...!

He's dead he's dead he's dead...

"Doctor?"

"...Archangel of Healing..."

"...of Healing..."

"Healing..."

He abruptly turned over and vomitted over the side of the bed, his whole insides feeling as if it tried to squeeze through his raw throat. Nothing really came out (how long had it been since he'd eaten?) but it left him gasping for air that soon lead to tears and finally wracking sobs that seemed to tear through his weakened form.

He took his own life!

He destroyed himself!

He...

What could he do now? What good could he be to anyone?

[kristallprinz.livejournal.com]

The being - Raphael, it called itself, was coming to again.

He watched the man twist so the side and retch, though luckily he didn't make much of a mess. I would've bet the man who was busy bandaging his wounds would've been delighted if he'd been vomeited on.

Sitting on the edge of the bed - he'd have to get himself another dressing gown, this one was getting bloody -, he gently put a hand on Raphael's shoulder, hoping the gesture would be understood to be soothing rather than threatening. He had not dealt with this species before, knew nothing of its habits. But when gravely injured, most beings respondet well to comfort.

"Don't get upset again," he suggested, speaking English for the benefit of the other man. "You're save with us."

He wasn't sure what the other man would think of being included in an "us" with him, but he frankly didn't care. And he'd certainly not let any harm come to the one person who would be able to get him back home once he had recovered enough to think straight. He must have come here somehow after all!

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

He coughed a little, opening bleary eyes at the beings still in the room with him. He offered a grateful smile, wings finally freed and drooping haphazardly over the edge of the bed he was on. One of them -the white haired one- had angry scars marked on his stomach, peeking out the opening in his robe.

scars caused by a knife or evil claws raking through skin or death death death coming-

"How'd 'ou 'et those scars?" he slurred, grimacing as if he were feeling the pain of them himself. He reached for one of the water bottles, just barely out of his ability to grasp. His cheeks burned in embarrassment at being so darned helpless.

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

Raphael really didn't seem to be well. Not well at all. She hoped, Mr von Arcon knew what he did. But Mr Dawson most probably could use the help cleaning. She hadn't forgotten the fact that he'd have problems sweeping the floor.

"Alright, sir."

And she went to help Joe clean up the bar. She'd have to clean the hallway as well, and the stairs, and the lobby. So much blood. I hope Raphael gets well again.

[kristallprinz.livejournal.com]

Atlan reached for a bottle and a cup, filled the latter with water and held it up to Raphael's lips.

"Surgery," he said. "They're not nearly as bad as they look."

He did not tell him that they were reminders of all the times he'd swallowed his cell activator to keep it from being stolen or forcefully taken from him.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

He slowly sipped the cool water, vaguely tasting the remaining blood in his throat. He finished what was in the cup and nodded gratefully, still curious about those scars. Surgical scars were not that harsh, they had to have been from an emergency operation. Raphael swallowed the lump in his throat (or maybe it was a chunk of dried blood...) as he remembered multiple times at the battlefields of Earth ripping open a man's chest to removed a poisoned arrow head or an explosive hidden within a kamikaze or a bullet lodged in the spine or lungs blocking air...

Why were humans destructive?
Why did they insist upon destroying themselves and each other...?

He wiped his damp cheek, smudging it with blood. " 'm so'y for the t'ouble," he rasped.

[kristallprinz.livejournal.com]

Atlan put aside the cup and reached for one of the towels someone had thoughtfully deposited here.

He poured some water onto it, then set about cleaning the blood from Raphael's face. He certainly wasn't going to wash his hair for him - he'd have to do that on his own once he felt better, unless the other man felt like playing his nurse - but making sure he no longer looked like he was just in the process of being slaughtered by them was probably a good idea - in particular since the door was still wide open.

"It's okay," he assured Raphael. "Don't worry. We can handle this."

This'll be my last Raphael post here, let me know when you're all done and I'll tag it Complete :3

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

His wings rustled slightly and he let himself sink back into the pillows, a wave of exhaustion taking him. By the time he woke up he should be stronger, but so much was unpredictible right now, so much he couldn't depend on anymore. Like his senses telling him a demon was hiding behind his desk to take him down. Or the distressed young man entering his office with a gun.

So much would be different now and he knew it, he knew it. And for how long? How long? How long would it be before he could have his full powers back? How long before his presence was at full strength? That was what he missed the most, his connection to the Divine Presence. He knew in Faith he had not Fallen, but sometimes his Faith was as weak as he was. One thing was for sure, he needed a job. He couldn't just sit around hiding all day and he didn't want to return to the medical field. He couldn't...

Letting out a sigh he closed his eyes, whispering thank you once again to those who could hear him. Oh how grateful he was. He'd make sure he repayed them all somehow. Until then, he'd rest and shower and figure out what to do from there.

Right now, he just wanted to sleep. And with the low thrum of safe safe safe lulling through him he did.

Re: This'll be my last Raphael post here, let me know when you're all done and I'll tag it Complete

[kristallprinz.livejournal.com]

Atlan gave the other man a hand tidying up both the sleeping Raphael and the room. Someone would have to find Raphael something else to wear when he woke, he mused. When they were done, he pulled a blanket over the sleeping form and motioned towards to the door.

Re: This'll be my last Raphael post here, let me know when you're all done and I'll tag it Complete

[mcleod1592.livejournal.com]

Duncan reacted on the white-haired man's indication. They stepped outside and silently closed the door behind them.

"Now willyou tell me what all that was about?" Duncan bristled the moment the door had closed.

Like now?

[kristallprinz.livejournal.com]

Atlan answered nothing for a long moment. He was fiddling with his "watch" instead. Fianlly he sighed.

"Walk with me," he said. "We'll talk outside. I need some air."