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

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael slowly opened his eyes, tiny droplets of rain falling from his lashes. He saw the man standing at a distance and for a moment his entire body stiffened, drenched wings snapping back in "fight-or-flight". Instead of looking intimidating however, another shiver just made him look as miserable as he felt. The bunny, sensing the Archangel's unease, shifted in his arms, bringing Raphael's compassionate instincts to the surface.

He slowly rose to his feet, careful not to do anything that would be considered threatening. Not that he was much of a threat with his presence as weak as it was, but that bit of information may not be as obvious to some beings.

"Excuse me..." He gritted his teeth, failing miserably at surpressing his shivering. "Could I get a dry blanket and maybe a carrot?" The poor bunny needed some food and something dry and warm. 

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"Excuse me", Joe said perplexed as he heard the request. Had the man just asked for a carrot? He seemed weak, possibly hurt - seemingly confused. Joe kept a hand on his weapon just in case.

"Are you injured, sir?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice. "Here, why don't you come inside. It's certainly dryer there."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

He seemed a bit uncertain, but the bunny in his arms needed to be somewhere dry. He gave a nod and slowly moved across the lawn. When he was close to the man the bunny poked its head out of the sopping makeshift blanket and sniffed curiously, droplets of water glittering on its wet fur. Its eyes shone in the flickering night.

"Are you sure it's alright?" Raphael didn't want to impose and he was well aware of how he must appear- wet, bloody, clothes torn and huge draping wings soaked with rainwater. It wasn't the sort of thing most people liked having in their building. Still, despite his uncertainty, he did want to go inside. It felt safe, and even though he couldn't explain why that was so, he still wanted to seek refuge beneath it.

He suddenly sensed the weapon (a gun, perhaps? He couldn't tell, his senses were fuzzy and clouded, like murky water in a pond) and stiffened again. "I have a very scary attack bunny," he said, hoping he sounded convincing. The shivering didn't help and the places where the demon had sliced into him throbbed and slowly oozed with blood, still not yet healed and probably getting infected now. If the man decided he was a threat and shot him, Raphael could do nothing but lay there and bleed to discorporation. "I... I'm not going to hurt anyone," he finally said, shivering pathetically as if in proof of his words. "I just- I just need something for the bunny. He's- he's cold and wet and... and... I can't do anything more to help him."

He looked at the man hopefully and he couldn't remember a time when he felt so desperate.

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

The man - being - was injured. He was also soaked through, shivering and carrying a bunny that was no less soaked.

Joe let go of his gun, in one fast motion hooked the handle of his cane over his wrist and held on to the railing instead for balance and support before reaching out with his other hand to offer the stranger and his bunny a hand up the steps.

"Don't worry. It'll be okay. Come inside - we'll get the bunny dried off and I'll call you a doctor."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael couldn't help but smile at the man's kindness. He took the offered hand, moving painfully up the slick steps and hating himself for being so weak... His wet wings were heavy on his back, leaving him feeling off-balanced (feathers, it seemed, retained water like a sponge...) He kept his hold on the bunny, who was wriggling from his grip to sniff its little nose at the man.

"A doctor cannot help me," he admitted, his words sounding foreign to his ears. "I am an angel." Did he even have a right to call himself that anymore? He was supposed to be the Archangel of Healing. The man helping him had a cane and he could sense physical problems in the legs. If he had the power he would heal him completely -he wanted to help, he wanted to help... and yet...

He hears screaming and fear fills the room like a thick fog. A gunshot fires and there is silence... only silence...

he's dead he's dead he's dead he killed himself

...He took his own life and he couldn't stop it, he couldn't... couldn't...

Another violent shiver snapped him back to the present. He turned to the man, a human who could have easily ignored him, let him slowly discorporate. What reason would a human have to help an injured angel after all?"Thank you," he said hoarsely, feeling inadequate for not being able to truly express his gratefulness. He ruffled his wings, rainwater streaming from soaked feathers.

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Oh really? Joe thought sarcastically. I never would have guessed, what with the wings and all.

Out loud he said: "You're also injured. But come in first. Let's discuss dictors later."

It wasn't that the angel seemed to be in any shape to resist anyway.

Joe took his cane again as he pushed open the door and held it for the other to go in first. He'd take him to the bar and sit him down first, then go grad some towels for angel and bunny to dry off a bit. Mary Hodges hopefully wouldn't mind if he took hotel supplies for a good cause.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

As an angel, Raphael was drawn to people. The kindness radiating from this one warmed him inside, as if standing before a campfire. He purred slightly. Detecting the sarcasm, his shy smile became an amused smirk. Well, it was nice to meet a human with a good sense of humor.

The moment he stepped into the building the soft thrum of safe safe safe became a tidalwave, surging through him so strongly it made his soaked feathers ruffle. Freeing a hand from the bunny he held the door open for the man. "What is this place?" he finally asked.

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe went in, closed the door and then led the Angel towards the bar as he replied. "A hotel," he said. "It seems to attract the likes of you. Angels, I mean. I'm told there are a few of you here."

He stopped to unlock the door to his bar and opened it, went in and took down two chairs from a table.

"Here," he said. "Sit down. I'll get you something to dry off with."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

He obeyed, trying to be careful not to tread too much water on the slick linoleum. He clutched the confused bunny tightly, surpressing another violent shiver which sent flecks of raindrops flying. Blood smeared where his back touched the high countertop as he slid onto a stood.

"Can- can we help the bunny first?" he asked. He curled his wings around, shining beneath the artificial lighting.

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe noted the blood with some concern, but he went to get a few towels.

When he came back, he sat across from the man and handed him two, keeping a third one himself. "Here," he said. "Dry off a bit. If you let me have the bunny for a moment, I'll try to rub it dry."

He held out his hands for the animal. "By the way, my name is Joe Dawson. I run this bar."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

He carefully passed the bunny over to the man's waiting arms. The bunny, now close enough to really get a good scent, nuzzled the man's fuzzy cheek with its little nose, sniffing along his jaw curiously.

"I'm Raphael," he said, bringing a wing around to dry with the towel. "And that's Fella," he added, motioning towards the bunny. He frowned at the poor condition of his wings, sliced up just as bad as his body was. "Erm, I might stain your towels," he said quietly. "I was... uhm, attacked..."

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"We'll wash the towels," Joe said as he started to gently rub the bunny dry. "And I think we really should call you a doctor. Those cuts should be disinfected properly, and I don't think stitches would be a bad idea either."

I'm think we should start a new reply thread after this one, its getting skinny :3

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael gave another smile, grateful that he wasn't probed for questions. Come to think of it, the man didn't seem fazed in the least to hear he was an angel. Didn't he say there were others here? Je considered extending his aura to see if he could sense who else lived here, but decided it wouldn't be very nice if he passed out on the bar floor. He could always find out later, if...

"So... So people stay here?" he asked. "Like a hotel?" He wondered what he would have to do to stay here as well, it felt so safe somehow... "How did you come about this place?" He started towelling his wing, twitching a bit in pain when he dug his fingers in to dry them. The firey feathers seemed to hang there miserably, jutting in every direction and covered in so much blood it was difficult to distinguish between the fire-color and the deep crimson.