tampered | (no subject)

(no subject)

When; Feb 26th
Where; The Fountain (Cause I like making characters uncomfortable)
Rating; PG-13 (To be safe)
Characters; Cassian and anyone wanting to jump in
Summary; Cassian is confused, cold, and wet, won't you help?
Log;
There were many ways Cassian had woken up in his lifetime, but he was fairly certain none of them had ever been landing in water.
Sputtering, cursing, and dripping, he stood up and climbed out of what he realized was a fountain. A fountain in the middle of a city he had never seen before.

"...What the hell?"

He looked around, hoping to see something familiar or at least to see something that would tell him where he was. That was when he noticed the ticking. it was like a clock had been placed in his brain, a steady, maddening tick-tock.

"That's just great, something else to prove I'm insane."

He placed a hand to his temple hoping, in vain, that rubbing it would make the ticking stop. Not so much. Cassian really hoped he was having some really strange dream.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The gentle splatter of the fountain was normal enough… the sudden splash however was enough to draw the Commander’s attention. While he had been fortunate enough to at least have been able to arrive in this City in a more dignified fashion so many others seemed to be dropped unceremoniously into the fountain. From the spluttering and cursing that could be heard on his approach, it seemed likely this had happened again, unless someone had been unlucky enough to slip and fall in.
Either way Eagle went to investigate. He came upon a young man, dripping wet and muttering something about insanity.

“Hello,” Eagle said in a cheery tone without getting too close. If this man was new to the City there was no telling what state of mind he might be in. “Isn’t it a little chilly for a swim?”

Cassian turned towards the man, contemplating the use of sarcasm.

"I thought the water looked warm."

He crossed his arms, partly because he was starting to get defensive and partly because it really was cold.

"If I'd been offered a choice, I assure you water would not have broken my fall."

Of course, had it been his choice he wouldn't have 'fallen' at all.

At least this person hadn’t entirely lost their sense of humor through the drenching. His response made Eagle chuckle a little before he moved to be more helpful.

“You just arrived in the City then? The Welcome Center is nearby, I could show you how to get there so at least you would be out of the cold. They might even have a change of clothes for you… landing in the fountain is some what common.”

The Commander stepped slightly to one side indicating the building behind him as the ‘Welcome Center’ he had mentioned with the wave of a hand.

“May I ask, where did you come from?”

He wasn't really certain what to make of this man. His intentions seemed honest enough, but he couldn't be certain. However, he was feeling very cold and dry clothes were sounding pretty good right now.

Finally he nodded and steppedcloser to the guy and the building.

"Don't you usually ask a person's name before asking where they come from? I was in London."

“I should have of course. I hope you can forgive my rudeness. I assure you it is only due to the fact that I am so curious about where the City decides to pull people from.”

And to correct that oversight.

“I am Eagle Vision, a Commander from Autozam. It is very nice to meet you, … ”

He pauses here so the name can be filled in by his new companion.

"Cassian. And it's all right, it's not that big a deal. A commander, huh? It's nice to meet you."

He hadn't heard of 'Autozam' before, but he wasn't exactly the most worldly of people, so he didn't question it.

From the opposite spectrum Eagle of course knew that the city of London was located on the Earth.

“There are a lot of people here from the Earth, and a lot of those from London, I’m sure when you meet them that will make you feel more at ease.”

He turned then fully intending to led this young man to the warmth of that Welcome Center. There was no sense standing out here getting chilled.

“Do you remember what the date was when you were pulled away?”

"....1889" What did this guy mean, 'from Earth' weren't they on Earth? Despite his uncertainty he decided he to follow Eagle.

“1889? Then it would be one year after…”

But whatever that sentence might have meant was cut off when Eagle reached the door of the building and kindly opened it for Cassian to enter. He didn’t continue that line of thought once they were both inside.

“This is going to be a very strange place for you.”

As if the electric lights and central heating weren’t enough of a surprise, there was more!

“The City is a good deal more technologically advanced than your time.”

Cassian was intreagued by the unfinished sentence, but he wasn't one to pry into others secrets, so he let it drop.

He gratefully walked into the building, enjoying the heat that came with it.

"I'm sure I'll get used to it. It's just a matter of figuring it out."

Wherever he was now, he had no intention of going home, he had no reason to.

“You do seem a lot calmer now. You aren‘t bothered by being brought here?”

This asked before Eagle turns to the young lady behind the counter asking after any clothing that might be dryer and warmer than what Cassian was currently wearing. The girl for her part nodded and disappeared momentarily into the back room.

She reappeared with some dry things and a more suitable winter coat with the caveat that, “I’m not sure if these will fit but they look like they might be the right size.”

And of course since he wouldn’t be expected to change out in public, directions to the restroom were also provided.

Cassian accepted the clothing with a quick "thanks".

He left to change and came back moments later. The clothes fit alright, the shirt was a bit on the larger side, as was the Jacket, but he couldn't expect a good fit from borrowed clothing.

"No, being brought here really isn't an issue for me. I'm sure others would be interested in going home, but I don't share that intrest."

That was a bittersweet kind of response. It implied that this person didn’t have any reason to return to their world but on the other hand… maybe they could be happy here.

“I understand. Many people find more contentment here in the City than they did on their own world.”

Clearly this was not a shared feeling, as the Commander took a minute to look away before continuing.

“I’m not sure if anyone you know is in this City, but many people chose to live together as that helps lessen the ticking sound. And you should be careful of the curses. Random acts that can cause strange things to happen. They can bring statues to life or make you believe any number of things…”

Jezebel had been running errands in the Underground, mainly gathering ingredients together for another of his many experiments that he tried to keep the City's police force from ever learning of. He walked while glancing about every now and then, keeping his eyes peeled in case he were to accidentally encounter one of Cain's merry band of misfits.

When he spotted someone in the fountain, he would have normally made nothing of it...but that particular shade of hair was familiar to him, and for a moment he remembered the way it draped around Cassandra's sneering face.

He stopped to look at the figure in the fountain, wondering... "Cassian?"

He hadn't been paying attention. If he had, maybe he would have spotted him sooner. Hearing his name surprised him, who here would know his name?

"Jezebel."

It was unmistakable, all of the details were there, the hair, the purple eyes, everything. It was him.

But if jezebel was here then this place was clearly a dream, the doctor was dead.

It was him. Good God, it really was him. For a moment, Jezebel stood there, simply gaping. The only people he'd seen from his own world in the City had been enemies; he hadn't even considered that he might actually see someone he knew that he didn't dislike.

"So it is you," he said, stepping closer, looking to make sure his eyes did not deceive him. The truth was that he was happy to see Cassian, but he kept his voice calm. "You must be cold, falling into the water on a night like this."

He had to fight very hard not to reach out and touch him, make sure this really wasn't a dream, but the fear of it acctually being a dream stopped him.

"Yeah. It really is...I mean, this isn't..."

Inarticulate wasn't what he was trying to be.

"It is pretty cold."

He had to fight back a small, affectionate smile at Cassian. It was strange to see the other man stuck on his words, rather than unleashing a biting retort. Jezebel wrote it off as merely the shock of arriving in the City, as well as from seeing each other for the first time in a long while...the last time he'd laid eyes on the other man, it had been a passing glimpse in a crowded train station.

"Follow me," he said, still trying to hide the pleasant surprise in his voice. "You'd better get inside before you turn blue out here."

Cassian had been around the doctor long enough to tell he was happier than he was letting on. However, he was starting to get the feeling that, some how, Jezebel didn't understand his shock.

Had the younger man forgot the events at Delilah's tower or was it something else? He'd figure it out eventually, right now he was just content with knowing Jezebel was here in front of him.

"How long have you been here, doctor?"

"Here in the City?" Jezebel asked, quickly tallying the months in his head as he led Cassian towards his dwellings; so far he'd been good about keeping where he lived hidden from anyone who might try to come after him. But this was Cassian, whom he'd trusted with his life in the past. "Eight months, I believe. Though it often feels interminably longer."

"Eight months..."

That was a long time, but he didn't trust time lines right now.

"What...what's the last thing you remember? From before you came here, I mean."

No matter what the answer was, he wasn't going to leave the doctors side, not when he, seemingly, had a second chance.

Jezebel blinked, curious as to why Cassian was asking. He knew that time outside the City must work strangely, considering how Cain and Riff seemed to not remember many events from just before Jezebel's arrival. Which begged the question of when Cassian had arrived.

"The last thing I remember...I went to visit Mikaela. She'd been injured and was taken by Cain and his little band of misfits, and told he if she wanted to heal herself she'd need more blood. After that, I left her be and somehow wound up here."

He let out a breath of air he didn't realize he'd been holding.

The combination of relief and dread were a bit overwhelming. Somehow Jezebel wasn't dead in his time-line, everything Cassian had gone through didn't exist for the doctor; but would he tell him?

No, he couldn't, it wouldn't help anything.

"All right."

For some reason he felt a lot better with the answer. He really did have a second chance to protect Jezebel.

"Would you like me to carry that for you?" He motioned to the things the doctor had gotten earlier.

Jezebel didn't question Cassian further, but he did get the sense that there was something that he wasn't telling him. Perhaps he would press him for an answer later, but he didn't want to when he'd only just found the other man again for the first time since he'd awoken from surgery.

"I'll be fine," Jezebel said before nodding towards one of the residence buildings. "It's just in here."

Cassian nodded and followed the doctor inside. whether the other man ever found out or not, Cassian wasn't going to loose his second chance. He'd stay with Jezebel as long as he'd have him.

"Are we the only ones here? Cassandra's not here, is he?"

Of all the people who could be in this city too, that would be the worst one.