The Abbey

[Boo Ghostie]

"A pleasure ta' meet ya' sir Francois! I am Flynn, with a preference towards a first name basis." Flynn responded in kind with a bow of his own, one that clearly defined his urchin heritage. Whilst also patting Roland's shoulder, "And this here is Sir Roland Lehrer, a knight of... I've no idea the name of our country, but I do not think it really matters at this point."

Roland stoically nodded at Flynn's introduction. All while performing a more regal bow as opposed to Flynn's attempts at proper manners. A man of few words indeed.

"Aye," The bounty hunter piped up, "Best we get movin' soon. Don't want to burn the little daylight we have around here."

[black379]

Adeney engrossed himself with refitting his gloves onto his fingers. He glowered at Duval from the edge of his vision as the man spewed a string of curses. Whether the girl had died or not, Adeney should've known about her troubles. Worse than he had thought, if she tried to kill herself so horrendously.

"No. It was right that you told me." The doctor scoffed as he looked up to Duval once more. He shuffled after him and placed a firm hand on the man's shoulder, for only a moment, as if to turn him back around. "But, you must know she was better than that. You can do me a favor by remembering her well."

His pointed mask drooped downward. "She will have a gravestone."

[relentless]

Duval did not resist the tug, moving around willingly to meet him face to face. He nodded along, a shamed expression put on his face for him to see.
"Aye... aye. She was a good kid, patched me up once as well after having a hole in my shoulder when some psycho gal went for me in a 'not so nice' way."
He tapped his right shoulder, his finger prodding at fist sized circular scar indented in his shoulder, the wool pushing inward for a moment before he let go. He gave Adeney's right shoulder a hand to hold, holding his other shoulder as Adeney held his own, nodding at him with a smile.

"I promise I won't forget her, words as honest as can be Adeney."
Duval sternly affirmed with another nod to cement his statement, taking a long moment before he gave him another nudge on the shoulder with a balled up fist to disengage, though it was with gentle manly grace.
"Well, I'm sure you have places to be Adeney? Saving people and what not? I'm sure you're a busy man as I..."
He slowly turned around, eyeing the baths behind him with a rather tasteful wide eyed gaze before he turned around to Adeney with a shrug and smirk.
"-Just as I am! Y'know, being the... errrrm... Darkest Wardens personal bodyguard!"
He pipped up with a chuckle, and a lie as he shrugged at him.

[black379]

Adeney took a step back as he was nudged. Though Duval may not have meant to, he was easily pushed around. He nodded and turned himself away so that the man could disrobe and bathe.

“I’m going to see her.” The doctor stated plainly as he interlocked his fingers. “And sort out her things. She has... had a hideaway in the sanitarium’s basement.”

[relentless]

Duval nodded to him, and waved him goodbye.
"Good health to you Adeney!"
Duval said, before he disappeared around the corner and promptly pressed his back against the wall out of sight from Adeney. The man ran his hands down his face, moisture running partially across his skin as he composed himself.

With a deep breath, he emerged, walking toward the furthest bath ahead.
"Oh, and I pray we meet again, on more delightful terms."
Duval voiced out, giving him a blank state at the back of hi head before turning around, and beginning to unbutton his overcoat.

[black379]

[The doctor nodded, excused himself, and left for the sanitarium]

[Outisakanobody]

"Well then." Ignis says, not doing much to alleviate the growing awkward silence. She wasn't used to having to carry conversions like this.

[Kidney]

Suddenly, Tod could feel it. Awkwardness. It grew like a weed in his peaceful mind-garden, and the idea of a mindweed was paralyzingly horrific in nature. But, he controlled himself, and with a slight cough, he began his next sentence. "So, where did you learn how to be a doctor?"

He spoke with the same sincerity as before, but this time, he was a considerable bit more, as this sort of intriguing conversation was one he had performed with another doctor, one who had thankfully saved his life. It bore a sentimental value, to ask these kinds of things.

[Outisakanobody]

"I never had any formal training. I picked mostly everything up from my father, his colleagues, and individual research." Ignis says, not seeming to have much emotion behind the topic of her schooling.

[Kidney]

Tod nodded, understanding. "Hmm, nice!"

He smiled, rubbing his hands together, "Did you look at medical procedures as they happened to learn? Or was it a sort of teacher-student idea, in your home?"

[relentless]

Alone at last, with his own person at hand, the faint aroma of bath salts, lotions and other exotic imports providing a high living sense to the room. Duval was more than relieved that Adeney had departed, and after such a troubling set of events, Duval was certain he needed a good, clean wash. To think that Silvant had died so recently, someone so innocent, and so academically skilled taken away just like that... it was a travesty, really. And Duval couldn't help but feel a partial form of guilt in his gut, since he never really apologized to her personally about startling her to such an extent.

He stood over one of the four pools situated in the establishment, the calmness of the water, the serenity of the waves lapsing over each other. It was unusually peaceful. Awash with calm, Duval began to unpluck the buttons from his overcoat, eventually the wool coat came loose and he folded it over his forearm. He took another long look at the waters, a pleased smile forming on his face as he admired the soothing blue.

But then a hum, and whisper sang to him. One, or two feminine voice called out to him from the waters. The tone was obscured, and the source unknown from beneath the pools depths. Though a chill would run across Duvals spine, and he would seem stiff. He stared wide eyed, hands shaking and lip curling into a foul snarl of worry and horror. The voices grew more pronounced, the allure was strong, and it sang a certain song.

"More..."

One word was enough to send his body into some form of paralytic shock from where he stood, a choking sound permitted from his throat, one of inner turmoil and affliction as the veins of blood began to grow and spread upon his eyeballs. A light sensation of pale began to replace his sun-kissed glow upon his skin, and his entire body quaked with fear, but only slight as if he were locked in place like a statue.

Then, the water began to boil with no audible sound permitting from them. A light smoke seemed to steam from the pool. A shape, was beginning to form. Duval fought with every ounce of willpower in his body, his muscles tensing to the point of cramping extensively, his teeth bared, gritting hard against each other. But it was no use. His body was stuck in the mud, with no ability to move in protest. In ten uneasy seconds which felt like an hour, a human shape was rising from the pool, simply forming into reality as she rose from beneath the water. No skin was apparent on the womans body, only the true naked form of muscle, tendons and ligaments portrayed in all their red and light pink glory. Though something was amiss, and it was the head. Not a human head, but one of a vultures.

"Have some wine love..."
The vulture-woman suggested teasingly, lurching forward ever-so-scandalously, crawling on the waters surface with beady, bird eyes glancing up from its skull. Incoherent words left Duvals mouth, his eyes had become bloodshot with terror as a living nightmare seemed to approach him. His drive to take his flintlock out was building, and he could feel his muscles starting to cooperate. The woman lurched close, beak pressing against Duvals belt whilst those black eyes stared up at him.

"You're too tense."
The woman finally said, its beak opening as she fiddled with Duvals belt buckle, but finally would Duval let out a horrified yell of masculine tone; backing away fast and almost falling into the pool behind me. With dexterous movement, he grabbed his flintlock with deft precision and pointed it in the direction of the bird. Yet... another confusing turn of events occured. She was gone, the water was still calm, and the only difference was that Duvals overcoat was thrown to the floor. His hand shook as he pointed the flintlock at the same spot, as if he expected her to emerge from the air.
"F-fuck this!"
Duval managed to croak out from his mouth, walking fast to his overcoat before he made his way toward the exit of the bathouse, sweat lining his forehead and a lingering paranoia apparent in his eyes.

/to the hamletstreets/

[Outisakanobody]

"I read a lot of his books." Ignis says with a small shrug.

[Kidney]

Tod was perked to hear a grand story, a grand auditorium packed with spectators to watch a transplant! Or even...an amputation!

Tod sunk at the simple answer, although he smirked. "Simple. But endearing," he said with a shrug. He appreciated it, although only a small bit. The idea of meeting a doctor trained under a magnifying glass in a grand college still pinged like an urge in his chest. But, he returned back to the point. "I have read a lot of books as well, although most of them were history books and holy texts."

[Outisakanobody]

"I mostly liked the books on chemistry, but they are hard to find." Ignis says.

[Kidney]

Tod seemed momentarily mentally preoccupied, but then, he spoke up. "Y-y'know what? If I ever had back to my hometown, for new tattoos or replenishings, I could look for some! Some of those uh...chemistry!"

He stopped, encountering a brain block. "Books!"