Ready or Not

“Yes.” She answered, giving him a wry look, “Or you might just end up getting put in the big house. Maybe you’ll get a free hose shower while you’re there.” She smiled. A random thought came to the forefront. She dismissed it. What would it do in a situation such as this? She watched him play with his food. Such a grumpy man acting a child before her. Celesse, in this case, found it amusing even after all the unfortunate events that occurred to him.

“I am monitoring you now.” She retorts, watching with an amused expression. Back from the dead to think he owed her, when in fact, he did not. Celesse might as well admit to him that she already had her debt paid, and he to her. “You do not owe me anything, Benjamin. If anything, I repaid back my debt to you. Though you do not know until now.” She says, “Well, I’d say you’re already in wrong hands. I’m just more…friendlier.” Her smile turning a bit sinister, “You must place your trust only in yourself if you wish to survive in the supernatural world.” She admitted, hopefully this sound advice would help him in the future. She sat upright again, readjusting herself to tilt her head into the palm of her right hand.

“You keep playing with your food like that and I’ll force you to eat it.” She joked.
 
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"Mm, shower sounds nice," Benjamin said with a sigh. His hair was a greasy mess, sticking out at all angles, and his skin was covered in a mixture of oils and sweat. It didn't feel like any of the nurses had decided to get frisky and give him a sponge bath... yet. With his luck, it'd be a huge overweight man. As Celesse continued, however, a darker expression came over his features.

"Harold sent me an email, that night we were at the club... I didn't get it until the next morning, after he was already dead." Benjamin hesitated. "After I killed him." He never wanted to shirk his responsibility when it came to acts of violence. If he started separating himself from the violence, he could become prone to using it recklessly. "He said he had been tasked with murdering me, but he couldn't do it," he looked back at Celesse. "But why? Hate crime?" He asked, wondering if there was something about supernaturals disliking humans. He didn't know anything. He didn't even know that shapeshifters were a real thing. How could someone be targeting him? And what was she talking about, he had saved her? "I don't really have a choice anymore. I have to trust you," he said simply as she emphasized his trust in himself.

He was glad for the joke about his food, breaking the tension. "I'd like to see you try," he growled, turning the plate upside-down on the tray and reaching for his phone to order takeout instead. Something with lots of protein... Chinese sounded good. "Do you want anything?" he asked as he browsed menus online.
 
“Sure does.” Celesse would murmur beneath her breath. She was in a state of disarray, she’d never look this unkempt for a while now. Though, if anything, she didn’t look as messy as the agent laying in the hospital bed. Her smile fading at the admittance of an email being sent by the one target she needed. This caused Celesse to quirk an eyebrow up at him, “No idea.” She lied, though not entirely. She was still in dark about someone else besides Alaric and her needing him for their own gain. Celesse wasn’t about to admit that to him, he already had enough shock being tossed into a world he wasn’t used to. She would sigh, wrinkling her nose a bit. She wanted to say that he would have a choice after she extracted what she needed from him. Instead, she opted to stay quiet at that last statement.

The supernatural’s smile returned, watching him turn the plate upside-down like a rebel. She couldn’t help but snicker at his change of attitude. Celesse looked at him, “Are you positive I can even eat human food? You saw me down whiskey like it was nothing, but you’ve never seen me eat. Have you?” She asked back. It was a little teasing question, she wanted to see how he reacted to this question. Though it was just a joke, Celesse could certainly eat human food. In fact, she needed it to survive, despite her species origins—she had a lot in common with mortals, physically. The thought of eating right now sounded more appealing at the moment, seeing how she ditched her lunch just before she arrived here.
 
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She was being enigmatic again. Benjamin was frustrated with this dance she was playing, giving him little tidbits but not enough to make decisions off of. His intuition told him she was doing it to protect him from something, though why he didn't know. Celesse needed him for something. That much was apparent. But for whatever reason it was something that she could not extract from him immediately, otherwise she would have done it already. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he shouldn't trust her. But again, she had saved his life twice. If she hadn't been there to administer the antidote when the Siren attacked the second time, he would have died. Like, for good. It was that simple.

As Celesse challenged him he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, one eyebrow raised. "You were just teasing me about how you got to regain your sustenance by eating real food, while I'm stuck with this... slop," he said, motioning to the cafeteria tray. "I've eaten better in the Army," he said dryly. "But, that's alright. I guess won't order anything for you, then," he turned off the screen on his phone, tossing it onto the bed at his knees with a smirk at her. He'd already placed his order. General Tso's, orange chicken, beef and broccoli, sweet n sour pork, two sides of egg rolls and four containers of rice, two fried and two regular. More than enough for both of them, if she decided to stay. If not, he would have dinner ready, too.
 
She noticed the frustration in his eye. The ex-soldier would just have to be wary of her. Despite the light-hearten nature, Celesse is a contractor for hire. You got the coin and she’ll get you what you need. She pondered if she should tell him of what she did, but then again she barely knew the guy. She waltzed into his life, unintentionally, like an unwanted headache. And she wasn’t going anywhere. Aside from likely having a proper shower, she needed for three days now. Turns out working as a temporary bodyguard wasn’t worth it when the person she’s guarding technically died on her watch.

“Maybe I said, just because.” She retorts, letting out a chuckle to his unfortunate situation. Celeste shrugs her shoulders, “That’s all right. Like I said, you’ll need to regain your strength. I read somewhere that gargantuan men like yourself, need to eat at least 3,000 calories a day, if I’m not mistaken.” She remarked he was bulky, and he needed the food much more than she. Celeste was fine with a liquid diet. Knowing she could survive without human food, if she needed to.
 
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Benjamin closed his eyes, pressing his back into the cushions of the hospital bed and feeling the ache through his chest. It had been a long time since he'd been able to banter like this with someone. It was a pleasant, slightly sad feeling, like stretching a sore muscle. He opened one eye as Celesse spoke again, frowning. "'Gargantuan'?" he echoed darkly. "You keep making fun of me and I'll tell the nurses I need to go back into a coma. I'm sure you won't mind standing outside my door for another three days?" he threatened.

What was he going to do now...? Celesse said she would give him a place to stay, but if he couldn't work, what was he to do with all of his time? He needed to exercise, but he would have to be careful with his injuries. He couldn't aggravate anything too much or it would prolong the process. He'd have to stick to reconnaissance, but about what? He didn't know enough about the factions to even know what kind of questions to ask. And now he knew that the werewolves had a bounty on his head, as did a vampire and a siren. If any one of them found out he was still alive, he was toast. That severely limited his options.
 
Celesse laughed at his expense, lightly tapping his forearm before smiling, “I meant strong.” She winked at him, “Go ahead,” She teased, “I’ve got all the time in the world, and I mean that literally.” She winked again. She found it amusing to tease him, at least it distracted her. She couldn’t help but dive back into questions about what the Vampires were doing. Celesse practically turned her phone off to the outside world, letting everyone know she was likely gone or just did not want to be reached at present. The device was hidden away in the confines of her scrubs. It felt like air in her pocket. Out of the blue, Celesse spoke up, “Benjamin, I hope you don’t mind…but a Detective came by while you were having a date with death.” She murmured the last part, licking her chapped lips, “Since they declared you dead, I feel he will not be back. But I thought I should mention that I told him we were…lovers.” She offered a lopsided smirk, “The Siren…I hate to mention this,” That was a lie. She found it amusing even as she was slightly turning red in the neck. “I mentioned her as your crazy ex-girlfriend. I mean, it kind of fits.” She nonchalantly remarks, “But I should clear up that I wouldn’t date you like that. It was just for the story to get him out of the hospital.”

Celesse suddenly stood, opting to head over to the sink and splash some lukewarm water on her face. Reaching for the paper towels provided, it was an excuse to wake herself up again. Until she had some sort of security measures set in place for Ben, there was no way she would leave his side. Despite what the Nurses thought of them. She could hear them during the days that passed, hearing them talk about what a great girlfriend she was—the situation was quite ridiculous, if that’s what they thought of her. Working solo and not being tied down was the best thing to happen to her in years. She made her way over to the chair that sat near the wall; it was there for visiting hours and more comfortable than the stool she resorted to sitting on. She lazily slung herself in its embrace, letting her legs hang over the arm while she used the other as a type of pillow. If this didn’t send a message of her staying, she didn’t know what else would. Celesse would pull her phone out for the first time in three days and turn it on.

The sound of Benjamin breathing normally had put her worries at ease. The mobile came to the lock screen with messages maxing out her inbox, if that was possible. She noticed the many missed calls. Over ten, alone, belonging to Alaric. Celesse peeked over the phone to see him resting back into the bed. She’d then send a message to Alaric, confirming the incident she ran with the…princess. Hesitation was gnawing at the back of her mind, something instinctively told her not to trust Alaric for the moment. Alaric was unaware of the agent’s sudden death being announced, but it’s not like it would avoid him for long—the bloodsucker had his ways. She punched in the agent's confirmation of dying, adding her suspicions of someone else wanting him as well.

‘Get what you need and get out – A’ Was the final message before she shut her phone off again. Celesse tucked it back into her scrubs and she crossed her arms over her chest, glancing up at the ceiling. The silence that followed was comforting. The weather outside wasn’t dreary or gloomy like it’d been these past few days. Out of the blue, Celesse said, “You know I was mortal once, like you.” This was true, though it was completely out of character to even mention this. She had an inkling feeling that she could trust him with this information, even if it would backfire on her later down the road. Celesse was still staring up at the ceiling, thinking this would give him some insight into what she was like behind the teasing attitude. “I’m not sure why I said that, but…you should know that if I had the chance, I would’ve stayed human.” She admitted. Celesse harboured her own feelings on being turned against her will. It was a quick, yet excruciating process. Unlike in today’s simpler ways of turning into a shapeshifter, it was brutal in the past. She used to run in other packs, almost similar to the werewolves; shapeshifters had a hierarchy set in place and there was an Alpha, there was always an Alpha. And she was one person who Celesse hoped to never see again.
 
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Benjamin looked down as she tapped his arm. It was different than when she had booped his nose (he could have murdered her), where she had purposefully been inciting his anger in order to distract him. And then as she brought up the siren... he absently brushed his fingers across his chest. He would have been lying if he said it hadn't felt good. Even though it had just been a dream, or some kind of subconscious fantasy elicited by her song, it had been a very long time since he'd been touched by a woman. It made him feel... seen. However, the thought of being vulnerable with someone was one of the very few things that terrified him. He was a wreck, he knew that, but that only mattered if you needed to be stable for someone. By burying all those needs and feelings, he eliminated the requirement for such vulnerability. And he was comfortable that way.

"I understand, I would have done the same thing in your situation," he replied honestly with a shrug. It made sense. Faking a relationship would be the only plausible explanation for why she had hung around the hospital for so long. Which made him wonder yet again what the /real/ reason was. Celesse had just clarified that she wasn't after him romantically, which meant he was stumped. He literally had no idea what she might want from him. "I wouldn't trust you in bed anyway. Knowing you, you'd turn into a squirrel or something halfway," Benjamin said with a smirk.

He watched as she moved to make herself more comfortable, settling in to the armchair set up for visitors. He was surprised she had stayed so long - he would have thought she'd make sure he was alive and breathing and then bounce. As Celesse pulled her phone out, Benjamin leaned back against the cushions of the hospital bed and closed his eyes to wait for his food. He was almost asleep when he heard her voice again. He opened one eye to watch her, then as he realized she was being uncharacteristically open with him, he opened the other eye too and watched her.

"I'm sorry," he responded softly, and he meant it. "I can't imagine everything you've been through, but... I know what it's like to outlive your friends and family. I don't know how someone could do that for the rest of eternity," Benjamin said, looking down at his hands. They had been in the same fight against the same vampires, but here she was stretched out lazily on the armchair while he was stuck in bed swaddled in bandages. He'd never thought of mortality as something to be desired, but if it was unobtainable... he could see the allure.
 
Celesse softly chuckled at his words, “How do you know unless you find out for yourself?” She waggled her eyebrows at him, laughing this time. She was teasing, Celesse wouldn’t want to break a fragile human who already been put through the ringer. “I’m teasing. I prefer my partners less grumpy.” She winked at him, “And with humour.” She teased again. Oh, she was wondering if Benjamin even had a humour. If he did, it would probably the lowest form of humour—puns. But, then again, he’s been teasing her right back, so maybe he did have some humour.

Celesse looked from the ceiling to him, “It’s fine, Benny boy.” She had grown used to the risk of having to outlive those she had meaningful relationships with. However, after a certain incident that occurred, she stopped trying to build recent ones after that. Her only companions being alcohol, food, and her cat—who she thought of as her best friend, even if he hissed at her. “I learned to live with it. Which is why I’ve been…cautious in building friendships outside the supernatural world, you know?” Like he would get what she was trying to say. She really couldn’t call contractors friends, but they were there to keep her company. Dismissing the feeling of lonely trying to creep into her feels, she looked up at the ceiling again. Then, her demeanour changed back into her usual, teasing self, "Which I'm curious of something," Her flickered back to him, "How old do you think I am? I mean, biologically?" She wryly smiled.
 
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Benjamin wrinkled his nose as she teased him further. He didn't mind it, really, even though she was surprisingly good at finding his buttons. Was he that easy to read? He was enjoying this conversation much more than the one at his house, though. When she wasn't trying to hide behind her fake persona, he found Celesse to be... how could he describe it? Like a force of nature. It was refreshing. "And just how many partners have you had recently? Beggars can't be choosers, you know," he teased in return with a smirk.

'Benny boy'. What an annoying nickname. The same one Harold used for him. "Friendships with we poor, puny mortals are just too risky for you, huh?" He joked, but he understood. Not in exactly the same way, because he couldn't fathom just how many people she had known and fought alongside and had drinks with, only to have them die while she moved on. It was like choosing to have a pet even though you knew you would share its love for ten to fifteen years, and then you would have to continue on without it. After a couple rounds of that, it began to feel more and more difficult to make that investment. After a while it just hurt too much to even try. That was how he felt about it, anyway.

Just then there was a knock at the door and one of the nurses brought in the food Benjamin had ordered. "What, are you hiding a horse in here that you're trying to feed?" she said as she set the bags of takeout down on the bedside table.
"Something like that," Benjamin responded, placing the tray with the cafeteria food on the stool Celesse had abandoned to make way for the new food. He broke out a pair of chopsticks as the nurse left again, looking to his watchdog as she spoke up again. "You know that's an entirely unfair game to play, right?" he said with an eyebrow raised. "You have given me literally nothing to work with, I could say forty or four hundred and not be any wiser, I'd just be grasping at straws." Benjamin picked out the box of beef and broccoli and popped the top, leaning back in the bed and taking a bite as he mulled over her question. "How many wars have you seen?" he asked, figuring he could at least narrow it down by a few centuries.
 
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Enjoying Benjamin’s presence has been a breath of fresh air. Celesse couldn’t remember the last time she could sit down and banter like this, even if it were for a short while. The harsh reality waiting for her outside those four walls that encased her in with the ex-soldier. Snorting at his response, she could wipe that stupid smirk off his face. “Well, wouldn’t you like to know?” She retorts with another wink.

“Yes.” She answered, knowing he was joking, “You die too quick, learn to master death then you can talk. Dying and coming back doesn’t count.” She pointed at him, quashing any counter attacks to her own. She was joking right back, but a lifetime of a human was a blimp in her own. Celesse could picture friends and family of the past living longer in modern times, instead of being snuffed out earlier than expected.

Her eyes flickered to the door as a nurse came in. The smell alone made Celesse’s stomach grumble to life. She was quiet while the nurse laid out the food in front of the bed-ridden agent. Celesse didn’t want to admit it, but that looked good. She was silently regretting not taking up on his offer from earlier. She looked up at the ceiling again, lounging about on the sofa chair. The side of her mouth upturned into a smile at his response. She quirked an eyebrow, not that he would notice, but the question was reasonable.

Celesse looked to him again, ignoring her stomach gnawing itself away. “Are you sure you want to know the answer to that question?” She asked back. She realised Benjamin was only asking to configure her age, but she’s seen too many wars cause by both sides of the coin. For her, she always fought for the right ideals, or that’s what she thought. She left that life behind near two centuries ago now. She didn’t feel changed, just…a runaway. "I'll tell you anyway...more than you can count on your stubby fingers and toes." She joked.
 
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"I wouldn't have died in the first place if my faithful watchdog hadn't allowed a murdering ocean-woman into my hospital room," Benjamin responded with an eyebrow raised, taking a bite out of an eggroll. The realization that he had actually died, however, still made him rather uncomfortable. Without the ministrations of the hospital employees, he would have simply... ceased to exist. He was grateful to be pulled out of that depressing thought by the sound of Celesse's stomach growling at the sight of the food.

"Well, well, well, that was quite an interesting noise you made there," he said with a smirk. "The truth will set you free, Celesse. General Tso's or orange chicken?" Benjamin offered, holding up the containers. "Or, if you prefer to keep your pride, you can just sit there and watch my gargantuan self eat all this food while you waste away," he said, finishing off the rest of his eggroll.

He paused as she responded to his question, watching her for a moment. So many wars... was she suggesting, then, that her age should be measured in millenia instead of centuries? Benjamin was struck by the sudden realization that he was speaking with a walking piece of history. The number of things she must have seen... and here he was trying to empathize with the number of people she had lost over the years. Pathetic. "Twelve hundred years old," he guessed finally, leaning back. He felt... sad for her. He knew she wouldn't appreciate that, so he tried to hide the feeling but it had come on so suddenly. What a lonely life she must lead. He cleared his throat and quickly shoveled more food into his mouth, pushing the thought from his mind.
 
Celesse snickered at his snarky retort. “I would say you weigh like a feather on my back, but you were like two titanic’s by ten in weight.” She teases. She wasn’t about to tell him that her energy was almost depleted cause of her cloaking ability. Celesse regretted now his death, but she wasn’t about to self-pity herself for not being faster. Doing what she could at that moment was all what she could provide, she was no miracle worker. Even as a shapeshifter, she has her own setbacks.

Celesse sits upright, “Well, since you’re offering. I will let my pride waver to gain more energy.” She retorts. Getting up and wandering over to the other side of his bed, almost like a drug, the smells overpowered her senses. She looked down at the delicacy sitting on the table, “I’ll take one of the fried rice, and a bit of the orange chicken. I’m keeping an eye on my form.” She joked. Celesse could intake small portions and feel at full battery for a while. Without waiting, she snatched one container, careful not to disturb the food. “I’ll take some of this.” She used the second pair of chopsticks to take a small portion of the orange chicken into the rice container.

In a split second, she was back in the chair. Celesse was devouring the food after mixing them. She found it better to her liking, stopping mid-bite to his answer. Eating the rest caught between the sticks, she gave him a look, “I mean, you almost nailed it. I won’t tell you the exact age, but it’s…somewhere in the thousands now. But I’m not like old, old like the other supernaturals. To them, I’m considered an adolescent. Which is absurd, in my humble opinion.” She retorts, finishing the rest of the food. Forgetting water, she let out a burp. Excusing herself, she grabbed one cup on the sink side and filled it up with tap water, not caring if it was tainted—there were worse ways to die. Drinking the water in one go, she swiped away any droplets and tossed her trash away into the bin. Making her way back to the chair to resume her same lazy slouch. "Is it shocking to you?" She'd inquire, usually revealing her age to mortals always put them in some state of shock. They'd probably be dead at the age of older supernaturals.
 
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"Two Titanics?" Benjamin echoed dryly, setting his chopsticks down. "That's such a stretch, it's not even hurtful," he said as he resumed eating. "It sounds like you need to work out some more. I can teach you," he teased, finishing off the container of beef and broccoli and realizing he was still ravenous. While in the coma they had supplied him with nutrients intravenously, but liquid sustenance did not satisfy him the same way it did for Celesse. If he'd had to go back under, they would have had to give him a feeding tube.

Benjamin raised an eyebrow as she snatched the container from his hand, opening up the other one and digging in. He knew the circumstances were... extreme, and less than desirable, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd shared a meal with someone. "You're serious?" he said in surprise around the chopsticks in his mouth as Celesse responded to his guess. Twelve hundred years old, give or take...? That meant she had been wandering around the planet the same time as Charlemagne. Benjamin ran a hand along his jaw, the three-day growth of stubble itchy against his skin. "Yeah... 'shocking' is a good word," he said as he tried to mull over everything that she must have seen in her years. And yet here she was, sitting with him in a hospital room, eating take-out.

"Do you look the same now as you did then, when you were mortal?" he asked her curiously. "I assume being a shapeshifter you can look like anything you want." Benjamin wondered what he would change about himself. He'd probably shrink a couple inches... people liked to stare. He wondered if she shed skins every couple years, tried something new on like everyone else would a pair of clothes.
 
“Oh, let me correct myself. Three Mount Everest’s.” She smiled, “And that’s being generous of how heavy you are.” She teased, “My poor spine hurts now. It’s just healing.” She wiped away a tear not there. Celesse pretends to massage her spine as she leans back into the chair. “I joke. Your humour is as dry as the Sahara Desert, I assure you.” Celesse winked at him. This made her think of how many times she winked at him at this point in time. She internally laughed at the moment in the past at the club incident.

“As serious as your injuries.” She pointed to his bandages. Celesse changed position, laying on her side as she watched him eat his food like a dog. She let out a slight chuckle, “Don’t worry, you missed nothing eventful if you plan on asking me questions of the past.” She added. Which made her think of what might’ve been consider ‘memorable’ to a human. It was a good thing she wasn’t famous, many historians would probably hound her for information. Such information that wasn’t worth knowing, it were better to keep them guessing.

She switched back to laying on her back, looking up at the ceiling again. “If I looked the same as I did back then. Humans would get suspicious of my age, wouldn’t they?” She rhetorically asked back, “But your assumption is correct, I can be whatever and whoever I want to be. It’s tiresome to shape shift into another form, so I remain in the one that I am now.” She admitted it exerted her each time she had to change into another form. Celesse found it better to remain a human form for some time before suspicions would arise to those mortal around her. Then, she would take another human’s form and resume her life as if nothing happened.
 
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Benjamin rolled his eyes at her antics. "Well, excuse me for not guffawing at your lame jokes," he said, but couldn't help but smile faintly as she winked at him. What a walking disaster she was. Perhaps humour was the only way she knew to deal with the loneliness of having lived for so long. "You know, if you keep building a rapport with me, it's going to be much more difficult for you to murder me once you have whatever it is you need," he said with an eyebrow raised, half-serious.

"Mmm, I suppose you'd have to move every ten or fifteen years if you wanted to keep the same form," Benjamin said thoughtfully as she explained the situation. He wondered what she'd looked like originally, or if she even remembered. Her life was so vastly different from his own, it was difficult for him to consider, especially since he finally felt his energy waning. They'd been talking for about an hour, and now that he'd eaten his body was telling him it was time to rest again.

"There's a shower in the bathroom, you know," he said, pointing a thumb toward the large handicap-access bathroom that was inside the room. "Since it looks like I can't get rid of you, the least you could do is at least smell a little better," Benjamin closed another empty container as he finished it off, packaging up the rest of the food. "The soap and shampoo is probably no better than a hotel, but at least it's something," he shrugged.
 
She hummed at his response, “What makes you think I will murder you?” She asked back, closing her eyes. Celesse’s plan was scarcely mentioned to him, but by bantering with him, it seemed he picked up on a few things. She did plan on using him, but she didn’t plan on killing him…yet. Whether he died wasn’t actually up to her. Alaric didn’t mention killing him after she got what she needed. As far as she knew, once she got vital information, he could walk away free—if the others didn’t snatch him up first.

“Well…I don’t have to now.” She retorted. Celesse living in Seattle wasn’t all too bad aside from the weather. People moved out of this dreary city as quick as they settled in. And she hardly ever acquainted herself with mortals of importance. At least, she didn’t have to change forms all the time like he mentioned. Something happened, and the factions allowed her to move freely in the city. As old as she was, she found herself settling here, perhaps even dying here if death came knocking on her door.

Celesse snorted, “Like you said, the smell alone will ensure our victory.” She chuckled, having recall that from earlier. She sat upright, “Now that you mention it,” She sniffed her shirt and her face screwed up in disgust. “The thing about you humans is you’re awfully convenient for making things easier as each year goes by.” Celesse pulled out her phone, turning the hunk of plastic on and download the first app that displays for ‘personal shopper.’ “I’ll be able to have a personal shopper deliver me clothes instead of leaving your side.” She winks at him, likely becoming her signature tease sign to him. After answering a few questions and filling out her preferences, she had a personal shopper going to buy what she needed. Celesse noted the innumerable amount of messages and missed calls since she last turned it on.

Something must’ve happened while she was there, but she didn’t know what. All she worried about at the moment was keeping Benjamin safe. She stood up and stretched out her limbs, hearing the cracks in her bones. “There are worse things than smelling like cheap soap and shampoo, Ben 10.” She let the nickname slip, which she had chosen for him on her phone. “But I won’t be far.” Celesse stuck the phone back into her scrubs and went outside to get a temporary pair of scrubs to wear while her personal shopper was out getting what she wanted.

“There you are.” The Male Nurse says, giving her a fresh pair of scrubs.

“Hey, thanks. Listen…if someone comes by asking for me. Tell them I left town.” She retorts, taking them after grabbing some cheap soap and 2-in-1 small bottle of shampoo and conditioner. She set them atop the clothes and turned back into the room. “No wet dreams now, Benjamin.” She joked, laughing as she went into the bathroom and shut it behind her, locking the door.
 
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Benjamin shrugged. "After seeing the way you tackled Harold and those vampires, I kind of just thought it's what you do. Seems like a pretty good job for a shapeshifter," he said, picking a few pieces of stray rice off the blankets and tossing them in the trash can to the side. He was already sick and tired of being stuck in this bed. Perhaps after he slept again, he would try getting on his feet. If he could move about, he would shower, and if he could shower than he would check himself out of the hospital. He wasn't staying here a moment longer than he had to.

"What are you, made of money?" he asked with an eyebrow raised as he heard her clothes shopping over the phone. He assumed she wasn't working at the moment, since the nurses had assured him she hadn't left the hospital, and he couldn't imagine babysitting him would pay too much. As she got off the phone and stretched, however, his eyes narrowed at the new nickname. 'Ben 10'...? What the hell was she talking about?

At Celesse's last comment Benjamin could only snort, closing his eyes as he pushed the button to recline the bed again. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he told her as he settled in. The sound of the running water was a comfort, however. It indicated the presence of another person, and while Benjamin was sure he would get tired of Celesse eventually, for the time being... it was nice to have her around. He just wished he had a say in the matter. With the weary toll that had been taken on his body and now satisfied with the food ingested, Benjamin was out in a matter of minutes, resting in a dreamless sleep.
 
Celesse felt like she was on the screen, her palm against the tile wall and hot water streaming down her form. She relished in the liquid, releasing tension in her muscles that she built up in laying on the uncomfortable chair. Without warning, she started singing, “Hello? Is it me you’re looking for…” Sounding off in a broken key on purpose, Lionel Richie was playing on her phone. She figured singing could help her thoughts not wander into what she would do after he was out of hospital. There was a deadline, she just didn’t know when. She was in the shower for another ten minutes before finally getting off, smelling like cheap shampoo and soap as she dried herself off.

Wiping the fog away on the mirror, she looked back to herself. The ghost of the werewolf’s bite still lingered on her. She rubbed it out. Then, she slipped back into the new scrubs, putting the old ones off to the corner. Grabbing her phone, she stopped the music and found a confirmation of the personnel shopper waiting in the waiting room. “That’s for me!” She rang out to no one. Slipping the mobile into her pocket, she hurried to dry her hair off as best she could till it got damp, then discarded the towel into the sink. She opened the door, slipping her provided slippers on by the hospital and slid out in style to see the agent sleeping. ‘Wow, a grumpy man can sleep.’ She thought as pulled the door open.

Like a child, she formed her hand into a gun and looked both ways into the halls, finding staff moving about. Then, she proceeded to the waiting room just a little ways down the hall. Finding the personal shopper sitting there looking through a health magazine. “Um…Amy?” She asked.

It startled the blondie, looking up to find the most beautiful creature, “C-Celesse, right?” She said.

“Yep! That’s me.” She chirped out.

“Here’s your stuff and t-thanks for the tip.” Amy muttered out, handing the plastic bags off to her.

Celesse nodded and was already back down towards the hall where she could see her opening the door. Revealing a sleeping male, ‘Huh, must be her boyfriend. Lucky biatch.’ She thought as she wandered back down the stairs and out into the streets of Seattle. Celesse found herself back in the bathroom, stripping off the scrubs and changing into the new outfit; t-shirt, joggers, and she left the sneakers in the bag. She came back out, putting the slippers back on and putting the bag down to her other bag. The Hospital had to take her other clothes that were ruined and give them to the Detective that came by. Not that she minded, but she didn’t have other clothes which left her to resorting to scrubs. Now, she didn’t have to worry about it anymore.

Celesse felt like a brand-new person. She sat back into the chair. And without meaning to, she fell asleep. Even shapeshifters needed their sleep.
 
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Benjamin had thought he'd sleep for a couple hours and wake up in time for dinner, but he apparently underestimated the needs of his body. He slept right through the afternoon and evening, a heavy sleep with shallow breathing and no dreams. He didn't wake again until around seven o-clock the next morning, feeling once again like he had been hit by a freight train. He opened his eyes slowly to take in the peaceful room. The monitor on the wall was silently recording his vitals. Celesse was asleep in the chair at the end of his bed. She looked fresher, definitely clean. She must have gotten the clothes she wanted from that app she'd downloaded.

After a moment Benjamin sat up, and when that went well he slowly swung his legs over the edge of the bed. So far, so good. Carefully he slid forward until his feet were touching the ground. He could already feel the weakness in his legs, like when he'd had the flu real bad as a kid once and hadn't gotten out of bed for three days. Willing to chance it, Benjamin went ahead and stood. Weak, wobbly, but solid. Nice. He took a pen and paper from the bedside table and wrote a note.

"Not dead. Just showering. Don't wake Celesse: she might murder you. -B"

Satisfied, Benjamin took the pulse oximeter off his finger, the electrodes from his chest, and pulled out the IV from his arm. There was a little bead of blood, but it would be gone by the time he was done with his shower. He carefully made his way to the hospital room door, not wanting to try anything too quickly, opened it silently and posted the note on the front side. Then he slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind him, reveling in being back on his feet.

The water felt fantastic. He could almost feel the layers of sweat and grime and blood sloughing off. He knew he wasn't supposed to get his stitches wet so he'd taped over them with some of that medical tape he'd found in a drawer, and it seemed to be working pretty well. The rest of his chest looked like a disaster. Beneath all the tattoos his skin was an ugly purple-yellow, the colour of healing bruises. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been... everywhere. Between being thrown around by the massive vampire and then the CPR, he was pretty sure they'd covered every square inch of his chest.

Benjamin washed his hair twice and, using a disposable plastic razor, carefully shaved his face and neck. He thought that maybe he'd look good with a full beard, but the scruffy halfway inbetween didn't suit him. Finally as he finished up he turned the water off, toweling dry and wrapping the towel around his waist afterward. Celesse had been getting pairs of scrubs from the nurses, he needed to figure out how to get hooked up with some of those. No way he was getting back into a hospital gown.
 
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