Sweet Escape [AURA/FLORENCE/PHOEBE]

[Aura Dawning]

Eyes darting carefully from left to right, keeping checks on anyone who might be following her at this time - she wouldn't put it past the agents or even Mallory, to have spies tailing her every move - Aurelia Dawning quickly made her way out of the elevator and into the lobby without looking back. She prayed that no one would recognize her behind a pair of dark sunglasses, her golden hair tucked away beneath the hood of her coat.

Being famous you see, had it's downside, particularly for someone who had no real desire to actually be famous. It only ever seemed to make her miserable; she loved singing, but sometimes the paparazzi and the press could be so cruel. The agents always shook it off, banning any newspapers in sight whenever she was around just to spare her the horror of their often poisonous words. But it was no use. Aura didn't need to see an article to know what most people thought of her; of people like her. The rich and famous; apparently they were a bunch of stuck-up bitches who only dated other celebrities, spent a fortune on stupid and uneccesary things, hung out in their own little groups and spent all day eating caviar and sipping champagne. Some of it was true, but that didn't mean she wanted her life to be like that.

And that's why she was making her sweet escape.

Heading towards the glass doors, she stepped through and looked around at the bustling streets around her. At first she was taken aback by it all; she was used to crowds at gigs and events, but this was so different to that. These were people, going about their daily business without a care in the world and without swamping her for autographs. She wasn't used to this at all, but at the same time she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders for the time being. Like freedom had imposed itself upon the beautiful singer and she indulged in it.

Feeling the curiosity mixed with adrenaline course through her veins, the blonde stepped out onto the sidewalk and joined the throng of people moving. For once in her life, she was blending in. Itching with curiosity as she passed a few shops and cafes, she tried to think of where to begin, when someone collided with her shoulder roughly, knocking her to the ground with ease. Blinking in the confusion, her sunglasses askew on the tip of her nose and exposing one deep blue eye hidden behind a mass of long lashes, Aura froze on the spot. Shit.

[Rev.Fr. Florence Claude]

The aged priest had just left his favorite pharmacy, getting his daily dose of his anti-aging medication. He was growing old, there was no doubt about it, but the tonic that his pharmacist provided him kept him feeling vigorous all the time. It was something that he was thankful for. Now he made his way across the city street with a glow on his face. It wasn't a glow of happiness, or one of joy, but it was a glow that radiated power, power that he knew was apparent in him.

He clutched a small vial and carefully secured it in his pocket, making sure that it wouldn't be swiped by the passersby, knowing that Faraway was home to the most criminal of thieves. He despised them, those who would rather turn to a life of crime just to earn money the easy way. Everyone had it hard, and honest people like himself learn to deal with it in a moralistic way. Why did others think they were exempt from such rules?

Father Florence marched across the street, beckoning a formal nod to some devout practitioners her passed by. It was no surprise that they revered him, and he was glad to acknowledge them in public. He believed that it gave them a little bit more self-worth. He kept his eye on the family, eyeing the mother intently. A couple of days ago, she had confessed to sleeping around with their neighbor's son. Though it was their vow to respect the privacy of the confessional, it never meant that he couldn't judge the sinners in his own way. It was at that point when he felt a body bump into his.

He nudged a bit, but he wasn't pushed back despite his frame. He was actually pretty surprised that whoever he had bumped into fell back. But the shock quickly subsided when he saw who he had bumped into. He saw a girl, probably in her early twenties at the latest, sprawled on the floor. He had noticed that her skirt had risen up a bit, exposing a part of her leg, before looking at her face. She had gorgeous golden locks that covered bits of her face, but her azure eyes struck him immediately. They were calm and serene, like the sea. Florence bent down and held the woman's arm, feeling her soft skin touch his. He then felt a sticky and wet feeling in his pants, slowly trailing down his leg. He immediately let go of her and clasped his sides. It had happened. His vial had broken.

"You should watch where you're going, little girl," he suggested, his voice cold and indifferent. "There are many dangerous people here and you wouldn't want to bump into the wrong person."

He looked at her as though he was judging her entirety, before extending his arm once more. "It's a good thing it was me you bumped into. What is your name, child?" He asked her, this time sounding a little more calculating.

[Aura Dawning]

Feeling someone grasp onto her arm, Aura peered up from behind her sheet of fair hair, bearing a look of curiosity and fear, eyes widening slightly as she observed the person she had unintentionally collided with. She recognized him immediately; he was a priest, and she had attended his sermons over at the Notre Dame cathedral in the past, with the agents of course. Fortunately, her hectic schedule meant that it had been a long time since she had attended a Mass of any sort, so she rather hoped that he didn't realise who she was.

Sensing his gaze lingering upon her and shivering slightly, she followed it to her exposed leg, before quickly covering herself up and watching as he backed away, clutching at his side. Aura stumbled to her feet, smoothing back her golden tresses to expose both cerulean eyes, looking nervous. She propped her shades back onto her nose, seeking refuge behind them, all the while cursing herself for being so careless.

"I-I do apologize, sir. It won't happen again", she said meekly, a slight stutter in her voice. She had been about to turn and hurry on down the path - fearful of being spotted by anyone - when he suddenly became very inquisitive, asking her name.

He was a stranger, and she had always been forbidden from talking to people she didn't know on a personal basis - aside from the occassional chit-chat at autograph signings for her fans. She was also worried about being discovered; she couldn't take the risk that he might know who she was if she told him her real name. Nonetheless, he was a priest, right? A most holy and sacred person? Surely she could trust him enough to give an answer, even if it was a false one.

"My name?", she began, her mind racing. "I...it's Rose. Rose ... Briars."

She silently cursed herself, longing to flee the scene but remaining rooted to the spot under his cold scrutiny.

[Rev.Fr. Florence Claude]

Florence eyed the girl carefully. There was something about her that felt oddly familiar, though he couldn't really tell. He was quite sure that he wasn't one of the regular preachers at the chapel, otherwise, he would have recognized her. But still, there was something about her eyes and her hair that lingered over his shoulder, like a secret just waiting to be exposed. When he realized he had been staring for quite longer than he had meant to, he shook his head to clear his head.

She was stuttering and he could tell that something was up. He had a lot of experience with liars, working with the church and all, and he could tell that she wasn't being entirely honest with him. Though it bothered him, he didn't say anything, for he didn't want to scare the blonde away. Rather, he was kind of keen on her, not really knowing why.

"Rose. What a beautiful name," he muttered to himself, before properly facing her. "So where are you off to, Ms. Briars? If you aren't doing anything, might I suggest that you visit the Notre Dame. We'll be having a service in a few minutes and you are more than welcome to join."

Though it wasn't an unnatural occurrence for the reverend priest to invite people to their church service, but Florence knew there was something in the girl. Something that was calling out to him. Whether or not she was in trouble, he figured the best way was to lead her to the path of God and hope things work from there.

The priest walked to a nearby trash can at the corner of the street and pulled out the shattered pieces of the vial. He took one long look at them, shaking his head at his luck. He wasn't going to get his hands on a new batch until the week after, and he had ruined it. Either way, all he could do now was move forward. He tossed the shards into the bin before turning towards Rose.

"I can take you to the chapel? If you are not too busy that is. I do not want to impose."

[Aura Dawning]

Rose Briars? How she had even thought of the name so quickly was beyond her. However, the man seemed to accept it either way - though there was something piercing about his scrutiny. Like he could sense her dilemma; sense the lies. She felt her cheeks hue a delicate shade of pink, feeling embarrassed. The way he looked at her, and she knew that it was wrong to think such a disgraceful thing, it was as though he knew what she looked like underneath her garments. Her unease grew slightly, particularly when the priest offered up an invitation to the next Mass.

Such a suggestion merely succeeded in making the girl feel awkward; a part of her wished that she was back in the Tower. Even if it meant feeling like she was under house-arrest; she was fraught with worry that once someone realized who she was, the Reverend would scold her for it. If there was one thing Aura disliked more than anything, it was being told off - particularly by her elders. She was sensitive, and not at all a diva - unlike practically every other star her age and older.

She opened her mouth in a bid to try to begin explaining that she had to be somewhere - that she couldn't stop and talk to strangers, regardless of their position in society - but no words came out for a moment, and before she knew it, she had succumbed; she sort of felt a sense of guilt creep up on her, since it had been forever since she had attended the church.

"Oh...um, I guess I could spare some...some time to attend", she replied softly, watching curiously for a moment as he took something from his pocket before throwing it in the trash, looking put-out for some reason. Aura caught the man's gaze once more and quickly removed the confused expression from her face - in a hasty effort to look less inconspicuous.

[Rev.Fr. Florence Claude]

The holy man was glad that she had accepted his offer. It wouldn't be the first time he would have convinced someone to attend church, but considering the times now, and how everyone was all too busy and living a fast-paced life to even go to church, Florence was willing to take anyone he could get. Besides, the girl seemed promising enough. At best, she could prove to be quite a devout follower. At worst, well, she was pretty enough. Surely, that would be enough to draw in the attention of young gentlemen walking in the crowd and make them go inside the church.

He had been rather preoccupied with his own thoughts, that he didn't immediately process the look that lingered on her face. It was a familiar look that he's seen before, often from church goers, before requesting a confession session with himself. He looked at her intently for a bit, before walking forward. He took a couple of steps before he urged her to follow.

"I know how it must feel," he began, in a rather out-of-the-blue fashion. He felt that something was racing in her head and though he actually had no idea about what it was that was troubling the girl, he was someone who knew how to pry things from people. He figured that just by talking to her, he'd end up knowing whatever there was to know about Ms. Briars. "Feeling like the world is against you, right? Feeling rather helpless. It's not uncommon for a girl your age. Just do know that there are others who can help you."

He stopped for a bit, watching the red 'Don't Walk' sign turn into a green one before crossing the street. He nudged himself in between two other pedestrians before he turned to the girl once more. "You know that if something was bothering you, you can talk to me. I'm a priest. You can trust me." He smiled at her, showing off a hint of mischievousness in it.

[Phoebe Templarr]

Phoebe leaned against her motorcycle, one leg propped and holding a small package in her hands. She rolled it back and forth from one palm to the other as she waited for its recipient to arrive. Running messages on her Achilles wasn't the most exciting or illustrious job she could have gotten when she'd finished her tour, but there weren't a hell of a lot of jobs that required being able to take down an enemy shooter at 120 paces. That was fine with her-- she was done with that.

It felt awkward, being parked on the sidewalk in front of a large cathedral. When she'd been younger, she'd gone to church regularly, but now, she just didn't understand the preference of one religion over another. If you could find redemption and peace in one way, what made another way better? Not that she'd say that out loud, especially not here. She wasn't much for getting in philosophic debates. She followed orders; it was what she was good at. Even now that she was free of the service, some things were just hard habits to break.

She caught sight of an older man in a dark, somber outfit approaching the church; she took in his weathered face, his stern disposition, and deep set eyes. Yep, that matched the target's-- er, recipient's description. And beside him--

"Oh, hello." Wow, what a woman! Phoebe stood up straight, quickly checking her reflection in Achilles' reflection. Hair artfully careless-- check. Black leather jacket and tank top that emphasized her square shoulders and slim hips-- check. She adjusted the thick work jeans she wore to ride so that they rode low on her hips, and then, taking care not to walk over too quickly or appear as if her attention wasn't truly on the priest, strolled over to where they were talking on the sidewalk.

"Good afternoon, sir. Miss." She threw off a casual salute, making sure to smile and make eye-contact with the girl and give her a smile. "I've got an urgent package for a Reverend Claude Frollo, matching your description. Would you happen to be him?"

[Rev.Fr. Florence Claude]

The priest waited for an answer from the girl, but was immediately distracted by someone at a distance. They were already near the chapel and he was about to let her know when something out of place caught Florence's eye. Going to the church more times than anyone else would care to, he grew familiar of the whole look of the place, and even though he could barely see any detail, he was almost sure that this wouldn't bode well.

As he inched closer, the image in front of him began to take shape. Intrigued, he paced a bit faster, now failing to listen to whatever it was that Rose was saying, if she was even saying anything at all. From what he could tell, it was one of the bikers from around town. Those brutes that terrorize the locals from the city. Heck, he's seen those black bikes parked outside the Cave of Wonders. He wondered why these people would even bother to head to the chapel. He shut his eyes for a moment and bid a silent prayer that they weren't there to create havoc in the church. After all, mass was starting soon, and he couldn't have any interruptions.

The sight that greeted him as he reached the foot of the steps in front of the church shocked him. He had been completely taken aback when he saw ... a woman. It was very unladylike, dressed in leather jackets and riding bikes. But it wasn't like it was against any religious teaching, so the reverend brushed the thought aside. He looked over at Rose then back at the biker, who seemed to find the his companion rather intriguing. Raising an eyebrow, he listened to what she had said.

"Yes, it is me," he replied firmly. He scrunched his eyebrows, thinking too himself. He wasn't anticipating any packages. Who would have sent him something? He paused a bit to think about it before asking again, "What package and who is it from?" He stepped closer to the delivery person and stood next to her, his frame towering over hers.

"And its Reverend Florence Claude. Remember that name."

[Phoebe Templarr]

Phoebe frowned, and then looked down at the package, holding it a little farther in front of her face. "No wait-- that does say Florence. Sorry, the writing's really messy." She gave another charming smile to the two of them, and handed the priest his package.

"It doesn't have a return address, so unfortunately I can't answer that for you, your holiness." With a shrug, she slipped her hands into her pockets. "I'm just the delivery boy."

[Aura Dawning]

Aura followed the priest along the street, her mind going completely blank when he persisted with his questioning, reassuring her that she could confide in him if necessary, due to his position. Somehow, something in her head was warning her against spilling out her deepest fears, desires and secrets; it was this voice that tended to keep her out of trouble. Still, something else was willing her to talk; be it just the urge to have someone who might understand what she was going through, or even be able to help. Soon enough, the pretty blonde found herself speaking up.

"Oh, well I was actually looking for ... an escape, of some sort. I mean, my agen ... I mean, my aunts, they never -", she paused momentarily as the priest appeared to spot something up ahead, and followed his gaze to a figure standing by a motorcycle, close to the Notre Dame Chapel.

Aura picked up her pace in a bid to keep up with him, ceasing all talk now and feeling very nervous; the priest appeared to be extremely displeased at the biker's presence there. As they finally reached the steps to the entrance of Notre Dame, she raised her brows slightly as the blonde-haired biker - well, it looked like a girl - approached them carrying a parcel in her hands, and began to converse with the man.

However, occassionally she would flicker her gaze in Aura's path and for a while it was as though the priest wasn't there at all, the in-disguise popstar feeling a gentle flush of pink rise in her cheeks. She didn't know what to say, so she refrained from saying anything at all, as the priest she had been accompanying seemed to regard the other girl with a stern disapproval.

[Rev.Fr. Florence Claude]

The priest took the package from the messenger half-heartedly. He didn't really like receiving packages from unknown senders. He was sure that they meant trouble. After all, if they didn't, then why the anonymity? He grabbed the package and scrutinized it a bit, seeing a familiar-looking handwriting on the scribble across the pack. He furrowed his eyebrows.

What the hell would he want now?

He had been lost in thought for quite a bit, temporarily forgetting that he had been with another person. It wasn't until the cathedral bell hit another dong that he realized what he was supposed to be doing. The service was about to start and he was far from being ready.

He turned over to the blonde girl, Rose, who's cheeks seemed to be slowly turning red, and nodded at her. He shrugged it off, figuring it was just the way the sunlight hit her face. "The service is about to start, my child. Shall we go on? I can get you a good seat up in front, if you'd wish," he offered her, his voice sounding as still as it usually was. He then turned to the delivery woman, a hint of disapproval in his eyes. "Of course, you are welcome to join as well."

[Phoebe Templarr]

Phoebe was too busy subtly flirting with the other girl, shooting her shy, heavy-lidded looks and hidden smiles, to notice the Father's odd reaction to the package. After all, her job was only to get things from point-A to point-B securely, and she made sure she was the best at it.

As the girl looked back, a flush rising in her cheeks, Phoebe had to keep her own smile from blossoming into something bordering on the infatuated. She really was a beautiful woman. She seemed very innocent, in a way, but there was a sprightly glint in her eyes, as well, that made Phoebe think that she wasn't just some naive princess to be protected, hidden in a stained-glass sanctuary or up in a tower-- no, given the chance, this girl could hit the ground running.

The question was-- could she keep up?

"No thank you, Father," She responded, fishing into her jacket pocket, "Duty calls, unfortunately; gotta keep fighting the good fight, soldier's work is never done-- I'm sure you know the feeling. I appreciate the invitation, though. Here," She handed him a small card, and then handed one to the girl as well.

Faraway Fast Parcel Delivery

Phoebe Templarr
612-1996

"We appreciate your business, and if you have any need of getting something-- or someone," a small glance at the girl, "Around the city fast, Achilles and I, we're your men."

[Aura Dawning]

Aura blinked softly, extending her hand and taking the card that the delivery woman had offered to her, reading it momentarily and taking in what Phoebe was saying about getting "anyone" around town. Her words struck a chord with Aura, who straightened up a little and watched as the young woman rejected the priest's offer to join them.

"Thank you, for the card", Aura began, as Father Florence ushered her along towards the church.

She threw in a warm smile and continued to contemplate the business card as she followed the priest up the steps obediently towards the giant doors of the church. Slipping the card into her coat pocket, she glanced around warily at the all-too familiar building, before throwing one last look over her shoulder at the biker as she entered.