[2/2] RP: Grim Treatment. [COMPLETE]

"Ooooh. A neck brace sounds tempting~" Fran grinned, perking up at the idea. He studied Grim closely, looking for signs that he knew of other substitute clothes other than the clear signs of irritation hidden under his professional I-am-a-doctor-you-can-trust-me smile. And just subtly, he picked up on Grim's very brief glance to his lab coat hanging on a nearby rack, and an even more subtle shake of his head. Was this medic actually denying his request on purpose? Oho! This was interesting...very interesting...

"Hospital robes are highly unfashionable~ I won't be seen in those~" chimed Fran, waving his left hand casually at Grim, as if dismissing a maid, a smug grin still on his face. "And I don't wish to talk to other medics, I only want to talk to you, Grimmy~~" He smiled as he bounced a little in his seat. "...for now. Mufufu!~~" Something about this medic was particularly interesting. He'd serve as a good source of entertainment, for now. Besides, he had some time to kill before Inkie got back for them to finish their paperwork...might as well spend it here where entertainment was so readily available, eh?

"Aren't you a doctor, Grimmy?" he teased, still reclining comfortably in his seat. "Don't doctors have...lab coats? I would think it standard protocol, no?" His grin grew even wider, and more smug than before, as he gazed innocently at Grim, still refusing to budge an inch from his seat.

His brows were raised in sheer amusement to see that the Doctor had finally cracked…somewhat. He waited patiently as Grim stilled himself from his sudden outburst, looking very much like an embarrassed child realizing they had done something that they shouldn't have. Awwww… The temptation to reach out and pat his head once more was strong, but Fran resisted it, and simply continued to observe Grim as he pointed a finger accusingly at him, but said nothing.

Finally, he found space to reply the aggravated Medic, his voice soothing, calm and melodious as ever. "I simply enjoy your company, Doc. Though it is evident that this feeling is anything but mutual~" He uncrossed his legs, and crossed them the other way lazily, placing his slender fingers elegantly on his propped up knee. "You ask why I am here, being difficult with you, harassing you… To be honest, I am not quite sure, myself. Perhaps this superior of yours just needs a listening ear to unload some…baggage. A listening ear that will soon forget everything that has been unloaded once I choose to leave this place~ hehe~"

He looked a Grim kindly, with a most pleasant smile on his face. "That roomie of yours…he too has a habit of concealing his neck well, does he not? Mufufu~" He remarked softly, more to himself than Grim, as an unreadable expression crossed his face. "Is there something about myself that I can perhaps…share with you? Anything you'd like to know about me? Fufu. It might, perchance, shed some light as to why I am being so…" he cocked his head slightly to the side, as his warm smile widened, "…difficult with you. After all, I am always keen to get to know my fellow Apprentices~~"

Triumphant that he had won this battle, Fran replied smugly, an enigmatic smile on his face. "I have always prided myself on being...different." He would at least have some time to get to know this medic better, at the very least. He appreciated that. As for himself...he was pretty much an open book about his history. After all, countless other Apprentices had spun tales, some true to the story, most far-off, exaggerated, and in his disfavour...him telling the truth about his own story seemed far more sensible in comparison. "And of course I do know a lot~~ And I'd be willing to share what I do know with anyone who listens. Pity there's not many people like that around~ Mufufu~~~"

His unexpectedly kind gesture resulted in a slightly surprised Fran, as he offered yet another O-shaped mouth expression in return for the scrubs shirt that Grim offered him. He soon broke into a light chuckle as he realised that the boy's medic instincts had probably taken precedence over his anger at him. Deciding to humour the model medic, Fran used his left hand to lightly draped the scrub shirt over his shoulders. He had no intention to exit the infirmary in there, but these would do to prevent Grim from losing it and strangling him...for now.

"Ah yes, these are a common question..." Fran chimed merrily, stretching his arms in front of him, such that he could see the clear runes tattooed into the skin of his well toned arms. "They are in an obsolete language -- ancient Celtic runes. I am of Celtic Welsh descent, you see~" he hummed merrily, bouncing in his seat once again. "Origin aside, their meaning is what's most important about them~~ These were the first words dearest Death said to me when I returned from a grievous mistake five centuries ago~~" Had it been so long already? The time had zipped by as if it were 5 years instead of 500. " 'Death cannot be prevented, only postponed.' That is what they read~" He smiled a melancholic smile at Grim, his sing-song voice taking on the sad nostalgia of a nocturne. "These were the same words my dear sister spoke to me as I returned to Reap her as well. As so...they hold special significance to me~ They serve as a constant reminder, not to do something as foolish like that ever again~~" With that, his grin resumed as he looked curiously at Grim.

"Eye for an eye. Getting to know someone should be a two-way effort, is it not? So~ Why Grim?~" he asked innocently, smiling sweetly as he did so.

Fran continued to stare at Grim, his head still cocked to the side, his innocent, sweet smile still hanging pleasantly on his face. It was several seconds before he spoke again. "The great Fran knows enough to know that that's a lie~" He chimed finally, easing back in his seat and waving his hands casually. "I was simply trying my luck~ No luck here, I suppose, so I shall simply make believe that what you have told me is truth~ With your current attitude, any other ordinary person would probably be immediately convinced, yes~ Mufufu~" Though he had enough information about Grim to make conjectures of his own, a part of him wished that his subordinate trusted him enough to tell him personally... But then again, who was he to expect trust from anyone, especially after what happened 500 years ago? People were slow to forgive, and quick to offend, and he would never blame anyone for hating him, or refusing to trust him after what he did. He deserved it, after all.

He smiled gently as he decided to add on to his little story with Grim. He did owe him that much, after all -- he had promised. And Fran was most certainly a man of his word. "You have probably have already heard a version or two of a tale of a certain foolish Apprentice, who chose to tread the path of a Fallen several centuries back, because he believed his own logic to surpass Death's and Fate's. He believed he could take their decision and power into his own hands, and make decisions for himself. He was...wrong." His voice had taken on the sombre melody of a slow nocturne, and his smiling gaze was tinged with melancholy, though a warm smile still remained on his face. "The Reap order that he never should have refused to take in the first place was that of the only person he had ever considered his equal in this world - living or dead. She was so young, she had such a bright future ahead of her, and yet, she was Fated to be....murdered. He thought of preventing her death, to let her experience the things she'd never get to experience...things he never got to experience..."

He breathed in the fresh smoke from Grim's exhaled cigarette. It was a nostalgic scent -- not really something he cared for, but he didn't exactly hate it either. Every scent told a story... "He thought it ridiculous to Reap her at first. After all, he sorta died to save her~~ Sorta..." He let out a sheepish grin at Grim, in a most child-like manner. "And so, that is the story of how I helped create an entity that was never meant to exist in this world -- the Fateless." He folded his arms elegantly as he looked at Grim with a smile that his all intentions from his face. "Life, or death, to lesser beings is such that only when you see certain things for yourself, then can you truly understand why they were never meant to be. The Fateless...were never meant to exist. I do not know why the great Fran needed to see it for himself to understand this, but yes~ I do understand now~"

His smile never once fading, he leaned forward to Grim, letting him have a closer look at the strange runes inked into his arms. "Death cannot be prevented, only postponed..." he repeated, his voice now more akin to a requiem, its sing-song quality melodious, and yet heavy. "Truer words were never spoken, eh? Mufufu~"

Pulling out his steel war fan, he deftly flicked it open, running his finger down its cool edges. "Her name was Auron. My sister~ In my language, it means 'a divine ending'. Destiny works in funny ways, eh? Mufufu~" and with that, he snapped Auron (his fan) shut, twirling it playfully in his hands as he smiled pleasantly at Grim. Painful were these memories, but time had a way of ebbing away the pain and making it part of who he was... He twirled the closed Auron, using her ends to trail along his numerous neck scars absent-mindedly. Some scars never heal, but perhaps that was how they were meant to be -- to serve as an eternal reminder of what is never to be....

"Oh, she definitely will~~ She's as smart, sensible and wise as I am~" perhaps slightly more so.... came the thought as he grinned cheekily at Grim, just before being petted gently by the medic, like a child. He didn't flinch from the gesture, much too accustomed to physical contact to be surprised by any form of it, but simply gazed innocently back at Grim in response....only to see his medic grow red in apparent realisation at what he had done. That....was certainly an unexpected gesture. A wide smile spread across Fran's face as he broke into gail bouts of laughter at how embarrassed Grim appeared to be. No matter how many human years he had aged, he truly resembled a child now, what with his adorable blush and reaction.

"I will tell that to no one, I promise~" he finally chimed, still chuckling slightly from Grim and his sheepish stammering. "Now at least whenever I do that to you, you can empathise~~ Mufufu~" He grinned as he himself got up from his seat to ruffle Grim's hair lightly. "It'll be our little private joke. Heh~" He lowered his voice rather suggestively, winking at Grim, before releasing him and leaning against a counter a few steps away in their partitioned area. Once again, he resumed tracing Auron's steel edges along his bare neck absent-mindedly, smiling pleasantly at Grim as he did so. "I am grateful, though~ Thank you, Grimmy."

"In fact, as thanks for your sincere gesture of...sympathy? Pity? Empathy? I'm not too sure. But yes whatever it was, I will entertain a few more questions from you. Is there anything else you'd like to know about the great Fran? I promise to continue to be as honest as I can possibly afford to be~"

"Hoho, yes yes, my dear Doctor, often once people are bitten, they become twice shy~ So I do not believe you'd make the same mistake again, no? Though in truth, this is a mistake that I wouldn't mind you repeating…Mufufu~" The sight before him only served to fuel Fran's amusement, as the petite medic's anger was visibly rising, inversely proportionate to his tolerance level for his superior. That head-patting gesture was adorable though. Too bad he'd probably never get to experience it ever again, Fran thought to himself, slightly disappointed.

At Grim's exasperated plea to stop with the nicknames, and even offering a wager on his chosen alias in exchange for a (he scoffed at the thought) weakness of Fran's, Fran's melodious laughter resounded once again through the room. Man, this conversation was just getting more and more interesting by the minute. He let Grim calm down for a moment more before speaking up again.

"Oh? But…it's not really G.R.I.M….is it?~" he smirked mischievously, testing Grim, knowing full well that Grim wasn't even his real name. Why should he adhere to this chosen name when it wasn't even Grim's real one? Ridiculous. Besides... "I'll have you know that I only give nicknames to people I find worthy of them~ It's not a....privilege that many are endowed with. Mufufu~"

He folded his arms pensively as he rested his sharp, pointed chin in his left hand. "Hmm. To be perfectly, honest, the great Fran has no weaknesses~" he began teasingly, laughing slightly at the thought. "But some might count these-" he ran Auron across his neck to accentuate the numerous scars there, "-as a weakness. In truth, I simply do not like showing them in public because it is troublesome~ I would very much like to be stared at for my dashing good looks rather these unsightly scars~" He said simply, bouncing from side to side as he leaned relaxedly against the counter, briskly opening Auron to fan himself.

"You'd think the least they could do was to give me symmetrical wounds. But nooooo. They just haphazardly slashed as they pleased~ Barbarians, really. Mufufu~" A bright chuckle resounded through the room as Fran continued his story. "These are actually in relation to the little tale I shared earlier with you~ I received these as a...gift~ From the Apprentices who were on guard when I first returned from Falling~ Nearly died a second death, hoho!" He laughed at the thought, remembering the violence and how he had had to fight off several of his own comrades off in order to survive. "They really showed no mercy on me~~ if not for dear Death and Inkie who came to my rescue, I'd've been dead a second time, and wouldn't be here today to harass you~~ Bet you'd love that, wouldn't you? Mufufu~"

But too bad, Grim. He survived, and he's here. And he's not going to leave you alone anytime soon....

"So yes, it is not a lie that I am uncomfortable with showing these in public~ Though if you throw off these curtains now, I will most likely just laugh and swear pleasantly at you in good humour~" he teased. He spoke truth, though -- most things amused, rather than annoyed him. Fran was just someone who...didn't get annoyed. Most of the time, he was the one annoying others... "I am most displeased when I lose a comrade, or a friend, and am also saddened when a comrade turns against me and I am forced to fight them~" He explained in a very matter-of-fact manner, as if there were no other simpler truth than this. "It is not a revolutionary fact, but it is truth. The great Fran has no other weakness~ Does that suffice for you to share your little secret with me now?" His grin turned cheeky again, as he stared at Grim for an answer, his silver locks being lightly blown back from the wind from Auron.

"Of course it isn't your given name, Grimmy~ I know your given name~ Though I do not know why you no longer use it, but I do know it~ Mufufu~" Grim's scoffing at Fran's confession about his scars only served to widen his grin. "It was suffering I deserved, Grim. I dare say that...it might not have been 'unnecessary'..." Steel traced the numerous scars once again as a mysterious, unreadable smile spread upon Fran's face once more. Pain...pain was good. After all, wasn't pain a most effective method of getting people to remember things? Though this particular pain from the numerous permanent marks on his slender neck was a sort of pain not even the best medic could possibly cure... He sighed softly at the thought.

Grim's confession regarding his name caused Fran's attention to snap back to thoughts from 500 years ago to the present-day medic infirmary setting that he was physically present in. "Oh?~" His brows were raised, as a small smile slowly spread onto his face. "Interesting...sibling attachment. How coincidental, exactly...4 siblings...?" Fran mused, more to himself than to Grim, taking note of Grim's initial slip-up as he explained the reason behind his name. But Fran didn't wish to pursue further. Sibling matters were supposed to be a delicate topic, after all....weren't they? Whether Grimmy had 4 or 5 siblings was really his own business, and Fran decided there and then that he would not further harass the medic about this. "The only thought on my mind about this though, Grimmy, is that if I were to have used the same method as you to give myself an alias, I would simply be known as...Ba. Or Ab. Whichever possibly sounds less like a preposterous joke, hahaha~"

His light, soothing melodious laughter rang through the infirmary again as he chortled merrily to himself. When was the last time anyone had called him by his full name? Even Auron had taken to calling him 'Bendi'. Really, a full name was hardly necessary. People could call him whatever they wanted to, and in turn, he would call people whatever he wanted to. That was his own way of remembering them and making sure each of them held a special presence in his heart... A name was an identity, but a name was also something you carved for yourself, at least that was what the great Fran believed. If Victor wished to be known as Grim, then so be it. The great Fran would accept this name...but only if it was concluded with a slight embellishment -- my grim, Grimmy.