Gerwulf keeping the conversation they were having a bit more casual helped her stay calm. Even a small chuckle came when he talked about breaking her. "I do appreciate that. I have no complaints though." She didn't want him to think she wished she hadn't slept with him since he wasn't human. That wasn't the case. Aesa had never been one to judge on things that made people different from her. At the time it had been race, sex, religion, and such things. Now race took on a whole new meaning. Her eyes cut to Cicero, but she couldn't really argue with him. He probably knew more than she did about these things.
She turned her head slowly to look at Cicero as he moved, but Gerwulf spoke again. "I can imagine. Griffin really enjoyed fucking me up." She sighed. "I suppose I owe you an explanation, but if it's alright, can it wait until I'm... out of here at least?" Cicero finally responded about payment and she sighed. "And how am I supposed to know what my life is worth? To me it's priceless... to you... I don't know what you'd value it at. How do you measure the worth of a life?" The tension that had been filling her eased off as the liquid began to flow into her.
When he explained why he wouldn't tell her, she couldn't really do much to react to it. Whatever was in this liquid was nice. She began to feel floaty again and she almost wanted to close her eyes to sleep. Gerwulf's comment made her chuckle, missing the exchange between them. "So now is when you tell there really are gods and I'm likely fucked on that front?" The question had been rhetorical but she appreciated that he would if he could. "I can say this much about the creepy suited man. He has good drugs. Please don't tell me what it is again. Just... let me enjoy it."
Gerwulf wanted to ask more; however, Aesa must have had her reasons not to share the information. Cicero wouldn't have cared; he viewed human life and their antics as a big joke, or at least, that was how Gerwulf viewed it. In truth, they were just too long-lived, which meant that they considered people and their lives passing specks within the flow of time unless they were entertaining. The fact that Aesa knew who had shot her wasn't too surprising a revelation. "Don't mind me, if you want to keep secrets. Make sure that they are worth dying for," Cicero murmured before his blue eyes lifted to Aesa's once she asked for clarification on price. Gerwulf, on the other hand, bit down on whatever he was going to say.
"Well, dear. You already know how much your life is worth, and what I provided was also so. It doesn't matter what I value it at; otherwise, you would be dead. However, the Mercenary has promised to shoulder any burden that you cannot... always so altruistic," Cicero stated, all while watching her with as much interest as a starving cat in front of a mouse. Tongue flitting out just enough to lick his lips as he smiled. It was obvious that the stranger gained satisfaction in scaring people, as if it were one of the funniest things that he could do in this moment. As for the Gods, Gerwulf opened and shut his mouth, trying to think. Cicero on the otherhand just came out with it, "Yes, but not as you know them,"
That was when Cicero moved toward her, uncomfortably close, smelling of lilacs and earth, almost enticingly so. Gerwulf raised a hand and smiled, but didn't actually touch Cicero as he realized the other man was doing something official. That was when Aesa called him creepy; he grimaced. "Don't..." was what could escape him before Cicero put a finger on Gerwulf's lips. "I do have good drugs, however, you are still in my home, and calling your host creepy is not appreciated," He stated calmly as he leaned in, close enough that Aesa could smell a sweetness upon his breath. His sleeved arms brushed against her skin as he reached behind her, soft fingertips brushing against the sensitive areas around where the needles entered her back.
There were a few of them, now that she felt most. One in each of her upper shoulders, one at the top of her back, and one at the lower end, where her tailbone would lie. Cicero pulled them out; though the gauge and length were considerable, they moved smoothly as fluids leaked out of her bones. If Gerwulf wasn't there, he was sure that the good doctor would have lapped it up like candy. He also knew that the reason Cicero didn't give Gerwulf a place for him to wash his hands was to increase the likelihood of infection, so that he couldn't hold Aesa. Cicero then gently picked up Aesa into a princess carry and moved her.
They didn't go far. Once away from the tubes, there were other tables that couldn't be seen from where Aesa had been trapped. The room was large, and countless tubes and different contraptions littered the place. Cicero would sit her on a cold metal table before moving to get supplies. Gerwulf followed, staying within eyesight of Aesa, seeing if she had any questions or fears that she wanted to mention. "This won't sting, it will feel a bit odd..." Cicero claimed, moving her head to look forward to indicate that she shouldn't turn. As warm finger-like things pressed at the openings, before her flesh felt like it had melded closed. What Gerwulf saw was something else entirely, as a fifth appendage, like a scorpion's tail, had escaped Cicero to do the finer touches.
Aesa's eyes cut to Cicero as he warned her about secrets. "I.... I just wanted to wait until I was out of the tube. I only didn't tell Gerwulf before because I didn't want my story to be a cloud on the fun we were having." She glanced back to Gerwulf suddenly worried if he was mad that she hadn't told him or that she'd gotten him involved. "I'm sorry I got you involved. I hadn't planned on it. I hate the idea of you being in debt to him because of me." She was actually glad for the subject change to the gods. Part of her wanted to ask what he meant by his comment. Not as she knew them? What did that mean? Aesa closed her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath. This was overwhelming. And even that felt like an understatement.
As Cicero moved closer, her breathing picking up speed. "I'm... I'm sorry. I... no... I'm just sorry. That was rude." She was about to tell him that pain drugs often made her a little loopy but decided against it. She took a deep breath of him, enjoying the way he smelled. The drugs and trying to make up for her insult had her mouth saying so. "Your cologne is very nice." Her voice shook a bit as she felt the needles start to move in her body. She was grateful for the drugs then because she couldn't imagine needles this large feeling good coming out. Even with the drugs it felt like massive knives being pulled from her body. To distract herself, she decided to ask another question. "Is it rude to ask what you are? Other than a doctor of some sort?"
As he picked her up, she was glad for the bandages covering her whole body. The idea of being totally nude in front of this man conscious made her very nervous. She already felt like prey every time he looked at her, being naked would have made it so much worse. When he sat her on the table, she was glad for them again because the table felt cold even through the cloth. She didn't fight as he moved her head. She was more than fine with not looking at whatever he was doing. Her eyes went to Gerwulf and she gave him a tired smile. There were so many questions that she didn't know where to start. "What happens now?" Her eyes slide to the side, but she didn't turn her head towards Cicero? The sensation on her skin wasn't bad, but like he said odd. "You could be a billionaire helping humans with whatever that was. It felt like the wound closed..."
Her gaze shifted back to Gerwulf. She'd promised to explain a bit more when she was out of the tube and technically this was out of the tube. For some reason, she suspected the man moving behind her was very big on technicalities and she didn't want to upset him again. "Griffin... he runs a motorcycle gang in my hometown. My grandfather got mixed up with them when I was just a little kid. He was discharged from the military for not being mentally fit. Long story short, me, my dad, and my brother were forced to join and do jobs. Hurt people. Steal things. Threaten people. My brother got out when I was teenager. They think he's dead. I got out after I shot and killed one of them for trying to rape me. I've been running since. I thought I was safe finally. It'd been about five years since I'd left. Seems like being a good person and updating my drivers license helped them find me again. He was going to force me back home to work for them again, but as you saw, that didn't work out." By the time she finished, Cicero had finished what he was doing. Perhaps she'd also shared to put off them talking about how she would repay him for his help.
If Aesa didn't notice that Gerwulf was being awfully quiet at times, then she would likely never pick up the fact that he and Cicero had some kind of agreement on how information was presented to her. As for the thin man's comments, they weren't a threat, just an observation that most should live by. That wasn't always the case, however; both Gerwulf and Cicero knew better than to share true secrets. What was also not mentioned was that Cicero could smell the type of fun that they had before, drifting off them like traceable marks. "It is alright, he's a man of his word," Gerwulf coughed out as words of debt were exchanged.
Cicero knew the effect he had on people; he savored every exchange that wasn't truly bloody. As Aesa's breath sped up, he couldn't help but hold his smile while he removed the needles. When she spoke of his cologne, Gerwulf choked as Cicero's smile widened as he whispered in that sing-song manner that drew temptation, "Thank you, I quite like how my body smells too..." making it all too clear that it wasn't a cologne. Once most of the work had been done, and asked what he was, and he answered while carrying her over to the table. "A surgeon and a broker, among other things, unless you mean what -am- I. Would you like to know?" He chuckled, not giving her an answer just yet.
Gerwulf watched all this play out, Cicero soon standing behind Aesa with his tail whipping around, the tendrils escaping a bulb-shaped pod at its end, which began to touch the woman's wounds before vanishing as if it was never there. Spellwork was being done, but Gerwulf knew nothing of its origins. "Well, we talk, I suppose," He stated while waiting to see if Cicero had a response, "I'm already plenty wealthy; the problem is that most are too afraid to seek my assistance. I have a reputation," he murmured before Aesa went to tell her story. It didn't interest Cicero, mundane dramatics that any supernatural could have cleared up. Gerwulf, on the other hand, just nodded solemnly. "The past doesn't get buried, unless you do it yourself. They're criminals with access to their local DMV, I guess, if they could get into the systems."
Pondering it, Gerwulf folded his arms and watched Aesa, smiling lightly as he knew that she was alright now. At most, she had some painkillers within her system that would wear out according to Cicero. What surprised the wolfman was when Cicero leaned over to the right of Aesa, onto the table she sat on, and began humming lightly. The sound was an echoing soft melody that seemed to warm one's heart, entrancing like a little tingle entering his mind, which made Gerwulf growl. "Please, we had an agreement. I won't coerce with anything otherworldly, relax," Cicero murmured as he looked up at Aesa. "I was asked not to turn you into anything... that would stop you from re-entering human society, though you may have some unforeseen side-effects," He murmured, a slender hand brushing a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. "Other than that, the balance needs to be struck. Do you understand the idea of equivalent exchange?"
Aesa's face turned blood red. That was him? He smelled like lavender and earth naturally. What was this man? Though when he asked her if she wanted to know, she grew conflicted. She had a funny feeling it wouldn't be a werewolf or a vampire. The overwhelming thought that she'd been trying not to linger on hit her hard. How many types of supernaturals were real? How many were truly legends? How had they stayed hidden all this time. She shook her head gently. "No. I don't think I'm ready to know yet if I'm honest." And she surely didn't want to know his reputation. She could begin to guess what that might mean and she didn't want to think about it.
She would rather talk to Gerwulf, but he was being oddly quiet. Perhaps he was just trying not to overwhelm her. She didn't feel safe to ask him right now. Even with the drugs he'd given her, her nerves were on edge. She nodded slowly when Gerwulf did speak. "That was exactly what he said. My grandfather has a connection." She was weight what he said about the past. Oh, she wanted to bury it. When she was well and able to do it, she was going to make sure they never came after her again. One way or another. She was imagining blowing Griffin's brains out as Cicero came close and began to hum and she was immediately wrapped up on the sound.
Gerwulfs growl shook her from it and she blinked a few times. Cicero continued to speak and the words 'turn you into' stuck. It repeated over and over in her head. He hadn't just healed her with magic or some weird medicine. He'd changed her. She knew that they'd told her or at least hinted at it enough that one some level she knew. Hearing him say it sent her brain to spinning. When he brushed his hair back, her eyes followed his fingers. How was she not freaking out at him being this close? Was it the humming? "Side effects? What kind of side effects? Is this where you tell me what you've done to me?" Despite her question she was nodding. "I understand the general concept. A one to one type exchange, right? One thing for something of equal value?" He already made it clear that he didn't want money. What else could he want from her? Her eyes went to Gerwulf. "I don't want him to take any more of my debt than he absolutely has too. I'm not going to thank him for getting me here by burdening him."
