Some Devil, some Angel Tag: Lady C!| INACTIVE

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

As she held out the bills towards him, Lady Catherine saw Roger raise an eyebrow. Curses. This was what she'd hoped wouldn't happen. She'd hoped he'd accept the money and absolve her feeling of guilt, if only a little and temporarily at that.

But clearly that wasn't what he had in mind.

"Look. Y'wanna go for a walk? I wanna show you something."

Her Ladyship was certain she'd gone white again. She wasn't just shocked at the offer, but she was also somewhat wary, somewhat fearful of it. What was he talking about, what did he mean?

"I promise, I'm not going to steal your money or abduct you or anything. I just wanna show you where your money really should be going. It'll be a ten minute walk if that, and then you can go back to your life."

Lady Catherine nodded, somewhat shakily. She really should go with him, after their conversation, after what had been said. She wasn't sure she wanted to, but something told her she should. She had to, even.

"A-alright then." She retracted the hand that held the bills but didn't return them to her purse just yet either. She wanted to do something of worth with them for once, and it seemed this young man was giving her the opportunity.

[ROGER DAVIS]

A-Alright.

Standing, Roger placed his guitar in the case and slung it over his shoulder to place behind his back. He stuffed the few dollars into his pocket. "It's not that far. I got some place that I think you'll wanna see."

The walk wasn't far. Perhaps maybe it was for Lady Catherine, who he was sure only walked the length of the expensive store, not from subway to subway to get around. Then again...she was from New York. But she did have money for a taxi. Roger let these thoughts take over him until noticed the familiar haunts of Alphabet City. It was then that he noticed the Recreational Centre, the small building that served as the meeting place for Life Support. Silently, he crossed the street, not even looking back to see if Lady C was following him or not. He pulled open the door and entered, hearing the soft voices inside.

A small group of people sat in a circle. Some held tissues in their hands, some held each other hands, but all held serious looks on their face. The appointed leader of the small group spoke, his voice somber. "Alright. Now that we've all introduced ourselves, does anyone have anything they want to mention? I know that Sue had a birthday this week. How did that go, Sue?"

"Well," The voice was timid, though there was a hint of small happiness in her voice. "Gordon took me out to dinner on my birthday. We ate Sushi until felt like we were going to throw up." She paused, and then continued. "Um, and then uh, the next morning, I got my count results back. They're really high." The sound of others clapping and murmuring their happiness hit Roger's ear, and he glanced back to look at Lady C. The woman continued speaking, her voice more somber than before. "We went to go see Jonathan in the hospital. He's doing alot better, but, um...the doctors said it's really too soon to tell if, um...if he's gonna make it."

The leader of the group nodded and murmured. "Jonathan's very strong. We've know this for a long time. Now, I think it's a good time to mention, for the new people here, that if you are going to see Jonathan, you must obay by the hospital's rules. Does everyone understand that?" The man's voice turned slightly teasing, though kind and somber. "That means you, Gordon."

Roger looked back at Lady C from where he stood at the entrance of the large room. "You wanted to see people you can help? You can help these people." Roger told her, his voice soft. "Our clinic, the only clinic in Alphabet City, is about to get shut down. They want to turn it into some sort of law firm or something like that. I don't know. But all these people...they're going to lose their access to free medicine, free check-ups. Free testing." Roger looked back at the small group of people. "This is just a few of the people. But all the people in this room...they'll be dead if that clinic closes."

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

"It's not that far. I got some place that I think you'll wanna see."

Wordlessly, Lady Catherine nodded again and followed in Roger's wake, her pace quick to keep up with him but her head held nowhere near as high as before. The streets became less grand and more haphazard and derelict the further they walked. Not only was the atmosphere and environment of the place utterly different to anything Catherine had experienced but the walking was beginning to take its toll. She really should have worn shoes with less of a heel...

Then again she hadn't expected this to happen, for her perspective on her world to be so suddenly and radically altered... and in such a way as to involve walking.

As Roger crossed the street to the Recreational Centre, Lady Catherine found that she had to hurry to keep up. Roger has promised that he would steal her money or do anything untoward, but Her Ladyship was still wary of others who might not be so accommodating.

Lady Catherine entered the building after Roger and stood slightly behind him, watching the meeting unfold. The atmosphere of the place was sombre and melancholic, although there seemed to be a spark of hope at one point in the proceedings. This was soon extinguished as the stifling blanket of sadness folded itself around the group once more. Her Ladyship found she was biting her lip and her eyes were brimming, if only slightly as she wasn't one for much emotion, with unshed tears.

"You wanted to see people you can help? You can help these people. Our clinic, the only clinic in Alphabet City, is about to get shut down. They want to turn it into some sort of law firm or something like that. I don't know. But all these people...they're going to lose their access to free medicine, free check-ups. Free testing. This is just a few of the people. But all the people in this room...they'll be dead if that clinic closes."

Lady Catherine gasped, the news alarming her more than it would have done before. Now that she'd seen the people that needed the clinic, seen them with her own eyes and felt a sliver of their suffering... Roger was right. These were the people she wanted to help.

It was as Roger said this and as Her Ladyship's gaze travelled from him, to the small group, to the room and back again, that ideas began to form in her mind.

"I'm sure they don't need to build a law firm here...surely this clinic is of more vital importance...There must be something I could do to get the firm to relocate elsewhere...I could have a word with Joseph Jefferson, maybe... Then once the clinic's here to stay I could invest some funds not just to keep it fully operational but maybe even improve it..."

She tailed off, realizing she'd been rambling (something she was prone to do, but never in cases like this). She looked anxiously at Roger, to see how he'd take what she said.

[ROGER DAVIS]

Lady Catherine's gasp didn't surprise Roger; it was the same responce he always heard from people who watched the Life Support meetings for the first time. Even he had been taken aback the first time he had decided to walk out of the house and go to the meeting, at Angel's request. The news of the Clinic and her reaction wasn't surprising, either. Silently, Roger's eyebrow lifted as Lady Catherine spoke of Joseph Jefferson.

"Small world." Roger told her, and when she looked at him curiously, Roger continued. "Joanne Jefferson is one of my best friend's girlfriend."

However, when she spoke of the plan, Roger wanted to believe her. He wanted to nod and agree with her, and say yes, that was a perfect plan. And sure, it did sound perfect. But he knew there was always going to be something to get in the way. Roger moved, walking back out of the building to the street.

"No one cares about us, sweetheart." Roger told Lady Catherine honestly. "The police down here...they'll arrest you for looking at them wrong. Hell, before I did drugs I got arrested twice for disturbing the peace. I was walking down the street and accidentally bumped into one of the officers. It's corrupt down here. I mean, just a couple of years ago, there was a big giant riot with the police and us in Tompkins Square. Police beatings, you name it. Two people died." Roger scoffed slightly. "It's a war-zone down here. No one cares."

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

"Small world. Joanne Jefferson is one of my best friend's girlfriend."

To say that Her Ladyship was surprised at this revelation would be an understatement. Not only was she amazed at how Joanne appeared to be clinging to not only the higher but also lower rungs of the social ladder, but that it seemed she, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has been more in touch with the lower classes than she thought possible, all through her acquaintance with the lawyer.

She would have said something more on the subject of Joanne, but before she could do so Roger moved, heading back out of the building to the street once more.

As Roger explained the corruption of Alphabet City and told her curtly that 'no-one cares' Lady Catherine began to realize she was being too idealistic in her grand scheme. If what she was suggesting (keeping the clinic open and improving it) was too idealistic, it was no wonder the place was in the state it was.

"Surely there must be something I can do..." she said, her tone surprisingly desperate. "I happen to know the mayor and the comptroller personally...I could get them to direct their attention and funds to the situation, try and deal with the police corruption..." Her tone was questioning, considering the rejection of her previous plan. But Roger had better believe she could talk the mayor round; she had the knack for talking, did Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

[ROGER DAVIS]

It was then that Roger realised what he had just done. He had brought someone into Alphabet City, someone of power and wealth and he had shown them how shitty it was on the streets. He had shown them how hard it was, and then, surprisingly, they had offered to try to fix it. However, Roger remembered that the Bohemians had heard this once before, with Benjamin Coffin the Third and CyberArts. CyberArts, at least to Benny, was everyone's ticket to a better life. It had backfired horribly in his face (not that Roger minded in the least) and left him running back with his tail between his legs and his investors more angry than ever and spewing more hatred for the lower class than they had thought possible. To be honest, Roger was surprised that Benny hadn't been cast back to Alphabet City like Lucifer being cast into Hell.

It was this point that Roger knew made him distrust her words, even though he had been the one to invite them in. Now that he had opened the box, Roger thought silently, he wasn't sure if he was ready for everything that was inside.

"I'm glad I could like, give you a change of heart or whatever. But I'm a rare person around here. Most of the people around here hate people like you. With a passion. Most of the people here have been here so long that they don't even believe there's a light." Roger explained honestly. "I haven't always been poor. I mean, I've lived here for 8 years, but before that... I sure the hell wasn't rich, but I lived in Scarsdale for a while. It wasn't exactly Westport, but I had a roof over my head and food in my stomach." He and Mark both had lived in Scarsdale, and they both had escaped...for what? Because they needed to find themselves, Roger reminded. Or they needed to express themselves. They were young, their parents had told them. They were making young-kid mistakes.

"All I'm saying is that if you're going to try to do something...you better come up with results. Because if you don't...these people will put you up on a cross faster than Jesus Christ himself, and believe me, they've had lots of practice crucifying people and you'll be the furthest thing from a martyr."

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

"I'm glad I could like, give you a change of heart or whatever. But I'm a rare person around here. Most of the people around here hate people like you. With a passion. Most of the people here have been here so long that they don't even believe there's a light."

When she looked back and considered her previous disdain and contempt for those below her, Lady Catherine could honestly say she wasn't surprised that the majority of people here disliked people like her. She couldn't blame them. But it still hurt to know that, after Roger had given her a change of heart (as he so rightly put it), what she hoped to do here would most likely be unlikely to be achieved.

"I can't blame them..." she muttered, for once in her life feeling quite wretched, quite ashamed. She wondered briefly if these emotions were a one off, if this was how she really felt, or was she putting on an act so Roger wouldn't argue with her again? Had she changed or was she still the same arrogant, obnoxious narcissist inside, underneath these new feelings of goodwill?

As Roger explained a little of his life before coming to New York, Lady Catherine could do little but nod. She couldn't emphasize; she'd always been rich, always been privileged, always had a home, food...all that and more. Much more.

"All I'm saying is that if you're going to try to do something...you better come up with results. Because if you don't...these people will put you up on a cross faster than Jesus Christ himself, and believe me, they've had lots of practice crucifying people and you'll be the furthest thing from a martyr."

Lady Catherine was certain she'd blanched again. The analogy Roger made was a rather vivid and painful one to imagine...very graphic indeed. She decided it was best not to dwell on it.

Trying to keep her voice steady, in its usual authoritative manner, Her Ladyship spoke again.

"After what I've seen and heard today, Mister Davis, I can't just return to my normal life and do nothing. I realize it may not be a wise decision to try and help, but I think it's the right decision to make."

She only hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

[ROGER DAVIS]

((OOC: Sorry it's so short! Brain is not here. X.X))

He wondered if the woman in the really nice skirt and suit combo was just saying whatever just to apease him. what if she was simply saying it to make him feel better, and if, once gone from him, she'd go back to her life before with her pictures and her nice shoes and dresses and money.

He wanted to believe her, though. "You're not just blowin' smoke up my ass, are you?" Roger asked honestly. "'Cause, I mean, I'm a nice guy and all, but I get angry easily when people blow smoke up my ass."

He paused, and arched an eyebrow, an idea coming to his head. "...do you drink?" Even if she didn't, she could buy him a drink, because what the hell else was she going to do with her money? Buy more shoes? More suits? He almost had an urge to ask if she wiped her ass with money, but he had already used that on Benny the last time he had seen him, and had gotten a less-than-stellar responce back.

Sure, Benny hated him and he hated Benny, but it wasn't the amusing responce he had expected.

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

(ooc: That's perfectly fine! ^___^ Loved your post; Roger's thoughts on Her Ladyship never cease to amuse me. XD)

bic:

"You're not just blowin' smoke up my ass, are you? 'Cause, I mean, I'm a nice guy and all, but I get angry easily when people blow smoke up my ass."

Lady Catherine shook her head, a bit dumbfounded by the analogy she hadn't heard before. If Roger meant was she joking around with him and not taking everything seriously then her assumption to shake her head was correct; she wasn't messing with him, she really did want to help.

She got the nasty feeling, considering Roger's comment, that he wasn't entirely convinced. He probably thought she was going to forgot this whole escapade as soon as possible, dismiss it and never think on it again.

"No," she said a last. "No, I don't believe I am."

"...do you drink?"

Needless to say Lady Catherine was surprised at the question. Not only had there just been a very abrupt change of topic, but the matter of drink was one she rarely broached, particularly with near strangers she hardly knew, such as young Mister Davis here. As a matter of fact, never with near strangers. Lady Catherine hardly talked to strangers unless they were shop assistants or waiters, in truth.

"I...I do...sort of," she replied hesitantly. "A small glass of sherry or a gin and tonic every now and again."

[ROGER DAVIS]

So, she wasn't kidding. He wondered if sooner or later, she'd wake up, remember her life that she had with all her money and power and whatever else she had and she'd leave. Leave all of the poor and the downtrodden and the lifeless behind.

However, she had said that she wasn't blowing smoke. That she wasn't lying. "You know...I don't believe you. But you probably already knew that. It's hard to trust people when you get lied to all your life."

When she sputtered out that she sort of drank, Roger found himself lifting an eyebrow. "...Sherry?" Roger asked, and then scoffed slightly, shaking his head. "You know what? We're going somewhere else. I'm gonna get you a glass of a poor-man's sherry or whatever it is you drink. You'll burn a hole in the pit of your stomach, but you'll get fucked up quicker than those rich-people drinks."

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

"You know...I don't believe you. But you probably already knew that. It's hard to trust people when you get lied to all your life."

Lady Catherine nodded, but could think of nothing to say that would convince him otherwise. She would do something whether he believed she would or not. And what she would end up doing, she hoped, would all work out and convince him she hadn't been lying.

He had a point of course, when he mentioned having been lied to all his life. Her Ladyship reasoned there was little to nothing she could say or do to reverse a lifetime of lies.

"You know what? We're going somewhere else. I'm gonna get you a glass of a poor-man's sherry or whatever it is you drink. You'll burn a hole in the pit of your stomach, but you'll get fucked up quicker than those rich-people drinks."

Lady Catherine's eyes widened, not only at Roger's language (the likes of which she very rarely used herself) but at his suggestion. He was going to take her for a drink? For what purpose? And surely if any drinks were to be had, she should be the one to pay for them?

"I do hope you're joking about the drink burning a hole in my stomach, Mr. Davis," she said eventually. "And after all you've done for me today I believe I should be the one to pay for it, I might as well make that clear now."

Ordinarily the idea of paying for someone else, particularly a drink, would have appalled Lady Catherine de Bourgh. But then today was not an ordinary day for her.

[hamlet]

[I'm just bumping this to see if you guys are interested in continuing this thread. If not, I'll archive it ]

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

ooc: I wouldn't mind continuing, it's a great thread and I haven't posted as Her Ladyship in awhile, then again I'm quite busy both IN RL and at RC due to Ricky and all his crazy plottage. XD Eother way's fine with me...your call Sammeh!