Shattered Sanity

"I had them once before, I really did like them" Ffion said with a smile, her thick Welsh accent coming through as she spoke. She realised she hadn't introduced herself to either of them, and shook her head. "In case you were wondering, my name is Ffion Rees. Roulette brought me here after the incident with Jack." She quite liked his accent, it was somewhat calming to her. Ffion handed him a cup of coffee with a small smile, dipping her head slightly.

Samuel smiled and took the cup of coffee before he began to beat the batter again. "Your name has a nice ring to it," he complimented, sipping the coffee while he poured the batter into the pan. "My name's Samuel, but most people take to calling me Sam. It's easier to remember." He took a pause and a soft frown took over his face as he studied her own. "What happened with Roulette and Jack last night?" He definitely didn't seem to know what had happened. Definitely a case of Jekyll and Hyde.

"I managed to lure Roulette to me, hoping he'd kill me. Then Jack showed up to take me back. When he saw Roulette, well, he was going to take us both back." Ffion took a sip of her coffee, her hands trembling slightly. "When I managed to get Jack distracted, Roulette grabbed me and brought me here." Ffion rubbed her arm slightly, careful to avoid the stitches. "I'msorry, I really didn't mean to get either of you involved in this. I just wanted to get out, and Roulette seemed like the only way out."

"It's okay," Sam said, offering a small smile. "I'm just glad that, for once, Roulette didn't do anything stupid to grab the cop's attention. Usually he goes in a killing spree and attracts all the wrong kinds of attention, especially from the police." Sam studied Ffion for a second longer before flipping the pancakes over in the pan, letting them cook on the other side. Once they were nice and fluffy, he pulled them off the heat and placed them on a plate stacked eight high, enough for four each. He nodded to the other four once he'd gotten his, obviously wanting her to take them. "Syrup's in the refrigerator if you want it."

He himself drizzled chocolate and melted peanut butter onto his own before adding in a few white chocolate chips on top. A weird but delicious looking concoction. It was something he'd eaten a lot as a child and something he absolutely loved. He basically turned the pancakes into a Recee's cup.

"I don't think he was expecting to encounter such easy prey. He did look a bit confused that I actually wanted him to kill me." Ffion went to grab the syrup out of the fridge, but instead grabbed some cheese. She carefully put a slice of cheese between each pancake, and a bit on top before digging in. She had very vague memories of eating pancakes like that before.
"Oh my God, these are amazing!" She smiled as she took another bite, enjoying one of the first proper meals she had had in years.

"I'm glad you like it," he said with a laugh in his voice before he himself bit into his own pancakes. "And I do have to agree with you. Roulette's used to making people play his game by intimidation. He's never once had a willing player, so I can see why he was confused." Sam took pause in speaking and simply ate his pancakes in peace and quiet. He himself was confused. This woman...she felt familiar to him in a way, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it. It hurt him to do so. So instead, he shrugged it off and enjoyed his breakfast.

Ffion noticed Samuel's strange behaviour, and thought about it as she ate her breakfast. Could he be experiencing the same thing she was? Memories that weren't theirs, but were familiar all the same. He couldn't be, could he? She brushed it off, and finished her pancakes before taking care of all the dishes. She hummed a tune as she worked in an attempt to make the work more pleasurable.
"You alright, Sam? Looks like something's bothering you."

Sam shook his head as he added his dishes to her soap water. "Oh, no," he said, forcing a smile. "I'm all right. My head just hurts. Always does after Roulette's runs." Sam exited the kitchen and opened up a medicine cabinet that he had in the living room. He grabbed one of the bottles, opened it and popped a couple of the pills in his mouth before returning to the kitchen for something to drink. "Just thinking. You said that Jack was there...did he do anything to Roulette?" Sam had to know. He simply had to. If something had happened to Roulette...it would affect him too. It always did. Like the time he'd woken up with a bloody shoulder because Roulette had gotten careless and got shot by a police officer leaving the crime scene.

Or the time he woke up with a massive headache because one of Roulette's play things had fought back and busted him over the head. But since those occasions, Roulette had been much more precise in his death dealing. Just thinking about all of this made his brain hurt to the point where he was rubbing his eyes. But other than that he was okay. He turned to look at Ffion when his mind hurt a little worse. A memory was shoving its way through his mind like Roulette's insanity rushes. Screaming, scalpels rustling on the table. The feeling of blood pooling down his sides, arms and everything in between. Sam stumbled against the kitchen wall and stood there for a good moment, dazed. What was that? Why were his memories coming up now, after so long? He shook his head and pushed himself off the wall in an attempt to regain his composure. Maybe drawing would help....

"We got out of there before Jack could do anything" Ffion said with a sigh. She could tell something was wrong with Samuel, that he was in some serious distress. She quickly wrapped her arms around Samuel, trying to comfort him. Ffion thought for a moment, trying to think of ways to help him. "You got out, Samuel. You're alright now..."

All Sam could do was nod. His body was shaking. "Yeah," he managed to say, his voice shaking. "I'm fine...Thank you." His smile was genuine as he looked up at her. He did seem a little better now. "I'm planning on heading to my studio to draw. If you want to tag along, you can. Or you can explore the rest of the house. It's up to you." Sam gently detached himself from her arms and headed upstairs to dress properly before he headed for the front door.

"I think I'll come with you to the studio if you don't mind. I can explore while Roulette's out." Ffion adjusted her jersey, and followed Samuel at a distance so as not to get in the way. She was already crashing on his couch, and she didn't want to inconvenience him further. "So, are you from London? I'm sorry for asking, it's just the accent."

Sam couldn't help but laugh as he unlocked the door to his studio and stepped inside. He flipped the lights on and revealed the large, almost completely empty space. The only things that were here was a large desk set up right by the window for the best lighting. A mini fridge sat on the smaller wall that led into what could only be described as a bathroom. There was a computer here, too. It was large with two monitors and the tower sat between the two. A drawing tablet sat on the desk already plugged into the tower along with the keyboard but it had no wires. Wireless, then. Same went for the mouse there.

"Yes," he said as he put the keys down on the closest table. "London is where I was born. I'm a Brit through and through." He crossed the floor to the mini fridge, opened it and pulled out a pop. It looked like a Dr. Pepper. "I've got snacks and drinks if you get thirsty." He then sat down at the drawing desk and whipped out what looked like a drawing pad and a drawing kit. He grabbed the H pencil and studied the page before he looked up to the open window. It had a gorgeous view of the country, that was for sure. It was probably one of his many inspirations.

"It's amazing" Ffion said as she looked around. He certainly was a talented artist. "According to my file, I came from Aberystwyth. I don't really remember much from before, just the hinterland, and a few other things. Beautiful place it was." Ffion studied the sketches and drawings, extremely careful not to damage anything.

"The heart of London," Sam responded, drawing a tree as carefully as he could for the background imagery. "I remember hearing the roar of the city and the waves of the ocean. I don't remember my address, though..." He took pause as memories from before Jack came crashing back to him. He remembered. He had been abducted and sold onto a black market where he was auctioned off like property. That's when Jack had bought him... His mouth grew dry. He put down his pencil for a moment before he picked it back up and set about drawing his fantasy world on paper. He'd continue editing another scene on the computer before he left.

Ffion was particularly interested in a sketch she had found. It was a simple sketch, but she felt something about it. She studied it closely, finding it very familiar to them.
"I feel like I've been here before" Ffion said as she stared at the sketch. Of course, she hadn't been there, but it was extremely familiar to her. "I think it burnt down." She stood there, frozen in place as images filled her head.

"We need more water!" A young man ran past her, heading off to get more water to extinguish the roaring flames. All around her, villagers were trying to quell the flames that only seemed to be growing in size.

Ffion held a hand to her cheek when she came to. There was definitely something going on, and it all started after she met Roulette. There had to be some kind of link to everything.

Sam merely shrugged and waved a dismissive hand towards her and the drawing. "I drew that some time ago," he said simply, going back to his current sketch. "I don't know why I drew it or how that idea even got into my head but it had nothing to do with my project, so I pinned it up on my wall." He said. The way he said it seemed as though he had wanted to forget that it existed. And his project...that was curious as it was on its own. What was he working on? It made him smile to finally finish his sketch and soon he was taking it to his computer, where he opened up a file containing moving pictures. He stopped on one scene and began working again, using his tablet as he worked, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"I'll be outside or back at the house if you need me" Ffion said with a sigh before heading out. She took her time outside, just taking in the outdoors. Ffion lay on the ground, and closed her eyes, listening to everything that was going on around her. The forest was so full of life, and everything had it's own song to sing. Ffion thought of Samuel and Roulette, how Roulette almost seemed nicer than Samuel himself. She didn't really seem to mind it though, she had lived with Jack most of her life anyway. Ffion needed to get in contact with someone so she could at least get a few of her things.

By about four or five in the afternoon, Samuel exited his studio and went over to where Ffion was stretched out at. "Ready to head home?" He asked in that soft, gentle accent of his. The gentleman side of him was a little intimidating, but that was to be expected. No one who had been with Jack for as long as they would be used to a gentle hand.

Ffion stood up, and followed Samuel back to the house. She checked the time, and realised it was only a short while until Roulette came back. Ffion headed into the kitchen, and set about preparing dinner as she hummed a simple tune to herself. She didn't really speak much after she left the studio, and she likely wouldn't for a while. Ffion focused on making a delicate cheese sauce for the macaroni, occasionally checking on the macaroni itself.

Sam went upstairs to take a shower, as was a habit of his since forever ago. He sighed as the hot water ran down his body and closed his eyes. He reached for his shampoo and that's when his head began to pound. He pressed a hand to his head and shook it before he finished washing. Once he was clean, Sam went into his room and shifted through his closet. He stopped when he found the perfect pair of jeans, which had a fake hole in the knee, and pulled out a black tee-shirt with the design of a dagger on it. It was the shirt that Roulette always wore, well...almost anyway. Roulette usually switched up his wardrobe.

He sighed again and headed downstairs after tousling his hair the way Roulette always liked it. Sam was preparing himself for the painful transition into his Hyde side, though he was trying to hide it the best he could. He hated fighting Roulette every night, especially when he just wanted to be normal. Thanks to Jack, though...he couldn't ever be normal. "What's for dinner?" He asked, opening the fridge to grab himself a Dr. Pepper bottle.

"Simple macaroni and cheese" Ffion said with a sigh. She tasted the sauce before adding a bit more salt and a dash of paprika. She scooped the food into some bowls she had prepared, and set them on the table. "I figured you should have a decent meal before you head out." Ffion ate her food quietly since she didn't really feel like talking.

Sam thanked her by taking a bite of the meal she'd prepared. It tasted delightful! The flavors just played on his tongue like a dance and it made him smile just the tiniest fraction. "Thank you, Ffion," he said softly, eating in quiet afterwards. He wasn't sure how she would handle his transition. After all, it was her first time seeing it. So far she'd only seen how badly Jack had affected him. Tonight would be her first to see exactly what it did to him. He wanted it done and over with so Roulette could go on his rampage and so he could get back home in the morning. Sam looked a little frightened. He'd never changed in front of someone before, switching between Roulette and Sam. It was his first time to allow someone to watch him change...how would it feel?

"You're welcome, Samuel. It's the least I could do since you're letting me crash here for as long as I need" Ffion said quietly. "That's what Roulette said though." She quickly took another bite of her food, enjoying it with a small smile. Ffion dropped her fork, clutching a section of her arm for a moment. She pulled her sleeves down a bit further to try hide herself a bit better before continuing with her food.

Sam offered a small smile and continued eating his own food. He finished and sat there waiting, leaning over the table with his arms wrapped around himself. He looked positively terrified. What would Ffion say once she'd seen him go from sane to insane? How would she react? No one had ever seen his transitions from the kind artist who helped everyone to the serial killer who had taken the lives of many. She would the the first person ever to witness it first hand...

The time struck 8:30pm. Sam's head was beginning to hurt worse and time, to him, seemed to pass by a lot quicker than normal. By the time nine o'clock came, Sam had already gripped his head in pain and had closed his eyes. Roulette was awakening. He stood up, knocking over his chair in the process. This one hurt worse. Why did it hurt worse?! It never hurt this bad! Sam found himself backed up against the wall, the decorations trembling at the force. He sank onto the floor, his back still against the wall. By 9:10, he relaxed, his arms draped across his knees. It looked like he had given up until a finger twitched. He was still there, just...insane. Roulette lifted his head and studied Ffion for a second before he gave that twisted grin. "Good evening, Ffion," he said in that voice of his. "Glad to see you haven't disappeared on us yet."

Ffion watched the scene unfold before her, uncertain at first of what to think of it. Sure, it was initially a bit intimidating, but she mostly felt sorry for him, and she wished there was some way to ease the painful transition. Ffion couldn't do anything but just watch it happen, with no obvious way to help him. Once she heard Roulette's voice, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Glad to see you haven't disappeared on us." Ffion couldn't help but chuckle.
"Good evening, Roulette" she said with a smile. "Trust me, I was tempted to leave." She let out a sigh, and handed Roulette a cup of coffee. "Considering you're supposed to be the evil one, you're far more welcoming than Samuel. More polite too." A killer's charm. Still, Ffion felt that Roulette was a more welcoming figure than his sane counterpart.