[PRP] Butt Hurt (Dad / Problem Child)

[Lucyal]

Hel sauntered down the steps of the Plague Doctor's clinic in LaCrowe with a heavy huff as she rolled her shoulders. Her last little stint gathering intel in another world hadn't gone quite as smooth. She made it out just fine, of course, but not without some damage. She placed a hand on her right side, over the tears in her jacket and shirt where underneath the skin was bandaged after it was stitched.

Oh well. At least she found that Plague Doctor here. It was pretty okay for a doctor type, all things considered. She also loathed to say, but she had gotten pretty friendly with the undead. It saw her more than she cared to admit for various degrees of injuries.

Jeepers.

Since she was in town, she'd pick up a few groceries before heading back to her cottage, and with that in mind, the reaper started up the cobble stone from the clinic. Arriving at the open air market, she started to move about the various tight knit stalls, picking up items such as meats, cheese, bread and herbs.

Enoh Love

For a kind of reference of the town if you like

 

[Enoh Love]

Salbei ducked out of one of the shops, being certain to give enough clearance for his height and his horns. He had a bag hanging from one thin wrist, and his other hand seemed to be digging into his robes; the muffled clink suggested he might be putting his money back into hiding, but only a trained eye would be able to hear that over the otherwise noisy attire he wore. The trinkets in his hair and horns chimed, the decorative garland of bones clicked together as he moved, and a small cough followed, a light and wheezing sound.

The path back home took him through the open air market, where a familiar form stood out from the rest. Blinking in surprise, he watched on with curiosity, until he could confirm his suspicions true. Then he wandered up to her, placing himself behind her so she'd be sure to find him the moment she turned. He didn't wait that long of course, and instead hurried things along:

"My, my. Fighting in the playground again?"

lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

At some point she thought she was hearing things. A chiming. It was familiar, but she chalked it up to market noises. The reaper was finishing up a transaction with the butcher, handing over some seeds in exchange for a hefty wrapped chunk of meat. She felt someone come up behind her as she grabbed the meat, tucking it under an arm, and also chalked that up to it being a market until she heard the voice.

Hel whirled around on her heel and leveled a scowl up at the towering Famine Sage. Her other hand moved to point at him, rustling the bags of her other purchases. "You--" She started with a hiss. "Are in a lot trouble!" She reached to jab him with a finger, knowing that all she'd hit would be layers and layers of fabric anyways. "This is the second time you have randomly reappeared of disappearing without an explanation for a long a** time!"

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

Salbei only smiled in the face of her rage, looking down at her through lidded eyes. She jabbed him and he let her, barely feeling it through the layers of thick fabric.

"I am at the mercy of my people, you know that." He said in way of apology, though his expression never sank from it's seemingly stuck amusement. "But my apologies again, dear one." This time his smile did falter, at least a moment. "Forgive me?" He opened his arms, as if expecting a hug.

lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Through this amazing process called maturity, Hel did not like being upset at him, she found. If this situation was presented to her a few years ago, she would have thrived on being mad at him for being wronged. Now? Not so. Yeah, Salbei was an adult who could go off and do whatever the Jack he wanted when he wanted with little to no warning, but still-- Still.

She didn't like being left in the dust to wonder about the Famine Sage, much less anyone she cared about.

"Woah, woah, hold your skeletal horses there, Gramps--" Hel replied, waving a hand at his inviting open arms, which she did just want to throw herself into and forget that there hadn't been a huge gap of time between them. "You are not forgiven that easily--" She paused and stared at him again, and stared at him for a long moment before she abruptly threw herself into him. She dropped her chunk of meat, and her bags swinging on her arms as she wrapped them around the layers of cloth and the thin frame underneath.

There was another moment of silence before there was a muffled: "I am still cross with you."

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

Despite her protests, Sal kept his arms open. The problem child had grown up considerably in the last year, but underneath it all, she was still Hel. That ever-patient smile remained as she protested, as she did her best to refuse what he knew was coming. He simply remained silent, and waited. Eventually she gave in, just as he knew she would, and his arms finally fell, enveloping her in layers of colourful fabric draped over long, thin arms. He hugged her tight, his hands curling to press against her shoulders.

He had to stoop down quite a bit, but he managed, if only to press his cheek to the top of her head.

"I know you are." He laughed quietly. "And you have every right to be." A pat on the back, and then he slipped away, untangling her from the mounds of fabric and grocery bags. "What brings you to this quaint little town?"

lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Jack. It was so nice, and he just smelled so...so...

Gramps.

She gave him a heart squeeze in response to the pat before she let him go, and tilted her chin up to him confidently. "Good! As long as we are on the same page!" She swept her free arm down and picked up the meat she had dropped, cradling it against herself. "Oh~ Well~" She glanced down at her clothes, which were in need of mending again, and decided she didn't want to answer with 'medical attention'. "This is the closest town to my cottage, so I am quite familiar with it, ya? I come to pick up supplies! I have just returned from a mission---" She paused, seeming to notice something.

"What brings you here, eh, Gramps? This is a long way from your home--wherever that may be now." Hel then couldn't help but give him a look at that said I know it wasn't me that brought you here.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

"A very intense mission, it looks like." He commented idly, his gaze dropping to look rather pointedly at her clothing and the way it sorely needed some mending. He focused on her face again, his expression innocent, as she asked her own question…and not so subtly poked at his appearance here.

"This place just happens to have the best hazelnut this side of Halloween." At least that he had found, anyway. "The second best I have had." The first, of course, being from the islands…but they were long gone, so Halloween Hazelnut it was.

"So, you live in the area?"

lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Hel waved a hand dismissively at the observation. "Hazelnut, huh?" All the way out here for hazelnut? She shot the tall horseman an exasperated look twinged with adoration. Of course Gramps came all the way out here for something like hazelnut.

"Ya!" The reaper gave a firm nod of her head, and jabbed her thumb behind her. "My cottage is outside of this town! It is more than a half hour walk...much less if I fly!" She paused for a moment, and then her expression lit up.

"Do you have some time to spare? Will you finally come and see my home?"

Enoh Love