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So it is discovered that Cat can tolerate high levels of body heat, but will be burned by Feuer's flames unless she touches her with her own flames.

Mental picture: (Approved by Yushi)

Cat's face was creased in concentration. It didn't help that Feuer kept pulling back, small flinches that cause the temperature to jump about as the air heated from the flames on her hand. Cat's own hand was awash in the eerie red-orange light of her own fire. It was difficult to control. She had been afraid of it at first, but had started to learn when she realized how much harm she could do if she couldn't command it. It wasn't even the flames that were the worst. She could cover her entire body in flames if she wanted, but most of the time the temperature was low and it barely scorched, let alone set things of fire. Even a normal might be able to touch her without harm, at least for a short time. Temperature was another issue altogether. It was hard to keep temperature consistent and even. She tried to feel the temperature of the hand in front of her, and match it with her own flames. She had to go quite high. Perhaps not as hot as she could go, but the effort left beads of cold sweat breaking out over her body. Finally her hand touched Feuer's. She felt the flesh jerk back and quickly entwined their fingers to keep her from moving away. It hurt a little, but she put that aside and focused simply on adjusting the temperature of her flames. After a time her face relaxed. Her shoulders, which had been tensed and hitched rather high, fell into an equally relaxed state. At some point she had closed her eyes. Now she opened them, and stared at their entwined hands. It was fascinating how the flames danced together, the two colors merging and swirling about. She looked up at Feuer and tried to reassure her with a smile. She didn't quite trust herself to speak yet, afraid that if she distracted herself the delicate balance of temperature would be broken. This would take practice to perfect, but it seemed it could be done.

But no okay so like
[7:35:34 PM] Yushika: They keep practicing
[7:38:02 PM] Yushika: And Feuer just /stays/ there, mostly to protect Cat from whatever she's afraid of, and to help around the house/garden. During these sessions it becomes easier for her to relax, and eventually the touching increases. They try hugging. Feuer attempts brief snuggles. They get more comfortable around each other, and it becomes more natural to relax. Sure, Cat is skittish time to time, and Feuer has her insecurities that randomly pop up, but the combined Feuer staying and the practice sessions help lower the guards both feel. Intimacy (romantic) can be an "accident", like Hugin and Vetis were. Maybe what was meant to comfort the other turns into a kiss. Perhaps Cat actually explains what has her so scared finally, and Feuer reaches out to embrace the other.
[7:38:28 PM] Yushika: Because I doubt either would do a confession like some of our couples did. They seem more like a Eiro/Phrixos Hugin/Vetis thing
[7:56:53 PM] Jinx: Well Eire/Phrix and Hugin/Vetis were pretty special and both had high emotion stories leading up their realizations. And just all sorts of cute.

I do see it being something of a long process for them. I don't know if Feuer would actually be "living" there, mostly popping in for visits, spending the night before doing stuff. Like I see her staying close, but she would probably get out and about more. Might convince Cat to do the same to help open her up a bit. But it doesn't really hit home for either of them that Feuer has been living there until Cat sort of off-handedly comments about making another room for the cottage for Feuer has room for things. Then it's a sort of, "Wait, we are totally living together" sort of AHA moment.

I see it being a bit the same with practice. Like they do practice touching, figuring out how hot they can go and how quickly/consistently Cat can match Feuer's temperature so she can do it without even thinking about it. I see Feuer relaxing more when they can accomplish that, since if Cat can match her temp in almost an instant it would greatly decrease chances of accidents. By this point Cat would be familar with touching Feuer (I see Cat using only her hands since they're easier for her to control, but since Feuer can easily light her whole body they'd probably have Cat touching her in various places like seeing if she could hold Feuer's arm and move her, or if she could drag her somewhere while Feuer's temp fluxuates in case they have to douse her for an emergency or something.) So when Feuer suggests they try seeing if Cat can raise her temperature with her flames using more than her hands, she's a lot more comfortable with it that she would have been when they first started these experiments. I see, when they discover Feuer can actually hug Cat with no harm, Feuer being so pleased she goes for random snuggles. Maybe on bad nights (for either of them) they'll wind up sharing a bed just for comfort reasons, Feuer because Cat is probably one of the few people (or maybe the only one, since IDR her entire history) who has been able to touch/hold her without harm and Cat because by this point she subconsciouly knows Feuer would rather inflict harm on herself than hurt Cat and trusts her.
[8:02:09 PM | Edited 8:04:18 PM] Jinx: I think a turning point for them would be very similar to Phrix and Eire's turning point. Something would happen to trigger a flashback. I'm not sure what kind of flashback we'd want to go for. I could see something hurting Feuer and Cat responds by destroying the thing past the point of reason. Like it's dead but she keeps attacking until it's pulp. I see this reaction being something Feuer wouldn't realize is inside Cat. Finally she can't stand seeing it anymore and stops Cat, who almost turns on her, but something seems to snap back into place and she stops. And after that Feuer would gently insist on figuring out what brought on that violence, which would be how Cat's horror story comes out.

Or we could have them go into town one day. Either Cat seems someone who reminds her of her father (irony would be seeing a glimpse of her actual father) or someone starts harassing them and even though they could easily take them Cat starts reacting with fear. After they get back to a safe place, same thing. Feuer gently gets the whole story out of Cat.

Or as they practice touching and just in general living together, bits and pieces of the story come out and Feuer is able to put together a partial picture. Any maybe something like a night terror or whathaveyou is the trigger that shows Feuer the damage goes a lot deeper than what she feared.
[8:04:15 PM] Yushika: I like the seeing Abaddon, as that can help with Abaddon and Niyola story, too.
[8:05:28 PM] Jinx: Well she wouldn't stop and chat or anything. As soon as she gets that glimpse, she's gone. Ab probably wouldn't even see her unless she looked up and he was already looking at her. Either way, she's out.
[8:05:45 PM] Jinx: No explanation, nothing. Just getting the hell away.
[8:06:46 PM] Yushika: No that's fine. Feuer would chase after. But it could be amusing when be backstory Ab and Niyola, because he could be with Niyola at that point and Niy spots Cat and wonders why they look so alike
[8:07:53 PM] Jinx: That would lead to quite a few awkward questions, but he probably won't bring Cat up until like waaaaay later into their relationship, or as a final attempt to chase Niyola off by trying to frighten her or something
[8:11:10 PM] Jinx: But yea, once the full story is out I can see a romance start just from Feuer trying to comfort Cat. Like healing the fear with love. They'll probably be a little awkward at first, just because Cat's not good at love and Feuer won't want to hurt her, but after they grow comfortable with the relationship it becomes natural to them.

Rosella's feet fell quietly on the forest floor. She was learning to walk far more silently. Not that she'd ever been loud or blundering to start with, but as her ghosting ability improved she'd had to admit that she hadn't been as good as she could have been. She kept an eye out on her surroundings. It was around this point that she usually ran into Erebus if he was going to show up. He never appeared towards the beginning of her journeys, and she noticed that when she reached a certain point towards the end that if she hadn't seem him he wouldn't show. She wasn't sure if it was conscious or subconscious, but he just never appeared when she was close to the forest edge.

If she hadn't been looking she would have missed it. A shadowy smudge buried in the shadows of the forest. It was enough to make her slow, her feet directing her towards the sight so that she could see better. The shape resolved slowly. It was indeed Erebus. His dark clothes and dark hair made him difficult to pick out sometimes. Rosella frowned and moved a bit closer. Something was just off. She approached slowly, staring. Suddenly her eyes made sense of what she was seeing, and her pace instantly picked up. She hadn't immediately recognized Erebus because his body was bent in a way she had never seen before, huddled and twisted in ways that didn't look healthy. The copper stink of blood hit her in the face as she neared.

Once at his side Rosella dropped into a squat, balancing on the balls of her feet as she looked Erebus over. She could see his chest rise and fall, though the movement looked too shallow and labored. His hair was splayed messily across his face rather than pulled back in the usual neat tail. She could see cuts and the beginnings of bruises blooming against his pale skin, but he was so liberally splashed with blood both dry and still damp that it was not much of his skin was visible at all. It took her only seconds to see all of this. She bit her lower lip, not liking the implications, then released her lip and sighed. "Damn," she said softly, voice calm and matter-of-fact but tinged with worry. "Something really ******** you over. Hope the other guy looks as bad."
[10/13/2014 4:56:38 PM] Yushika: He barely remembered how it happened. He had been moving to protect someone. A woman. Her glowing eyes hadn't held fear, and yet he couldn't stop himself at that moment from reaching out and shoving her out of reach of the large, dark-haired man. Faint memories of the woman hissing an insult and the man cursing flickered within his brain, yet nothing was solid. Nothing explained the agony he had endured, or the flashes of red he kept seeing whenever he tried to remember.

He remembered hiding, crawling weakly into the darker parts of the forest and curling up within himself, limbs protesting, probably either broken or damaged. He had been numb, his tail curled into his body, trying to somehow protect the broken body it belonged to. His breath was ragged, struggling to keep a rhythm as black eyes grew dim. By the time he had realized someone was near him it was too late, his sight growing darker by the minute. This wasn't a memory. This was reality. He was awake, or as close as it as he could get.

"Hnnn." He moaned in response, her words melding together, unable to be understood. The long-haired male weakly tossed a hand at her, missing and limply falling back to the ground. "Get the ******** away." He whimpered, a sound so unlike him. "Trash. b***h." He coughed, blood escaping his mouth and legs curling feebly into himself. ********. She needed to get away. Was the monster still here? Was he watching them, waiting? "Not safe. Go."




[10/13/2014 5:00:53 PM] Jinx: (( They forest is mostly coniferous, right? ))
[10/13/2014 5:01:21 PM] Yushika: (( Yes. ))
[10/13/2014 5:09:44 PM] Jinx: Rosella ignored his words (she usually did anyway) and took a moment to look at their surroundings. This piece of forest looked the same as all the rest. Thick coniferous trees, looking like so many irritated animals with their puffs of sharp needles sticking out. It was always dark here, the little light that managed to filter through all the layers of needles didn't make a huge difference. The whole place smelled musty, either damp or dried up foliage mixing with subtle pine tones. All her senses were on alert, but there was nothing. That didn't mean it would stay so though. They weren't the only creatures here who moved like ghosts.

She turned her focus back to Erebus, wondering if he could move. He looked broken, but just how much so? "Anything important broken, or can you stand? If anything's still bleeding let me see so I can tape it up. Better if we don't leave a blood trail." She rummaged in the pouch she carried at her waist, digging for the bandages she kept there.
[10/13/2014 5:22:19 PM] Yushika: Erebus hissed at her, a feral sound. Even now, he felt that savage blood lust, wanting nothing more than to tear out her throat. He wasn't weak. He didn't need her, or anyone for that damn matter. If he was going to die he didn't want her to interfere. He obviously was too weak for this world, might as well bleed out.

And yet he squirmed closer, his instinct to survive biting through that rapidly increasing fear. She was seeing his broken, and it terrified him. Yet, still, his arm weakly raised, exposing a gaping wound. A hand lifted his shirt, revealing a torn side and destroyed chest. Black eyes demonstrated a fear, raw and animalistic as he watched her. "Leg." He croaked. "I can't move it." He admitted, unaware that he had broken the lower half of it. It was heavy, he knew this, but he had yet to glance down at it. He watched her, placing the hand that had exposed his chest on her arm. "Hurry." He demanded, eyes frantically flicking around to ensure the beast wasn't here.
[10/13/2014 5:39:11 PM] Jinx: (( If she pulls him up will he be able to stand on his good leg, or will he just instantly crumple? Or will he be unable to stand at all she if she pulls she'll just end up dumping him on his face? ))
[10/13/2014 5:40:13 PM] Yushika: (( He'll support himself on his good leg, as long as she supports his bad side. ))
[10/13/2014 5:46:14 PM] Jinx: "This is going to hurt," she warned, then got to work. She tried her best to be gentle and jostle his wounds as little as possible. She knew he would thank her for taking that kind of care, rather he would likely just curse at her some more. She wove the bandage deftly around his chest, using both rolls she had with her. She would have liked to have had more. If there was something broken inside the bandaging would have helped to hold it still while she moved him, but she couldn't do that and still apply appropriate pressure to the wounds. She'd had to skimp a bit on both; it would be useless to stop the bleeding if a cracked or broken rib got jostled and stabbed something internal. Anyway, if her mental calculations were correct, he wouldn't bleed through the bandage until they were well out of the forest and close to her house, and then the bleeding would likely be so slow that they could easily get to her house and it's more abundant access of supplies.

"That'll do," she said, closing her pouch with blood-stained hands as she straightened up. She reached down and grasped the wrist of the healthiest-looking arm. "Ready? 1... 2... 3!" Grunting with the effort, she braced herself and pulled. She carefully controlled her strength, trying to act like a line of tension rather than a separate force. She didn't want to make any of his wounds worse by moving him too suddenly. As soon as he was on his good leg she braced his weight with her body. It wasn't even his weight that made the task difficult, it was controlling her strength to be exactly what was needed and no more to prevent causing further injury. She ducked under his arm on the side of his bad leg, easing her support away from his body so that he could catch himself on his good side while she took all his weight on his bad side. Briefly she took a moment to thank the deities that she was so tall, or this would be way more difficult and painful. "Can you move?"
[10/13/2014 5:59:19 PM] Yushika: He knew it'd hurt before she spoke, gritting his teeth immediately. And she was right, it /did/ hurt, leaving a horrific shudder down his spine and a curse masked behind clenched teeth. He barely had time to respond when suddenly she touched his arm and urged him to move. He managed to stand, stumbling into her, and almost falling when he made the mistake of trying to catch himself with his broken leg. A quick cry of pain was cut off as he forced his mouth shut, trembling violently as she eased herself onto his bad side. He felt weak, about to faint any second.

No. He had to stay awake. She was taking him somewhere, and to hell was he going to be useless the entire way. His head fell, unable to stop himself from putting most of his weight on her, the trembling continuing. "Mm." He grunted back affirmatively. He could move, for now. He wasn't going to allow himself to let this woman carry him the entire way, hell no.
[10/13/2014 6:04:56 PM] Jinx: (( Think he'll make it the whole way or will his leg give out at some point? ))
[10/13/2014 6:05:20 PM] Yushika: (( He'll probably faint eventually, tbh ))
[10/13/2014 6:26:58 PM] Jinx: Rosella's teal eyes darkened slightly, expression unreadable as she looked at Erebus. "Warn me if you're about to fall," she said, then placing gentle pressure against his back she steered him in the direction of home and took the first step.

The little cottage that sat by itself at the edge of the woods looked very storybook-esque. The forest at its back was also largely coniferous, tall giants that cast the ground beneath in eternal dusk. The spaces between the trunks were wide, little aside from scraggly bushes and vines growing there in the sparse light. It did not give off a dark aura though. The air beneath those pines was ancient and spoke of the passage of time. The chattering of squirrels and birds could be heard echoing throughout the air. The clearing where the house sat had once been part of the forest as well, long ago, before a terrible storm had rolled through and knocked down several of the pine giants. They had long since rotted away, allowing grass and flowers to spring up in the open space. A herd of deer grazed in the meadow by the forest edge. It was a peaceful place. For some.

Rosella kicked the door of her cottage open, the calm of the warm afternoon sunlight lost on her. "-old you to tell me if you were about to fall, damn it," bounced the savage mutterings off the stone walls. With a soft grunt Rosella deposited Erebus on her bed, the only one in the cottage, and turned to head right back outside, pausing only to grab a bucket. She went to the water pump and filled the bucket, then returned with it inside. She took a moment to poke the fire up, then started hunting down supplies. Soon the bucket at her side was so bloody she had to dump it out and get a new one. Erebus looked better without all that blood over him, but it revealed just how banged up he was. Taking advantage of his unconscious state she tended his wounds throughout the rest of the afternoon and well into evening twilight. Sighing with exhaustion she stepped back to survey her work. Erebus was covered in bandages, the most prominent ones being on his chest and left leg. He actually looked a bit worse than he was, since she had dipped bandages in a concoction she made for bruises and wrapped it around the worse-off ones to help them heal faster. The sharp, pungent oder of herbs hung about him. She bent down and gathered up his clothes, tossing them in a stout barrel and lighting up the copper boiler beneath it. Once she was sure it was ready she turned a knob, releasing hot water into the barrel. While it filled she tossed in some herbs that would help removed the scent, glad that Erebus largely wore black clothing. She turned off the stream of water and extinguished the fire in the boiler. Adding her own blood-stained clothing to the water, she climbed up a vertical ladder to the cottage's loft to grab a spare outfit.
[10/13/2014 6:54:11 PM] Yushika: Of course he fainted, despite how desperately he hadn't wanted to be a burden, or weak. They had been halfway there and then everything went dark, mouth unable to create the warning she had desired. He was out the entire time she patched him up, vaguely hearing the sound of water.

He groaned lowly, black eyes fluttering open, slamming shut immediately. /********/, his head hurt. Hell, his body ******** hurt. He made a move to get up, groaning loudly and flopping back down. Mistake. ********…. why was he so restricted? Ah. bandages. And where the hell was he? Rose had brought him here, right? He remembered that much… Groaning once more, the male tested his bandages, wincing briefly. Well, he'd never make fun of her healing abilities, huh?
[10/13/2014 7:12:20 PM] Jinx: "Awake? Well keep your a** in bed. I didn't haul you here just so you could try to stand on a busted leg and crack your head open on my floor when you fell." Rosella came sliding down from the loft, squeezing the rail and applying some pressure with her feet to slow her descent, then hopping lightly to the floor. She walked over to the steaming vat of water and pulling a paddled made of carved wood from the wall, poking at the contents. "Hope you don't mind that I stripped you. I promise it was all purely for medical purposes." She stirred at the barrel, a pleasant floral aroma wafting up with the warm mist from the water's surface.

"Need anything? Food, water, pain fighters. Directions to the bathroom?"
[10/13/2014 7:12:53 PM] Jinx: (( Oh yea, Ere is currently in his skivvies only XD ))
[10/13/2014 7:20:14 PM] Yushika: And then he realized she had stripped him. The pale male's cheeks turned bright red, head turning away from her. Then she saw the scars, probably. He sucked his teeth, humming in response. "I'm fine." He stated, his tail tiredly resting over his hip. "Where did you put my clothes?"
[10/13/2014 7:33:44 PM] Jinx: She dipped the stick in the barrel and fished around, then lifted up a very sodden piece of black clothing. Probably his shirt, though she wondered if the garment was worth saving. It had taken quite a bit of damage itself. He wasn't looking at her, but he could probably hear the splashing and dripping. She lowered it back into the water and continued stirring. "Not sure if you remember, but you were covered in blood. Quite a bit." She let go of the stick and lifted the hem of her plain, dark brown shirt, one she wore for house and garden work, turning her back to Erebus and hiking the shirt up around her shoulders so he could see her entire back, craning her own head around to look. She'd been wearing her usual tank top (also in the barrel), so when she'd had to carry Erebus on her back she'd gotten a lot of his blood on her. Most of her was covered with smears, even her legs. She'd wiped away the worst of it, but in anticipation of getting messy again while cleaning, she'd left most of the stuff covered by her clothing just dry. She'd bathe later. Large splotches of dried red covered her lower back, with a few smaller smears around her shoulders. She let her shirt fall and turned back around.

"I had to get at your wounds anyway, so I'm just washing everything." She raised an eyebrow. "If you're worried I peeked, don't. Like I said, purely medical.
[10/13/2014 8:20:21 PM] Yushika: He turned to view her back, wincing briefly. Weak. He had bled that much? What use was he if he was just draining liquid and fainting everywhere? He snorted slightly, a lazy smirk crossing his features.

"You don't seem the type to peek." He mused dryly, a deep and raspy cough escaping him. The male winced, hands raising slowly to his hands, nails digging through loose hair. ********, his head hurt like a b***h! He squirmed, turning his back to her (and wincing in response, but he was too stubborn to turn back over). ********. ******** ******** ******** 8:42:37 PM] Jinx: Rosella chuckled. "Disappointed," she asked, propping the paddle in a corner and moving over to the stove. She lived too far away for electricity or plumbing, so everything in the cottage had that feeling of oldness, like stepping back in time. It fit with the feel from the forest, and she rather liked living this way. It felt simpler. In any case, her love of the solitude this place gave her trumped any lure of "civilization" that could be gained from moving closer to other people. She was saving up to buy some supplies to tap into her water pump and run a line right into the house. It would be nice not to have to go outside for water, though she did have rain collectors.

She nabbed an old black pot sitting on the stove and moved over to the fire, hanging it up with a quick ease that spoke of a lot of practice. She grabbed a bucket (a different one, meant for food rather than cleaning!) and went out to get water. She had to make three trips, and had a little water left over in the bottom of the bucket once the cauldron was full. That done she began moving around the cottage, putting out vegetables and dried meat, cutting and peeling and adding things to the soup forming above the fire.

"It's not really fancy or impressive. Most people would think this place is hardly more than a vacation hut for a crappy camping adventure." Rosella shrugged. "Still, it's home." She wasn't sure what Erebus was used to. Given some of his comments it sounds like he and his family lived just out in the woods, but you never knew. She wasn't even sure why she was bringing the topic up, except that Erebus would be here at least a week while his leg healed and she wanted to prepare him for any nasty surprises he might get if he was used to living better.

Erebus flicked his eyes to Rosella, head shaking quietly. "No." His low voice rumbled back, not offering any response after. Black eyes slowly closed, hands reaching up to fold behind him, but not without minimal discomfort. The man seemed uncomfortable, and he was. This was a strangers house, and he had been taught well. Still, it was /Rosella/, and she…. wasn't a threat. He wasn't an idiot, he still was tense around her and ready to snap her neck if she ever switched on him, but for the time being her body posture read neutral. Besides, he wasn't as uptight as his father was. Why would Rosella put up with his behavior for so long if she had intentions to harm him? She could have offed him while he was unconscious, too.

There he went again, arguing in his head to appease the voice that sounded too much like his dad. Narrowing dark eyes, he rolled onto his side, exposing his back to Rosella, a rare position. A sign he trusted her enough. His tail flicked around his hip, tapping gently against bone.

"It's fine." He finally grunted. Her home wasn't crappy, no. It was her home, and had touches that indicated so. If anything, it was better than those stone boxes people called home. Disgusting.
[11/5/2014 3:28:18 PM] Jinx: Rosella hummed softly in the back of her throat to indicate that she had heard Erebus, but otherwise didn't encroach on him for conversation. Silence suited her better anyway, as she lacked her father's gold tongue. It had gotten him in more than his fair share of trouble, though. She walked across the room with the board in her hand, adding the chopped items to the pot of water with soft splashes. The air, scented with herbs already from the various dried bundles hanging from the ceiling, took on a slightly savory scent as the water began to softly bubble.

The silence of the cottage was a comfortable one to Rosella. It was strange, sure, that she could call anything comfortable involving having a half-dead man who tried to kill and/or maim her on a regular basis in her house, on her bed, and more than half naked. Her father would bust a vein, and just the thought caused Rosella to smile a bit in amusement. She added more items to the stew, the scent of which began to fill the air and increase in strength. She made sure to chop everything finely so that it would either dissolve or be very soft when it was done, and therefore require little energy to eat. She wasn't even sure if Erebus was still awake since all she could see was his back. It wouldn't surprise her if he did fall asleep again. He'd been in pretty rough shape.
[11/5/2014 3:46:17 PM] Yushika: Erebus listened to her cook, finding it vaguely comforting as the scents reached him. He hadn't planned to fall asleep, but slowly his body eased into relaxation. The silence was something he was used to, and grateful that Rosella seemed to enjoy it as well.

Heh. Silver would be pissed if she saw this. She still was uptight over Erebus not returning her romantic feelings, and had recently gone at his throat (literally, too!) when he last visited her. She had always been too chatty, and too needy. He hoped the two never met. Rosella was the only non-family being he could actually tolerate for extended periods of times. Slowly, he drifted into a silent slumber, though could be easily roused if need be. He just needed a little more rest...
[11/5/2014 4:07:45 PM] Jinx: Rosella managed to get several things done that day. Once everything was in the stew and cooking she poked at the laundry and added a handful more of the dried herbal mix she used for her clothing. Then she went outside and proceeded to wash her kitchen tools, put those back, then scrubbed out the bucket she'd used to wash Erebus' wounds. She waded into the sun-warmed soil of her small garden, wiggling her bare toes in the earth as she plucked up the tiny weed shoots that invaded the beds and added them to her compost heap. She returned to the house using her shirt like a basket, filled with tomatoes, carrots, and peas. She put them away, revealing that an otherwise overlooked corner of the floor was actually a hatch. The cellar barely warranted the name, a hole in the ground about as deep as Rosella's legs were long, with several niches dug into the walls and the whole thing lined with stone and scrubbed clean. She stepped in and squatted down to tuck the vegetables away. One day she hoped to dig an actual cellar, but she had other more important projects awaiting her.

After that she went back to the wash, determined it was done, and began the arduous process of removing the articles of clothing to a bin, taking them outside to wring out, then hanging the damp items up to dry. That began the equally annoying process of emptying the washer, bucket by bucket. Normally she did laundry outside and could just pull out a plug to let it drain, but she'd been distracted and hadn't remembered to drag the thing out until it was too late. By the time everything was emptied and scrubbed the soup smelled more than done. Rosella began pulling bowls and spoons out of her cupboard, debating her next move. Erebus was still in the same position, and she was fairly sure he had indeed fallen asleep. Should she wait for him to wake up or wake him up now? She'd rather he get food in him, but if he had no appetite then sleep would be better for now. How would she even wake him? Touching seemed out of the question, since he was wary of it even when fully conscious, clothed, and in good shape. Startling him seemed just too mean. "Erebus," she called out softly, feeling slightly silly.
[11/5/2014 4:17:00 PM] Yushika: He hated dreaming.

They always revolved around two things: His blood lust and his father. Perhaps he had a father complex, but he'd never admit it. He wasn't as strong as him, or skilled. His father had mastered controlling that need for blood, but it had taken him such a long time. His dreams were plagued with a long haired father who smirked at each failure. Blood poured, infecting his sight, tainting it a dark red. Laughter flickered into his ears, taunting and vicious.

Discomfort washed through his entire body. He didn't whimper, nor did he twitch, but a tension creeped into his bones. He felt trapped, trapped within a body he never wanted and a family he loved and yet didn't feel he truly gave justice to. His body ached, needing to wake, yet trapped within this dark dream that had repeated for years.

'Erebus'. An ear flicked, hands tightening slightly. It was a soft voice, familiar to the ears. An eye fluttered open, relief washing through him. Awake. Finally awake. Slowly, he turned his head, an eye visible to Rosella. "Rosella." He croaked, voice rough from sleep.
[11/5/2014 4:35:58 PM] Jinx: Rosella quirked her head to the side, examining Erebus. "You look like hell," she observed. It seemed that the sleep made him look worse, though she supposed it was because bruises had more time to form and no one looked their best when they just woke up. She picked up a bowl and moved to the pot over the fire, spooning some of the thick liquid into the bowl. "Think you can stomach something," she asked, looking him over again. There was no point putting food in his stomach if it would come right back up again.
[11/5/2014 4:36:22 PM] Jinx: (( Sorry so short, I ran out to get some food real quick! ))
[11/5/2014 4:36:41 PM] Yushika: (( You're okay darling! ))
[11/5/2014 4:39:28 PM] Yushika: He grunted in response, moving to show his back to her once again. "Thanks." He mused back, lifting his head once again when she mentioned food. Slowly and with a wince he squirmed into a sitting position, eyes flicking to the bowl and then her. "Yes." His fingers criss-crossed over one another, having to remember his manners. Being beaten up and broken made it hard to remember the few manners he had. "You didn't have to…. do all this."
[11/5/2014 4:49:58 PM] Jinx: "Call me sentimental, but I'd have problems leaving someone I spar with on a regular basis to become a roadside skeleton. That forest is gloomy enough, it doesn't need the help." She went to grab the second bowl off the counter and filled it up, then moved to sit in the single chair in the cottage pushed up to a tiny table, snagging a spoon as she did so. She settled down and ate a few bites of stew, gently blowing on each spoonful to avoid burning her tongue. It was still quite warm. After giving herself and Erebus to get a bit of food inside themselves she looked back up at him. "Not like it's something that's ever had to come up before now. I've never seen you get worse than bumps, bruises, and scratches." She waved a hand to indicate the mass of bandages covering Erebus' chest, visible since he was sitting up and the blanket had pooled in his lap. Of course she knew his lower half was just as bad, if not many levels worse. "Seriously, how did you get so thoroughly thrashed?"
[11/5/2014 4:54:50 PM] Yushika: A slight gruff laugh escaped him. He held his bowl, taking a few bites before setting it down. He needed time to eat it, he wasn't about to scarf it down and make himself feel worse. "It's good." He admitted before offering a response to her last question. His hand twitched into a fist, head turning to the side.

"I was an idiot." He grumbled. "A woman was about to be murdered. I stepped in front of her. She didn't seem so pleased and left immediately."
[11/5/2014 5:05:59 PM] Jinx: "So someone is about to murder a woman. You stick your neck out and get beaten to within an inch of your life. And this woman just....walks off?" She quirked an eyebrow upward. Even knowing how odd and dangerous that forest could be, it was the first she'd heard of something like this. "You know, maybe you should move. If you aren't living in a forest that seems to beckon killers to it's shadows, maybe your temper would settle down." She was teasing, of course, though most would have to know her to realize it since she was always deadpan with her tones. She was knew that if it was as simple as a bit of sunlight and change of scenery then Erebus could have gotten things under control ages ago. She sipped on her stew, shaking her head slightly at the ridiculousness of all the danger that lurked in the dark forest.

"Still, that had to be a heck of a first blow. You're pretty fast for your size, and it's hard enough to take you down that I'm pretty sure you've got a skull twice as think as the average person." She honestly didn't want to meet the thing that could shred Erebus like it was nothing.
[11/5/2014 5:13:24 PM] Yushika: "Sounds about right." Erebus mumbled, moving to take another bite of dinner. Glancing up at her, he stared at the woman, about to retort back when instead he simply went back to eating. He had learned to decipher when she was joking, however the idea of moving left him unsettled. Would that be betrayal? Leaving his family? Would his father be able to let go of one of his children?

Her next words caused a slight prideful smile on his face. "He had wings." He stated, black eyes flicking up. "He's slow. But his wingspan was massive. He knocked me over after about fifteen minutes of me dodging his blows."
[11/5/2014 5:23:41 PM] Jinx: "Did you ever consider just running away?" She shrugged, tapping her spoon against her mostly empty bowl. "It doesn't really give you a good feeling, but it's still valid and sometimes the only thing you cam do." Tap tap tap. "My dad taught me that one when I was little, after I got into a fight and lost bad." She smiled slightly. "He said if you're defending someone you stand your ground, because if you fall the one you're protecting will get hurt. But if it's just you, there's no shame in running away. I could understand if the chick was still there, but sounds like she took off pretty quick." She tried to picture something with huge wings living in that forest, and couldn't. Not unless he didn't mind never being able to use them much. You saw the sky infrequently in that place, and the trees got really thick sometimes. Even she felt a bit claustrophobic there, but then she was used to open spaces.
[11/5/2014 5:27:59 PM] Yushika: "I was trying to once the wing hit me, but his claws found my ribs and the world went black." Erebus poked his bowl, slowly looking up at her. "Sometimes I want to run." He admitted, his voice soft despite its usual rough undertone. "I can't." He didn't comment further, going back to his meal in peace.
[11/5/2014 5:39:08 PM] Jinx: Rosella left him alone at that, and finished eating the rest of her meal in silence. For the most part she was able to put it out of mind. It wasn't like it was her nature to want to run round fixing things. She knew she wouldn't want someone else poking their nose into her life and trying to tell her what she needed to do. She rather liked the terminology she'd once heard from a show, when a girl told her father that he couldn't ride in on a white horse wearing a suit of armor to rescue her. That she had to rescue herself. That was how she viewed a lot of problems. Sure, sometimes help was needed but the individual couldn't bring themselves to ask, but she was sure if there was anything she could do to help that Erebus would have asked.

Meal finished, she stood and went to the sink to wash her bowl. A glance at Erebus made her wonder if the clothes were dry yet; she wasn't sure she had anything here that would fit him. "So your family's not going to come for blood for me kidnapping you, I hope," she commented, mostly joking but partially serious. He never talked directly about them, but she was still pretty sure they were people she didn't want hunting her down.
[11/5/2014 5:47:35 PM] Yushika: Erebus flicked his eyes up to view her, head shaking halfway. "I doubt it." He commented, though he wasn't sure. "Maybe one of them." He knew Sin wouldn't want to bring the entire family, that would be too dangerous for his family. He probably would end up trying to track him down, but Sin couldn't smell. Though, the blood-trail… he was sure he probably dripped blood everywhere as they walked.

s**t. Well, lucky for Rosella and partially himself, Sin wasn't as violent as before. He'd ask questions before flipping, for sure.
[11/5/2014 5:48:42 PM] Jinx: (( Is it wrong that I'm cackling at this mental image of Sin tracking down his son, blood all over the place, only to find him almost nakkers in a cottage with a strange woman? ))
[11/5/2014 5:51:05 PM] Yushika: (( I was amused at the image myself, oh god. ))
[11/5/2014 6:01:09 PM] Jinx: "Well that's comforting. I'll just sleep with an eye open, that should do it." She dried the clean bowl with a towel and put it away. "Thankfully none of my family lives nearby. I'm pretty sure you're the kind of person that would find my dad a continual pain, though my step mom's pretty cheerful most of the time." She turned and leaned against the counter, arms crossed over her chest as she watched Erebus. "But seriously, if you need me to contact your family somehow so they can get you I'll figure something out. You can't be on that leg for a least a week, and that's pushing things." She paused to let him consider that, then continued, "I mean you're welcome to stay here until then. I just figured maybe you'd feel more comfortable around people you trust."
[11/5/2014 6:13:13 PM] Yushika: Erebus eyed her, not offering a response when she spoke at first. He couldn't blame her, his family were frightening. Not to him, but to others. If he was in her shoes he'd feel the same. Tapping his nail against the bowl, he finally finished his meal and set the bowl down.

Go home? No. He knew how'd that go. Quietly, he shifted back onto his side. "I trust you."
[11/5/2014 6:30:52 PM] Jinx: Rosella hummed softly under her breath. "You sure? We're talking about living in close quarters with someone you see only on an infrequent basis, who routinely never stays in one place for too long. That's bound to make most people a bit twitchy." She just didn't want Erebus to confuse trust with tolerance. These next few days would put a strain even on trust, as new as it seemed to be between them. Tolerance it would outright break.
[11/5/2014 6:31:52 PM | Edited 6:32:00 PM] Yushika: (lemme fix)
[11/5/2014 6:33:10 PM | Edited 6:33:14 PM] Yushika: "I am sure." Erebus stated, voice firm. It seemed like that was all he needed to say, leaning into his pillow. Silence overcame the two for a period of time before he finally seemed actually willing to start a conversation for once. "What do I owe you?"
[11/5/2014 6:39:59 PM] Jinx: "Well there's always weeds that need pulling. Or chopping up herbs and tying them in cheesecloth bundles for later. You should stay away from stuff that'll put a strain on your leg, but there's always little things around here that can be done." She thought of the single outfit Erebus owned, all of it (with the exception of a single piece), currently hanging on a pole that exposed it to the breeze. She immediately resolved to make a trip into town soon.

"I actually have some things I need to do tomorrow and I won't be back 'til late. The food will keep 'til then so you won't have to cook anything. You should probably rest most of tomorrow anyway, if you can." Silently she wondered how long Erebus would be able to put up with staying cooped inside the cottage. Hopefully he healed fast!
[11/5/2014 6:58:33 PM] Yushika: (( Rose please buy him the ugliest clothes ))
[11/5/2014 6:58:53 PM] Jinx: (( XD Saw into her plot, did you >D ))
[11/5/2014 7:00:24 PM] Yushika: Erebus made a face. Not to the helping, no, but he obviously wasn't interested in resting all day. He was a restless man, and Rosella would be lucky if he stayed in the bed for tonight! Sighing grumpily, he folded his arms, grunted, and looked away.

"I'll try and sit pretty." He mumbled, though it was clear in his tone that was a complete lie.
[11/5/2014 7:08:53 PM] Jinx: Rosella just laughed, a quick, short laugh. "Now would be the perfect time to practice meditation. I can even show you how if you've never done it before." A wicked gleam flashed through her eyes. "I could also show you how to do other things, like sewing and knitting, drying and grinding herbs, pickling and canning food. There's all sorts of fun stuff like that that doesn't require you to move around."
[11/5/2014 7:10:27 PM] Yushika: The man saw that gleam, watching her with narrow eyes. "Are you trying to make me into a housewife?" He whispered with a slight grump, fingers plucking at the covers. He couldn't imagine himself sewing or knitting. Grinding herbs, sure. But…. Eh.
[11/5/2014 7:17:52 PM] Jinx: She chuckled. "Nah. You probably wouldn't look at all adorable in an apron, after all." Her expression grew more serious. "Just offering alternatives to being bored out of your mind. I also own books, if you prefer to read to pass the time. Most of the stuff to be done around here requires the legs be strong. I'd rather not see us get halfway through this and then you snap the bone again." Her words might have been a bit gruff, but the way she shifted her gaze away showed she really did care. She just didn't know how to express that care in a traditional caring fashion.
[11/5/2014 7:21:30 PM] Yushika: Erebus watched her, cracking a half-smile. "You'd be surprised." He sunk into the bed, clearly exhausted once more. Tugging the blanket over himself, the long male grimaced as he realized he couldn't curl up in his usual sleeping position.

He seemed briefly awkward, watching Rosella through tired eyes. Finally, he whispered one last thing before he would try and go back to much needed sleep. "Thank you."
[11/5/2014 7:47:17 PM] Jinx: (( Have this while I work on your reply! ))

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?page=6&t=22210785#369052723

(( Heads up though. If you don't think he'll work with Trixie, likely he'll settle down with Etchemin at his lake. Hopefully Harper doesn't discover him when she's by herself XD ))
[11/5/2014 7:49:47 PM] Yushika: (( pffft watch her discover him and freak ))
[11/5/2014 7:50:12 PM] Jinx: (( With his face? Appearing out of the dark depths? Very likely >D ))
[11/5/2014 7:56:57 PM] Jinx: Rosella smiled slightly and straightened. "You don't have to thank me. I'm just doing what I feel like." With that awkward reply, she slipped outside to check on the laundry.
__________

Rosella sighed and readjusted the straps of her very full pack, glad to see the little cottage looming up before her. Last night she'd made a bed among the crates in her loft, using the few spare blankets she owned to create a nest. Luckily it was still warm at night, since all the blankets were a bit light. Erebus appeared to still be sleeping when she slipped out early that morning, the sky still the dark steel grey of predawn. She'd left a couple books within easy reach, in case he did want to look something, then set off towards town. The sun was well in the sky by the time she made it there. She'd gone for new medical supplies first, since she knew where to go. That was the easiest part of her day. After that she wandered from store to store in the city, looking for clothing for Erebus. It was tough going. The dude was so tall that she couldn't find things that would fit him, and of the few things she did find they were outrageously priced. She ended the day in a thrift shop and went for the biggest clothing she could find. She could easily tailor it to properly fit him later, just so long as the clothing was long enough to cover him. The results were...pretty mixed. With all that shoved into her bag she'd begun the trek home later than she'd hoped. Already the sun was dipping to the horizon, about to vanish entirely.

She turned the latch and pushed the door open, stepping inside. "I'm back," she mumbled, feeling very silly. She'd been living alone for so long that the concept of having someone to come home to was just a bit awkward.
[11/5/2014 8:01:30 PM] Yushika: And when she came back she would find Erebus on the floor, attempting to stand with a snarl escaping clenched teeth.

Lets go back to the beginning. He had indeed been asleep when she left, but woke an hour later. He had sat there, fidgeting. Eventually, the need to /move/ infected his brain. He had wanted to do something, /anything/. Of course, the second a long limb touched the ground and the muscular male rose he collapsed. That hadn't stopped him. He had tried to, with great injured pride, to crawl closer to the door. He hadn't been trying to escape, not at all. His intention was to see if he could repair anything.

Instead, he discovered standing wasn't working. So, when Rosella walked in he was caught gripping the table, trying to pull himself up. He froze there, eying her, looking much like a caught child. Clearing his throat, the male glanced at her backpack briefly. "Hey."
[11/5/2014 8:09:46 PM] Jinx: Rosella paused. The corner of her mouth twitched. Probably because she couldn't decide whether to frown at Erebus attempting to stand and move around already or to smile at the ridiculous expression that flashed over his face. He looked like a child who expected a scolding, maybe even a spanking, was imminent. She did neither, of course, just set the bag down, and, sighing, walked over to Erebus and ducked under his arm, pulling it around her shoulders and hoisting it up. "Back to bed with you. You break something else, I'm duct taping you down whenever I have to leave."

After getting him back on the bed she went over to the table and grabbed her bag. The medical stuff she removed, then she took the bag over to Erebus and set it on the bed next to him. "Here, look through that. It was hard to find stuff your size, so I had to guess. I can alter stuff that's too baggy. Oh, and if the package in there is the wrong size don't open it. I'll just return it later."

(( She bought him some boxers. New ones, not thrifted ones XD ))
[11/5/2014 8:10:50 PM] Yushika: (( Oh good because he refuses to wear thrifted boxers ))
[11/5/2014 8:11:10 PM] Jinx: (( XD Yea, she wouldn't do that. I don't even think they accept those anyway. ))
[11/5/2014 8:14:02 PM] Yushika: Erebus groaned lowly as she approached, going limp the second she touched him so as to resist the fighting his body wanted to do. Back to the bed? Really? He nestled back into the god forsaken bed, casting it a skin-crawling glare before settling in. His eyes trailed after her as she approached, viewing the bag with a raised eyebrow. Pawing through it, he grimaced slightly.

"They smell weird." Oh, wasn't he so good at words?
[11/5/2014 8:24:59 PM] Jinx: "Your own fault for being such a giant. Tall people are hard to shop for," she responded. Clearly he wasn't going to win any sympathy from her. "They just smell like the store. They're clean though. If it bugs you so bad I've got herbs that'll make it smell better. Unless you like walking around in just your underthings. We have to change your bandages anyway, which means cleaning the wounds." She looked him over. "Think you can handle it if I get you in the wash room, or do you need help to reach?"
[11/5/2014 8:34:00 PM] Yushika: "My father's fault, actually." He mumbled back, setting the bag down. Nodding, the male flicked his gaze up her, giving a challenging twitch of his mouth. "Am I going to get sponge-bathed?"
[11/5/2014 8:34:16 PM] Yushika: (( Short response is short. Insert sarcastic Erebus here ))
[11/5/2014 8:36:08 PM] Jinx: Rosella met Erebus' challenging look with an equally challenging gaze and set of her eyebrows. "If you're unable to reach all of your wounds, then yes. And with your ribs how they are, I question if you can or not."
[11/5/2014 8:36:38 PM] Jinx: (( Equally short. Insert dead serious Rose here >D ))
[11/5/2014 8:37:39 PM] Yushika: "You question if I can wash myself." And there it was, that competitive gaze in his eyes. "Obviously I can wash myself."
[11/5/2014 8:43:56 PM] Jinx: "Oh? Well since you can do that, why don't you go ahead and remove the bandages while I warm up some water. Just a bucket and sponge for now, you can have a proper bath once your wounds have all properly sealed shut." With that she moved over to the little stove and started poking at the wood-burning section, placing tinder and small bits of wood in and setting them ablaze, then ducking out briefly and scooping a bucket of water from a rain catcher. Soon the water sat on the stove, heating up so it would at least be a warm wash.
[11/5/2014 8:46:24 PM] Yushika: "Alright." He grunted back, and began working on his bandages. The second he bent down he had to fight back a yelp. /********/. That hurt. Glowering, he spent a few minutes trying to yank off his bandages, only to find it futile. This ******** sucked. He wasn't used to being so helpless! This wasn't like him, at all. Sighing, he prepared to have to let go of his ego and ask for help.
[11/5/2014 8:57:44 PM] Jinx: Rosella raised an eyebrow. "Having trouble are we?" She refrained from the I told you so; it would probably only make Erebus pissy. Still, she wasn't going to step in and help 'til he asked.
[11/5/2014 9:03:32 PM] Yushika: "Mm." Erebus grunted, staring down at his body. Sucking it in, the male looked up, shoulders visibly tensing as he was about to speak. "…….I need help."
[11/5/2014 9:21:26 PM] Jinx: Rosella nodded and went over to Erebus. She tried to be careful not to jostle the wounds as she unwound the bandage from his chest, especially when they got closer to the bare skin. Blood had glued the bandage down in places and she tried to removed them as cleanly as possibly, but she still caused a few trickles of blood to start flowing again. The leg at least was more internally injured and did not have so many scratches, but she was just as careful, if not more so, in removing the bandages.

"Alright, up now," she said, pulling his arm over her shoulder and hoisting up. She managed to get him in the wash room and sat him down on a stool. The room contained an actual tub. She had set up a rain-collecting tub so that she could easily fill the tub, but for the most part she only used it when a hot soak was needed. It was just easier and required less water to use the bathing method she was about to put Erebus through. "Wait right there, I'll be back with the water."
[11/5/2014 9:23:42 PM] Yushika: He couldn't help wincing, recoiling into himself a bit. When she pulled his arm he shifted to try and help her, resting on the stool once they moved him in their with a low sigh. Eying the tub, he felt grateful she had one. He desperately wanted to clean his body, especially after he noticed just how dirty he was.
[11/5/2014 9:30:14 PM] Jinx: Rosella came back with a bucket filled with water that steamed slightly. She set it down then went over to a small cabinet, pulling out a sponge. She eyed Erebus, then the sponge, the bucket, and Erebus again. "You going to behave or do we have to go through the same conversation," she asked. She didn't want to make it that much harder on him, but this was equally embarrassing for her.
[11/5/2014 9:33:54 PM] Yushika: Erebus grimaced when she looked at him. He didn't want to do this, at all. He hated the idea of being taken care of like a baby. Still, he slowly moved closer to her, head turning away, perhaps a tiny of red sneaking into his cheeks. "Just….. get it over with."
[11/5/2014 9:56:00 PM] Jinx: "You should only be so lucky," she responded, not really caring if he understood the statement or not. She walked over to the bucket, dipped the sponge in, and started cleaning Erebus' body. She tried to be impersonal about it, focusing on the task rather than Erebus himself. She had to be careful, going over his chest wound, but soon was scrubbing the rest of his body. She went all the way down to his waist, then moved to get his legs; he wasn't /that/ helpless that he needed cleaning those areas. Once she finished his legs she handed him the sponge. "Get anything else I missed. I'll be right back." She made sure to close the door to the room, and waited several minutes before tapping on the door again. Upon receiving positive affirmation she reentered the room, carrying another steaming bucket of water; there was enough on the stove that she could pour half a bucket of boiling water into half a bucket of cool water, and get two buckets of perfect temperature bathing water. She had another bucket heating up on the stove, since most of her bathing required four buckets. She went over to Erebus.

"Close your eyes and hold you breath," she warned, then dumped the bucket of water in a flow over his head, washing away the dirt scrubbed loose by the sponge and wetting his hair. She set the empty bucket down and poured out the one with the sponge water, then went back to her cupboard and pulled out a bottle of mystery liquid. She poured this into Erebus' hair, and began working it in. A gentle lather worked itself up, but it was far less than the usual store-bought shampoos. A very herbal scent filled the air. Finally she'd gotten all of his long hair. "Okay, be right back." She took both buckets and left the room.

(( Hopefully my bucket explanation made sense XD Also Ere doesn't get a bathtub bath until his wounds are more closed and won't leak blood into the water. Soon Ere, soon XD ))
[11/5/2014 10:05:16 PM] Yushika: Erebus refused to look at her, intensely relieved when she handed the sponge to him and headed off. He finished the job, grunting in a mildly affirmative response when she knocked, which meant just a slightly higher pitched grunt. Barely.

He was intensely disappointed he couldn't /be/ in the tub, closing his eyes when commanded. The hot water was dumped on him and the male leaned into the flow of water, releasing a low, content sigh once it had all ran down his aching body. For one second, his tail wagged, stiffening seconds later. When she grabbed the mystery liquid and approached his hair his ears flipped back, clearly not amused. However, like a rarely touched dog, he subconsciously leaned into her touch. Just like his father, he loved his hair being touched. When she stood to leave he had to catch the disappointed sigh that wanted to escape. Maybe later he'd somehow trick her into rubbing his head again.
[11/5/2014 10:05:31 PM] Yushika: (( Assuming he has fox ears since we mentioned their tails before ))
[11/5/2014 10:15:01 PM] Jinx: Rosella came back with both buckets, each steaming slightly. Little bundles floated in them, and the steam rising from the buckets had the faintest of herbal smells, slightly different from the herbal smell of the shampoo and much weaker. "Alright, eyes and breath again." She didn't pour the entire bucket in one go. Instead she would pour a little, set the bucket down and run her hands through Erebus' hair, working the shampoo up again, and the pick the bucket back up and pour more water over his head. It took the entire bucket and part of the second one to work all the lather out of his hair. "Now I remember why I cut mine short. This stuff must be a maintenance nightmare," she commented.

She held up the rest of the second bucket, the herbal smell a bit more pungent since the bundle had more time to steep. "You need to scrub anything else before I dump this on you?"
[11/5/2014 10:19:00 PM] Yushika: (( I just got a flash of them as a couple and Erebus always leaning down, asking for a hair pet. Like their secret way of showing affection. ))
[11/5/2014 10:23:48 PM] Yushika: When she returned he immediately smelled the herbal scents, looking up at her with an expression that read 'you and your herbal s**t.' Still, he obediently closed his eyes, flashing them open briefly when she touched his hair. He couldn't help once more leaning into the touch, just giving a slight hum when she spoke about his hair.

What was it with this woman and her magic ******** fingers? Now he understood why animals loved their heads being rubbed. "No. I got everything." He responded, preparing his body for the bucket.
[11/5/2014 10:35:56 PM] Jinx: Rosella couldn't help a silent chuckle. Erebus reminded her of some of the stray cats in town. They were always so aloof and wanted pretty much nothing to do with people aside from their food, but she'd lured a few close before with canned food. Initially they'd been startled at being touched, but then they had melted under the caresses she'd given them. Of course there was always a point when it was time to pull back before they decided to scratch the person. She carefully poured the rest of the warm water over Erebus' head, catching the herbal bag before it landed on his head. She held it up. "Good for the hair and skin. My hair is naturally this color, but white hair always look frail if you don't care for it properly." She tossed the soggy bundle in the bucket with the other one, then pulled out a drying cloth. She gave his body a brisk patting down, then wrapped his hair in the cloth in a roll on his head. "Be right back."

She vanished, then reappeared with a package. While it did smell a bit like the thrift store, the packaging clearly spoke of never being opened before. "Hopefully the waist size is good. If it is go ahead and see if you can pull a pair on." Her look clearly stated a wish that he could manage this on his own while she ducked out of the washroom and closed the door.
[11/5/2014 10:40:09 PM | Edited 11:01:48 PM] Yushika: Erebus wasn't the type to like being taken care of, however, Rosella had made it a bit enjoyable. However, he was pleased when it was over. She left, returning with clothes. His own looked clearly told her he rather drop dead then have her help him get his lower parts covered. Luckily, she left, and he was left to struggle. Which he did, but eventually the object found their places.

Yes, their were wide around the waists, but hell, it was something.. Tugging on the waist slightly, he reminded himself to somehow repay the favor. He wasn't one who liked to leave favors open for long…. or even be in debt.
[11/5/2014 10:48:53 PM] Jinx: (( She only gave him underwear. She's got put new bandages on, so no pants yet XD ))
[11/5/2014 11:01:27 PM] Yushika: (( Shhhh lemme fix it ))
[11/5/2014 11:01:57 PM] Yushika: Fixed
[11/5/2014 11:10:37 PM] Jinx: While Erebus (hopefully) got everything under control, Rosella went to dig in her bag for some of the clothes she had bought him. His original clothing was dry by now, but was so shredded that the shirt was going to have to be scrapped. The pants could maybe be saved. Maybe. When she left Erebus to scrub himself she'd dumped most of the clothing out of the bag, taking it to hang on the pole outside the door that she used for small things. Now she went back and sorted through the pile she'd made. Everything still smelled like thrift shop, but at least a little less. She grabbed two items, shook them out and beat them against the side of the cottage, then brought them in. She laid lavender (she could almost feel Erebus rolling his eyes when her fingers touched the herbs) on the clothing and folded them, leaving them to sit while she grabbed the medical supplies she bought and went to the washroom, tapping on the door. "You done changing or did you keel over trying to pull them on?"
[11/5/2014 11:25:03 PM] Yushika: He KNEW she was playing with herbs. He sensed it. What was with that woman and herbs? When she tapped on the door he tossed the packaging to the ground, grunting. "I managed. I'm not completely helpless. If I ever get to that point please just kill me." And hell, he was partially making an honest request.
[11/5/2014 11:33:28 PM] Jinx: "Too late. You opened the underwear and I can't take it back, so no choice but to live now." She picked up the package and set it on the shelf. She didn't know what he'd need with three pairs of boxes, but that was the lowest pack size she could find. With another drying cloth she set to making sure his wounds were completely dry before she began bandaging the scratches on his leg with simple bandaids. "Well now you know why I'm going through the forest so often. And that's just for a couple kinds of herbs. Most of what I use I can find or grow here." Next she pulled a brace forward, fixing Erebus with a stern look. "This is going to restrict movement, but that's what your leg needs right now. Make sure to leave it on, even when it's uncomfortable, or we're going with a cast. And those can't be removed, which means very awkward baths."

She gently fitted the brace to his leg, then turned her attention to his torso. The wound got cleaned with a disinfectant, left for a moment to dry, then she pulled out the rolls of bandage and started wrapping him up. "We're gonna have to clean this daily. If it goes sour then I'll have to drag you to a hospital. With a busted leg, that'll be a fun walk."
[11/5/2014 11:44:54 PM] Yushika: He sighed dramatically, though his low voice and clear humor behind it ruined the effect. God damn it, though. Here he was, in ******** /boxers/, letting some woman take care of him. He'd need to keep that thought to himself, he was sure she'd punish him with more herbs. He allowed her to tend to him, eying the brace with disgust.

As she fitted the brace and then tended to his wounds he watched, suddenly twitching at the mention of a hospital. "No. I'm not going to a hospital."
[11/5/2014 11:56:35 PM] Jinx: "Then keep the brace on and no more stumbling around like a hatchling," she said firmly, tying off the bandage. "If you need to go outside wait 'til I'm around to help." She tapped his arm, indicating it was time to get up again. She helped him back to the bed, getting him in a sitting position, then turned and got the clothing off the table. She shook the lavender out; at least the clothing smelled a bit better. She handed the items over to him. "I got some more if those don't work out, but see if they fit."

He sighed, nodding in response. Fine, he'd be a good boy. When he finally was settled in the bed he watched her, watching the lavender fall out. It smelled like his uncle, weird. Why'd she pick lavender of all things? Accepting the items, he knew putting them on would be an epic struggle, but hey, finally clohtes.

Rosella watched him examine the clothes, noting the slight face he pulled at the lavender. It reminded her of a conversation that seemed like forever ago when he warned her about the smell. He'd never elaborated and she never asked. Hopefully he wasn't allergic. That didn't seem to be the case though, thankfully. He eyed the clothes like he was debating the best plan of attack. "Need help with the shirt," she offered. It was a button-up so he didn't have to pull it on, but stretching seemed to be painful for him right now.