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"Meep?!" There was a huge splash, and Sunstrike sputtered in the water, looking at her wide eyed when he came up for air.

"Not fair!" He pouted, water streaming down from his suddenly flat hair, staring at her while she finished talking.

"And who's gonna be there to guard me against you, eh?!" He moaned and shook his fist playfully at her.

He rubbed his nose where she tapped it and grinned at her. "I trust you, don't ask me why, but I do. Don't worry bout a drink, the fruit will be enough for today."

Sun reached out a hand. "Can I get a goodbye kiss, though? Some compensation for being pushed, maybe?" There was a wicked gleam in his eyes as he said this, as if he knew exactly what she'd think of that.

"O-OW!" Sunstrike was sucking his knuckles, watching avidly as she left. Okay, maybe he hadn't quite realized how she'd act, but that was okay, she'd do well in a wet t-shirt contest.

"Just don't pick anything to wear that's too TIGHT!" He shouted desperately after her, hoping she wouldn't give him anything that looked as damn intricate as that little kimono she wore. How the hell did she fit in all that, anyway?

When she'd left, he studied the row of bottles almost warily, unsure of himself with all this pampering. Reaching out, he unscrewed the cap on the first and gave it a cautious sniff, toes wriggling in the water.

Well...it was definately soap...and it wasn't flowery...more like spice...it would do for now. He was already humming, washing the blood and muck off happily. Maybe he'd spoil himself, drain the tub, and have a cleaner bath in a second.

"Never in the wrong time or wrong place~"

Sunstrike was singing, unknowing of all the troubles that were happening down below. He'd managed to empty the first tub of all the nastiness, and was taking stock on the injuries.

"Desecration is the smile on my face..." The song reduced itself to hums as he studied the bands on his leg. He'd not gotten a chance to earlier.

~~~Two days ago

"So..." Sun looked at Morose and the odd contraptions on the table beside him. "What are these supposed to do again? They aren't going to be rejected by my body, are they?"

"I'd worry less about them being rejected by your body, and more by your magic. They're spelled so your skin and muscle will grow around it."

Sun made an irritated sound, his leg and ankle were throbbing, there might have been some infection leaking through the guards by now.

"What have you done to it that might disagree?"

Those light green eyes smiled at Sun as thumbs pressed into the worst of the injuries, Sun's ankle. The other man yelped, causing the metal table to clang when his palms slamed down and tightened on the edge.

"They will change if you do." Through the exploding darkness that had become his vision Sunstrike blinked in surprise.

"Anything else?" A soft sigh.

"I need to keep a few surprises under my hat Sunstrike. Now...do you want the bands and the leg? Or do you want to lose the leg. There will be a great deal of discomfort at first, but you're quick..." There was a pause, and Sun decided Morose was enjoying himself far too much. "You'll compensate."

Sun just closed his eyes. I'll be useless, but I'd be worse then useless without the leg.

"Fine, get it done."

~~~~

Sunstrike shivered, water beginning to dry against his pale skin. To say it had been painful might have an understatement. He'd screamed, a great deal. If Vahn had known...but Sun shook his head. Vahn didn't have to know, he had far more problems at the moment without having to worry about Sun's as well. The only concern was that Sunstrike's just seemed to keep growing.

He turned off the tap again and scooted his legs around and in. The water was practically boiling and Sun smiled lazily. There were bubbles. Life was good.

"The love I've made is the shape of my space..."

Sunstrike jumped at the sound of his name from a strange voice, water splashing a little as he sat up straighter. There was a delay to his reactions that might have meant he was half asleep, but with both arms braced against the sides of the tub, he wasn't too worried about drowning.

He tilted his head back until he was squinting practically upsidedown out of the door. The steam obscurred most of the view but from what he could see and from what he heard, the person was male, and tall. Most would be worried at this point, but Aiysin had said that he was perfectly safe here after all.

"Hullo! Did something come up with Aiysin? I didn't upset her, did I?" She'd seemed alright when she'd left, laughing even, but sometimes the female mind was quite mysterious to even Sun. The next few words were slightly mournful with that teasing edge that he couldn't really rid himself of.

"I hope she doesn't take revenge on my clothes or food, women have a funny quirk when it comes to divine justice."

The man came into focus and Sun's mouth went dry, his head straightening, which didn't help, because the sihlouette was now reflected in the clouded mirror. Sun's mind was vivid enough to fill in all the details. Where he hadn't been embarassed in front of Aiysin, now suddenly he wasn't so sure there were ENOUGH bubbles in the tub.

"Um....n-no that's fine, sorry if I gave the wrong impression." Suddenly docile, he read the note so he wouldn't be caught staring. He hugged his knees to his body and wondered what to do. Divine justice indeed, if this were just a paige. He was sure she'd probably been thinking about their earlier conversation about GAURDIAN and all the pretty people.

He'd have to figure out his own revenge once his mind decided it would unscramble from the effect. Then again, maybe she was innocent, he never really assumed she'd be devious enough to send some sort of elven god in with his supper.

His eyes flicked to the raven haired man and he swallowed. Sun's voice actually almost sounded normal. "C-could you do me a favour?"

Sunstrike's eyes widened, like a deer in headlights, he blinked at those green eyes and then sighed softly, almost regretfully.

"Would you be kind enough to get me one of the robes she's talking about? I could get one myself, but...it would probably be faster if you did, erm..."

He paused for a name, unsure of himself this close to someone that may, or may not be offering more room service then he'd been offered ever before.

It wasn't just the fact that the man was really nice looking that had thrown Sun off. By now he'd been soaking in a tub of water for what could have been an hour or two. He was practically drugged from the effects, even if he had made sure the water was hot enough.

No responce to the name, and Sunstrike made a soft noise of irritation. Pull yourself together Sun, it's not the first person to ever flirt with you, hell, if he wasn't doing it, you would... Maybe, finally, he was starting to be more like himself, now that the shock had worn off.

This wouldn't be so bad, it wasn't like he'd go all the way. He might as well enjoy the view anyway. Swallowing hard he pushed himself to his feet in the water, favouring his injured leg heavily.

Sun was actually sat, back to the paige, as the other man came back with the robe...he'd meant to still be standing but there would have been no way without ending up cracking his head against the ceramic. His head was waist high, and water streamed down the pale skin, trailing from his dampened down hair, the usual spikes lost to the heaviness. His figure was hunched as if that had taken more effort then it should have.

The material brushed his arms and he straightened again, shivering from more then cold. Sun's arm gently moved into one, then the other sleeve. When the soft material rested against his shoulders without help, he looked up and grinned.

"Thank you, I appreciate you sticking around to help..." Sun would almost be sad to see the man go, and a shy thought flicked through his mind. How much trouble am I going to get into for this...

"W-would you like some of this with me? It's a lot...I'm not a big eater."