[FIN] {PRP Juahar} Hard Shell, Soft Inside {Nyx + Lixes}

[Orpheus Solon]

MissMisnomer

"It's good to meet you Nyx... though it probably would have been better if our meeting didn't involve so many grumpy bugs and arachnids." He said as he helped her back to her feet once more. Nodding his head as she told him that she appreciated him keeping everything to himself. He couldn't really think of any reason why he'd want to go telling everyone about what happened. Especially given the times they were in. If he told people what he'd done he'd end up in a lot of trouble with his parents for various things he'd done. Best to keep it all to himself.

He started forward once he felt that Nyx was ready, leading her back toward Andile at a very slow pace. It didn't take long though before the venom started to mess with the girl, causing her to hallucinate if he had to guess from her acts.

"Huh? Oh... geez. It seems the venom is kicking in." Such a fast acting venom he thought to himself, worried that it might start to do more to her then just make her mind. Giving her the best smile he could muster he said, "Ahh... fog? Yeah, we definitely need to bring you to a healer, Nyx. Before the venom starts to mess with you more then it already does. Are you sure I can't carry you? What a radaku back ride? Would that be better then princess style carrying?"  

[MissMisnomer]

Nyxamora was distracted from her attempt to search the forest floor for her absentee mother when she heard someone talking to her... but why was it harder to understand what they were saying? Maybe she had something in her ears? She stuck her pinky into her long ear, wiggling it around as she attempted to get whatever was making everything so muddled go away.

She continued that motion for a few ticks before suddenly stopping, looking up towards Lixes as she blinked. What had she been doing? She was looking for someone, or someone had been talking to her…was it this guy? Didn’t they have somewhere they needed to be? She ran a finger across the stripe of green on his face, pinching her brows together, “Hey...did'ja know you’ve got something on your face? Right there. How’d that happen? It’s on your arms too…” She tried to scrub it off with her thumb, but the damned things were moving about on his skin, scooting out of place every time she tried to touch them again.

"That's so weird, are they on me too? All this red stuff is getting in the way, can't see anything properly..." she muttered as Nyx started picking at the bloodied clasps of her vest, attempting to get the soiled thing off.

[9/10]  

[Orpheus Solon]

Lixes looked down at the girl as she started to trace one of the markings on his face, something that caused him to given pause. Yeah, the venom from the menzuri seemed to have a strong hold on the girl now and was causing her to react in a very erratic manner. As she asked him about his stripes he said, "Would you believe me if I told you their from my Alkidike blood?" He was only a fourth but it still caused him to have a few marks here and there to show that part of himself.

As she turned her attention to her own arms, commenting on the 'red stuff' that was getting in her way of trying to figure out if she had stripes too. All well and good until she started to pick at her arms, something that would risk causing her wounds to bleed out again. Reaching out he caught hold of her by the wrists before he said, "Hey, hey now... let's be careful so you don't get hurt anymore, Nyx. We really need to get you to that healer so they can give you something to flush the venom from your system."  

[MissMisnomer]

Nyx swayed slightly as the other man took hold of her wrists, head feeling lighter than normal even as her feet seemed to be weighed down by lead. She hadn’t felt like this since that time she and a couple of friends had gotten their hands on a bottle of alcohol and downed it all in one night; that’d been really fun. This guy was cuter than they’d been though, such pretty hair…

She wiggled her fingers even as they were caught, itching to touch the golden fluff atop his head, “You’re kinda small for being part Alkidike; those chicks are friggin huge…” But that wasn’t what was important, was it? They were supposed to be going somewhere. Something about healers and venom? Even as the words left his mouth they seemed to drift away, contained in little pink bubbles that floated up to the forest canopy. She tried to reach up to grab them before they could get away, but he was still holding her wrists in place. With a frown she tried to tug them away, pulling against him, “You gotta let go of me, or your words are gonna disappear. I need to find out what you’re trying to tell me!”

[10/10]  

[Orpheus Solon]

MissMisnomer

Lixes blinked a couple of times before giving a little sigh, "Yeah... I sort of took after my Earthling father as opposed to the other one." He said, wishing fairly often that he'd been blessed with the height that his brother Drexl had been. He was huge but Lixes was definitely not. Shaking his head he said, "That's neither here nor there though, I mean I make up for my height with enthusiasm!" He would be a hero no matter what, even if he was a bit on the short side.

"Ahh... my words are going to disappear?" He watched the girl as she seemed to be trying to catch something out of the air as he released his hold on her wrists. At least she was distracted by something new and no longer picking at her wrists. After a moment of watching her trying to catch... something he decided that he was going to test his luck as far as Nyx was concerned. He wanted to get her back to Andile, to a healer that could flush the venom from her system and patch her up, and he wanted to do so before she got any worse then she already was.

Taking in a deep breath he stepped in closer to Nyx, prayed to Aisha for luck, and tried to pick the horned girl up. Here was to hoping that maybe the venom would keep her from murdering him over trying to carry her.  

[MissMisnomer]

Distracted as she was by trying to grab hold of the words she thought she saw, Nyxamora was caught completely off guard when Lixes tried to pick her up. With a yelp she responded instinctually to the feeling of something lifting her feet off the ground, pushing against his chest and flailing her legs about. Unfortunately, she got exactly the results she was hoping for, knocking herself loose of his hold to awkwardly land on her feet again.

However, the sudden weight on her swollen ankle was way too much way too soon, causing her to yelp again as pain shot up her leg. The sudden jolt kicked the fog from her vision as well as her mind for a moment, but it also took her ability to stand, grabbing hold of Lixes’ shoulders as her legs gave out for the second time that day. Biting her lip as tears came to her eyes, Nyx tried to keep her weight off the foot that throbbed like fire, pressing her face against the crook of Lixes’ neck, “D-dammit! I really…screwed up this t-time…” She gripped his shoulders harder, shaking as she tried to fight back her tears, “I’m s-such an idiot!”

[11/20]  

[Orpheus Solon]

Lixes thought for a moment that maybe he'd get away with his attempt... but the Leaf girl was definitely not having it. She flailed about for a moment, freeing herself from his attempt to pick her up and was soon on her feet again. He did his best to keep from sighing though, not wanting to seem as though he was put out by the reaction. He knew after all that she had no desire to be carried around, he'd just been hoping maybe she'd be too distracted to notice so he could get her back to a healer. No luck though it would seem.

Looking down at the girl that was suddenly clinging to his shoulders as her legs seemed to give out he was quick to wrap his arms around her, hoping to steady her, "Ahh... maybe? But it's nothing we can't fix! Well, not us exactly but a healer for sure! We just have to get you back to Andile is all." He said in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. Giving her a bit of a smile as she called herself an idiot he said, "Naw... not an idiot... though stubborn, maybe? It doesn't matter though. What matters is making sure that you're patched up so you can have another shot at things. Maybe you will get a better out come next time?"

One that involved no wadana and menzuri if she was lucky.  

[MissMisnomer]

If there was one thing Nyx hated more than anything else, it was feeling like she was afraid. Afraid of succumbing to people’s expectations, of making a fool of herself, of letting fear stop her from acting the way she wanted. And right now, she was feeling all that. But worse still, she was feeling a real, primal fear, one that didn’t crop up very often anymore.

She was afraid of dying.

A creature she wasn’t familiar with had bitten her, and right now, its venom was moving through her body with every beat of her heart. What if the next moment was her last? How many more beats of her heart did she have left? It was a terrifying thought, one that left her shaken emotionally and physically as she clung to this stranger. She looked up at him, cheeks wet with frustrated tears, “W-why are you being so nice to me? I’m a nasty girl that nobody really likes. You could just l-leave me here…and nobody would even care that I’m gone!”

[12/20]  

[Orpheus Solon]

MissMisnomer

Lixes gave a smile at the girl's question to him, "I like you well enough... even if you're a bit on the stubborn side when it comes to something the whole being carried thing." That tended to be every girl he'd run across thus far though. Maybe he was just lucky that way he thought to himself idly before he gave a chuckle, "Naw! I'd never just up and leave you here. I'm a hero and heroes save people! Therefore I will save you too, Nyx. Even if nobody else would care I do and that's all that matters at the moment."

Just because she was a 'nasty person', her words and not his, there was no reason why he shouldn't still save her. A hero had to know that everyone was worth saving... save for maybe the Dretch but they weren't exactly people, were they? They were monsters that kidnapped people so they didn't count.

Giving the girl his best smile he said, "You can hold tight to me and I will bring you to the village, I promise. We... well, a healer, they will get you patched up no problem! Since this is Jauhar I am sure they are all taught the ways to deal with your sorts of injuries." At least he'd assume so. Why would a healer living in Jauhar not understanding the workings of menzuri venom? It seemed silly to him.  

[MissMisnomer]

This guy wanted to be a hero?

It was such a clear-cut dream, like something straight from the mouth of a naïve child. The cynical side of Nyx was clearly still functional even after everything that had happened, as the notion left her laughing quietly to herself. “You’re an idiot. But I guess I am too, so that makes us even,” Nyx said as she wiped at her eyes, calming down a bit more. If she was gonna die in this forest, at least she’d go down trashing this guy’s ridiculous dream of saving every person he met. That might be a dark thought, but it gave her a bit of morbid satisfaction.

Wiggling to put a bit more distance between herself and Lixes, she let out a long breath, preparing to say something that almost brought as much pain to her as being bitten by a giant crystal-spider, “I don’t want to get more jacked-up than I already am. And right now, there’s no way I can walk on this leg. So, it only makes sense…” She closed her eyes, grimacing at the idea, “…for you to carry me. Since you’ve made up your mind to get us back to town despite dealing with all my bullshit.”

She pushed back against his shoulders, standing on one foot as she pointed a finger up at his face, “But I’m going on your back. My arms still work after all.” She needed to feel like she wasn’t being a total useless bag of flesh somehow. This way, at least she’d be pulling some of her weight.

[13/20]  

[Orpheus Solon]

MissMisnomer

Lixes couldn't help but to smile as she told him that he was an idiot. He supposed that she was probably right he thought to himself, not a lot of people struck out into the world to be a 'hero' after all. He couldn't really be mad at the insult, especially since she said that she was also an 'idiot' and it made the two of them even.

He was ready to start forward toward Andile when she said that she didn't want to get anymore messed up then she already was... and much to his surprise she was telling him that it only made sense for him to carry her. She was going to actually let him carry her? It was something that had him smiling a bit like an idiot before he nodded his head, "Alright! Good... and don't worry, I won't tell anyone about the fact that you let me carrying you either." If she wanted to keep it a secret like they were probably gonna keep most of their meeting secret it was fine by him.

Giving a smile he nodded, turning around, and then took a knee so that she could get onto his back, "This is a fair compromise." It wasn't a classical carry that a hero should use with a damsel but it was still something that would let them get back to Andile more quickly. Giving a smile he said, "Once you're ready I will stand up and we will head back."  

[MissMisnomer]

The Leafling nodded and ever so carefully lowered herself down, wincing as she wrapped her arms around Lixes’ neck. “Hope you’re okay with some blood on your back,” she mumbled as the cuts on her torso opened up again. Perhaps being pressed against his skin would help them get compressed and stop the bleeding once again. Or maybe not. Either way, the sooner they got back to town the better.

She patted his chest, giving the go ahead with a grunt, “Alright, ready to go. I’ll try to lift my legs up when you stand so it’s easier to grab them.” Shifting around a bit to get more comfortable along the ridges of his spine, Nyx was thankful once again that she was rather lacking in the breast department; that’d be a whole ‘nother obstacle to have to deal with.

[14/20]  

[Orpheus Solon]

"Ahh... yeah, that should be fine. I will just be sure to clean up before I head home so my family doesn't panic." He said with a bit of a laugh. He didn't want them to worry about him after all, not when it wasn't even his blood that he'd be covered with. That might seem a little more strange though, wouldn't it? If he claimed that he was covered in someone else's blood that would cause a lot more questions for him to answer that would end up with him dancing around the issue. He didn't want them to know where he'd gone after all or else he'd end up in a bit more trouble then he'd like.

Once Nyx was ready he pushed up to his feet, shifting a bit until she was sitting in a comfortable manner, one hand lifting up to hold onto her legs to keep them in place. Once he was sure he had a good hold on her he reached down, scooping up his hammer in his free hand, and said, "Alright! Time to get moving! If you need a break at any time give me a nudge but I think we should be able to make it back easy enough." So long as he was very careful about each step he took, not wanting to risk jostling the wounded girl.

Giving a little nod of his head Lixes started forward back toward Andile. He was so glad that they were too terribly far away from home... though he also worried a little. Once he dropped her off he'd have to report the location of that menzuri. They couldn't have something that dangerous so close to the village after all. Hunters would need to be called in to deal with the creature for the safety of all. If he were more confident in his skills he'd try it himself but as it was he'd already spent enough time outside the village. Any more and someone from his family was bound to notice.  

[MissMisnomer]

Getting everything situated properly before they could be on their way caused more than a bit of discomfort for the girl, but once that was all sorted out, she was just glad they could get going again. She didn’t want to have to take any breaks; that’d just be prolonging this unpleasant encounter further than it already was. Well…maybe not entirely unpleasant. One might consider Lixes endearing. In the same way you can’t help smiling when you see a Witu pup tripping over its own legs as it tries to keep up with the adults of the pack. A stupid, overly enthusiastic pup.

But thoughts like that were just dumb, Nyx scoffing to herself under her breath even as she moved her face close enough to the boy’s head to brush her nose against his hair. It was infuriatingly soft. And sparkled so nicely in the sunlight.

Sunlight?

That couldn’t be right. There wasn’t much sunshine at all down here; any light provided to them came from the crystals and mushrooms that popped up out of the ground. But with her muscles and mind relaxed after that reinvigorating shock from earlier, the hallucinogenic effects of the venom had to be kicking in again. Logic began to take the back-seat, and soon enough she was completely convinced that the boy’s golden hair had to posses supernatural qualities, swaying of its own free will almost as if she were seeing it from underwater. Nyx relaxed against his back, leisurely blowing little puffs of air at the back of Lixes’ head just to watch his hair shimmer and sway. “What sort’a fancy breeding happened to make your hair so magical?”

[15/20]

Orpheus Solon

 

[Orpheus Solon]

MissMisnomer

Lixes gave a bit of a jump, cheeks coloring ever so slightly, as the girl on his back started to mess with his hair. A moment later asking him about it in a sense that made his hair sound like something out of a fairy tale. He blinked his mismatched eyes slowly and said, "The most strange and magical sort of... ahh... 'fancy breeding' I suppose? At least that was what caused me and my brothers to come into being that is." He thought on it a moment before he added, "Though the actual color itself comes from the Wind Tribe part of me."

Best to keep talking to her as they walked, it would help him keep himself distracted from the fact that the girl seemed to be having fun messing with his hair now. Was it that special? Maybe for those that hadn't seen someone from the Wind Tribe or a Wind Tribe mix before? They were likely at least slightly more rare in Jauhar as opposed to over in Sauti where they lived. Maybe? He couldn't say that he did a lot of traveling himself so he didn't know how many Wind Tribe members were roaming the world.

It was a line of thought he mentally shook off, wanting instead to focus on the trail in front of him. He didn't want to stumble or get lost just because his mind was wandering. It was up to him to get Nyx back to Andile where she could get treated for her obvious over dose of menzuri venom... not that he felt there was a safe dose of that stuff but that was neither here nor there.