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 Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 12:24 am
Even as Christof helped it drink, Riley was brushing her hands along its features affectionately. When Christof offered his hunch, Riley stood and slid both of her hands underneath Malodore, lifting it up with the gentlest of care. She wanted to keep it from having to move any part of it's body, and truth be told she would have carried it herself, but her thoughts mirrored that of Christof. They had started this venture together, and it only felt right to end it as such.
She slowly settled Malodore's body down, until it was resting against Christof, and then put herself just behind to keep the wings from jostling in the movement.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:32 pm
The water felt fantastic on its dry throat; Malodore drank what it was offered eagerly, then waited as Christof went on to tidy everything up. It was very, very glad it had asked for the patchwork's assistance - its own plans had been extraordinarily inadequate. It had not even considered cleanup; it owed him a great debt, truly. Riley, too, was a gentle jewel; her soft touches served as admirable and welcome distraction from the pain.
Then it was being lifted up, draped over Christof's hunched back. The movement was jarring and it bit back a hiss; as its own back flexed and bent another sharp jolt of pain shot down its spine. But it could hardly lay on that slab forever. "I-it's fine. I'm fine. The pain is n-necessary," it tried to reassure them.
No, it had definitely not planned enough; that grim failure sat heavily in its belly... but alongside it rode a sense of deep gratitude for the aid of its dear friends.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:55 pm
Christof sagged a bit under Malodore, but he had hypothesized correctly. Glancing one more time about the room, he hobbled forward as gently as he could, trusting Riley to make sure Mal didn't fall off as they made their way out. It was a Job Well Done, overall... but why did he feel so awkward? Just the aftermath of the project, more than likely. Nothing to worry about. He kept his eyes ahead and while he wasn't the most graceful of creatures, he tried his best to lurch as smoothly as possible.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:20 pm
It was a slow, and grueling process. But it was a process, nonetheless - which helped to keep her mind on reaching a goal, instead of focusing on the pain that movement caused. The walk back to Malodore's dorm felt like forever - but when they reached it, it was simply another accomplishment they had achieved. Riley reached out to open the door, as her hands were the least busy keeping Malodore afloat.
Lay it on the bed, on its stomach, she told Christof, though it was obvious. She held it as much as she could, supporting both its wings as well as the body itself, during the process.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:20 pm
The hunchback did as he was told, as gently as he could. Leaning down, he shifted to slide Malodore onto the soft folds of it's bed, turning only to help ease it's hooved legs and tail up as well, gingerly arranging the pillows to make the position as comfortable as possible.
That done, he shifted backward, glancing from one to the other. Should he fetch another glass of water to set on the bed stand? Light some candles? It started by making sure Luce didn't suddenly leap on the bed to jostle the poor Plague Doctor, crouching down to pet the pup instead and pick her up so she could see it's Master without bothering it.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:06 pm
Luce had, indeed, started whining as soon as they brought her master in, the little pup hanging back with her ears flicking up and down, her entire body speaking of her uncertainty. She approached the bed slowly, making no move to jump up.
Malodore had slipped in and out of consciousness a few times during the move, but once it had been properly settled... it could feel Riley's concern and love, Christof's uncertain but steadfast determination to help. They were both more than close enough. "Grazie, molto grazie," it sighed, and kept its beak open just a bit at the end of the last world - a small but grateful smile.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:37 am
Shh, Riley gently chastized. We know. Save your strength, you'll need it. She sat down on the edge of the bed, and brushed her hand gently across it's leg, back and forth. Just relax. We're not going anywhere.
Her upper body dropped, curling up on the lower half of the bed where she had sat, and she kept her back just barely touching the side of its leg, as a reminder of her presence. Her own eyes fluttered - perhaps she was not just trying to get Malodore to rest, after all. Or perhaps the stress was just catching up to her.
She shifted gently, as a bandage along the arm she rested on twinged and tried to stretch. Once she was comfortable again, her eyelids fluttered once more, before she looked up at Christof and Luce. The pup looked as frightened as she had been. She wanted to comfort it, and let it know everything was going to be okay. She thought she was saying something of the sort, but it never came out.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:41 am
Christof could only watch awkwardly for a few moments before he silently backed away, eyes lowering to the floor as he made his way out of the sleeping chamber into the sitting-room-esque type area. There was a large comfy chair he had sat in before, and giving Luce a gentle pat, he quietly sat.
Malodore would be fine. It was just a couple little cuts. He couldn't understand why Riley was making such a big deal about it, as though it had been fully dismembered... Malodore might not have been a Patchwork, but it *was* undead. He shifted in the chair, bringing his knees up to his chest as he curled up to wait for a command.
Alright, so he was jealous. He admitted it. But there was little he could do about it, but sit and wait and be a good servant and give them a little private time.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:53 am
Malodore nodded, slowly, the movement very slight. It really was feeling terribly sleepy - apparently there were some times when even the undead genuinely did need to rest.
Luce nosed at Riley's leg, then padded over to Christof and hopped up on the chair as well, trying to squirm into the small gap between the patchwork's side and the arm of the chair.
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:36 pm
The long, trying day was finally rewarded with the peace and silence of a calm moment. Riley managed to open her eyes once more, just to check and make sure Christof was still in the room, because she refused to fall asleep and leave Malodore unwatched if he had left. Her eyes tilted gently as she watched the patchwork, for just a moment, and she managed to send an affectionate nudge as gratitude before slipping into the bliss of unconsciousness.
Just a little nap, she promised herself. Just a little one.
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:31 pm
Christof sat in silence for some time, petting the small white dog that had planted itself next to him. After a while, though, he rose just to double check. It seemed Mistress had dozed off as well. Shifting anxiously, he pulled a throw blanket from the foot of Malodore's bed over her shoulders, slowly and silently making sure Mal had what it could possibly need close at hand before moving back to his chair. He didn't know how long recovery was going to take...
But he was prepared for the long haul.
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