[PRP backlog] The Quiet Aftermath (Laurelin + Chimalsi)

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

Dawn had broken over their weary and battered bodies many hours ago, but still the golden beast had slumbered. Hunger and thirst, in time, had become quiet, if loyal companions to her, but she hadn't dared to rise and chase them away for fear of disturbing Chimalsi. Her poor, sweet friend... How long had he suffered like this? But no, no, all that mattered is that he was here now, and she only sighed before again laying her head gently down on his bristled mane. So the sun would dip again, and the cool chill of night had her shiver even as she tried to subtly press herself closer to the other's sides. He'd been sleeping for so long now.... Surely he needed it, but there was a lump of concern in her throat she couldn't quite swallow. No matter--soon, she'd rouse him and coax him to eat and drink a little, watch him carefully with worry. He had to get better, surely... After all she and Alyssum had done... "...Please get better."

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Lady_Ourania

There was something at work in his head as he slept, an entity that cleared away the possibility of dreaming in an act that may have been equal parts cruelty and kindness. It left him lingering on the outskirts of his subconscious, aware of nothing, not even his body's deterioration as he sat comfortably nestled in cool darkness. Sometimes he felt submerged, drowned and tired, ready to relax into pieces that turned to particles and ebbed to emptiness. But then he was pushed up by a sound, a chiming note so distant that it was a wonder he could hear it. A song, a voice, a sentiment; he could not be certain. Whatever its nature, it would not let him go.

He knew when it was time to awaken, some internal mechanism of survival insisting on a final shove. The stallion denied it for a moment, afraid of a change in scenery and all that it would bring. But it was no use. Eyelids that had not twitched throughout countless hours of daylight began to bunch slightly beneath the waxy beams of the moon, slowly sliding open and peering red-rimmed out into the trees. No cave walls, no glimmering wealth to greet him, only further forest. What did that mean? His body ached, sore from stillness and scabbed over injuries, so it took him a moment to feel the heavy difference of a nose in his hair, a body curled tight to his, bound by a layer of sweat. He jerked reflexively away, trying to find where he'd left his legs after however long he'd been away, needing to face this potential threat.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

The movement was so sharp and unexpected that it frightened her, eyes wide and her legs suddenly stiff as though to push her up and away. Realization hits her harder than a blow, however, and a soft, but urgent nicker is soon extended to the stallion "Chimalsi... Chimalsi, it's me, Laurelin..." Her voice is soft, uncertain, but firm enough that she hopes to convey that she won't leave. "...Are you... feeling better?" She somehow doubts it, but refuses to let that void grow and overwhelm her. It's hard to keep her distance but she's afraid she'll scare him off for good, only squinting for his golden form through the dusk.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Lady_Ourania

The stallion barely made it onto his feet before he heard her call, body stopping its motions to sway in place, his tail touching the earth for balance. Although his vision was fuzzy, he could make out a stunted tree, the long, lithe shape of legs and neck sprawling out of it like curious growths. The pitch was so familiar... and then her identity was given to him, giftwrapped and all. Chimalsi shivered, the side where she'd been lying chilled by her violent removal, and his head lowered to connect with the ground as well, trying to create some form of symmetry out of his quaking mind. Laurelin, Laurelin, Laurelin. A night long past filtered back into his memory, and he groaned and stamped a foot helplessly. Beloved. He'd left her to come with the mare that now watched him, he remembered. Because she'd said she loved him, that he deserved better. Was this better? He hurt, and his stance was beginning to falter, luring him back down. "No..." He half-gurgled, closing his eyes and focusing on the strangely complicated effort of breathing.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

His responses fill her with an energy that crackles anxiously through her veins, and she quickly rises to lend her strength to his faltering limbs. "I'm so sorry... but you need to eat something, or at least get a drink of water..." Her voice has slipped into a more pleading note before she realizes it, and she steadies herself with a slow breath before nosing at his cheek. "Try to walk with me, we don't have to go very far..." And so, just like when she and Alyssum lead him from the caverns, she'll slowly try to walk with him, praying he can follow.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Lady_Ourania

Her shadow drifted over him, smooth as silk and nearly as weightless as she made to situate herself against him. The kirin didn't fight her nearness or her suggestion, obediently lifting his head and leaning into her offered side, the miniature tree rustling in his ear even when he twisted it away to listen around them. In spite of everything, the contact calmed him slightly, her warmth and the scent that drifted from her coronet of greens like a sedative as they worked through his leaden limbs. He stumbled forward, unsteady with his steps, making them long then short while he tried to reacquaint his legs with walking. His belly was a knot of pain amidst the tangled cords of his body, and he couldn't hear its cries above the others.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

Her fond, encouraging murmurs will drift to him with every step he takes, telling him it's only just a bit farther, just a little more... And eventually, she can hear the sounds of the river they once stood together in, her hooves sinking into the damp soil even as she noses at his poor neck. "Some water will be good for you... Can you take a drink?" Patient and nuturing; this behavior is practically second-nature for the tree-dwelling mare, and she plans to do everything within her control to make sure Chima is nourished and grows healthy again.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Lady_Ourania

The gentleness of her tone gave him a rhythm to walk to, his pace evening out slightly, though the threat of falling was still present in his trembling knees. He didn't register the water until it was swirling around his hooves, rinsing away the grime and revealing gilded plating once again. An ear swiveled toward her when she spoke directly, lying back thoughtfully before his head inched down, muscles carefully straining as he puckered his lips toward the current. The first icy hit made him flinch and sputter, frost threading along his unprotected ribs from his empty stomach. It was painful, but it wetted his dry mouth and eased the scratchy irritation in his throat. He waited until the sensation passed to drink again, careful to let his tongue warm the water before he swallowed it down, his tail wrapping around the mare's leg to keep from plunging headfirst into the river. It was becoming easier to shove his thoughts away, only room enough to consider his discomfort, the way Laurelin stood watch while he drank to fill the hole where something had ripped out an important piece of him.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

Her gentle features have suddenly become hawklike at his reactions to the water, watching carefully to make sure he doesn't accidentally inhale and choke himself. But they soften soon as his tail winds almost child-like around her leg, and she's relieved when he goes for a second swallow. Her tail carefully dips itself in the cool flow of water before lifting to gently brush itself over his flanks, trying to lessen the dirt and whatever else that clings to those once gleaming scales. Though beautiful now, the stallion will eventually be back to his former glory... That's the goal she harbors, and her eyes begin to flick over the nearby trees as though in search of fruits they might bear for eating.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Lady_Ourania

Though the water slowly made him more alert, it did little to improve his strength, and he was only marginally grateful that the surface flowed too quickly to allow him a view of his haggard features. A dripping brush of feeling along his flank startled him into pulling up, glancing back to the offending tail and then to the mare that wielded it. He shifted uncomfortably, but otherwise remained still, too wary of drowning to release his grip on her leg. When she turned to observe the nearby flora, he studied her profile, noting the tiny horn that peeked from her velveteen nose, the deep blue eyes that held a hint of fatigue. His attention trailed further down to note the strands of mussed hair and the mud that smeared her neck, her underbelly and brown legs caked in the same muck that his body was painted with. His gaze drifted after a heartbeat, lost and tired, trying to make out what she was seeking. The kirin's thoughts were darting insect-fast away from him, but for whatever reason, he sensed that she would stay beside him until he could catch them again.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

Her own thoughts have slipped away too, and her gaze lingers for far too long on the strong, silent trunks of the ever-watching trees to notice that the stallion has finished for now. Glancing at him, she looks faintly surprised to meet his eye, but a fond, faint smile pulls at her lips. "All done...? Let's find you something to eat..." And she gently noses at his cheek before starting to lean very lightly against his side, attempting to slowly turn the golden one so she can lead him onto dry, safe land once more. The grasses here are rich and plentiful, but her neck cranes as though searching. And then, the bright crimson of the fruit she still remembers he shared with her... Gently snagging the lithe limb in her teeth, a deft twist of her head releases the fruit. It will be held in front of the other's muzzle, patient, but firmly encouraging that he just take a bite...

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Lady_Ourania

Still attempting to locate the thing that caught her eye, the stallion was unprepared for her muzzle to draw back toward his, the dullness of his gaze cast immediately elsewhere. Her light shoving led him to follow in the direction she'd chosen, footing somewhat uncertain on the river pebbles, and he had to stop for a moment to reaffirm it before he agreed to move again, his steps following a confused beat. He did not know how long they walked for, but she eventually halted their company of two to lift her delicate features upward, above where he could see without craning his head back. Once she returned, there was a new color to her, something red on her mouth that made him recoil. But it was only an apple held between her teeth, nothing fatal. Mumbling quietly, he took it with his own jaws and worked to crunch down, the flesh resisting his weak attempts. Pale juice dribbled down his chin and matted his beard before he finally dropped it in defeat, the lumpy sphere rolling in the dirt. He grimly worked the sliver of skin he'd managed to sheer off, feeling the dry texture of it sticking to his gums, refusing to be coaxed back toward his throat.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

It makes her very heart itself squeeze painfully to see him unable to even bite into the firm skin of the fruit, her stomach dropping along with it even as it falls to roll in the dirt. Suppressing a sigh that might lead to stronger, unneeded emotion at the moment, she only murmurs an apologize for her thoughtfulness. He's not strong enough yet, but soon, in time... ".....Would grass be easier for you, Chimalsi...? Or would you like to rest again?"

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Lady_Ourania

Her request for forgiveness banged around in his skull, unnecessary and, if he had been more conscious of his feelings, embarrassing. It was no fault of hers that he could not pierce the skin of a fruit as he had done countless times before with a bare show of effort. He didn't completely understand it himself, only the stuffed feeling in his ears and his throbbing head making it clear that he should not try again right away. Her question was met by him carefully folding down on his legs, not entirely trusting them either after his mouth's mutiny. He made it without incident, the grass taunting him by tickling his snout as he stretched his neck and laid his head down, tail finally releasing its hold and effectively giving her permission to forage for food without him.

 

[Lady_Ourania]

Tsunake

Oh, how uneasy this all makes her... She watches with open hesitance as her love lowers himself down, his actions seemingly pained to her eyes, but he utters not a sound and seems to relax once he no longer has to move. Something feels... off, and she realizes that his tail has released her at last. Still, she doesn't dare wander, and carefully lowers her head to gently retrieve the apple he dropped, imagining again that a single bite is missing, and the rest has been turned over to her in an act of simple courtesy. A sigh, but she won't disturb him, working on trying to fill her own stomach while she feels she's able.