[PRP] Patched Up (Calder & Barth)

[MoonKitsune]

Calder had never once had Barth over, and now that he was bringing the demon to his place, he was slightly worried. While Christof had been over, the Igor's dorm was in no better, if not worse, condition than his own, which was saying something considering how little Calder had. With Malodore, the undead had lived in a swamp and Calder felt could appreciate the atmosphere to some extent. No one else had come over aside from that irksome ghost ghoul that he still wanted to destroy or Raz, who he also wanted to trample into the ground.

Barth had, due to not really moving to places aside from what was necessary, had come over. Seeing as the demon dorms were farther off than the monster dorms, Calder had decided to take the sloth demon straight from the arena to his place. While guilt at beating up his friend bubbled like a witch's caldron in his stomach, he wondered what the demon would think. It wasn't exactly the type of modern, luxurious setting the demon resided around back at his dorm.

Heading down to the basement, Calder adjusted his hold of the demon his back, traveling via piggyback, and took out his keys before opening the heavy, water-worn wooden doors. Calder's dorm was far from Barth's in decor. The floorboards ran from the entrance for a few feet before being covered in moss that enveloped the rest of the room in a thick carpet. The air was moist and warm, and to help it along, a corner of the room had an actual pond deep enough to sit in. A few plants grew high in the corners, snaking out the one window high above. There were a few shelves, provided by the school, filled with books and various tins and jars. Hanging baskets hung from the wall, hand-crafted, and carrying random things like jars and one even holding scarfs. Two heavy chests sat against the wall along with a few other bassets of the same nature hanging above. Aside from this was a large, clawed porcelain tub full of water. A few leeches moving in and out and now collecting near the rim to watch the stranger Calder was bringing in. A herpicon was resting and looked up with a unimpressed expression before lowering it's head again.

Calder kicked the door shut before looking around. He only had 2 chairs here that he "borrowed" from the monster dorm closet. Guessing that was better than anyplace, he set Barth down into one. It was by no way comfortable. "I'll go look for some bandages." He pointed out, and headed off to look through some baskets to see where he put his tin of Hello Unicorn bandages.  

[Toshihiko Two]

Barth felt weak, yes. Very weak. A little scraped up. But mostly undamaged. He didn't feel as physically upset as he might with a Bet unfulfilled, because it was really all in the wording. Calder had said he'd carry him if he won- but not that he wouldn't if he didn't. He was still bound to his bit. Even if they hadn't shook on it, bets were very serious things.

And because Calder hadn't claimed it from him, there was another set of business.

He was a little dizzy to take in the decor, although he registered the soft ground and a hard, oversized chair.

"Where are we?" Barth asked.  

[MoonKitsune]

"Back at the Monster Dorms. I wanted to set you down first before taking you to your room. My place was closer." He didn't know if he should have just taken Barth to his room. What with the plush couch and bed, it probably was a better place to rest and recover. Not here.

Calder moved over, noticing how the boy seemed to be barely able to sit up. Maybe sitting him down wasn't a good idea, and the chair made him look really skinny.

Looking about, Calder went over to the pile of blankets he kept in a chest, opening to pull a few out. They were hand knit and thick, and the monster went over and laid one on the moss-covered ground before setting one into a bundle as a pillow as he didn't own any cushions. Turning, he went over and leaned down. "I'm just...gonna move you a sec. You don't look like you should be sitting up." He slipped his arm under the boil's legs and one behind his back and lifted him up, gaining his balance and footing, before turning and setting him down on the ground.

Sitting down beside him, Calder started to open the tin of bandages before remember he should probably put something to kill the little scraps. Turning, he crawled over to a nearby basket and started to riffle through some preserve jars. "Do you feel any better? Do you need something to drink?"  

[Toshihiko Two]

"You've gotten stronger since the island," Barth commented faintly. Christof and Calder could both pick him up now. He was extremely sure he couldn't return the favor. But anything that meant less walking...

Laying down. Definitely where Barth wanted to be. The blankets and moss were much more comfortable than the chair had been. Barth thought vaguely about the thorns, but felt spent. It was like reaching for a cup of water and finding it dry.

"Anything," he said. "Still a bit woozy. Not your fault. Don't think I was...entirely into it today."
 

[MoonKitsune]

"You should have told me if you weren't at your best." It certainly didn't make a fair fight at all. Standing up, he went to go grab a water tin and a jar he kept fresh water in for drinking. Walking back, he poured some water into a clay cup and passed it off to the demon before taking a bit of water to pour into the basin and then dab a cloth in.

"I appreciate you helping me, but don't force yourself to do things you're not up to just because we're friend." Just friends.

Taking a strange, spiky plant, Calder bite into it just a bit before starting to peel the sharp peel and expose a plump seed inside the color of a fresh liver. "No point in getting stronger if we all get hurt before we leave for this field trip."  

[Toshihiko Two]

"I thought I'd be up to it," Barth said, defensively, looking at the cup and wishing desperately for a straw. "Just haven't...sparred before. All the fighting I've done is on the do or die side. Not to say you didn't trounce me."

Barth decided to give up on the cup and settled more deeply into the blankets, resting with one arm over his eyes.

Usually his Fear was more on target. What was the matter with him. He'd played defensively, which was alright, but it seemed like nothing had hit Calder. It wasn't because of Calder's extraordinary dodging abilities, either. Calder had been right there on the floor, an easy target, and he'd...faltered. Absolutely faltered. He knew the problem, of course, but...

"Ugh, the field trip," Barth said. Why had he signed up for that too, on top of everything else?  

[MoonKitsune]

"Yeah...the field trip. We might have more of those 'do or die' fighting then. We....had plenty of it back on the island." He shuddered like most when that word was spoken. He still remembered the fog, the screaming, the being hacked up alive and then turning into just a consciousness. It all terrified him and he didn't want for it to happen again. And yet, he had signed up for the next one.

"I guess what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger - though I don't know what it means if you're killed and then brought back." He hadn't exactly lived through that island adventure all the way. He guessed that if it didn't make him stronger, it just made you a failure. Still, if he lived, that was just another thing to help him become stronger and prepare himself for that fight much later.

Fruit finally peeled, Calder took the seed and squeezed it the water before dipping the cloth in. Once wet, he twisted it free of excess water and then started to dab at the boil's chin. A fragrant smelled of some overripe fruit wafted off the cloth. "....We didn't do too well during the last trip. We should really stick together this time." He didn't want a repeat again.  

[Toshihiko Two]

"You should be more careful of ceilings," Barth said. Then, quietly, "It wasn't about sticking together, it wasssss-" he hissed with the application of the cloth, but didn't complain.

"a series of bad administrative decisions. We ssshouldn't have been on that island in the first place."

There was nothing for it now. And everyone had been brought back, as far as he knew. Getting out of there was the first sensible move of the entire trip. As far as sticking together went.

Barth closed his fist.

"...H-here. Give me your hand for a moment."  

[MoonKitsune]

Calder flustered at the request. "My....hand?" He asked, as if he hadn't heard despite his great hearing. Looking around, he flustered with the cloth a moment, twisting it in his hands and tried not to blush. Then, very slowly and with a held breath, he offered his hand to Barth.

This was it. This was it!
 

[Toshihiko Two]

Barth put his hand in Calder's. It was dangerous to give one's hand so easily to a demon, but there was no crack of electricity or smoke. The motion was slow.

Barth withdrew his hand and left behind a small, dark, pin with a fat-looking sloth emblem.

He gave Calder a small smile.

"You'll be able to practice on stronger opponents than me, next time."  

[MoonKitsune]

Calder waited and watched as his hand was taken. Just then, he looked at the boil and waited for some deep confession or the gentle lean he was supposed to return until just a breath away, their lips would...

..and then he felt something in his hand and Barth let go.

Looking down with confusion, he turned his hand about to see a strange object. It took him a while longer than normal to get his mind out of pumpkin patches to exactly what he was given and he perked a little. It was still disappointing, but it great in another way. "Your pin?"

He held it, looking at it closer before looking back at the demon. A smile returned to his face and he leaned over, draping one arm around the boil to give him a hug. "Thank you. I wasn't expecting that at all..Uh!" He jerked back. "...not that was I was expecting anything specific. Just not this. I mean I'm just surprised that's all. Not that you hate me or anything but I didn't think you'd just give me your pin now all of a sudden and.." He needed to shut up!

Calder pressed the cloth back on Barth's chin.  

[Toshihiko Two]

The hug made him more dizzy, even if he had spent the entire walk over clinging to Calder's back...he tried not to pursue that line of thought.

Barth hissed again, because the washcloth stung and Calder moved quickly.

"You're the first to have it," Barth said. "Err, currently the only one..."

They were the cartoonish, non-demonic version of sigils. Still, they were a small portion of his fear, which was worn out and focused on keeping him together.  

[MoonKitsune]

Calder smiled at the pin, feeling even more special. First being trusted with Barth's worry about the thorns, and now a physical sign of trust. He started to clip it to his lapel among the one with Malodore and Christof, and gently pressed it down. Of all the things he owned, he kept his pins in a small box where he placed them each night. Among all his jewelry and hair ties, he liked these pins the best of all.

"The only one?" He said, looking up. "...you mean Christof...?" He was rather surprised the Igor hadn't had the pin first. They patchwork more or less claimed Barth and did everything he could for him, and made it a point to be loyal and devoted to him. Calder had often been jealous of their close friendship and that strong bond built around a mutual love of inventing.

Still, he wouldn't say he wasn't giddy at being the first and only. At least for now.  

[Toshihiko Two]

Barth made a shallow shrug. "If he asked...or if I asked...I'm sure, err..."

He had just not placed very much importance in the pins. They weren't much in the long-run, just sort of...training symbols, although he knew they meant more to some people than others.

This defeat happened in a way Barth could respect as a demon...not purely on a physical beat-em-up front (although there was no denying that he had been beaten), this was a victory on a psychological front. It was underhanded, and dirty, and maybe not entirely intentional, but there was no arguing with success.
 

[MoonKitsune]

Calder had noticed that, when he had sneaked in and given Barth his pin, that there had been none. He didn't know exactly why the boil wouldn't have attempted or tried before. "Why haven't you asked? You two have been friends for a long time. You two make great inventions together. I thought you two would have swapped pins first." He still liked his pin though, and he touched it again just to confirm it was still there.