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 Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:56 pm
It was over.
Malodore didn't really know what to do, only that its claws twined through Riley's warm fingers were the rightest, most correct thing in the world; the most scientifically proper equation ever devised. It was tired, it was lost. It was empty, it was filled.
The dormitories loomed, looking inviting and bizarrely normal. Nothing had happened here; the war hadn't touched the place. Not physically. Not openly. But everything had changed, and some things had ended.
The plague doctor sighed, then turned, its beak opening in a small smile before it spoke. "Are you ready to go home, mia cara? Our proper home?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:20 pm
That word had gone through so many stages of meaning in the past few months. For most of her life, home meant only one thing - and now, it meant anything but that. Then the voices had given her a new meaning, and now..
She looked down at the claws curled up in her hand, and then up at the dorms. Her head quirked to regard the building, before shaking her head.
I am home. She squeezed Malodore's hand softly. Home was now defined, not as a place, but as a state of being; as long as she had Malodore beside her, even the fog was home. But what I am ready for.. is a shower, a soft bed, and several fresh brains. She wouldn't mind some Luce and Ombra cuddles too, but that thought stayed very, very quiet in her own mind.
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:27 pm
"A shower... the ones in the undead dormitories will likely be less occupied," it said, making a face. They weren't quite as opulent as the ones in the demon dorms, but if it knew demons every single one of them was going to make a run for the showers. And the undead tended not to be so fastidious about such things... Malodore itself excepted, of course. "If you do not mind." It brushed her memory with the one time they'd enjoyed the showers there before, so long ago that it bore backblades along its spine rather than wings.
They'd left the puppies there, anyway.
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:01 pm
That was a memory she hadn't been given before. It was obvious why, there was no reason for it until now, but it was always interesting to see a tiny piece of her life unfolded before her through someone else's eyes. Those will be fine. I don't care where it is, as long as there's water, and a towel, it is enough.
She stalled behind the plague doctor, letting it lead, as her fingers brushed curiously across the metal reaching up out of it's back. She traced the tips, and followed the curve of the wings with her eyes until they disappeared under the cloth.
Does that mean you'll be joining me, as you did then? Her voice sounded curious, as if she looked forward to the idea of getting to know the plague doctor's anatomy better.
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:07 pm
"Ah - I suppose so," it said, surprised and faintly embarrassed, though not hugely so. "I would like to get properly clean. That place... it was not particularly dirty, but I feel all damp and... and grey all over. Not literally, of course," it added quickly. "But I want to be well quit of any touch of that fog, including the dampness in my bandages. And then bed, I think. I should get a larger one."
It sounded thoughtful.
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:15 pm
It's the flour. Riley touched the skin of her arm with her free hand, and then rubbed her two fingers together. That's what I still feel. It's gotten sticky with sweat, and it absolutely disgusts me. Powdered food product was never meant to be left on the skin for too long. I itch everywhere.
She wasn't mad with Calder, anymore. His idea had been sound, at the time. It was useless, but they had no way of knowing that. Still, it left a decisive residue that she could live without.
What's wrong with your bed? The mention of it perked her curiosity. Were you thinking of adding a new bedmate that I don't know about?
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:15 pm
"Ah - I had forgotten about the flour, quite frankly." The plague doctor blinked and brushed at its coat; sure enough, a fine mist of flour rose out of the fabric. "We had best be careful. It tends to turn to a paste-like substance when combined with water alone."
At the mention of a new bedmate, it - well, it couldn't really make a face, but it tilted its head so far to one side that one hand went up to hold its hat in place. "Not at all. Yours is bigger than mine, though. I had not thought to have anyone other than myself in my bed when I came her... other than Parassiti, perhaps. And it was not designed for great comfort, since I had not anticipated spending much time within it. Is it not uncomfortable for you?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:31 pm
Riley visibly paused as the question hit her with surprise. Uncomfortable? To sleep curled up in your arms? Hardly. I don't think I want you to get a bigger bed, if the end product of that purchase is more room to spread out. I'm rather fond of sleeping as close to you as possible. She couldn't remember much of a time when she didn't sleep curled up with Malodore, except for the days when she was young. And those days were long past, and pushed away with no regret.
She wasn't worried about the flour turning to paste, on her skin. It would still slide off of her, paste or no - but Malodore's bandages would be an interesting dilemma for it to solve. She looked forward to watching it find a solution.
Arriving at the entrance to Malodore's room, Riley made a gesture with her fingers. Can we pick up some towels?
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:44 pm
Malodore chuckled. "No, the mattress," it said, amused. "Though you are most tolerant of my bones and blades, mia cara. I used to fear that some day I would wake up and find you all covered in cuts from some badly-timed wing spasm... though perhaps I should be the one worrying, hm?" It reached out and flicked a crystal of her own wings.
It put its other hand on the doorknob, just as something hit the door from the inside. A hail of barking ensued.
"Ah."
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:04 pm
Riley nodded in understanding. Did you know, She murmured in a clinical manner. The success and pride of an Illithid mating ritual is usually gauged by how much damage one has done to the other in the process. It's good luck to cripple your partner during lovemaking. She nodded, sharing what she felt was an interesting tidbit of social knowledge, before all of her attention focused on the barking.
She bent down in front of the door, and her expression lifted. She scratched the door with one claw to try and get her little Ombra's attention. She could feel his vibrant and overly enthusiastic mind through the doorway. It exhausted her already.
Go ahead, open it. I've missed them.
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:13 am
"I, ah... that is interesting," it stammered, taken aback by that bit of information, offered so casually. "I do not suppose there is equal good fortune, or even politeness, in healing the wounds afterwards?"
Then again, she hadn't hurt it when they had engaged in intercourse previously. Perhaps she was only trying to help it feel better about its pointyness- well. It opened the door as requested, partially because the noise on the other side was getting rather unbearable, and partially because the pups would provide a very effective distraction from its current line of thinking.
The second the door opened, there was a flurry of white fur pressed against the opening; the one of them phased into mist and slipped out, almost smugly. "Ah, Luce, tresorina," Malodore cooed, immediately dropping into a crouch as the mist flowed to it and reformed into the cwn annwin under its outstretched claws. "What a clever creature you are."
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:03 pm
Riley didn't even feel the need to respond. She just looked back up at her plague doctor, her eyes crinkled in amusement. The answer was clearly a very amused no.
Her attention turned back down to the door as it opened, and she held out her hands, only to feel the soft whoosh of mist phasing right past her and reforming at the hands of Malodore. She crunched up her face, before turning back to find her cwn-
Ombra. Ombra stop that at once, stop that. Ombra! Her tiny pup had seen Luce's display, and assumed it could do the same. So it tried.. and failed, from what it looked by the fact her dog was wiggling headlessly in dismay. It didn't even seem able to reform it's head, for a good few seconds. Ombra was not the clever creature Luce was, by a longshot.
When the pup finally became whole, Riley picked it up in one hand, and curled it under her arm. She stood, and Ombra wiggled himself into her body until he found a warm, comfortable nook, and panted in happiness.
Inept, useless little thing. She all but coo'd with affection. The pup had her wrapped around his tiny little paws.
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:30 pm
Malodore chuckled at Ombra's antics, giving Riley an amused look. "We are well claimed, aren't we? I need to take Shehk up on her promise to-"
And then it paused, freezing in place entirely; Luce looked up and shoved her head under the plague doctor's still outstretched but unmoving hand. "Shehk," it said, after a moment. "She... what happened to her?" Its mood plummeted.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:52 pm
Riley flickered her gaze up to Malodore curiously, before straightening up and considering the question. If I were to be completely honest, she looked consumed. But no one seemed terribly upset at what happened to those students.. it gives me some sort of.. She paused, unable to find the perfect word for how she felt. Numbness? Perhaps? Death is not often permanent here. But I cannot be certain. It's something you should ask Red. I'm sure she has an answer. I'm curious to know what happened to her, myself.
She let Ombra go, and then walked inside. Certainly, the entire day had been rather troublesome. But they had seen so much worse, that somehow.. she couldn't force herself to feel entirely troubled.
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 1:59 pm
It nodded silently, then stood up. The thought of Shehk - well, it hadn't talked to her much lately, with all of its studies and its apprenticeship with Nurse Cricket and Riley being back, and... somehow months had passed. "Jericho wasn't there, either," it said, at last, following her in and closing the door behind it. "I know Red's loss hurt Shehk deeply, but..."
Malodore shook its head. It wasn't at all sure how to finish that sentence, or how to give voice to the worries now rising within it. "I feel more confused than anything else, to be honest," it admitted, after a moment.
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