Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Oct 27, 2015 15:22:20 GMT -6
Eventually, Jude had forced himself to stand. Walking hurt, moving hurt, hell, at this point, even breathing hurt Jude. He knew his injuries were pretty serious and warranted some serious rest, and fortunately, it was only just now evening, so he had the rest of the night and all day the following day to catch up on his sleep and patch up his wounds. The previous scuffle in the tavern had been no easier on him than the previous injuries he had sustained, and he hoped that sleep and a little medicine and some bandages would do the trick.
As the duo walked slowly down the road as things started to settle down, Jude could see an inn right on the corner. He glanced over to Mel, who had been helping him along his way. For a split second, he had gratitude towards her, realizing in a moment that she had very much kept him alive, and that without her help, he very likely wouldn't be standing. He sighed heavily, pushing the vulnerable thoughts out of his head. He was tough cookie; it would take a lot to bring him down. He knew that. Maybe she was just lucky.
Maybe he was just lucky.
When they finally reached the door to the inn, Jude wasted no time stepping inside. With more manner and grace than he'd been able to muster up to this point, he approached the counter and rested his arm across it. Before he could speak to rent a room, the keep spoke to him solemnly and loudly: "You look like straight hell."
He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. The man wasn't wrong, though. Jude surveyed himself a moment before nodding, sighing, and pulling money from a pouch on his waist. Normally his waistcoat hid it, but without it, his little belt purse was naked and exposed. It probably wasn't wise to carry money like that, but Jude rarely had any, so it didn't matter much to him. Taking out enough coin to pay for one room, since he didn't have much more, Jude nodded awkwardly, trying to maintain face in front of this man who had already said enough to drive him over the edge.
Surprisingly, the man laughed. "Go take care of yourself, son. There's a bath at the end of the hall. Yours is the second room on the right."
Hesitating a moment, unsure of what to say or how to say it, Jude nodded quickly, and turned away, dragging Mel with him without a word. His body was about to give in. Climbing the stairs with slow but diligent effort, Jude eventually found the room, slid in the key, and stepped inside. Without looking at Mel, he immediately threw his body on the floor and sprawled. He sighed heavily, as if it were the most comfortable place in the world.
"I'll take the floor, you can have the bed."
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Oct 27, 2015 16:45:37 GMT -6
"..." Mel pursed her lips and stared at Jude lying sprawled out majestically on the floor, blood seeping through the leg of his pants. He was certainly trying hard to save face, she would offer him that. However she wasn't patient enough for him to admit he needed some assistance. If they were to ever be back in working condition she'd have to get right to work.
"Pants. Off."
Mel gave a sharp wave with a finger to emphasize her command. Hopefully he was tired enough that he would neglect making any sort of lewd comment, but she certainly wouldn't put it past him to use the last of his strength to prove her wrong. She let loose a short sigh and crouched down, setting her pack down on the floor and pulling out the supplies she likely would require. Needle and thread for stitching, fresh bandages for wrapping, salve to keep it from getting infected, and a pouch filled with juniper berries picked earlier that day. It was't what she liked to use, but recovery had sliced down their funds severely. It worked well enough for now.
She kicked one of the bandage rolls across the floor in his direction. "Wrap it up tight for a bit, I can't do much until it stops bleeding." The gash likely wasn't as bad as it had been at first, however it would be hard to get a good look until the bleeding slowed. Putting on anything wouldn't really help either, they just had to wait it out. "In the mean time, I'll go get us a meal. You'd better eat something before you pass on out to sleep. Or at least have a little more to drink."
As always when it came to tending to injuries Mel was calm and collected, the flow of blood hardly unnerving her. Most of all she was sure of her decisions, having the utmost confidence in her observations and methods of treatment. No matter the situation she always drew some plant out of the ground or her pack to assist. She was far better at treating injuries than dishing them out, that was for sure.
With a snap of her fingers and a few aerial jabs of her fingers to the bandage roll she had sent him, Mel slipped out the door. Her muffled footsteps slowly faded off out of Jude's ears, and she descended the steps to the common room. The innkeeper was leaned forward over a chair, in a heated discussion with one of the patrons over some sort of political matter she dulled her ears to. She didn't have the patience to wait for him to notice her and simply strolled on up, tapping him rudely in the side to fetch his attention.
He coughed and spun about to see just who had disturbed his conversation, looking left and right before finally peering down at the silver haired girl. "You, you were with the lad that looked like he took on a bull. He alright?"
She shrugged her shoulders, eyes flickering about the near empty room before responding. "We'd like a meal sent on up, and pot of tea." Her words were curt and her tone flat, the man looking rather taken aback at being addressed so crudely. But Mel turned and trudged right back on up the stairs, barely giving him a moment to reply with anything more than a confirmation.
Mel burst back through the door and dropped down next to where she had set down her pack, a hand running through her hair to keep it out of her face as she rifled through and withdrew a large bundle wrapped in waxcloth. With little finesse she tore off the wrappings and set a rather worn mortar and pestle down on the floor in front of her. Gods she was tense and hadn't the faintest idea why. It had to be fatigue, it was the only explanation that she could come up with other than... well... Jude had been quite reckless, and she couldn't deny that she was downright sour over it.
"Give it a little bit more and I'll take a look at it."
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Oct 27, 2015 17:58:41 GMT -6
Finally at ease, Jude sighed happily. "Ahhh... Finally, after all this godsdamned nonsense I can--" He stopped, furrowing his brow. Had he heard that right? Without moving the rest of his body, Jude lifted his head off the floor to glare questioningly at Mel. Had she really...
"W-WHAT?!" His cheeks went red, and as if he'd never been injured, he sprung to his feet, but was immediately taken back down as his torso, leg, and arms reminded him that he was currently in no state to protest with as much expression as the situation would normally warrant. "Hell no! You're a... Girl! Get the hell out of here and I'll do this myself, a--" She then tossed over the roll of bandages. Unsure of what to do or say, Jude grunted, muttered something under his breath, and rolled over on his side. He really could just lie here the rest of the night and be perfectly happy. "I... well, we don't have anything to drink." He said curtly, rolled away from her entirely.
When she left, Jude's eyes softened considerably. He rolled back over and looked at the bandage roll. He'd done this plenty of times. He needed a tourniquet and then general wrapping of the wound... Right? As long as it wasn't infected? The boy's brow furrowed again, and suddenly he was unsure he had any idea what he was doing. Biting his lip, Jude considered doing nothing and waiting for Mel to get back to help him.
But he would be damned if he didn't figure this out himself. How hard could it be?
Fearing the worst, Jude quickly disrobed almost entirely, leaving on his tight-fitting undergarments. His chest was dirty, despite a large part of it being covered, and his legs were in awful shape. He looked like he'd been through a natural disaster, and in some ways, he had. Without taking any more time to question the state of his body, he sat down and took to tying a ring of bandage around his upper thigh in an effort to feel less pain and, if Mel was going to stitch it, feel less of that, too. Suddenly he grew nervous and sweaty, realizing that this little operation might be more than he bargained for. Again and again, he found himself in these shoes. Jude wasn't sure how many stitches he'd had before, how much bandage patchwork he'd undergone, but... the number had to be high... As he tied the wrap around himself, he wondered how much longer he could stay alive like this.
"ACK!"
She did it. She'd come back, as in his worst nightmare, while he was still ninety percent naked. Trying to figure out what to do, the pink-haired boy grew pink himself as he leapt back, but with his leg starting to bleed again, he soon fell to the floor, seemingly unaffected by the pain from his injury. "H-HEY! Warn me first, damn it! Get out!" He paid no mind to the blood on the floor, or all the blood on his hands.
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Oct 27, 2015 19:30:58 GMT -6
Mel had barely cast a glance to Jude when she had reentered the room, far too locked up in vague thoughts. His shrill yelp of surprise a few moments later as she had unwrapped her tools broke her out of the near stupor. She threw her head back and stared at him like he had grown another head, obviously confused by his sudden push for modesty. Not that she had seen him near naked before, but she'd seen Shugo loads of times. It wasn't any different , right?
Her eyes slowly strayed down from his brightly flushed face, following along his chest ever lower to... Ah. That. It wasn't like she hadn't seen it all before. Hiro certainly didn't mind showing himself off. For some reason though Jude's shame and embarrassment transferred over, and she felt her cheeks heating the longer she stared. "Ah." She picked up a handful of berries and placed them in the shallow stone bowl, forcing herself to shove the awkward and uncomfortable feelings from her mind and focus on work.
"What? D-did you think that you'd be wearing pants when I stitched it up again?" She smashed the berries venomously, brow furrowed as she grumbled. There he went getting injured again for little reason, and she was sure that it was the reason for her sour mood now. Mel wasn't quite sure why or how she cared about his well being, but she assumed it had to do with him working against every bit of healing she preformed. Damn him, he likely worsened it by toppling over like that.
"Stop being a child" she finally hissed after a few minutes with only the sounds of her violent mashing to accompany them. "I'll look at it now, it's been long enough." It still took her a few moments to move, Mel composing herself slightly before turning to face him. "The more you throw a fit the longer you'll be naked, so for both our sakes just shut it and let's get it over with." She gripped needle and thread and rose to her feet, kicking the mortar along the floor as she approached him. "My brother whines less."
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Oct 27, 2015 21:04:14 GMT -6
Once the growing tension hit critical mass, Jude was surprised he didn't explode entirely. Instead, he was surprised by the fact that nothing was happening. He wasn't dying, Mel wasn't killing him, his almost-nakedness wasn't destroying the fiber of his very existence. He felt less the need to cover himself, and as she spoke, he just became upset that she was being so terse with him. Wasn't this a big deal?!
Maybe not. Jude put his hands on his hips, seemingly unconcerned with his near nakedness now. "Uh, yeah. Pretty much. Why the hell can't I just... roll my pant legs up or something? Gods." His voice was flat and curt, indicating his usual angry, disinterested drone. He looked at Mel, who seemed for once in her life, flustered. The reaction was two fold, and as he studied her, he had to look away. Nothing about this encounter wasn't awkward, he told himself. He didn't even want to sit down, but Jude figured if he didn't, he'd probably be in for some infection, or worse. He definitely couldn't afford to lose any limbs. This was much worse than going to see a doctor though. Much worse.
"Again?" The red eyed boy chided, sitting next to Mel as he did. He outstretched his leg for her, ready to accept whatever punishment or torture he was due. Medical procedures like these happened so often, Jude would've expected to be used to it by now, and yet, since he could never look away from what was being done to him, he never got used to it. It was always, always shitty. He furrowed his brow again, looking at the wound on his leg as he spoke. "Maybe if you'd stop following me around everywhere, you could stay out of trouble." He wasn't quite sure who he was trying to convince. For a short second, Jude wondered if there was a way to keep either of them out of trouble, or if this was some stupid fate or destiny or garbage like that. His eyes flashed to hers, but only shortly.
As she prepared, he thought about the wound. His mind whirled with thoughts of the abandoned village, the graveyard, the men they'd encountered on their way out, and the keep in which he'd been confronted by one of the scariest men he had ever seen. He thought about being pulled from the window as the blade made contact with his leg, and how he felt, if only for a moment, that he would die in that place, with Mel at his back, grabbing his wrist as usual. His eyelids fell low and he looked over his injury, and he felt... Something heavy pining away at him, as if there were something he needed to come to terms with, but in his stubbornness, he refused to allow any invasive feelings to grip him. He simply sighed, bit his lip, and awaited what was to come.
He scoffed, though, as she chided him again. "I ain't your brother." The pink-haired boy said matter-of-factly. He spit off to the side, clearing his mouth of the old saliva that had been there since he'd gotten thrown. His mouth hurt.
"And I ain't your toy. Listen, I can take care of myself, Mel." He looked away from her.
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Oct 27, 2015 22:17:20 GMT -6
Mel threaded up the needle and crouched down by Jude's outstretched leg, examining the injury before deciding that it indeed needed to be restitched. What had it been, a two weeks or so since he had obtained it? It had nearly been closed the last she had checked on it. The pink-haired male must have really gone at it to have torn it to such a degree. She would have been impressed if it hadn't been her own handiwork that he had ruined, and even if she didn't ever make mention of it she was pretty damn proud of it.
"I don't exactly follow you around. It's not my fault that you're so...so..." She bent over his leg and dipped the needle into his skin, smoothly pulling it through to complete one stitch and then another. Her hand was unnaturally steady as she worked with the needle, the girl working swiftly. "Hold still, just a little more..." she murmured softly whilst she leaned back to check her work. "Two more and I'm done."
With a few more swift motions the wound was closed to her standards and she stowed away the needle into her sleeve. Mel refused to meet his eyes while she finished tending to his wound. The paste was quickly slathered over the wound, and then the limb was wrapped tightly. As much as she didn't like thinking about it, Jude's words had a grain of truth in them. Just what was he to her? He wasn't a little brother, or a big brother for that matter. He certainly wasn't a toy and she had no idea where he would have gotten that impression. A friend perhaps? But she certainly wouldn't say such a thing out loud.
"No. You're not my brother. And you're not a...urg." She grumbled and rubbed at her forehead, a headache on the rise from fatigue. "Just get on the bed and go to sleep. If you sleep on the floor you'll complain the morning." He looked just as exhausted as she did, if not more from being used as a human projectile. "And I... If you can take such good care of yourself what just happened in the tavern? You were closer to becoming a corpse than ever being self sufficient. In the keep if yo-..."
She paused mid-sentence, a loud knock at the door interrupting the female for continuing with her defense against Jude's claim. Mel got to her feet and trudged to the door, nearly glaring at the poor soul who had simply brought up their dinner. Rudely she wrenched the tray from the poor maid and kicked the door closed behind her, face certainly bitter as she stomped over and set it down on the small table. The meal was rather simple, two bowls of some sort of soup, a thick slice of ham, a dark chunk of crumbling bread, and of course a large pot of tea as asked. Simple as it was, the food certainly was hearty enough that it would do some good for Jude. However Mel's newfound nerves had tossed out her appetite.
"Never mind" she finally forced out sotto voce, sliding down against the wall to a seat. "I wasn't the one to nearly get us killed, nor was involved in the slightest in your latest little stupidity. I don't know where you get off acting like I'm responsible for every little bit of stupidity you've encountered, and Jude there has been quite the list. But if you don't want my help you should stop accepting it. But... But..." Mel sucked in a deep breath, voice growing shriller as she ranted at him. She hadn't noticed just how annoyed she was until now and now it was all raining down upon Jude. "I don't know why I even care. It's not my concern if you go off and kill yourself, but when you do it certainly. Won't. Be. My. DAMNED FAULT!"
Mel slammed her heel into the floorboards for emphasis, glaring at Jude before dropping her face to hide against her knees. Damn him. Her cheeks were flushed heavily from her little outburst, chest heaving as she caught her breath. Damn him. Damn him to hell for everything. Most of all for her not feeling hatred or anger, but simply disappointment.
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Oct 28, 2015 10:23:21 GMT -6
This was it.
The needle was coming.
This would be his end.
"Ow." He said flatly, without even a sharp tone in his voice. His eyes stayed trained on his wound as he watched every stitch and ever thread go through his skin. It seemed it wasn't quite as bad as he thought it would be. "Ow, damn it." He said again, this time with a little more emphasis. He winced a little as Mel threaded effortlessly, watching as his skin became reconnected. His red eyes strayed a bit and looked towards Mel, diligently at work patching him up... again... and he wondered how many times he'd be able to do this and still fall within her graces. For all the terrible things she was, she was a pretty solid doctor. He'd never lost a penny to some faux medical practice, at least when he had her around. If only she could've been there when the Mountain tossed him around, Jude thought...
He snickered, a wry smile drawing itself across his face. "Oh yeah? Not so... What?-- OW!" As she finished, Jude felt the last stitch come through, and the medical paste felt cool, but did sting a little more than he'd expected. At least it wasn't infected, Jude thought. That might've been a little worse. He scratched the back of his head and looked away from her sheepishly. "Not so rough, damn."
As the bandage was being applied, Jude could see Mel tensing up a bit. Had he hit a nerve? At first, he was tempted to smile, but something else took over him instead. As her voice rose, he felt himself quiver a bit. "Hey, whatever, Mel! I was fine in the tavern, I mean would you have just let some... I don't know, some idiot girl get taken by slavers? No chance!" His voice was raised, but not angry this time. He tried to move his leg, but now, even though it was in better shape, it felt heavy. "I... the fort was different!!" He cried emphatically, his fiery eyes sparking with every word. "Besi--Oh." The door opened, and the food had arrived. As she went to retrieve it, Jude suddenly felt vulnerable and awkward. The attendee had brought them exactly what Jude wanted-- a good meal, some nice drink.. But she looked right afraid. They were probably being louder than they should have been, but Jude didn't care much. He'd paid for it, he could damn well do whatever he pleased. As the door was shut on her, his mind turned to his stomach, and his stomach longed for the food in front of him.
Mel didn't seem to touch hers, Jude noticed as he went straight for his without hesitation. He slurped the soup like a child who hadn't eaten in days, and with fervor he dug into it, as though it were the best meal he'd ever had, and would ever have. To be fair, Jude thought, it's been a while since the last time a meal like this was offered. He'd scrounged by on crackers and old bread for some time.
Suddenly, he stopped. At first he'd been ignoring Mel's words, but as she got heated, he found himself at a loss. A little soup still dripping out the corners of his slender lips, he watched her through curious red eyes as she spoke, becoming more upset with every word. In the moment, Jude wasn't sure how to feel, or what he should do or say. He was angry, but not visibly, and yet at the same time, he felt defenseless. Did she have a point, or was this more rambling on? Was her help being so freely offered because she cared, or because she had some ulterior motive? It was in Jude's best interest to assume she had an ulterior motive... But that hadn't shown itself yet. Why had she been traveling for so long with him, anyway? What had he done?
Jude's eyes fell to the floor. He tried to say something, but his voice wavered and cracked like a pubescent girl, and he shut himself up and withdrew into himself. "I..."
The words didn't come. His eyes felt too heavy to look up. He tried to be upset, but he found that he felt more like a kitten about to be devoured by a lion. Was she right? Had he been taking advantage of her this whole time? When he thought about it, he hadn't thanked her for, well... Much of anything. He looked at his hands, one gloved, one ungloved. Those hands had dealt damage, sure, but rarely had they been soft or kind, especially towards this poor girl who was also withdrawing into herself by the minute.
The words echoed and replayed over and over in his head in the long, drawn moments of complete and utter silence. Won't be my damned fault. Won't be my damned fault.
He might've started to cry, if not for the shock he felt across his entire beaten frame. When he finally looked at her, she was hunched over into her self, her head tucked down so he couldn't see her eyes. He didn't know if she was crying, but she was certainly upset.
"I, uh..."
Still nothing. It was as though he were trapped inside himself, looking for the words to say, but finding nothing. He gave a loud "hmph" and rolled over, lying his body on the hard ground without a pillow or blanket and closed his eyes. He faced away from her in an attempt to shut out all of these strange, foreign feelings he had both due to this circumstance and also about Mel herself. No, he wasn't her brother. He'd made that clear. Were they friends, though? Could Jude call himself her friend?
None of it mattered. These were thoughts too dangerous to explore. He wasn't about to suddenly decide to let someone in that close. Last time that had happened, he'd lost his pirate crew, and the time before, his sister and his mother. Not again. F*ck that, Jude thought, never again.
"Whatever, Mel." His words would have been curt and probably hurtful, but his tone was defeated, his voice still cracking a bit as though he were about to cry. But he didn't. "You take the damn bed."
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Oct 28, 2015 11:09:42 GMT -6
"You take the damn bed."
What had she said mere minutes before? He was getting on that bed, with his extensive injuries she didn't want to put up with his complaining in the morning. And it'd take him far longer to heal if he wasn't properly rested up. If he wanted to sulk off on the floor what was the point of stitching up anything? Damned useless...
Mel mashed her head into her knees, gathering herself back up after having more or less spewed out her irritation at the useless pirate He had no response to it and of course it didn't matter much anyways. She didn't want him to say anything, because what could he say? I'm sorry? "Thanks? I'll try harder? All of it made her feel like she cared far more than necessary, and she most certainly did not. Without a doubt she did not. She cared for Shugo somewhat, the rather pathetic figure that he had made for himself hardly helping with that. And Mel had allowed the child to freely gallivant around Elibe by himself. There certainly was some improvement she should consider on that front.
Jude dropped down onto the floor to sleep and she was going to have nothing of it. What better way was there to get rid of her deep rooted feelings of irritation that to take them out on the faux-pirate's hide? She reached out across the floor to one of the unused rolls of bandages and raised her head. Pinching one end she wrapped it a few times about one hand and then the other, giving enough slack in between to use it as passable hold for binding. Steely blues flickered over to where Jude lay on the ground, sizing up her target.
Keeping the weight on her feet constant to minimize any creaks of the floorboards, Mel raised herself to a standing position. Carefully with each step leading with her heel she crept over to where he lay, breath held out of habit. Jude was certainly more manageable while he slept. His face was more peaceful, no signs of the usual wrinkles in his brow from rage. He simply looked like a sleeping boy, lashes brushing his cheek as he breathed easily.
In one swift movement Mel wrapped the bandages about his wrists. Once. Twice. The silver haired girl pulling them taut against his skin as she looped the other end through the bars of the headboard. She perched on top of it, giving harsh tugs in an attempt to pull the pighead up onto the bed. "I said sleep on the bed, it wasn't a request." Watching him sputter in momentary confusion certainly made her feel a little bit better, like it was supposed to. "You're sleeping on it even if I have to stab you in the throat and drag your body onto it." Well that was a little harsh, homicidal, far out from what she had actually been aiming. But she certainly wasn't going to take it back!
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Oct 28, 2015 11:55:09 GMT -6
His pleasant dream was interrupted, and in a fraction of a second, Jude's eyes flashed open, igniting a fire simply by separating his eyelids. His red orbs raged inside his head, and his skin grew a deep red as he realized what was happening to him. In a grueling, vicious yell, he shouted out, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
When he realized what was happening, it was pretty much too late. His hands were bound, and he fought against it immediately. They felt just like bandages, but they'd been wrapped enough that they were still a bit thick to simply pull through. Additionally, with his weakened strength from all he'd been through recently, Jude was finding his strength failing him with each attempt to break free. He breathed in deeply, glared up at Mel who was above him, quickly tying him off to the bed in an effort to keep him there, and rolled away from the bed, pulling the line taut in an effort to snap himself free. It probably looked ridiculous, a still mostly-naked pink-haired boy trying to escape the prison that was being created in an effort to bind him to a bed he didn't want to sleep in.
Jude gave it one last pull as Mel talked, haughty in her determination to make him stay in the bed. He simply would have none of it. It was her bed, he'd done her enough wrong, and while he certainly wasn't going to address his mistakes, he knew the least he could do was force her to sleep in a more comfortable place. He'd spent half his life sleeping on hard wood. This wouldn't be a problem, and he was damn sure he'd make Mel take the bed before the night was over.
The line snapped. Broken from the bed, Jude was free, save for his hands still being bound together. He somersaulted forward and spun around on his heels, crouching low to the ground as he rested his bound wrists between his bent knees. His eyes were fierce, as though he were a wild cat of prey, ready to strike his target. And strike he did. With a largely unnecessary yell, he leaped forward, sending his entire frame off the ground and onto the bed. He planted himself firmly on the bed, over top of Mel, shaking and rocking the entire frame against the wall with a loud thud and the creaking of old metallic frame. He immediately threw a leg over her, pinning her to the bed. He brought his fists together, intertwining his fingers in the bandage, and threw his hands down over her head, trapping her on the bed under him.
"Got you, damn it. What the HELL are you doing?!" He leaned in down low, the sweat nearly dripping from his forehead onto her face. His eyes were narrow and angry, and he was strangely unconcerned with the closeness of their bodies. "This is your bed. You couldn't stab me if you tried, half-pint."
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Oct 28, 2015 15:28:11 GMT -6
It was satisfying to watch Jude struggle and screech like a babe while she tugged on her makeshift rope to get him up onto his bed. The pirate who boasted at his fishing prowess was reduced to a floundering fish out of water. It as almost therapeutic in the face of all the stupidity she had to put up with because of Jude.
The line she had been using to hold him snapped. Without the counterweight to keep her balanced she wobbled on her thin perch, toppling off the headboard. She hit the mattress with a soft grunt, her catch while still bound dancing away from her control. She wasn't particularly irked by his escape, for some reason she couldn't seem to condense any tangible thoughts at all. Where had her prior rush of energy come from? Now all she felt was lethargic, too bogged down to even bother trying to evade Jude's wild leap.
She couldn't help but feel like she had been in such a position before, with Jude's face pressed so close to her own that the tips of their noses nearly touched. All traces of his modesty were long gone, and she found it to be her duty to remind him. He was enraged, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed with searing displeasure at her attempt to bed him. "You aren't...wearing...pants." She enunciated the last word with lasting puff of air into his face, lips curled back into a grin.
Mel slammed her head up into Jude's with a firm thunk and not much prior thought. A sharp pain burst from the point of contact, but she wriggled her way out from under Jude's weight. She was tired, ached, and the fatigue that temporarily had escaped was slowly beginning to drown her. "Just stay on the damn bed" she hissed, eyes watering a little from the sharp throb in her forehead. The girl grabbed the blanket and tugged it over Jude's form in a pitiful attempt to keep him pinned down to the bed, chest rising and falling in sleep as she lay prone on top of it.
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Oct 28, 2015 20:42:49 GMT -6
In the moment he could have bitten her head off, but as her grin widened and he could see the victory and mischief in Mel's eyes, Jude's eyes slowly grew wide and afraid. His cheeks immediately flushed and he stuttered a bit, and right as he realized he wasn't wearing pants and was about to throw himself off of the girl, she beat him to it. He had very little time to react as he felt Mel's head bash into his own. Normally, headbutts didn't hurt him much, but that was usually because he was the one dishing them out. It was much, much different to receive one. The moment slowed as Jude, embarrassed, and almost flailing, flew backwards onto the bed, losing his balance where his legs were wrapped over Mel. He ended up on the end of the bed, and in no time, Mel was over him with the blanket.
With futility, Jude fought off the blanket that was starting to cover him. The pain in his head, the growing headache, his flushed cheeks, his near-nakedness-- he wasn't sure what to be the most concerned about. And he was even less sure how he'd ended up here, where he was. There had to be something to it, Jude thought as he eventually resisted the arrest and let the blanket cover him, Mel falling atop it as he poked his head out. He studied the crown of her head with an angry scowl as, for once, he let his thoughts rush like a river through his mind. If there wasn't something here to be admired, he... wouldn't be here, right? If there wasn't some serious connection he had to this girl, they would've parted ways right after Bern. But now, after all this, after what they'd been through so far, here they were, in some bedroom in some inn on the border, a mission in mind, and many adventures at their back. So what was it, why couldn't Jude place what he was feeling?
It almost angered him, his inability to give the feeling a name. He turned his head to the side, allowing the weight of Mel's light body to rest on him. She seemed as done with the whole ordeal as he himself wanted to be. Sighing, he was thankful that the candle lighting the room was near the bed. Allowing himself to rest easily for once in the day with the light of the candle, he closed his eyes and let his mind be at ease until, after a while, he blew it out. It didn't take long, between the therapeutic blanket, bed, and body resting atop him, for Jude to fall into a deep, peaceful slumber.
---
When morning came, the sunlight breaking through the window was too much for Jude to bear. With sleep still in his dark red eyes, he lazily opened them halfway to see Mel atop him. His first reaction was to throw her off, but he let her rest, closed his eyes, groaned quietly, and tried to go back to sleep.
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Oct 29, 2015 23:02:10 GMT -6
Mel could feel the sunlight gently warming her cheek as she slowly drifted back into consciousness. Her head throbbed and she dared not to open her eyes in the chance that it would worsen. The headbutt wasn't to blame, she knew better than to toss off that sort of accusation. Almost certainly it had to do with a lack of drinking the day before, honestly she couldn't recall the last time she had quenched her thirst.
Carefully she scooted herself over the strangely human sized lump in her bed, taking pleasure in noting that she was not the one to lose the battle of the bed. The way she saw it all she wanted was Jude to sleep on it, and all he wanted to do was be a stubborn piece of irritation and not. Yet here he was, asleep beneath her. A thought idly slipped her by and she cracked an eye open to check just in case. It was indeed Jude, the useless man child dozing off into the pillows. She wouldn't put it past him to replace himself in the bed to feel like he had come out ahead of their little scuffle.
With her victory confirmed Mel fumbled blindly in the general direction of where she had set the tray down the prior night. It was the bedside table yes? She didn't feel much like actually opening her eyes and peering over her shoulder to see if she was close. Eventually the handle brushed against the tips of her fingers with one wild swipe and she readjusted her aim to grab it. Cold. What else was she to expect after it'd been sitting out for hours. But she was thirsty and the cold tea didn't require her to actually get to her feet.
Her fingers curved around the handle and the pot up over her head, shifting on the bed to prop herself up against Jude. With little care she pursed her lips around the spout, leaning her head back to drink. Ugh. The tea was steeped for hours too long and bitter to the point that she considered spitting it out. On Jude. Simply to see him sputter and flail his arms madly before launching into one of his rage fueled rants. However Mel was mighty thirsty, and her need to drink overwhelmed her call to harass the sleeping male. She supposed he could sleep for a little while more without being disturbed, there wasn't anything else to do until she deemed his wound closed a little more properly. She set the half emptied teapot down on Jude's chest and reached for the untouched hunk of black bread, the daylight slightly more manageable now that her eyes had adjusted. The silver-haired girl was certainly hungry.
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Oct 30, 2015 6:57:22 GMT -6
It wasn't hard for the stubborn Jude to fall back asleep once the sun had awoken him. Only when he was sailing did he prefer it; otherwise, he'd rather the sun leave him alone, especially on mornings like this one, when more than anything Jude wanted was to sleep in the rest of the day. It had been a rough couple of weeks, and the way his body felt that morning kept reminding him that, despite all his desires, he really needed to take it easy before he caused some serious damage. Groaning gently, Jude refused to open his eyes, regardless of the fact that he could hear Mel move around above him, and he could still feel the gentle pressure of the sunlight against his eyelids.
His dreams had been pleasant, which was rare, and he was honestly afraid that if he got up, they'd never come back. Some part of him wanted to hold on to the way he'd been able to experience that nice, deep sleep that, in all likelihood, he wouldn't get again for some time. They had a job to do, and even Jude knew in spite of all the things he would rather be doing, he had to go with Mel. They had work to do, they needed to get paid, and he needed to get the hell out of here and go home. Or something.
Thinking on it as he continued to rest, Jude wondered where home was. It was technically Nabata, and then technically Lycia, and Bern for a short while, but... Where would he go when this was all said and done? What could he do, with whom would he travel? He hadn't seen the Mountain in weeks, Mel surely had better things to do... Suddenly Jude was frightened, and it eventually forced him to open his eyes and face the morning, the one thing he wanted to avoid doing at all costs.
Mel had retrieved the now-cold tea and was munching on the bread that neither had had time to touch. Jude looked over and saw his clothes on the floor, realizing now that if he got out of bed, he would be seen in ever greater detail than he had the night before. He groaned again, and pulled the blanket over his head. Pushing his mouth against it, in a muffled, hardly understandable voice, he grumbled at the pint-sized girl to his side. "Get out of my bed."
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Nov 7, 2015 22:22:11 GMT -6
"Your bed?"
Mel gave him a lazy glance as she tore another impressive chunk of bread of the hunk, chewing slowly as she thought over an appropriate response. Somehow she was feeling better than the night before, or even the few weeks leading up to it. She was lighter? It was an odd feeling to describe, but somehow with each passing day the little knot that had been bothering her what felt like so long before was simply... Well there was no other word for it. It was fading away and she felt lighter.
No thanks to Jude and his endless flow of stupidity of course. And on that particular matter, "I tossed your pants out the window earlier" was the appropriate response. She hadn't of course, it would be a needless expense on top of all the rest that they were racking up with their irritating game of supply catch-up. But with his reaction on being seen in a state of undress the night before, there was no reason that she couldn't poke more fun at him. Prodding at his piracy was growing rather dry.
Sliding forward onto her belly, Mel tucked her arms under her head and let her eyes slip closed for one lazy peaceful moment. A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she rolled her ankles off near Jude's shoulders. "If you can't do very much in the way of traveling just yet I'll find you something. If we're going to be sticking around here for a short while we need a bit of an income. And the place is too small to go around picking it out of some unobservant numskull." Mentally she grumbled at that, small towns were always a nice bit of an issue in that case. Blame always tipped towards visitors. And while it wasn't something Jude had ever mentioned, nor had she ever discussed, her ears with their odd little curve drew lots of the wrong sort of attention. Thankfully her hair had grown out enough over the last few months that they were reasonably concealed, for the moment. Now that it came to mind she was almost surprised that she couldn't think of the pink-haired buffoon bringing them up.
"You could probably tie off fishing nets or something until you can be back on your feet. It'll be a week or so by the way it looked last night. I'll check again today to be sure." She didn't bother to take a look behind her to see if Jude was listening. "Alternatively we could camp out for the week, that'd still leave us short on money." She pursed her lips and thought for a moment, trying to lighten their financial strain as much as possible. "Actually...you could probably do laundry or something here, at the inn. Help around so we can stay here at no cost."
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Nov 11, 2015 22:25:58 GMT -6
Without pulling his tired face out from behind the blanket, Jude pushed his mouth into it again. "Yes, my bed. You made me take it, I'm taking ownership. This comfy bastard is mine now, and you're not welcome. No girls allowed." He tried to roll over, but Mel's presence on the bed prevented him from doing so fully. He grumbled, trying to shake his limbs around to get her off, but his fatigue and injuries reminded him that it was a stupid idea, and Jude, hard-headed though he was, quickly gave up, opting for safety and health over getting his way. Just this once. Only this once. Never again.
Suddenly, the thought struck him-- what had she just said? His pants? GONE?
"H-HEY!" He shouted, throwing the blanket off of his torso enough to allow him to sit up. He covered his waist and below, afraid to let Mel see him in such proper lighting. His eyes were angry and alive, blood-red and communicating more effectively than his words likely ever could. "THEY BETTER NOT BE! GET THEM BACK HERE, DAMN IT! I NEED PANTS!"
He suddenly realized that everyone awake in the inn could probably hear him, and he blushed heavily before looking back down at his still dirty midsection. He mumbled something under his breath and crossed his arms, deciding that he wasn't going anywhere until he had some damn pants. He glanced down at the floor and saw most of his other clothes, and wondered whether her words were true-- but he wasn't about to get up and check. No way. Absolutely not.
Eventually, Jude allowed himself to look up at Mel as she spoke. He wanted to interrupt her, but he chose to let her speak this time. When he watched her, he felt some strange sense of belonging, as though he really didn't have anywhere else to be that would be as comfortable. Sure, she wasn't the greatest company, but... He didn't have Bee, he didn't have the Mountain, and she... was pretty alright at keeping him in good health. Maybe he had taken her for granted. His cheeks started to flush again as he watched her, listening carefully as she spoke. What was he feeling?
The boy sighed, furrowed his brow angrily, and shut his eyes, turning his head away from her, his arms still folded like a child. His voice, though, was strangely serious. "Whatever, Mel. I don't need to rest. I'm ready to leave today if we need to." He lied, convincing enough even for himself. He eventually opened his eyes, but didn't return his gaze to her. He felt too awkward and wasn't sure exactly how to say what he wanted to say.
"L-Listen..." He began, feeling a lump form in his throat, heavy and impending. "I, um..." His mind flashed back to the time he'd met her, and then to when she'd patched him up, when they'd visited her parents' graves, when she'd bandaged him up, and how even through all of his fits, she'd decided to stay traveling with him. He didn't-- and wouldn't-- want to admit it, but she had very likely literally kept him alive to this day. "Look," he finally brought his red eyes over to her blue ones, his gaze defenseless but feigned being on guard. "I'm only gonna say this once. Thanks. For, uh... For bandaging me. And stuff. I probably..." He thought then about waking up at the bottom of the lake, and getting to the top and seeing her. Even then, while she hadn't helped him, she hadn't left him, either. And she could've.
Jude looked away again, embarrassed. "I... might not be here without you." He let his arms fall, playing with the bedsheets trying to distract himself. "I might be dead. And you could've left a million times, and you didn't. So... yeah, uh... Thanks." He scratched the back of his head, absolutely refusing to look at her.
"Now let's get out of here--" In an effort to put it all behind him, Jude wiped his red cheeks and very suddenly attempted to get out of bed, but his injuries said no and he immediately rolled off the bed and hit the floor with a loud thud. When he crashed, he cried out, feeling the pain of a million injuries and almost zero time to heal.
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