Horse Eden : Hudie x NightClan

November 14, 2024 09:58 AM

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Sage had snorted when she mentioned he'd survive being bored, flopping his head back down tiredly once she'd finished pulling his hair back. It did feel much better ...and he had to admit her fingers running lightly through his hair and over his scalp also felt quite good. He felt odd, thinking about that one, but hey, if he could get her to do it a few more times over the next few days he certainly wouldn't mind that.

He shoved that thought out of his mind though, since the conversation had moved on. He hummed softly when she mentioned he'd been out for a few days, sort of just letting it sink in. He'd been hurt before....he'd been beaten plenty of times. Taken plenty of bullets or knives or swords. He'd never been run clear through his body though. And nothing quite as big as that plank. "Survive the boredom yeah, well just see if this doesn't get infected," he noted. He wasn't sure if he even cared or not. If he died, Jase would take over. That would be fine enough. He'd take care of them. But he also knew his powers gave them an edge that had saved them all more than a few times. It was a bit of an odd feeling. Not minding dying but feeling guilty about leaving all the same.

He gave her a lopsided grin when she mentioned keeping the plank, half passed out by then. "No promises," he noted. "If it can do this, imagine if it hit my chest. Could make a decent weapon if it comes down to it," he chirped, probably sounding absolutely bonkers by then. Her comment confirmed it and he let out a small chuckle, though quickly stopped with a wince. He still had a rather drunken looking grin on his face. He definitely wasn't perfectly in his right mind at the moment. "If I wasn't nuts life would be too boring," he noted. Then, "whatcha gonna do, take the hair tie away," he snorted before his eyes fluttered closed and his head lolled to the side again, resting lightly on her arm which had rested on his shoulders after fixing his hair.

November 14, 2024 11:51 AM

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Jora watched Sage as he half-leaned against her, the weight of his head resting on her arm a strange mix of tenderness and defiance. She could feel the heat of his skin against her arm, and for a moment, she simply let it sit there, unsure of how to respond to his sudden, quiet vulnerability. She could tell the injury had him wavering, his usual cocky self somewhere far beneath the surface. He had a strange way of making light of it all, cracking jokes about death like it was just another part of their shared reality.

"Survive the boredom, yeah, but try to keep that infection from setting in," she muttered back under her breath, her fingers still lightly brushing through his hair. She could sense the guilt in him, even if he wasn’t voicing it. He always had that stubborn streak, always so willing to push through the pain, like there was nothing left to prove. But Jora knew better—he was always looking out for them, even when it felt like he didn’t care about his own skin.

She caught the grin on his face, a crooked thing that made him look half-drunk, the kind of expression that could either be endearing or dangerous. Maybe both. "No promises," he said about the plank, and Jora raised an eyebrow. He was out of it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still clever, still thinking through the haze.

"Yeah, sure," she murmured with a small smirk, keeping the tone light, even though she wasn’t sure what was more worrying: the way he joked about dying, or the part where it didn’t seem all that out of character for him.

She chuckled softly at his comment about being nuts, her fingers pausing in his hair for a brief second. "Good thing, too," she said, voice soft, though there was a hint of something unspoken in it. "If you were normal, I’d have to seriously reconsider letting you around."

His snort pulled her back into the moment, and she felt a quiet tenderness in the way he rested against her, his breath warm on her skin. "Keep the hair tie," she muttered with a shrug, playing along with his nonsense. "But don’t get too comfy. I’ve still got work to do."

But as she looked down at him, so limp and disoriented, she wasn’t sure if it was her touch that was holding him together, or if it was just a small piece of something else between them—a tether that was still too fragile to speak of aloud.

November 14, 2024 12:42 PM

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Sage had hummed softly in response to her comment about keeping infection out, his grin simply widening. "That's the plan. Though my plans don't always work out the way I want them to," he chirped. It was probably a little concerning, him talking so happily about such a dark topic. His mind was pretty well gone by then, he was half asleep, sagging on her arm heavily.

When she mentioned it was a good thing he was nuts, he let out a sort of giggle, face tightening when his abdomen protested. His eyes still glittered though. Of course, half of that was fever and probably another half of that was pain... But at least a quarter of his mind was still there. He was well on his way to frying that part too.

He grunted when she noted he could keep the hair tie, though was actively passing out by then, so he managed a quiet grunt in response to her comment before going limp against her, breathing slowing as his body calmed down in rest. He wasn't sure why she stuck around through all this. .. But he was certainly glad to have her there. If he were alone down here, or was with someone he couldn't really be comfortable being this vulnerable with... Well, he doubted he'd be healing as quickly. He'd be more worried about it all.

But everything was being taken care of . Just was in charge, and they'd had less casualties than he'd expected to hear about. So he could test. He could heal. That was ok.

November 14, 2024 07:27 PM

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Jora glanced down at Sage, his weight pressing heavily against her arm as he sagged in a kind of quiet surrender. His laugh, though weak, still had that mischievous edge to it, despite the fever that clung to him like a second skin. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, the way his muscles tensed and then relaxed, his breathing coming in slow, measured breaths as sleep—or whatever this strange, half-conscious state he was in—took over.

It was strange, watching him like this. He was usually so sharp, so quick to banter, to make light of things even when the world was burning down around them. But now, there was something vulnerable about him, something she rarely saw. She had no intention of letting him know it, but she was glad he wasn’t alone. She’d been watching him for a while now, all the way from the chaos of the battlefield to this quiet, soft moment between them.

She couldn’t say why she stuck around either, but it was easy to think it was something like… knowing what it was like to carry the weight of the world and yet still have to smile. To be cracking at the edges, but still trying to hold it all together. Maybe they were a little alike in that way.

Sage, ever the paradox, was somewhere between delirium and lucidity now, and she knew his mind would try to come back to whatever thought had been spinning in his head. He always did that—grasping for clarity through the haze of whatever madness he was dealing with. She’d be there when he came back around.

For now, though, she just let him rest.

"You’re not alone," she muttered, her voice low, almost a hum, as if he could hear her, even in his half-dreaming state. "Not while I’m here."

November 14, 2024 09:47 PM

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Sage had passed out pretty quickly once he'd stopped talking. He was dimly aware of the girl's voice, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. He fell asleep soon enough, of course, figuring he knew what she was saying. He understood her tone, even if he couldn't understand the words. And he knew she didn't need a response, so he didn't worry about it too much.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but when he woke up again, it was still light out. So either he'd slept for a other entire day or he'd been out for like two hours. And he felt a bit silly about not knowing which it was, since it was a pretty big difference.

After a moment or so of just sitting there, blinking the grogginess out of his eyes best he could, he glanced around for Jora. It was almost instinctual by then ...to look for her. He supposed it just reassured him nothing else had happened. That everything was still under control. Besides, he was bored....at least he could talk to her. Even if it was in a delirium.

He noted blankets draped over him, and he moved to feel his forehead, wincing when he realized how hot it still felt. He supposed it would make sense it would take longer to heal with a serious wound on top of his powers exhausting him. Whoops. He muttered a few choice words under his breath, but couldn't exactly do anything about it. At least not right then.

"Have you slept at all," he sort of stage whispered over to Jora, still unable to to talk much louder than that without it hurting. Who was he kidding, it hurt anyway. But even so, he didn't want her to stay up all night looking after him. She needed rest and stuff. "Or eaten?" He didn't see any dirty dishes or anything to indicate she'd done anything but look after him. Which he sort of felt bad about.

November 14, 2024 10:38 PM

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Jora had been sitting against the far wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, eyes half-lidded in a doze when Sage's voice filtered through the fog of her own exhaustion. She blinked, slowly coming back to herself as the soft rasp of his words reached her. He was awake.

Her gaze flickered over to him, noting the way he was half-sitting up, still looking pale and exhausted, the same heat radiating off of him that she'd been worried about for hours now. She pushed herself up from the floor, stretching the stiffness from her limbs, and padded over to him, her steps quiet but purposeful.

“You’re awake,” she said, though it wasn't really a question. It was more of a quiet acknowledgment that felt strange coming from her, because the truth was she hadn't been sure if he'd wake at all. She tried not to let the weariness seep into her voice, but it was there, a little thicker than she intended.

Jora leaned over, gently pressing the back of her hand against his forehead, just as he had done a few hours ago when she'd fallen asleep on watch. "You're burning up," she murmured, brushing the hair out of his face. She caught the way his eyes shifted around the room, looking for something—her, maybe—before landing on her again, the concern clear in his eyes.

“Don’t worry about me,” she added softly, her lips quirking into something like a smile, though it didn’t reach her tired eyes. “I’m fine. You should be more worried about yourself, though.”

When he asked if she'd eaten or slept, she shook her head, a small, silent laugh escaping her lips at the ridiculousness of the question. Of course he was worried about her. "I’m fine," she repeated, softer now, brushing his hair back again as if it might somehow soothe him. "I ate earlier. As for sleep..." Her words trailed off as she glanced at him, the exhaustion making her chest ache. "I slept enough to make sure you didn’t die on me."

Jora glanced at the small pile of supplies they'd managed to gather. There was nothing resembling food around. But there was no way she was going to let him know that—he had enough to feel bad about already. "Don’t stress about me," she added, her tone firm, despite the exhaustion creeping into it. "You need to focus on getting better."

She wasn’t sure how long they could keep pretending everything was fine, but for now, she'd let him believe it. There’d be time enough later for her to collapse in her own exhaustion. Right now, he needed to rest. And she wasn’t going anywhere.

November 14, 2024 10:58 PM

Posts: 16388
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Sage had thrown her a rather amused look in response to her statement about him being awake. "No, actually, I'm asleep still and you're hallucinating," he noted, his voice laced with sarcasm despite how weak it still sounded. That was a little annoying....but things could be worse, he supposed. At least he could talk. If he couldn't talk that would be an issue. In the moment and in the future. That did bring up the question about any permanent damage, but that was a question for later.

He wrinkled his nose slightly when she said he was burning up rather than answering his question directly...a telltale sign she hadn't done much of either of the things he'd asked her about, if at all. Wait...were their supplies ok? What if they'd been damaged...burnt or gotten wet? Did the crew have food and water? They wouldn't last long without it. Jase would have things under control, he knew but...if that was the case, that was very much not good.

"Ive been burning up," he grumbled. "If it hasn't killed me yet, it's not going to anytime soon," he pointed out with a snort, even though the noise sent a pang through his torso. But his tone softened after a moment. "If you're so wrried about me dying while you sleep, then crawl on the side of here or pull another bed over," he noted. "But you need to rest. I need you awake and ready for anything that might come next," he added softly.

"You're sure things are ok," he added, brows furrowing slightly. They almost didn't seem like it. She was avoiding the question...and things were almost too quiet down here. Sure, the doctor had been keeping out, but if the crew wasn't busy surely they'd ahve tried to visit? Unless...unless they didn't care. What if they liked Jase better? What if that was what they wanted? It hurt, to think they didn't care he was hurt. Maybe dying. As far as he knew, Jase was the only one who had stopped in to see him, and that was just to bring him here. Once he was stabilized, he hadn't come back. Was that his plan all along? Take the ship? He'd trusted them like family, but now a nagging doubt took ahold of his mind. One he couldn't just let go. He hoped it wasn't true...part of him didn't believe that could happen. But his mind told him otherwise. Men were...well, men. They liked you fine while you kept them alive. Provided for them. Did the hard work. But once you faltered, or needed a break to heal, they turned on you. Moved on to a new leader, someone better. What if that was the case here? It hurt more than he cuold express to think that may very well be the case. He'd lose everything.

November 15, 2024 11:49 AM

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#1256044
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Jora sat in the dim light of the room, eyes glued to Sage, but her thoughts were somewhere far darker. She'd heard the sarcasm in his voice, felt the faint edge of his frustration, and though she should have snapped back, the words just wouldn't come. Instead, she reached out to adjust the blanket around him, trying to ignore the nervous twist in her stomach. Her gaze flickered toward the door. No one had come to check on them since they arrived here. Not even Jase.

Sage's voice broke through her thoughts, and her hands tightened around the edge of the bed. His suggestion that she crawl onto the side or pull another bed over to rest sent a dull ache through her chest. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help—she wanted to. But the idea of sleep, of closing her eyes, felt impossible right now. Not when there was so much uncertainty hanging in the air.

She clenched her jaw, feeling a little cornered by the question he asked, the one she'd been dodging. She didn’t want to answer him because, in truth, she didn’t have an answer. Things felt wrong, and she couldn’t shake the thought that something was slipping away from them. From him. *From me*.

"Things are fine," she said, the words tasting hollow as they left her mouth. She didn’t believe them, but it was the best she could manage. "The crew’s keeping busy. You’re awake, that’s a good sign, right?" She wanted him to believe it, wanted to believe it herself, but her mind kept circling back to that gnawing feeling—what if they weren’t?

Her gaze softened when he spoke again, his voice quieter now, and for a moment, she was tempted to lay her head down next to him, to forget everything and just rest. But his words about needing her ready sent a jolt through her. She couldn't afford to shut down, not now. Not when there was too much at stake.

The room felt smaller, darker, as she tried to hold it all together. Sage’s pain, the questions hanging in the air about the crew, and this growing sense of isolation that she couldn’t shake. What if they weren’t just ignoring him because of his injuries? What if they were moving on without him already, picking their new leader? What if he was right about them, about men in general, about how they worked in the end?

A cold knot twisted deep inside her, but she forced herself to focus on Sage, on keeping him alive for as long as she could. If she let herself believe that the crew could be turning on him… on them… She didn’t think she could breathe.

She leaned closer, lowering her voice as she finally spoke. "You’re not dying, Sage. Not while I’m here." She wasn’t sure if that was a promise or a lie, but it was all she had to give.

And for now, that would have to be enough.

November 15, 2024 12:17 PM

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Sage sighed after a moment, her words not becoming very reassuring. He could see how worn out she was....and he felt bad about it. "You need to sleep," he argued softly, wrinkling his nose as she mentioned everything was fine. He didn't really believe her.

She was trying to hide her worries ....but he could see through her. She was too tired to fully hide her real thoughts from him. Too worn down. He watched her talk, meeting her eyes and nodding after a moment. "I'm alive, but I won't be if you never sleep, pass, out, and then I can't wake you up if I do need something," he pointed out, doing his best to scoot to the side.

It hurt like hell, of course, but he already hurt like hell, so really it was just something he could deal with. "Take a nap at least," he mused. "Even if it's just a few hours," he added, not really wanting to argue with her. He didn't have the energy for that. But he wanted her to feel better than how she was feeling now. She looked terrible, and she'd need the rest.

"God, it hit my gut not my chest. I'll be fine for a few hours while you rest," he huffed. "I'll pass out next to you. If I start dying you'll know," he added with a shrug. He was starting to get weary again, but he wasn't going to sleep until she slept. He was going to be stubborn about this, and she'd know that since he'd set his jaw and cross his arms beat he could at the beginning of the conversation.

November 15, 2024 04:12 PM