I'm ready to bleed to make amends And sleep in this dirt we call our bed So tell me your secrets And join me in pieces
To fall and rewrite the bitter end
The cup that was placed before him wasn’t nearly the strangest thing he had seen today. It was an item he hadn’t used before, curved and water tight. He first awkwardly poked his tongue towards the liquid, understanding that he was to consume it. It was hot! Hot liquid wasn’t unpleasant, it was just unexpected. He pulled an odd expression as he attempted to daintley lick the liquid from the cup. It was slow, but he didn’t want to spill anything else on her floor or waste the medicine. The flavour was intense, but something sweet lingered in the background. How did she make the liquid hot anyway? Maybe it had something to do with the sounds she had made during preparing it. He hadn’t heard anyone make those kinds of noises before, perhaps they were also magical?
Not only was the floating rag uncomfortable when it touched his skin. Observing a floating rag in itself was outside of Aeon’s comfort zone. What was and wasn’t possible was challenged every day since falling down that blasted mountain. At least she wasn’t making him drink more of the warm liquid out of the strange container. That had taken a degree of effort! Food however was a welcome and effective distraction. The tray of snacks was also intriguing and going to be a challenge to consume. For a non-magical creature there were many challenges in fitting in smoothly.
There were various shaped items that appeared like they had grown on a tree. There were different coloured and decorated crunchy shapes. He reached for a crunchy shape first. The outer coating flaked in his mouth and he coughed trying not to wheeze on the flakes. The taste however was much better than the tea. Medication aside, the snack would have made the medication worth it. It would however help if he didn’t inhale his food. The inside was soft and satisfyingly sweet. This was his new favourite. Perhaps until the next one he tried, maybe that would be his new favourite then.
After regaining his composure from failing to eat properly, he rasped “Don’t stop, it hurts but let's get it done with.” His mind immediately turned back to the food. Eyeing a different shaped grown object. It was an orange colour and had a firm texture. This was surely something he could eat without embarrassing himself. He took a bite into it, then proceeded to crunch it. This was something much more similar to what he was used to eating. It still wasn’t as good as the crunchy shaped sweet thing.
and if the house just keeps on winning
i got a wildcard up my sleeve
and if love keeps giving me lemons
i'll just mix 'em in my drink
She couldn't stop the slight smile.
The young male seemed so lost, so confused at the moment as he awkwardly poked his tongue into the liquid, "Careful!" She cautioned in concern, "It'll be hot. Most prefer to use their telekinesis to lift, and sip at it slowly. It's less likely to burn that way. Do you need an ice cube for it?" She asked in concern. Still she wouldn't let that distract her from what she needed to, quietly watching him drink every drop down, even as she gently began to dampen the clumps in his fur.
There was so much debris.
She knew soaking them for as long as possible would be ideal, and so as she dabbed and allowed water to sit on his pelt, penetrating the clumps and dried filth and cleaning away the bits she could just by a gentle, but thorough washing, she observed him distracting himself with the treats and snacks she had laid out. She smiled to see him try the first one, dipping the rag into the clean water again, and cleaning another patch of burnt skin, carefully removing the dead layers, as he seemed to enjoy the treat, even as he coughed slightly.
She laughed gently again,
"You'll want to be careful, some of those are pretty flaky. I don't know how damaged your throat is from any potential smoke, or ash." She warned, nodding when he rasped out a request to not stop. Setting the rag aside, she picked up a wide toothed comb that she saved for instances like that, telekinetic-ally running it through some of the clumps to his fur. After having been soaking up the water for a while now, she was able to run it through the clumps fairly easily, shaking it off onto the floor to drop the mud, loose hair, and gunk, slowly cleaning up his pelt until after a long while of working, the majority of it was finally in a better state. Sure, he still had a lot of burnt areas, that needed it's own treatment, but now she could see the extent of the damage.
She let the wounds breath for the moment.
Gathering the items she had used, she quietly got rid of the water pails, swept the floor, to get rid of the gunk she'd removed from his pelt, before refilling his tea with a sweet drink of mostly chamomile, lemon and honey to help soothe any sourness in his throat, this time making sure the temperature was less hot so he could drink it more easily, and then restocking his plate of treats - adding a few more healthy options, like a variety of fruit, honey and granola bites, and a variety of fruit. "Alright, so next, I'm going to treat the parts of your skin that look severely burnt, as well as any cuts or scrapes I might find. It's just placing this mixture here on it. There's herbs in here to help encourage skin to heal, as well as keep nasty gunk from infecting your wounds, as well as keeping pain down to a minimum. After that, I'll pack it with some leaves, before wrapping it in some bandages, unless it's small enough to just need a temporary cobweb bandaging." The explanation was for him, since he didn't seem to know to much, even as she began to gently smear the paste mixture over the wounded areas on his body, making sure it was thick enough to do it's work properly, but not so thick to be wasteful.
Once that was in place, she finally began to bandage.
She wrapped the wounds very carefully, taking time to make sure they would be snug, but not so tight to press into him and hurt, as well as not impair his movement any. Stepping back, she offered a kind smile, "How does that feel now? Any better? I would recommend you come back every couple days - maybe three or four - so I can reapply the healing mixture, and make sure it's all healing properly, but that'll help you start getting yourself fixed up at least." She offered gently, with another small smile
I'm ready to bleed to make amends And sleep in this dirt we call our bed So tell me your secrets And join me in pieces
To fall and rewrite the bitter end
The treats were so sweet, unlike anything he’d ever had before. It was a decadent sweet, different to that of fruit; sticky and overwhelmingly tasty. He couldn’t help but sniff them looking for more of the one he had tried first. This time he would be aware of his flakey nature and try not to inhale his food. He found one and carefully bit it in half, chewing and savoring the taste. He eyed the inside of what was left, he still couldn’t figure out what it was. “What is this?” he asked, still chewing the treat. “Oh yeah you should have seen it when I first fell, I was still coughing and sneezing soot directly mixed with boogers.” he said replying to her comment about damage to his respiratory system.
Occasionally a soft gasp or a snort would escape his mouth as he did his best to hold still and be treated. He was thankful for her attention and kindness. He would need to find something that she needed, that he could give her in return for this help. She was obviously very skilled and he felt safe under her care.
He watched her refill the hot liquid holding device. He lapped at it with his tongue. Relieved that it wasn’t more of the previous mixture. This one tasted almost like a plant with something sweet. It was soothing on his throat. The next choices of food that were put before him were also new experiences. The one with different grains smooshed together was appealing but very filling. Before long he felt like he couldn’t eat anymore. How quickly one could get filled up on little things when you wanted to try one of everything. But nothing else was quite as tasty as that super sweet flakey thing he had eaten first. He knew now that this was his favourite so far. He also knew that the medicine tea was his least favourite of things served to him.
He nodded softly as she continued to work on his wounds. Soon he was all wrapped up. “I guess I gotta stay out of the water for now?” he asked with a soft smirk. “Everything feels a lot less painful, and I am very full. Thank you.” he said sincerely. He hadn’t been so comfortable in a very long time. He almost didn’t dare to stand that it might bring back his discomfort.
and if the house just keeps on winning
i got a wildcard up my sleeve
and if love keeps giving me lemons
i'll just mix 'em in my drink
The way he dived into the sweets was enduring.
It almost reminded Caelum of her younger days. When she'd flutter through the halls of the castle, sneaking into the kitchen when the cook's back was turned to steal sweets and breads. From an early age, they had learned to switch any sweetener to natural, organic sweetener, or even a "fake" sweetener. It had been well known at that time that the Princess had a problem with indulging in actual sugar. But that hadn't bothered Caelum - while it wasn't as fun with out the real sugar that gave her the impossible energy high, the treats were still amazing. Looking back the runaway queen was certain the cook had known she was there, had always kept their back turned for too long, or would make elaborate rouses of dropping items so their head was ducked out of sight at just the right time for her to grab the item.
She missed her people, and all they had ever done for her.
It's her fault the cook, her parents, and so many others that worked for her mother and father were dead. She'd seen the bodies herself. The guards who had been laid waste to, despite their obvious positioning meant that they'd been fighting to defend the royal family. Caelum herself had arrived too late to have been any use, the warrior princess having had her entire group massacred, but for a small few; while they'd attempted an escape from their lands. Her infant son and co-ruler had perished in that slaughter. Like her father, positioned in defense to protect her mother the best he could, Calico had been struck down trying to provide her an opening to escape. That opening had fallen as soon as Convallis had been separated from her side. Those final moments, his small voice screaming for her before being silenced brutally forever . . .
It still haunted her at night.
Yet, here she was, slowly healing - slowly moving forward. And it was that nurturer in her, the one that had flourished the first time she'd nuzzled Convallis, that saw her smiling gently at the young stallion, barely old enough to be considered an adult, and still so naive to the world. "That, dear Aeon; is a pastry. Like I mentioned, they are a treat made from wheat and grains . . . types of grasses that are then crushed into a powder. When you mix it with other edible ingredients, you get what is called dough. The dough is then filled with fruit, I believe that one to be a mixture of some sort of berry. The entire thing is then cooked, so it can be eaten." She explained in greater detail than before. She did frown in concern as he spoke about how he had been coughing and sneezing so much after he fell, "Do you still have issues with coughing, or sneezing - or your throat hurting now?" She asked, her gaze already looking over her stores for ideas to help with that if need be.
He hadn't enjoyed the tea, so perhaps a herb-drop.
She didn't worry about it too much, instead focusing more on treating his body, before finally offering him another cup of tea, noticing he seemed to enjoy this one a little more, "It is chamomile, honey and lemon." The regal fae explained, before adding, "Chamomile is a herb that can act as a natural relaxer, and it has a lovely taste. The honey, while being sweet also can help soothe your throat, as well as fight against any infections. The lemon, however, when used in moderation to not turn the drink a potent sour; can really help kill any bacteria that could be festering in your throat from all of that smoke and soot you inhaled." She told him, as she continued to work.
It was slow going, but progress was being made.
Occasionally a soft gasp or a snort would escape his mouth as he did his best to hold still and be treated. He was thankful for her attention and kindness. He would need to find something that she needed, that he could give her in return for this help. She was obviously very skilled and he felt safe under her care. As she began to finish wrapping him up, she laughed at his quizzical question. "Unfortunately yes, you do not want anything to come loose or dissolve in the water." She agreed with a warm smile, "But it will only be for a little while." She promised before smiling in delight when he stated he was not only in a lot less pain but full as welel, "You are quite welcome. I am a medic, it is what I do - help others." And at least this way she won't destroy a kingdom in the process. She did notice his relaxed state however, and smiled reassuringly, "You are more than welcome to stay the night, it is rather late after all. Either here in these pillows, or if you are up for a small trip - there is a spare bedroom down the back hall. In the morning I can help escort you back to Terrastella, if you would like. I know passage through the Arma Mountains can be difficult at times, especially bandaged up. I was planning to make a trip that way here before too long, regardless, to acquire some herbs that do not grow in Denocte." Not to mention she wanted to set up an appointment at the hospital to see if they would be interested in some of the new medicinal remedies she'd been manufacturing.
I'm ready to bleed to make amends And sleep in this dirt we call our bed So tell me your secrets And join me in pieces
To fall and rewrite the bitter end
“That seems like a lot of effort. But it tastes good.” he said in response to the explanation about how his new favourite snack was prepared. He supposed the powers that the equine had here lessened the burdens of some of those kinds of tasks. He almost chuckled at the idea of how he would ever try and complete the same tasks without the powers they had. It would be a disaster! It was evident that his struggles would continue unless he managed to manifest at least a smidgen of magic. Drinking out of a tea cup like a civilized creature was likely the least of his worries. How would he ever defend himself, when others had so much power?
He closed his eyes but his ears still swiveled and listened to her speech. “Nope, I think I coughed it all out. A mountain's worth of soot.” Stretching his mouth open wide he yawned. He could feel the weight of his impending sleep on his eyelids. He was fed, warm and tended. He would sleep well tonight, for what was left of the darkness anyway. Did magical creatures here sleep in the usual fashion? His brain however was too zonked to continue the trial of thought to anything meaningful.
He did try and listen as she explained what was different in the cup of tea he had just consumed. Most of those words were not familiar to him and hazed together in his sleepiness. The tea seemed potent; he was already struggling to focus on what was being said. Perhaps he was just that exhausted. It had been many days since he had rested without pain. He hadn’t ever really felt safe sleeping. But his experiences with Caelum lead him to want to relax, to believe that all this was really in his best interests.
He had already started to fall asleep as she said he was welcome to stay. Soft snores and snorts in his sleep with occasional spasms of his legs. Life had not allowed Aeon many opportunities like this one to rest. To be cared for even at a physical level, let alone at an emotional one. His instincts assured him she could be trusted. Tonight he would sleep with his belly full, and his mind at ease that Caelum would make sure he would be safe. The only worries he would have to deal with now were the dreams that haunted him of his past, of what could have been.
Volcanic eruptions, heat, soot fire and chaos. Flashes of thundering hooves, sweat and blood. Screeching and taunting voices that were forever above him. His mother calling out above him, forever out of reach. Forever scalding. The weight of carrying useless wings. The shame of being excluded and useless. The feeling of deep hunger and fear. The darkness of being alone, forever searching for meaning and relief.
Then there she was shining light, glimmering and perfect - just an outline at first and the fuzzy sound of a kind voice in his ear. Radiating warmth and safety; her presence erupting into his vision of a Fae woman leading him to salvation.
and if the house just keeps on winning
i got a wildcard up my sleeve
and if love keeps giving me lemons
i'll just mix 'em in my drink
The little fae laughs warmly, eyes dancing.
She could understand his appreciation, "Yes, it does require a lot of effort and time, but many enjoy doing it. I have a few bakers who provide me the items for my shop to help me diversify what I offer, and gives them another revenue of income." She explains, watching him as he seemed to be growing more tired, his eyes already closed. She was glad to hear that he'd coughed most of the gunk from his throat out, it meant there was likely less damage to treat there. She did have to laugh more openly at his sleepy yawn, would her own son have been like this had he survived past those first few weeks. Her ears perk forward as he seemed to lean closer, and closer into falling aslweep.
So she figured it was safe to offer him a room.
He didn't even make it off of the pillows, soon descending into sleep, and she shook her head in fond amusement, before collecting some blankets, and gently levitating them over his form, so that he wouldn't get chilled through out the night. She then began the final closing procedures, encouraging the fireflies to go to sleep, their own lights dimming. Doors and windows were checked to make sure it was locked. Items put away in various storages charmed and enchanted to preserve the items for as long as possible. Only then did she turn towards the hallway that would lead to her own room. She left the door ajar, so she'd be able to hear him should he need anything.
Once a mother, always a mother, she supposed.
She was soon curling up in her own bedding, her gaze on the door, ears perked towards the guest just down the hall, in the main room, trusting that should he need her through out the night, she'd wake easily to assist, and wondering as she herself succumbed to sleep - if he'd enjoy more of those sweet pastries for breakfast. She woke briefly through out the night, long enough to emerge from her room, check on him to ensure he was resting peacefully, and so by the time light was just beginning to tinge the horizon, when she woke up she choose to begin her day.
She'd always been an early riser, anyway.
She hummed quietly after checking on Aeon and finding him still asleep for the time being, and began to set up shop, placing pastries in warmers, heating kettles for tea. She set aside a handful of those pastries Aeon had enjoyed last night, as well as some fruit; before setting the tray out next to Aeon, knowing if the colt was anything like a normal colt, the smell of food would wake him faster than if she should try. So she spent the rest of the time opening up windows and doors, and tidying up around the shop, before glancing back at the young colt, "Go ahead and get something to eat in you, there's more if you're still hungry. I want to check your wounds before we see to getting you back home after breakfast though - just to make sure the bandages are still secure," She stated in fond greeting, once seeing him not quite as dead to the world as prior.
"Speech" Thoughts
@Aeon Notes: I figure another post or two from each where he gets some food in him, and she escorts him out of Denocte, and we can call this thread completed <3
and if the whole wide world stops singing
and all the stars go dark
i'll keep a light on in my soul
keep a bluebird in my heart
I'm ready to bleed to make amends And sleep in this dirt we call our bed So tell me your secrets And join me in pieces
To fall and rewrite the bitter end
Caelum had chased the ghosts in his dreams with her beaming presence. He dreamt of running in open wide fields, with his eyes open of course. Everything was hazy and dreamlike, around him the fireflies danced and led him on his dream journey. Each step of the way he could feel Caelum’s reassuring voice touching his weary soul. The very radiance of her company warming his dream world. There would be no more torment and exploding volcanoes tonight. He dreamt of the further treats that she had just given him. Oh how nice those had tasted.
His eyes barely opened, he swore he could actually smell the treats. Surely he was still just half asleep. He opened his eyes further and snorted softly in surprised joy when he confirmed they were actually real pastries. He yawned widely and said sleepily “Thank you” He wondered if she had powers that allowed her into others dreams, and to see what they wanted. Or if she had any control over what he would dream that night.
“You visited me in my dreams.” he said simply, stuffing his mouth with a pastry hungrily. Closing his eyes he chewed and enjoyed the taste. He had not realized how hungry he was until he had started eating. He was a growing young colt who was also healing wounds; it was not unusual to be this hungry. “You were this guiding shining light, you spoke to me the entire time.” He quickly swallowed because it was hard to talk with his mouth full.
“Everything seems intact, as far as I can tell,” he said, eyeing the bandages. The pain from his wounds had significantly eased since she had tended them. The sleep was much needed, the reprieve from his haunting dreams was also quite welcome. “You’ve done so much for me. Is there anything I can help with?” he asked softly, his eyes becoming wide with emotion.
