pyrighteous | [OOC] Folkmore IC Inbox

[ Is that better? Or worse? Hunter isn't sure; it's all bad as far as he's concerned. And to be replaced in front of Rue too? He hasn't been adopted by them, but he's still very fond, and would probably murder a couple people on their behalf if necessary. ]

How'd you get out? Was Rue okay?

[ And then, as a horrid thought occurs to him - ]

You're here now, right?

[At that second question, everything else Hunter asked is immediately forgotten: Casey spins about so quickly he very nearly falls over, eyes wide, his expression stunned and quietly wounded.]

It's me! I... it's me, I'm...

[He trails off, lowering his gaze. He can't be upset about that, it's a fair question. Anyone would wonder, right? Knowing it's possible, now... and they haven't known each other for that long yet.

"You think I would not recognize my own son? They had your face, but they were not you."]

You can ask Rue. If you trust Rue... they'd know if I wasn't me.

I-I believe you!

[ It comes out of Hunter's mouth immediately, accompanied by a wince. Darn it, he shouldn't have said that. That was an INTERNAL thought, Hunter, not an external one. Casey doesn't need any more worries in his life this morning. ]

I just meant - I want to make sure you're safe. That's all. I believe it's you.

[ He ducks his head a bit, indicating all the bark bits in the waste bin and probably scattered on the floor. ]

A copy wouldn't have saved me just now.

[Casey looks at him for a moment, then follows his gaze towards the scattered bark remnants, and finally slumps back against the bathtub, shoulders hunching. Okay... okay. That makes sense. He really hadn't wanted to risk disturbing Leo by going to get Rue, so he's grateful to be believed. He wasn't sure how else he might've proved it's really him.

Would Rue have been able to vouch for him, though? He hasn't acted much like himself all night. Wouldn't even hug them. He's barely done anything helpful. And now this-

...no. Rue would have known. And Hunter's just... looking out for him. Looking out for all of them, really. If Casey was a changeling again, he'd be a danger to everyone here. Just like a Krang zombie.]

Yeah... [A changeling probably would have let Hunter become a tree. They'd probably be laughing about it. That's pretty good evidence right there.] ...I'm safe. You don't need to worry about me.

[ All of them, yes, but mostly Casey. Hunter hates the thought of Casey being lost in the fog with no one even searching for him, or noticing that he's gone at all ...

But that's NOT happening. Casey's here. Casey's safe. That's incredibly important. Hunter nods sharply at that. ]

I'm worried anyway. But - you're here. That's the most important part. We can fix everything else.

[ Except Leo's arm but shh. ]

[He doesn't want Hunter to worry about him, but it's touching that he does, enough to help Casey muster a small smile. First one he's managed in hours, so that's something.]

R-right. Starting with you- the bath's all set, so strip down. Let's get the rest of the bark off you.

[A totally normal thing to say to someone.]

[ Uh.

UH. That. Sure is a normal thing to say! And this sure is a normal shade of pink on Hunter's face. ]

I - uh - right now?

[Casey blinks back at him, confused.]

Don't you want to get it off?

[The bath is right here, why would anyone want to wait... but he also grew up in the apocalypse where communal showers were super normal so to him there's no reason to be flustered about it. Sorry, Hunter!]

[ Even when Hunter was a scout Belos made sure he was alone, so ... This is new? This is a lot. And ...

Oh dear. That's a single feeling rearing its head now. He's like a single shade less than beed red. ]

W-well - yes but - uh - is that. Okay with you?

Edited 2023-11-17 02:47 (UTC)

[Casey pauses at that, taking note of how red Hunter's getting. Gives himself a moment to parse it.

...Oh. Privacy's a thing, that's right. He remembered! He'd been too busy worrying about the situation to fuss over sensibilities.]

Um. I'm okay with it? But it's fine if you're not. I just don't want to miss any and have it get worse later... [He scratches at his cheek, feeling awkward. Did he overstep?] I can close my eyes? Or find someone you'd be more comfortable with...

[ That -

That's a good point actually. And plus it might come back if there's any left, right? And also who else is Hunter going to trust here. Rue? Rue ... actually would be pretty good but he gets the sense that they probably need to rest and. It's totally fine! It's Casey!! They live together! ]

N-no! No it's - you're right, I need to make sure all of it's gone!!

[ Titan, his face is going to light on fire. He can feel it. ]

[Casey relaxes again, relieved, though he can't help feeling embarrassed about that part. It's such a dumb thing to be relieved about. He really just wants to help, not make Hunter feel uncomfortable. He thinks for a moment: surely they can find a middle ground here...]

Oh- here. [He shifts himself around on the floor to face the wall, and lifts his hand to cover his eyes.] I won't look until you tell me to. It's fine if it's just your back, right?

[Hunter should be able to get most of it on his own, it's just the places he can't see that might give him trouble.]

R-right! Just my back. That's totally fine.

[ Casey clearly doesn't think this is anything at all and that's exactly right so! So.

Hunter takes in a good deep breath. Another one. It cools his face a little bit. Then he carefully peels off the underlayer he was wearing. It is, frankly, rather gross given all the fighting they did, and then the bleeding he did, and also the mud puddle Hunter had to hide in for most of the night. Yeah ... that's not going back on, is it.

Casey will hear the faint sound of splashing as Hunter settles himself into the water. Okay maybe that doesn't help with cooling down his face at all, but it does feel good, at least. And once he's gotten everything off, he can see that the bark is only on his upper body. There's another relief - he's got less to scrape off in that case.

He soaks for a moment before grabbing a sponge to scrape gently at his skin. Before long, the water is murky and gray and clogged with bark the same as the sink had been. ]

Okay - uh - I think I need help with my back now.

[Casey waits patiently as he works, grateful for the way it fills the silence he'd spent most of the night enduring after he left the room Leo was sleeping in. After a certain point he loses the energy to keep his hand up and just closes his eyes, listening to the sound of scrubbing and splashing water to keep him focused and awake. And maybe a bit of secret meditation to stay calm, or as calm as this whole situation allows.

Once Hunter calls for him, though, he snaps out of it, rubbing at his eyes, and turns back towards the tub. Wow, that water's nasty. Good thing the drain has a convenient catcher or it'd get really clogged. He shifts the plug and lets some fresh water in as it drains, clearing the muck a bit.]

There's so much of it... I can't believe you had to deal with this for so long.

[He grabs a second sponge, squeezing warm water over the bark on his back to let it soak in before he starts scrubbing.]

I - I didn't realize, honestly. I usually stay covered up, and it didn't hurt so ...

[ So it was fine, clearly! Not nearly as bad as some of the training he went through with Belos. Which he normally would have said out loud just now, except he's very certain now that all of that was also terrible for his uncle to have done to him.

That thought finally cools him down a bit, at least. His shoulders relax as he lets Casey work. Thankfully, the stuff on his back has already been loosened by Hunter soaking in the sub. Casey is able to scrub the stuff away with a little extra water and some gentle circles.

Underneath the bark, Hunter has a few tattoos on his shoulders. These glyphs are frankly terrible and jittery, given the angle he would have had to used to get them on in the first place. Past that ... well. No points for guessing that there are scars on his back too. Most of them are old, with the same laceration patterns that are all over Hunter's face and arms.

He winds up sagging a bit, eyes closing as he lets himself relax again. ]

That actually feels really nice now.

I'm glad it didn't hurt, at least...

[So long as Hunter wasn't suffering in silence and not checking his own condition, it's easy to understand that he might not notice for a while. He does keep very covered, especially in the armor. Although, with a glance towards the muddied bundle in the corner, maybe some of that will need replacing soon. That's up to Hunter of course, but he knows that he's not thrilled about washing all the blood out of his own gear.

At Hunter's confession, he pauses, glancing down at the skin that his efforts are slowly revealing. Still more scars... and the glyphs, besides. He carefully navigates the sponge over and around each mark, trying to be as gentle as he can. Scars are old wounds, he knows- he's had to bear plenty of his own, after all. But considering how sensitive Hunter is about the one on his face, he doesn't want to cause him any pain by scraping over some old unhappy memory. Especially not with how Hunter's relaxing like this.

How much of this was Belos, he worries. Either directly or through whatever dangerous mission he was sent out on... without family or friends to support him. It's a terrible thing to carry, this knowledge. Still, he's grateful Hunter trusts him, to allow him to carry some of that weight as well.

(A part of him is so very tempted to tap one of the benign glyphs, just to see. But it won't work, and even if it did it'd only disturb Hunter's calm, so he refrains.)]

That's called letting someone else take care of you, [he responds instead, pressing the warm sponge against a particularly stubborn bit of bark at Hunter's shoulder.] It's supposed to feel good.

[ Hunter's quiet for a moment in turn, oblivious to what Casey is thinking about. Frankly, he's glad he's managed to get his own brain to shut up for minute in favor of enjoying the water. Just calm. Just quiet. He doesn't have to think about anything else.

It takes him a moment to register that Casey's said something. ]

I ... didn't know. I've never had anyone do something like this for me before. [ A small pause. Probably obvious WHY but. ] Belos didn't like dealing with it. He told me to take care of my own problems if I was hurt.

[ The tone is different now. Instead of having pride in his own toughness, Hunter simply feels ... sad. A little empty. And grateful, in turn, that now he has something to make up for what he's missed, if only by a little bit. ]

[Casey chews on that one. His filter is probably not so great tonight. With his family under threat from horrible people, one wounded, two missing in action, and one in front of him covered in tree bark, he's definitely not going to be very charitable towards a known abusive parental figure. He should really keep his mouth shut-]

-Belos was a jerk. [Casey that is not keeping your mouth shut. Although it is one of the more tame thoughts that has come to mind about Belos recently.] ...I won't apologize for it! Not today.

[Maybe tomorrow, if Hunter gets mad or defensive. But tonight he's fighting for his family, and right now it's the only way he can.]

[ On the one hand? Maybe not the best fight to pick today. On the other hand ... maybe it's not really a fight any more. Hunter just sort of slumps in the tub, his head hanging low. ]

He ... he was.

[ No anger or defensiveness here. Just profound loss. ]

[Casey doesn't want to fight right now, either, so he lets the statement hang like that. He's sure Hunter has plenty on his mind, having let himself say it. There's no need to push when emotions are running as high as they are. Instead he keeps washing the bark free of Hunter's back, using a gentle touch and the simple act of service speak for themselves. And (secretly) feel a bubble of pride in Hunter, (less secretly) incredibly sad for him. He'd rather have been wrong about Belos, but the evidence in front of him speaks volumes.

When the last of the bark is cleaned away, and Casey can see no more evidence of whatever spell had afflicted Hunter, he casts a glance over the slumped form of his friend, considering for a moment, then moves to drain the water and refresh it again, depositing a cup of the new water over Hunter's head.]

'm gonna wash your hair. Lean back a bit.

[Is Hunter perfectly capable of washing his own hair? Sure. But he's been doing that his whole life, and it's been a hard night. He should focus on what it feels like to be taken care of, not the disappointment of never feeling it before.]

[ Hunter startles lightly, the change in pace pulling him back out of thinking about his uncle. ]

Oh. I - all right. I can do it myself too.

[ This is also new, of course, but no need to repeat himself. Hunter cautiously leans back, then, to let Casey do that. ]

I know. [He's still doing it. It's not the point.

A few more water dunks, and whatever shampoo isn't Casey's added to the mix, and instead of a normal quick lather, he starts to rub the pads of his fingertips in a slow and steady arc upwards from base to scalp, more of a massage than a regular wash. Good for relaxation, settling the nerves, winding down after a tough battle. It doesn't work for everyone, but it worked on him when Commander O'Neil did it, so he's hopeful.]

[ Hunter is stiff at first, not sure how to relax? And then Casey’s fingers really get to work and … wait. Is THAT what relaxing is supposed to feel like? It’s all melty and pleasant and he immediately forgets anything else he was thinking about, including his uncle. (But also, Belos would absolutely never get close to doing something like this. The man barely put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder most of the time.)

He winds up sinking back into the water a bit and going limp. ]

Mmmnhg…

[ Yeah that feels nice. ]

[Casey has to bite his lip to keep a chuckle from escaping at that noise so he doesn't disturb Hunter or draw attention to himself. That was... really cute. He sounds happy, which is good. Very good. (One of them may as well be, tonight's been a write-off entirely otherwise.) In that case, he'll keep it up, though he's careful to keep his hand angled so Hunter stays upright. This is actually kind of difficult to do with only one hand, and the last thing he wants is to accidentally fumble and let the poor guy drop and smack his head or something. They really don't need another injury-

-the reminder makes his hand go still for a moment, and he has to force it to keep moving again. Calm, calm... giving the massage is almost as relaxing as getting it, and he likes feeling Hunter kind of melt under the touch. It feels almost like he's accomplishing something. Don't think about... everything else.]

[ Despite everything, this might be the best day of Hunter’s life. Or the best ten minutes? Well - it’s up there, anyway, and the relief is extra stark given the horrors they’ve been through. He lets out a soft sigh of contentment. Casey’s probably going to have to tell him when he’s ready to stop because Hunter isn’t sure how long these things are supposed to last. ]

Is this a human custom? It’s really nice.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject