It was an odd thing, for Jaycy to be knocking at Pslyder?s door. Maybe she didn't have a key to his house. Maybe she was just being polite. Either way, the jean- and bomber-jacket wearing gypsy set the bag of groceries on the doorstep and rapped swiftly on the wood, three times. The door creaked open, a weary crimson eye peeking around the corner, before throwing it open wide. Kelathe wore cut off jean shorts, and a tight tank top, hair tucked back out of her face with strip of cloth. She had some dirt smudges on her face and arms, and a cleaning cloth in one hand. ?Morning!?
Jaycy?s brows lifted at the woman?s attire. Naturally, her gaze flicked swiftly down Kel?s body (she is, of course, appreciative of a fine figure) then she chuckled and leaned down to heft the bag. ?Morning, Kel. I brought you a few things,? she said with a smile on her face. If you could tell by how full the bag was, it was slightly more than a ?few things.?
?May I come in?? Maybe she had been knocking just for politeness? sake.
Kelathe smiled, and moved aside, opening the door a little wider for Jaycy. ?Thank you. Pslyder is a nice man, but I don?t think he?s been here in quite a while.?She laughed, and motioned for Jaycy to come on in.
Jaycy turned, and shuffled sideways through the door. Her cheeks had flushed slightly at Kel?s comment. ?I think he was here a few days ago.? Well, they had been here a few days ago, on his couch. Then she?d left - and Psly had ended up at Seaside. He hadn?t ?slept? here in a while, it seemed. At least a week and a half? Jaycy?s head tilted as she thought about it swiftly. A bit of a smile crossed her face. That may explain his lack of basic foods.
Jaycy shook her head to clear it of distraction, ?I?ll just?take this to the kitchen.? The kitchen was on the left, and she headed that way. Kelathe nodded, padded along barefoot behind her. It appeared that a definite excavation had been underway. The fridge had been completely cleaned out, stove and oven scrubbed, dishes washed and put away, floors swept and mop. The only dirty dish was a coffee cup sitting at the table, where Kel had been sitting before she heard the door.
Jaycy?s first response was simply, ?Wow.? She took a long look around, before placing the groceries down on the table. ?How long have you been awake and busy? I thought it would take a week to get this kitchen taken care of.? She?d planned to do the cleaning herself, but then they?d started spending just so much time at the Manor. The need to clean his house had kind of faded into the background.
?A couple of hours, actually. It wasn?t as bad as it looked.? Kelathe?s white skin flushed. ?The bathroom was horrible, though.? She made a face, sticking out her tongue, and squinching her eyes. She washed her hands in the sink, and dried them, and started unloading the bag of groceries. It was her turn to say ?Wow.?
?These are a lot of groceries.?
In the bag were most of the important basics: a bit of chicken, beef and pork, not too much, but one of each because Jaycy didn?t know what Kel liked; milk, eggs, a small wheel of cheese; some fruits and vegetables in case Kel was a vegetarian; salt and bread.
Speaking of the bathroom, ?I made sure to use a separate bathroom than he ever did,? Jaycy chuckled softly. She took another look around. ?This looks good, Kel. Thank you.?
Kelathe?s face flushed a deeper red. ?It was the least I could do. I mean, he didn?t ask me to pay him to stay here.? She bent over to put some of the cold goods in the drawers of the fridge. ?I didn?t go into his bedroom, though. I didn?t think he would like it.?
Jaycy leaned back against the table, fingers curling over the edge of the wood. While Kel?s leaned forward, she?s ... appreciated. But the appraisal is swift and, by the time Kel looked back at her, she was innocently gazing elsewhere. Honestly, she was the one who appreciated Kel?s not going into the bedroom. She seemed nice enough, but... ?I?ll say thank you for him. Did you sleep well? Or at all??
A quick shake of her head. She said softly, ?I don?t sleep well in new places.? Her crimson eyes glowed faintly a moment, and she began to massage her temples lightly. She closed her eyes tightly a moment, and bit her lip.
Jaycy?s brows furrowed, and she asked, concernedly, ?Are you alright? I think Psly has something for headaches somewhere around here.?
She nodded, still massaging her temples. ?I?m...fine...? Her teeth sounded gritted as she spoke. ?Excuse me a moment...? Kel rushed from the room, headed towards the bathroom. A shock of snowy white had appeared in her ebon hair.
Frowning intently, Jaycy?s attention was distracted more by the woman?s sudden flight than by the change in hair color. After Kel was gone, however, she began to put away the nonperishables. She?d wait for Kel to come back, rather than chase after her. It was the polite thing to do.
From the bathroom came the sound of sobbing, and someone retching. Glass shattered, and a harsh voice began to speak. Another voice answered, terrified.
Jaycy?s gazed snapped up, and she dropped the pasta she was putting away. She turned at the sound of glass breaking, and dashed across the cavernous living room to get to the downstairs bathroom on the right side of the converted barn, calling Kel?s name. The sobbing continued, and Jaycy was confronted by door that was slightly ajar.
?Oh, hell.? Jaycy gathered up her nerve, and pushed the door open. She stepped into the bathroom, green-gold gaze snapping around the small area, trying to figure out what is going on. ?Kel??
Kelathe was tucked into the bathtub, her arms around her knees in a tightly curled ball. The mirror on the wall of the bathroom wall was shattered, and it is quite obvious that her hand was the weapon that caused the damage. Blood dripped from her hand, streaking the porcelain of the tub. White streaks marred the once completely raven hair. Her head lay against her knees, and she rocked back and forth, crying.
?Oh, gods.? Jaycy looked around, remembering that she had left first aid supplies in the bathroom, near the toilet. It held basic first aid items. She pulled out bandages, and even some alcohol. She carefully cleared any shards of glass, before dropping to her knees next to the bathtub. ?Kelathe, what happened?? She meant, of course, aside from the obvious.
The woman peeked up over her arms, tears streaming from her eyes. Something was different about her face; it seemed softer, more broken.
?Jaycy?.? She winced as she said the woman?s name, pain crossing her features. ?I?.can?t.? She flexed her hand a little, the pain of the wound letting her focus a little more. ?I?.need?help.? Her speech was stuttering, as if she were fighting for every word she said.
Jaycy had begun to reach for the bleeding hand to begin tending it, but she paused, and her hand dropped back into her lap. Green-gold gaze passes over the woman?s body more fully, in a much less sexual manner than before, as she tries to figure out what is going on. ?What can I do?? She didn?t really expect an answer, but she knew at this point, for sure, it was something beyond the injury to her hand.
?Something.... bad..... trapped.....? She flinched, and flexed her hand again. Her teeth gritted, grinding audibly. Suddenly, Kelathe cracked her head against the wall, and slumped forward, unconscious.
?S***!? The first thing Jaycy did was lean forward, searching for a pulse. She stood up, leaning over the tub so she could assess the damage to her head. There was a little blood, but not much. Kelathe had cracked her head just hard enough to obtain unconsciousness.
Jaycy frowned, and stood up. She had already begun calling mentally for Psly, but the woman needed help now. She swiftly moved through the house, then outside, looking for assistance. ?Someone, please help!?
A young brute of a man looked up, responding to her cries. He had been walking down the road, a large barrel hefted on his right shoulder. ?Eh?? Jaycy turned her imploring gaze to him. ?My friend is hurt, and I can?t move her!?
The man carefully set down the barrel, and headed towards the distraught gypsy. She, in turn, moved into the house and for the bathroom. The man followed, stepping around her and into the tiny room, while Jaycy waited outside. There wasn?t enough room for both of them. The man looked down at the unconscious Kelathe, and asked. ?Where ya want ?er??
Jaycy frowned, and looked from the stairs, and then to the couch. ?Can you get her upstairs??
?I think so.? The man bent down at the knees, and reached to get his arms under Kelathe, and lift her up. The woman was completely unconscious, and she remained limp as a rag doll in the man?s arms. A low moan escaped her lips. The man staggered a little, off balance, as he lifted her. He carefully turned in the bathroom, careful to keep from hitting Kelathe?s head. He spoke to Jaycy: ?Lead on, lady.?
Jaycy nodded, and turned, headed quickly for the stairs. She ascended swiftly, and made her way into the spare bedroom. Noting that the bed had been made up, she quickly turned the covers down before her helper set Kel down onto the smooth sheets.
Jaycy thanked the man after he had laid her down. He nodded, and left, being nice enough to make sure the front door was closed behind him. Meanwhile, she frowned, moving to the bed. Jaycy touched Kel?s forehead with the back of her hand. Her eyes flickered a little, but didn?t open. Kel shook her head weakly, flexing her injured hand.
What Jaycy could do is take care of the hand and head injury. She left the room a few moments, returning with the first aid supplies from the bathroom. Once more perching on the edge of the bed, she reached for the injured hand to begin her ministrations, which unfortunately included pouring a bit of alcohol over the cuts. She dabbed at the wounds with a piece of gauze.
Kelathe?s eyes opened abruptly, and she grabbed Jaycy?s hand. Her look was intense, gaze boring into hers. She spoke only a single word. ?Please?? She winced as she spoke. ?Please?keep me asleep?find help?? Kel?s eyes changed, imploring the other woman.
Jaycy frowned at the hand that grabbed her. ?Kel? What?s going on?? She did not pull away from the sudden contact, instead turning her green-gold gaze to met Kel?s crimson. Even while she?s talked, she tried to think of how to keep the woman asleep. She couldn?t do it with magic, and it seemed rather rude to violently knock her out so soon after her crack on the head. Her mind raced as she tried to keep the other woman calm.
Kel took a deep breath, her voice low and hurried. ?I was gone?.a long time. Something?.is?in me. And it?s?not good. I don?t want anything else bad to happen.? This was probably the longest speech Jaycy was going to get. Kel?s eyes drifted slowly closed again, and her grip loosened, hand falling limp.
Jaycy?s swearing was a bit longer and more violent. She was very glad she had never invited the other woman to stay at the Manor despite having the space. She did have a young child there! Jaycy had a dawning realization. Psly had mentioned a small medical robot stashed in the wall of the living room. He had also mentioned that it was programmed to respond to her.
She left Kelathe laying there. The woman had grown abnormally still, her breathing heavy. Her eyes moved as if she were dreaming. Hurrying to the living room, she punched a few buttons on a keypad on the wall. A panel slid open, and a dusty little robot with many arms appeared. A glowing blue eye looked at Jaycy, and in a monotone voice, the robot spoke, ?Please direct me to the patient. Orders??
?In the bedroom. She needs to be sedated,? Jaycy studied the little robot, making a mental note that someone needed to clean the poor fellow up.
?Orders received. Processing.? A humming sound issued forth, and the robot proceeded to the stairs, and up it. It quickly entered the bedroom, heading towards the prone woman on the bed. Various probes and plates came from a center panel in the robot, and it began to examine Kelathe. The woman began to move a little on the bed, body shaking.
?Please restrain. Please restrain. Cannot fulfill orders until patient is stable.?
Jaycy rushed to the bedside, grabbing hold of her arm, and holding it still. The robot clicked and whirred a few more times, before tapping Kelathe?s arm. Finally, a small syringe appeared amidst all the other apparatus, and something was injected into the woman?s arm.
?Orders complete. New orders??
Jaycy whispered, ?Standby.? The robot retreated into a corner, becoming inert again. Jaycy turned her attention back to Kelathe, carefully studying her reaction. She was surprised to see that Kel was smiling, blissfully. A heavy sigh issued from the sedated woman, as if a burden had been lifted. She still looked as if she were dreaming, but it didn?t seem as if she were fighting so hard to keep herself still. Her hair became a complete, snowy white.
Jaycy sighed, and left the room again. She returned swiftly, carrying with her several lengths of rope. She didn?t enjoy doing this, but keeping the woman in the bed was necessary. The rope would probably not stop Kelathe if she really got it in her mind to run, but it would hinder casual ?sleepwalking?. What she did was tie Kel?s arms and legs to the posts of the bed. It wasn?t tightly tied, of course, but just enough that her limbs couldn?t slip the casual restraints and enough so that Kel knew they were there.
Jaycy?s brows lifted at the woman?s attire. Naturally, her gaze flicked swiftly down Kel?s body (she is, of course, appreciative of a fine figure) then she chuckled and leaned down to heft the bag. ?Morning, Kel. I brought you a few things,? she said with a smile on her face. If you could tell by how full the bag was, it was slightly more than a ?few things.?
?May I come in?? Maybe she had been knocking just for politeness? sake.
Kelathe smiled, and moved aside, opening the door a little wider for Jaycy. ?Thank you. Pslyder is a nice man, but I don?t think he?s been here in quite a while.?She laughed, and motioned for Jaycy to come on in.
Jaycy turned, and shuffled sideways through the door. Her cheeks had flushed slightly at Kel?s comment. ?I think he was here a few days ago.? Well, they had been here a few days ago, on his couch. Then she?d left - and Psly had ended up at Seaside. He hadn?t ?slept? here in a while, it seemed. At least a week and a half? Jaycy?s head tilted as she thought about it swiftly. A bit of a smile crossed her face. That may explain his lack of basic foods.
Jaycy shook her head to clear it of distraction, ?I?ll just?take this to the kitchen.? The kitchen was on the left, and she headed that way. Kelathe nodded, padded along barefoot behind her. It appeared that a definite excavation had been underway. The fridge had been completely cleaned out, stove and oven scrubbed, dishes washed and put away, floors swept and mop. The only dirty dish was a coffee cup sitting at the table, where Kel had been sitting before she heard the door.
Jaycy?s first response was simply, ?Wow.? She took a long look around, before placing the groceries down on the table. ?How long have you been awake and busy? I thought it would take a week to get this kitchen taken care of.? She?d planned to do the cleaning herself, but then they?d started spending just so much time at the Manor. The need to clean his house had kind of faded into the background.
?A couple of hours, actually. It wasn?t as bad as it looked.? Kelathe?s white skin flushed. ?The bathroom was horrible, though.? She made a face, sticking out her tongue, and squinching her eyes. She washed her hands in the sink, and dried them, and started unloading the bag of groceries. It was her turn to say ?Wow.?
?These are a lot of groceries.?
In the bag were most of the important basics: a bit of chicken, beef and pork, not too much, but one of each because Jaycy didn?t know what Kel liked; milk, eggs, a small wheel of cheese; some fruits and vegetables in case Kel was a vegetarian; salt and bread.
Speaking of the bathroom, ?I made sure to use a separate bathroom than he ever did,? Jaycy chuckled softly. She took another look around. ?This looks good, Kel. Thank you.?
Kelathe?s face flushed a deeper red. ?It was the least I could do. I mean, he didn?t ask me to pay him to stay here.? She bent over to put some of the cold goods in the drawers of the fridge. ?I didn?t go into his bedroom, though. I didn?t think he would like it.?
Jaycy leaned back against the table, fingers curling over the edge of the wood. While Kel?s leaned forward, she?s ... appreciated. But the appraisal is swift and, by the time Kel looked back at her, she was innocently gazing elsewhere. Honestly, she was the one who appreciated Kel?s not going into the bedroom. She seemed nice enough, but... ?I?ll say thank you for him. Did you sleep well? Or at all??
A quick shake of her head. She said softly, ?I don?t sleep well in new places.? Her crimson eyes glowed faintly a moment, and she began to massage her temples lightly. She closed her eyes tightly a moment, and bit her lip.
Jaycy?s brows furrowed, and she asked, concernedly, ?Are you alright? I think Psly has something for headaches somewhere around here.?
She nodded, still massaging her temples. ?I?m...fine...? Her teeth sounded gritted as she spoke. ?Excuse me a moment...? Kel rushed from the room, headed towards the bathroom. A shock of snowy white had appeared in her ebon hair.
Frowning intently, Jaycy?s attention was distracted more by the woman?s sudden flight than by the change in hair color. After Kel was gone, however, she began to put away the nonperishables. She?d wait for Kel to come back, rather than chase after her. It was the polite thing to do.
From the bathroom came the sound of sobbing, and someone retching. Glass shattered, and a harsh voice began to speak. Another voice answered, terrified.
Jaycy?s gazed snapped up, and she dropped the pasta she was putting away. She turned at the sound of glass breaking, and dashed across the cavernous living room to get to the downstairs bathroom on the right side of the converted barn, calling Kel?s name. The sobbing continued, and Jaycy was confronted by door that was slightly ajar.
?Oh, hell.? Jaycy gathered up her nerve, and pushed the door open. She stepped into the bathroom, green-gold gaze snapping around the small area, trying to figure out what is going on. ?Kel??
Kelathe was tucked into the bathtub, her arms around her knees in a tightly curled ball. The mirror on the wall of the bathroom wall was shattered, and it is quite obvious that her hand was the weapon that caused the damage. Blood dripped from her hand, streaking the porcelain of the tub. White streaks marred the once completely raven hair. Her head lay against her knees, and she rocked back and forth, crying.
?Oh, gods.? Jaycy looked around, remembering that she had left first aid supplies in the bathroom, near the toilet. It held basic first aid items. She pulled out bandages, and even some alcohol. She carefully cleared any shards of glass, before dropping to her knees next to the bathtub. ?Kelathe, what happened?? She meant, of course, aside from the obvious.
The woman peeked up over her arms, tears streaming from her eyes. Something was different about her face; it seemed softer, more broken.
?Jaycy?.? She winced as she said the woman?s name, pain crossing her features. ?I?.can?t.? She flexed her hand a little, the pain of the wound letting her focus a little more. ?I?.need?help.? Her speech was stuttering, as if she were fighting for every word she said.
Jaycy had begun to reach for the bleeding hand to begin tending it, but she paused, and her hand dropped back into her lap. Green-gold gaze passes over the woman?s body more fully, in a much less sexual manner than before, as she tries to figure out what is going on. ?What can I do?? She didn?t really expect an answer, but she knew at this point, for sure, it was something beyond the injury to her hand.
?Something.... bad..... trapped.....? She flinched, and flexed her hand again. Her teeth gritted, grinding audibly. Suddenly, Kelathe cracked her head against the wall, and slumped forward, unconscious.
?S***!? The first thing Jaycy did was lean forward, searching for a pulse. She stood up, leaning over the tub so she could assess the damage to her head. There was a little blood, but not much. Kelathe had cracked her head just hard enough to obtain unconsciousness.
Jaycy frowned, and stood up. She had already begun calling mentally for Psly, but the woman needed help now. She swiftly moved through the house, then outside, looking for assistance. ?Someone, please help!?
A young brute of a man looked up, responding to her cries. He had been walking down the road, a large barrel hefted on his right shoulder. ?Eh?? Jaycy turned her imploring gaze to him. ?My friend is hurt, and I can?t move her!?
The man carefully set down the barrel, and headed towards the distraught gypsy. She, in turn, moved into the house and for the bathroom. The man followed, stepping around her and into the tiny room, while Jaycy waited outside. There wasn?t enough room for both of them. The man looked down at the unconscious Kelathe, and asked. ?Where ya want ?er??
Jaycy frowned, and looked from the stairs, and then to the couch. ?Can you get her upstairs??
?I think so.? The man bent down at the knees, and reached to get his arms under Kelathe, and lift her up. The woman was completely unconscious, and she remained limp as a rag doll in the man?s arms. A low moan escaped her lips. The man staggered a little, off balance, as he lifted her. He carefully turned in the bathroom, careful to keep from hitting Kelathe?s head. He spoke to Jaycy: ?Lead on, lady.?
Jaycy nodded, and turned, headed quickly for the stairs. She ascended swiftly, and made her way into the spare bedroom. Noting that the bed had been made up, she quickly turned the covers down before her helper set Kel down onto the smooth sheets.
Jaycy thanked the man after he had laid her down. He nodded, and left, being nice enough to make sure the front door was closed behind him. Meanwhile, she frowned, moving to the bed. Jaycy touched Kel?s forehead with the back of her hand. Her eyes flickered a little, but didn?t open. Kel shook her head weakly, flexing her injured hand.
What Jaycy could do is take care of the hand and head injury. She left the room a few moments, returning with the first aid supplies from the bathroom. Once more perching on the edge of the bed, she reached for the injured hand to begin her ministrations, which unfortunately included pouring a bit of alcohol over the cuts. She dabbed at the wounds with a piece of gauze.
Kelathe?s eyes opened abruptly, and she grabbed Jaycy?s hand. Her look was intense, gaze boring into hers. She spoke only a single word. ?Please?? She winced as she spoke. ?Please?keep me asleep?find help?? Kel?s eyes changed, imploring the other woman.
Jaycy frowned at the hand that grabbed her. ?Kel? What?s going on?? She did not pull away from the sudden contact, instead turning her green-gold gaze to met Kel?s crimson. Even while she?s talked, she tried to think of how to keep the woman asleep. She couldn?t do it with magic, and it seemed rather rude to violently knock her out so soon after her crack on the head. Her mind raced as she tried to keep the other woman calm.
Kel took a deep breath, her voice low and hurried. ?I was gone?.a long time. Something?.is?in me. And it?s?not good. I don?t want anything else bad to happen.? This was probably the longest speech Jaycy was going to get. Kel?s eyes drifted slowly closed again, and her grip loosened, hand falling limp.
Jaycy?s swearing was a bit longer and more violent. She was very glad she had never invited the other woman to stay at the Manor despite having the space. She did have a young child there! Jaycy had a dawning realization. Psly had mentioned a small medical robot stashed in the wall of the living room. He had also mentioned that it was programmed to respond to her.
She left Kelathe laying there. The woman had grown abnormally still, her breathing heavy. Her eyes moved as if she were dreaming. Hurrying to the living room, she punched a few buttons on a keypad on the wall. A panel slid open, and a dusty little robot with many arms appeared. A glowing blue eye looked at Jaycy, and in a monotone voice, the robot spoke, ?Please direct me to the patient. Orders??
?In the bedroom. She needs to be sedated,? Jaycy studied the little robot, making a mental note that someone needed to clean the poor fellow up.
?Orders received. Processing.? A humming sound issued forth, and the robot proceeded to the stairs, and up it. It quickly entered the bedroom, heading towards the prone woman on the bed. Various probes and plates came from a center panel in the robot, and it began to examine Kelathe. The woman began to move a little on the bed, body shaking.
?Please restrain. Please restrain. Cannot fulfill orders until patient is stable.?
Jaycy rushed to the bedside, grabbing hold of her arm, and holding it still. The robot clicked and whirred a few more times, before tapping Kelathe?s arm. Finally, a small syringe appeared amidst all the other apparatus, and something was injected into the woman?s arm.
?Orders complete. New orders??
Jaycy whispered, ?Standby.? The robot retreated into a corner, becoming inert again. Jaycy turned her attention back to Kelathe, carefully studying her reaction. She was surprised to see that Kel was smiling, blissfully. A heavy sigh issued from the sedated woman, as if a burden had been lifted. She still looked as if she were dreaming, but it didn?t seem as if she were fighting so hard to keep herself still. Her hair became a complete, snowy white.
Jaycy sighed, and left the room again. She returned swiftly, carrying with her several lengths of rope. She didn?t enjoy doing this, but keeping the woman in the bed was necessary. The rope would probably not stop Kelathe if she really got it in her mind to run, but it would hinder casual ?sleepwalking?. What she did was tie Kel?s arms and legs to the posts of the bed. It wasn?t tightly tied, of course, but just enough that her limbs couldn?t slip the casual restraints and enough so that Kel knew they were there.