Welcome to Ryslig's test drive meme! If you're considering apping here, this is where you can try your characters out in the game's setting. A few things to note:
You can only app ONE character per round so choose wisely.
We now have a Quick Game Facts that simplifies the basic information about the game. Good if you want to see what the game is at a glance!
Lots of people have asked good questions on the FAQ, so do take a look.
The reserve date has been announced (it was changed to the 30th to allow a maximum number of people compared to a Friday).
Test drive meme threads can be used for your roleplay sample!
NEW! Players with characters already in the game can earn up to a maximum of 3 coins by replying to potential character threads! You will need to have your normal 20 comment AC in the game. You cannot use this to go over the bonus 10 coins per month total, but you can use it if you are missing some threads to reach that coin total. Same rules as normal bonuses apply.
Sample scenarios:
SCENARIO ONE: So you've just arrived, fresh out of the hospital, and already the natives are trying to get on your good side. Offers of food, shelter and other luxuries in return for hoping you don't eat them. They even have some helpful pamphlets to share with you. "How To Deal With Changes", "Alternatives to Human Flesh", "What to Expect When You're Expecting (to turn into a monster)" are all great pamphlets. There's even some detailing certain monsters, and the changes they go through.
Among these however, are some... not so helpful ones. "Bunnyipyips And You", "Axe Thief Axehounds," and "So you're becoming a Fur Bearing Trout" among others.
SCENARIO TWO: You've become hopelessly lost in Lager Woods. Paths don't seem to lead where you remember them leading, and you feel as if you're going around in circles. Childlike giggling can be heard from no direction in particular. Suddenly, you stumble upon another character, who seems to be just as lost as you! Perhaps you can find a way out together. Or maybe they want you for lunch...
SCENARIO THREE: You've heard about the fog, but you've never seen it before. Now, the mist surrounds you. Barely able to see before you, you need to get home - and fast. It's far too dangerous in this situation.
SCENARIO FOUR: The time has come and you've found yourself becoming a monster. Is the change instant, or gradual? Are you familiar enough with monsters to know what's happening, or is it a complete shock? NOTE: Feel free to pick any monster type for this prompt, but note that you may not get the same one in game.
[Harry whipped around reflexively at the voice. He hadn't been happy to be caught out in the fog so far from home, and while the journey was almost over, that also meant his sense of impending doom was near its peak. At the sight of the source however, all tension immediately drops out of his body. This tiny, bloody figure trying to hold herself straight in spite of the transformation...]
Stars and Stones kid!
[Even if his pig-headed chivalry hadn't already kicked into high gear, something in the back of Harry's mind saw a little too much of his apprentice in this one, and it told him to not fail this one like he did Molly.]
...I've got room to spare at my place, it's just another 5 minutes in this direction. Think you'll be okay to walk there?
[Harry gave her an apologetic look along with the question. She definitely didn't look like the type to take hand-outs easily but hey, chivalry. He had to check.]
[Who you callin' tiny, punk?! Well, okay, she reaches about 5'4" with heels...
But seriously, uh, "stars and stones"? The hell kind of place does he come from, saying things like that? She gives him a flat look but decides this isn't really the time nor place to pick apart someone's gib. Pig-headed chivalry or not, it's a place away from this terrible weather and an opportunity to patch herself up.]
Been through a lot worse, man. [A lot worse, like being torn to several hundred pieces worse.] I'll be fine, just lead the way.
[Harry's 6'9" barefoot so don't let it get to you, it takes strong Scandinavian genetics just to reach "short" compared to him.
With a nod he turns on his heel and beckoned for her to follow. Wasting time in this fog was just asking for even more blood to end up outside the bodies it belongs in.]
Harry Dresden, by the way.
[On the one hand, conversation might draw unwanted attention their way, but on the other, he was intimately familiar with how running your mouth made it easier to not focus on things like injuries or imminent death.]
I'm almost glad I ran into you out here. Of all the things that could have popped out of the fog, a friendly face is a nice change for once.
[Holy shit, dude. How's the weather up there? Just as shitty as down here? Yeah, figured.]
Ryuuko.
[She wouldn't say it outright, but she appreciates the distraction...up until the point where her hand comes up to yank on one of the rocky protrusions from her head.]
Etch....
[It's all the way down to the bone, isn't it? A fresh wave of blood runs down her face, and she wipes it off with the back of her hand and flicks it off onto the sidewalk inconsequentially.]
Someone covered in blood is your idea of a "friendly face"?
[Hell kid, didn't your parents ever teach you not to pick at your scabs? Sure those things are on an entirely different level but the principle is the same.
After some fishing around in his duster, Harry pulled out a garish hunk of paisley cloth and tossed it backwards towards her.]
Don't worry about ruining the bandana, They're pretty handy so I've got one or two more lying around. My life hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows either.
[So nothing else had jumped out at him. If anything the bigger concern was that before too long he'd be one of the ones doing the jumping out at. Doesn't change the fact that walking through the fog reminded him of jaunts through the Nevernever. It gave him that same itch on the back of his neck that said somewhere out there, something big, mean, and hungry was looking for a solution to the third bullet point.]
It's more about how somebody carries themselves, blood just means someone hit a rough patch. Obviously you since it's mostly yours, but if it was somebody else's dollars to donuts says they earned a rough patch in their lives.
[No, not really. They didn't really make a habit of talking to her, much less teach her anything, which, given the events of her life recently, might actually be the better deal of the two options.
She takes it and regards the cloth with a judgmental stare, turning it this way and that. Yikes. This is meant to be worn as a bandana? It already looks like it's been used to clean up something else...Still, it does a decent enough job to sop up what's around her eyes, and quickly becomes saturated when she tries to take care of the rest of her face.]
Damn.
[At least it seems to be slowing down.
She arches an eyebrow at the back of his head at dollars to donuts. Dude really has an affection for alliteration, doesn't he?]
Yeah, well, today it's all mine. If th' new hardware counts as mine too. [Sure feels like it.]
[Wearing it might have uses, but mostly he kept it handy for things a measly handkerchief could never do.]
I think it's safe to assume that's all you. Unless you make a habit of diving head-first into piles of gravel.
[She was definitely going through the change. A nearly invisible shiver went up Harry's spine- it wasn't a prospect he was looking forward to in the slightest. He had first hand experience with supernatural forces trying to twist his mind, and his gut told him it wouldn't be any better with a physical change like this being heaped on top of it.
Worries for another time though, and a small apartment building finally came into view that brought his long stride to a halt.]
It's not much, but this is it.... might be a little late but I'm going to ask just one favor for helping you out like this.
[Glancing over his shoulder, Harry gave her a smile that carried a mix of amusement and fear.]
Try not to bleed too much in the hallway. The super's got a stick up her ass a mile long about that sort of thing.
[She gives an amused scoff at the gravel comment.]
Wouldn't be the first time.
[Favor? Oh boy, here it comes. Ryuuko sharpens her eyes automatically, expecting some asinine request that would be demeaning at bes--oh.
There's a moment's hesitation before she holds out her arms as if to say it's a little bit everywhere already, but she doesn't have it in her to give him lip for it because he's made it clear that it's not some case of his own tight-ass. In fact, the way he explains it endears her to the situation. She smirks.]
[He stifles a laugh as he pushed his way through the entrance and turned to hold the door.
Chivalry has nothing to do with it for once. Bloody handprints on the front door is a close second to making a mess of the hall with it.]
Good, that's all I ask.
[On the way up the stairs, Harry takes a mental inventory of his medical supplies.]
Should be able to get you bandaged up for the night, but unless your friends are going to flip out when they can't find you in the morning, you should stick around. First thing tomorrow I can pick up what I'll need to re-dress those wounds.
[Maybe if it were someone else, it would have sounded sad, wistful. But Ryuuko is genuinely fine with the idea that they aren't here, that they don't have to turn into monsters, that they can live peacefully in a world that they fought to protect. She's better equipped to deal with this than they are, she thinks, and she's fine with doing it in relative solitude.
She avoids touching the handrails as they head up the stairs, keeping her hands and the bloodied paisley in her jacket pockets.]
The longer I can stay out of this shit weather, the better.
[He nods silently at her first statement. He had probably said those exact same words himself, and in that exact same tone. It was getting pretty bad back home in Chicago, and it might make this place look like a picnic before the end, but at least his friends had time to prepare themselves, instead of getting thrown right into the fire like this.]
You can stay as long as you need then.
[Fishing out his key, Harry left it at that. She probably wasn't the type to respond well if he pushed the issue, but if she didn't have anyone else to keep an eye on her in this godforsaken place, he hoped he could convince the kid to stick around. At least until she's healed up properly.
With feigned ceremony, he opened the door and flicked on the lights.]
This is it. Kitchen's off to the left so you can clean your hands, shower's on the right at the end of the hall. Take all the time you need.
[She does as he suggests, since her hands are shouldering the bulk of the blood she's shed--delinquent as she may be, she's not in the habit of making messes when people are giving her their honest-to-goodness generosity. It's still under her fingernails, crusted and brown, from when she couldn't help but scratch at the fleshy buds when they first appeared and were breaking through her skin--but it's enough to get to the bathroom without leaving a trail of damning evidence. The door to the bathroom is unlocked, the idea of being able to opt into reliable privacy foreign to her.
As one might expect, she's in there for a long time. At first she stands under the warm water, watching the diluted blood run down her body, it brings back memories of a time that she'd rather not think about. She tries to think of happier things, like a fat little seifuku that would have loved the opportunity to gorge himself on the warm meal wasting down the drain.
As if summoned by her mere wandering thoughts, the deep laceration over her left breast widens, yet more blood pouring forth. She inhales sharply as the hot water stings the open wound and washes the new blood away, revealing an eye, glistening ruby iris inset deep citrine cornea.
Ryuuko shrieks loud enough for three apartments over to hear her.]
[He had finally managed to relax just as the scream reached his ears. You cold never call the way Harry ejected himself from the couch graceful but combined with the long, thundering strides that carried him through the hallway, it was certainly an effective way to get where he was going.
Because he had been moving entirely on reflex, the "fight" half of fight or flight response, the bathroom's occupant only registered in his mind after the door was halfway open. Not being one to barge in on naked teenage girls, he quickly pulled the door to, but his hand kept the handle turned just in case barging in became his best option.
With his cheek pressed to the cheap wood, Harry shouted at the crack between the door and its frame.]
[The response is nothing short of utterly hysterical. She has no idea what emotion(s) she's experiencing right now, but they are something fierce, whatever they are.
If he did come in, he wouldn't be able to see much besides her bare back. She's crouched over on her haunches, holding herself and staring wide-eyed at the floor of the tub as she tries to get her breathing back on track, easier said than done.
Damn it.
She pounds the side of her fist against the shower wall. She was expecting pain, she was expecting disfigurement, she was expecting things that shouldn't belong on her, but she wasn't expecting...this. Whether it's mockery or consolidation, she finds it patronizing either way.
Ryuuko lets out an even exhale.]
I'm fine. [Louder, in case he didn't hear it over the water:] I'm fine.
[The tension in his shoulders slowly releases, and his hand lets the door handle twist back into its closed position.
She wasn't fine, that much was obvious. But whatever was wrong, at least it wasn't anything life-threatening. Small blessings.
When he called out through the door again, the intensity in his voice had completely given way in favor of a gentle tone.]
Well, if you do need anything shout. Just not as loud next time.
[He paused a beat. Hopefully the no-nonsense vibe Harry got from her would mean she wouldn't be too put off by his next proposal. But he did have about two decades on her, after all.]
Get as decent as you can once you're done, but you're going to need help getting those wounds dressed properly. Some things... would probably get in the way, especially with that one on your chest.
[Fortunately for him, he had two decades on her. With his experience dealing with his former apprentice's advances, who had a handful of years on this girl at best, Harry was confident such a young woman's body wouldn't affect him in the least.
Now he just needed to keep reminding himself of that.]
[She chuckles with a defiant edge rather than amusement, whether or not he can hear it over the water.]
No promises.
[Ryuuko gets herself back up on her feet, freezing solid when he mentions the wound on her chest. Her head whips around to check behind her, to make sure that he hadn't stepped in to witness what had actually happened to her--but he's nowhere to be seen, and she realizes that he must have noticed it earlier from the stains on her blouse.
She looks down at what could hardly be called a wound anymore, and it looks back up at her. She holds up a hand to sever their eye contact. Too close to home.]
We'll be out in a second.
[Wait, "we"? Ryuuko slaps a hand over her mouth and mentally curses herself.
She stays in the shower for a few more moments until the water consistently runs practically clear, stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped tightly around her midsection, an unused washcloth held across her chest to hide her new eye. He might figure that it might just be to hide a garish wound, but the truth is she's not ready for someone else to see it. Her wet hair still drips water onto her shoulders, as she's unwilling to wrap it in another towel due to the horns.
Well, she could have tried, but she didn't want to upset them and cause yet another resurgence of blood. She's not sure how much more of it she can lose now that she's free of life fibers.]
[He only caught the "-out in a second" part, so she could consider herself fortunate.
Harry was still around of course. Leaning against the wall opposite the door, to be precise.]
Yeah. Ready to put yourself at the mercy of my trained medical skills? Provided you count having years of experience with this same situation training.
[Being a wizard for hire was rough work. And so was helping out a wizard for hire. He cringed a little after his own joke, mentally apologizing to the laundry list of people who had gotten hurt because of him back in Chicago.
To get himself away from that train of thought, he cut a glance to take inventory of the things he had gathered earlier, all laid out on the small table and single chair pushed into a corner that served as his dining room.
Peroxide, gauze pads, and a small pyramid of rolled bandages.
And one of his shirts, neatly folded. It would practically be a dress on her. The cliche embarrassed him, but it was that or her blood-soaked clothes from earlier.]
[She gives him a lopsided grin. Trained medical skills? She's lived with a hack of a doctor that barely took his job seriously for the last year of her life, you really can't get much worse than that.]
Show me whatcha got.
[Ryuuko heads over to the chair and has herself a seat. Speaking of clothes...]
By the way, I left my clothes in the sink to soak. [So don't get spooked when you go into the bathroom and find a sink full of fabric-and-blood soup.]
[Are you kidding? Fabric-and-blood soup is practically a time honored tradition in Casa de Dresden.
At any rate, he has much bigger concerns right now. Like trying not to watch her back so intently while she walks towards the table, or noting the toned athleticism of her small form, or using that to draw dangerous comparisons to a certain former policewoman with whom Harry's relationship was particularly... tense.
The train of thought was interrupted by one final connection. He hated to think what would have happened if he was still carrying the mantle of the Winter Knight. But that cold, feral, and rapacious magical force had been stripped away with his own magic when he arrived here. Small blessings.]
Let's take care of the one on your chest first. Soaking wet bandages aren't good for anything so we'll have to put off those new horns until your hair dries.
[Grabbing the bottle of peroxide, he dabs it onto a spare gauze pad before pausing a beat and offering the antiseptic-soaked cotton to her.]
I guess you'll want to do at least this much yourself.
[Damn it. As much as she would have loved to delay the inevitable and keep the situation on her chest to herself, he's right. Ryuuko does not care to spend tonight with damp bandages stuck to her head when it's already sore and throbbing.
She looks at the cotton in his hand, mostly to avoid looking at him.]
I don't...[She swallows somewhat nervously.] ...think it needs t' be patched up.
[There's a pregnant pause as she gathers up the courage to lower that protective washcloth. Even though she avoids his eye contact, the large eye on her chest stares up at him, with what looks like intense curiosity. For how bizarre it is, Ryuuko's right--there isn't much left that looks like a wound, though the surrounding skin is definitely severely inflamed. It almost gives her new eye the appearance that it's been crying.]
[He couldn't help but stare at the eye, though after a moment of holding its gaze he finally gulped and turned away. He was staring at the eye, okay? definitely not her chest, so was the judgmental crimson-and-amber glare really necessary?
But was she actually looking at him with it? This wasn't part of any monstrous morphology Harry was personally familiar with, but he felt like a few of the newcomers' pamphlets might have mentioned extra eyes.]
I think you're right. Saves us some trouble at least, but from the looks of it... ha, sorry about that one... popping a couple antibiotics would be smart.
[Diagnosis complete, Harry turned on his heel to spare himself any more thoughts of the way her freshly showered skin shone in the artificial light of his apartment. Remember she's way too young for you bucko.]
Suppose that means we've just got to wait for your hair to dry so I can see how your scalp is healing. In the meantime-
[Flashing on an idea that took his mind completely off of nubile teenage girls, he took a purposeful step towards the kitchen and glanced back over his shoulder.]
Hungry? I'm no Mac, but I make a pretty mean steak sandwich.
[Getting oggled by dudes easily twice her age? Just another day in the life of Ryuuko Matoi. It's not that she doesn't notice--she does--but he's fairly respectful and that's really all she could ever ask out of someone who's putting a roof over her head, medical attention, and now food? Honestly, this is one of the best deals she's managed to score in her life.]
I don't need any damn pills.
[She reaches for that stray folded-up shirt, and throws it on over the towel. Once she gets her head and arms through the holes, she pulls the towel out from the bottom, changing her outfit without risking showing anything off. The towel isn't discarded, however; she drapes it across her shoulders, to keep her hair from dripping on the shirt. The cloth just makes the inflammation even more uncomfortably warm. She winces at it.]
[Yet another reason Harry was glad none of his friends were here. If anyone happened to show up out of the blue and catch him feeding a girl wearing nothing but one of his shirts, he was certain the bundle of thin-sliced steaks he had pulled out of the fridge wouldn't be the only things getting grilled.]
Gimme a second, I think I've got some frozen peas in here somewhere.
[Slapping the package of beef down on the counter, he grabbed a box of matches and lit two of the stove top's gas burners.
Reason #2 he could never match up to Mac's cooking (behind not being Mac): nothing beats a griddle for frying up a tasty steak sandwich.]
You won't be disappointed. And I think red meat should do you some good after all that blood loss.
[Once he has two heavy cast iron pans heating over the flames, Harry fishes out the promised bag of frozen peas and sends it underhand through the air in her direction.]
[More like a long time ago, but whatever. She holds out a hand as soon as he tosses the bag, snatching it out of the air like she's done this before. It gets tucked between the towel and the shirt, and the relief is immediately apparent. Ryuuko practically melts into the chair.
It's like icing a terrible bruise, yet another thing she hasn't experienced in a while...but man, there's something to be said about the sensation of relief.]
Haah...
[That's not a very ladylike way to keep your legs, Ryuuko. Thank goodness this shirt is long enough.]
[It's not long at all before the apartment is full of the sounds and smells of sizzling beef... and some seriously off-key humming. Cut the man some slack, you can only be so musical when you're juggling two heavy frying pans while building the foundations to a matching pair of sandwiches.
Her statement surprises him a little, at least. She definitely didn't seem the type to have any major health issues, but maybe she was just too bull-headed to let them slow her down. Harry could respect that.]
Well if that's the case my home cooking will be right up your alley.
[Once the meat was done, he quickly piles the two sandwiches together and delivers her plate to the table. Of course, since there's only the one chair, Harry opts to lean against the nearest wall.]
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graveyardsmash2015-05-23 05:28 pm
3/4
Stars and Stones kid!
[Even if his pig-headed chivalry hadn't already kicked into high gear, something in the back of Harry's mind saw a little too much of his apprentice in this one, and it told him to not fail this one like he did Molly.]
...I've got room to spare at my place, it's just another 5 minutes in this direction. Think you'll be okay to walk there?
[Harry gave her an apologetic look along with the question. She definitely didn't look like the type to take hand-outs easily but hey, chivalry. He had to check.]
no subject
But seriously, uh, "stars and stones"? The hell kind of place does he come from, saying things like that? She gives him a flat look but decides this isn't really the time nor place to pick apart someone's gib. Pig-headed chivalry or not, it's a place away from this terrible weather and an opportunity to patch herself up.]
Been through a lot worse, man. [A lot worse, like being torn to several hundred pieces worse.] I'll be fine, just lead the way.
no subject
With a nod he turns on his heel and beckoned for her to follow. Wasting time in this fog was just asking for even more blood to end up outside the bodies it belongs in.]
Harry Dresden, by the way.
[On the one hand, conversation might draw unwanted attention their way, but on the other, he was intimately familiar with how running your mouth made it easier to not focus on things like injuries or imminent death.]
I'm almost glad I ran into you out here. Of all the things that could have popped out of the fog, a friendly face is a nice change for once.
no subject
Ryuuko.
[She wouldn't say it outright, but she appreciates the distraction...up until the point where her hand comes up to yank on one of the rocky protrusions from her head.]
Etch....
[It's all the way down to the bone, isn't it? A fresh wave of blood runs down her face, and she wipes it off with the back of her hand and flicks it off onto the sidewalk inconsequentially.]
Someone covered in blood is your idea of a "friendly face"?
[Wait, what else has been jumping out at him?]
no subject
After some fishing around in his duster, Harry pulled out a garish hunk of paisley cloth and tossed it backwards towards her.]
Don't worry about ruining the bandana, They're pretty handy so I've got one or two more lying around. My life hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows either.
[So nothing else had jumped out at him. If anything the bigger concern was that before too long he'd be one of the ones doing the jumping out at. Doesn't change the fact that walking through the fog reminded him of jaunts through the Nevernever. It gave him that same itch on the back of his neck that said somewhere out there, something big, mean, and hungry was looking for a solution to the third bullet point.]
It's more about how somebody carries themselves, blood just means someone hit a rough patch. Obviously you since it's mostly yours, but if it was somebody else's dollars to donuts says they earned a rough patch in their lives.
no subject
She takes it and regards the cloth with a judgmental stare, turning it this way and that. Yikes. This is meant to be worn as a bandana? It already looks like it's been used to clean up something else...Still, it does a decent enough job to sop up what's around her eyes, and quickly becomes saturated when she tries to take care of the rest of her face.]
Damn.
[At least it seems to be slowing down.
She arches an eyebrow at the back of his head at dollars to donuts. Dude really has an affection for alliteration, doesn't he?]
Yeah, well, today it's all mine. If th' new hardware counts as mine too. [Sure feels like it.]
no subject
I think it's safe to assume that's all you. Unless you make a habit of diving head-first into piles of gravel.
[She was definitely going through the change. A nearly invisible shiver went up Harry's spine- it wasn't a prospect he was looking forward to in the slightest. He had first hand experience with supernatural forces trying to twist his mind, and his gut told him it wouldn't be any better with a physical change like this being heaped on top of it.
Worries for another time though, and a small apartment building finally came into view that brought his long stride to a halt.]
It's not much, but this is it.... might be a little late but I'm going to ask just one favor for helping you out like this.
[Glancing over his shoulder, Harry gave her a smile that carried a mix of amusement and fear.]
Try not to bleed too much in the hallway. The super's got a stick up her ass a mile long about that sort of thing.
no subject
Wouldn't be the first time.
[Favor? Oh boy, here it comes. Ryuuko sharpens her eyes automatically, expecting some asinine request that would be demeaning at bes--oh.
There's a moment's hesitation before she holds out her arms as if to say it's a little bit everywhere already, but she doesn't have it in her to give him lip for it because he's made it clear that it's not some case of his own tight-ass. In fact, the way he explains it endears her to the situation. She smirks.]
I'll try my best.
no subject
Chivalry has nothing to do with it for once. Bloody handprints on the front door is a close second to making a mess of the hall with it.]
Good, that's all I ask.
[On the way up the stairs, Harry takes a mental inventory of his medical supplies.]
Should be able to get you bandaged up for the night, but unless your friends are going to flip out when they can't find you in the morning, you should stick around. First thing tomorrow I can pick up what I'll need to re-dress those wounds.
no subject
[Maybe if it were someone else, it would have sounded sad, wistful. But Ryuuko is genuinely fine with the idea that they aren't here, that they don't have to turn into monsters, that they can live peacefully in a world that they fought to protect. She's better equipped to deal with this than they are, she thinks, and she's fine with doing it in relative solitude.
She avoids touching the handrails as they head up the stairs, keeping her hands and the bloodied paisley in her jacket pockets.]
The longer I can stay out of this shit weather, the better.
[In other words: "Thanks."]
no subject
You can stay as long as you need then.
[Fishing out his key, Harry left it at that. She probably wasn't the type to respond well if he pushed the issue, but if she didn't have anyone else to keep an eye on her in this godforsaken place, he hoped he could convince the kid to stick around. At least until she's healed up properly.
With feigned ceremony, he opened the door and flicked on the lights.]
This is it. Kitchen's off to the left so you can clean your hands, shower's on the right at the end of the hall. Take all the time you need.
no subject
[She does as he suggests, since her hands are shouldering the bulk of the blood she's shed--delinquent as she may be, she's not in the habit of making messes when people are giving her their honest-to-goodness generosity. It's still under her fingernails, crusted and brown, from when she couldn't help but scratch at the fleshy buds when they first appeared and were breaking through her skin--but it's enough to get to the bathroom without leaving a trail of damning evidence. The door to the bathroom is unlocked, the idea of being able to opt into reliable privacy foreign to her.
As one might expect, she's in there for a long time. At first she stands under the warm water, watching the diluted blood run down her body, it brings back memories of a time that she'd rather not think about. She tries to think of happier things, like a fat little seifuku that would have loved the opportunity to gorge himself on the warm meal wasting down the drain.
As if summoned by her mere wandering thoughts, the deep laceration over her left breast widens, yet more blood pouring forth. She inhales sharply as the hot water stings the open wound and washes the new blood away, revealing an eye, glistening ruby iris inset deep citrine cornea.
Ryuuko shrieks loud enough for three apartments over to hear her.]
no subject
Because he had been moving entirely on reflex, the "fight" half of fight or flight response, the bathroom's occupant only registered in his mind after the door was halfway open. Not being one to barge in on naked teenage girls, he quickly pulled the door to, but his hand kept the handle turned just in case barging in became his best option.
With his cheek pressed to the cheap wood, Harry shouted at the crack between the door and its frame.]
Kid- Ryuko! You alright in there?
no subject
[The response is nothing short of utterly hysterical. She has no idea what emotion(s) she's experiencing right now, but they are something fierce, whatever they are.
If he did come in, he wouldn't be able to see much besides her bare back. She's crouched over on her haunches, holding herself and staring wide-eyed at the floor of the tub as she tries to get her breathing back on track, easier said than done.
Damn it.
She pounds the side of her fist against the shower wall. She was expecting pain, she was expecting disfigurement, she was expecting things that shouldn't belong on her, but she wasn't expecting...this. Whether it's mockery or consolidation, she finds it patronizing either way.
Ryuuko lets out an even exhale.]
I'm fine. [Louder, in case he didn't hear it over the water:] I'm fine.
no subject
She wasn't fine, that much was obvious. But whatever was wrong, at least it wasn't anything life-threatening. Small blessings.
When he called out through the door again, the intensity in his voice had completely given way in favor of a gentle tone.]
Well, if you do need anything shout. Just not as loud next time.
[He paused a beat. Hopefully the no-nonsense vibe Harry got from her would mean she wouldn't be too put off by his next proposal. But he did have about two decades on her, after all.]
Get as decent as you can once you're done, but you're going to need help getting those wounds dressed properly. Some things... would probably get in the way, especially with that one on your chest.
[Fortunately for him, he had two decades on her. With his experience dealing with his former apprentice's advances, who had a handful of years on this girl at best, Harry was confident such a young woman's body wouldn't affect him in the least.
Now he just needed to keep reminding himself of that.]
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No promises.
[Ryuuko gets herself back up on her feet, freezing solid when he mentions the wound on her chest. Her head whips around to check behind her, to make sure that he hadn't stepped in to witness what had actually happened to her--but he's nowhere to be seen, and she realizes that he must have noticed it earlier from the stains on her blouse.
She looks down at what could hardly be called a wound anymore, and it looks back up at her. She holds up a hand to sever their eye contact. Too close to home.]
We'll be out in a second.
[Wait, "we"? Ryuuko slaps a hand over her mouth and mentally curses herself.
She stays in the shower for a few more moments until the water consistently runs practically clear, stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped tightly around her midsection, an unused washcloth held across her chest to hide her new eye. He might figure that it might just be to hide a garish wound, but the truth is she's not ready for someone else to see it. Her wet hair still drips water onto her shoulders, as she's unwilling to wrap it in another towel due to the horns.
Well, she could have tried, but she didn't want to upset them and cause yet another resurgence of blood. She's not sure how much more of it she can lose now that she's free of life fibers.]
Dresden?
[You're still around, right?]
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Harry was still around of course. Leaning against the wall opposite the door, to be precise.]
Yeah. Ready to put yourself at the mercy of my trained medical skills? Provided you count having years of experience with this same situation training.
[Being a wizard for hire was rough work. And so was helping out a wizard for hire. He cringed a little after his own joke, mentally apologizing to the laundry list of people who had gotten hurt because of him back in Chicago.
To get himself away from that train of thought, he cut a glance to take inventory of the things he had gathered earlier, all laid out on the small table and single chair pushed into a corner that served as his dining room.
Peroxide, gauze pads, and a small pyramid of rolled bandages.
And one of his shirts, neatly folded. It would practically be a dress on her. The cliche embarrassed him, but it was that or her blood-soaked clothes from earlier.]
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Show me whatcha got.
[Ryuuko heads over to the chair and has herself a seat. Speaking of clothes...]
By the way, I left my clothes in the sink to soak. [So don't get spooked when you go into the bathroom and find a sink full of fabric-and-blood soup.]
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At any rate, he has much bigger concerns right now. Like trying not to watch her back so intently while she walks towards the table, or noting the toned athleticism of her small form, or using that to draw dangerous comparisons to a certain former policewoman with whom Harry's relationship was particularly... tense.
The train of thought was interrupted by one final connection. He hated to think what would have happened if he was still carrying the mantle of the Winter Knight. But that cold, feral, and rapacious magical force had been stripped away with his own magic when he arrived here. Small blessings.]
Let's take care of the one on your chest first. Soaking wet bandages aren't good for anything so we'll have to put off those new horns until your hair dries.
[Grabbing the bottle of peroxide, he dabs it onto a spare gauze pad before pausing a beat and offering the antiseptic-soaked cotton to her.]
I guess you'll want to do at least this much yourself.
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She looks at the cotton in his hand, mostly to avoid looking at him.]
I don't...[She swallows somewhat nervously.] ...think it needs t' be patched up.
[There's a pregnant pause as she gathers up the courage to lower that protective washcloth. Even though she avoids his eye contact, the large eye on her chest stares up at him, with what looks like intense curiosity. For how bizarre it is, Ryuuko's right--there isn't much left that looks like a wound, though the surrounding skin is definitely severely inflamed. It almost gives her new eye the appearance that it's been crying.]
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But was she actually looking at him with it? This wasn't part of any monstrous morphology Harry was personally familiar with, but he felt like a few of the newcomers' pamphlets might have mentioned extra eyes.]
I think you're right. Saves us some trouble at least, but from the looks of it... ha, sorry about that one... popping a couple antibiotics would be smart.
[Diagnosis complete, Harry turned on his heel to spare himself any more thoughts of the way her freshly showered skin shone in the artificial light of his apartment. Remember she's way too young for you bucko.]
Suppose that means we've just got to wait for your hair to dry so I can see how your scalp is healing. In the meantime-
[Flashing on an idea that took his mind completely off of nubile teenage girls, he took a purposeful step towards the kitchen and glanced back over his shoulder.]
Hungry? I'm no Mac, but I make a pretty mean steak sandwich.
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I don't need any damn pills.
[She reaches for that stray folded-up shirt, and throws it on over the towel. Once she gets her head and arms through the holes, she pulls the towel out from the bottom, changing her outfit without risking showing anything off. The towel isn't discarded, however; she drapes it across her shoulders, to keep her hair from dripping on the shirt. The cloth just makes the inflammation even more uncomfortably warm. She winces at it.]
...An icepack'll do.
[A steak sandwich though...that sounds fantastic.]
I'll take whatever yer offerin'.
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Gimme a second, I think I've got some frozen peas in here somewhere.
[Slapping the package of beef down on the counter, he grabbed a box of matches and lit two of the stove top's gas burners.
Reason #2 he could never match up to Mac's cooking (behind not being Mac): nothing beats a griddle for frying up a tasty steak sandwich.]
You won't be disappointed. And I think red meat should do you some good after all that blood loss.
[Once he has two heavy cast iron pans heating over the flames, Harry fishes out the promised bag of frozen peas and sends it underhand through the air in her direction.]
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Good thinkin'. Li'l prone to anemia sometimes.
[More like a long time ago, but whatever. She holds out a hand as soon as he tosses the bag, snatching it out of the air like she's done this before. It gets tucked between the towel and the shirt, and the relief is immediately apparent. Ryuuko practically melts into the chair.
It's like icing a terrible bruise, yet another thing she hasn't experienced in a while...but man, there's something to be said about the sensation of relief.]
Haah...
[That's not a very ladylike way to keep your legs, Ryuuko. Thank goodness this shirt is long enough.]
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Her statement surprises him a little, at least. She definitely didn't seem the type to have any major health issues, but maybe she was just too bull-headed to let them slow her down. Harry could respect that.]
Well if that's the case my home cooking will be right up your alley.
[Once the meat was done, he quickly piles the two sandwiches together and delivers her plate to the table. Of course, since there's only the one chair, Harry opts to lean against the nearest wall.]
Right, let's dig in.
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note to self: need more smirky icons
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