✦ THE CUT THAT ALWAYS BLEEDS [intro]

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    [✦] cause your crying isn't enough

    (there are some mentions of wounds and blood, but nothing major enough to warrant the controversial tag i think. if anyone wants me to add it tho let me know!)


    Burning. The smell of flame and smoke stuck inside her nose, clung to her fur and refused to wash out, a constant reminder of what had happened to her. But what had happened? It was bad, she knew, bad enough to cause her to lose any and all memories she had.


    Bits and pieces returned to her at times, flashes of things that had happened to her, or people that once meant something to her. When she tried to concentrate and remember something of substance, though, it only caused pain to flare through her skull, like someone was beating on her already wounded head. So she stopped trying, reluctantly so, focusing instead of healing up so she could leave this damned place. Though, no matter how long she tried to think of some sort of plan, she couldn't figure out where to go from here.


    /


    "Help."


    She rasps through a parched throat, mouth dry and tongue feeling like lead. Her head was killing her, throbbing and pounding like hell, blood seeping from the injury on the side of her head dripping down into her eye and painting everything a dark, dark red. She was scared. She couldn't remember how she got this way, or even who she was. Where was she?


    Limping blindly forward, dragging a mangled leg behind her, she frantically searches for someone, anyone. Maybe she could find a familiar face to help jog her memory. Before she could get much further, she collapsed, her three legs that were still usable buckling underneath her. Darkness crept in on all sides of her vision. Panic gripped her chest, her bones cold. She didn't want to die.


    "Anyone, please," she begs quietly, holding onto the slight hope that someone nearby would somehow hear her. "help."


    /


    That was how she found herself here. It wasn't the best first impression, probably, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Whatever had happened to her, it wasn't her fault. Maybe.


    Either way, the canine had been found in bad shape by this group, the Coven they called themselves. The name sounded vaguely familiar to her, but she wasn't getting any memory pieces that showed she was here before, so she supposed she heard of it in passing before. Surely the sight of floating islands would spark some sort of remembrance.


    The people here were friendly enough, but she didn't appreciate them trying to keep her cooped up in the place they called an infirmary. Sure, she could hardly remember her own name or where she had come from, but that didn't mean she was incapable of doing things. Fed up with staring at the same walls, she stealthily made her way outside, easily avoiding the gaze of any medics that might scold her and try to send her back like a petulant child. Maybe she could have just asked to go out, but she liked to complicate things for herself apparently.


    Stepping outside, the wind and sun on her fur was a welcome feeling, though the light sent a brief stab of pain through her head. She just closed her eye until it passed, then reopened it to survey the landscape and the other buildings. It was difficult to adjust to only being able to use one eye, half of her face being wrapped in gauze and bandage that was now a faint red color, but she would get through.


    For now, she would sit and bask in the sun, her one eye closed but her ears pricked and attentive to any noise around her.

    When they had found her as injured as he was he had had to keep his distance. Distraught that at the mere presence of her blood that oozed from wounds that needed to be looked at, dragged a almost visceral reaction from him. His muzzle had curled and he had to trap a growl from leaving his throat. Feeling his esophagus suddenly become a blistering pain and the want for it was such a sharp tug that he had pulled himself back. Unable to help her he had ran to get help for her instead because he couldn't do it. There as something wrong with him and the conclusion that he was coming to as terrifying to it's core. Still, he wouldn't just leave her to die and he had found a way to get someone to help her despite his own shortcomings. Now that he was getting better himself, and flexing the stiffen bones of a once broken wing he was moving around and had noticed the bandaged figure of the woman. He tried not to focus on the red tint that was showing through one of her bandages but his eyes kept moving to it. Tongue flexing against sharp teeth before he drew in a deep breath and approached. ''Hey, it's good to see you up and at 'em. How are you feeling since the whole...well you know.'' He felt a smile try to form on his maw but he also noticed he was holding his breath, as if he couldn't breathe in the scent of blood that was most likely lingering.

    ———— Kady Keyer————

    Feeling like I'm out of time

    Y9zRsDO.png

    Looks like South wasn't the only stubborn female being cooped up in the infirmary right now. Kady was aware that she wasn't alone in the infirmary, though she chose not to interact with many creatures in the Coven yet. Returning from a dormant state after a whole year to a place she once called home was truly a culture shock. There seemed to be new traditions, Hyperia went under a new name that she was still adjusting to, and of course we can't forget how many new faces were around here.


    Well, new to her at least.


    Being stuck in the infirmary didn't help the emotional trauma she was going through. She was a curious woman who wanted answers as soon as possible, and making small talk with the medics just wasn't cutting it. Sure, there are a few creatures here whom she was once close with, but now it was time to learn and observe everyone else. How did they treat the land she once ruled? Were they kind to it? Did any of them have secret ill intentions? The overwhelming urge to know everything at once was messing with Kady's head, but for now she had to focus on readjusting to life. It's easy to take for granted how the sun feels against your pelt. Or how the birds chirp happily every morning. Food was easy to find and life sure did seem to be easy when you find a group of friends to work together with.


    But it's not easy when you are stuck in another creature's body, unable to be seen or heard by the ones you once called family.


    Which is why Kady has to leave the infirmary and begin making new friendships. How could she possibly survive here if she refused to speak more than a few sentences to anyone? Perhaps she could start with the other female canine who was being treated. Her sneaky departure did not go unnoticed by the lioness who had her eyes closed. As soon a the footsteps fade away Kady takes that as her chance to peak an eye open. Yeah, she was gone, but she probably couldn't have wandered too far off. So the frail lioness decides to get up and walk right out, following the scent of the unknown female.


    It doesn't take long before she finds the stranger basking in the sun while another stranger is trying to make casual chat with her. Is this what Kady's 72 hours of life has come to? Awkward small talk with creatures she didn't even know the names of? It was annoying, but it had to be done. "Would either of you mind if I joined...?" She asks hesitantly from a distance away. "I can't stand being in the infirmary anymore."





    Inner peace, it's hard to find

    "You're in the infirmary for your own good, Kady." Comes the voice of Canoris' former apprentice, a tired drawl whose tone sounded decently annoyed but otherwise monotonous. Athanasius had followed the former leader the moment she walked out of the infirmary, wondering if she was going to go and do something she perhaps shouldn't have been doing since she was still recovering. She wasn't exactly going out of camp, but it still wasn't something that they liked despite... no longer being a medic. They still felt as the one with senior knowledge that they had to help somehow. Maybe it'd get them their position back. It was the only thing that felt right.


    "Some fresh air can't hurt, though." Athanasius concluded, their tails sweeping behind them, a contemplative frown pressing to their features. Rose washed eyes shifted over Barghest and the stranger whom they'd seen in the infirmary shortly before their own demotion, and tilts their head to the side, wondering if they would respond to the deputy's inquiry. They were curious of the same thing, after all. "If you need anything, I can get it for you."

    The infirmary is a place that Mulder is familiar with, not for his own illnesses but the once prolonged illness of his fiance and the amnesiac he calls a friend that has since moved to his own cabin along with a few other clanmates that have been in and out of its walls. What's curious this time though is that he's coming back to drop off some blankets, there seems to be two patients outside so he plops them onto a clean smooth rock for a moment to dip his tails in greeting to the two ladies as well as Bargh and Ana. He's not had a chance to converse with either woman just yet so he takes this moment to introduce himself, having heard vaguely of the ailments of both through the grapevine but he's too polite to ask about those directly. That and he doesn't want to be around his fiance too long at the moment, he might end up staring- and not in a good way. "Aw come on Ana, some sunshine and socializing might do them some good." Maybe, he has no clue. He's not medically inclined in the slightest but he knows how dreary it is to be cooped up to heal at the very least. "Name's Mulder, either of you hungry?" He could run and go get something, he's been back and forth all morning so one more trip couldn't hurt.


    tags

    [✦] cause your crying isn't enough

    It didn't take long for someone to approach her, their steps making her ears perk up in their direction. Turning to face them, South opens her eye to be met with Barghest, someone who's name she heard many a time but rarely seen. She wasn't sure if he knew her own name, since it was only a day or so ago since she remembered it. (Her codename, really, but it was better than nothing. A sliver of her old life that she clung to.)


    Her mouth opens, only now realizing how dry it felt, when someone else's voice comes from behind them, catching her off guard. Head whipping around, she settles a sharp gaze on the person it came from, tensed and ready to defend. But it's only another member of this group, so her hackles settle flat again, expression returning to it's passive state.


    Again, before she can reply, someone else comes up to them. A faint feeling of exasperation starts in the back of her mind, but it doesn't show, besides a simple roll of her shoulder. She huffs as a joint pops from the motion.


    Finally they all turn to her, expectant for a response. Her voice is slightly hoarse when she speaks. "I'm doing well. Headaches are coming less now." She decided not to mention the frequent restlessness at night, or the way her skin pricked when someone touched her. Some part of herself said that it was best if she left it alone, rather than airing out her dirty laundry, so to speak. She just hoped that they were symptoms of her injury and that they would go away in time.


    A kitsune was next to appear, offering her and the other patient, Kady, something to eat. She glances over to the lioness, then shakes her head. "Not hungry." she says curtly, shifting slightly where she sat. It was uncomfortable, being around so many people at once, yet she wasn't completely sure why.

    ✦ ✧ ✦ The first person in the group to catch her eye in the group is her mother. Of course, she wanted to make sure that Kady was being treated appropriately and well. Her mother needed to be healthy. The second, though, is the stranger that isn't someone she recognizes. She wonders if she's missed them at some point and feels bad - But she knows that with all of her leadership tasks, it's become harder to be part of a welcoming committee. As she approaches the group, she brushes up against the side of her mother and smiles at South. "That's good to hear. Progress is good." She says with a gentle nod of her head. "I'm Aphrodite, but Aphy is fine too. If you ever need anything, herbs or just a cup of tea, I'll always be around to help." She says warmly, smiling from ear to ear.

    ˚* ੈ✩‧₊ the infirmary was almost like a second little home to cookie, almost on par with to the actual cottage he resides in ever since he was just 3 months old with his dad and sister. the red golden retriever spent a small chunk of his first month in the coven (back then the hyperian isles) dealing with a harsh illness that had weakened him immensely, not only affecting his body in such a way that he could hardly move or open his eyes, but also made him extremely delirious. at first he had stayed a few days in the infirmary, fretted over by the medics and his dad nearly every second his frail body was in there, but it didn't take much longer to have the small child cry out that he wanted to be at home. he was moved back to the family cottage and taken care of there as best as they could, but trips between the two places in the clan were necessary if they wanted to see cookie actually recover and not succumb anymore to whatever it was that made him sick, much to the pathetic protests cookie would make. he'd eventually gotten used to staying in the infirmary, and even after he had made a slow recovery and was cleared to move around outside of the medic's area, he still stuck around to feel the comfort the smells the herbs brought him.


    he hasn't gotten as sick as he did in the past afterwards which he was extremely grateful for. cookie didn't spend as much time as he did when he was younger lingering around and possibly disturbing whatever important things the healers were up to; in fact, he was very sure he did annoy them a whole lot just with his mere presence that was doing absolutely nothing in helping, or even asking if they needed help. but now it seemed like he was back in returning to his old habits of sticking around to places and just eyeing whatever was going on. his social anxiety and ever-persistent awkwardness were still present, making it very difficult to put himself out there. yet with his newfound leader position, personal pushing to be more social and growing curiosity to just explore, it's become a bit more manageable... by 5%, but better than nothing.


    it's how he found himself heading towards the slowly growing crowd he nearly had the mind to just ignore as he was making his way back to the shared adamo family cottage. the only recognizable presence there was aphrodite, which also aided in him deciding to actually try to engage with the others and whatever it was that was going on. he was only able to pick up a few things here and there while getting closer, something about patients and fresh air and just general greetings to who he assumed to be a new face needing some medical care. the teen slowly stopped nearby the polaris who he only gave a small glance to, then turned back to who he assumed was the subject (or one of them at least) of the talking. without allowing his mind to second guess itself, he began to introduce himself.


    "h-hello, um, i'm cookiecrumbs adamo, but, uh, just call me cookie or... whatever, really- ah... doesn't matter to me." the canine ended it with an air of uncertainty, as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to add anything else or if it was alright to leave it as it is. more thoughts began to pop up as he looked between south and kady, and with the thoughts came a stronger sense of curiosity. there was a question on the tip of his tongue that was hard to keep within, specifically of south's heavily bandaged self and the faint red that was growing or not on it. "how did you get hurt?" he asked abruptly, eyes wide with the curiosity he wasn't able to maintain. it took him a few seconds to catch up, but once he did, his eyes seemed to widen even more and he raised a paw to slap against his mouth. the terrible sensation of burning embarrassment beneath his fur was growing and he hated it. "s-sorry! i-i'm so so-sorry! that was really rude... ah... i'm sorry..."

    ———— Kady Keyer————

    Feeling like I'm out of time

    Y9zRsDO.png

    The earth toned lioness turns her head when she hears her name to find Athanasius addressing her. Rather than listening to them she decides to close her eyes and playfully stick her tongue out. "Since when was I ever concerned about my own good?" They knows for a fact how the former leader functions so really what was the point in trying to fight her about it? Ah see? Fresh air. They do understand.


    Her attention shifts to the Kitsune who seems to be vouching for their right for fresh air. She didn't recognize his face nor is name, so he must have been one of the 'new' members of the clan. New to her at least. Kady slowly raises her paw that has a key branded into the pad and waves it at the male. "Hey, I'm Kady. Nice to meet you. And honestly? I can always go for some food." Granted she has to be sure she doesn't eat till she makes herself sick. How was she supposed to be putting weight back on if she couldn't keep it down?


    Seeing that her daughter was her did bring a certain happiness that no one else could seem to cause. Immediately the lioness' eyes light up and she gives Aphrodite a big smile before listening to the introduction of another stranger. This one was a child. They were adorable too, but that could just be her motherly instinct kicking in and going 'ooo! child!'. In all seriousness though it was good to see there were still children in the clan. "Hey, Cookie. I'm Kady." With that introduction out of the way she turns to listen in to the main conversation- but then Cookie asks a 'touchy' question. Uh oh. She could only wonder how the other female was going to react since she didn't seem to fond of having such a big group around her.



    Inner peace, it's hard to find

    [✦] cause your crying isn't enough

    She nods to Aphrodite, appreciative of the offer but doubtful that she would ever take it up. She didn't know much about medicine, besides the bare minimum, so that was about the only thing she could see herself needing help with. Otherwise, she was resourceful enough on her own. Still, it was nice to know there was someone to turn to. In theory, anyway.


    Turning her head, she switches her attention to the male who had just walked up, his nervous introduction making her raise a brow. Otherwise she was silent, listening to him stumble through. When he's finished, she huffs a breath through her nose, vaguely amused with his anxiety. Mostly just unimpressed.


    "'m South. Remembered it just yesterday." she replies. She wasn't sure if she had told anyone yet, besides a few medics who had asked if she had remembered anything. It seemed like a common question to hear now, each time grating down on her nerves. It was annoying to be poked and prodded.


    His question surprises her, as she hadn't been expecting it. An apology and a few more quickly followed, but it was already hanging in the air. She knew the others were probably curious, too, though they were about to be disappointed. "Couldn't tell you, even if I wanted to. I can't remember anything, 'sides waking up and, well." She stops, holding back a grimace as a stab of pain goes through her skull. There wasn't much left to say, anyway.