[Great to hear that you're having a good time! And no worries about not having that much time to get online.]
"Uh, yeah! Take it slow. Taking things slow sounds good." Sol awkwardly repeated after Ashley, nodding. She had no problem with taking baby steps, and she whole-heartedly supported Ashley's suggestion. "Yep." Her nods of acknowledgment, however, looked more like painful neck convulsions. She was still trying to recover from the scorching embarrassment of her recent, rather depraved debacle. The girl was also trying very hard to get used to the fact that she actually had a girlfriend, now; funnily enough, it actually made Sol feel like she had to be even more careful about how she behaved in front of Ashley. So, it was difficult to not mull over how much her assumption might have blackened her reputation forever.
Sol clenched her jaw and concentrated. She needed to cut those weak and embarrassed thoughts out of her mind. She was at least mature enough to realize, after all, that panicking over Ashley's perception of her would do nothing to strengthen their relationship in the slightest. Besides, she really loves me, doesn't she? Sol warmly thought, as she saw Ashley's lovely, bright smile. Her girlfriend's love and beauty was enough to change the wolf's mind about her feelings of embarrassment. Forget it. I won't let something as stupid as that get in the way of us. "I've never been in a relationship, either," Sol replied, stating the obvious. She wasn't even sure if hand-holding was considered moving too quickly. Is it? Probably not. But what do... girlfriends even do? She briefly wondered. All she knew was that people in a relationship were supposed to 'date.' What is a date actually supposed to mean? "and, yeah! I bet that perverted jerk is lying to you, anyway." Sol added, smiling softly as she listened to Ashley's giggle. It made her heart jump a little in her chest.
After taking a deep breath and drawing in the forest's cool, fresh air, Sol looked out the cavern. Her golden gaze rested on the calming green of the lively scene before them. It's beautiful. It's like... Sol looked back to Ashley, and, after summoning the courage to do so, gently took the other girl's hand. Like her. "Ashley---" Sol started, blushing, but she stopped when saw the neko look down at her leg.
How could I have forgotten? Sol bit her lip. Ashley's leg was their top priority. The wolf didn't even want to think about what might happen if her leg got infected. Damn my father! She thought, angrily. "We'll go get help for your leg right now." Sol promised, standing. She knew that they needed to act quickly; almost one full day had elapsed since Ashley got shot. Sol also knew that Nico's bandages would do little to help stop infections, especially if they had been sitting around in a cave for a while.
Sol walked to the front of the cave and stared out into the forest, trying to remember which way the city was. She figured that she and Ashley would just have to disguise as they searched for a clinic. Wait... what is that a human? She thought, ears pricking as she watched a man take photos of a rabbit. Her ears twitched at each click the camera's shutters made. Compared to Ashley, Sol had grown up with a greater exposure to human culture and technology, so the device in the man's hands didn't look foreign to her. He's just... taking photos. Sol observed. She also noticed that the animals weren't running away---which was a good sign.
After another moment or two, Sol instantly made her decision. She turned back to Ashley, her tail wagging. "That photographer over there looks pretty nice," Sol whispered, urgently. They had to act fast. To Sol, they would miss a great chance at treating Ashley's leg if they simply let the man pass through the forest. We also need to hurry. We need to do something before infection sets in. She reasoned. I hope the guy isn't anything like that horny pervert from earlier. "I'm going to go talk to him and ask him for the nearest..." Sol paused. On second thought, a hospital wouldn't be a good idea. Too many humans. We'll just have to get help while avoiding the rest of society. Sol's mind continued to work quickly, trying to come up with a new solution. She put a finger to her chin, deep in thought.
We'll just ask for supplies and go! Sol suddenly thought, eyes widening. "Just stay here! I'll be back for you in a second." Sol told Ashley, before stepping forward and gently squeezing her girlfriend's hand. After letting go, the wolf darted off to greet the friendly-looking, blue-eyed man.