004✖; (audio @ hot.damn | August 2nd; during Sanguis Moon)

[circumitus]

[...Well, it looks like there's supposed to be video, but the screen is black.

[Audio-wise, you're privy to just a bunch of thrashing for a few seconds, catching a frantic and frustrated "god-DAMMIT" and "fuck fuck fuck" and "just move, you useless piece of shit!" It's a voice and string of expletives that should be familiar to some who know Rey. In general it sounds disconcerting, with an identifiable amount of metal clanging and other hefty objects hurling about (cue stock cat scream) -- before a heavy thud shakes the screen. The feed drags across what looks to be pavement and some scattered rubbish.]

Got you! Fucking finally...

[The video moves, but the feed remains a blur as Rey hadn't intended to select facetime before things got out of control -- by "things" meaning... her own body. Only a few details can be made out in the bleary visual quality, and that's a patch of red-orange scales and some sharp, gritting teeth.]

Need... help. [Despite her exhaustion made clear in the fraught audio and her labored breaths, it's speaking those words in particular that strains her the most.]

Have to come here. Level Three.

Legs're gone. Can't walk.

[Both the audio and visual then cuts abruptly. As you can tell, Rey is having a bad time this Sanguis cycle.]

Comments

[circumitus]

It doesn't require much for Rey to mend; she's already resilient as hell and her injuries are hardly as dramatic as they were during their trip to the forest.

Still, the effort is appreciated, even if she doesn't entirely seem like it sometimes. Once the spell is cast, she takes a moment to touch her face where she'd cut herself over some glass.

"Seemed to do the trick," she confirms. Nice.

[terribletwos]

"Cure usually does a lot when I have enough Chroma for it. It's a powerful spell." Not that he knows too much about its origins or how it's so strong. "But that's why it takes a lot more out of you to use it."

[circumitus]

"Ah," is all Rey says at first, lowering her hand from where her facial wounds had been to give Roxas a look. His mention of it 'taking a lot out' begs the question: "Seems to be a trend with healing. You going to be okay?"

She'd hate to cause trouble for someone over something as trifling as glass, which was annoying at worst. There are better things to put that energy than a few irritating scratches.

[terribletwos]

"As long as we don't have to do any unexpected fighting, it should be fine."

He seems to be all right, other than maybe breathing a bit more heavily than earlier. Like he had finished a short sprint.

[circumitus]

She just snorts at that.

"Not planning on rushing into any frays anytime soon. But... if you need to sit down..." Because he looks like he really needs to.

With that, she shifts her tail from under her, swinging around towards Roxas to offer him a 'cushion' to rest for a while. Her lower half, while thick, is more of a bean bag than a chair, but her scales are soft enough that she hasn't had any discomfort sitting on herself sometimes.

Plus, the physical contact might help.

sorry for the unexpected hiatus

[terribletwos]

"I'll be okay. I'm used to running on low sometimes." It has pretty much been his default until he discovered the miracle of moonlacing in his dragon form.

He smiles, though, at the tail offer and lowers himself onto it. "This is definitely different than what usually comes to mind when I think of sitting down."

that's okay! i was distracted by elder scrolls hell so i fell behind on tags, too. 😭

[circumitus]

"Mn, same." Rey doesn't need to ask why anyone else would frequently be running short on Chroma; it's a regular state of being for her.

She just shrugs at Roxas' comment. "Don't exactly carry around a folding chair."

Besides, her tail might arguably be more comfortable than any lawn chair.

[terribletwos]

Roxas laughs. "This is way better than a folding chair!" Not everyone gets to sit on a friendly snake tail. "Those are always kind of hard anyway."

[circumitus]

Not everyone is allowed to sit on a friendly snake tail. Rey isn't always friendly, especially during Sanguis... but Roxas seems like a good kid and it'd be shitty to be an asshole.

"Does wonders for breaking your fall, too. If your reflexes are good enough." Rey's had to land on her own tail after losing her own balance on more than one occasion.

sorry i kinda vanished this month

[terribletwos]

"How does a snake fall?" Does she mean out of something? It's not like a snake can trip like most people.

it's cool, dude!

[circumitus]

"Very carefully." Actually, it's not that hard. Rey just waves her hand dismissively. "Snakes don't have arms, and crawling around like they do when you've got a human half is, well, hard. So, lots of trial and error. Lots of falling on your face."

Honestly, she has to wonder if this is what it's like for infants learning their first steps. Except it's so, so much worse.

[terribletwos]

"At least you don't have to worry about falling very far. It probably would be a lot worse if you were half horse or something." He figures Rey could probably catch herself on her palms most of the time.

Not that he's had any experience with his lower half being different than the top. All of his partial transformations have always involved him being bipedal at least.

[circumitus]

At that, Rey pauses, scratching the back of her head before realizing she has claws.

"Mn, not sure about that. Konoha makes it look easy. Though she was born that way, so..."

It would be bad for a legitimate centaur to fall on their face all the time.

[terribletwos]

"I was wondering about that. I haven't heard of any horse moonblessed." Which was kind of weird, considering that moonblessings could be in the form of other hooved animals. "I thought she just asked for something special from the shop."

[circumitus]

Now that he mentions it... Rey didn't think there were any equine features shared among the Moonblessings. Deer and bovids, sure. But no horses.

"Oh, no, she was born like that. They're called jinba, in her world." It feels weird to talk about someone while they're not there, but it's not like she's saying anything bad. Konoha has shared Rey some details about her people that maybe clearing up any misconceptions is the least she can do?

[terribletwos]

"Oh. I've never asked her about it. Something crazy is always going on whenever we see each other. Are you two friends?"

[circumitus]

'Something crazy' sounds about right. Fortunately, Rey can say she's at least had some normal encounters.

"Er, well." It's funny. A few weeks ago, she wouldn't know how to answer that, but-- "Think so...? Help her out at her farm, and she's nice..."

People being nice is one of the signs of friendship, or that's what Rey has been told.

[terribletwos]

"That sounds like friends to me." To be fair, Roxas has more or less fallen into most of his friendships by proximity or fate. "Have you tried reaching out to her for tips?"

[circumitus]

Rey also had to openly ask at what point can you tell if someone is a friend or not. She's still learning a lot of things that should come easily for others.

"Hadn't considered it, no. Figured balancing on four legs would be easier than a tail, anyway. And asking for a ride seems... er, rude."

[terribletwos]

Roxas laughs. "Probably. But she might be able to teach you how to hold up the upper half so everything's more balanced when you're trying to move." He pauses for a moment. "That actually has me wondering. What is her blessing anyway?"

[circumitus]

There's some logic to his suggestion. Rey's tail twitches as she nods, a silent affirmation that she's going to give it some thought.

"Ah, she's Iris," Rey answers somewhat sympathetically, given the side effects that many experience with that Moonblessing. "Think she usually stays at the farm when she's changed."

She has some idea, anyway, since Rey works there part-time these days.

[terribletwos]

"I don't blame her. I would hate to be Iris. It sounds so frustrating." Roxas can tolerate the loss of control that comes with Sanguis, but the variety associated with Iris just sounds miserable to him.