Red Remedy

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Mon Sep 09, 2013 5:31 pm

"Well... Okay, Haru. It's your choice," Jackie said, not having taken into account the fact that he might not want to stay a human. It made sense, though, didn't it? He hadn't been a part of this world his entire life. There was no way he could be expected to just take it on like that. He belonged in the forest with the rest of the wolves. His real friends and new furry family. Though hadn't they been chasing him when they left? Perhaps wolves got over things more quickly than humans. Either way, she couldn't stop him from going.

"I'll take you back to the forest as soon as you are completely better, I promise. I just want you to stay with me for a day or two until you're completely sure that you're fine. That 'sticky stuff' won't work if you're running through mud and getting yourself all torn up. The other wolves aren't going to be happy if you show up like that so you might as well stay with me until you're better," she suggested, pulling onto the campus.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Mon Sep 09, 2013 10:16 pm

There was no arguing with her. She knew better than anyone else how his wound and healings would work. Mud must not have mixed very well with the sticky stuuf, and Haru came to enjoy it. It made the skin beneath his fur feel all bubbly and relaxing, kind of like something was tickling him. If it was going to take a couple of days for him to fully recover and return into the forest, then he would just have to stay with Jackie until that time. She wasn't asking him to go back to the hospital or meet any new people. As long as it was he and she, he would be just fine. His response was a small nod while he scratched the back of his right ear with his hind leg.

You have to bleed though. I don't like that. Can't we just let me bite somebody to see if their blood will work instead? Or do you not randomly bite people in the human world? He was pretty positive that she wouldn't let them do that. The hospital was all prim and proper, because there was not telling how many times he wanted to maul one of those nurses, Nurse Jenot included. When the car took a sharpish turn into a large building, Haru's ears went lip again. He was beginning to hate large buildings.

This... is a school?

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Mon Sep 09, 2013 10:30 pm

"No, you can't bite anybody. People wouldn't like that at all. I'm going to be in enough trouble as it is if anybody looks at school for me while they're searching for you.. Hopefully that doesn't happen until you're back in the woods.." Jackie mused, sighing softly to herself. This was so complicated. She knew there was a chance she'd get in big trouble, but what would really happen if she was questioned? Nobody would believe her. It was a one way ticket to the loony bin. "Don't worry about the blood thing. You want to stay a wolf anyway, right? So just stay one from now on."

She nodded to his school question and parked in her usual spot, then turned off her car and gazed at the dorm. From here, she could see her window, but it was too high to push Haru through it. She looked at the front door instead. Seven steps up, then two sets of doors. The office would be closed at this hour, so she just had to make it with him down the hallway and into her room. It should be easy this late at night since it was a Sunday, but she wasn't sure..

"Okay. Do you want to walk or be carried?"

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Fri Sep 13, 2013 8:42 pm

His ears twitched a little at the biting statement, but he soon let it go. If he couldn't do it, then he wouldn't, unless extremely provoked. Haru finally convinced himself that he would try his hardest to blend into the human life, whether as a wolf or a human. If he was going to be a wolf, he was going to have to behave himself. If he was a human, he'd have to learn about the do's and don'ts of being a human. Haru didn't know about Jackie, but he felt a lot safer blending in as wolf than he did as a human. There were parts of his body that he didn't realize he had and the functions of them or anything! Licking the tip of his nose for no apparent reason when she finally opened the door and graced them with fresh air, he bent his head.

Walk. I have to get around on this paw somehow. Believe it or not, something like this happened to me a long time ago. I don't wanna explain what, but I started to walk around on my bad paw and I was okay in a couple of minutes or something. Not waiting for her to come with him, Haru carefully sidled himself out of the seat and onto the ground. He wasn't going to lie, having pressure on his bad paw hurt like hell, but he tapped it on the ground a couple of time. Feeling. That was good. Sitting down on the cold, damp asphalt he blew an annoyed exhale at the open door, knowing he wouldn't be able to close it without her assistance.

I don't get one thing though. I look a lot like those things you call "dogs" but I'm not that small. Why would they be looking for me in your room or whatever? Aren't you humans allowed to bond with my kind? Because if there are people who want to tear me away from you, Jackie, I'm going to pee on their legs since biting is so horrible to you, he huffed, going as far as to role his brown eyes.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:34 pm

Jackie closed the door after he got out and sighed. If only he wasn't pure white.. He stood out like crazy! Maybe she could pick up a baby carriage or something tomorrow so that she could take him out for fresh air every day. Then again, that would backfire because then people would think that she had a baby when she had never even been pregnant. She'd probably get kicked out of the dorms too! Children weren't allowed in there! Oi, the complications.. She frowned and returned her attention to Haru, who was talking about peeing on legs.

Fantastic.

"I'll explain as soon as we get in my room," she promised. "I'm going to go in first. I need you to stay right behind my legs so that if somebody comes down the hall, I can try to hide you. Luckily my room isn't far from the door," she added, taking out her room key so that she wouldn't have to fumble for it later. She nodded a little and locked her car, then headed up the steps and in the front door.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:30 pm

Rules, rules, rules! Don't do this, Haru. You better not do this, Haru! This might not be a wise decision, Haru! Goodness, Jackie, you ever lived a day in your life before? You humans are all about do's and don'ts. I hate it.

Haru huffed his large nose at her when she walked in front of him, reluctantly obeying her rules and staying behind her. The buildings looked almost alove, bright tall sentinels watching the two make their way across the lot. Haru became wary that they were nothing more than metal trees. Dead metal trees. They held no breath, no dancing at the breeze that ruffled his fur and her hair. They just gazed over the world under them in disgust most likely. He wondered for a split second which one was really living: the observing buildings, or the rule infested humans.

There are some things wolves aren't allowed to do, but that's because if we do, we'd get killed or exiled. I'm not sure which one is worse. That's what almost happened to me back there, he explained, nudging the top of his head behind him. Being stupid and trying to save an Alpha that thought I was out for her pup. Miscommunication issues sucks. The two made their way closer and closer to what Jackie called her "dorm." Haru had questions about that but didn't say anything about it. She assured him answers would be given once they were in her room. Good. He was getting paranoid.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:20 pm

Jackie rolled her eyes at his complaining but said nothing. The wolf had the luxury of jabbering at her as much as he felt like it and nobody would even notice. If she spoke back to him and somebody came around the corner, she'd look like an absolute idiot doing nothing but arguing with herself. Or, worse, somebody could spot him, realize she was speaking to him, then of course notice that he was a wild wolf in the damned dorm building. Her body shook with anxiety and she quickly led him down the quiet hallway. A few doors had muffled music coming from them, but nobody came outside. She stopped in front of her door and unlocked it quickly, her pulse erratic as she ushered him inside and followed, immediately locking the door behind them and sagging against it.

Her room was fairly basic. White tiled floor covered by a large shaggy purple rug, with lilac curtains around the small window and a few framed pictures on the walls. Her bed had an ivory blanket with a stitched design of orchids in the middle, courtesy of her mother. Along the left wall was a large desk stacked with novels, textbooks, notebooks, binders, a laptop, a calculator, and a cup of pens and pencils. The chair was half pulled out, a polished rocker that was supposedly good for focusing. A dresser sat under the window with a few pieces of random jewelry on it and some change, as well as a couple of pictures.

"We made it," she breathed after a few moments, flicking on the small lamp next to her bed with a smile. She took off her shoes and put them by the door to get them out of the way, then she stretched a bit as she started to relax. "Okay, Haru. Ask me anything."

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:41 pm

He behaved himself for the most part when they walked through the hallway. Despite the eerie silence, he didn't see the threat that she did every once in a while when she would look to the side of her, behind her, and in front of her. Haru figured that she was just taking extra precautions not to get herself in trouble for bringing a wolf into the "dorms" that she talked about. He didn't see what was so horrible about it, honestly. If he wanted to harm her, he would have done it quicker than she could blink. Humans worried about the little things too much. He sniffed, quietly placing one paw in front of the other until she brought them to her room. Haru slid inside, arching his nose to the familiar smell of Jackie. Her stench was all around him, wafting around the room like an invisible blanket. Haru watched her with intrigue when she turned on a tiny little sun with just a small click, reserving the urge to ask her what it was.

Okay then. How much about the spell do you know? And, wait. I guess I should ask you if you have a curse on you or something like that. I know curses don't really mix well with other ones, and since you're already involved with mine, I want to help you if you have a curse on you. Take it as return of a favor. He regarded her for a brief moment. She looked like the type of human that would withhold some kind of valuable information. Haru licked his nose, curling his tail behind him in a sad attempt to keep him warmer.

You gotta tell me, Jackie. Do you or do you not have a spell on you?

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Tue Jan 21, 2014 2:58 pm

"Of course not," Jackie said, giving him a puzzled look. She scooted over on the bed and patted the spot next to her absently to invite him to come lay with her instead of sitting alone on the floor, which was likely cold. "I don't even know anything about yours. All I know is that you were a wolf, then the next morning you weren't. You keep mentioning bleeding and biting other people.. I don't know, Haru. I don't understand. I'm not cursed or spelled or anything like that. In this world, magic doesn't even exist except in stories. Fairy tales," she explained, uncertain.

This wasn't something she was prepared for. Even after meeting him, helping him, escaping from the hospital with him.. She didn't feel as though she could really handle this. All she had to do was make it through a few days of having a wolf in her room, though. That wouldn't be too difficult, as long as the cops didn't find her here. She just wanted to make sure Haru was okay. Half-smiling at the thought, she glanced down at the white wolf, wondering what was going to happen.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Wed Jan 22, 2014 4:12 am

Haru watched her pensively. The confusion set on her face spoke volumes. She really had no idea about curses or any of that. It was like mixing two completely different worlds, which is what the two of them were doing, actually. A wolf in a dorm. Magic in the human world. Haru tried to make sense of it before, but with every passing night, he slowly forgot what human life was. True, he was one as a babe, but that was only for a short time. A sinister laugh shook him from his pondering and he brought his head up to her.

Magic happens very rarely in the wild. We wolves share tales of monsters and things like that, and sometimes, we find the oddest things happening. Little people dancing on leaves and trees whispering things. The occasional Night Haunters and wicked witches. We steer clear of them, or try to at least. I guess you humans have for years. There was a pause while he measured the lift of her nose. More confusion. With a heavy huff, he curled his tail around the opposite side of him as he sat on his hind legs.

When I was a human babe, I was cursed by a witch. The witch came to my living place and was going to place a curse on me and my mother. My mother died protecting me from her, or at least tried to. I guess I took the brunt end of it. I know the song by heart now:

"By blood slain
By blood remained
Daylight's peace and
Night fall's pain

By love born
By love slain
By blood the peace
Will dawn again"

There were no words for a few short seconds while Haru’s brown eyes bore into the blank wall in front of him. Finally, he slid his gaze back to Jackie.

It means my mom died and gave her blood for me, that’s why I stayed. In the day, I’m okay and alright, but by night, there has to be pain. I don’t know what the love part stands for, but since they were born, they have to be killed. And by blood ‘peace will dawn again’. Daylight’s peace. And what am I by daylight now? A human. That’s why it says ‘dawn’ again. So basically, by night, I am a wolf, and since you’ve bled for me, it’s changed me back into a human. I don’t know why but… I don’t like it. Why you? I don’t even know who you are.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:23 am

Magic happens.

That concept was harder for Jackie to swallow than the fact that a wolf had turned into a man in her campsite. Sure, it was a magical thing, but she hadn't been focused on that when it happened. Now Haru was sitting here tell her about how pixies and witches and Haunters, whatever those were, were real things. It made her want to curl up under her blankets and never come out again. If these things were real, what if she ever saw one? She didn't even know what a Haunter was but she was willing to bet quite a bit of money that if she ever met one, she'd end up screaming like a little girl and running around in circles. Even the thought of it made her queasy.

She refocused on Haru, watching him as he spoke of a curse. That explained why he asked if she had a spell on her too. She frowned slightly, listening to him recite the two verses. How horribly sad that his mother had died to protect him, and he had turned into a wolf without being able to do anything. The poor baby..

"I'm not anybody special. I'm just Jackie," she murmured as he mentioned not knowing who she was. She frowned thoughtfully, confused. Haru was a wolf, which meant that he had animal blood on him a lot over the years. He had to eat. Obviously animal blood didn't have the magicky-turning-human vibe. But she wasn't sure if he had ever attacked a human. Maybe all humans could turn him. The song didn't say it had to be her. Though, she was a bit confused to why this mattered. He wanted to stay a wolf - he had said so. He also said it was painful. She didn't know what to do.

"Do you want to be a human, Haru?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "I don't know what most of this even means, but I do know that I'm the only human in this room and probably the only one in this dorm who won't run screaming just from seeing you. I want to help you. If being human is what you want, then okay. Just let me know."

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Wed Jan 22, 2014 2:54 pm

He got bored watching her think. A stray peace of fuzz landed on the floor before him and he quipped his head at it. Bending downwards, he blew the fuzz with his large nose and watched it go into the air before sweetly sailing back down to the floor. Haru’s tail thumped curiously and he played with the tuft some more until Jackie mentioned being Jackie. Haru stopped his new game and tilted his head towards her instead.

Well yeah. And I’m just Haruke. But I happen to have a curse on me. Anything can happen to anyone, Jackie. I was human once. That just goes to show that humans possess just as much magic as the forest things, right? He pawed the floor ahead of him, desperate to have something else to play with. His hind paw was feeling a little better, but he decided that a bit more walking would do him some good. Haru walked in a circle and stopped in his tracks when Jackie said what she said. Even though he just told her that her blood was the reason he was human.

Makes no sense at all. I’m just going to turn back to a wolf at night anyway… So what is the point? A thought dawned on him making his ears fall limply. But I think going back into the forest is a bad idea… I don’t think they like me anymore. Maybe being human is the right thing to d — No! No, this means you have to bleed! He whipped his head to the side angrily, snapping his jaw to prove a point.

No, it’s not happening. I’ll just go back and deal with them sooner or later.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:03 pm

"I don't mind bleeding a little bit to help you," Jackie pointed out with a bit of a smile. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it. That cut from last time barely hurt, and it's already healed. I can deal with doing that again so that you can be human tomorrow. I can take you around and show you things. Maybe you can make a better decision if you're more informed about the world you would be coming into," she suggested kindly.

She yawned and stretched, realizing then that she was exhausted from the events of the day. After a moment she got up and rummaged through her dresser, pulling out a pair of soft pajama pants and a tank top. She looked over at Haru and tilted her head with a smile.

"You think about it while I go change and get ready for bed. Stay quiet, please. You can lay up on the bed if you want, make yourself comfy," she said, gesturing to the soft bed before leaving the room to wander down to the bathrooms.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:23 pm

There is no thinking about it!

But even as Jackie walked away, leaving him sitting placidly on the floor of the dorm, he couldn’t help but think that she was right. The worst about being a human so far was that he had no idea what anything was and the earlier pain didn’t make it any better. The hospital made the pain go down so maybe he could think a little more clearly than before. It was the bleeding part that irked him. Bleeding out of a hole in his stomach wasn’t a pleasant feeling. The curse didn’t even call for a certain amount of blood, so maybe a droplet would change him back? He flicked his ears and whinned, laying his chin on the floor, paws at both sides of his nose.

Alright, he said knowing that she could hear him in her head even though they weren’t close to each other. I agree, but if I see too much pain, I’ll make you stop. I’ll pee on the blood. I’ve been mentioning peeing a lot. Haru’s head popped up and he limped his way quickly towards wherever she was. The dorm hallways were big but he could smell Jackie somewhere. He found a barely cracked door with the scent of Jackie inside. Nudging his nose thorugh the door, pushed it open and wagged his tail.

I gotta pee.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:35 pm

Jackie blinked and looked around, confused as she paused halfway through changing. How could she still hear him? That was so bizarre.. Now she definitely felt insane. She sighed and finished, coming out of the stall just in time to see Haru push his nose into the bathroom. Jumping in surprise, she yelped a bit, then laughed.

"Well.. I don't know how being in here is going to help with that problem since you aren't human at the moment.." she said, looking around thoughtfully. She tilted her head, then went around the middle wall and gestured to the showers. "Go in one of those. Try to pee in the hole on the floor. I'll wash it out when you're done. And next time, give me warning before you leave the room! I don't want you to be caught and hauled off to the pound," she added, shaking her head before going to brush her teeth.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Thu Jan 23, 2014 4:13 am

Her rules went by him quickly. He ignored most of them and the one she looked serious telling him only earned her a snort from him.

Relax. I’m just peeing. You freak out too much about me being a wolf. You know, wolves don’t really freak out when we see you humans in our territory, and you guys are just as dangerous. You have those flying needles that put people asleep, and death rocks that fly really fast and kill animals. And the chomping teeth on the ground that can chop your paw off. All I really have are paws, claws, and fangs, he said, baring them innocently. Though it was supposed to come out like a smile, it only made him look menacingly mad.

See? I’m not that scary. Now how am I supposed to do this again? She didn’t give him much of an area to work with. There was a tiny hole centered in the middle of some kind of barrier. As soon as he stepped into it, the soles of his paws became wet. Curiously, he sniffed around and noticed that Jackie’s scent was mostly drowned out in this area. He didn’t like it. Huffing flippantly at the hole, Haru lifted his good hind leg and peed directly on the wall, nowhere near the hole. Once he was finished, he flicked some sort of damp cloth beside him towards the spot where he used it. His spot had been marked.

I missed. Can we go back now?

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:26 am

Jackie flinched a bit at Haru's 'proof' of him being more harmless than a human. She swallowed and watched him walk away, slowly relaxing as she shook her head and rinsed her mouth out before washing her face.

"At least with a human, I know they're only scary if they have a weapon. Your whole body is a weapon," she pointed out as she patted her face dry. When he came out, she nodded and picked up a spare bottle of dish soap left on the counter by somebody too lazy to go to the kitchen to do their dishes. She went over to the shower he had used, squirted the walls and floor, then rinsed it all down the drain. Once she was satisfied, she shut the water off and smiled at him.

"Come on, I'm exhausted," she said, waving him along behind her as she left the bathroom and held the door open for him. Once he was out in the hallway, she padded along barefoot to her room, yawning the whole way.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:05 pm

What… Hey, what are you doing!? Are you crazy!? Stop it!

Haru bounded left and right angrily, stomping his paws and growling up towards Jackie who just squirted away. That was his spot! Now someone was going to claim it as their own because he couldn’t smell his scent anymore! Haru growled some more and added a few little whines, but Jackie rose herself to full height and walked out of the bathroom. Annoyed, he stomped after her, his head slung to the ground. There was no way he was going to talk to her after she did that to his pride! He wasn’t even a male if he didn’t have his own territories. A thought sprung in the inside of his head. While she slept, he would just pee somewhere in her room and mark it there. He didn’t remember any water spouts in the room, so his area should be good. Bingo.

I’m not sleepy, he said once they reached her room again. Suspecting that Jackie was going to her bed, Haru hopped over to the edge of it and bit the end of a very big cloth, pulling it eagerly. He wasn’t aware that he was pulling the covers back to let her in. He was just having fun. Tugging some more with a wagging tail, he upturned his eyes to her innocently.

Can I play with this until I’m bored? I can’t sleep unless I’m tired. Last night was different cause I thought I was going to die. But now I’m not and I wanna play.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:14 pm

"You can't just pee somewhere and not expect somebody to clean it up. That's gross," Jackie said, laughing a bit. She paused, thinking, then eyed him. "You're smart enough to be house trained, right? Like are you going to wake me up in the middle of the night like a puppy just so you can go outside and pee? I'm okay with it, just don't pee in my room or chew my shoes up or I'll kick you out!" she threatened, giggling. She knew he was smarter than that.

She shook her head a little at his playfulness with the blanket, tilting her head. He was adorable, but she was beyond tired.

"You can't play with that, no. It's called a blanket. I sleep under it to keep me warm since I don't have fur like you do," she explained, fixing the blanket and picking up a small knife-style letter opener that she had laying on the desk. She kneeled down on the floor and looked over at him.

"How about we get this part done, then you can lay with me and I'll answer questions until you fall asleep?"

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:16 pm

A chill bristled all the way down his spine at the sight of the knife. He didn’t have to be a human to know what it was. A sliver of moonlight beamed off of the sleek metal blade while she tenderly held the handle in her firm little hand. Every time she made a slight move, Haru’s head snapped after her, following her every movement. He was tense. He was too tense. A thousand and one reluctant phrases zipped through his head all at once. Did he really want to be a human anyway? The curse was real and it was very real that Jackie could break it. How much blood did it have to be anyway? And why blood? Why did it have to be her blood? All the while, she continued to give him a weak smile.

I don’t want you to do this, he said, stepping up beside her bed post. He tried to mirror her expression but found himself scrunching his nose in a half snarl. Unenthusiastically, he forced his hurt leg into helping him bound onto the bed, placing himself directly in front of her. He forced his head upright, a position that put him at eye level with Jackie.

We do this tonight and if I hate being a human in the morning, then we won’t do it again, alright? He studied her for a moment.

I don’t know who you are, but that doesn’t mean I like seeing people or animals being hurt. Especially for my cause so… Make it quick. For a moment, Haru looked into her deep eyes, looking for reluctance, looking for a reason not to trust her. Then he felt as if he were drowning in them and he clung onto reality desperately. Saying nothing, he bent his head and closed his eyes, fighting not to move an inch until the dripping would be over, as agonizing as wait was.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:35 pm

"Deal. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do, Haru. Fully human or not, we all have rights. You choose what you want and I'll just have to be okay with it, no matter what it is. Unless it's biting people. Then that's not okay and I'll have to get you a kennel," Jackie said, trying to lighten his mood since he seemed really upset about this.

She gazed at him, meeting his eyes evenly. There was no hesitation on her part. It wasn't even going to really hurt, and she desperately wanted to help him. She couldn't even explain to herself why she wanted to help so badly, but she did. He seemed.. confused. It was the only emotion she could come up. She didn't understand it, but before she could ask, he looked away. Taking that as a cue, she looked down at the letter opener in her hands.

She figured since the finger stung a bit, it'd be better to just nick her palm this time instead. No bending knuckles to irritate the cut. She took the letter opener in her right hand and lightly pressed the tip to her left palm, then exhaled. Just relax, Jackie. Just a little prick. She nodded to herself and flicked her wrist, accidentally cutting a line two inches long instead of a tiny one. Ow, ow, ow.. She bit back a wince to keep him from worrying or complaining, then placed her hand on his back near his shoulders.

"See? There. No harm done."

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Fri Jan 24, 2014 6:41 pm

Haru smelled the blood the moment she did the deed. All of his senses were heightened and he hated himself for it. Blood was the last thing he wanted on his mind. Since birth it had made itself the root of his dreams, of his nightmares, of his reality with a stranger. Something primal in him wanted to maul the wench who did this to him, to sink his fangs into her wrinkly flesh and lick his maw with no remorse whatsoever. There had to be someone to place the blame of Jackie’s pain on, and he didn’t want it to be himself. He made it clear he didn’t want her to do it. If she wanted to bleed out on him, who was he to stop her? Wolf or not, free will was free will. Scowling, Haru didn’t move a muscle until he heard her voice. It was too bright and he hated it.

It hurt. It wasn’t a question. He finally brought his gaze from the covers below and looked at her scornfully. I don’t have any questions. I don’t want to play anymore either. I just want to go to sleep. To put a period on his statement, he plopped his body down quickly, laying on all fours with his chin tucked on either side of his paws similar to before. Jackie was right about his fur taking place of the covers, because he was starting to get exceedingly hot in her little room. The smell of blood swam through his sensitive nose and he thrashed his tail.

Can I eat when I get up? I feel better enough to hunt for you. We can both eat, but let’s eat here and not in my burrow. The other wolves wouldn’t like me sharing with a human. Something inside of him told him that humans didn’t get food the way he did. What did it matter? Jackie would take care of him. Eyes drooping feebly, Haru repeated that thought in his head until the smell of blood was lost on him and he was fast asleep.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Fri Jan 24, 2014 6:53 pm

"It.. only hurt a little," Jackie allowed. She couldn't lie, he'd know. She looked away and got up, rummaging around her desk until she found the small first aid kit that the school gave to all of the students. "We don't need to hunt to eat. I'll show you in the morning," she added, wrapping a thin layer of gauze around her hand and taping it in place along the side. There. It would probably spread and need to be changed in the morning, but she'd be fine.

She turned to Haru and was about to say something, but then she realized he was asleep. Where did the playful, energetic Haru go? Maybe the blood put him to sleep. She shrugged and went over to the bed, climbing up behind him to sleep between his furry self and the wall. The bright red on his fur was a streak of color, catching her eyes. At least it wasn't too much.. She shook her head and got under the blanket, then curled up on her side with her back against the wall. Her right arm curled under her pillow, the hand poking out into the open space with the palm up to keep from making it painful.

Once she was settled, she gently pet Haru's back. It was like having a dog, but.. different. Better. She smiled and fell asleep.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Sun Jan 26, 2014 3:53 pm

The dream came back to him in bits and pieces just as it always did. The crackling voice, the screech from above his ears, the sight and smell of blood. Haru hardened in his place while he watched from afar what the witch did to his mother and what she did to him next. The scene was gruesome but it was only a dream he was forced to watch. The same thing happened every night. The curse began to pound through his ear drums like the steps of a large giant. He could feel himself whining, but heard nothing but the curse from the witch’s voice. Heard nothing but evil. Saw nothing but blood.

Haru’s eyes snapped awake, tearing the nightmare right down the middle. Lights popped behind his eyes in a firework fashion. He rubbed them at the corners, not surprised to find himself having fingers and skin again. Last night Jackie bled for him and now he was human again. Who also happened to be bare. Sounds of the morning met his ears finally. Outside he heard the familiar roar of cars going down the street. There were only faint chirps of birds, but nothing else seemed to pop out at him. Nothing but cars and small birds. Disappointed, Haru blinked his vision into focus, seeing Jackie’s face buried among the covers.

She looked warm and he was freezing.

He didn’t second guess himself while he slipped his way beneath covers to join Jackie in her comfortable laying session. Soon enough she would be awake, so there was no point in freezing waiting for her return to consciousness. The warmth took him in like a loving mother does a child, his voice humming out in satisfaction. Jackie’s hair tickled his nose and he found himself smiling at her bundled poise.

“Comfy?” he asked in a whisper.

Subject: Re: Red Remedy Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:32 pm

"Shhhh, I don't wanna go to class yet," Jackie mumbled drowsily, shifting a little. She felt him nearby and scooted forward, curling her arms around him and snuggling into his chest before going still again.

If she had been awake and realized what she had done, she probably would have turned a dozen shades of red and started spewing apologies. As it was, however, she was perfectly warm and cozy and still deep enough in dream land that she didn't care if Haru was okay with it or not.

Jackie dreamed of random things that made little sense, yet summed up the past twenty-four hours of her life. There was a large classroom with a tent set up in the middle of it for some reason, and students had to camp in it to pass. After that, there were people running around with magic wands, turning desks into wolves and the teacher into a very angry looking nurse. Blood coated the walls but wasn't frightening, somehow, just more of a decoration. And she found herself happy as could be, laughing with a boy whose red eyes made her insides want to melt.

Yes, she was definitely comfy.