Shockingly, only a small dribble of water managed to escape her lips, the rest she tried to eagerly swallow back. When he pulled the glass back, she looked up at him, smiled again.
"See something you like?" She laughed. "My face get fucked up too?"
"Ha!" She snorted out a laugh, one that lasted a touch longer than it needed to. Blame it on the drugs making her loopy. "Good. Glad he steered clear of the moneymaker."
If she didn't joke about it she would absolutely cry and she had done far too much of that already.
He still looks confused, but she's obviously pleased, so it's fine by him. Her calling him adorable and "big guy" makes his stomach feel strange. His heart beats a little faster the way it did when they kissed.
"Good that you enjoy it," he says, almost smiling but not quite. He puts the water to her mouth again.
"Don't say that." Her voice wasn't as hard as she would have liked, her insistence mitigated by the drugs and, if she was honest, genuine fear that he might somehow let that happen instead. "People will start looking for you if strangers end up dead. You could be seen - they'll come back and tell everyone who killed them. It's not worth it."
Death isn't permanent? Hm... So execution would not be the punishment. But his victims could come back, and if they remembered him, could easily sully his reputation. He hasn't seen jails in this city, but crime is obviously frowned upon in every district but wrath, and murder is even frowned upon within wrath by the common people who aren't part of the combatants or that blood-drinking clan. He knows people can be banned from establishments. And, there is the issue of powerful people coming to get revenge, and bringing powerful friends... Death isn't permanent, but injury clearly lasts.
He sighs, rubs his forehead. What a mess...
"He was angry with you. He does not like to be bested, and he is prideful... You made him feel threatened. The severity of this torture was fuelled by rage and vengeance. Perhaps if you work out a way to get along with him, you could agree on some less extreme forms of pain... Or negotiate some way for him to satiate himself more constructively..."
He thinks for another moment.
"I can also talk to him... And there is a man I met, who offered to help me... A counsellor."
"Yeah, I figured that's why he carved his fucking initial into my body." She said, a hint of bitterness managing to make it through the haze. "Considered when it happened just carving over it, but I feel like he'd just... pick a new spot." The thought sparked her own fury, and she hated being marked like that. It felt almost like when she was back in the pits. The torment she suffered, the scars she was still bearing that she could never be rid of. Reminders. Her body had reminders of fucking everything she had ever done and everyone that had ever hurt her.
"But that's why I offered sex initially. Maybe once he's done being pissy about me winning that fight I can suggest it - but my stipulation that you get me first still stands." A beat. "If you want it."
The mention of the branding makes him feel sick. He sits in the chair again, hunching a little and slowly wrapping his arms around himself. This is all so much. Guilt, and fear, and these strange feelings about Nina and her well-being that churn in his gut.
He nods to her mention of sex, since he does want that in theory, but it's hard to think about right now. His head is starting to turn to static again.
"Yes... A kind man who was stabbed by him... But met me and wanted to help for some reason..."
Maybe he couldn't trust that man. It makes no sense that he'd want to help, so maybe there's an ulterior motive.
Nina could not offer much save the gentle stroke of her bandaged fingers along the top of his head, fingertips pressed to the back of his skull. "Come here." And a gentle nudge to try and get him to come closer - she could, at the very least, get her arm around him without too much jostling, if he let her.
"Probably for the same reason I did - the Death Knight isn't you. And you, Jeritza, need help before the guy takes over your life and ruins it for you."
He moves to carefully sit on the edge of her bed, allowing her to pull him in, though making sure to be gentle and slow with how he leans on her to not aggravate her injuries. Once close, he closes his eyes, feeling her warmth. It's more than he deserves, but he needs it.
Nina rested her cheek against the top of his head, hand stroking absently through his hair as best she could with how tight the bandages were wound. He was so gentle, so sweet. So... innocent in comparison to the Knight that had tormented her not long ago. This was precisely the reason she would allow it to continue. He needed to be protected, somehow.
"Good." She replied softly, kissing the top of his head. "Thank you for staying with me."
He sighs through his nose, allowing himself to relax a little. Her touches bring him back to himself, creating room in his brain to think and exist without being crowded by terrible thoughts. The static clears, because here with her, he doesn't want to disappear into the folds of his consciousness to escape his feelings. He wants to experience her, with all the hardship and complexity that involves. He brings his feet up onto the bed, then slides his hand onto her stomach below the sling and rubs it slowly.
She clearly feels, for some reason, that Jeritza is worth all of this trouble. Even torture. He doesn't understand it, but... He thinks she might be worth it too.
His touch was so tender it was difficult to think that those same hands had inflicted the wounds that brought her here to begin with. Nina nodded shallowly, careful not to dislodge or disturb him with the motion, cuddling as close as she could and easily falling back to sleep with him nestled in beside her.
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"See something you like?" She laughed. "My face get fucked up too?"
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"Ah..." He blinks. "No, your face is... Good," he says awkwardly.
... What?
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If she didn't joke about it she would absolutely cry and she had done far too much of that already.
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"You make money with your face?"
How does that work...?
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"It's-" she laughed. "It's a joke. I was suggesting my face is what people would pay for if I was a whore."
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"A whore? You are not a whore..."
Yeah, that's the joke, Jeritza...
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"Yeah, big guy. That's why it's funny." She snorted. "Gods. You're adorable."
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"Good that you enjoy it," he says, almost smiling but not quite. He puts the water to her mouth again.
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Her bandaged hand shifted to rest over his as the glass was moved back once more. "Are you upset with me?"
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He isn't sure if she means about the joke or in general, but either way the answer is the same.
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"I don't know. You were so upset when you found me, I was just wondering if I went too far."
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Jeritza is hard to read, incredibly so.
"He went too far. You allowed it... But I cannot control what you do... I have tried. You are too stubborn. I just don't want this to happen again..."
As horrible as it sounds, he would prefer a stranger getting hurt to Nina, not that that made it right...
What a mess. He has no idea how to get out of it.
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"I would rather he killed a stranger than did this to you..."
It's the truth, might as well say it. He's grown numb to the bodies of strangers. Seeing Nina hurt makes him feel hurt. And scared.
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"I would rather take the punishment of being caught than have you tortured indefinitely..."
Talk about not worth it. Jeritza has always been waiting for punishment. It wouldn't be a tragedy.
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He sighs, rubs his forehead. What a mess...
"He was angry with you. He does not like to be bested, and he is prideful... You made him feel threatened. The severity of this torture was fuelled by rage and vengeance. Perhaps if you work out a way to get along with him, you could agree on some less extreme forms of pain... Or negotiate some way for him to satiate himself more constructively..."
He thinks for another moment.
"I can also talk to him... And there is a man I met, who offered to help me... A counsellor."
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"But that's why I offered sex initially. Maybe once he's done being pissy about me winning that fight I can suggest it - but my stipulation that you get me first still stands." A beat. "If you want it."
She quirked a brow. "A counsellor?"
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He nods to her mention of sex, since he does want that in theory, but it's hard to think about right now. His head is starting to turn to static again.
"Yes... A kind man who was stabbed by him... But met me and wanted to help for some reason..."
Maybe he couldn't trust that man. It makes no sense that he'd want to help, so maybe there's an ulterior motive.
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"Probably for the same reason I did - the Death Knight isn't you. And you, Jeritza, need help before the guy takes over your life and ruins it for you."
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"Yes... I will contact him..." He murmurs.
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"Good." She replied softly, kissing the top of his head. "Thank you for staying with me."
can wrap soon ithinks
She clearly feels, for some reason, that Jeritza is worth all of this trouble. Even torture. He doesn't understand it, but... He thinks she might be worth it too.
"I will be here."
yuh we can end here