ROLEPLAY HQ - witches-and-warriors

Melia hummed and flitted around her cottage. She was trying to brew something, though the specifics of the recipe were a bit lost on her. But brewing potions was just like cooking, right? She certainly hoped so. A bunch of the ingredients sounded right and like they would go together. You put the eyes with the eyes and the plants with the plants... If you wanted to see well, you just made a potion with a bunch of eyes in it! The more eyes, the better. Once brewed, she gave the potion a sniff. It smelled awful! That must mean it worked! She looked around the room and perked up when she saw her bunny. He was lounging on the couch, haplessly aware of what Melia was about to do to him. The witch sat down next to him and poured the potion on top of him before picking him up. The bunny's eyes shot open, its pupils dilated as it looked off in the distance. Melia looked him over, but couldn't tell if anything had happened. "Aw... it didn't work." She frowned and sat the bunny back down. Little did she know that the bunny had gained glimpses of the future thanks to her potion. Troubled by this, the bunny would have several sleepless nights. Regardless, Melia was out of ingredients and needed more. Fish eyes were easy; newt eyes were not. She could cast a locator spell, but catching the newts would be more difficult. She stepped out of the cottage, dressed to the nines in her standard witch garb - she was not subtle. A small basket was nestled in the crook of her elbow as she set out to hunt and forage. "I could also use some mushrooms for dinner!" She clapped her hands together and skipped off into the forest, excited for what the day would bring. @IvyTheToxic

The sound of a chain rustling can be heard in the distance, in the royal dungeon. Many of the top criminals who were sentenced there were said to never come out alive. The shouting of prisoners is also a daily occurrence; cell buddies would fight one another for the silliest of reasons, such as when someone snores a bit too loud, or why one prisoner has more soup in their bowl than the other, alas, such was life in the king's dungeon. In the darkest far corner of the dungeon cells sat a shirtless dark-haired man, with a dragon tattoo on his chest and stomach. He was the only prisoner who had their own cell and didn't share. He was one of the scariest, most powerful men in said dungeon. How did he end up in there? Well, the simple version goes like this. Said man lay with one of the King's daughters, and his being of simple common birth was an additional reason. 3 long years had passed since then, yet the king wasn't willing to execute him, his reasoning was to give a warning to any of his offsprings, should they choose to chase after common men and women, this is what said commoners' faith would be, a rotting death in the dungeon. However, it seemed that lady luck was in his favor that day. The creaking of a wooden being open was then heard, and a guard walked inside the dungeon holding a torch. He walked over the darkest most remote cell to the far end and spoke up. ''Thorax Thorngrim, wake up. The king wishes to see you. Now.'' The dark-haired man turned around as he lay in his prison bed and asked with a cold tone in his voice. ''What does the old bastard want with me?'' --

9:32 AM

''That I have no idea about'' The guard replied, unlocking his cell, then unlocking the chain ball that tied his leg to the floor before speaking up again. ''Come on, walk'' He grabbed a hold of Thorax's necklace chain and pulled a bit, forcing him to get up and follow as requested. As they walked into the spiral stairs and upwards, Thorax asked the guard. ''How is Princess Liana, is she okay?'' The guard smirked and frustratingly pulled his chain with force, causing Thorax to stagger as he walked up the stairs. ''You got some nerve asking about her. She's not here, he married her off to a duke, far away from here, you'll never see her again.'' That wasn't an answer Thorax was hoping to get, he hoped to see her once again after so long. Yet finding out that she was married off, his last hope was crushed by the sad reality. With his expression changing quickly, he never spoke another word to the guard, only followed quietly. Finally, they reached the throne room, finally after 3 years Thorax saw the light of day again, its blinding gaze causing distress to his eyes. When he was brought before the king, the guard pushed him down on his knees by pressing his hand against Thorax's shoulder. He finally looked up, to see the fat king he once swore to serve, eating and drinking wine on his throne. ''Thorax Thorngrim. Heh...you look like shit.'' The king snapped his fingers and summoned his maids to serve him more cooked meat and wine. ''I see you still haven't died in my dungeon, good. I'll be brief. With your absence, things haven't been looking well, our last hero passed away recently, and with those calamities shaking the very core of our kingdom, I need someone like you. I am willing to pardon you of your treason against my family and the crown.'' --

9:33 AM

All Thorax could do upon hearing his little pathetic offer was laugh, and laugh he did, in front of everyone present before replying. The usually kind Thorax hated the king for sending the love of his life somewhere she didn't belong and forced her to marry a noble in a faraway land. ''You expect me to accept these conditions..why should I? You sent Liana to some god-awful place to be the doll wife of some unworthy bastard. I would rather die in the dungeon than ever help you, let this gods-forsaken kingdom rot, you old fat fool.'' He spat at the king's feet, and one of the royal guards kicked Thorax in the back with his boot in response to his insolence. ''How dare you speak to your king like that!'' The royal commander of the guard spoke in anger. To which Thorax gazed at him and asked him a very simple yet powerful question. ''Commander Nixion, you do have kids and a wife you love very much, correct?'' The commander replied with an affirmative yes. As expected Thorax then continued to the point. ''What would do you, if one day the bastard sitting on the old throne told you that your wife and kids will be sent away to some remote place on earth and that you will never see them again, how would you feel?'' An eery silence followed soon, but not before long the king spoke up, in a rather calm manner. ''His wife is not of royal blood, even if she was, he's a noble and you are a but a commoner. Now, I will give you this one last chance, Thorax. We will name you the new hero, do your job and I promise you, your crime against the crown will be revoked. Deny and I will kill Liana myself.'' Did the king just threaten to end one of his own children because of him? No, it was all a bluff, but he knew that Thorax would never wish for Liana to die. -- (edited)

9:34 AM

Gritting his teeth, he reluctantly lifted his head and said. ''If I deal with your problem, do you promise not to harm Liana, even if I'll never see her again in this life, I want her to be happy. Can you promise me as a man, not as my king, not as my executioner, but as a man.'' A nod followed from the old king, he walked over to Thorax and unlocked the chain collar he was given during his stay. ''As a man, I promise to not harm Liana, as long as you deal with these calamities, we believe a witch is still alive in our world, and we need to get rid of her for she's the one causing said calamities.'' In return Thorax stood up and stretched, finally feeling the blood flowing back into his wrists and knees. ''I shall find this witch and deal with her, but you better hope she's the cause of said calamities, for If I find out she's not the cause, I will not take an innocent woman's life. Are we clear?'' That day the king ordered some maids to take care of Thorax and his needs. He took a bath, fed him, gave him clothes, his weapons and armor back, all polished and clean, and provisions for a week. With everything he needed in hand, Thorax finally set off on his mission, however, the location of the witch was unknown, and the map they had delivered to him was somewhat incomplete...After a week of traveling, he stumbled upon a magical forest that wasn't mapped on his map. Rumors had it the forest itself was cursed a long, long time ago. Alas, Thorax was no ordinary hero. He was confident of his skills and decided to gallop further into the forest, only stopping at night to camp and let his horse pasture and rest. But was he close? Nobody really knew. He was traveling on the false hope that he would somehow, someway find said witch, whom he was skeptical even existed... @PhoggyΨυχη

Melia skipped through the forest, happily and gracefully. She sang a song that someone had taught her... she wasn't sure who. The witch couldn't remember her parents or any family; she had no friends to speak of sans the forest animals. Perhaps it was one of them who taught her the song. She always felt bad while hunting. She had learned how to speak with animals as a child and they often spoke back. She tried her best to only hunt what she absolutely needed, like for furs and food. As much as veggies could soothe her soul, meat kept the, well, meat on her bones. "Der Kuckuck und der Esel, Die hatten großen Streit," she sang, loosing an arcane arrow at one of the bucks in the forest. The other deer didn't like this buck, apparently. He was a very mean buck, so they said it was okay to eat him! The animals were so kind. They always just told her which animals she could and couldn't kill. While she still felt bad about killing, this helped ease it the guilt a bit. Even though she had unknowingly become an animal hired gun. She skipped over to the pristine carcass and began to cut it up. "Wer wohl am besten sänge zur schönen Maienzeit. Der Kuckuck sprach: "Das kann ich!" Und hub gleich an zu schrei'n—" she stopped and looked around once she had finished. Now she needed some veggies. Well, mostly mushrooms. It seemed that was a majority of what the forest held. Mushrooms of different shapes and sizes, colorful and bland. She stood up and wiped her hands clean before heading off to find a faerie circle; that would be her best bet for mushrooms. Fairies hadn't been in the forest in... a very long time. But at least their mushrooms still grew! "—"Ich aber kann es besser!" Fiel gleich der Esel ein." She heard her song echoed in her mind, most likely from the myconoids under ground. Thankfullu, they never really gave her trouble. Or it didn't. She was not clear on how, exactly, a hive mind worked. She spied a faerie circle in a bright clearing — one she h

11:59 AM

ad been to many times before. Melia had thought it a very picturesque sight as the trees broke around the circle and let the sun cast its rays down on it. "Das klang so schön und lieblich,"she continued as she made her way over. "So schön von fern und nah; Sie sangen alle beide~" She knelt down and began to cut the mushrooms at the midpoint rather than rip them from the base so that they may continue to grow. When she got to her favorite part in her song, she tilted her head side to side and exaggerated the movements, singing as loudly as she could: ""Kuckuck, Kuckuck, i-a, i-a!" "Kuckuck, Kuckuck, i-a, i-a!"" @IvyTheToxic

It's early in the morning, Thorax is washing his clothes in the nearby river, a razor in his hands, gazing at the clear water while shaving his face. In the distance, birds chirped, and his horse peacefully grazed the pasture around. As he sat in place, gazing at the clear water in front of him, thoughts of his beloved roamed his mind. The princess...she was his entire previous life he was devoted to her, alas, it wasn't meant to be. It angered him that the old King would do such a thing just to spite on him. He clutched his fist in anger before punching his own reflection in the water, causing it to ripple the water. Not long after he sat down to have breakfast. He had some supplies left, but they were dwindling fast. Deciding not to go hunt yet, he took out the salted meat he kept all these days of traveling. He wasn't sure if the forest was indeed cursed or it was just a myth, but he was superstitious and didn't wanna invoke the wrath of the gods. He stabbed his slab of salted meat on a stick and placed it above the fire to cook slowly. Not long after it was ready for consumption, when he began eating, his ears picked a womanly voice. At first,, he thought it was just his mind playing tricks, but then the voice got louder. Curious, he picked up the leather shirt and placed it on himself, placed his sword back in its scarab, and went to investigate. It was an unusual song. In a language he hadn't heard. --

10:00 AM

As he continued following the charming voice deeper inside the trail, he stumbled upon a woman, a very beautiful dark-skinned woman. Tall, and with a very pretty figure. It had been 3 years since he had seen an attractive woman, and she was just his type. Not wanting to interrupt her, he simply followed from a safe distance as she sang. Her voice was soothing and calm. It made him relax, almost to the point where he forgot why he followed her. Not wanting to startle her he approached her before stopping behind her, when she turned around he waved and calmly said. ''Good morning, miss. Excuse me for following you. I was just admiring your beautiful voice. Oh and please, do not panic...I am not here to hurt you.'' He scratched the back of his head while smiling somewhat awkwardly. @PhoggyΨυχη

Melia's ears flickered at the sound of movement against grass. It was too infrequent to be an animal. Speaking of, the animals came rushing to her to tell her of a human in the woods. It was almost unheard of for someone to enter the woods. There were plenty of rumors of curses and gods and other such things that pervaded the public conscious; she did not think anyone was brave or foolish enough to enter. She was prepared when he approached; though, she was far more curious than anything. She had never seen a human before. Someone had told her to avoid them, instilling fearful stories in her mind about their brutality and wickedness. She was curious to know if this was true. Still, the witch had spells prepared just in case things went. The last thing she needed was for someone to steal her food! How else would she eat? She would need to hunt again and that would just be annoying! Melia gave him a tilt of her head and looked him over. He smelled funny and looked weird. "Who are you? Why are you in the woods? Don't you know it's dangerous? You could get hurt! You should leave and definitely not steal my food, human. And, no, I do not plan on sharing. I killed Thomas fair and square and all of the other deer said I could eat him!" She gave him a small pout and stood up, putting her hands on her hips before shooing him off. "Go go! I am hungry and want to go make dinner!" @IvyTheToxic

'You're hungry? Well, it so happens that I too, am hungry. Miss. How about we have some dinner together? I do have some supplies left in my camp. And my horse could use a good night's sleep. So, what do you say? Oh, before you say anything, do not worry. I am not here to steal your food. You see, I've been sent here on a mission.'' He mentioned the mission, however, he could quite tell her what the mission was. It was a top-secret mission given by the council and the king himself. However, he did wonder why she lived alone, and who the creature she mentioned early was, no matter, he just wanted to be as friendly as possible, he meant no harm in any way. However, he wasn't sure if she didn't mean him any. Reluctantly he smiled and gazed at her basket, it was filled with mushrooms and some kinds of herbs. He also wondered if Thomas was a rabbit, a deer, or an elk. @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

"I don't need any help!" She crossed her arms and pouted as she looked at him. "But, if you're not going to steal my food, then you can join me for dinner! I will be having deer and veggies. But I'll be watching you!" Melia pointed at him and shook her finger at him. She was very hungry and did not want to lose her food. "You can follow me to my house if you want! I'm going to cook there. Your horsie can come sit down with us if he wants! I have carrots and sugar cubes," she turned and began skipping off towards her cabin, singing and whistling along. @IvyTheToxic

''Uhh miss hold on! Wait!'' Too late, she began skipping ahead, he rushed to his camp, gathered his things as fast as possible, and luckily caught up to the woman in time, galloping on horseback, he walked to her side before asking politely. ''Would you like a ride to your cabin? I'm sure we'll reach it faster if we gallop there, won't we?'' He smiled once more before extending a hand to her, his horse slowly galloping so as to match the woman's skipping pace. The horse was a beautiful stallion. Thorax had it for about 6 years now, and it is very loyal as well as fearless. He did, however, wonder. What is a woman doing all alone in this so-called cursed forest, didn't she have any parents? Siblings? Doesn't one get lonely living only with animals around and no soul to talk to? Well, he was about to find out, one way or another. @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

"I'm okay! I don't want to ride Mr. Horsie. He said he's tired and would rather ride you," Melia said in a sing-song voice. She kept up her skipping as the two of them reached her cabin. "Don't touch anything inside! You might explode!" She opened the door to let them both in. The cabin was quite spacious, opening up into a large room. There did not seem to be any other rooms in the house as it was a rather large, open space. She skipped over to the kitchenette next to the big cauldron. There were strange bottles lining the shelves, some filled, and some empty. @IvyTheToxic

He let out a small chuckle before telling her. ''Don't worry, even if I explode, I regenerate quickly'' He said jokingly, looking around the big cabin. It did look like she lived all on her own. Strange bottles on the shelves, some books, it wasn't your typical cabin, Thorax knew that much. As he looked around while she fiddled with the cauldron, he walked over to her and gave whatever supplies he had for her to make dinner. He spoke up. ''There are a few potatoes in there, salted meat, some dried meat, a few cucumbers, a lonely tomato, garlic, uhhh, what else...'' He scratched his head trying to remember what he scrambled from the camp. ''Oh right, and some delicious cheese. However, there's only a quarter of the cheese wheel left. Right, that is about it...uhh, I'll go outside and let my horse pasture around here and I will be back with you.'' He walked outside and let his horse loose to pasture whatever it could, he found a bucket outside and filled it with water from his water pouch, then left it for his horse to drink. Once ready he returned inside, looking for a place to sit. He sat on an old creaking chair, before asking her. ''Aren't you lonely? Miss...uhm, forgive me. I never introduced myself. I am Thorax Thorngrim. A pleasure to meet you.'' @PhoggyΨυχη

She took the bag and looked into it, "hm..." She picked up the tomato and looked it over. After he walked outside, she shrugged her shoulders and emptied the entire bag into the cauldron. Melia took a large spoon and began to stir up the mixed veggies, meats, and everything else. "My name is Melia! And I'm not lonely! I have plenty of friends! All the animals in the forest are my friends! Well, most of them. Some of them are kinda jerks. But I can kill and eat them! That's what the other animals said." @IvyTheToxic

He was intrigued, indeed. He leaned into his chair and asked. ''You can speak to animals, huh? What else can you do? Do you possess magic? Because I do.'' He snapped his finger and a tiny dragon-like serpent appeared on his hand, it was a dark tiny dragon that swirled around his finger, and then flew around Melia before settling on her shoulder. He spoke once again. ''This is a summon of mine, his name is Fen. I don't usually like to summon him because he's the curious type. While harmless he's proven to be a useful scout.'' The tiny serpent-like dragon twirled around Melia's shoulder before setting himself comfortably on her shoulder again, finally settling down and watching the big cauldron. It seemed as if the summon liked Melia. It was usually a shy creature, but with her, it seemed very comfortable. @PhoggyΨυχη

She smiled as the creature ran along her shoulders before settling on it. "Oh my gosh, you're not that bright are you? Of course I posess magic! I'm a witch! That's why I had a pointy hat!" She reached up and scratched the small lizard's neck. "Unless there aren't any witches where you're from. In witch case, you're forgiven! My mom always told me I was special, so maybe I'm like Nessie and there's only one of me!" She brought her hands to her cheek, dropping the spoon into the cauldron. "Does that mean I'm a rare creature? I've been trying to catch them all by drawing them in my notebook, but I didn't know I had been staring at one all along in the mirror!" She looked at the small dragon and reached out a finger, to which Fen high-fived. @IvyTheToxic

''Well, you do have a point. A not the brightest.'' When she said she is indeed a witch, he looked down for a moment, before telling her. ''I'm gonna be right back.'' He stepped outside to gather his thoughts but it was difficult to determine if she was indeed the culprit or not. From what Thorax observed, she's been alone all this time, surrounded by animals. It just didn't make sense in his head. 'Fuck.' He thought to himself. ''This will be pretty difficult he thought in his mind. So far she hadn't shown any hostility or any unfriendly motives. Even when he, a complete stranger asked to have dinner with her, she accepted without giving it any thought. It had been indeed a week since he'd been on the search, and he knew he'd have to send word back to the capital, alas, what would the council and the king think, were he to report nothing unusual? He took a deep breath after what seemed like an eternity outside, but alas it was only for about 10 minutes or less. He wasn't feeling any negative energy, not calamity in the nearby forest or so he thought at the time. He went back inside and apologized to Melia. ''Apologies for being late, I have been traveling for an entire week and I guess it took a toll on me'' He sat back down and asked her. ''Your parents...are they still alive?'' @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

She was absentmindedly cooking while he stepped out and back in. "Bathroom is out back!" She called out as he left. The little dragon on her shoulder continued to sleep while she stirred the pot. At the very least, it was nice to have company! He came back in and sat down, to which she turned and gave him a smile. "Oh, um, my parents? I don't know! I don't remember them! Maybe! Who knows?" She stopped stirring and let her finger dance in the air. Two bowls floated out from the cupboard and next to the cauldron. The ladel lifted soup out and piled it into the bowls. She moved the bowls over to the table while she got silverware. "I find that, no matter what I put in, it always comes out delicious! This looks like a cheese soup with meat or something! Dig in!" She clapped her hands together before picking up the spoon and eating the soup. Melia cooed with delight as the flavor lit up her tastebuds. She brought a hand to her cheek and smiled before digging back in to her meal. @IvyTheToxic

As the two sat at the table to eat, he took a spoon and tasted the dish. It was very well made, to which he complimented her. ''It's delicious, you'll make a good wife one day.'' He said, with a warm smile on his face. He noticed his summon, it began twitching on her shoulder. It was time for it to go back to the astral world. ''Alright Fen, I see you're tired. Time to go home.'' He snapped his fingers and Fen dissolved into thin air but not before nuzzling against Melia's cheek. ''I'm sorry, Melia. I couldn't keep Fen for longer, my mana had been depleted from all the day and night traveling I did before arriving here.'' Then he resumed eating, his gaze couldn't leave her sight, why? Well, she was indeed very attractive and he's been locked away for far too long. His eyes needed the eye candy. Unconsciously he blurted out ''You're beautiful'' @PhoggyΨυχη

"A good wife? Is that like a princess?" She asked innocently. "I read about them in my books! A beautiful princess gets married to a handsome prince! Does that mean I can become a princess?" She lit up as she spoke, the hypothetical clearly exciting her. She waved as the dragon left before pausing as he complimented her. "Uh, thank you! I think! No one's ever told me that before! I mean, no one is ever out here, so I don't really think there is anyone to tell me." @IvyTheToxic

He was a bit taken aback, was she really that innocent to not know what a wife is? He was glad to explain. ''Well, let me explain what a wife is. A wife is a woman whom a man marries in sacred matrimony. Marriage usually occurs when two individuals love each other.'' ''In that case, one day when you find someone you develop feelings for, you may ask them to marry you. However, that is usually done by the man.'' He took another sip of the soup with his wooden spoon before explaining further. ''I was once going to marry a certain woman I was in love with, alas, it wasn't meant to be.'' ''Heh, enough about me. Have you been living all by yourself all this time?'' @PhoggyΨυχη

"That sounds fun! Aside from the sacred part. I was always told to avoid sacred ground," she replied matter-of-factly. "So no marriage for me!" She crossed her legs and finished off her soup, summoning a tea pot and some cups to pour them tea. "It sounds like marriage is sad. You didn't get to marry someone and I can't get married! But that's okay! I have plenty of animal friends, so I'm not really alone!" @IvyTheToxic

''Marriage is not sad, and sacred isn't entirely something to be afraid of. It holds no magic or any divine power, it's just a word to describe the commitment two people make for one another. Marriage is the best thing one can propose to the person he or she loves. But I do wonder, don't you ever get lonely? Yes, talking to animals sounds like a bunch of fun, but to me, since I cannot really understand them, it feels a bit weird.'' He finished his bowl of soup and wiped his mouth with his hand, before feeling a sharp ice-y feeling tingle the back of his spine. ''What was that'' he thought to himself, no matter, he kept his composure in front of her. Something was approaching, and by the energy it drew, it didn't feel friendly at all, rather, it felt extremely dangerous. Was it a beast, or was it a person? He couldn't quite tell. Being locked for so long made him feel rusty about his capabilities as a magic user. He gazed at her once more before asking. ''Something evil is approaching, can you feel it too?'' @PhoggyΨυχη

"They're usually very nice!" She replied with a wide-eyed look. She had to defend her cuddly animal friends! Even the ones she ate. "They tell me all sorts of jokes and keep me updated on forest gossip!" "And that's not evil!" She chirped up before furrowing her brow. "Hm... It's either Creepy Face or Chompers. I can't figure out which. Maybe they smelled you and wanted to make a new friend! I hope it's Chompers. He hasn't been around in a while and Creepy Face has a creepy face." @IvyTheToxic

He gave it a hard thought and since she was nothing but honest with him by the looks of it, he wanted to come clean. ''Melia...I have to be honest with you. I have been sent here to investigate the calamities, my superiors think you have something to do with it. .'' His tone of voice is completely still and calm. ''However, from what I have seen you are just an isolated witch with no evil intent, so I don't think you are the cause of said calamities. I will be staying here for tonight, but, do not fret, by tomorrow I will be gone and you will most likely not see me again.'' He knew what that meant, what was he gonna tell his superiors who sent him on said mission? He couldn't quite figure it out, after giving it some thought while staring at the sizzling fire burning, he decided he was going to explore further where no one dared to go. The recently discovered Void Desert is a place filled with all kinds of monstrosities. Why would he venture there when his mission clearly was to discover the cause of the appearing calamities? In his mind, he thought something far darker and evil existed in this world. He needed some proof, but staying in this place was not an option, not if he wanted to keep his freedom. He once more looked at her, stood up, and gave her a gentle bow, thanking her for the delicious meal. ''I will retreat to my camp now. I will come back tomorrow to pick up my horse. I thank you for the delicious meal, Melia. Have a good day.'' Then walked up, and left the witch's house. Uncertainty filled his mind. @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

"Calamity?" She tilted her head to the side. "What calamity? Things have been really calm here. I mean, there have been more fae and other creatures lately. Like Creepy Face. Let's see, the last time we had Yeth Hounds in the forest was... probably before I was born!" She slammed her hand into her fist with a smile. Melia was a bit taken aback that he was leaving so soon. She got up and chased him out of the house, "hey! That's rude! You left without dessert and helping with the dishes!" She put her hands on her hips and pouted. "At least stay for dessert! If you want, you can even camp here! Or sleep here! I can make an extra room!" Truth be told, she was lonely. Animals were animals. While not exactly human, this guy was the closest thing she had gotten to actual contact with someone intelligent enough to hold a detailed conversation. He would also know a lot about the outside world. She'd been wanting to ask him, but she was not exactly an expert conversationalist. "I, uh, I also want to know. You know. About where you're from." @IvyTheToxic

As soon as he stepped outside she went after him. The insecurity in her voice made him rethink his decision. It wouldn't kill him to stay and have a warm bed, plus, she sounded sad that he was leaving already. He turned his head towards her, with a slight smile said. ''Alright, where are the dishes? Because I cannot make sweets.'' He walked back into the house and began cleaning the table. Didn't even ask her. What she said was right, he was rude. While he was putting the bowls into the skin, he gazed at her and spoke up. ''You wanna know where I'm from? Well, Melia. Sit down, I'm gonna tell you about myself. But, I wanna hear about all the weird events that occur around here. Do we have a deal?'' ''Good, I won't waste time, sit comfortably.'' While he was fiddling with the water and the bows in his hands, he began speaking. ''I am Thorax Thorngrim. I am a hero from a village called Willow Bark in a kingdom called Morei.'' He stopped and then asked her in return. ''You have been isolated your whole life, did you ever wonder why you've been placed in such a famous forest? Do you know what the rest of the country calls this place? They call it the cursed forest.'' He finished washing the first bowl and placed it on the side, before resuming his speech. ''When I was talking about marriage, I will let you know why I was mentioning it. The woman of my life...was indeed a princess. But because of my status, the status of low-born. I'm gonna explain to you what a low born is.'' He cleared his throat once more and continued. ''A low-born is a person without status, in that case, wealth or ancient family tree, me. And for that reason...the woman I was supposed to marry found herself another while I was rotting in prison for the past 3 years of my life. For simply wanting to be her husband, I was locked away. But don't worry, status means nothing when you're a bad person inside.'' A sad smile appeared on his face. ''I will never see her again sadly'' He looked at the reflection of his face in the water where the rest of the dishes had sunk. ''Anyway, if you could make the dessert while I finish these up, that would be lovely.'' @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

"Deal!" She nodded and stuck out her tongue, giving him a wink before heading inside and directing him to the dishes. She took in the information that he gave her about himself while making her famous brownies. Well, famous to her and her pet mice. Unfortunately, the other animals were not chocolate fans. "Okay, I think I've got it. To recap," she stood up and began to wave her chocolate-covered spoon in the air while she tried to recall everything he'd sayid. "Your name is Thor Thor and you lived in a tree inside of moray eel. It's really strange that they call this the cursed forest because there's absolutely no one out here practicing curses. Nope. No one. I would know cause I'm the only one here, so you have to believe me." She had been shaking the brownie spoon in his face during her last bout, splashing chocolate fudge onto him. "A woman who is your life was not able to marry her because you were born below sea level in an ancient tree — oh so you're a mermaid!" She clapped her hands together and looked at him with excitement at the thought of finally meeting a mermaid. "-ahem, but back to the recap. At some point, your body began to rot for three years. Did the sea separate you, Thor Thor? Because she was at land and you were at sea! It's a tragic tale! A forbidden love!" She pulled him into a tight hug and patted his head, "it's okay Thormaid, I hope you will be able to find your true love one day!" She went back to the stove and kept cooking. "Oh, right! My turn! Well, I was born at some point. Some stuff happened, I guess, then I was raised by foxes... Well, kitsune. Well, not really raised. But they brought me food, so they're, like, basically my parents. You should meet them! Well, they were recalled back to Takamagahara and they haven't written in, like, a month. So, unless you die and you worship a Shinto god, I don't think you could meet them because you would need to be dead. We'll table that one for now." Melia paused and blinked for a m

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oment, looking upwards to remember what she was talking about. "Right! The dragon! Well, he tends to keep the peace of the forest on behalf of the fae. He can be kinda grumpy when I mix veggies into his food. Someone once told me veggies would make me strong!" She pouted and put her hands on her hips, splashing the batter across the kitchen. "Uh, what else happens around here? We have animal weddings. There's the scary tear in space time that I hid in the cave, but it was really hard to get in there so pleeease don't let it out. Uh... There's the chair." She glanced over to a corner that held one chair. "It wants you to sit on it. Don't. No matter what it promises you." @IvyTheToxic

When she hugged him, her tits pressed against him, which made him blush. He appreciated her concern, however, he was also worried about her lack of common sense, such as not hugging strangers. He approached her, and got close to her face before gently flickering her forehead with his pointer finger ''You truly are an idiot. Don't you know it's not safe to hug strangers? What if I was someone who meant you harm? I am a man after all'' He said, a gentle blush appearing on his face before he resumed scolding her. ''Also, your depiction of what I told you is extremely inaccurate. She's not a mermaid. And my name is not Thor Thor, You can call me Thor but do not butcher it so blatantly, woman. And before you say anything, it's not the sea that separates us, it's her father. She's a human, just like me, or at least what I used to be, however, that is not the point. I feel as though you need to experience the world a bit, to see that's not all fairy tale. The world is a harsh place, especially to pretty young women like yourself.'' Seeing as she was preparing the cookies, he decided to ask ''You ever wanted to explore the world?'' @PhoggyΨυχη

"No offense," she said as h moved back from her. "But you can't hurt me. It's funny that you think you can, though! Dumb, but funny!" She shot him a wink and twirled around. "Details, details! I got most of it right! All of the important stuff, anyways. And I doubt the world is as bad as you make it out to be. Sounds like you just don't know how to see the beauty in the world!" She licked the spoon happily, finishing off the brownie batter before putting them in the oven. "Of course! But they said I shouldn't leave the forest." @IvyTheToxic

''Cocky aren't you'' He decided to put his good looks to work. He pulled her closer to see her reaction. His arm gently wrapped around her back. He pulled her close and said. ''What makes you think you're invincible, little witch? Do you think these animals will come to your aid should I decide to kill you here and now?'' He wasn't going to hurt her obviously. He was merely testing her. Was she really that naive? All this time in isolation surely isn't good for someone's mental health, so he thought. His face approached hers slowly, they were mere inches from her lips. ''Are you willing to test me further, Melia? Or do you perhaps question my sincerity? Do you think the places I've been in, the horrors I've witnessed are mere child's play? What do you know about the real world, only fairy tales? Well, let's see you try and resist me then...'' He chanted some words in a different language. ''Dilatio tenebrae!'' Suddenly they found themselves in a whole different place. A piece of island in the middle of nowhere. Yeah, he had teleported them there. In the meantime he still held her in his arms, his face ever closer to hers. ''Do you still me to be an ordinary person?'' Then he chanted another spell Dilatatio, reditus'' and they returned back to her cabin as if nothing had occurred. ''You've been isolated here your whole life, ofcourse you wouldn't understand how the rest of the world works.'' He said, before letting her go and taking a seat. @PhoggyΨυχη

She laughed at his trick and clapped her hands. "Very good! That was really cool! But, uh, no. I don't need the animals. You've had a death curse on you the minute you walked into my cabin. If you tried to hurt me in any way, you'd drop dead!" She smiled brightly and sat across from him. "I may not have seen the world, but that doesn't mean I don't know horrors or anything like that. You may know about the real world, but what do you know about fairy tales, Mr. Thor? To tame a blink dog, to converse with eldritch gods, to stare down a wraith... I may not experience the same hardships as you, but this forest is plenty dangerous. And yet," she stood up and motioned to herself. "Here I am. Still here. Still in one peace. And still happy!" Melia gave him a thumbs-up. She was not cocky, she was simply stating the truth in the way it appeared to her. @IvyTheToxic

''It is not a curse, little one. Rather, a gift.'' He politely smiled. ''As for the gods, I may have not contacted any, but I do know what a wraith is. After all, I was blessed with darkness. But, fair play to you. You seem to know stuff. I was gonna invite you to come with me, alas, I made up my mind. Don't think I couldn't sense your power either, I did. I just didn't believe it at first. And that was a mistake I've always dreaded in the past.'' He looked outside, it was beginning to get dark, so he had a decision to make. Spend the night at Melia's house or retreat to his camp. They still had to eat the dessert, so he waited patiently. He leaned into the swinging chair, it was very comfortable, so comfortable that he fell asleep on it, the warm fire, the company of the beautiful witch. Ahh, home. record scratch ''What am I even thinking'' Thorax thought to himself, before eventually letting loose and waking up not even 2 minutes later. He shook his head and made his decision not to stay there after all. ''Okay, that's enough from me. I'm retreating to my camp. It's as if this forest is affecting my head. I can easily resist its magic, but this comfort is not something I am used to. Forgive me, Melia. I will come tomorrow to say goodbyes. Take care of my horse...'' He snapped his fingers, only to disappear into dust particles and reappear back to his camp, where his fire was out by now, and with the sun going down, all he wanted was some peace and quiet. While he didn't mind sitting with the witch, her looks simply distracted him too much, he began questioning himself before his thoughts turned back to his ex-fiance, Tiara. He slipped his bed roll on the ground without lighting the fire and closed his eyes. Drifting into slumber... @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

She raised her hand to call out to him only for him to vanish. She pouted and stomped her foot. He was incredibly rude! She had even gone through the trouble of adjusting the cabin to have an extra room for him! Melia huffed as the walked around the room. And he was willing to sleep outside even with the baku! Oh... she forgot to- she huffed and rolled up her sleeves and made her way out into the dark forest. The animals led her to where his camp was, though his scent was enough for her to track through the forest. The campsite was dark, but she could see the figures standing over his sleeping body. She saw the magic energy flowing from him and into them. Melia made her fingers into guns and hopped out of her cover as she started firing blasts of magic at the creatures. They screeched and ran off in various directions while she took pot shots at them. "That's right! No free meals tonight!" She ran over to him and snapped her fingers, lighting the campfire. He was laying on his back, eyes still closed. Was he okay? She sat on top of him and pressed her ear to his chest. He seemed to still be breathing, so that was good. @IvyTheToxic

He was sleeping peacefully, too peacefully. He was having a wonderful dream. Suddenly he grabbed her waist and pulled her down as he slept, what was he dreaming of? Well, in his sleep he said a single sentence ''Tiara...oh how much I missed you'' And continued snoozing with her now trapped on top of him, he patted her head while he slept. A warm smile on his face. Melia then saw the extent of his darkness. A dark, looming skeleton cast his shadow above them and spoke to her. ''Don't you even think of it, Witch. You will be cursed to forever be alone. I promise you that much, hahaha'' Then a scythe appeared in the skeleton's hand. It was death itself. But..why would the Grim Reaper appear now of all times? Well. Truth be told, the dark power he possessed consumed his happiness, while it kept his body young and healthy, his soul was cursed to roam this earth forever, an eternal life for Thorax. It was a pact he made unwillingly to save Tiara from any mishaps. When the scythe swung, it hit neither of them, rather, it killed the happiness within Thorax. It fed on it like a parasite. While he managed to suppress it, he couldn't get rid of it even if he wanted to. With this undying host at its hands, The grim Reaper had an infinite source of power, not even Melia could dispel such a curse, only the dark god Selestus, whom even her wasn't familiar with could dispel it, but even if he did, it would mean Thorax would die instantly. When the Reaper finally had its belly full of happy memories, it disappeared with a devilish cackle, just as it had appeared. Then Thorax's happy dream suddenly became a sad one. Melia felt Thorax's grip on her loosen, allowing her to get off him. @PhoggyΨυχη

She frowned as he grabbed her, but frowned even more when the Grim Reaper showed up. "I should talk to Nyar Nyar about him..." She furrowed her brow and sat up once again. She shook him awake, still sat atop him. "Wake up, sleepyhead! I've been working to fight off baku and you're over here dreaming and summoning spooky ghosts!" She tapped his cheeks and looked down at him with yet another pout. All of these creatures and dangers that this man talked about... they paled in comparison to what lie just beyond the veil. Beyond what normal beings could see. She ignored those that danced around the campfire for now. Melia was more focused on the man. She brought her hand down to his chest and exuded warm, calming feelings. "Ah nafl ah'lloigshogg n'ghftyar nor fhtagn cahf haunt h'." @IvyTheToxic

When he opened his eyes, anger flooded his mind. He sat up and pushed her away. Before shouting. ''What in the hell are you doing woman!? Didn't you say you had enough friends? Why are you here? Get out! No, I don't wanna fucking hear it!'' How ungrateful was he? Quite a lot. He subconsciously wanted people to stay away from him for this sole reason. He didn't allow her time to explain herself if she did protect him. He didn't really need protection, he needed protection from himself. Before she could say anything further, he began walking away, where was he going? To pick up his horse. All he wanted now was to leave, and never come back. Go back to his life in the dungeon, at least there he would suffer alone. What an asshole was he? A big one. Even after all the things she did for him, she cooked for him and made him cookies. As he walked he ignored her completely, it was up to her if she wanted to follow him around. @PhoggyΨυχη

"Einfrieren!" She shouted, pointing her finger, causing him to freeze in place. She walked over and slapped him in the face. "How dare you! I just saved your life and this is how you thank me? You're a jerk!" She frowned and looked him over. "You're so mean to me! After I let you eat at my house and drink and stuff!" She flicked his frozen forehead and shook his head. "You were in trouble and I saved you and you got mad at me! What would that girl of yours think? Don't you want to be someone she can be proud of when you eventually reunite?" @IvyTheToxic

He unfreezes himself with ease ''vicissim'' and continues walking ahead, still ignoring her pleas. While it's true she put the effort into saving him, he didn't wanna talk, not one bit. Talk about selfish. He stopped at one point before turning around and telling her. ''I am a jerk'' then resumed walking. Honestly, those two were so powerful yet they were completely different people. He wanted to stay away from her for her own sake, yet she stubbornly refused. The cycle continued until he eventually reached his horse. Determinate to get out of here for good. He didn't bother looking at her, as it would hurt him inside. He was scared of getting attached to her, and he was scared she would get attached to him as well. Why would he want to, he knew nothing good would come out of this. He mounted his horse, before finally looking at her. ''Forgive me for being the way I am. I wish you all the best, Melia. And yes, you are right, but, you have no idea what I am. I cannot be killed, even if I were to die, my curse would bring me back to life, over, and over, and over, and over, and over. I would rather suffer alone than put you through the same. It's how I lost Tiara, however, you? Well, we hardly know one another, who knows, someday I may even find the sweet release of eternal death, till that day, I will continue suffering like I always have. Goodbye.'' He began galloping away into the dirt path, his aim...the void desert. He gazed at her face one last time, it was the same every time, people looked at him with anger, wherever he went, he ruined the lives of the people he befriended. @PhoggyΨυχη

She let out a frustrated groan and stomped back to her cabin. Were all humans this rude? And curse this, and curse that; he should just dispell it. It was a minor curse anyways. Deals with lesser deities were always easy to break... at least for Melia. But she got the sense that he didn't want to break the curse. It was as if he wanted to punish himself. She entered the cabin and sighed. A chair slid across the room and moved underneath her as she sat down. Now she needed to reorganize the house and get rid of the extra room! Then she heard the sound of horseshoes hitting the dirt yet again. Perhaps it was a Nightmare? They always loved the way she brushed their manes... But she scowled when she was him coming back. She peeked out the window, only the top of her head and eyes showing. "What do you want? I thought you were gonna go be a grumpus somewhere else!" @IvyTheToxic

When Thorax finally left the house, galloping away, he took the road, and a strange sense of guilt filled him, he shouldn't have left like that, he could've at least apologized to the woman. She was only doing what she thought was right. But there was no turning back. Or so he thought. 3 hours into his ride, he finally got out of the forest, the road ahead shined, as the moon's light reflected upon the farmhouses and farms across the tiny valley ahead of him. He reached a small border village to rest in, however, what he saw there was a grim sight. The houses were burned, the crops destroyed and 3 figures stood there on a pile of corpses. Villagers no doubt, when they spotted him they approached Thorax and with a smirk saluted him. ''Ahh, if it isn't The Black Flame. I would usually ask you why you're still alive, but the king informed us to find you, by any means possible.'' Thorax replied with a smirk ''And you thought by destroying this village you would provoke me? Or what, how come none of you would step foot into the cursed forest? Let me guess, 3 noble holy knights, seeking to cause a wreck just to find good old me. Some holy knights you are. So, why are you here?'' One of the holy knights replied. ''You think we didn't find out you were quite ''friendly'' with that witch? That's right, we found a way to bypass the curses of the forest. Our little informer, whatever it was told us everything and the king has given us clear orders, to kill you'' Safe to say, they didn't stand a single chance. Thorax brutally killed them, as he sat there with the bloodied remains of the holy knights upon his clothes and face...he regretted ever leaving the forest. Yes, it was a cursed forest but it was relatively peaceful. He mounted his horse and galloped back into the forest. His thoughts filled with how to apologize to Melia for all he caused. When she asked what he was doing back here, he couldn't find the words. He got off the horse and fell on his knees, his head sunk onto the ground. Then spoke ''I am a fool. Forgive me for being such a jerk. I was once again betrayed, while you were trying your best, I only pushed you away. I do not know for how long I will stay in the forest, but I can assure you I from now on do not have a home to go to. The council that sought to give me the mission betrayed me and sent 3 holy knights to kill me, their blood still lingers on my clothes and face. I don't want you to be angry with me, even if it means I'll sleep outside, I ask for your forgiveness, and I will do whatever it is possible in my powers for it.'' No turning back now, sadly. He didn't want to die at the hands of those unworthy knights. At least not yet... @PhoggyΨυχη

She listened to him rant off his apology before turning her nose up at him and scoffed. Melia waved a hand and let magic dance along her fingers; the cabin began to shake before quite literally spitting out a smaller cabin next to it. It was rather clear that was where he was supposed to stay for now. Despite having a new neighbor, she did not converse with him. The witch was still quite upset with him... even though the cabin she gave him was just as nice as hers. Each day, she would still bring food to his front door for each meal. Of course, she would stonewall any potential conversation. One evening, the was a horrific cry outside of his cabin. It sounded like a groaning elderly man was also crying out in terror. To most, this would inflict utter fear. For Melia, it was more frustration than anything. She stepped out of her cabin in a rather disheveled and open robe, exposing her body to the cool air. "Creepy Face! Stop! It's not even morning time!" She shouted out at the Yeth Hound currently sitting in front of Thor's cabin, pawing at the door. "You cannot hunt the annoying human. I thought you were supposed to be keeping guard of the portal thingy," she frowned and crossed her arms, resting them under her generous bust. The creature mewled out more unearthly noises in response. "Okay, I get that Chompers is watching, but you're both supposed to be there. And not hunting Mr. Thor Thor. Or howling in the middle of the night right outside of my door!" She rolled her eyes and leaned against the doorframe. It cocked its head to the side before looking back at her. It howled again before wandering off. "I might need to do something about that rift sooner or later..." She furrowed her brow and sighed. It was tomorrow's problem, though. She yawned and retreated back into her cabin. @IvyTheToxic

In light of the recent events, things between Melia and Thorax were quite awkward, she didn't speak to him, not even a simple greeting. As he settled himself in the smaller cabin, his life became rather...peaceful, and nightmares no longer haunted his dreams. it was a nice change of pace for him. He could now focus on himself entirely, or at least so he thought, for around the cabin those creatures he called weird appeared occasionally, only to be scolded by the witch, his new neighbor. She brought him food daily, despite him not even asking for it. Even if she didn't mutter a single word to him, she still cared. It had been a week already since that dreaded day, yet. He found it difficult to speak to her. His guilt and shame kept him from wanting to speak to her. On a warm spring day, with the sun shining upon the cabins. It was the perfect day to go out and plant some flowers around them. Make the place a bit friendlier looking and more inviting. He waited until she was gone to forage once more and got to work. He found a few dead dry trees and cut them down, then used his dark magic to chop them down to boards. With those boards, he began constructing a small fence, with tools he had on hand and a few steel nails. Once he finished the fence around Melia's cabin, he went around the forest, looking for flower seeds. Luckily, he found a nice patch of baby sunflower seeds dropping from one of the dead plants. Without wasting some time he also gathered some lily flowers. Seeing as this wasn't enough to make the flower garden pretty, he teleported into one of the towns he explored once during his travels, he was disguised as a soldier. He bought a couple of rose seeds too, returned to the forest with his teleportation, and planted them as well. With a few of his useful botanic spells, he managed to make the roses, sunflowers and lily flowers sprout. With a smile, he gazed at them and was pretty confident in himself. ''At least this should put a smile on her face...'' Just before going back to his cabin, he noticed one of the hounds. It was wounded, however, he had no idea which one of the hounds it was. Not being able to communicate properly, he cast a spell on himself. ''Anima incantate''. It allowed him to communicate with the hound in front of him. He looked at it and asked. ''What is wrong, bud? Where did you hurt yourself?'' The hound replied, finally being able to understand him back. ''I tripped on a rock and my front paw is grazed. It hurts, I was looking for Melia but she's still out foraging.'' ''...Under normal circumstances I wouldn't even approach you, knowing you and your other buddy want to hunt me down, but, since Melia has been nothing but kind to me, I will heal you. On one condition. You must never tell her it was me, deal?'' The hound's tail wiggled, it agreed with him. ''Yes, please. Mr. I promise not to tell her.'' ''Wait here'' said Thorax before going into his own cabin, he had a potion he crafted earlier by himself, it was a potent b rank potion, and while it wasn't as strong as Melia's it would help the hound for sure. He gave the hound a sip of the potion, then took a piece of disinfected cloth and wrapped it around the hound's front paw. ''There, this should get your paw healed in a few hours, remember our deal, do not mention it to Melia, okay?'' The hound agreed and scurried off into the forest to play, or whatever those types of hounds did. @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

Foraging. Yea, that's what she was supposed to be doing. The memory hit her as she held her hands in front of her, casting long strings of magic that wrapped around the chaotic purple rift in the cave. Melia had never considered herself much of a seamstress, but this stich job needed to be perfect. She had done enough studying of the rifts to know what they were and where they were coming from, but despite the abilities she had, these were so far above her. They were unwordly magic that not even the deepest banals of historical magic could categorize. In the notebook she had been given that outlined the various creatures and phenomena in the forest, the rifts had little information to them. Things seemed to come out... things that broke the mind and hurt the eyes to look at. But nothing ever went in - or at least nothing tried. "Faden des lebens, binde die chaotische magie, die diese welt bedroht!" She spoke, watching as the strings binding the rift began to wind around it, in and out and sealing it yet again. In its place was a crackling purple slice of lightning that seemed to fade in and out of existence. She looked at each of her sides, nodding to the Meluisine and Dryad that had alerted her of the problem. Despite her wanting to leave the forest, she knew that she was the only one who could handle this thing. With a frown, she fell to her knees exhausted. "I just need a minute..." She held up a hand as the two fae came to her side. "It's getting more difficult to bind... I need to figure out how to get rid of it before it gets too strong for me. It feels like something is trying to break out from the other side. I'm... scared of it." She rubbed her arms and stood up, taking a deep breath. "Lahmu," she cursed, looking down at the dead abomination that lied on the ground. It had peeled back the veil and broke through. The very sight sent shivers down her spine; a large sideways mouth where a head should have been. It had imposdibly large teeth and its body lo

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oked like it had been wound up and twisted. Four spindly legs protruded from its mess of a body and ended in sharp points. She pulled her hand away from her arm and noticed the bloody scratch on it. She was usually far more careful. She had underestimated it. Melia bit her lip and set the thing ablaze, burning its corpse until there was nothing left - not even ash. "I need to head back to the cabin." She stumbled out of the cave, her vision blurry. She'd used far too much energy fighting the thing and sealing the rift. While it was not a difficult journey, she found herself exhausted once she reached the cabin. She collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep sleep. One that seemed to last several days. @IvyTheToxic

For the past several days, Thorax felt alone, he wasn't sure if she was using an invisibility spell to get away from him, but he couldn't feel her presence. Was it the cabin? Or did she want to avoid him completely? He wasn't sure, alas, he never dared look inside the cabin. He was pondering about it. As he tended to the garden outside, he couldn't help but sigh. Thinking to himself ''Maybe I am a nuisance to her.'' He blamed himself, his hand clinched into a fist as he held the watering can. ''How can I be such a fucking idiot, of course, she doesn't wanna see me. She even stopped sending me food, not that I minded it. It's delicious, alas. Nothing lasts forever, right?'' He kept thinking to himself, accidentally over-watering a patch of flowers before recovering himself from his negative thoughts. He took a deep breath before deciding ''Fuck, she'll hate me more for this but I have to do it.'' He walked into the cabin and announced ''Melia? Are you here? It's me, Thorax. I'm coming in, so if you're dressing up let me know!'' But no one responded, he looked on the other side, noticing a tiny book on the ground. It wasn't like her to leave things unattended. ''That's strange of her, she's usually very strict about tidiness'' He picked up the book and set it on the kitchen counter, before walking over to a slightly open door to Melia's private room. He knocked once, but no one replied, he knocked twice, still, nothing. He steeled himself, knowing he'd get hit if he barged in without her permission, but he did anyway, however, not before announcing. ''I'm coming in, Melia. You can slap me later if you're dressing up!'' He walked in bravely, only to see her passed out. There was blood stains on the ground, not good news. Without a thought in his mind, he rushed to her side and gently pressed his palm against her wrist, there was a pulse, thank the gods above. He was relieved. While she slept, he rushed out and went into his cabin, he grabbed a disinfected cloth, and the potion he withheld from earlier days. He wrapped the cloth around her arm gently and pondered about giving her the potion, but decided against it since she just looked tired. Wanting to do something for her, he grabbed whatever ingredients she had on hand, and some of the leftover meat, and began cooking. While his cooking wasn't as good as hers, he could at least make a basic soup or stew. He combined all the ingredients on hand and created a meat and potatoes stew. Then seasoned it with some garlic, coriander, and red pepper. Once it was ready, he just kept it hot for when she eventually woke up... @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

This always happened when she used too much magic. She was terrible when it came to magic conservation- something she had no real need of out here. Nothing could harm her, or nothing would dare try, so magic was simple an extension of herself. While she knew how to use it, she was rather laissez-faire with it. After a few days, though, she woke up. She felt a bit gross, having slept in her clothes for all of this time. She looked at her arm and smiled; one of her friends must have bandaged her up! She would have to find out who to thank later. Melia stripped off her clothes and tossed them into a basket. "I'll wash those laters." She stretched out and stood naked in her cabin. Still nude, she exited her cabin and walked over to Thor's. She hadn't been cooking for him, so she hoped he was still alive. The nude witch knocked on the door and rocked on her heels, waiting for him to step out. She wanted to make sure he was okay and that he knew she hadn't forgotten about him. @IvyTheToxic

Thor heard a knocking on the door, it had been so long that he wondered who it was, he assumed it was one of the hounds, looking to get healed once again, he got up from his chair and said ''yes, yes. I'm coming, Puppy.'' When he opened the door, he was shocked. An embarrassed and flustered look on his face he looked away instantly. It was Melia, fully nude with...heels? He couldn't help but scold her. ''What in the gods are you doing? Why are you naked?'' He sprinted inside and grabbed one of his long leather shirts, then without trying to look placed it over her. Then gently grabbed her hand and pulled her inside his cabin, before giving her yet another scolding. ''You're a young, attractive woman. Do you know how tough it is for me to control myself around you? You're nude in front of a man you hardly know! You should only strip in front of someone you have romantic feelings for, woman! If it wasn't me, and someone with bad intentions, what do you think they'll do to you? I know you are strong and such, but you have to consider your actions.'' After he scolded her properly he made her sit down and poured some stew into a bowl. It was fresh and hot. Then he said ''Eat up before it gets cold. You had me worried to death, you know?'' He said with a slight blush, then poured some stew for himself and sat in front of her to enjoy his meal but not before complaining. ''What am I gonna do with you...you do need to be taught some lessons in common manners, such as NOT! walking outdoors naked. You might be in the forest for now, but in the future, if you and me are to travel, you're gonna need some knowledge about people, men in general.'' @PhoggyΨυχη

"Puppy?" She cocked her head to the side. "Is that a nickname?" She yelped as he threw a shirt on her. She listened to him talk about her being nude which... she didn't understand. "What's wrong with being naked?" She asked innocently as she began to eat the stew. Melia looked at him with innocent and curious eyes. "I was on my way to the spring to bathe. Why would I wear clothes if I was going to bathe in the spring?" She closed her eyes and squealed as she tasted the stew, "so good!" She downed the rest with little to no manners, hungry as she was. "If we were to travel? What do you mean? I can't leave the forest. I have to stay here." She replied, a small sadness in her voice. "But that's okay! Everything I need is here! I don't need to worry or want for anything." She mindlessly stirred the spoon in the empty bowl. "None of the other animals complain when I don't wear clothes." @IvyTheToxic

He grabbed Melia's bowl and filled it back with stew. ''Well, woman. I am not an animal, neither are you. And, if you have at least the smallest smidgin of respect for me, you will at least wear a robe over your body when you're around me. You may not understand, but being naked in front of me makes me feel very uncomfortable.'' The way he was sitting made Melia realize he had a 'pitched tent' to say why, well. He hadn't been with a woman in years, and his libido levels were super high. However, he was an honorable man. Even if his reputation as the dark flame spread across the kingdom he wasn't who they made him to be. He also sipped some more stew for himself, his eyes fixed on not looking at her. Each time he gazed he saw curves he wasn't meant to see. His heart throbbed in excitement, and yet he tried his hardest to control himself. He hoped she didn't notice his boner, tho it was tough to hide as it poked through his leather pants like a dagger. Not to mention he was breathing heavily from excitement. ''Calm down, Thorax, calm down. She's just a woman...that's right'' He thought to himself. But it didn't work. His mind sparked all kinds of lewd ideas and in what positions he would take her in. To not think about it he punched himself on the jaw. Stunning himself for a second before finishing his meal faster than ever. He then stood up and walked past her, heading towards the lake for a dip. He needed to cool off his pitched tent. But, before leaving he told her. ''Eat up, there's a lot more in that pot of mine. I'm going for a swim. Alone So if you are also going for a dip, go somewhere where you can be in private.'' He then walked out and made his way towards a place he knew. A recently discovered at least to him hot spring spot, where the water was warm and allowed him to relax once in a while. He reached the spring, looked around before undressing, and dipped into the hot spring then let a slow sigh of relief. ''Ahh, man this is good...'' He closed his eyes and tried to relax further, hoping Melia would listen to his advice. @PhoggyΨυχη (edited)

"Technically, you are an animal. A mammal, to be precise!" She replied with a wink. "Maybe that's more of a you issue than it is a me issue. You're the one who came into my forest and now you're telling me how to dress?" She crossed her arms under her generous breasts and pouted. "Even if your soup is good, that's no reason to be rude! I even built you this cabin!" She sighed as he left. She did not notice anything odd about his body; of course, this was her first time seeing a human man. His entire essence was odd to her. She wasn't a fan of him just walking off whenever he got angry. As much as he said he was going to bathe alone, she still needed to give him a piece of her mind! She knew this forest like the back of her hand, so she stalked out, looking for him. The spring was a favorite spot of hers and now he was trying to stop her from using it! She tossed the shirt off and jumped into the water. "You don't just get to go off after being mean and rude! You need to stop doing that! It's so mean! I gave you a house and food and stuff and then you go around telling me how to dress and stuff! If anything, I should be telling you how to dress!" @IvyTheToxic