A vibrant glade of lush grasses and trees that bloom during all but the coldest of seasons. The sweet fragrance of spring flowers hangs in the air and delicate petals float on the wind and a gentle creek flows through the green meadow.
Folke flicked its tongue a few more times before seeming to decide the large hyena was the same one that had landed earlier, immediately returning to its previous place wrapped around their neck like a scaled scarf. They didn't mind, the snake was surprisingly warm, radiating a soft heat that felt fairly nice against their skin.
"Alright , thank you for your efforts," Larkspur murmured, ducking their head to sniff at the two offered salves with intrigue. They smelled strong and fairly sharp, making Larkspur recoil in surprise at first before leaning forward in an attempt to identify the ingredients by scent again. Gods, its been so long since they were around the smell of a properly created herbal salve, even if neither had been made with their own paws. It made them feel a little more at home, like they were back in their old grove where they'd cultivated the majority of their herbs - their grove that had probably been washed away and destroyed in the flood.
Folke raised its head, rubbing its head against their cheek affectionately, as if sensing the somewhat somber train of thought the wolf was heading down. The brindled wolf offered a soft 'thanks' for the kind nuzzles and straightened up.
"Let's get your salve on," Larkspur said, entering what their siblings had called 'healer mode' back in their birth pack. A serious, no-nonsense tone that addressed Balthazar as more of a patient under their care. "My wings will heal no matter what and they're mostly just sore - your skin looks like it hurts and if it peels badly enough, it will scar."
They sat down beside the giant, Folke slithering higher to rest its head on the fluffy top of the wolf's own as they leveled him with a calm expression, paw held lightly over the bowl.
"Do I have your agreement to touch you and apply this salve?" they inquired reflexively, falling back into old lessons.
The snake would flick his tongue a few more times before he decided Balthazar was no threat to Larkspur, and coiled back into the fur around her neck. "Your friend has adjusted well to you Larkspur, I am impressed!" a proud smile hikes up the side of his lips. Snakes usually took longer to warm up to- at least in Balthazar's experience.
"Alright , thank you for your efforts," Balthazar nods at her words. "Of course! We need them, wouldn't have it any other way." He responds with a small purr, proud of his work.
As they approach the building foundation and salves Balthazar watches Larkspurs expression and cackles again, some of it laughter- some of it instinctual hyena sounds of submission around females- despite his own actual size. "The salves do smell strong..but very helpful I promise! You should really put a little on the wings." he insisted.
Balthazar couldn't help but chuckle when Larkspur asks for his permissions to apply the salves."Yes, of course you have my permissions to apply the salves to my skin." he spreads his wings all the way out and lay on his stomach so that Lark could reach the areas she requires. "Tell me to roll or move if you need to reach something." Balthazar was ready to be done with the salves so that he could father the much needed soft wood for the gates.
"Larkspur," he muses, in the start of a thought, "Do you plan on staying here- around the coastal area?" Balthazar rather loved it here and planned to stick around and stake his claim. "because I do. I want to open a trading and healing centers here to help others. What about you, folke, and the garden?"
"So am I," Larkspur hummed in agreement, smiling slightly at the snake wrapped around their neck. They figured it was because Folke was young, clearly not an adult snake quiet yet although it still didn't answer all of their questions given Larkspur thinks snakes were some of those 'once you've left the shell, I wish you well' style parents and so shouldn't really imprint on anyone. But it was like there was a rapidly forming special connection, an intangible link forming between wolf and python, that was hastening the process. Larkspur themself already highly protective of the creature as it were. "Giving her a name seems to have endeared her to me."
That was when they'd noticed the bond forging so rapidly between the two of them.
"Very strong - though I suppose that's how you know it works," the wolf remarked, giving a light head-shake to dislodge the remnants of the sharper edges wafting through her nose. Folke lowered its head curiously, so the wolf obligingly crouched closer to the bowls. The python extended its body, flicking its tongue out curiously in the direction of the bowls before recoiling even more sharply than Larkspur had, going as far as to raise itself back up and wrap its way around their neck once more. Larkspur chuckled to themself but pulled away from the bowls, amusement rippling through their body language. "Seems it was a bit too strong for Folke."
They allowed the snake to settle down on their neck where it was, instead tugging the bowl of salve for Balthazar towards themselves. The soreness of their wings was slowly fading in the warmth of the sun, leaving only the pains of the bruised and scraped places, but the weeping patches of skin showing through dark fur were only getting worse and worse by the second. The smell was more than enough to dissuade them from attempting to scoop up any of the salve in their mouth, so Larkspur dipped a gentle-chocolate colored paw into the bowl. They scooped a decent amount of the viscous liquid onto their pad and began drizzling it across the vampire's shortened coat, focusing on the patches of visible skin first and towards the still covered areas. They kept their movements slow and methodological, careful to ensure their claws weren't scraping the already irritated skin or tearing over new patches. When they had covered all the spots they could easily reach, they swapped to lightly massaging the liquid in.
It was soothing, really, to be healing again.
"Are you comfortable with me touching your wings?" they asked automatically, eying the rest of the red patches on the thin membranes. It was a wonder that he was flying back and forth so quickly - she feels like he's one too tight of a turn from tearing the tender, delicate skin clean in half.
They snapped out of 'healer-mode' when they heard their name, tuning into to the hyena's question as they considered it themselves. They were a wandering wolf, an explorer with no real ties to any one location. They weren't exactly afraid of water now, though the idea of being completely surrounded by the powerful element didn't exactly reassure them by now.
"... I have a sibling to look for once my garden is up and running," Larkspur decided on finally. They would feel like a complete monster if they didn't at least try to see if Snapdragon had somehow ended up in this strange world with them. As frightened and discombobulated as the chocolate furred wolf was when they'd first arrived, they couldn't imagine leaving their sibling on their own to adjust to this new world if there was a chance that they'd ended up here too. That said, after that everything was up in the air. "Once I find it though... I suppose it depends. I have been a wandering wolf since I first left my birth pack, a lone one that healed when others asked. I suppose there's nothing wrong with setting up a second garden on the island, though."
They mused to themselves before adding, "And both you and your Reed have... endeared yourselves."
To an extent anyway. It was nice to have others willing to fill the silence without judgement over Larkspur not taking the initiative to do it herself.
---
OOC Notes: just clarifying, this thread is happening in the Blossom Bower, near Verdantis not the cove. I can say Larkspar has visited the island cove, though.
As they entered the unfinished building Balthy found himself watching Folke and Larkspur bond with one another. The way they distasted the smell of the ointments was a rather funny sight. "Giving her a name seems to have endeared her to me." Balthazar nodded in agreeance. So it does, I'm so glad you two are getting along well! you'll make great partners !" the Hyena remarks with a wide grin. He can't help but admire their small moment they share with the medicine, watching the snake retreat to the safety of Larkspurks neck, where he supposes the snake felt safest. "I can just about bet that snake can taste our salves, the have a great sense for things like that."
Balthazar didn't mind laying on the foundations of their home, breathing in the deep aroma of their salves and a little sawdust. The hyena sneezed, head bounching off the ground softly. He would have to come back here later and dust it out! Laying down wasn't what botherd him- it was adding the salves to his otherwise dry or crispy skin from the sun. Balthazar bites his teeth as he tries to choke down this discomforting growl that threatens to spill out. Oh dey 'elp but dey burn!" he hisses over Larkspur as she uses her paw to gently apply the slaves to the skin. Once the salve was on however it felt nice; cool like mint and he could feel the relaxing of his skin as it took in all the moisture the scabs could mannage.
His eyes close in relaxation as Larkspur carefully added the rest of the ointments to him. It reminds him that he only has so many hours in a day to get tasks done! Like finding more herbs to dry for medicine; they were running low on supply. Are you comfortable with me touching your wings?" no, he really wasn't- the only woof he would allow that from was Reed-- but she was still nowhere to be seen. The hyena reluctanly says yes to her offer, spreading out tye massive bat wings before her. He could feel the dry crackling in certain spots as the salve was carefully palced on. Larkspurs soft touches remind Balthazar she must be used to mending others.
Balthazar's ears twitched as Larkspur mentions her sister. She had a sister? The thought took a second to pinpoint. "I can help with the garden while you are away..if you wish to locate her." Balthazar could understand the deep ache of longing to find someone, and he would be damned if it were him keeping her from finding her! "Once I find it though... I suppose it depends. I have been a wandering wolf since I first left my birth pack, a lone one that healed when others asked. I suppose there's nothing wrong with setting up a second garden on the island, though." Balthazar nodded slowly at her words as he stood up. He wonders if she ever misses her birth pack. Being nomadic was hard and at times annoying.
Carefully flexing his large wings against the salve in order to spread it in more. It was extremely itchy in feeling so the Hyena fought to keep himself from rubbing his wings raw.
Balthazar turns to stare at Lark, face to fave when she mentioned Reed. "yes we have been through tough times..but you can't ever let that stop you." he recalls seaching for Reed everywhere - a few times- and he found her each time."I believe that all those tough times make us stronger... he eyes the salve hanging in the unfinished doorway. I really do think that salve will fix your wings. he pursues the matter lightly but shrugs in the end. "but if you dont want to we won't." the words slip from his tongue much like a snakes hiss- of course he wasn't trying to scare anyone, his pronunciation was just sometimes weird. "as for this sibling you seek- is there anyway I can help? If anything I could keep an eye on your garden while you're away.. Balthazar lightly extends his offer, knowing Lark may want a private reunion with her sibling after all. "I'm going to see if I can gather some driftwood from the ocean-- maybe catch a few crustations or fish- even if you dont the small tidepools are great treasures! I always find intresting trinkets in them! You could have a look if you like?
Balthazar didn't really like staying still, so he moved a lot, trying to find things to occupy his time.
--
Roll = perception
SUCCESS= he searches the beachd for good sized, washed up soft wood for the garden's gate.
Fail= the wood is out of his reach and requires swimming or magic to gather?
NPC Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
531 was added for Level 1.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
"A taste much stronger than a snake appreciates it seems," Larkspur teased the reptile lightly, the snake flitting its tongue out near their ear as if to express annoyance. They chuckled, electing to re-focus on their efforts rather than continuing to harass their companion - it wouldn't hurt much if it struck out, the chocolate furred wolf had a relatively thick pelt - far thicker than the non-venomous serpentine could probably deal with - but it would be putting a damper on an otherwise pleasantly developing partnership.
They hummed an apology at Balthazar's discomfort - the fact that it stung didn't surprise them. The hyena's skin had been peeling for a while and any form of medicine would probably cause pain, really all it did was tempt them to develop a lightly stinging cleanser to put over the open wounds to lessen the chance of dirt or pollen getting trapped in his open wounds which would lead to a terrible infection. As it was, they merely made sure to move more efficiently to end the application process as quickly as they could.
"That's because you've far-passed a little sun rash," Larkspur voiced to him, inspecting one of the closer spots. "A few of these are on the verge of bleeding. You'll be sensitive for a while longer I think."
They hoped that vampires healed fast or Balthazar would have to deal with itchy scabs for a long time to come.
"...I'll do this as quickly as possible," Larkspur said, catching the hesitation on them touching his wings. They understood that feeling - they hardly ever allow anyone that wasn't their mother or their siblings to touch their wings themself, let alone preen them or apply some form of antidote to them. Wings were intimate, delicate limbs that could be ruined beyond flight-capability if one didn't know what they were doing - hells, the only reason Larkspur was comfortable handling the leathery wings at their paws was that they'd once had a friend who had similar ones. "Then we can prep enough to give to Reed so she can handle it in the future."
Handling the scaly wings was a bit strange - they felt both sturdier and more fragile at the same time. There were no flight feathers to carefully pick around, to ensure the warmth of the wing but the visible muscle and tendons attached to the limbs made them look powerful, intimidating in a way Larkspur thinks they can only manage when they spread their wings and puff up all their feathers at once.
"It would be nice to know that the rabbits won't devour the garden while I'm away," the accepted the offer lightly. "I'll be sure to return frequently - I don't know how long I'll be searching for Snapdragon. I don't even know if they've come here as well or... or if all ties to my first home are gone."
They smiled a little when Folke - seeming to sense the passing melancholy - rubbed its tiny head against their cheek.
"I will try your salve Bal, don't worry. I'm just focusing on your wings - you have open wounds. I imagine the last thing you'd want is an infection in your wings or your back," and that wasn't even mentioning what would happen if they spread into the muscle below. Building up wing-muscle after being forced on rest wasn't fun in any fashion - it was half the reason Larkspur had been keeping theirs out much more than they usually would. They nodded to themself, observing the work they'd done of the hyena's wings - the spread seemed good enough to them, all the weeping patches were covered at least. They stepped back, giving the giant room to stand while continuing to explain, "I have to be careful when using new things on my wings - feathered wings are... tedious. If even a small patch is messed up, it would cause me a lot of pain, if too many feathers fall out I can't fly."
