Fantasy Cursed Island

[Fangs9090]

Erina nodded and stepped away from her loom to get the pot from where she'd left it. She brought it back and handed it over.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Thank you," Jerry took the pot and went to find an area just outside the hedge to work, scrubbing and scouring the pot before coming back inside, taking the flask from Adran, filling up the pot with water and heating it on the fire, before presenting it to Asta so she could shrink him down to bathe in the warm water.

 

[Fangs9090]

Asta sat to wait for Jerry to get the water ready, doing what he could to wipe off some of the mess. He didn’t much care for being dirty himself, so he was quite willing to let Jerry bathe him.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Okay," Jerry pulled up a piece of driftwood for a seat and shrank Asta down so he was more manageable. "If not for limited resources I'd leave you to your own devices in the well," she noted as she started scrubbing.

 

[Fangs9090]

Asta closed his eyes as he sat still for Jerry. “To be honest, I rather enjoy you bathing me. It’s somewhat soothing.”

 

[Darkling0096]

"If we're being honest I'm not that good with animals," Jerry shrugged, "I had a rat when I was a kid, but you're a pretty big step up."

Veo just about punched Erina to get her attention and point at Asta and Jerry. "I didn't make a living as a professional thief by having shit hearing," Jerry called. Busted.

 

[Fangs9090]

"I believe I'm a little more self sufficient than a rat, at least."

Erina cringed from the punch before looking over. She smiled as she watched them before Jerry spoke. "We're supporting you!"

 

[Darkling0096]

Jerry doubted if Asta was more self sufficient than a rat, that twitchy little bastard spent more time taking care of her than it did itself. She waved Veo and Erina off with a wing, "It might have been a mistake to get those two involved," she muttered.

 

[Fangs9090]

Asta glanced at Jerry. "Have they not helped? At least to some extent?"

 

[Darkling0096]

"Kinda?", Jerry shrugged, "I mean, they're the reason we're trying with the dragon turtle." She didn't know how else to phrase that or where the two could, or would go as far as far as their relationship. She knew by now that Asta wanted something more, but Jerry... didn't know what she wanted anymore, for the same reasons she panicked at Asta's initial confession. "And why we don't sleep in separate tents."

 

[Fangs9090]

"Yes... I suppose if you want them to step back, tell them."

 

[Darkling0096]

"I thought I just did?", Jerry's experience with women on the surface was down to nobles, fencers, and barmaids, only one of which actually said what they meant and the other two relied heavily on secret meanings and mind games to communicate, it made having a working relationship with any of them a pain to maintain. Not wanting to broadcast this complication across the entire camp, Jerry thought an attempt at that might have worked for the situation.

 

[Fangs9090]

“You dismissed her comment, but they’re still watching.” Erina was watching, at least. But Erina was always watching, according to her.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Women are nosy down here, too," Jerry sighed. "Hold your breath," she dunked the chimera in the pot a few times to rinse of whatever remained on his fur, then took him out and set him on the driftwood before going to find something to dry him off with.

 

[Fangs9090]

Asta held his breath as told. Once he was out of the pot, he shook himself off and sat down to wait for Jerry's return.

 

[Darkling0096]

Jerry came back with a cloth that was probably torn from what remained of Jerry's clothes from the start of the dungeon to dry off the chimera.

 

[Fangs9090]

Asta had already shaken off the loose water, so that just left the hard part of drying off all of that fur. At least he cooperated, unlike some others.

 

[Darkling0096]

Speaking of uncooperative individuals, Beri wasn't even letting Adran attempt to dry him off, jumping out and running to shake, spraying water everywhere. "BERI!", came a chorus of yells once the great deluge stopped.

 

[Fangs9090]

Asta glanced over towards the yelling.

Shuffle watched the ordeal from where she was keeping watch above before glancing at Nyah for her commentary. Only to find she wasn't there. "...Nyah?" She looked around, only now realizing she hadn't seen her in a while.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Adran, get your gods-damned cat!", Emfa barked, almost kicking the leopard back towards his master. Joanne had been quick enough to put her shield over Niudisa's workspace like an umbrella to stop her work from being demolished.

Nyah was nowhere to be found, she hadn't appeared since vanishing back into the puzzle, which by now had one glowing piece to signify it was in the correct position.

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa seemed to be ignore the situation until a shadow came over her and she glanced away from her work. "Huh?"


Shuffle put her bow away as she decided to check the puzzle box. Finding it unsolved, she set about trying to solve it again, leaving Fia as the only airborne sentry who was actually keeping watch.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Beri just had a bath," Joanne shook her head and looked towards where Beri, now polymorphed into a housecat so he couldn't make trouble.

"I think I'm going to stab one of them," Jerry closed her eyes to push the instinct down for now.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Ah. I didn't realize a miracle was taking place." Niudisa looked at her work again.

Asta looked at her. "Find solace in the fact that you already have."

 

[Darkling0096]

"It was not by the leopard's choice," Joanne shook her head, "He came back covered in blood and mud. The warlock forced him to take a bath." She glanced over at where Asta had just had his bath, "The chimera was much more cooperative."

"Not the leopard,' Jerry made a face but sucessfully calmed down. "You want to go for a patrol?", she asked, "Take a break from the group for a bit?"

 

[Fangs9090]

"If it's Jerry bathing him, of course he was."

Asta nodded. "Yes, that sounds nice. It can get a bit chaotic around here."