Fantasy Cursed Island

[Darkling0096]

"You're more than welcome to join us," Veo said to the centaur, "We made sure the path could hold Asta," she pointed at the enormous chimera, "And the pools are massive."

 

[Fangs9090]

Corona nodded. "Thank you... But..." She glanced back. "I can't exactly take this armor off myself..."

 

[Darkling0096]

Joanne's turn to be confused. "How long have you worn full plate?"

 

[Fangs9090]

"As a knight, we were trained to use it and issued a set, but after that I got my own. I can get the top part off, but I always need help getting the back part on and off. It's really tough to twist around and reach it. I usually just leave it on all the time."

 

[Darkling0096]

"How long have you worn this armor without taking it off," Joanne repeated.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Hm... I think it's been a month or two since the last time I had to take it off. Er, maybe? It's hard to tell time in this place."

 

[Darkling0096]

Emfa stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"Veo, get a potion ready," Joanne called. Centaurs were very different from horses, but they were hardly as resilient as a nightmare. Leaving trappings on a horse for an extended period of time could lead to severe infection as sweat and grime were unable to be removed. If Corona had been wearing her barding for that long, it was a miracle she was still standing.

 

[Fangs9090]

Corona looked at them all. “...what? Why do you need a potion?”

 

[Darkling0096]

"It's not for us," Joanne shook her head, "It's for you. If you have not removed the armor from your horse body in such a span of time, sweat and grime remain trapped and rubbed back into the skin. I would be surprised if you did not have a severe rash at the very least."

 

[Fangs9090]

“Oh? I feel fine though.” Corona glanced back as she swished her tail. “Not even an itch.”

 

[Darkling0096]

"You might not, especially down here where you are fighting for your life often," Joanne shook her head as she started searching for the buckles to begin removing Corona's barding. "Amongst all the other problems you would have, an itch would be low among your priorities."

"I once took an arrow in the thigh and I didn't even realize it until I passed out from blood loss," Emfa offered, "Not everything tells you it happens until way later."

 

[Fangs9090]

“Mm...” Corona’s armor on the backside was fairly standard for high quality horse armor, though it differed from most in that it did not include a saddle. It was actually made to be extra uncomfortable for anyone sitting on it. Under the armor she had a light blanket for padding, with runes woven right in. Under the padding she was, surprisingly clean. Not completely clean, as one could see the dirt against her white fur, but nowhere close to as bad as one would expect.

 

[Darkling0096]

Joanne blinked in surprise. "I... I take it this was also a gift from your patron?"

 

[Fangs9090]

“Hm?” Corona looked over at the blanket. “Ah, yes. I tend to forget I have it.”

 

[Darkling0096]

Joanne nodded. "Than my concerns were for nought." She folded the blanket on top of the barding with the rest of Corona's armor.

"So do you need a potion or not?", Veo asked, holding up a bottle.

"No."

"Alright then," Veo shrugged.

 

[Fangs9090]

Corona shrugged and went ahead to remove her upper armor, leaving only a tunic to cover her humanoid half as she set the armor with the rest. "It is nice to get out of that every now and then."

 

[Darkling0096]

In the meantime, Jerry found Nyah entertaining Shuffle and Fia with another story. "Nyah, I've got a favor to ask," Jerry started, "We're all going to have a bath in the pools later-"

"You want soap."

"Yeah." Nyah sighed and snapped her fingers again, a small pile of perfumed soaps appearing on the table.

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle glanced over at Jerry before tilting her head. "I thought soap was for laundry?"

Fia looked at her. "Soap is for everything."

 

[Darkling0096]

"Except for eating," Jerry clarified as she picked up a parcel of the soap for her own use. "This should be plenty for you guys," she noted, looking at the pile.

 

[Fangs9090]

Fia gave a nod. "Is anyone else going yet? We didn't want to rush ahead of anyone."

 

[Darkling0096]

Jerry glanced back at the group, some getting ready for the bath or preparing for something else, "Maybe? I dunno when you guys are going."

"You do not intend to join them?", Nyah asked.

"Nope."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle flicked her ears. "What? Why not?"

 

[Darkling0096]

"Because I'd rather be alone for a while," Jerry shrugged. There was more to it than that, most of it having to do with Jerry having never taken a bath as a woman before, let alone with a large group of other women. Jerry didn't even like public baths as a man, adding a level of unfamiliarity to that didn't seem like a good time. Not much that didn't involve shiny stuff seemed like a good time to Jerry down here.

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle put her ears down. “Aw...” She didn’t outright try to make Jerry change her mind, but she was definitely making puppy eyes.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Why are you so invested?", Jerry raised an eyebrow.