The Midnight Encounter (Princess Misaou & Ritual Lobotomy)

Sailor Arti

☽ Neighborhood Friendly Magical Girl ☽
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Being a doctor was never easy. Kaylee certainly didn't pursue the practice of medicine because she thought it would be easy. But there were times where she found herself in extemely tough situations. Ones she didn't exactly have in mind when she had first invisioned herself as a doctor. While her residency might say she lives in the Sky, overnight sleepovers in her shop on the Land were becoming more and more of a regular occurance.

Luckily for her, she had managed to buy herself a nice storefront property that allowed her to have the room she needed. She had an examination room, a room for guests of a small amount to stay if bedridden, a back room where she kept her valuables like her medicine and drug supply and other supplies and tools that she might need to assist her in her practice. She had a small kitchen and a fireplace to keep her warm and not to mention a nice bathroom and a somewhat modest yet spacious bedroom upstairs that she was starting to use more often now.

It really was a good deal and she was proud of herself because instead of relying on "Daddy's money" like a lot of folks believed that she did, she had saved up enough of her own to do this. She was determined to rely on her own income for this business. She didn't want her father controlling it and to be fair she wanted to do this on her own anyway, as a way of saying she could handle herself, and so far she was doing a damn good job. Now while sleeping down on the land wasn't such a bad thing considering not many people had comfortable beds to sleep in, what had been starting to wear her body down were the long hours and constant late night emergencies. Then again, she couldn't control when the emergencies would happen nor what they were, but she did notice a pattern of bad things happening at night as of late.

This particular late night she had client she needed to see and she was practically dragging her feet. After a long day of clients pouring into her store and then her making in-person calls, she was exhausted. Not to mention today was supply day so she had several packages coming in and she had to organize her stockroom to make room for it. Before she knew it, it was way too late to attempt to travel back up to the Sky so she just opted for the easier option, to sleep in her bedroom upstairs. It felt like she had been sleeping for only a moment when she was got a late night ring on the telephone*.

So she begrudgingly pulled herself together got her things ready and started to make her way out to visit her next patient. Lately, there was something going on about murder and she knew she needed to be more cautious, especially at night, but she didn't have time to find a walking buddy the late in the evening. With a switchblade in her pocket, she walked the late night streets. Kaylee tugged on her mask, readjusting it before letting out a tired yawn, the kind that brought tears to her eyes. She had been walking for what seemed forever and she still hadn't gotten where she was supposed to. The young maiden turned the inside of her wrist towards her to check the time on her watch before muttering a curse.

She had been so sleepy that she wasn't paying attention. It was easy enough to get lost but she had really done it this time. Scratching her head and holding tight to her briefcase she squinted around trying to get a hold of her bearings. She cursed again, she really wasn't used to traveling on the Land just yet. Not even a few steps forward did she hear a long whistle in her direction. Suddenly her heartbeat started to quicken and she gulped. "Of all the bloody nights..." she muttered to herself before turning to meet the one that was catcalling her.

"Well well, look at what we have here. Seems like you're lost little darlin'." The man spoke in a low voice as he circled her much like how vultures and crows would the dead. "I'm perfectly fine thank you for your concern," Kaylee replied defensively. The man whistled again when she said 'fine' muttering a "That you are darlin', that you are." Kaylee had to refrain from turning her nose up too much, folks down on the land, or anywhere for that matter, didn't take too kindly to being looked down upon.

"Why don't you come have a good time with me darlin'? I'd surely make it worth your while~" He purred as he stepped closer to her, making Kaylee take a step back on reflex. "No thank you, I have an appointment and I'm already late, thank you again for the offer." She attempted to dismiss herself and walk away but she ended up backing into some of the weird guy's friends. Turning back to look at the man he had a wicked grin on his face as he licked his lips. He brought his hand to her cheek and caressed it before leaning in close, "I'm afraid I can't let a pretty thing like you leave so easily, so please reconsider sweetie." he purred again, this time in her ear before chuckling and running his tongue against the soft skin of her cheek.

It sent straight chills through her spine and she was sure the look on her face explained that perfectly because the group of men began to howl with laughter. "We're gonna have a good night after all boys!" The man who assaulted her cheered while the others. Kaylee had to figure out something and make it snappy.


 
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The couple of cloaks passed him, and he did not miss out on tipping the invisible hat in their honor, with a rather smug smirk following after. It was often the case that the more experienced cloaks were to train their young ones on the streets in the middle of the night, but the number of patrols recently was of concern to many that would rather have food on their table than citizen’s decency. Of course he’d heard about it. Everyone did. Perhaps only down in the Underground was a murder something not worthy of their time of day. Different perspectives bred different opinions, and it was no different for the Moray. He couldn’t give less damn about who was the victim and how they came to be one. People died every day. One way or the other. As long as it did not interfere with his activities, he had no need to join the gossips on the streets. And when it happened that it did interfere, well...

It was nice to have a familiar face to fix the mess.

“Oi! You! Stop right there”, the younger of two cloaks shouted after him, and he stopped with a sigh. Few people left on the street at that ungodly hour discreetly turned their attention to the confrontation in making. “Is that the way they teach you to greet people back?”, he mumbled to himself and shook his head lightly turning back around, his hands sliding into the pockets of his trousers which forced the suspenders to tighten over his already tight white shirt. His strong physique was highlighted with purpose and it had seemed to be working for the moment, as the young cloak gulped lightly once the Moray addressed him back. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?”

The rookie opened his mouth hesitantly, but all that came out was a loud exhale when the older colleague smacked him across the chest to shut him up. “No”, he responded for him, looking back at the large dark-haired man with a glimpse of despise in his eye, that made the Moray smirk charmingly. There was nothing much than that once could do when you had them by the balls. “There are no issues, sir. Have a good night”, he nodded, pushing the rookie to step back and turn to resume their patrol.

“Very well, officer Jones. Keep up the good work! And send my kindest regards to your boss”, the mention of it made the older cloak grunt under his breath and walk away in a quicker pace with the rookie tagging along with perplexed face. It wasn’t the commander he was talking about.

The Moray liked to believe he was a fair person, as the advantages he had over some would remain dormant until absolutely necessary. But every once in a while, some had to reminded that he was aware of the rug they’ve hidden their nuts under. Criminals, citizens and officials were all alike in one very specific thing; there were nuts they’d wish to keep under the very rug. You could perhaps call him the gatekeeper of their secrets and that was a fairly noble job.

The sound of people soon died out as he made his turn off the main street and into the dim-lit alley on the side. For him, finding his way through the labyrinth of the side-streets presented no challenge, and dark alleys hardly ever held anything unknown to him to be vary of. He made sure a long time ago that way to the home is exactly that, and he would not allow anyone to ruin it for him. His ventures were already as mentally and as physically demanding as is.

The sound of men cackling over something did not quite alert him enough to care, and the first time, he simply passed the side-alley without much more than a glimpse at the group, but right after, woman’s voice stopped him in his track few steps further. "No thank you, I have an appointment and I'm already late, thank you again for the offer." Well she quite certainly did not sound as if she enjoyed the attention.

“Of all the bloody nights...”, he groaned stepping backwards and marching into the alley. Floaters were unsavory to him, but molesters were what made him tick stronger and faster than anything else. He somewhat recognized the group surrounding the woman. They were regularly high on medicine and quite often useful for things in exchange for it. Simple things. As simple as their junkie brain could comprehend. Quite often however, they were pushing their luck. Well enough, he knew the ring leader and even if he hadn’t, his loud and annoying voice and attitude were sure to do the trick.

Large man marched forward without any hesitation, light in his step for his size and with his long coat rustling lightly, finding himself behind the instigator. As quickly as it started, the collective cheer turned into insecure grunts and moans as the Moray grabbed the troublemaker by the back of his neck, his hand wrapping almost all the way around to the front. It felt no sturdier than chicken’s, and the Moray held tightly as he yanked the man backwards with a significant force. “So this is what you do in your free time?”, the Moray asked, refusing to loosen his grip. “I always thought you are as disgusting as you can get. Guess I am not right all the time”, he growled into the instigator’s ear through his teeth. They were a nuisance and danger of their sort, but with the big fish in the pond, they were better off knowing when to yield.

Turning his attention to the woman, he nodded with a light frown, pushing the neck-locked man in front of him. “Punch away”, he offered her generously, his green eyes looking at the others present. “And if you still are unclear with the message I am bringing, I’ll get to you too”.
 

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Kaylee's fingers twitched towards the direction of her concealed switchblade before deciding against it. She was surrounded and even if she did manage to hurt one that would only make the situation worse for her. Besides, she needed to think about how to lose these guys. She was on a time limit and she truly had an appointment to reach. Not to mention she had valuable medicine in her briefcase and she couldn't let some common thugs get a hold on it.

She couldn't think of anything better than to just agree with them for the moment and see if they could lead her out of this godforsaken maze so she could find a way to escape. She hated to give in though, but she really had no other option at this exact moment. "Fine." She said with a sigh, "I'll follow you for a little while, but only if you promise to let me go." She wasn't an idiot, she knew they wouldn't be true to their word, whether they agreed now or not. "Sure thing darlin', you have my word. Cross my heart and swear on me dead mum." The instigator said with a snicker.

Then men behind Kaylee pushed her forward as she started to walk but she didn't get far before she heard a choking sound from behind her. Turning to the source she laid her eyes on Mr. Tall, Dark, and Annoying. He's the same guy who had tried to bust into her shop that one night, and the one who's hyde she saved when the cloaks were after him. Not to mention patching him up after that altercation. Her azure eyes narrowed as she watched the scene unfold. He had the ringleader by the throat and a chorus of groans escaped the lips of the ringleader's buddies.

Kaylee tilted her head to the side, she wasn't sure what was going on but she was running into this guy quite often, this 'Moray' fellow. Whatever the hell that meant. Still, she was surprised yet thankful that he had shown up when he did. “So this is what you do in your free time?”, he said with a growl while making eye contact with the other two men. “I always thought you are as disgusting as you can get. Guess I am not right all the time” he hissed at them. That's when he finally locked gazes with her and if Kaylee was honest, she knew she was safe. A feeling of relief washed over her but strange she should feel such from a stranger, especially a brutish one like this Moray.

Turning the guy towards her the dark-haired man spoke again, “Punch away”, he offered and Kaylee frowned in response, "What?" she asked confused at what was going on before looking back at the ringleader struggling for breath. “And if you still are unclear with the message I am bringing, I’ll get to you too”. Suddenly she forsaw all of this becoming very ugly very fast. "No, what? There's no need, let's just go." She spoke again, in a hushed tone just for him though.

The men beside her, however, didn't take too kindly to their new arrival's threats. One of them grabbed Kaylee and pulled her close, holding a knife to her throat which caused her to glare up at him. "Don't start with us old man. This is no business of yours. We're just trying to have a good time. We ain't hurting nobody. Isn't that right girl?" The man holding her asked her. "You're certainly hurting my ears the more you talk," Kaylee replied in exasperation. She'd had enough. She was beyond late and who knows what could've been going on with her client. "Release me. Now," she demanded but only got the knife pressed closer to her neck. "No chance, gramps here needs to let go of our friend first."


 
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For the briefest moment, young doctor’s refusal of his offer perplexed him and he lifted his eyebrow in a silent question that only lasted for a second before he rolled his eyes and pulled the man back. “Right. You’re not the type”, he responded with a mild mocking undertone to it. She certainly was less shy when she demonstrated her not-so-gentle hands on him. Then again, he was breaking in and robbing her. Her providing any aid was a surprise all on its own. Beggars can’t be choosers.

Another member of the group however, was more than willing to make an advantage of the ruckus. “Hey!”, the Moray shouted out a warning, but with an additional load in his hands, the man was quicker to pull the woman, placing the pocket knife under her throat. Darn snobs. They always looked like they’d break into million pieces being handled in such way. “You’ve grown to be quite daring little spit, didn’t you?”, the Moray narrowed his eyes at the man holding the doctor hostage.

"Don't start with us old man. This is no business of yours. We're just trying to have a good time. We ain't hurting nobody. Isn't that right girl?" Oh he did not just go there, did he? The instigator gurgled once again as the pressure on his neck resumed. He never really gave it much of a thought and, truth be told, his thick dark beard and slightly worn out face, certainly made him look a lot older than his twenty-six birthdays, but it was a rather sensitive word to use when one was referring to his abilities to break their necks, collectively, like a twig. "You're certainly hurting my ears the more you talk," the woman responded quickly. How in the bloody hell did her talkative pie hole took so long to get her in trouble?

After she demanded to be released, the man dug the knife deeper into her milky skin. "No chance, gramps here needs to let go of our friend first." Oh was that seriously everything he had? Glaring at the man briefly, the Moray laughed out. “Good one. You’re good. Haven’t hear that one before. Made my day”, he inhaled and cleared his throat before nodding in agreement. “Alright buddy. I will be a better man. I will pretend I did not hear you referring to me the way you did and, as a matter of fact! I will. Let go. Of your little friend here”, he grunted as he lifted the man he held further, grabbing his belt and lifting his behind upwards, holding him like a battering ram just moments before he channeled all his anger over the lousy call out about his age into his swing, sending the man flying face first into the nearby stock of crates and garbage.

“Now, your turn”, he gestured towards the woman. “Let her go, and get the hell out of here. Stop wasting my time. If you wanted her dead, you would have done it by now”, he scoffed, humiliating the man over his ridiculous threat and approaching closer. “You have no stomach nor balls for it, you little diaper-shitter. Better get home. It is way past your bed time”.

Truth be told, he had no way knowing the guy would not have act, but it was little to nothing else he would be able to do at that very moment other than hoping to disturb the guy’s focus enough to act if things would indeed go south. They were petty thieves and bullies, but he had a doubt they ever even as much as seen a dead body. Let alone made one.
 

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Kaylee was certainly wagering a lot of her safety in this strange savage man's hands but she figured if he had gotten this far he'd manage to get her out somehow, or at least be a good distraction for her to escape. “Good one. You’re good. Haven’t heard that one before. Made my day” Moray replied sarcastically. Kaylee, who was surprisingly calm despite the situation she was in now that her chances of survival were more likely, raised an eyebrow at the bulky man. She made a mental note that when it concerned his age his buttons were able to be easily pushed.

Kaylee's eyes drifted to the ringleader again. It would seem Moray was keeping enough pressure on his neck to make him uncomfortable without really suffocating the man to death. Good, she didn't want to witness a murder, she didn't want that kind of responsibility thrust upon her. She also made note that despite seeming calm, the man who held her hostage was trembling. "Why don't you just let me go? You'll be safer in the long run." Kaylee muttered to him which only caused the man to get more irritated. "Shut the fuck up bitch." He growled as he dug the knife into her flesh causing her to wince from the slight pain, but nothing she could deal with.

“Alright, buddy. I will be a better man. I will pretend I did not hear you referring to me the way you did and, as a matter of fact! I will. Let go. Of your little friend here”, It was almost as if the grown man Moray was holding was a rag doll the way the man shifted his weight and the way he was holding him. Instead of the neck, he was now holding him up by his breeches, allowing for the man to take a few gasping breaths before effortlessly tossing him into a pile of crates with a loud crash and bang. The man holding her hostage, and to be honest even herself, was left speechless at the sight. "B-bro!" one of the guys called out while the one holding her hostage glared at Moray.

“Now, your turn”, he gestured towards Kaylee. “Let her go, and get the hell out of here. Stop wasting my time. If you wanted her dead, you would have done it by now” Kaylee tilted her head from side to side, shaking it as if to say, 'Don't' test him on that'. He'd already made it clear he would hurt her don't antagonize someone already unstable and on the edge. “You have no stomach nor balls for it, you little diaper-shitter. Better get home. It is way past your bedtime”.

She felt the man tense around her the more Moray spoke and that only made the pressure on her neck worse. Wincing again the man threw Kaylee to the ground and began to charge at the main, "You little--You'll pay for that!" but before much more could she heard shouts from the distance. "Hey! Stop it right now!" Kaylee's eyes widen as she realized it was the cloaks who were alerted due to the ruckus. "Shit, we gotta get out of here." The thugs seemed to have the same idea as they went to try and help up their friend and bolt. Kaylee quickly pulled herself up and her things off the ground, dashing forward with surprising speed and grabbing hold of Moray's hand, "Less gawking more running!" And with that, the two of them took off down the main street darting through alleys to try and shake the cloaks.

(ooc: You can narrate the next part of where they end up and all that jazz and if the cloaks followed.)



 
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There was always that little piece of doubt over what the guy would do, or how he would react to the presentation. If push came to shove, he had already found the opening to reach towards his face partially hidden behind maiden’s head. The moment the doctor was dropped from his grip brought slight relief, just for the adrenaline to hit again, stronger, moment later after the man bolted towards him instead, knife sticking out of his clenched fist. "You little--You'll pay for that!"

Focused on the blade that was rushing towards him, he hardly paid attention to either threat or the shout from the side that came right after, breaking the assault. "Hey! Stop it right now!" He was the very last one to acknowledge the cloaks quickly approaching. “Can I not catch a damn break?!”, he groaned fully aware of his position. Although assaulted just as much, what were the odds they’d buy the story. Especially with the woman present. He looked around himself in hopes of figuring something out and quick, but before he managed to perceive the surrounding area properly to make a move, he was interrupted by an unexpected grip around his hand.

"Less gawking more running!" The woman doctor ordered, and even though he spared her a light perplexed frown, he did not think long before voluntarily following after. As soon as they had some feet to spare between them and the pursuing cloaks, he took the lead, grabbing her hand tighter and leading her back to the market square, making a sharp turn into the side-street, for cloaks to only get a glimpse of the disappearing behind the building, approaching quickly.

“In here”, he mumbled just as a formal warning before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into the small dark opening behind the brick wall, lingering over her as they both stood as close to the dark corner as possible. Just a brief moment after, the bat of steps passed the alley and a couple stopped briefly in front of them, just behind the very same wall. Being found was not an option. Certain amount of cloaks wanted his head as it was just out of spite for not being able to pin on him anything as easily. If the cloak was to step in and discover then, he thought, he’d rather smack the teeth out of their head and run for it.

Still shielding her against the wall, he gave the woman a silent “shh” as he listened to the loud breathing of a running man. It couldn’t have lasted for too long, but it sure as hell seemed like it, and as soon as the footsteps took off running down the street, he let out a breath he was unaware of holding in. Waiting for the moment more, he peeked from behind the wall, and after making sure the coast was clear, he stepped back and out in the open with a slight pant. “We’re good”. Running his hand through his hair, he referred to the woman while looking around as if he was still unsure that the pursue would not continue. “I don’t know what were you thinking back there lady, but you are either really brave, or really stupid to walk alone at this damn hour”. Only then did he face her. “You can find few cloaks from here on out to help you get home safely”. Even though one would think it was a caring thing to say, from the Moray, it came cold and almost annoyed, as she just created such a mess with her foolishness.
 

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When running Kaylee didn't glance back often, wanting to focus on putting distance between her and the cloaks first and foremost. But she did sneak a peak just to see some of the cloaks caught the thugs while the rest chased after them. Kaylee felt a little relief from that but she still wasn't out of hot water yet. Once they had managed to put some good distance between where they were the Moray quickly pulled ahead of her, taking the lead. He gripped her hand tightly and lead her down the streets that were so confusing for her.

He quickly pulled her into a tight alleyway and pressed against her, surprising the blonde out of nowhere. “In here” he mumbled and all Kaylee could stammer was a quick "Wha--" before she heard the footsteps of their pursuers coming closer. Since she had been running she was a bit out of breath. Her heart was racing and her chest rose and fell quickly in rhythm to her shallow breaths. The footsteps got closer and suddenly the bulky man pressed against her, closing what little distance they had between them. Frowning she looked up at him confused but he silently motioned 'shhh' to her. Just as he did so one of the cloaks that were chasing them was suddenly very close to them.

Kaylee froze not wanting to even breathe less she draw attention to them. But while being in this tight corner between this guy Kaylee just felt uncomfortable and awkward. Now she'd had men who desired to court her and she'd entertained their presence before but she never really was the type to enjoy PDA. Not to mention she had never gotten to the stage of expressing desires physically with her suitors, they never lasted that long. But while pressed against the Moray she had no choice but to take in pretty much everything. His build, and how it should be illegal to have all this muscle mass and carry it around effortlessly like he did. Or how attractive he was, for a street rat he was probably one of the finest men Kaylee had laid her eyes on. But she wouldn't let him know she thought that way, it would go directly to his head. Besides, she still didn't trust him like that yet, he did try to rob her after all. Even is scent was somewhat alluring which confused the fair-haired maiden.

Kaylee was always the first to mention she could appreciate good looks but she'd never drool for a man. Yet what made her so uncomfortable was probably the way this man made her feel. Something she had never experienced before attraction this strong. That was kind of scary to think about, it was almost like she felt a magnetic pull that kept drawing her to run into him. Like fate, but she didn't want to be with some wannabe thug that's only redeeming quality was how much he could lift.

Though perhaps she was being too hard on him, he had just saved her from those creepy thugs. Then again she had saved his hyde before as well. It just seemed like saving each other was becoming a common occurrence between the too. Regardless, she didn't know this man and the fact that she felt these feelings so strong even though she didn't know a thing about him scared her. She just chalked it up to hormones and decided to ignore it. Maybe if she loosened up a little and actually had some fun like her friends were constantly telling her she wouldn't be so hard pressed around this guy.

When the footsteps faded away they stayed where they were silently for another moment or two and then the Moray pulled back a bit. Peaking his head around the corner just to make sure the coast was clear. “We’re good”. he muttered to her to which Kaylee released a sigh of relief. She didn't have time to get in trouble with the authorities, she really had to be on her way. Making her way out of the corner they were in she adjusted her clothing and cleared her throat. “I don’t know what were you thinking back there lady, but you are either really brave or really stupid to walk alone at this damn hour”. He spoke up after running his hands through his hair.

"That's Dr. Breston to you." She quipped back at his reference to just her gender when speaking to her. "And unfortunately you don't have a much of a choice for transportation when you're in the business of saving lives. Besides, who exactly do you think is up and willing to walk with me while I have an emergency appointment to attend? None, exactly. You have to do what you have to do. Besides, I can usually handle myself. You saw that first hand after all." She answered back while folding her arms across her chest.

“You can find few cloaks from here on out to help you get home safely” The man replied coolly to her which only made the blonde shake her head. "I don't think you heard, I have an emergency appointment to go to. I won't be going home. I can't leave someone who needs help." She replied defiantly. The look in her blue eyes explained how she already had her mind made up and there would be no changing it. She was quiet for a moment debating if she should continue not wanting to praise the brute too much but she was raised with manners and she was no savage so she decided to speak up. "Thank you for your help. But I really can't go home. Duty calls and all of that." She said with a slight bow and smile.


 
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He’d heard her the first time loud and clear. Choosing to ignore it was an option, but he didn’t quite do it either. Her confident claim that she was perfectly fine on her own was what made him realize that he still didn’t hate himself enough to get into the argument over it. Sure thing. He saw first hand how majestically she handled it. Her attitude towards the situation she’d found herself in however, was admirable. A fragile-looking woman certainly had a spicy kick to it all, and he began to somewhat believe that not everything of her defiance she spilled on him during their first encounter was a bluff. Some of it, she truly believed in.

The most noticeable of it all was her stubborn nature. Even after he clearly gave her a suggestion any remotely sane person having the same experience would gladly accept, she refused to budge. "I don't think you heard, I have an emergency appointment to go to. I won't be going home. I can't leave someone who needs help."

“What are you even saying right now?” He turned back to face her, with his arms stretched out on the side in a protest, or rather face her scolding glare, as if he just said something ridiculously offensive and out of this world. What was the point? There was nothing in it for her in helping someone while risking your own hide. No Floater cared about those below their feet. At that very point, he was unsure what tugged on his nerves more; the fact that she was as stubborn while he was used to maintain order with people he got in touch, or the fact that she was confusing the living hell out of him. There was this rather attractive young woman, born of privilege, wasting her time and health into dealing with the leftovers of the Golden City, having her attire dirtied while running from the cloaks instead of asking them for help, helping those that cannot afford it while asking nothing in return? Either “nothing” was something, or it was a mere cover. If he learned anything in his years on the Land, it was that no one there truly did anything for free.

"Thank you for your help. But I really can't go home. Duty calls and all of that." Her bowing manner perplexed him even further. Feeling his gears turning out of order in his mind, he quickly aborted the developing thinking process, dropping his arms back against his body in a defeated manner. Her calm attitude after all of it was unnatural. Intricate and enticing, and yet uncomfortable in a way. “You know what, Iron Maiden? Fine!”, he found himself speaking up and gesturing down the dim-lit street. “Be my guest, dr. Breston, ma’am. Go get yourself raped or killed. Not even necessarily in that order. By all means!” The volume of his voice grew exponentially, and it was significantly high by the end of the last sentence. Sighing off the tension, he turned and marched away from her a good few steps to the opposite street side of the one he gestured to. “Nice knowing you.”

But even as he walked away, something tugged at his mind. He couldn’t just leave. If she was lost before, now she sure as hell didn’t have any clue where she was. Shy of twenty-five feet ahead, he stopped walking and contemplated his sanity for the moment, cursing and mumbling “God dammit”, in his beard, before he turned to look back towards the place he had left her, halting midway as if his body was debating whether to march away or march back. Regardless of his everso slightly growing consciousness over leaving her on her own, he still looked back at her with a frown, studying her just as strict face. He allowed it to last for a moment, and if anyone was to witness it, it would have been as they were witnessing the silent telepathic connection being created between the two that soon after made his face relax, at least slightly.

He would allow her the benefit of the doubt. He would allow himself to believe that she was telling the truth.

“Where’s this meeting spot you need to be at?”

Hopefully she would drop the act of the invincible and untouchable and fill him in before he changed his mind, and as soon as she would, the Moray would start marching in that very direction without much to say expecting her to follow. After all, she insisted to get there the first thing from the beginning.
 

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It was clear in his facial expressions that the Moray didn't like the verdict that Kaylee had laid down. But unfortunately for him, she wasn't here to cater to his desires and such. She had a job to do, and a promise to her mother to keep and she would be damned if fear for her safety would cause her to be unable to make good on that promise. “What are you even saying right now?” the man cried out in an exasperated sigh, waving his arms about in a manner that made him seem like a mad man. Kaylee just shrugged in his direction. She had said what she said and meant what she said, it was as simple as that.

Realizing she really wouldn't budge on this seemed to make the man even angrier but for the life of her she couldn't understand why her personal matters affected him so. “You know what, Iron Maiden? Fine!” His voice rose as he gestured down the dim lit street, “Be my guest, Dr. Breston, ma’am. Go get yourself raped or killed. Not even necessarily in that order. By all means!” With all his gusto gone the man turned on his heels and left muttering a “Nice knowing you.” on his way off. Kaylee bowed again before speaking up, "Thanks for your help again." before going off her own way.

She was still unfamiliar about her whereabouts but that wouldn't stop her from trying. She knew that her client stayed near the Tube, where the land and the sky connected. But she wasn't exactly sure how to get there from where she was. Still, she could only do her best by walking till she found something that was familiar to her. Still she couldn't help but think back to that man's reaction to her being so set on this. It was almost like he was personally offended and it was really bugging her why he even felt that way. For once, she hadn't said anything that should've offended him. Deciding to steal a glance at him she turned to see him still watching her. She was surprised but held his gaze nonetheless. This went on for a bit before she saw his facial features soften and he made his way back over to where she was.

Everything about this night was confusing but it was also full of a lot of first times. First time she's ever been pursued by thugs, first time being saved by this big guy, first time being chased by cloaks and now this. “Where’s this meeting spot you need to be at?” He asked as he stood beside her once more. Perhaps....he was worried about her? That almost seemed hard to believe but flattering nonetheless. Kaylee had to work hard to keep the smile that was tugging on the edge of her lips away. "Welcome back," She greeted cheekily before glancing down the dim lit street. "I just need to reach the area near the tube. My client leaves near there. Once I'm there I'll know where to go." She answered truthfully.

"Unfortunately I haven't had the luxury or the opprotunity to learn where every twist and turn leads you here. Hence why I got lost." She admitted with a sheepish grin. She gripped her briefcase tighter and nodded in his direction. "Thank you again, however, for this." She spoke softly. Truly it meant a lot. Despite everything, regardless if she felt she could trust this man or not, he was helping her potentially save a life. And that meant a lot to her. It just went to show her that even she needed a helping hand from time to time. A humbling realization.



 
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“Mh...”, he simply grunted, slightly displeased by her cheeky greeting. It was of no jester matter to him, and yet she had to made it so damn hard for him to keep his mouth shut. “As if it is so hard on you”, he fired back just as cheeky, his eyes narrowing and his eyebrow cocking in somewhat inquisitive, but obviously teasing way for the moment. "I just need to reach the area near the tube. My client leaves near there. Once I'm there I'll know where to go." It quickly went through his head how tiny she really was. Perhaps even less so now that she didn’t throw her bigger-than-life personality around. For the first time since the encounter, the Moray stretched his lips in a charming crooked smirk and straightened up as someone taking a great pride in their mission. "Unfortunately I haven't had the luxury or the opportunity to learn where every twist and turn leads you here. Hence why I got lost."

“Well what do you know? Miss need my help after all”, he chuckled lightly at her ridiculously humble reaction and he was yet to determine whether he liked the change or not. No. That was hardly the case. In both cases, he did not mind one more than he did the other. On one hand being loud and stubborn could have easily gotten over his head, and on the other, overly humble behavior somewhat disappointed him. But that was just the Moray as he came. He was never happy with a one-trick wonder with people. As the name said, it was impressive; but it was impressive only once. Now, balancing between the two the way this fair-haired lady did was a rare thing.

"Thank you again, however, for this." Waving it off with his hand, the Moray looked around briefly making sure the coast is clear as well as making sure he himself knew where exactly they were. “You are giving me too much credit, Dr. Breston. The truth is, I am saving my own behind. Now believe me, if that old lady Martha heard I left you alone and lost, she’d smack the living devil out of me and that lady has one hell of a smack”, he chuckled recalling the very first time he felt the wrath of an old lady more than few years ago. “I was skeptic, but whatever floats her boat. She loves you, so...” It was no secret. People having experience with Dr. Breston were quick to spread the word.

Determining the route to take towards the tube, he looked back down at her and nodded back, now with his usual straight face. “Besides, you helped me when you had no obligation to. Guess I owed you one, and I don’t like debts on my back. We’re even”. Nodding again as if he was confirming his own words, the Moray gestured in the direction they needed to go and headed forward. “Now, less chat, more walk”. The night-time smog slowly crept down towards the Land. Sometimes during the early morning, it would engulf the streets in grey.
 

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The man straightened up beside her once hearing her destination, a confident smirk gracing his features, which only caused the woman to raise her eyebrows in response. What could he have possibly said that had gone to his head? “Well, what do you know? Miss need my help after all”, he said with a teasing tone shortly after. Rolling her azure eyes she realized just what she had opened herself up to with that comment. "Please, men these days and their obsession with saving a pretty damsel in distress," Kaylee muttered as she focused her gaze forward. A smirk of her own played on her lips at her own little joke. Two could play that game, and Kaylee was known to be a competitive one.

He stepped forward to check and see if the coast was clear when he deemed it was the man motioned for her to join him. “You are giving me too much credit, Dr. Breston. The truth is, I am saving my own behind. Now believe me, if that old lady Martha heard I left you alone and lost, she’d smack the living devil out of me and that lady has one hell of a smack” He answered to her earlier thanks. Kaylee found herself chuckling imagining the old woman Martha manhandling this big guy. Something she could quite literally visualize. Mrs. Martha was afraid of no one. It was kind of inspiring. “I was a skeptic, but whatever floats her boat. She loves you, so...” he continued which caused her to freeze at the realization. Wait, he knew Martha?! Kaylee hadn't even said the woman's name but simply but uttering her ending destination he knew exactly where she was going?

Kaylee turned and frowned at the man. Martha was one of her first customers so they had developed somewhat of a loyal patient/doctor base. Over the years she and Martha had become somewhat close she would like to say. She valued Martha's opinions pretty highly, even got some old school "old wives tales" tricks and tips from her that actually helped her with her practice of medicine. "Wait, you knew I was heading to Martha's without me even saying her name?" Kaylee spoke up truly puzzled before shaking her head. "Mrs. Martha's a sweet woman. I owe a lot to her and she doesn't even know it." Kaylee continued as they walked down the quiet alleyways.

“Besides, you helped me when you had no obligation to. Guess I owed you one, and I don’t like debts on my back. We’re even”. Kaylee glanced up at him with a smirk playing on her lips. "Ah, but you still owe me for attempted robbery. Sooo, I guess we're not quite even yet." She said with a snicker. “Now, less chat, more walk,” He said making sure to stick close to her because the smog was starting to get thicker. "Yeah yeah, I hear ya." She said pulling her mask upon her face again to protect her from breathing in too many toxins.

...

It didn't take them too long to reach their destination. As soon as Kaylee was back on familiar ground she took the lead. Making a point to hurry since she had been delayed long enough as it was. Once she reached Mrs. Martha's house she knocked on the door. After a few beats, she could hear footsteps and she pulled away from the door. "Kaylee!" Mrs. Martha called out, she could tell from her facial expression she was worried and Kaylee's facial features quickly shifted into a painful one. "I'm sorry Mrs. Martha, I got held up. Where is she?" Kaylee asked while stepping inside. She shed her lab coat since it was dirty from the outside pollution and she didn't want to bring that in, to her patient. She handed her coat to Hagen all while listening to Mrs. Martha. "Alright fill me in on all that happened while I wash up." She spoke and the two walked off towards the back room where Mrs. Martha's granddaughter was being held.

Martha's granddaughter had fallen ill a few weeks ago. She had been to a doctor and they had prescribed her medicine and she had started to get better. That is till this week. Her granddaughter had been fatigued and was having piercing headaches and a lost of appetite. Last night at dinner she had been complaining about intense abdominal pains before passing out. Poor Mrs. Martha had been trying to handle things on her own, but it's when her granddaughter began to throw up and there was blood in the vomit that she realized this was out of her control. That's when she called Kaylee. Having heard all of this Kaylee kept a serious expression, already trying to piece together the events to help her reach a diagnosis. She had some ideas but she would need to check to be sure.

Once Kaylee was settled in the room with Mrs. Martha's grandchild Mrs. Martha made her way towards Hagen again. Offering him some tea and a chance to sit with her and wait. She didn't want to be in Kaylee's way while she was doing her work. But she had faith that if anyone could figure out what was going on it would be Kaylee. "You brought her here hm son?" Mrs. Martha asked before nodding in approval. "Thank you. I appreciate you getting her here swiftly. I had grown worried about her since I knew she'd be traveling alone. Seems I was wrong." She said with a tired chuckle.

(ooc: So I'm going to continue the treatment of the child and her diagnosis later. You can control Mrs. Martha and how you wish for this scene to play out Inca. :D and then I'll pick up with Kay again. )



 
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No, he had no clue who she was about to meet, but the knowledge of it made his face grow darker with concern although he spoke none of it. Once they reached Martha’s doors and she was the one opening I for them, the Moray exhaled discreetly in relief and shook his head, standing at a respectful distance behind the doctor as she greeted the woman. He allowed the two women to exchange details, and he simply invited himself in after the doctor, closing the door behind himself, right after she was tossed the coat unexpectedly. “What the-”, he mumbled managing to grab the coat before it fell to the ground, placing it on the hanger near the door with a subtle eye roll. What was he a coat carrier now?

Martha’s home was a humble one, but always clean and welcoming. Patiently, he made his way through the small living room, in its entirety miniature to him, petting the lazy cat that purred on the shelf. It let out a satisfying meow and pushed itself against his hand for more strokes, and Moray was more than willing to oblige with a light chuckle. “You’re a charmer, ain’t ya?”, he stroked the cat under the chin with a smirk. It was one of the rare remaining animals of flesh and blood in that damn city. Even years after, he had missed their house on the Outside. If nothing, then for the nature around it. Good times were when he was able to ride a real horse or hunt with a real dog. Nowdays, finding the quality ingredients for his dishes, as well as the quality company of an animal was almost impossible. For that, he never missed out on the opportunity to give all his affection to Princess, whenever he would visit. He felt somewhat bad for the moment. His last visit was a while back.

“Lazy bum won’t move from there ever since you set it up for me”, the old woman spoke behind him with a soft chuckle. Smirking at it, Hagen gave the cat another light tap on the head and turned towards the lady, nodding in a respectful greeting. “How have you been?”, he asked with audible sympathy many would hardly believe he was capable of. Instead of direct response, the old lady sighed heavily and smiled weakly. “I have been better, dear. Would you like some tea while we wait?” she asked him as she headed into the small kitchen. "Of course”, he responded calmly. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

As soon as he sat down in the chair that was a tight fit to his form, the three-colored cat made her way off of the shelf and into his lap. “Excuse me?”, he chuckled as she made few circles and laid herself down against him. Personal space meant nothing to that purr machine, but if he was honest, he had enjoyed her company as well. "You brought her here hm son?" Martha asked after a long silence, once she walked back to him. Laying the tray with freshly made tea on the table with a bit of shake in her hands, a bit of the old age and a lot of nervousness. Hagen did not fail to notice it, even though he said nothing about it.

“Technically, she brought me here. I had no idea who she was going to visit in the first place. But uh... you could say that”. There was no benefit in telling her exactly what happened. As it was, she had plenty to be worried over. "Thank you. I appreciate you getting her here swiftly. I had grown worried about her since I knew she'd be traveling alone. Seems I was wrong." He responded with somewhat sheepish smirk. “There is no need to thank me, Martha. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Doctor Breston was only a bit lost, that is all.” The old woman glared at him as if she was trying to figure whether he was lying or not, and for a second, she seemed in doubt. There were plenty of things Moray could do, but lying to Martha was not one of them. He has tried. Plenty of times before. She was always smart enough to see through his bullshit and over time, he had grown to respect her enough to drop the act. But it was something he wouldn’t let her know.

He knew that she knew that he was lying. “I see...”, she spoke quietly as she poured the tea in their cups with a light frown. Hagen despised the silence that followed. It only meant that she was very disappoint over not knowing the truth. With sigh, he made a compromise. “She handled it well. That is all I will tell you. For a Floater.”

“Oh don’t be rude!”, Martha cut him off with a scolding glare, much as a mother would scold a child. “Miss Breston is God sent to us, Hagen. Show her some respect”.

“But I-”

“Shhh! No!”, she slapped his knee lightly and he chuckled charmingly on which she smirked back, trying to keep a straight face. “Be nice”.

“But I am nice!”, Hagen chuckled again.

“Well, different kind of nice. Your ways are no way to treat the lady. If you were a bit smarter about it as you are smart about other things, you would have one for yourself by now.” By the end of the sentence, Hagen rolled his eyes and groaned, sinking deeper into the chair. “I don’t need a lady Martha, I have one to deal with as it is. Don’t think I could handle two”. They both laughed out briefly. As long as it got her mind off things, the big bad Moray had no problem with being the clown.

“How is Raven? I hope she is well and alive?” It was somewhat an honest question. Right from the start, the old woman learned that if Hagen was a troublesome young man, then Raven was twice as troublesome young lady. One could tell without much mistake the two were related and close. “She is alive and well”, Hagen nodded with a smirk. “Good”, Martha nodded back. "Give her a hug for me will you? We wanted to invite you two over, it has been a while but then...”, the old woman sighed, her eye escaping towards the door of the room where doctor Breston was attending to her granddaughter.

Without much thought, Hagen leaned forward minding the cat and laid his large hand over the old lady’s closed, small ones she fondled nervously on her lap. “She will be alright”, he assured her calmly when she lifted her head and looked at him with worried face. “You said it yourself to me plenty of times before. Doctor Breston would do anything for her patients”. He couldn’t tell himself whether he believed it personally or not, but Martha’s silent agreement showed that she did, and it was all that mattered. With a meek smile, she embraced his hand tightly and smiled causing him to smile in return.

“Better. Much better”.

@Princess Misaou
 

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After Martha had filled her in on everything she left Kaylee to do what she did best and Kaylee could appreciate that. Kaylee watched her leave before turning her eyes to the child that was resting on the bed. Kaylee inhaled deeply closing her eyes, quickly centering herself and when she opened her eyes she was focused. All the tiredness and fatigue she felt earlier melted away and she was focused on what was in front of her, Martha's granddaughter, Chelsea. Ever since she had gone outside and she found out about the wonders of meditation she tried to focus and center herself before doing anything with a patient. It helped her remember as well that she was influencing a life. Someone real, living a breathing, that this was no game and she had to take this seriously. In turn, keeping that perspective in mind it drove her to try everything in her power to do what she could for her patients.

Kaylee quickly laid her briefcase on the bedside table, pulling up a chair beside the girl. "Chelsea? Chelsea if you can hear me I need you to open your eyes for me, okay?" A few moments later the little girl weakly opened her eyes and Kaylee nodded. "Good, alright so I'm going to try and help okay?" She spoke softly and calmly running her hands through the feverish girl's hair. "I-It hurts Kay--" she starts to speak before coughing. Kaylee shakes her head. "Shh, I know, you don't have to speak. I'm going to try my best to help you feel better" Kaylee said as she grabbed one of her tools to shine a light in her eyes.

Once she was finished checking that she grabbed her stethoscope from her case. She quickly threw it around her neck and began to unbutton the child's pajama shirt. Scooting in closer she quickly took the stethoscope and hooked it in her ears. "This is going to feel a little cold okay?" She said before pressing the cool metal part to the girl's chest listening to her heartbeat then moving it a bit lower to hear her breathing. "Breathe as deeply as you can for me. In and out okay?" and the girl did as she was told. "Okay Chelsea, I need you, to be honest with me. When did you start to have bad stomach pains?" Kaylee said already starting to dig into her bed and prepare a concoction.

"Before....dinner" she whimpered and groaned. "Yes I understand that but when exactly? Did you fall down and hurt your stomach? Is it just a cramp? Was it something you ate?" Chelsea glanced at her at the last part before shaking her head. "Chelsea." Kaylee started in a warning tone, "I can't help you if you don't tell me." Chelsea inhaled sharply as another stomach pain shot through her body. Whatever had been causing her to hesitate before was deemed not worth is by her as she turned back to the blonde woman. "I only ate some candy before dinner. I knew O'ma would be upset so I didn't tell her. But that's it I swear!"

Kaylee paused what she was doing to face the girl. "Candy? Where did you find candy?" When Kaylee had walked the house earlier with Martha she saw no traces of candy not a single wrapper in sight. "In O'ma's room. she keeps them in a box in her drawer. I saw her take someone time. I asked her if I could have one and she said they were spicy candies one only meant for O'ma's and I couldn't have one till I was older. I...I...I snuck into her room to try some today. But they were very good." Kaylee's eyes widened upon hearing that. "How many did you have?" She asked Chelsea who was groaning again in the bed. "Ugh I don't know, they were good so not a lot. Were the candies the reason I'm sick? Is it because I was a bad girl and didn't listen to O'ma and now I'm being punished?" Chelsea said with a sob. Kaylee shook her head running her hands through the girl's hair again. "No Chelsea, you're not being punished. It was just an accident. But next time O'ma tells you not to eat something, promise me you'll listen. O'ma is just trying to protect you okay? It's because she loves you." Kaylee said and Chelsea nodded.

Iron poisoning is what she came to conclude after talking with Chelsea. Luckily for Chelsea, she didn't take that many so she wasn't the worst she could've been. Iron poisoning was nothing to play with, it was a serious thing. Kaylee felt partially responsible however because the medicine that Chelsea had ingested was administered to her O'ma by Kaylee herself. Martha was diagnosed as Anemic the last time she was here and she had given her some iron supplements to help her with that since her body wasn't producing enough on her own. Kaylee continued to fix a mixture of things at Chelsea's bedside. The finished product would be a drink that Chelsea would have to take in order to purge the toxins from her body as quickly as possible. Similar to that of a laxative.

"Now this won't taste good, but it's going to make you feel better. It's going to make you have to use the restroom, and once you do you should start to feel better. I'll also leave something for your pain okay? Now drink up." She said as she helped Chelsea up in bed to drink the nasty liquid she had prepared. Once she did she laid her back down in her bed, dipping a washing cloth into cool water and wringing it out. Once the rag was wrung out she folded it into a rectangle and dabbed it around Chelsea's face before placing it on her head. "I'll bring you some tea to help get rid of the taste," Kaylee said as she packed her things away in her case.

...

She had been in Chelsea's room for a while doing her overall checkup and diagnosing, once she had finally figured out what was wrong she stayed longer to make the drink for her before heading out to give her grandmother the news. When she walked out she saw that the Moray and Martha were talking amongst themselves with cups of tea in front of them. When Martha noticed Kaylee she attempted to stand but Kaylee shook her head. "Stay seated Martha everything's alright now. Chelsea's fine, I was just going to fix her some tea. You left some for us I hope?"

Kaylee said with a reassuring smile sent Martha's way. She took the older woman's hand in hers and squeezed it firmly, but not too hard. She knew that Martha had been concerned. Chelsea was her only grandchild so far and she raised her on her own. Her mother and father didn't want anything to do with Chelsea or Martha. Something that got Kaylee riled up any time she thought about it. Martha didn't deserve the treatment she got but she was a strong woman. One of the strongest women she's ever met. That was part of the reason Kaylee respected her so much.

(ooc: Okay I'll end it here because I already wrote a lot. Got a little carried away. I'll let you play out Martha from now on. You did such a good job. :D)


 
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The comfortable small talk Hagen and Martha led, quickly died out as soon as the door to the child’s room opened and the doctor walked out cause the old lady to lift herself up from the chair with the speed and agility she hardly possessed at the first glance. Moray’s face formed an expression of curiosity, but only for the moment, before it set back into the neutral, seemingly uninterested expression, as he leaned back into the chair and turned his attention away. "Stay seated Martha everything's alright now”, doctor Breston assured her, and the old woman let out an audible sigh of relief as she reached out to young woman hesitantly, as she was debating whether she would rather give her a hug or tightly grabbed her hand in gratitude.

“Chelsea's fine, I was just going to fix her some tea. You left some for us I hope?" Lost in the moment, Martha took a second to process the question. “Oh!”, she exclaimed in realization, and finally grabbed woman’s hand into her wrinkled ones, squeezing it gratefully. “Of course my dear”, she nodded with a shaky voice and a wide smile, rushing back into the small kitchen. “Please, if you will. Have a seat. There is plenty for everyone!”, her voice sounded from behind the thin wall along with the clanking of cups.

Moray remained seated in partially leaned position, his head resting between the thumb and the index finger of his hand, placed tactically across his jaw to properly support the weight. Although his glare was fixated forward, he was aware of the interaction between two women as he continued to lazily pet the cat napping in his lap. With narrowed eyes and relaxed posture, he seemed as if he was about to fall asleep, and his slow breathing followed the pattern. But it was more of the tactic to avoid awkward conversation with the woman he was left alone with, and he was wide awake and well aware.

Few moments lasted for an eternity, until Martha came back, carrying a couple of filled cups. It was wondrous how she managed to carry them both without a spill. She rushed back into the room with a smile on her face, even though it faded only slightly at the awkward silence in the room. Clearing her throat, she approached doctor Breston with requested tea and a grin.

“Dearest, I insist. Please stay at least for the tea. I do not know how to thank you enough”, with it, she peeked behind her with a slight scolding glare aimed at the large man resting in her chair. “I am sure we would be more than happy for you to join us”.

Moray’s eyes opened wider and he looked up to meet woman’s light frown. “Of course. Your house, your rules”, he chuckled briefly, but Martha’s deepened frown had him clear his throat and adjust his position in the chair, falling silent. “Wonderful!”, Martha grinned in silent triumph and turned her attention back to the doctor. “Forgive him, dearest. He is just as grateful. Pouting is just in his nature.”

The Moray rolled his eyes with a sigh, but said nothing, resuming his focus ahead of himself. There was no use in arguing with Martha. Martha knew it very well.

@Princess Misaou
 
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“Of course my dear” Martha exclaimed as she clasped Kaylee's hands in her own weathered ones. “Please, if you will. Have a seat. There is plenty for everyone!” She said before she scurried off to the kitchen. Kaylee couldn't help how her features automatically softened around the woman. Her cobalt orbs followed the woman in the kitchen with playful curiosity before she decided to take up Martha's offer and rest a bit. She hadn't meant for the woman to work. She could've fetched the tea herself but she knew better than to argue with Martha on this matter. Besides, she could tell she was nervous, if this helped to calm her soul then Kaylee would allow it.

Kaylee softly traced the wooden patterns on the table with her nail as she sat in silence. Partly because she was listening out for Chelsea and partly because this difficult man beside her refused to even acknowledge her presence at the moment. She decided to sneak a glance at the man across the table from her. He rested his chin on his hand and his breaths were shallow she could tell just from looking. Had he fallen asleep? He truly felt that comfortable in her presence to let his guard down like that? No, she didn't believe so. Regardless of what he was doing, she knew that he had no interest in talking to her. Curious as he made plenty of conversation on the way here. Not that it was really idle conversation now that she thought about it.

She wondered how he got to know Martha anyway. It wasn't like Golden City was small. There were plenty of people here so the chances of knowing the same person shouldn't be that high, right? Not to mention she wouldn't think that Martha would be within his sphere of interests. Then again Martha did have a habit of collecting strays so she couldn't say for sure. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to study the man, her fingernails still softly scratching at the wood. Kaylee hated the silence but she damn well wasn't going to be the first to break it. She had stubbornly decided that long after realizing what was going on. So she turned her head away from him and was content to ignore him like he was ignoring her.

Not long after Martha re-entered the room carrying two cups of tea in her hands. However what drew her eyes to the older female wasn't the fact that she was just coming back, though it did have a bit to do with it, but rather how she was walking. Martha was walking with a bit of a limp. Kaylee hadn't noticed this before. Martha might be older but she didn't usually walk with a limp. Kaylee flashed her gaze up to the woman, not saying anything yet but curious nonetheless. “Dearest, I insist. Please stay at least for the tea. I do not know how to thank you enough” She said with a smile before that faded slightly when she realized how awkward the setting was now.

She glared at the man and Kaylee's eyes followed slowly after she had reached forward for her cup. “I am sure we would be more than happy for you to join us”. Martha said sternly with an even more pointed glare towards the man. They must be close if they had a relationship like this Kaylee deduced, but again it wouldn't take a genius to figure that out. “Of course. Your house, your rules”, The man replied with a chuckle however the frown on Martha's face only deepened. It was quite comical to see the older woman control such a large brutish man the way she did. Kaylee couldn't hide the smirk on her lips as she brought her cup to her lips. The Moray quickly changed his posture when realizing that if looks could kill he'd be dead from Martha, which brought a smile to the old woman's face. “Wonderful!”, Martha grinned in silent triumph and turned her attention back to the Kaylee. “Forgive him, dearest. He is just as grateful. Pouting is just in his nature.”

"I can see that" Kaylee cheekily replied as her wicked smirk grew larger before taking a sip of her tea. It was hot, probably too hot for Chelsea right now so she would let her cup cool before bringing it to her. She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy watching the man have a hard time with Martha. Despite the strong image he seemed to like to give off he was pretty much that of a child around Martha. Then again that was pretty much everyone around Martha. Kaylee trained her gaze back on the elder woman as her lips hovered above the rim of the cup.

"So, your ankle, when were you going to tell me you injured it?" Kaylee commented nonchalantly, already visualizing the look of surprise on Martha's face once she realized that Kaylee had figured it out. "It's bothering you right? What happened?" Kaylee pressured again, this time her facial expression was different. Still soft but serious this time, the look she had when she was focused but also the look she wore when she had to dig for information out of her patients. An expression that made it clear that honesty was the best policy with Dr. Breston.

( ooc: the general story about Martha's ankle is that she fell and twisted it. She had been walking on a bruised ankle which really just made it worse so it's even more bruised and extremely swollen. But she keeps it hidden. Usually forcing herself to walk normally till Kay just noticed it. Figured I'd tell you the idea instead of having you guess :D )


 
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The Moray greeted the woman's input with a silent scoff and averted his gaze in exchange of humouring them both with a response to it. "Serves him right", Martha chuckled and sat herself at the coffee table with satisfied sigh, now treating large man with a brief caring smile he nodded at and responded with a light smirk on his own. Youth was an incredible thing. Somewhat hard to handle, but she enjoyed its company nevertheless. Sligh discord between the two however made her displeased, but there was time, and he believed time itself would do its thing.

"So, your ankle, when were you going to tell me you injured it?"The question caught her off guard as she herself tended to forget about it every once in a while. Perhaps it was the fact that she unknowingly scratched it now that the tension on it was relieved by her sitting down. Only then did she notice that it was indeed still fairly sore. Immediate attention from both young doctor and Hagen confused her briefly and for the moment she looked like a sheepish kid caught lying.

"It just did not cross my mind it was something I should mention", she responded in wonder and with a humble shrug. "It is fine now. It is getting better. Really." It was reminding her of its condition every once in a while still, but her own trouble was something he was used to not complaining about. "It's bothering you right? What happened?" Faced by the two expecting the answer, she sighed and waved it off with her hand before she responded with a chuckle. There was no getting out of it. "Only sometimes, dear. It is nothing I can't take care of. It was by my own foolishness after all", she laughed out. "Sometimes I tend to forget I am not as strong as I used to be and I carry a lot more than I should. I twisted it a bit stepping into the hole on my way home from the market."

That very sentence earned her a mildly scoding glare from Moray on which she rolled her eyes. "I am telling you it is nothing", she repeated persistantly. "And I told you to tell me what you need so it can be brought to you, before you kill yourself", the man responded calmly, although with a deepening frown. It was on his own consciousness as well that something like that had happened while he had a perfectly healthy bunch of kids ready to help her and yet she refused to listen. Original need to make up to her for everything he had done to him was quickly replaced by the need to protect her, but she still refused to listen.

"I can handle myself. The day I cannot bring a basket or two from the market is the day I'll allow you to bury me". Aware that it hit close to home for the young man, Martha served her response with a light smirk, but even then the Moray groaned in quiet annoyance, rubbing his temple as he leaned back into the chair. "You are giving me a headache Martha", he mumbled back and gestured towards the doctor. "Let her have a look".

"Son, you are not the only stubborn head around here", she chuckled although underneath it, there was a scold for something known only to two of them.

"Martha..."

"Don't you Martha me", she was quick to interrupt with a defiant spark in her eyes. "The doctor has already been through a lot for one night. She should instead take some time to relax. We bothered her enough."

"Well then!", the Moray gestured nonchalantly towards the doctor. "Good thing she doesn't mind the bother. Being folk's doctor and all". Smug smirk played across his lips following the light provocation as he finally spared the woman a calm yet expecting glare.


@Princess Misaou
 

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"It just did not cross my mind as something I should mention", Martha responded in wonder and with a humble shrug. "It is fine now. It is getting better. Really." She added quickly trying to get off this topic. However her ways and bad habits were not new to the Doctor. Kaylee's azure orbs narrowed as she quietly took a sip of her tea. Martha never liked bothering Kaylee to which she never understood. It was her job and she'd only be doing her job so it wasn't like it was a big deal. Then again she was also aware that Martha was a stubborn and scarily independent woman. Often reminding herself of her own tendencies but that also meant she could see through them easily.

"Only sometimes, dear. It is nothing I can't take care of. It was by my own foolishness after all", Martha laughed out. "Sometimes I tend to forget I am not as strong as I used to be and I carry a lot more than I should. I twisted it a bit stepping into the hole on my way home from the market." Kaylee's face shifted into a frown as the frown deepened on the face of the man across from her. Feeling the sudden tension in the air Martha was quick to add, "I am telling you it is nothing" but it would seem that the Moray knew Martha about as well as Kaylee knew her, maybe even more since he was quick to counter with, "And I told you to tell me what you need so it can be brought to you, before you kill yourself",

Kaylee could sympathize with his concern, Kay worried about Martha as well. Especially since she lived alone taking care of a young child everything was a bit more difficult on her. It's why Kaylee liked to help out any way she could. It's also why she made the call not to charge Martha for her services long ago. It was something she decided on a few occasions when she knew the recipient was deserving, she could afford to pay the tab of a few loyal customers but not for everyone. Which is why it wasn't really known that she offered freebies like that. "I can handle myself. The day I cannot bring a basket or two from the market is the day I'll allow you to bury me". Martha stubbornly quipped back at the man earning her a groan from the man as he rubbed his temples.

Yes, her stubbornness could be infuriating, she had been on the receiving end of that quite a few times but luckily she was Martha's doctor so she usually had a little more leverage and could leave knowing Martha would obey her orders. "You are giving me a headache Martha", he mumbled back and gestured towards Kaylee. "Let her have a look". Kay raised her eyebrows in surprise at the fact that he even was suggesting her as an option. Considering how unwilling he was to talk to her before and the countless times he didn't take her seriously, despite him having personal experience with her knowledge of medicine.

The two bickered some more as Kaylee continued to watch them in silence, never really having the opportunity to speak up and say her piece. So she let them carry on while drinking the tea Martha had been so kind as to prepare for her. "Don't you Martha me", she was quick to interrupt with a defiant spark in her eyes. "The doctor has already been through a lot for one night. She should instead take some time to relax. We bothered her enough." This time it was Kaylee's turn to have her frown deepen, Martha just didn't get it sometimes but before she could respond the Moray spoke up gesturing to her.

"Well then!", he said with a smirk, "Good thing she doesn't mind the bother. Being folk's doctor and all". Kaylee's gaze flashed to him as she sent him a strong glare in his direction. He didn't dare speak to her before but now it would seem the man suddenly knew her so well as to speak for her too? What nerve. She thought to herself before turning to face Martha, placing her cup on the table. "Good thing she has a doctor that can speak for herself." She fired back sharply without taking her gaze from Martha. "But he's right, I'll be taking a look at that ankle of yours if you don't mind," Kaylee said as she got up from her seat, but before crossing over to where Martha was a grin formed on her lips as she turned to the man.

"And since you're so full of bright ideas and seem to clearly be in the helping mood, make yourself useful and take this cup of tea to Chelsea while I attend to Martha here. The tea should've cooled down enough for her to be able to drink in comfort. If you'd please." She said as she pushed the cup of tea towards him. And without waiting for his response she turned to Martha and held out her arm for her to grab ahold of. "Let's head over to your couch, I think it would be more comfortable for you." And with that, she lead the woman over to her couch. Kaylee knelt beside her and began to take off the woman's slipper and began to tend to her ankle.

It was bruised blue and purple and quite swollen at the look of it. Kaylee tenderly touched around the ankle to make sure that nothing was broken all while asking Martha about the pain with each touch. It didn't look good if Kaylee was being honest. Martha could probably tell from her facial expression that Kaylee did not like what she was seeing. "You'll need to soak this foot in special salt water at least once a day to relax the muscle. I'll bring over some tomorrow." Kaylee mutter as she continued to observe her ankle. "I also want you to stay off of it as much as you can."

Before Martha could even protest Kaylee held up her hand dismissing her, "I know you're busy and all, but I'm not going to budge on this one. You need to rest Martha. I mean that. You keep walking on this thing and you will do more damage and I promise you it won't be good. Don't make my job hard please, just listen to me on this one." She said as she gave the woman a soft smile. "Also alternate between icing your ankle and heating it up. A warm rag and placing a bag of ice will do. Make sure the ankle's elevated when you do. I'm sure Chelsea can help you with this." Kaylee nodded as she slid Martha's slipper back on her foot before grabbing a notepad and pen from her pocket and jotting down some things she needed to remember. "I'll also be bringing some medicine for the pain tomorrow....and maybe an extra gift if you're good." She said with a smirk playing on her lips before jotting some more things down on her paper.

(ooc: I left it open somewhat so that you can add in Martha's dialogue responses and also that Hagen can come back into the fold if you want. Also, we can start wrapping up since Kay is pretty much finished here and I can't think of anything more to do really. Unless you have something. :D )


 
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The doctor’s reaction to the callout was rather amusing, and Moray held her gaze, still with a light smirk. "Good thing she has a doctor that can speak for herself." That she could. Moray’s eyebrows curved upwards in a silent “You don’t say?” as the woman got up from her seat. "But he's right, I'll be taking a look at that ankle of yours if you don't mind," It was most likely the very first thing both of them agreed on since the beginning of the evening. As far as Martha could tell. Perplexed about their passive-aggressive bicker, the old woman squinted at one and then the other, quickly at loss of arguments against the suggestion. Instead of rejecting the doctor, Martha let out a defeated sigh and nodded lightly. “Well now, if you must”, she smirked at the young woman. Besides, agreeing to it was the least she could do for them amusing her so.

"And since you're so full of bright ideas and seem to clearly be in the helping mood”, the doctor spoke up before she made her way to Martha. "Make yourself useful and take this cup of tea to Chelsea while I attend to Martha here.” For a single moment there, Moray felt a slight discomfort. None spoke to him like that and he wasn’t quite certain whether he appreciated her lack of pardon or not. It was the lack of calculation in her behavior that he did not expect. He did not necessarily hate it, however. And he hated that he didn’t. Then again, Martha would be quick to launch that attitude out of his head if he was to act out in the first place. Fine. He was something he did not mind doing in the first place. "The tea should've cooled down enough for her to be able to drink in comfort. If you'd please."

From where he was sitting comfortably, he looked at the pushed cup and then at the woman again, his bright green eyes following her briefly, before he broke it off and sat up with a groan, gently moving the cat aside as he stood up, carefully lifting the cup. Already long into her nap, the cat stretched lazily and curled back up in the middle of the chair, taking advantage of the body heat the large man left behind. "As you wish, Your Majesty”, Moray mumbled sarcastically and headed to the girl’s room as the woman attended to Martha.

Being left alone with the doctor, Martha exhaled, easing on the resistance. Still, she could not help but feel ashamed of her own weakness. All that over a simple twist of her foot. Now that she was allowed to admit it, she herself noticed how painful and bruised it really was. She carefully listened to young woman’s advice and nodded lightly, and even so, she had opened her mouth to say how unnecessary all the fuss was, but as if she knew so already, the young woman was quick to cut it short. "I know you're busy and all, but I'm not going to budge on this one. You need to rest Martha. I mean that. You keep walking on this thing and you will do more damage and I promise you it won't be good. Don't make my job hard please, just listen to me on this one." Martha spared her a scolding glare, but the doctor hardly took a note of it, or she simply chose to outplay it. It was a rather familiar tactics she simply chuckled and shook her head at. “Yes, lovely. I will do my best to oblige”, she finally gave in with a shrug. Now that Chelsea was fine, she would be able to allow herself some rest. Some of it.

***

“Nice try, Hags”, the girl chuckled weakly at Moray’s comical attempt to sneak up on her. "You are still not quiet enough.”

“Well now you’re just showing off”, the Moray responded with a scoff. Amused by it, the girl crawled out from the covers and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes lazily. "You do seem smaller however. It’s something”, she mocked him, sticking her tongue out briefly.

“Hey now”, the man sounded stern, but was not able to cover for the smirk that quickly stretched out into a charming smile. "I come in peace, young lady. No need to hurt my feelings. At least acknowledge my gift first”, he said as he placed the cup of tea on the small stand next to her bed. "Funny. You know I hate tea”, Chelsea grimaced at the herbal smell. "Better luck next time!”, she teased, covering her head and rolling sideways, turning her back to him as a sign of protest.

“It was a fair shot”, Moray shrugged and sighed before lowering himself to sit on the bed next to the small covered figure, leaning his back against the simple headboard. "But I also do know how much you hate having to stay in bed, drinking medicine. And if you drink the tea now, I will bring you some real candy tomorrow.” After a brief moment of thinking, Chelsea sounded under the sheets. "Orange flavored?”

“Any flavors you want. I can get you few of each”, he chuckled as she peeked from under the cover and soon after sat back up with her pinky finger extended in a secretive manner. "Pinky promise?” she whispered, and Hagen carefully wrapped his own large pinky around hers. "Pinky promise.”

“Tomorrow?”

“You got it.”

Playing at her sweet tooth always seemed to be working. Chelsea hesitated a moment before she nodded and extended her arms towards the cup, still unable to hide the grimace. "Okay. I am ready”, she stated and Hagen carefully handed her a cup of tea with a grin.

"Bottoms up.”


It didn’t take too long for a tired child to give in to sleep once she laid her head on Hagen’s lap. Snuggling against him, she held on to the small talk briefly, before the soothing effect of tea kicked in. It was quite the feat for Moray to slip away after Chelsea occupied his side, and he waited for a bit in silence, until he made sure that his movement would not disrupt her rest. Tucking her in, he slowly picked up an empty cup and sneaked out of the room, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible.

***

He couldn’t tell exactly how long he’s been in there, but it might have been some time considering Martha was all set and resting once he had returned. "Mission accomplished”, he said flipping the cup to show it was empty before he went on quickly picking up the rest of the cups for a cleanup.

"I'll also be bringing some medicine for the pain tomorrow....and maybe an extra gift if you're good." The doctor concluded, putting her notes away. The thought of him just now using pretty much the same tactics on Chelsea made Moray smirk discreetly as he quickly rolled sleeves of his shirt and washed the cups in the small sink, liberating Martha from the last job she may have that night.

“Thank you”, Martha nodded with a tired smirk. "Both of you”.

“Make sure you take care of yourself. No thank you needed”, he responded calmly without interrupting his brief chore. “I will be sending someone over tomorrow to keep an eye on you.” Even though she nodded somewhat absent-minded, Martha seemed a bit put down by his statement. No question about it, she was endlessly grateful that years after he would still go through the bother, but from time to time, she found herself wishing that sending someone over did not mean he would be disappearing himself. With time, she made peace with how he handled the challenges of life presented to him, though she was far away from happy about it. With time, she had also learned to trust him to come back home.

“Hagen, dear?” Martha called out to him in a warm, motherly tone, and the man turned his head enough to be able to notice her in his peripheral vision over his shoulder as he stacked now dried cups. As usual, he did not respond to it with words. Such tone she referred him with was often met with a frown, but also an acceptance when they were alone. Perhaps the young doctor gained more of Martha’s trust than he’d like to believe. Even so, Martha was aware of him acknowledging in and she smiled, looking back at the young woman with a nod. "Be a darling and see this lovely lady home, will you?”

And what choice did he really have?

“Whenever she is ready”, the man said to Martha’s delight, as he turned to march back into the living room area, fixing his sleeves back down once the job was done. Perhaps, miraculously, he was indeed in a helping mood.


@Princess Misaou
 

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Kaylee continued to jot down notes on her diagnosis on her notepad. She had learned a long time ago that simply relying on her memory wasn't a good idea. So if she really wanted to be intentional with her patients and give them the best care she could possibly give, she would need to take notes. That wasn't a problem for her though because she had always been good at taking detailed notes. Well, maybe not always but it was a skill she had picked up quite early and has stuck, thankfully.

The doctor tapped her writing utensil against her lips lightly as she thought back to what she had promised Martha. This special gift of hers. She was thinking of giving Martha a cane, a custom one, for now, to help her ease the pressure off that bad ankle. She knew Martha wouldn't be too thrilled at that thought but it was common knowledge that the older one gets the slower the body heals and whether she wanted to admit that or not this isn't the first time that Martha was in a situation like this and Kaylee didn't know if it would be the last. She wanted to be able to give something to Martha that would help her in the long run regardless. Which means it would have to be one that was good. She knew tinkerer that owed her a favor. Even though it was late she knew he'd be up so she would need to call in that favor tonight when she got home.

Footsteps drawing close to them drew her from her thoughts as she glanced over to see the Moray returning from his task. "Mission accomplished,” he said with a confident smirk as he flipped over the teacup to prove that Chelsea really did drink the tea. Good, Kaylee knew she didn't like drinking that particular beverage but if it was good for her then so be it. She'd play the bad guy temporarily if it meant she'd feel better in the long run. Kaylee glanced back to Martha as she spoke, “Thank you”, Martha nodded with a tired smirk. "Both of you”. Kaylee opened her mouth to reply but the Moray seemed faster, “Make sure you take care of yourself. No thank you needed”, he said, his voice was now coming from a different area of the house. She glanced back and saw he was in the kitchen washing the dishes which came as a surprise to Kaylee but perhaps there was more to this brute than she originally thought.

Turning back to Martha, Kaylee nodded, "Yes, what he said, no need to thank us." she said with a soft smile before the Moray continued, “I will be sending someone over tomorrow to keep an eye on you.” Martha's facial expression shifted at that moment. She didn't seem too pleased by that statement and Kaylee assumed it was because she didn't want to be treated as a child, it was understandable. Again Martha's independence was possibly stronger than her own. “Hagen, dear?” Martha called out her tone much softer than usual and Kaylee's eyes widened a bit as her gaze flickered over to the Moray, now apparently known as Hagen. Now that was much better than Moray for sure. Easier on the tongue as well. "Be a darling and see this lovely lady home, will you?” Martha asked Hagen while looking at her.

Kaylee shook her head and once again opened her mouth to reply but the look Martha gave her let her know there would be no arguing on this one so Kaylee just closed her mouth and went with it. It was probably better for her this way because she'd rather not have a full blown argument with Martha. Not when Martha was already tired, not to mention Kaylee didn't like losing arguments so she'd save herself from this one. “Whenever she is ready”, Hagen replied as he walked back in the room, fixing his sleeves on his shirt. Kaylee's piercing blue eyes tried to get a read on this man to no avail. He was a strange one that was for sure. One moment he wasn't interested her in the slightest, the next thing she knows he's saving her from sure danger, then back to ignoring her, to willingly helping her. She couldn't understand the shifts nor did she think she wanted to. At least not at this moment. Kaylee moved to grab the rest of her things before turning back to Martha. "I'll see you tomorrow, get some rest okay?"

When they had all sad their goodbyes Hagen and Kaylee left the house and a soft sigh escaped Kaylee's lips. As the walked the dimly lit streets she spoke without really looking at him. "So...Hagen huh?" she said with a slight smirk, she knew he didn't give her his name for a reason but it was still a sweet feeling to know it now. Like she had figured out some super secret or something.

@Ritual Lobotomy

(ooc: I'll leave this how it is. You can wrap up the thread with your post or have me write one more, up to you. If you choose to finish it off you can time skip to when he drops her off at her house. Oh and I'll be adding colors to dialogue now since the new Iwaku update has the white bold text hurting my eyes.)



 
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