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[godofdust]

You've reached Guizhong! I'm probably busy, so leave me a message, won't you?

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[forkeroni]

[Boothill didn't exactly set a time limit, he never meant for her to never be upset or fuss. He just wasn't sure he could handle it right then but right now... She could fuss all she wanted.

He didn't answer right away. He had to think about what happened which brought on the emotions all over again, his fingers tightening in her dress.]

We was explorin' that abandoned mansion on the outskirts of the Autumn segment. Everythin' was goin' fine til we got to some room full o' dismembered body parts. Some kinda experiment place, I reckon. Turnin' people into clocks? I don't even forkin' know...we never got a chance to find out.

Monsters appeared and we was trapped in the basement. Strong monsters, the kind that require more an' one person to defeat, each. We tried to escape, get the hell outta dodge but...

[His metal frame shuddered again and he had to refrain from squeezing any tighter.]

Castorice tried her best ta stall, Tribbie an' were blastin' at the ceiling because no matter how many walls we went through, there was no end to the fudgin' basement. One o' the monsters tried grabbin' Tribbie, but got my arm instead. I tried to keep 'em all away from her, but once Castorice went down...

[His voice cut off out and he shook his head against her stomach.]

I just barely got outta there alive, Phainon got through the ceilin'. Got me out but the girls...they was already gone. I tried. I tried, Guizhong an' I still couldn't make it. I couldn't make it again. An' I got no one t'blame but myself.

[godofdust]

[It sounds horrific. She hates that he had to go through it - that any of them had to go through it - but these explorations... she knows that none of them come without risk.

And that sometimes, they just go very badly.

She keeps stroking his hair while he's talking, letting him find what comfort he can hiding against her and refraining from pointing out that he could hold her far tighter than he thinks he can.]

What do you need from me right now, love?

[forkeroni]

[This is only his second exploration and while his last one did not go swimmingly either, no one died. Boothill largely participated in quests and other odd jobs.

But, still, he knew things like this could happen, but no one actually expected it. And, unknown to him right now, it was largely because Aventurine pressed a big red button.]

I don't know, darlin'.

[He didn't have anyone to comfort him previously. So, he didn't know what to ask for.]

Just... Jus' stay with me.

[godofdust]

Of course...

[And she knows it means a lot more than simply being present. She curls her arms around his shoulders and hugs him close, leaning down to carefully kiss the top of his head.]

Though, I do need to clean up... you're quite welcome to come and sit with me.

[It isn't as if she has any embarrassment about being naked around him, after all.]

[forkeroni]

[He did tell her she could wash up earlier, so he wasn't surprised by that. He nodded and finally let her go.]

I'll join you in a minute.

[Boothill wasn't the type to get all that bashful either. He stood up to do some more movement tests with his arm. He didn't doubt her work, it was just habit.

Eventually, he unhooked the charging cable and entered the bathroom and undressed. He set the cropped jacket and pants and holster in a neat pile to the side. He wasn't going to join her in the tub itself, but he did need to clean the blood off himself. The synthetic blood was fairly harmless, but it wasn't good to leave it on the metal for too long.]

[godofdust]

[While he's checking himself over, she takes a hot shower for the sake of not sitting in water with a film of synthetic blood and hydraulic fluid residue on the top. After that, though, she does run a bath.

Leaning over someone's mangled shoulder for several hours would leave anyone sore, and she's no different.

She bundles her hair up into a high bun and sinks herself into the water just as she hears the door open, and she rolls her head towards the sound as she drapes an arm out of the side of the tub and makes a little grabby motion with her fingers.]

Darling.

[forkeroni]

[Boothill let out an amused snort. Even as his emotions ran wild, she always had a way to turn that around.

He sat himself down next to the tub, taking her hand into his to tangle their fingers together. He leaned against the porcelain, matted hair sliding over his shoulder. He didn't want to dirty up the water just yet, seeing as she clearly just sat in to relax after washing herself off.

The bun was adorable and he reached over to pull a stray from her cheek.]

Don't sit in there too long, you'll shrivel up like a raisin.

[godofdust]

Oh no~

[Lightly sing-song. She smiles a bit, tilting her head just so she can watch him.]

Would you still love me if I was a raisin?

[forkeroni]

What kinda silly question is that? O' course I would.

[Boothill chuckled quietly, although it was subdued. It wasn't so easy to be his usual self right now, but being with Guizhong made it just a little easier. ]

Would ya still love me even if I wasn't a cyborg? Just a plain ol' cowboy?

[godofdust]

Hmm~

[She sinks down a little into the water, wiggling his hand bit as she holds it.]

What if why I like you isn't because you're a cyborg at all? Or because you're a cowboy.

[Peek.]

[forkeroni]

Well, now...

[He leaned over the tub, hair sliding off his shoulders to land in the water. Some of the blue synthetic was coming off as he leaned further to tilt her head up so he could give her a light kiss.]

And here I thought ya liked my body.

[godofdust]

Heehee...

[She giggles softly and cups his cheeks, kissing him again.]

Every inch of it. [But still, she stands by what she said, and she glances down to where a fine oily sheen is seeping off his hair into the water.]

And I suppose it is your turn.

[forkeroni]

Huh?

[He looked down and saw the same, tsk'ing lightly and pulling his hair out.]

You can relax for a li'l while longer, darlin'. I can wait.

[She did so much for him, especially when asking her for nearly the impossible when it came to asking her not to be upset with him. It was a tall order, he knew.]

[godofdust]

You don't get to fuss over me with all you've been through today, my Ká ił’tee~ [She teases him playfully, the foreign sounds of his name pronounced with deliberate care as she pokes a fingertip softly against his cheek.]

And the sooner you're cleaned up too the sooner I can let you into my bed. I think that outcome is quite positive for the both of us.

[forkeroni]

Gk! Grr... [This time, there was a growl. But it was more annoyed than angry and Boothill pursed his lips. It wasn't that she wasn't allowed to use his name, and he knew it was just her way of caring but...] That ain't m'name, madam.

[The biggest pout if there ever was one, but he really had no rebuke either. And, she was right. Laying in bed with her did sound like a definite positive after what happened today. He still wasn't fully charged, but his brain certainly needed the rest now. So, with a growling sigh, he relented.]

Fine, fine, you win. [He sat back, figuring she wanted to get out of the tub first before he would use the bathwater to rinse his hair out. No use in wasting it.]

[godofdust]

[Her laugh as he growls at her is nothing short of delighted and she watches him fondly while he moves back.

Then, with no warning or preamble, she simply... stands up. And then stands there, her skin rosy with the heat and beads of water rolling down her stomach and thighs and lingering on the curve of her breasts.

She smiles, cheekily.]

Let me know when you have had your fill of looking. Then be so kind as to hand me a towel.

[forkeroni]

[She was a gods damned menace. But, Boothill was not hiding his wandering eyes, either. He even looked amused as he shook his head and reached for the towel on the rack right next to the shower. He handed it to her without actually moving from his position.

It was a nice vantage point.]

[godofdust]

[Let a woman use what wiles she has to distract a troubled mind. She laughs lightly as she steps out and wraps the towel around herself, then perches on the edge of the bath.]

All right, let's see about this mess you're in.

[At least the water is still hot.]

I dare say I've seen quite enough of your blood today.

[forkeroni]

[He wasn't that he couldn't go into water, but washing metal wasn't a great idea and making sure every nook and cranny didn't rust was a pain. Besides the Penacony water, anyway but that was designed with inorganic matter in mind like Intellitrons. So, he simply grabbed a wash cloth to soak in the water. He wrung it out and started with wiping off the biggest mess on his side.]

You an' me, both. I've been the unluckiest fudgin' Ranger, it seems, when it comes these explorations.

[He may not have died, which was worse, but losing his arm twice? When was the last time that happened back home?]

[godofdust]

[Guizhong sighs a bit, shifts to secure the towel more firmly around her body, then reaches over to take the cloth from his hands.]

Sit.

[She does have a way of making that request that makes it clear it isn't a request. Every groove and dip in his torso gets meticulously cleaned off and then dried as she works her way over it, slowly turning the water in the bath blue.]

Exploring any of the abandoned places in this world can go wrong very quickly. [Her voice is thoughtful, then.] You'll be better prepared next time.

[forkeroni]

Yes ma'am.

[Boothill didn't argue with Guizhong, too exhausted to do so, really. He just let her take the washcloth and make sure he arms were in way. He sat still.]

How exactly do I prepare to not have monsters yank my arm off?

[Because it's happened twice now, so shame on him. Boothill was quicker than that, but this had been a group of high ranked monsters. He was lucky he didn't bite the bullet.

...no pun intended. Maybe.]

Maybe I just ain't cut out for this explorin' nonsense.

[godofdust]

[She gives him a bit of a look when he says that, then shakes her head and sighs at him. The synthetic blood seems to be everywhere, or at least in the most annoying places to get at, and she huffs and puffs a little as she works her fingers carefully into the plating of his chest to clean it out.]

I would say that you are. Anyone else would have been killed, but not you.

[Sigh. Guizhong pats his cheek gently and then gives him a kiss.]

You've been very brave, my love.

[forkeroni]

[Sorry for the mess.

He keeps himself relaxed so she can get under those chest plates. Boothill didn't exactly look convinced by her words, the kiss didn't make it any more convincing either.]

Bravery had nothin' to do with it. Just one lucky son of a nice lady who couldn't save a little girl again.

[He knew Tribbie's appearance belied her real age. But, he just couldn't see past her actual appearance. She reminded him too much of Clementine.

He sighed again, taking Guizhong by the wrist and pulling her close again, into his lap. The blood can wait for now.]

'Venturine's gone, too. Castorice was the first to fall.

[He held her tight.]

Can' even cry for 'em. Just gotta sit an' wait for them to come back in the floweryard.

[godofdust]

[She lets out a little noise when he pulls her in, as if startled, but doesn't resist. Her brow furrows, her arms wrapping around him and one hand threading into his hair.]

What can I do?

[What can she do, except be here?]

[forkeroni]

[He knew this wasn't the best place to do this, naked on the bathroom floor. Boothill really didn't know how to deal with this, especially with the concept of the dead returning. It made him jealous. He was jealous of a lot of things, in fact. But, this was perhaps the biggest one. A seemingly dying world where people didn't stay dead.

He curled up around Guizhong, long legs keeping her pressed close to him as he kept his arms around her.]

Don't go no where. I ain't no lone ranger no more, not with you, not with 'Venturine... so, don't go no where.

[Where could she go, besides home, where she was already dead? Boothill wasn't looking forward to that day. He knew to cherish what he had while he had it. He held her tighter, metal digits gently carressing her skin, still slightly damp from the bath and steam.

He buried his face into her warm, damp neck, committing her scent to memory, the feel her skin and the sound of her voice.]