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Post by Lizzie on May 26, 2014 21:08:53 GMT
Dominic took his hair gently into his hands, guiding the younger man's head back onto the rest against the sink with a long slender fingers pressed to the underside of his chin as the other hand held his long dark locks. He smiled to himself as he carefully wet the long hair under the stream of the water, letting the more bloodied spots soak in the rising water. "Cut it off? You haven't dealt with as many spiritual men and women as I have. even if one side of your head had quite the accident during a regular shave" Dominic teased, even if he'd known many spiritual men who did the same. "You can never know the kind of person you will find or their gods they worship and customs they follow. If it had been a hazard to your health I would have cut it off and your honor be damned, but I don't dishonor any man or woman where they are unable to give me permission to do so unless it is life and death."
Gently he took the nozzle that set by the sink and used it to wet the roots and the hair that could not reach completely into the sink or near the faucet. Carefully he worked slender fingers through the knots, loosening them as carefully as he could. "You are't tender headed are you, my friend? I've seen grown men cry when their hair is pulled but take a slice of a blade without the batting of an eye. And are you allergic to any herbs?" He asked. He supposed he shouldn't be too concerned with the delicateness of the other's scalp after the beating he'd taken but...well, it was a polite thing to do and Jaime didn't need any other discomfort.
"You have a little brother? How old?" He finally asked, smiling to himself as he remembered his own little brother with the little bit of fondness he had left for family. "Or should I say how old are you?"
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Post by Shea on May 26, 2014 21:22:43 GMT
Jaime supposed he shouldn't be that surprised that Dominic suspected the long hair meant something more than aesthetics. His fellow hunters often gave him shit for keeping it so long, especially with as much as he left it down. And it did get in the way. But every inch it grew, another month passed from Macken's death, and the pain that left dulled. Seeing how far he'd come, from the night he'd shave every bit of it off, tears streaming down his bruised and bloodied face, was physical proof, and it was more grounding than any thought ever was to him.
Blinking open bright blue eyes, not really sure when he's let them fall closed, Jaime looked up and Dominic as best he could. "You're fine," he said, voice soft. Dominic didn't need to know what affect it'd have on Jaime to have his hair pulled. "And I'm not allergic to anything. One perk being a hunter has. Natural immunity. To most things. For human standards, anyway." He smiled a little, eyes falling closed again.
He was suddenly exhausted; the steady sound of running water, and slim fingers running through his hair, made the world seem sluggish. "Maybe little brother isn't quite the word. Younger. He's... 20, this year." Truly, he hadn't seen Mace since Macken had died. His hot-headed, bitter baby brother had slammed the door in his face when he'd refused to tell him how Macken had died, or where the body was buried. He couldn't tell him what was really out there; what he and his lover really were. Or that there was no body left to burn or bury. "And my birthday was..." he paused, thinking back. "Two days ago, now. I turned 28."
He was getting old, for a hunter. And the realization wasn't lost on him. One day he wouldn't be as quick; wouldn't be as clever. And one day a healer wouldn't happen to be around. And that would be it for him.
Ignoring those thoughts, he looked back to the healer. "And how old are you, Dominic? First or second century?"
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Post by Lizzie on May 26, 2014 22:15:05 GMT
He listened to him talk, carefully working the knots loose and watching as the water turned darker shades of pink from the blood that washed free of the strands of long dark hair. "You're hair is beautiful, and that is not a compliment I often give to a man. I'll braid it for you after the bath so it doesn't tangle too much in your sleep or you don't get anything in it." The healer offered, brushing his hands over the man's forhead, blocking the spray from hitting his face.
Watching him like this where his eyes were closed out of comfort and not due to the coma he'd fallen into, Dominic had to admit he was a beautiful man. He didn't often care to say he had tastes that went one way or the other when it came to gender or race, or even species so it was no trouble to admit to himself that his patient was handsome and beautiful. He imagined it must be a sight to watch the hunter fight when he was at top form.
As Jaime continued to speak he found himself drawn back to the other's words and he smiled again. they were both so young, though for a hunter he did suppose 28 was aged. He was, however, quite surprised when he mentioned a birthday.
"Oh? Well, I suppose we'll have to bake you a cake or make you some pudding and a nice dinner when you think you'll be able to keep it down. I can't say I can offer a gift other than; Surprise, you're not dead. Happy birthday." The healer chuckled. Admittedly, being a hermit and a healer didn't do much for earning cash. He grew or bartered for most of what he had and the little currency he did have in a month was just enough to get the supplies he needed from town. Being a healer didn't pay much, not that he ever asked for a dime for what he did. Money would take away the little goodness from the things he did, he thought.
He had to smile at the other question and let out a weary sigh. "I'm...quite old. First century. I look quite good for my age, I like to think. Even if the gray is finally setting in." Dominic chuckled, lathering up jamie's hair with sweet, herby smelling spriggan sap shampoo that would further clean away the blood and restore any of the damage done to the thick dark locks.
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Post by Shea on May 26, 2014 22:32:10 GMT
Jaime had to laugh, though lightly, as his chest started to ache the more he spoke. Macken used to tell him he had the hair and face of a woman, if not the build. Years of training and physical activity got rid of any curves that might have made him even more feminine than some considered him to already be. "Washing my hair, now braiding it? I'm starting to think I'm on a nice vacation rather than coming back from near-dead," he teased.
Jaime found himself liking the healer the more he spoke to him. It wasn't rare to meet a good non-human, but it was always nice, when he spent his time LOOKING for the evil ones. And he had to think any hunter would prefer to find themselves in caring hands rather than bloody ones.
"Oh, at this point, being alive is the best present someone like me could ask for. I've got too much to do and not enough time as it is to be dying quite yet," he made a soft noise, already feeling cleaner with the blood and gore out of his hair.
"First century is rather older for a healer," Jaime said, more to himself. But he left unspoken it was old for someone who was, and had always been, a pure healer. The antihealers aged much more slowly, from his experience. "But I wouldn't say you look it," he added, trying for a lighter conversation. Again, he left some of his thoughts out. But those were that the grey in his hair made him look rather dashing, especially leaning over him like this.
He must have hit his head harder than they both thought, if Jaime found himself thinking such things already. He'd met plenty of attractive men in his life, though aside from Markus and Macken and another nameless hunter from his youth, he'd never much thought of it and acted on it.
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Post by Lizzie on May 26, 2014 23:56:49 GMT
His lips pulled into a sideawys smile, his laughs coming off more like soundless breaths through his nose as he continued to wash the other's hair. "A vacation? I don't think this is much of a vacation. Wouldn't you want to go to some place more tropical than have an old man washing your hair and wheeling you through a dusty old house."
Setting to washing the shampoo from his hair, Dominic could almost hear his companions unspoken thoughts. "Hmm yes, I've lived a very long time. But, I'm sure you can gather it wasn't always spent out here." He didn't want to outright say the horrors he'd committed before, but he felt it distrustful to completely keep the words to himself. "But peaceful life in the middle of nowhere is fitting for me. It did teach me to cook for myself. A cake will certainly be a challenge, however. I can't remember the last time I baked one of those. I warn you it might taste different than you're used to."
he gently guided Jaime's head up from the sink, taking a towel to the hair that he pulled from an overhanging cabinet. He couldn't get it completely dry with a towel but, considering it would only get wet further soon, he didn't bother and set to braiding the mass of dark hair. "Vacation or no. Perhaps you need one. Not that many hunters ever listen, but be more careful once you leave here..."
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Post by Shea on May 27, 2014 0:08:46 GMT
The fact Dominic didn't outright deny delving into darker magic set Jaime even more at ease, oddly enough. But, he reasoned, if the man had truly forsaken those dark arts, he wouldn't have a need to try and hide anything. If he'd truly given up that power, then he must regret ever using it. And right then, that was good enough for Jaime. He wasn't going to condone a man that had resigned his ways and was doing what he could to make up for it. Or, at the least, letting the world heal the harm he'd done.
"Honestly, I doubt my stomach could handle something sweet like cake right now anyway. And when a hunter gets my age, they tend to want to ignore birthdays, not celebrate them. Like I said, I'm just happy to be alive." Dominic braiding his hair felt nearly as good as washing it had, and Jaime found himself again starting to doze off, remembering when Macken would do this when they'd finally gotten back to a shoddy hotel room in the middle of the night, after a scalding shower and even hotter sex.
Biting his lip, to stop the thoughts and snap him out of the half-doze he'd fallen into, Jaime caught the tail end of Dominic's words. "What's the line? Ain't no rest for the wicked? If I take a vacation, who knows who will get hurt while I'm gone." Looking the healer, again he felt the envy of living a quiet life alone. "You must have met hunters. You know we do this until we meet something we can't beat. And I don't know when my time is going to be up. I won't waste any of it, not if I can help it."
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Post by Lizzie on May 28, 2014 7:50:22 GMT
Dominic tried to imagine him eating a cake right now and that just brought a funny image to his mind.He chuckled and tied up the end of the long dark braid with a small strip of leather. "I'm a healer, Jaime. I'm certain your stmach couldn't handle cake at this moment...but when it can I will make you a cake and a nice dinner." With grace he laid the braid down over the other's shoulder and chest, smiling into the handsome, tan face that looked back up at him. "The lack of rest you hunters take is exactly why it's good to celebrate birthdays when they come because it's proof you've lived another year full of saving lives."
He guided the chair to a tub, turning the water own, checking the temperature before letting it set to fill the tub with warm water. "But I think you should think of the number of lives you could save if you lived longer, too. Which is exactly why I won't let you out of my sight until I'm sure you're completely healed." Dominic smiled a smile that turned somewhat smug as it trailed off. "Not that you could find your way back if you tried. I'm almost as skilled with wards and camouflage magic as I am with the healing arts."
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Post by Shea on May 29, 2014 0:43:15 GMT
Jaime was going to fight the offer of a cake and dinner more. He really didn't need charity, or anything like that. The fact that Dominic had gone out of his way and saved him was just about all of it that the hunter could take. He wasn't used to it, and he wasn't comfortable with it. He'd gone so long on his own, before Macken, and then after him, that having another even look after him, if only until he healed, pulled an uncomfortable frown across his lips.
But instead he focused on the sound of running water, glad that he'd soon be clean again. "I'll remember that when I come back with a thank you for saving me," he murmured, a little distracted. It was the first time he realized he was wearing nothing but a long shirt. He wondered what happened to his clothes; if they'd been salvageable. Especially his boots. They were expensive, and he'd been given them as a gift from Macken.
"But maybe I'll take your thoughts on vacations in consideration. Though to be fair, the reason we die young is because only the young are good enough to kill most of the non-humans out there. We die young because when we start to get older and slip, we lose. Some young human will take my place when I'm gone," he said, and then cast him a smile. "But enough about that. How are we going to do this? Because I cannot remember the last time I was so desperate for a bath, and I will drag myself into it if I have to."
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Post by Lizzie on May 29, 2014 10:54:32 GMT
Dominic thought of retorting that he should retire then...but he knew hunters. Don't get him wrong, Dominic understood the work they did, why they did it and respected them. He was the healer of the helpless and they were the protectors. It just pained him to see so many good lives lost. How long would it be before Jaime lost his? Would he even get to see him again after he was healed and on his way?
He didn't like thinking about it. Death was something he didn't enjoy the thought of for others. Letting out a low sigh and letting a smile pule at his lips, he placed his hands on his narrow hips. "Well, the only way to go about this is to help brace you and lift you a bit." Even with that, he knew it would hurt him, most likely a great deal but he felt he could spare a little more magic for his sake.
"I'll use a little magic to make you unable to feel the pain, you put an arm around me and we'll carefully get you in there, alright?" He asked, waiting for Jaime to approve his plan. Not many hunters liked for you to use magics, even the healing kind, without their consent...not that he hadn't already done so without his consent in the past week. His hands came to the hem of the gown he'd put the hunter in, not waiting for the consent to carefully pull it up and over his head. After all, they both knew he was going to see him bare again, anyhow.
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Post by Shea on May 29, 2014 12:09:20 GMT
Jaime gave a soft nod, doing his best to lift his arms and help the healer divest him of the little clothing he still had. It hurt, but it wasn't unbearable, and he let out a sigh of relief when he could left his arms back down. But the noise of relief turned into one of dismay as he caught sight of his own naked body. It was even more obvious how close to death he'd been. He was littered with bruises and stitches. Once finely toned muscles had deteriorated. He had an even longer road to recovery than he thought.
"Yeah, sounds good," Jaime told Dominic. One thing at a time. And the warm water was calling his name. He left the healer get an arm under him, and help him up. It was a slow process, but thanks to healing magic Dominic was pushing into him, he managed to grit his teeth and bare it.
Though as soon as he was finally in the water, and the healer stopped, every nerve felt like it had caught on fire. He cried out before he could stop himself, knuckles white where his hand grabbed the edge of the tub, and for a moment he feared he'd pass out. But that and the wave of nauseous eventually passed as he sucked in short breaths through his teeth. Reaching up a shaking hand to wipe the sweat that had beaded along his brow from the pain, he let out a wheezing laugh. "That... was by far one of the most unpleasant things I've ever experienced."
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Post by Lizzie on May 29, 2014 17:09:18 GMT
Dominic had known it wouldn't be a pleasant experience for Jaime in the beginning. After all, his wounds weren't completely healed. He only wished that he could have done more, could have made that pain numb completely but it was something he didn't want to chance. If he gave in to doing too much to the hunter at once without sufficient breaks in between...well Dominic might slip back to what he was before. The last thing he wanted was to start using his patient as his new toy or...really anyone.
Instead he did his best to stay by Jaime's side, a hand to the back of his head, or to his shoulder as the man cried out. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more to make that more pleasant. Until you're much better we'll stick to a wet cloth and...not so much warm water." Dominic adjusted the other's braid back over his shoulder once more and rest his forearms against the edge of the rub from where he'd sunk to his knees. It's best if I help bathe you...but would you like a few moments to soak in private? I can get some incense and a few other things I might need to se on you when you're done."
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Post by Shea on May 30, 2014 2:13:29 GMT
Jaime had to admit, even though Dominic was no longer pumping numbing healing magic through him, the hand against his shoulder was grounding. It was something to focus on other than the pain. And, if he were honest with himself, good to feel like someone was actually concerned for him. He knew it wasn't the same as Macken, but it had been a damn long time since someone had. And as much as he chose to life a solitary life, he was still a living, breathing thing, with emotions.
"No," he said, voice rough. "It's fine. I understand. The pain just means I'm not dead. And healing always hurt worse than being hurt, anyhow." He listened with half an ear as he finally got his breathing under control again and the pain receded to a dull throb. "Gotta be honest with you, doc," his voice was teasing, "as much as I wanted a bath, right now I think I'm about to pass out. I'd rather get this over with and lay down again before my body gives out on me."
It might be a little weak to admit it, but Jaime knew his limitations, and he knew he was reaching them. The bath hadn't been a good idea. His entire body ached, and no matter how much he blinked, his vision was oddly fuzzy. "And I think..." he started, and then trailed off. His side was killing him. And was it just his imagination, or was the water starting to go a soft pink? "Do... I have stitches on my back?" he murmured, the fuzziness in his head making everything even more confusing.
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Post by Lizzie on May 30, 2014 2:29:12 GMT
He should have known better. Jaime had been in no state for this yet but it was hard to remember that with the way they had been talking, and as good as the human was at hiding his pain. "Shit...I'm sorry. I should have waited longer before letting you try the bath." Dominic furrowed his brow, touching the back of Jamie's neck with one hand to guide him forward a bit. He was going to have to double his own dose today of the elixer he kept for his 'addiction' but it didn't matter in that moment. He pressed his hands over the torn stitches, using a burst of magic from his hand to close the wound once more, and the soothing hand at the back of his neck dulled the pain with a rush of endorphins to his brain. It took less magic than blocking the other's pain all together.
When he was done, he took a shaky breath, closing his eyes to ground himself. "Are you alright now?" He kept his hand at the back of the other's neck, his thumb rubbing against the damp skin there. His other hand came to grip the edge of the tub. "Are you well enough for me to leave you alone for a few moments?" He asked, jaw clenching as he tried to ignore the temptation that coiled in his belly. "I'll come back with clothes and I'll try to give you a better bath out of the water...."
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Post by Shea on May 30, 2014 2:45:49 GMT
A breath of relief left his lungs, eyes closing in contentment as the soothing magic rushed through him. For the first time since he woke up, he felt fine. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he hadn't been hurt at all. And if he wasn't focused so much on that relief, he'd pay more mind the thumb running soft circles into the back of his neck. Right then, it was just another comfort.
Looking to Dominic, worry suddenly sparked in his gut. "Yeah, that's... That's more than fine. Thank you," he said, suddenly... afraid. He was suddenly very afraid. Dominic had gone pale, and there was a wildness to his eyes that Jaime didn't like. Had he overdone it? From what he heard, the temptation to go dark was always there, and made worse the more healers used their art.
And if Dominic slipped because of JAIME, he didn't think he'd be able to stomach it. "I'll be here when you get back," he said, trying for a smile. "Not like I could go anywhere. Go on, shoo. I'm going to attempt to clean up."
When Dominic left, he did his best to sponge off the grim and blood on his body. It wasn't a proper bath, but it was the best he could manage, as aches and pains started to resurface again. There really wasn't much he could do but rest, right then, much as he was loathe to admit it.
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Post by Lizzie on May 30, 2014 12:11:26 GMT
Dominic hesitated for a few moments, waiting to make sure he was being honest. The last thing he wanted was for his patient to pass out in the pool of warm water and drown while he was away...but he had to go. "I'll be back, Jaime. Don't doze off while I'm away." He stood, brushing down his pants nervously. he could feel the temptation clawing dangerously in his stomach. With a bow of his head, he turned and walked swiftly from the room.
It wasn't until he felt he was out of sight did he move even faster, trying to reach his drawing room where he kept his elixar safely stored from anyone who might thing to plunder through his home. He could feel sweat beading at his brow as he fought of the hunger in his belly and the way his muscles tensed almost painfully from the strain it took to hold every fiber of his being back.
He was frantic as he pushed papers and books aside, not caring for the mess he made before slender fingers closed around a dark vial. He never enjoyed the experience. It was painful and it burned his insides and clamped about the power and darkness within him like an iron maiden. The fact that he had to down two vials left him reeling, almost sobbing as he fell to the floor. Dominic coughed, forcing his body to keep down the vile concoction that was the only buffer between the light and dark at times.
After several painful minutes passed he tried to compose himself and gargled a nearby bottle of mouthwash to hide the stench of his elixar before making his way back down the hall to where his charge would, undoubtedly, still be resting in the tub but not before acquiring fresh bandages and clothes for the man.
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