Saving Soul

Adair sighed as he set down next to her. "Hey Anja. Feeling okay? Do you need anything?"

Anja shook her head slightly. She sighed again.

(have him come back later, I have a plan somewhat)

(just as well. I need Adair away to deal with some things anyway)

"Okay then. Just keep resting then," Adair replied, standing back up. He sighed again as he walked out.

Curtis was studying some stitches in his arm in annoyance when he noticed the redhead walk by. "Hey Adair."

"Yeah?" the Hero asked, pausing and turning around.

"You know about Voltaire's soul, right?" the zombie questioned, walking over to him.

"Yeah," Adair replied. "He's got bad luck. A lot of it."

"Does that bother you?" asked Curtis.

"Not really," Adair answered casually. "It's what you're born with. You can't help that."

"Voltaire seems to think you hate him for it."

Anja drifted off to sleep.

---------------------------------------------

Anja sat up and slowly eased herself off the makeshift bed and onto her feet. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused as she walked out of the cavern and into the tunnel, headed in the direction of the exit.

(She's sleep walking and reliving her second negative encounter with a hero. lol, I sleepwalk really bad. You can have complete conversations with me when I'm out.)

(Really? What do you talk about? lol. My roommate said I talked in my sleep once, but she couldn't understand me. Anyway, this fits with being a changeling. They often do weird things in their sleep, as you know from Voltaire, though he's kinda extreme. Though it hasn't really come up anywhere yet, Adair also sings in his sleep sometimes.)

"Why?" Adair asked. "I never told him I hated him for it. Like I said before, that's not something he has control over."

"Have you told him that you don't hate him for it?" asked Curtis.

Adair began to reply before stopping. Had he ever talked to Voltaire about it? He knew he was going to tell him after he came back from checking on Anja...only he never came back. Voltaire had to come to get him. Then he got angry and went Chiaroscuro on the him, which was mostly the Hunter's fault for trying to trick him, but it was still overkill. He hadn't even gone back later to check on him. And then he and Anja went by themselves through the caves, rejoining Voltaire only for he and Anja to argue with him. And then it was the trip and the separation and the damn pink squirrels and Voltaire getting his foot broke (which he hadn't shown much sympathy for, certainly not much when he gave it a kick during an argument). Then Anja's drop-off, then the tournament, then Anja and the Gales, and now...

"...No I never have," Adair finally answered, looking miserable. No wonder Voltaire thought he hated him, by the way things had been going the past several days. "...That's what his damn problem's been. I'm such an idiot."

"Well, considering how hectic things have been on your end, I suppose I can't entirely-" Curtis began, before pausing and looking over Adair's shoulder. "...Where is she going?"

"Huh?" Adair asked, before looking behind him and seeing Anja. "Anja?"

Anja continued walking past them, rubbing her arms as she went.

(It depends. Usually someone else starts the conversations but I'm kind of a bitch. And I never remember what happened.)

(so if you're bitchy on here I'll assume you're sleep-typing then :P)

"Hey Anja!" Adair called again, running over to her. "Where are you going? You're not fully healed yet."

(I don't sleep type lol. I wish I could.)

Anja looked up at him with her glassy gaze. "I need a bath..." She murmured. "I feel dirty..."

(I know the feeling)

"Bath? Uh..." Adair began, trying to remember if there was a bath area anywhere nearby. He and Voltaire often cleaned themselves off with firebreath, being weak to water beside hot springs. Ava preened and used fire. Raizin cleaned himself in the usual cat manner. Curtis used oils due to his zombie state. He didn't know what Barrett did, if he did anything.

Not that he was sure a bath would be a good idea right now. She looked strangely dazed.

"Yes, a bath" Anja stated, starting off again.

(if he asks why she needs a bath, she'll tell him.)

"I don't know if there are baths here. Curtis, are there baths?" asked Adair. "Why do you need a bath now anyway?" He felt a little stupid for asking afterward. She had been mostly lying around the past few days, and she hadn't gotten any real baths then.

"Because I feel dirty... After he touched me." Anja replied softly. "I tried to say no, but my master said I had to, or we'd get in trouble"

"...Wait, what?" Adair asked, his expression became more serious. "...Anja, what are you talking about?"

Curtis came over, glimpsed at her face, and waved his hand in front of it. "Sleepwalking, or something like it. Her mind's elsewhere."

"I just want a bath" Anja murmured. Her eyes started drifting closed, though she tried to keep them open, and she swayed dangerously on her feet.

"Hey hey easy," Adair answered, trying to steady her. "You can take a bath when you're better."

"But I feel dirty..." Anja mumbled, falling into his arms and back into her regular sleep.

Adair sighed and picked Anja up, carrying her back to her room.

"Not going to help her take a bath?" Curtis asked with a smirk.

"Not while she's like-" Adair began, before he fully grasped the message. "No. I have some decency, you know."

Curtis shrugged. "Just asking."

Adair made no reply, more bothered by Anja's previous sleep-talk than Curtis's teasing.

(if her master ever shows up in this thread he is gonna diiiiiie lol)

(Anja will kill him herself. lol)

Later, when Anja awoke, she had no recollection of the event and just laid, staring at the ceiling.

(not if Adair finds him first :P)

Adair was nearby. He had dozed off and failed to notice her waking up.

Anja rolled onto her side, facing away from him with a small grunt.

Adair still didn't wake up. He started singing softly in his sleep instead.

Anja curled up into a ball with a shiver. She was cold now, and still tired, but she couldn't fall back asleep.

Barrett passed by, carrying supplies. "Hey Adair!"

Adair's singing abruptly halted as he was startled awake, accidentally spitting out some firebreath. "...What?"

"You interested in eating today?" asked Barrett.

"...Maybe later," Adair replied drowsily.

Anja shivered again and curled tighter with a small groan.

Adair's attention immediately went to Anja. "Are you alright?"