The Hand That Feeds (m)

[Draconian]

Slowly Jaiha looked down at her hands, giving them a careful flex and then down at her tail. Part of her didn't miss the blade, a sacrifice for being... As close to free as she was going to get. "I guess if you don't mind," She sighed, knowing that Juras was going to regret this soon. A few days with her and he'll be begging the Arena to buy her back. That's why she ended up there in the first place. "You can trust me," She said in a small voice, "I'll... I'm yours until I pay off what you paid for me."

[DaGlobster]

"Well, if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have bought you," Juras said, and he slid off the couch, sitting down against it so he could be level with Jaiha.

Again, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Jai."

[Draconian]

Shuffling back to make room on the floor for Juras she just stared at him, looked at the couch and then back to him.  "If I was being hard on myself I'd say I deserved to be sold into slavery and that I wasn't worth the effort you've put into buying me," Though her tone was lighthearted, it told the tale of what she was trying desperately not to think. Jaiha took Juras' hand from her shoulder and pressed his palm to her cheek, she rubbed her cheek against it and closed her eyes. "You've given me another chance at life, I won't be hard on myself."

[DaGlobster]

"Well, when you put it like that..."

Juras trailed off when Jaiha put his hand on her cheek and started to rub her cheek with it. Was... Was this kind of affection normal to her? Or was she just so starved for kindness that she ate his up?

Regardless, Juras figured he'd see if it lasted, just to confirm one of his theories.

"There's just one thing I require from you, Jai. When that tail of yours starts growing back, I want the blade to be kept wrapped in cloth around the house. It'll be safe that way. Is that alright?"

[Draconian]

As if noticing him trail off, Jaiha looked at him briefly and then lifted her head and let go of his hand. Right. Her hands went to her lap and she tucked her arms in, curled her tail up farther around herself and tried to take up as little space as possible. "Oh, of course," Jaiha looked down at her tail, the wrapped up end while the wound healed.

"Before I was sold I usually had it wrapped up. Holding it up and away is just... A habit. It's a long tail and the blade is very sharp." Slowly she presented her palms, white with scars, little ones built up over years of having a blade, "I just... didn't wrap it up when they kept me. They didn't think of it, I didn't tell them and it... it kept the worst from happening." There was a dark glint to her eyes, memories, "Even if the blade is kept up and away, the threat is still there. Hovering so close." Jaiha sighed and then looked away.

"I'm sorry our fight wasn't very good, I was afraid of hurting you."

[DaGlobster]

"Jai, I'm not going to hold our fight against you," Juras said. After a moment of consideration, he brought his hand back to his chest.

He studied her scarred palms, each little line telling a story about an accident, or, perhaps, a few of those lines were there on purpose. Juras smiled, and held out his own palms. Scars. Quite similar to Jaiha's.

"Look, Jai! We've got the same hands..."

He looked up at her, and smiled. He opened up his arms, as if offering her a hug.

"No more threats, no more unhappiness. You're safe now, Jai. I'll make sure of it, okay?"

[Draconian]

Slowly she wiggled her fingers and looked down at their hands, smiling slightly at the similarities. "We do!" Jaiha smiled and when she watched him take his hands away and when he opened his arms she didn't hesitate.  Leaning forward, her arms snaked around his middle and she had her face pressed to his shoulder. "I haven't been safe in a very long time," she murmured, her tail giving a wave in the air above them.

After a few moments of hugging she pulled away and looked around again, taking a deep breath. "So, this is home. Is there anything I shouldn't do? I... I don't want to be punished for doing something when I didn't know I shouldn't be doing it."

[DaGlobster]

Juras shrugged.

"Not really, I don't have any rules. The only requirement at my place is that you make yourself at home. And, well... you should probably watch your tail around things, especially my weapon wall. "

[Draconian]

Slowly, Jaiha reached up to grab her tail and pull it back onto her lap. "Okay. I will watch my tail," Then she went quiet and ducked her head down.

What now?

Questions.

No questions?

What did roommates do?

"Do you... Um... Read?"

[DaGlobster]

"Read? Er... Not really, no. I don't have much time, between my training and my job. I've read a few books though. Books about fighting styles, mostly."

Juras stood up, rolling his shoulders.

"You want something to eat?"

[Draconian]

That meant he could read though! Maybe one day she could convince him to read her a book. Jaiha warmed at the idea and smiled a little, watching him as he stood up. Jaiha stood too, still holding her tail and shifting her weight slightly. "To eat?" she asked, blinking, she supposed she could do that now, "I... suppose so? There was only morning and night meals and..." She looked around, it was neither of those things.

"I am a little hungry." Again, she stood too close but smiled at him all the same.

[DaGlobster]

"Well, I've got some spiced bread, if you're feeling peckish," Juras said, and motioned towards the kitchen area with his head. He walked over there, where there was a half-cut loaf of bread sitting on a cutting board, a long knife next to it.

"Some honey, too."

[Draconian]

Jaiha's ears perked up and she looked towards the kitchen. "Honey?" She'd heard of it, sure, but she smiled, "Is honey good? I've heard of it." A few hesitant steps towards the kitchen and she looked down at the bread and cutting board. "You're alright with just... Giving some to me? I don't... Have to do anything?"

[DaGlobster]

"Um... I mean, I've got to feed you, don't I?" Juras said, looking down at the bread. "You're gonna like honey. It's sweet, and it goes so good on bread..."

[Draconian]

Jaiha winced slightly when he told her he had to feed her. Maybe she could... No.  There was no blade on her tail, she couldn't exactly go out and try to catch him something if she couldn't kill anything. "May I have some? Uuuuh... Please?"

[DaGlobster]

"Of course you can," Juras said, and he cut out two slices of bread. After that, he took a jar of honey, and poured some out on the slices. He put the two of them together and rubbed them along one another to spread the honey, before handing one to Jaiha.

The bread was spiced with ginger and cinnamon, so that, combined with the honey, would no doubt make for a nice little treat.

"There you go."

[Draconian]

Greatfully Jaiha accepted the treat, giving a bright smile before she took a bite. Her eyes why wide and she stared at him for a moment. "This is amazing! I've never had something so tasty in my life!" And, before long, she was down to one last little nibble. Sure enough she popped that into her mouth gave a happy twitch of her ears Then she went to sucking the rest of the honey off her fingers.

"What's honey made from?" She asked around her index finger.

[DaGlobster]

"Well, farmers harvest it from bees," Juras said. he rather enjoyed watching Jaiha scarf down the honeybread, knowing that he'd brought her happiness. He also had to admit that she looked pretty damn cute nibbling down on it.

"They make fake hives for the bees and everything. I've seen it, it's pretty amazing."

[Draconian]

Plucking her finger from her mouth. Jaiha stared at Juras, "bees?!"  A frown and she looked at the jar, "people milk bees for honey?"

[DaGlobster]

"They don't really milk the bees, it's like..."

Juras' hand spun about on his wrist as he tried to come up with an explanation. In truth, he'd only see a bee farm once in his life, and that was during his mercenary days.

"The bees make the honey and store it, and then the farmers collect it, although they leave enough for the bees to use."