Though she’d suffered it once already, nothing couple prepare Juniper for the unadulturated agony that crackled through her veins.  In fact, the memory of that inexorable torture served more to fill her with dread than steel against its return, and the cobblestone-floored plaza became suffused by the cries she could not suppress.  Cyril’s body, too, jolted and spasmed where it lay, as though a brutal electric current was flooding just enough life into his rattled nerves and torn muscles to convince them to contract and twitch on their own.  It wasn’t long before the pain died out, but the brevity of the torment was a small mercy, particularly since Juniper had remained conscious throughout.  Sweat and dirt stained her brow and clothes, and while no new injuries could be seen on her body, the veins in her wide-open eyes were red as blood.  On her hands and knees she hyperventilated, strainedly murmuring clipped snatches of a language Runch didn’t recognize.  Several meters away, Cyril’s battered form had lapsed back into motionlessness.

[color=turquoise]”Ever since I first discovered how to do this, it has become the most painful part of these fights.”[/color] Runch held his worthy opponent still, respecting Cyril enough to ensure the convulsions didn’t lead to bumping his head on any stones or cause even greater damage still to the wounded knight. [color=turquoise]”But pain, even the most horrible agony, passes. Death does not. Once I win, even if you despise my very being, I will ensure these sacrifices to be worthwhile, and all will be well good knight.”[/color]

The captain never once looked away, never blinked as he held Cyril still. He took it all in, took responsibility for the consequences of his actions. His original opponent had been a psychotic assassin and thus did not warrant such concerns. Then there was Motley Crue, the vampire, who had proven to be unworthy of such compassion. The same could not be said of Sir Boniface, no matter the veneer of gruff and irritable nature. A gold pot could be banged up and scuffed on the outside, but it remained a gold pot. The same was true, Runch suspected, of a gold heart.

Erina cautiously approached the shrine maiden as she began to utter foreign words. The kitsune wished to offer comfort, but did not wish to be the target of Juniper’s wrath. [color=bc8dbf]”I know your pain. I too have gone through it twice. The anticipation, in some ways, is worse than the experience.”[/color]

Though by now the pain did not torment Juniper quite so badly, something Erina said provoked the woman to suppress its remnants as she affixed her former opponent with a hateful scowl.  “Spare me your catechism,” she growled, “If you really wish me no more suffering.”  Struggling to her feet, Juniper limped across the devastated cobblestone plaza in the direction of a bar & grill very much set in one of Oldtown’s numerous antiquated styles.  She only turned her head as she passed by Runch and the body he held.  “Whatever your plan is, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.  Normal humans can’t take that kind of head injury, and after that agony, too?  He’ll die of thirst before waking up from that coma.”  A dry chuckle, more of a cough than anything, escaped her throat.  “For the best, probably.  Even if he did cut off my legs I wouldn’t wish him to be stuck in this wretched waste, a hopeless, purposeless failure.  Like me.”  With nothing more to say she resumed her journey, and pushed through the door into the restaurant.

Runch could not help but laugh as Juniper strode away in a fit. [color=turquoise]”Omnomnomnom! You would think she’s unfamiliar with my famous bloodberry cereal, known to vitalized, re-energize, and stimulate healing!”[/color] As he spoke, the captain created exactly the recipe he so fondly bragged about, dropping small bites into Cyril’s mouth, manually mashing the pellets with Cyril’s jaw, and then letting it slide down the man’s esophagus. He repeated this process numerous times over the course of several minutes, neglecting his own wounds despite the bleeding.

[color=turquoise]”There,”[/color] he sighed, wiping his brow, only to realize he still had that ridiculous armor on. With great frustration, and comedic difficulty, he began to remove it piece by piece as he spoke aloud to Erina, hovering nearby. [color=turquoise]”I have done what I can without the aid of my ship’s doctor. What remains is up to his willpower now, and from what I’ve seen of that there should not be any further problems! Omnomnomnoooooo-!”[/color]

Runch lost his balance in an attempt to remove the left leg of armor, falling square on his backside. A small yelp escaped his lips as he bruised, the adrenaline of active combat having worn off. Erina couldn’t help but (poorly) stifle her own laughter. [color=bc8dbf]”Well what about Juniper?”[/color] she asked, one hand still covering her mouth.

Shaking his head to rouse himself, the pirate replied, [color=turquoise]”She’ll be difficult to talk to right now, not that she can be blamed for it. Still, I’d rather try to reach her and fail, than go on living without having tried at all. What sort of man could I call myself then?”[/color] Taking great care, he lifted the unconscious knight upon his back, then gestured toward his shield and glaive. [color=turquoise]”Would you mind grabbing those?”[/color]

Erina nodded in acknowledgement, hopping across the patches of cobblestone that were still intact, and not covered in marshmallow goop, with the vigor of a schoolgirl skipping hopscotch. Once she returned to Runch’s side, Erina made known her own concern. [color=bc8dbf]”Are you certain about this?”[/color]

[color=turquoise]”I’m always certain,”[/color] Runch shot back with a wink. [color=turquoise]”When it comes to making smiles.”[/color]

The kitsune could not help but roll her eyes in the face of such pure cheese. Still, in its own way, it was warming. Without another word the duo carefully navigated the area into the restaurant, Runch taking great care not to jostle his burden.

Though not immediately visible, Juniper had already fetched a clear, tall bottle and brought it with her into a corner.  She could not have failed to hear the others enter, but she did not look up, instead holding her head in her hand.

Runch took a moment to take the scene in, drink in the bar with his eyes. So much of this world was a bizarre hodgepodge of styles, architectures, cultures, and values. So much of this city was utterly foreign and alien. While the same could be said of the design of this establishment, a watering hole was a watering hole no matter where you went, so he found it easy to acclimate to. 

Spotting Juniper holed up in her own little corner, the pirate and the exorcist calmly sauntered over, but chose to at least give the maiden some space. Tiring a bit, Runch produced a bowl from behind the bar and filled it with his healing bloodberry cereal. Beaming with pride, he stopped a moment before beginning to dig in, realization striking. Quickly he found two more bowls, and filled those as well! [color=turquoise]”Omnomnom! I was almost rude there for a moment!”[/color] 

He slid one bowl over to Erina, who began eating quite happily as memory of her last serving came to mind, and the third bowl over to Juniper.[color=turquoise]”It’s delicious, nutritious, energizing, and it stimulates the body’s healing. Omnomnom! I made sure to make you a variant that pairs well with alcohol.”[/color] He wiggled his mustache playfully despite Juniper having not even looked up yet. It was in that moment that he noticed… Half his mustache was missing! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Runch’s eyes turned ghostly white as his mind shrieked in utter horror, yet nary a peep escaped his lips.

The pirate’s comical behavior did not gel with the heavy reality that weighed down on his would-be friend.  Juniper had hoped that her departure, let alone her plea, would have convinced the two to leave her alone, but Runch seemed intent on following her and making nice with her.  Perhaps, Juniper considered wearily, he simply wasn’t capable of understanding her situation.  In his world, a few laughs and words of respect over a gift of food might very well mean forgiveness and comradery, but real life did not work that way.  Wounds healed slowly, resentment festered, despair bloated up, and grudges persisted.  Much to her self-loathing, she could not even force the blasted pair to leave her alone, so instead she growled at them from behind her hands.  “Won’t you take a hint?  Even if I did need your pity, I wouldn’t accept it.  You’ve nothing to offer me but further insult and deeper dismay.”

Erina remained silent, partly to enjoy the meal provided to her, and partly because she knew how Juniper felt. The feelings were somewhat mutual, and the two women had come from similar places. Perhaps there was something she could add to help improve Juniper’s demeanor, but likely not. She allowed Runch to say what he liked… Unfortunately he was still too freaked out and internally screaming in horror. [color=bc8dbf]”Runch?”[/color] she asked, prodding him with a spoon to the shoulder.

The pirate roused from his mental anguish, shaking his head, then jumped straight into response as though he had been actively listening to her the entire time. [color=turquoise]”I won’t pretend to understand your position. I know it’s impossible. Like a winter berry and a summer berry planted together, we come from entirely separate histories. I already made such a mistake when I offended Erina here, earlier.”[/color] He gestured to the kitsune, who perked up a moment, then went back to eating her fill. [color=turquoise]”I won’t bother you any further if that is your desire, but I will say this. We never had any grudge between us. You are not now, nor were you ever, my enemy, despite having been my opponent, and the same goes for Sir Boniface here.  This competition need not breed any rot on our spirits. In fact I believe that we have gotten to know one another, in a most unorthodox way surely, and could be friends. I promise you that when I win… And please note I said when, not if-”[/color] he hastily added. [color=turquoise]”Everyone will benefit.”[/color]

Runch hastily scarfed down his entire bowl, wiped the crumbs upon his sleeve, and then shifted his weight in preparation to leave, ensuring that Cyril did not fall lopsided on his back. [color=turquoise]”I can’t make you eat, but it [i]will[/i] help. Live the life you desire to live; my crew will welcome you with open arms if you change your mind.”[/color] The floorboard creaked as Runch took his first step. Erina pushed aside her bowl, having just finished. The two of them, Cyril in tow, headed for the door without another word. Of course, Runch kept his pace ever so slightly slower than his usual gait, keeping up hope that Juniper should heed his message.

A minute of silence passed after the pirate’s departure before Juniper moved, and then only to slump down on the table.  Her bottle stood nearby, as of yet untouched, and it rattled when her forehead hit the wood.  For a brief time she wondered whether or not she’d made the right decision by allowing the others to take Cyril away, but in the end it didn’t matter.  She couldn’t have if she tried, and the man -who hadn’t wronged her much less than Runch himself- was little more than a lump of meat, now.  The pirate’s magical mix might be able to heal physical wounds, but could it overcome the damage done to Cyril’s mind?  In her heart the shrine maiden hoped it wouldn’t.  He didn’t need to reawaken into this lost place, with nowhere to go and nothing to do, and hear the clown laugh while telling him that losing his life’s purpose was no big deal.

Juniper knew that sooner or later she would have to leave.  Maybe something in the City would kill her, though despite her misery she felt disinclined to throw her life away, or maybe by some miracle someone from the College could get her back home, as unlikely as that Barnaby woman made it seem.  She looked up from the table at the misty bottle set upon it, then painfully roused herself to go and fetch a glass to pour its contents into.  Even here, in the depth of her failure, she didn’t need to sacrifice her dignity.