Sale in the Marketplace [Caroline]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

How many lives is one life worth?
--

From her safe place around the corner, Caroline watched the battle up until he activated his Aura Rage. At that point she shrunk into herself, going back around the corner. She didn't want to watch this violence. She slid down, back against the wall. At any other time, she probably would have noticed how warm the clay wall was from being warmed in the sun. At that moment, however, she could only concentrate on the all too loud sounds of battle. She whimpered and covered her ears, trying to block it out. What had she done, what had she done...?

The sounds stopped. After a moment, Caroline took her hands away from her ears. Listened. Heard footsteps. For a moment, she panicked thinking that Ain had been defeated and this was one of those men coming to recapture her. Her fears were laid to rest when Ain spoke, though, telling her that he would stay with her at least until she felt safe.

Quietly, she emerged from behind the wall and looked over his shoulder. Those men... they were dead. Caroline's mouth dropped open. Dead. Were three lives really worth her own? She looked from them to Ain and stated bluntly "You've killed them.[/color]"

This counted as self-defense right? There was no telling what those men would have done to her if Ain hadn't come along. She'd heard them planning and their plans didn't sound all that pleasant for her. Still... what if those men had families back home? Children? She shuddered.

Perhaps it was best for her to address another immediate concern before she went to into shock. She was prone to fainting spells and nervous break downs, and it didn't help that she was already feeling a bit woozy from the heat and dehydration.

"Why, thank you kindly, Mr. Ain. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to feel safe again,[/color]" she said in her quiet drawl, picking at the him of her skirt. "I think I would feel safe once I'm back home in New Orleans, but I don't know the way home and I have no money and no way to get around. I hate to be a burden...[/color]"

She really did hate to be a burden. All of her life she'd been well off enough to wear she could always be charitable but it was never appropriate to accept charity. Of course, she had no idea how badly her family was off financially now. She would have to start getting used to the idea of charity.

That's when she noticed his arm. She immediately felt awful. "Oh, heavens. Look at your arm, it's bleeding,[/color]" she said, stepping closer to further examine the wound. She immediately took responsibility."Won't you let me take care of this?[/color]"

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

It hurts...

"I didn't want to kill them." he said as pondered the thought of helping this girl, not a bit of sadness, anger or happiness could be seen in him. "Allow me to think about it for a while, then I will give you an answer. Is that acceptable?"

His dormant feelings on the subject of killing almost forced his body to move ever so slightly but soon passed like all others. It was no lie to say he felt awful to be forced to do it, but if he had tried to reason with them any more he would have been shot and at worst killed. Logically he made the right choice. His tall body remained cold as remained still in front of Caroline, had she thought of him as a dirty killer with no remorse? Ain almost wished he could be punished, where was the justice in this- certainly another way existed if only he was strong enough to take it.

Ain instinctively pulled back and hid his cut arm from Caroline's view. It was almost childish the way a grown man didn't want anyone to touch, it was one of the things that haven't changed in all the years. It was sort of a conflict of logic and now he was faced with it again. Almost as if to prepare himself he took a moment, then turn to show his arm again as it continued to bleed.

"Do you have medical training?" Ain asked as his dark eyes staring down at her, it wasn't easy to trust someone he had just met after all. He really didn't think this whole encounter through, if he had then he would have left by now without having to deal with the extra weight and problems.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Stop being such a baby, you are a grown man for heaven's sake.
--

Caroline nodded slowly when he asked for a bit of time to think it over. It was understandable and she probably would have questioned his motives had he agreed to it right away. It wasn't as if she was in any immediate danger anymore, but she did hope he made up his mind soon. She wanted to get home as soon as possible. When he avoided her examination of his arm, though, she put her hands on her hips.

"Really, stop being so childish,[/color]" she insisted, checking his arm again. "If you mean am I a doctor, no sir, I am not a doctor but I guess you could say I've had some training with these things.[/color]"

It was just one of many useful and practical skills she had been taught by her mother. She and all three of his sisters knew how to cook, clean, sew and enough first aid to treat minor wounds without wasting money on a hospital visit. A frugal woman, Mrs. Slay was.

"Come on, we need to find some clean water and some bandages and get this fixed up for you,[/color]" she insisted. "Is there an inn or something nearby?[/color]"

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

A simple question gives a whole bunch of answers...

Ain hesitated to say the least, he wondered what of training this girl had but she did seem more knowledgeable then himself in first aid. As long as she didn't make his cut arm worse then now, he would would grudgingly go along with it. He sighed a bit, the buildings all looked the same and he had no idea which one could be a inn. In fact he was probably lost outside the marketplace, which begged the question, did he really search this entire world- the answer was no. It's not that he was lazy, however he had no interest in checking every building and spec of sand. He didn't want to sound like he was so unknowledgeable after two visits.

"Agrabah is poor for the most part, I doubt they have any inns or anything." he said to her mostly on assumption, scratching his brow he turned back into the street. "My ship, The Graceful Light has water and some medical supplies if we don't find anything."

His body straightened as he started walking into the street, he glanced back at the thugs before moving out of view of them and leaning on a wall. He was still tired from using Aura Rage, but he tried not to let it show. He looked back at Caroline, he may have been the injured one but she must have been scared to be thrusted into a whole new world against her will. Trying his best not to touch his wounded arm he waited for her to decide what she wanted to do. "Caroline, what kind of lifestyle have you lived up to now?" he asked, the question coming from no-where as it wasn't something he would usually ask.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

You sure do ask some strange questions...
--

Caroline made a face at the mention of "poor". She was sure why, but she quickly regained composure. Certainly, if this place was too poor for any kind of inn... it wouldn't be a good place to treat Ain's wound. The ship would have to do... wait, did he say ship? Caroline's mind reeled, trying to place an image with the word but all she could think of was pirate ship. Was Ain a pirate? And where was there any water for a pirate ship, anyways? Confused, the woman trotted along behind Ain and said "Why don't we go ahead on to your...your ship where it's probably a lot cleaner than...[/color]" she trailed off, looking around. "This place.[/color]"

She looked at him. He was obviously in pain, and exhausted... and trying to hide it. Part of her wanted to put her hands on her hips and reprimand him, but the bigger part of her only felt guilt. It was her fault he was hurt and her fault the three men that had kidnapped her were dead. His next question shocked her out of that train of thought though.

She wasn't sure how to answer. Although, she knew there were people who did live a different lifestyle from her, her lifestyle was all she knew. It was normal for her. So that's how she answer. "Oh, I suppose it was just the normal type,[/color]" she said, with a nervous laugh, waving him away. Why would he ask a question like that? "Now, why don't you lead the way to your ship?[/color]"

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Back to the ship again...

Ain looked at her carefully for a moment when she answered vaguely, it wasn't like it mattered anyway. He didn't know her and pressing her for answers was not the way he liked to learn things either. Though it wasn't everyday that he would see such a out of place girl like her, she was kidnapped for whatever reason but it wasn't of his concern. Walking ahead he didn't look back, the sand dusted across him as the many gusts blew through the streets, by the time they reached the main gates it was getting darker and it was also colder. When the sun wasn't in the sky it was freezing, a single truth about any desert.

"It's that ship over there." he said pointing out to the only ship the would realistically be there. It was not a very large looking ship but the entire structure of it was in grays and white including the sail though it won't be sailing very much without water. The boat itself was made out of a fine wood and showed at least some luxury as it was a admirals naval vesel. This ship was also made to fly in the sky and in the dark in-betweens of worlds but outwardly it was just a boat. "The Graceful Light, I didn't choose the name."

Climbing up a rope ladder he reached the deck just in time to see the sun disappearing under the dunes of sand, he looked back down with his expressionless face and offered his right hand to help Caroline up if she needed it. He forgot to switch the ship back into Gummi Ship Mode, usually it would just have a simple entrance-way but it wasn't like it mattered that much.

"Hurry."

[Oathkeeper Emi]

How is this even possible?
--

Caroline didn't question why there was a boat like this in the middle of the desert. She figured it wasn't any of her business and Mama had always told her not to pry into other peoples' business. "I think... I think it's a lovely ship,[/color]" she said hesitantly, in an attempt to find something nice to say. She watched Ain go up the ladder for a moment before looking over her shoulder. It was getting dark, and a little chilly. She hugged herself, shivering. They couldn't have possibly waited for her to get a sweater before they dragged her out of the house? Oh well, at least she had managed to get her gun. She shifted. Speaking of which, it was becoming quite uncomfortable to store the firearm in that particular location.

Ain was telling her to hurry, and Caroline turned back around. He had a hand out to help her, what a gentleman. She climbed up the ladder, a bit unsteady since she had put her shoes back on and the heels kept getting caught. She also felt... exposed. Ladies were not supposed to climb ladders, and she was sure if there was anyone on the ground they could see plumb up her skirt.

She grabbed Ain's hand when she reached the top and he helped her onto the deck. She wasn't sure how this ship actually went places, or even how it had gotten here. However, she didn't want to seem ignorant so she decided to just wait until the answer revealed itself. "Where are those first aid supplies? We really should hurry.[/color]"

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Tour of the ship... The Graceful Light

Coming back to his ship had become most routine, in the weeks and months he had traveled he had little chance to really catch his breath on any one world he had visited. At best it was only a day visit then back out to the vast black space, it was no surprise that he was starting to get both used to it and sick of it. It reminded him of when he was younger and worked on his fathers fishing boat after his mother died, though he rather not think about it due to the trauma there after. His memory of everything beyond that point was vague and empty, all he remembered was the heartless that appeared on that day. He shook his head as if to break away from his thoughts, he looked at his arm that had stopped bleeding though the blood was now dried to his skin and jacket.

Ain walked down the stairway into his ships common area which was brightly lit by magic lanterns on the wall, to the right once going down was a few chairs, a table and a bookcase with many books on it- this was the only area of the ship that wasn't white with red carpet allowing some level of comfort. The bathroom was just beyond the book case where he had kept the medical supplies, the bathtub and a old style shower. To the right was a door to the kitchen which spoke for itself, housing a gas stove and a table with only a single chair. Walking past the common area he looked down the hall straight ahead where there were about 3 rooms on both sides and one more elegant looking white door on the end.

"This is my home, show some respect while you are here." he said as he walked into the bathroom and opened a first aid box on the wall. He turned to see if Caroline was behind him and looked at her with his expressionless face. "This is all I have, it should be enough."

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Nurse Caroline, to the rescue!
--

She wasn't sure why he had made the comment about respecting his home. What did he think she was, some hoodlum street girl? Come to think of it, that might have been how she came across.

"Oh, that should be plenty enough,[/color]" Caroline insisted. "And if it's not, it should be enough to hold you off until we can see a proper doctor.[/color]" She trifled through the box and then told him "Why don't you sit down and get yourself cleaned up?[/color]"

It wasn't as if she was actually going to do that for him. She didn't exactly want to touch him, considering they'd know each other for all of fifteen minutes. She figured she owed it to him to patch him up a bit. Glancing at him, she also had thoughts about cutting that hair of his. Maybe she would bring it up later... or was that too much? Another reason why she insisted he clean the blood off his own arm is because it would probably hurt and she didn't want to be the one to cause that pain. Of course, the antiseptic she was about to pour in it wouldn't be all too pleasant either.

She found the supplies she needed and set them out in a row. "Ready?[/color]"

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Washing in front of a girl, maybe I should have asked her to wait outside.

It was curious how nice this girl was, he was not exactly friendly and he had just killed people. He just wasn't used to this kind of situation and it wasn't helping that he just couldn't express his gratitude properly even if he wanted to. Taking a cloth he wet it and wiped off the blood around his wound, his eyes drifted to Caroline and he nodded. After a moment he started cleaning the blood from the wound but not without flinching in pain though it soon passed and finished- placing the cloth in the sink that was now draining his blood in small amounts.

"Ouch." he stated dully, he was used to such injuries but he was never shot before. "Ok, you can treat it now."

Ain waited hesitantly with his arm extended to give her a better look, he didn't know Caroline for very long but he didn't think she was untrustworthy at the very least. Improving his posture he stared blankly at the wound as if he intended to watch the treatment to learn something from this encounter. He hoped that this would be the last time something like this happened, but chances are that wasn't going to be.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

This is what I'm good at.
--

"Alright. This is going to hurt a smidge, but you'druther have this than an infection,[/color]" Caroline told him. She started treating the wound on his arm, but she wasn't exactly gentle with it. There were times to be motherly and this wasn't one of them. She worked quickly and efficiently and it didn't take long to have it all patched up.

"Lemme have them clothes, they'll need to be washed real soon if you don't want the stains to set in,[/color]" she added. The only reason she offered was that, bless his heart, he already looked rough. And how was he supposed to know how to remove blood stains from his clothes? Laundry was a woman's job, so it was unlikely he knew. Sexist? Probably, but the girl was just acting on what she knew. She held out a hand, waiting for the jacket. "I'll need some cold water, and some soap. Maybe some salt.[/color]"

She looked at him expectantly, hand still outstretched. It was obvious she wasn't leaving until she had paid off what debt she thought she had.

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Is kindness of this nature normal...

As Caroline fixed him up much more roughly then he would have expected, he watched carefully and quietly through his messy hair with interest. Though he flinched every so often, he did his very best not to move while she worked. When it was over he let out a sigh, while it hurt a second before much of the pain had slowly died down and his ordeal was over. He thought of thanking her, but no matter how he thought about it the words just didn't come out. Instead he gave a approving nod and got up to check his arm in the mirror, he had no idea if it would leave a scar or not.

"I have been in many battles, I should be used to it by now."

Ain looked back at Caroline when she asked for his clothing so they could be washed, it was true he had a wash bowl that was barely used and he had some salt in the kitchen. He nodded to her, pulled the wash bowl from under the sink, it was a bit dusty but he didn't think it mattered. "The salt is in the kitchen..." he said as he removed his jacket without so much as a flinch revealing his muscular bare chest, across it was several scars from past injuries- most of which seemed like blade wounds and handed the jacket into her out stretched hand without hesitation. He figured she didn't mean his pants by clothes, regardless they didn't have any blood stains on them, so his pants were staying on. "Why are you so eager to help me?"

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Laundry time~
--

Caroline squealed and covered her eyes with her free hand. What was he doing, stripping down like that in front of a girl?! Was he crazy!? She turned around quickly, still holding the jacket. He asked her why she was so eager to help him and she looked down at the bloodied clothes in her hand. "Well, I figure it's what I owe you for helpin' me out back in the alley,[/color]" she said. And that was all the explanations she offered. What more was there to say? She had a debt to repay and this is the only way she knew now. Without looking over her shoulder, she began to walk out. "I'll find my own way to the kitchen and get this cleaned up for you real quick.[/color]"

That's just what she did. While keeping what he said about respecting his home in mind, Caroline opened a few doors and peeked inside before finding the kitchen. The elegant decor inside the ship wasn't strange to her at all, in fact it reminded her a little of her own home. Once inside the kitchen, she soaked the jacket in cold water and soap and scrubbed it until the stains were mostly gone. The salt, although a good way to remove blood stains, wasn't even needed. She wasn't sure how to dry it, though, so she just poured out the soapy water and carried the damp clothing back to Ain.

She handed it too him. "There, that should do it. It'll need to be dried though.[/color]"

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

"You have a lot of useful skills, meet me back on the deck." he stated as he looked at Caroline carefully, his stance much more balanced then before. His expression a tiny bit more loose then his average unemotional expressions, he was thankful and part of it showed on his body and personality. Though not exactly much. "One last check.."

Ain took the jacket back and promptly put the wet jacket back on, he didn't seem to mind that it was wet all that much. "I don't really have anything to dry it so I will just leave it the way it is." he said as he walked past Caroline and went up the stairs back to the ships deck. Once up there he breathed into the air creating a bit of steam and walked over to the railing that overlooked that night time dunes. The stars were out and it was getting much colder which really didn't help that his shirt was wet, as a man however he just shook it off like it was nothing(in reality not so much.) Brushing off a bit of sand on the railing he looked up and waited patiently.

It appeared he had something to say as remained silent...

[Oathkeeper Emi]

I'm from Louisiana, not used to this cold...
--

Caroline's eyebrow slowly went up. What a strange man. It did make her a little uncomfortable, and she hadn't the foggiest idea why he would have told her to meet her on deck. Wouldn't saying 'follow me' have done just the same thing? Hesitantly , she followed him out to the deck. It was cold. Earlier she had felt as though she would burst into flame from the heat but now she stood there shivering. Her short sleeve dress and thin stockings did little to protect her from the elements .

"Why'd you call me out here? Did you want to show me something?[/color]" she asked, looking around. "Or maybe you've finally made your decision on whether or not you'll help me. If not that's okay... I'll leave, maybe go back into the town and see if I cain't find someone else to help me.[/color]"

Guilt trip? Yes. Probably. She wasn't above using her female charm to get some help on her way back home. Bat her eyelashes, pout a little, make herself look pitiful. It hadn't failed for her yet...