Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)

"That makes a fool out of me, then," he admits with a sheepish smile, hands warm enough now to itch at the nape of his neck. It must not be a pleasant dream to wake up to. The decor of his lab was not meant to be shared despite its contents. His footwork shuffles a bit at the constant sniffing, but he tries (and fails) not to make it too obvious how anxious it makes him. "I don't mind the blood that much. All the floors are padded with an easy-to-wipe material, but that should be the least of your worries. Speaking of..."

From a drawer, he pulls out a small first-aid kit. It's never seen use, or at least not in recent years. Heartman lays it on the recliner he'd earlier been pronounced dead in, inviting her to take a seat. "I'm no doctor, but I'm sure you could make better use of this than me. I would offer a treat for your friend's efforts too, but animals are quite the rarity in this area. Uhm, just a moment, I'll get you something that may help." He moves awkwardly toward the door, but turns his head at the last second. "Try to make yourself comfortable. I don't get many guests-" he offers, before disappearing into the hallway. The door automatically locks behind him, it can't really be helped, but it's only a short trip between there and the kitchen. He's sure she can manage on her own for a few short minutes.

He wouldn't lie and say he wasn't intimidated; she wasn't exactly easy to carry, and Heartman is more than aware of his lack of self-defense skills. Especially now, especially after her admonishment of his eagerness to help. Truth be told, it didn't matter to him. She could've been a MULE, or Homo Demen, or something else entirely; after Sam's departure a week ago, he yearned for another human being to speak to, face to face. It could be a scolding, an argument, a flirt, anything. He never realized how much he missed company until Sam's shortly graced him. He's grateful that Die-Hardman mustn't be watching right now, as he reenters the lab with a tray full of packets of biscuits and warm tea.

"Harper, was it? I'm glad to make your acquaintance. And I assume this is Rye?" The lab was never meant to be a shared living space, but Heartman lacks any better place; he pushes aside some of his sketches on his table and sets the tray on it, bringing the cup to her. "It's not the most diverse selection in my cupboard. Like I said, I don't get many visitors, and I'm not around long enough to enjoy much. But do help yourself. You have quite the extensive injuries and I have a chiral printer available for use, should you ever need anything. You should stay awhile," keep me company, please, "and rest. On account of my... condition... my bedroom hardly sees any use, so you may freely use that too if you'd like."

Peeling bloodied clothes from her skin, she made a half hearted effort to fold them as to not leave his pristine lab a total mess. Glancing to her pack, a tired smile tugged at scarred lips. Saliva soaking the handle; Rye must have turned his attentions to dragging that in through the snow after his attempts at pulling her a limb at a time. His teeth had only managed to puncture her forearm, though dark bruises had begun welling in the other spots he had latched onto. The formally occupied bodybag made for a makeshift sheet to lessen the extent of blood streaks over the poor man’s furniture, hunting through her own supplies as well as the first aid kit offered.

Her head jerked up at the door whirring open once more, now somewhat clean. The lesser wounds had been cleaned and wrapped with a combination of gear, using strips of torn up fabric soaked in water to try to clear back some of the grime. Dark streaks of semi dried blood were swirled over her skin, laced with scarring and tattoos. The whale skeleton cresting her spine was mostly obscured by her pale hair, but she made an effort to turn herself, needle and thread pinched in her fingers.

“Sorry for the indecency but uh- hard to clean these otherwise.” Maybe once upon a time she would have been bashful about being sprawled in her underwear, but it was the least of her worries currently. The needle bit through her skin, teeth gritted as she pieced together the hole tearing into her side. Rye, nose twitching his grey peppered muzzle, came bounding over at the scent of food, rudder-like tail sweeping back and forth.

[ tug ] sender tugs receiver behind them during a tense moment

[ pull ] sender pulls receiver out of harm's way at the last second

[ tuck ] sender stares at receiver and quietly reaches up, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind receiver's ear

[ yank ] sender yanks receiver closer to them, ending up in semi-suggestive close proximity

[ steady ] sender grabs receiver's arm to steady them before they fall over

[ walk ] sender moves around receiver and walks closest to the street as they travel down the sidewalk, keeping receiver away from any potential danger in the roadway

[ untied ] sender drops to their knee and starts tying receiver's shoe for them

[ spoon ] sender lifts a spoon towards receiver's mouth, encouraging them to eat

[ trace ] sender traces receiver's lips with their thumb

[ pin ] sender pins receiver to a tucked-away spot in the shadows to avoid being caught

[ neck ] without a word, sender dips down to receiver's throat and kisses them soundly

[ handheld ] sender slips a hand behind their back and grabs receiver's fingers as they stand behind them

[ carry ] without asking, sender takes receiver's heavy bags from them and carries them

[ lock ] sender and receiver lock eyes across the room

[ drink ] sender brings receiver a drink and holds it to their lips, insisting they take a drink

[ reload ] sender reloads receiver's gun for them in the middle of a fight

[ shelter ] sender uses their body to shelter receiver from an explosion or attack

[ carry ] sender picks up receiver and carries them off the battlefield and into a safe spot before running back to the fight

[ toss ] from a secret hiding spot only receiver and sender can see as they avoid an enemy, sender silently gestures to receiver to toss them (their gun, something valuable, etc.)

[ stairs ] sender offers out a hand to help receiver ascend or descend a staircase

[ cover ] sender covers receiver's eyes so they don't witness something gruesome

[ fix ] sender comes up to receiver and fixes their collar and/or tie

[ shake ] to convince receiver not to do something, sender hastily shakes their head from a distance

[ watch ] from a distance, sender taps on their watch to show receiver they're running out of time

[ i'll go ] sender gently pushes receiver back, taking charge and insisting they will handle the dangerous task

[ reach ] through a locked gate, sender reaches for receiver's hand

[ ship ] as receiver's ship takes off from the planet, sender waves to them from the ground and watches them leave

[ protect ] after someone threatens receiver, sender rushes over and gets right in their face to protect them

[ punch ] after someone attacks receiver, sender rushes over and punches them in retaliation

[ nip ] sender playfully nips at receiver's neck

[ knuckles ] sender kisses receiver's knuckles in a polite gesture

[ squeeze ] sender gives receiver's butt a playful squeeze from behind

[ danger ] as an all-powerful receiver is about to lose control of their powers and cause massive damage, sender finds their eyes and tries to talk them down

[ goodbye ] without saying a word, sender approaches receiver and kisses them goodbye

[ wipe ] sender wipes a tear from receiver's face

[ location ] without saying anything and giving away the surprise, sender takes receiver to a secret spot

[ hold back ] sender has to hold back receiver from attacking someone

[ game ] sender lets receiver win a game they're playing

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 :

➔ you're gonna be okay , just keep your eyes on me. ➔ don't move - you're going to make it worse. ➔ it's not that bad. ➔ you saved me once before , now it's my turn. ➔ you fucking idiot , you weren't supposed to take the hit for me. ➔ i told you not to do that! now look! ➔ you're lucky that i know basic first aid , or you'd be dead! ➔ stay with me, okay? stay awake. ➔ i'll be as gentle as i can be , i promise. ➔ you're bleeding - oh my god , you're bleeding. ➔ you told me it was a scratch , this is not a fucking scratch! ➔ there's so much blood. ➔ next time you want to play here , just don't. ➔ stop fighting me and let me help! ➔ you're banned from doing anything remotely dangerous. ➔ you could have died , what were you thinking? ➔ if you die on me , i'm going to be pissed off. ➔ you didn't have to be so reckless just to prove a fucking point. ➔ the wound will heal but you'll have a scar.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 :

the queen of the wilds (by the crazy talented minilev!)