forum Depression and Choccy Milk (OXO with Caustic)

Started May 08, 2020 by @Painted-Iris group

tune

Nathaniel hesitated for several seconds before returning to the chair. He gripped the sides of it tightly, seeming to be trembling a bit. He closed his eyes and drew in a wavering breath, which he then proceeded to hold in anticipation of more pain. He was so tiny that his feet didn't even come close to reaching the ground while he was seated.

Zeddicus had to hand it to the kid. He wasn't the whiney, loud, needy little thing most kids were. And he did listen to his direction quickly. Go figure.
"It'll numb in a moment," he decided to say just before gently taking the other wing. His own sets were very fragile, so he knew not to pull and to keep his grip soft. He quickly took the bottle again and poured it over the second wing.

Nathaniel bit down hard on his lip and closed his eyes, still trembling. He finally released the breath he was holding when the pain started to numb, at which point he had to take several quick, harsh breaths due to how long he'd been holding the first. He was still tightly gripping the chair and seemed jittery.

(Zedd: I've had Nathaniel 20 minutes now but if anything happens to him I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself-)
(Nathaniel: W-wait sir, no-)

(Lmao)

Zeddicus blinked a moment, expecting a scream or cry of pain. Anything loud. Nothing but a bit of labored breathing. Which was a bit concerning, but after some water or something he assumed the kid would be fine. "Wait a few more seconds and you can get up," he said, already placing the empty bottle on the counter top. Coming behind it now, he took one of the bottles of water he kept for himself and returned over to the small boy still in the chair. "Here," he said, placing the cool bottle in the kid's lap.

(Lmfao loving the new name)
"T-Thank you, sir…" Nathaniel picked up the bottle and drew his knees up to his chest, his eyes shining with pained tears. He sipped at the water absently, using every ounce of self control he had to not just swallow it all down at once. He was terribly dehydrated and the cool water felt so good as it slid down his parched throat.

(I had to ahahaha)
He hated how it hurt to see the tears in the child's eyes. The kid lived on the streets with little food or water and his wings were totally beaten up. It was obvious how bad his condition was. Oh, he was going to hate asking this…
"How long have you been 'living alone' for?" Zedd questioned, using air quotes.

"Um… it's kinda hard to keep track of the time, but I think it's been around a month… why?" Nathaniel asked weakly, still sipping the water. He curled the tips of his wings around himself as a sort of shield, though the crumpled feathers could do little to protect him now.

Had he been the one drinking the water, he would have choked. A month?
Jeez, no wonder he looked so horrible. Zeddicus almost wanted to ram his head into a wall. Stars, why not let this kid find some nice little couple who wanted to adopt? Why did he start treating the kid's injuries without thinking? He didn't know. "Holy shit, kid. That's a long ass time. No wonder you look so awful," he found himself saying. Zeddicus shook his head. He wasn't qualified for this.

Nathaniel flushed a bit, seeming a bit taken aback and also confused. "I-I… uh… sorry, sir…" He said softly, fidgeting a bit. "What does shit mean?" He asked innocently, looking up at Zeddicus with eyes wide with curiosity. He cocked his head slightly to the side, clearly genuinely confused.

(AHAHAHA OH BOY)

Now Zedd actually did hit his head on the wall. He was going to have to explain his foul mouth and what all the profanities meant.
"Ah… fuck, I cursed in front of a kid," he muttered to himself. "Uh, it's a bad word for kids to use, so um… Don't say it," Zeddicus quickly replied louder for the kid to hear.

"Oh… okay. What's fuck, then?" Nathaniel asked, still just as bewildered. He took another sip of water, kicking his legs a bit under the chair. He seemed to be a little more lively now that he was less dehydrated. It had been a while since he'd actually had access to clean water, so this was definitely a pleasant experience for him.

"Oh… okay. What's fuck, then?" Nathaniel asked, still just as bewildered. He took another sip of water, kicking his legs a bit under the chair. He seemed to be a little more lively now that he was less dehydrated. It had been a while since he'd actually had access to clean water, so this was definitely a pleasant experience for him.

Zeddicus face palmed. "An even worse of a word," he replied sounding tired. He used profanities as part of his vocabulary. And now he'd have to watch what he said until further notice. Sighing, he turned and took of the hat to reveal his slightly curly hair. He hung it on a small coat rack before turning back to the small boy. "I'm guessing you'll want something to eat now won't you?" Zedd asked, wondering why he was offering more than he originally intended.

"Hmm? O-Oh, I couldn't possibly ask you for anything else, sir… you've already done so much for me." Nathaniel flushed lightly and drank a bit more water, seeming almost nervous. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you or anything, sir…" I already burden everyone else…

Zeddicus shrugged. "May not be the nicest person, but I'm not gonna let you starve, kid," he stated while crossing his arms. He wasn't a cook by any means either, but he could make a sandwich or something. Looking out the front windows, he noticed the clouds becoming darker. It would probably rain soon. "You're not screaming or crying like an annoying little brat, so I can manage," he added, already moving to walk towards another door in the room. As he opened it, it revealed a set of stairs leading to the second floor.
Perhaps it was the fact that the small boy had wings that he felt less irritated. And the fact that his body was so thin and beaten. Not waiting for any response, Zedd started climbing the stairs, leaving the door open behind him like a silent invitation.

Nathaniel hesitated before drinking the last of his water and hopping off his chair to go trail after Zeddicus. He paused at the foot of the stairs, contemplating, and eventually began climbing them as well. He wasn't sure where he was going or if he was even allowed to be up here, but he was bound to find out pretty soon. He held onto the handrail to keep himself steady as he went on. Living on the streets had earned him a limp alongside the dehydration and starvation.

(cAUSTIC STOP MAKING ME FEEL BAD)

Upstairs seemed like a fairly simple lay out. A decent living room connected to a small kitchen. Down a small hallway was a bathroom and two bedrooms. The second bedroom was currently being used more similarly to an office. Zeddicus was in the kitchen now, a loaf of bread and some cheese sitting on the counter. He had a pan sitting on the stove heating up already. Kids like grilled cheese right?

(>:D)
Nathaniel made it to the top of the stairs and glanced around curiously. He noticed Zeddicus and just headed towards him, not wanting to explore without permission. He didn't need to know what was here. It wasn't like he was going to be living here or anything, after all. Zed was just going to feed him and send him on his way.