A cry for help

[autumnbold]

[Text appeared with an unpracticed hand, someone drawing crude runes into the book. Looking at them for a short amount of time, though, the text began to shift into something more... recognizable as language. The translated text was crude and mostly straight, rigid characters evocative of the runes they had been.]

hello this is asra

i hope someone can read this

everyone has one but maybe cant read dragon

my ladys mark has reactivated and i think she can see me

i heard her laugh when it started glowing again

i am scared and itchy

what do i do

Comments

[bladeofconquest]

No, no. That's good, but I mean, let me know if you hear your mistress again. Okay? And if you do, tell me what you hear her saying.

You said it sounded like someone was leaving. Are you alone? I can be there in less than half an hour if you don't want to be.

[autumnbold]

ok i can do that

i think i am alone yes

you do not have to come if you do not want to

[There is a short pause before the next line]

i would not refuse company

[bladeofconquest]

Okay. I'm on my way. I'll just let myself in, okay? You stay where you feel safe.

All told it takes about twenty minutes for Corrin to get there. When she arrives, Asra gets a foot-first view as she enters the bedroom. "Hey, Asra?" She says softly, getting down on her belly to be able to see the kobold. She smiles reassuringly. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

[autumnbold]

Asra waved to Corrin from under the bed. There was, apparently, a large pile of Ralsei's Sol she was curled up on like the smallest dragon. Corrin could see, in the darkness, a dark red glow, flecked with black, oozing around the edges of her vest. It looked almost painful as it spread around her shoulders and around the base of her neck. Or, at least, it looked uncomfortable with how she was scratching at it.

"Um... itchy?" She responded to Corrin, a current of panic gently underlining her words. "I, um..." Oh, she should probably get out from under the bed. She squirmed her way out from the darkness to get closer to Corrin, but shrank a little from the light, squinting. Light sensitivity.

"...Um, t-thank you for coming. Um... it's good to see you."

[bladeofconquest]

"Asra? You look a little...different." Corrin notes, not having expected the change. She shifts over to allow Asra more room to get out, getting into a seated position as she does so, but she leans down when the kobold hesitates. "What's wrong?" She asks. "Is there something I can do?" She follows Asra's gaze to a nearby window, streaming light in. Making the connection, she doesn't wait for a response but stands up, walks over, and pulls the blinds. Immediately the room dims considerably.

"How's that? Better for coming out now?" She asks, bending down again to have a better view under the bed. She smiles kindly. "Of course I'd come. A friend needed some help. I'm glad to see you too. Here." She offers her hand to help Asra pull herself out from under the bed more easily.

[autumnbold]

With the blinds shut, Asra looked much more attentive. She finished crawling out from under the bed with Corrin's help and dusted off some Sol that got stuck to her scales. She did seem to appreciate the help though, giving Corrin a nervous smile.

"Um... My, um, lady's power has, um, reignited in me? And, um... It itches a lot. And kind of hurts? But, um, not a lot. But, um... if you could... I mean, if you wanted to, I could use some... help, um, scratching my back?" She asked, idly scratching at her back, loose scales flaking like falling leaves. "Th-thank you for coming though, Lady Corrin. It is... um, always a pleasure to, um, see you. Even under the, um... circumstances..?"

[bladeofconquest]

Once Asra is out, Corrin sits back down next to her on the floor, though she does glance over at the kobold's back to get a better look at the mark. "Hmm?" She glances back when Asra talks again. "Oh, certainly. Anything to help." She motions at the kobold to turn around and smiles. "I'm always glad to see you too, Asra. So, tell me, what exactly does this power do? Besides itch and...hurt a little."

While the kobold talks, Corrin gets to work. There's no brush handy, so she just gets to it with her own hands. "There, how's that?" She asks.

CW: Abuse

[autumnbold]

Corrin gets a good look at Asra's back. The most striking feature is the carved symbol which seemed to be radiating the glowing ominous energy, pulsing and oozing along her small body in an elaborate criss-crossing pattern. The edges of the carved mark, which pulsed more brightly, not unlike a dull, slow heartbeat, was withered and looked like it was dead. Not rotting, but withered and decayed.

It also looked rather painful.

Upon closer inspection, Corrin would also see a number of scars which seemed to be directing the flow of the negative energy, channels along which the energy could flow. They all looked quite old, and as though they'd been tried to be healed somewhat recently. They provide a rough, uneven texture as Corrin gets to work scratching her back.

Asra immediately melts under Corrin's touch, her knees going a little weak as she slumped against Corrin, letting out an unintentional pleased groan. She quickly covered her mouth to stifle it, and her face broke out with a blush.

"It, um..." She said, trying to focus around how good the scratches felt. "...I can, um, apply the mark to, um... Someone else. I can, um, make them share pain and make them more, um, vulnerable to getting hit. But, um... It usually is, um, quite draining for me to do so... It's usually worth the trouble, or, um, has been when I used it, um, before... But.. um, Lady Corrin, please don't, um, stop."

[bladeofconquest]

Corrin's expression falters when she sees the extent of the damage, and the signs that it goes back a long way. Getting this must have been agonizing. Oh, Asra...

The sudden moan causes her to giggle, however. "Asra, it's okay. It's just me, you don't have to hold it in if you don't want. I promise I won't tell a soul, okay?" She continues working, trying to maintain a sense of levity despite the hard evidence of everything the kobold has endured. In her stomach, she can feel a pit of cold anger brewing; she already knew she didn't like Anabraxis, from everything she'd heard, but confronted with the actual extent of her abuse, that dislike turns into complete and utter loathing. "Sometimes cutting loose and letting yourself really experience your feelings can be a good thing."

She listens as Asra explains the ability the mark gets her. "That so, huh?" She asks idly, continuing to scratch. "I had kind of a similar ability back home, once I'd learned a bit better how to use my dragon abilities. Nothing big, just a little hex I could inflict on someone, sapped their strength, made it easier to hit them. I don't like the idea of it wearing you out, though. If it exhausts you too much, it could leave you in a real bind. Just try to be careful where and when you use it, okay? Always with someone else backing you up. I'll worry about you, otherwise. Hey, are there any specific spots on your back you want me to hit? Where can I focus my efforts to make you feel better?"

Maybe there's a cream or something they can get to help with the itching. She'll enquire about it to Schala, maybe the local wizards and alchemists might be able to come up with a solution. It would be nice if Asra didn't have to worry about a permanently itchy back.

[autumnbold]

Well, Lady Corrin had told her to let it out, so... She sprawled out on the floor, her tail idly wagging as she let out a long, satisfied groan. It felt so good to get that spot on her back scratched, especially since it was so hard to reach. She had no idea it could feel this good to get just... relieved like that.

"I'll, um, try not to use it without other people around. Um... I don't, um, expect I'll need to use it, but it, um... especially since I am, um... people um, seem anxious about letting me, um, fight. And, um, it's not like, um, I don't know how! I've, um, fought some giants before! And, um... well, a lot of cult members from, um, my old, um, cult. Who, um... wanted to take me back. So, um, it's not that, um, I'm defenseless or, um, anything like that. I just, um, want to help? Um, anyone who needs it, I mean."