Heron Lake Plateau What a wonderful world

He hadn't quite registered Reina's proximity; that was the funny thing about being half-awake and half in a drug-induced haze. Things that seemed like they should have been obvious ended up being quite the surprise. It was when she pulled away that he realized she'd been touching him. Maybe that was why he felt engulfed in flame — and not in a good way.

Everything hurt. Tybault didn't want to imagine what life would be like without poppy seeds just then. So he didn't. Instead he tried again at sitting up, a faint groan slipping from him as he promptly went against the healer's advice. But he quieted when he realized that she was crying again.

Couldn't a guy catch a break?

Still, he felt obligated to say something. He hadn't killed a man for her just to watch her cry in silence. Hey, uh... seems like you patched me up pretty good though, yeah? We can start traveling soon, He shifted to inspect his tail, grimacing at the sight of it. No way that would heal straight, he thought. His eyes quickly found Reina again. So... it'll be okay. Maybe not great, but 'okay' is still a pretty fuckin' big improvement.