❦ Village

@Chen [Ah, damn >.< /huggles/]

Jaejoong was relieved to hear the chuckle from the thunderbird, now sure that he was alright, and when he spoke, his words only confirmed the feline’s thoughts. “Well… I didn’t say it, but you were allowed to because you seemed to be having fun.” The shifter was quick to mention. “But no more.” He considered he deserved at least the privilege of not being called a sugarpuff after having saved his life. How did Chen even come up with that name for him? He was nowhere near sweet, was he? It was actually one of the few nicknames that were attributed to him. He knew Chen was just fooling around back then by calling him like that, but now… now he didn’t know what he was thinking of him, besides the gratefulness that he expressed. A few thoughts crossed his mind, that were telling him that their relationship resembled friendship, but he couldn’t be sure.

Without approaching the bed the woman was lying on, Jaejoong managed to hear what the thunderbird had mumbled to her, only missing out a few words, but the message was clear nonetheless. The shifter snapped his head to his left when a deep voice vibrated in his eardrums. There stood a fairly tall man, seemingly about the same age as the now passed out healer. The first thought that came to mind was that he might be the woman’s husband. He didn’t ask, this detail lacking any kind of importance for the time being. Needless to say, the man didn’t look very pleased to have two strangers inside his house while his wife, or whatever their relationship was, was passed out, almost having died because of them. Jaejoong noticed how water droplets were still dripping from his hair and clothes. Obviously, he had been outside when the healer did her work; if he were to be inside at that time, he would have probably tried to stop the woman from saving the thunderbird. It was strange how neither Chen nor the shifter heard the door open when he came back in. He didn’t ponder on that for too long though.

The man approached the table onto which the healer had been placed upon, gaze full of worry as he looked at her. He knew she was still alive, probably because he had heard Chen’s words just as he came in. Jaejoong parted his lips, preparing to apologize, even though he had a feeling it wouldn’t be enough, but before words passed his lips, the man spoke again. “If she won’t completely alright when she wakes up… I don’t know what I will do to you two.” his voice was rasp and low, menace evident in his words as his eyes didn’t leave the healer for one moment.

@Jaejoong [/sobs/ i wrote half my reply and the page refreshed and sadness is now appropriate]

At the mention of 'sugarpuff' Chen couldn't stop the chuckle that was erupting from his throat. As if he would ever be able to stop calling the feline that.
"Was I ever allowed to call you that though?" He asked in a teasing tone that was much more stable now that his breaths where more even. It was still a bit shaky though and his throat felt a bit clogged so he tried to clear his throat. He let his eyes travel over the feline and he felt this gratefulness taking over him again, without his.. friend he wouldn't be standing there. And to have a friend like that, someone who he could depend on. At least he thought of him as a friend now, he just hoped that maybe the feline felt the same. He would never be able to repay him but he would try as long as he lived.

He sighed as he let his eyes go over to the woman who had saved his life. She looked exhausted even in her sleep and Chen stepped over to brush a few strands of hair out of her forehead.
"I don't think she will be up for a while, I'm just glad she made it through." He said and let his hand take hers, smoothing his fingers over it. "I don't know you, but I just want you to know I am truly grateful for your sacrifice and I will do anything to repay you." He mumbled, startled when a male voice suddenly spoke up from behind him.

"You better." The voice said and as he turned around he was faced with a man who had rather impressive eyebrows.

@Chen [it's ok XD]

Jaejoong didn’t let go of Chen, seeing that he was struggling to calm down, tears still rolling down his cheeks continuously. He had no idea how he would have reacted if he had been in his place, but he figured it wouldn’t have been easy on him either, so he tried his best to comfort him – which means he just patted his back in an intended soothing manner, because he had no experience in such field, as expected. He attempted to find proper words to calm the thunderbird down, but he eventually gave it up, because he figured it would be useless.

“You should thank her more than me.” Jaejoong responded, eyes shifting on the woman, lying down on the wooden surface in front of him. He then looked back at Chen, who seemed to have calmed down at least slightly. “I know, but from now on you’re not allowed to call me sugarpuff anymore.” He randomly retorted, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere that had followed them ever since they met for the second time. Then his eyes shifted onto the healer again as he stepped closer to her. “Will she wake up soon?” The shifter didn’t really believe so, having seen how much power had travelled through her body just minutes ago. Despite the fact that he was relieved because she was alive, Jaejoong was still worried for the woman.

@Jaejoong ((Im writing this on my phone ok so excuse the typos. My roommate is asleep so i cant use the computer so sorry about this post xD))

Chen tried to get his breathing to even out as tears of relief poored down his cheeks. He couldnt hold the sobs back as he held on to the shifter like his life depended on it, and a while ago it had. He didnt even know how he could ever properly express his gratitude for the shifters actions, he could have just kicked Chem out, could have just said no, could have just left him to fend for his own.. but he didnt..he didnt and Chen clutched on to him just a bit tighter. He tried to stop himself from sobbing, but he was too overwhelmed with emotions to propert do so.
"Thank you" he mumbled, knowing that it was not enough, nothing couls ever be enough and he knew that. He knew that he would also have to thank the healer for saving him, but that could wait.. she wasnt even conscious yet so it wasnt like he could thank her right now anyway. He was finally able to breathe properly, still keeping himself glued to the feline, it was the only thing he could do to calm down. And he needed to calm down now. He finally pulled back to wipe his tears with his hands, eyes red from all the crying. "Im still me" he managed to croak out, a faint smile finding omits way to his lips. He was really happy and emotional and he wondered if he could ever properly recover from this whole thing.

@Chen Jaejoong didn’t get to do anything before the thunderbird was by his side in a moment, to see what happened to the healer. The shifter didn’t dare to do anything, neither before Chen was right there nor after that, and he didn’t really understand why his body froze like that in front of the woman’s body. Fear was something he wasn’t used to, and also a feeling he wasn’t expecting to take over him at a moment like this. He should be fine now, Chen was alive and safe, it was all ok. Almost. The truth is he was afraid to find out if the healer was really dead, how it most probably was. It would be his only fault for that. He really believed that Chen wouldn’t be guilty of anything, because Jaejoong was the one to ask her for help, to ask her to risk her life, while Chen had been unconscious.
The shifter helplessly watched as the other tried to check if she was still alive. Seeing the tears falling down on his cheeks, he knew he was their cause, but that didn’t mean he regretted saving him. Not at all. But he still felt something resembling guilt inside him, which was also something he was not used to. Jaejoong was sure that Chen was waiting in vain to feel her pulse, and he actually didn’t realize what happened when the thunderbird spoke again. Several seconds after the thunderbird got up, Jaejoong did the same, eyes glued to the two of them, and heart suddenly relieved. He coiled his arms around Chen when the latter threw his around him, and a relieved sighed passed by his lips. “She’s alive…” he repeated more to himself, just to make sure what he had just witnessed was true. “You are alive…” he added afterwards, emphasizing the first word gratefully.

[post deleted by owner]

@Jaejoong Chen blinked, trying to process what the shifter had just told him. He was alive and well, but apparently there was now a woman who somehow offered her own life for his when he was the immortal one. It didn't seem right and thought Chen was really a selfish creature the guilt was gnawing on his soul. He got up quickly, hunching down to look at the woman who saved his current life, a life where he actually managed to make a friend who would do something like carrying a magnetized thunderbird a very long way just to save him. Chen felt alot of things but mostly he just needed this woman to be alive. He needed her to wake up, to have a pulse to not be dead because Chen did not want to be the reason for this womans death.

With shaky hands he reached out towards her, pulling her up from the floor and brushing strands of her hair away from her face. He didn't even realize he had been crying until he felt droplets of liquid drip off his face. He checked to see if she was still breathing, but his own breath was too panicky for him to be able to focus so he decided to go for the pulse instead. He placed two fingers against , waiting almost desperately to feel even the faintest pulse. When the first came he thought it was his imagination, but sure enough a second beat was following the first and he scrambled to take the woman in to his arms to lift her up.
"She's alive, she's alive.. she didn't die... she's actually alive." He chanted over and over again, gently placing her down on the table and turned towards the shifter. "She didn't die because of me." He said, tears now streaming down his face as he threw his arms around the feline. "I was so scared." He mumbled, trying to calm down.

@Chen Jaejoong knew that asking for a stranger to put their life at risk wasn’t really something he should be asking, especially when the person she needed to save would be reborn anyway, but he didn’t know what else to do at the moment. He was still dyeing after all, even though he would start another life if that was to really happen. The shifter couldn’t hear what the healer had just mumbled, and he could only hope that she would try and save Chen; he didn’t want someone to die for this neither; if he could have helped the thunderbird himself, he would have done it. But now he had no choice but to depend on this woman here. He lifted his look from Chen, where they had slipped again, towards the healer when she spoke again, eyes glued on her with a glint of hope. “Thank you.” He muttered, his tone slightly more relieved now. The tension was still there, in his every cell, as he had yet to see what would happen to Chen and to the woman as well.

The shifter did as he was told to and stepped back a little, ready to help in case something was to happen to her. He watched her actions closely, hands fisted as he was waiting. It was probably one of the hardest things, to wait, as it was the only thing he could do, besides hoping that this would turn out well. Jaejoong could hear words in a language unknown to him, but he had the feeling that he wouldn’t gasp their meaning even if they were in his own language. His eyes were glued to the woman who was chanting some kind of spell. It was incredible how the weather changed in a few moments like that. What was even more incredible was how she could bear all the electricity passing through her body. The shifter’s eyes widened as the healer fell to the ground at the end of the whole process. He hurried next to her, even though he knew that it was probably too late to do anything for her.

He then looked up to see Chen getting up, the currents gone from his skin and not on the verge of passing out anymore. He was fine. It had worked. But then Jaejoong looked down at the woman that he was now holding as he was trying to see if she was alive or not, even though it was probably in vain. Outside, raining was still pouring, less heavily than before, and for a few moments, that was the only sound that filled the room, until the shifter spoke. “She saved you…” Then he looked back up at the thunderbird. He was alive, but Jaejoong felt guilty for what happened. He now pondered if he actually make a right choice.

@Jaejoong The healer was wearing a very serious and concerned expression. She wanted to help but endangering her own life for this stranger was a little far fetched. Though she had known his ancestor many many hundreds of years ago he was not the same man that she once knew. She let out a deep sigh, letting the birds hand go as she mumbled under her breath. His condition was critical and if she was going to help him she needed to act now. She could sense the urgency coming from the friend who had brought the thunderbird in, knowing that this particular reincarnation seemed to have made a connection with someone was heartwarming and from the way that he was desperately fighting for this creatures life, a creature who would just be reborn again told her just what she needed to do. She had lived a long life anyway.
"Ok, I will try my best but this might not work." She told the shifter calmly. Having made up her mind she knew there was no return, she would make sure that this thunderbird could live on as the person he was now.

"You should probably step back." She said, giving a meaningful smile towards the feline before she placed both of her hands on the thunderbirds chest. She started chanting soft words, thunderclouds quickly forming in the sky outside and a heavy downpour started. She kept her focus on the thunderbird under her hands, saying words in a language long extinct. The electricity started traveling up her arms, the intensity of them shocking her more and more with each of the thunderbirds heartbeat. She did not let go of him despite how much of a beating her body took from the electric shocks. The sky was roaring and thunder was heard and she made a final shout, pressing down right over Chen's heart, completely electrocuting herself in the process. She then fell limp down on the floor, eyes rolling back and jaw going slack.

Chen sat up with a start, body feeling ten times lighter than before and he could for the first time properly keep his eyes open. Taking in the room he was currently sitting in. He looked down, noticing how his skin wasn't covered in electric currents anymore, nor did he seem to attract anymore metallic objects. He hadn't been conscious enough to know just what the healer had done to him but he felt like he normally did. It wasn't until he tried to find the person who had saved his life that he realized something was seriously wrong. He saw an old woman laying on the floor and his eyes widened, small scenes flashing by his mind, scenes of a thunderstorm and familiar phrases being uttered. He sent a distressed glance over at the shifter, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
"What happened?" He asked, voice almost breaking.

@Chen Jaejoong could see very well how the thunderbird was struggling to keep his consciousness and not give in and pass out. The shifter silently prayed – to any deity that could be out there, even though he didn’t believe in such things - that he would continue to do so and resist until the problem was solved, because he was not going to just let him die like that. Seeing that Chen extended his hand seemingly towards the place he was standing in, he took a small step forward, intending to grab it, but the woman had already done so, in order to check his pulse. Jaejoong’s look shifted to the healer, a look of worry on his expression as he saw her like that and hearing her words. He bit his lower lip as she kept talking. He frowned as the woman trailed off, afraid of what she might say, and his hunch was right about that.

“No!” he quickly retorted, his fists clenching by his sides. Even he was surprised at his reaction, but it was true that he didn’t want Chen to just die like that, even though he would be reborn. He wasn’t quite sure about the reason; maybe he was selfish and refused to be forgotten in case the other wasn’t going to make it. “I mean… If there’s a way… Maybe he can make it. What’s the way to save him you were talking about? I… I can help if you let me, just tell me!” Jaejoong gulped nervously, eyeing the woman almost desperately. Pleading was not a thing he was used to, definitely; the shifter was someone who didn’t know when to say “please” and “thank you”, but now it seemed he had to do those things. He was aware that he wasn’t doing it properly, but he was too nervous to think properly right now.

@Jaejoong Chen could feel himself slip in and out of consciousness, he faintly remembered being placed on a hard surface but after that it became increasingly hard to hear anything and he just wanted to give in to sleep and let all of it go. But something told him to fight to stay awake. That it really wasn't his time yet so he tried his best to keep his eyes open, he focused on the sound of the felines voice, the only thing that seemed to calm him down. He blindly reached out, trying to find the feline with his hand. He just needed something to ground him.

On the other hand the healer was still frowning heavily, a hand in front of her chin as she looked at the thunderbird. One could easily tell she was troubled by the sight.
"It appears that all the electricity that is usually inside of him has decided to come out at once, hence his current condition." She said with a heavy sigh and took the thunderbirds hand that was waving in the air, checking his pulse. "This is something that might be beyond even my powers, the last time this happened it almost killed both the thunderbird and myself." She said, followed by another worried frown. "There might be a way to save him, but I really can't guarantee anything at this point.. the last time the thunderbird wasn't quite like this, maybe it's because of the previous attack, I'm not quite sure but.." She trailed off and looked up at the shifter. "It might be better to just let him die and be reborn.."

@Chen Jaejoong slowly placed the thunderbird down on the wooden table, as he was told to by the woman. Eyeing Chen, she asked what happened to him, the question being directed at Jaejoong, since the other didn't seem like he would be able to speak. "He's been attacked and now he's basically a living magnet, because he's a thunderbird." The shifter replied briefly, looking at the woman who was examining the other. "And we didn't really know what to do, so I brought him here, hoping we would find a healer. The woman nodded and murmured something to herself, frowning, and Jaejoong inferred it wasn't quite an easy thing to heal him.

"I haven't seen something like this in a long time..." the lady said, looking at Jaejoong this time, then focusing her attention back onto Chen. The shifter felt weird knowing that he was so young in comparison to the other two in the room, but he shrugged the thought off quickly. "Then, can you do something about it? He's practically dying..." he trailed off at the end as his eyes fell on the body laid onto the table. The situation was quite uncomfortable, more uncomfortable that he foresaw it to be, because it would actually be awful to see him die before his eyes.

@Jaejoong Chen sighed in relief when the shifter told him that they where in the village and forcing his eyes to open again. As they passed people they did receive some strange looks here and there. As the feline stopped to ask a woman about a healer Chen could barely keep his eyes open and he just hoped this trip wasn't in vain. He was grateful that the other took the initiative to ask people and to take him there because he was now nearly knocked out with exhaustion. It didn't take very long for the two of them to be in front of the healers house, Chen really didn't know what to expect as the door opened.

Now since he wasn't fully conscious he couldn't really hear anything the healer was saying, if that even was the healer, but they where none the less ushered in to the house. He felt strangely nervous and slightly more awake now that they where finally inside so he let his fingers brush through the shifters hair again, trying to ease his nerves. It was strange because no one had even seen such a pathetic and helpless side of him before and he would feel a bit embarrassed if he had the energy to do so but frankly he didn't. A woman gestured for the feline to but Chen down on a table, he wasn't sure if the woman herself was the healer of if it was someone else.

[sorry for taking so long, work has been crazy .-. and sorry for the fail of this post /crawls in to a hole/]

@Chen Jaejoong was relieved that the journey until the village went by without any major events going on, like him being electrocuted to death or anything like that. That didn’t mean all their problems were gone now though, because now that they were here, they needed to find someone that could help Chen. The fastest the better, because he could feel the stinging sensation growing more and more against his skin.

“Yeah, we’re here.” The shifter responded as his eyes roamed around the place for a little while as he slowed down a little, in order to ask someone if there was a healer in the village. He could see how tiring all this thing was to the thunderbird in his arms. He should hurry or who knows what would happen? He had just found out that even if Chen dies, he would be reincarnated, but that didn’t mean he should just let him. What would life be like without an annoying magnet to call him ‘sugarpuff’ from time to time, huh? Jaejoong stopped in his tracks to talk to an old lady that was passing by them at that moment. “Excuse me, is there any healer in this village by any chance?” the shifter inquired, hoping to receive an affirmative answer, and so it was. The woman informed him about the whereabouts of the healer around here, and Jaejoong immediately headed towards that place with quick steps. It didn’t last much for him to reach the house he was looking for, and he knocked on the door a few times, waiting for someone to open it.

Chen usually didn't fuss about being in pain, nor did he get worried too easily. But the fact still remained that he had somehow lost control over his electric powers and where now a walking magnet. Not that he was walking at all, kudos to the shifter who had been carrying him all the way. Luckily it seemed like he wasn't magnetic enough to get stuck to any metallic object they passed, but the electricity were growing more and more intense. Other than that the journey had been quite uneventful, he was just hoping that it would be worth the trip.. otherwise he might feel a bit too guilty for making him go through all of this.
"Are we there yet?" He asked, shutting his eyes with an exhausted sigh. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed like all of his energy was running out due to his electricity running wild.. but he knew it wouldn't be wise to give in to sleep, he probably wouldn't wake up again if he did. Despite knowing that it was only natural for him to die and be reborn he just didn't want to leave his current life, not yet.. not when he had sort of.. friends? He peaked an eye open and looked over at the feline, whom he knew wasn't really a caring person by nature.. or so he figured.. he just felt a bit special knowing that he was taken care of. Most of his old friends just wanted to kill him.