⌂ ㅤerika l。

@ᵈ˖⁺ alycia d。 The faded shade of scarlet adorned her rosy cheeks in a captivating hue, allowing Erika to feel bit of contentment at the remarkable accomplishment she’d achieved. arising a flush of red upon the girl’s cheeks became yet another objective of hers; for she looked her absolute best at such state. Bashful in the most adorable way possible. However, it was of even bigger impact because of her usual stoic expressions, till the walls fell to allow vulnerability to take place instead. So compliments do get to her. Now that’s interesting. Though it wasn’t quite a compliment. No compliment could be this sincere. The girl sounded angelic with a cute hesitation to her speech. Especially with that Australian accent which could charm Erika in the span of a second. What could anyone not like about it? At this point, it was sad to know that she can’t hear her talk for hours.

Not going to lie, with the whole lot of impacting conversations, the blonde had forgotten about their familiars. which were watching them intently before making a move on Alycia. Both animals rested on her, as though seeking affection. and while Luca had such behaviours with Erika, he did not seek attention from strangers till now. Perhaps he already considered Aly a friend. He is after all quite touchy and friendly. Although Erika told him “no touchy” tsk. She almost felt jealous, her own familiar going to the other girl instead. “Really Luca? I'm right here” so she crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the little monkey. However, the interaction warmed her heart up, forming a grin on her features before she straightened in alarm upon remembering something.

Her eyes shifted yet again to the brunette, one of her hands reaching up to scratch the back of her head. “At some point in your sleep, you were mumbling a name. Clarke? Thought it was something important if you were dreaming about it after collapsing.” The ends of her sentence seemed to fade, knowing that she might’ve hit a nerve with this one. But Aly deserved to know, right? Especially if it would remind her of something or someone important. But it also could be a person she knew before? Erika was already regretting said statement. But the curiosity itself burning inside her did its work on overcoming obstacles. Maybe the girl had a secret lover. And this whole day would be gone in vain, her hopes and the deepening crush she was having. She also deserved to know, not to fall further in that case.

@ᵈ˖⁺ erika l。 There was something incredibly comforting in Erika's touch, Alycia wasn't sure if it was just the way the blonde was, or if she was using some sort of magic to calm her, all she knew was that this certainly wasn't how she felt around the majority of people. Then again, it had been a while since she'd been around anyone. Being told she sounded beautiful made the necromancer flush a light shade of red, a compliment like that was a shock to the system. Her voice was something she was always insecure about, it'd been the reason the other kids had laughed at her, you didn't just forget about something like that...but here was Erika making her wonder if she'd ever deserved that kind of treatment. Perhaps Alycia wasn't as broken as she thought.

The hug brought a rather intense pull to Alycia's chest, the kind of pull that had her snaking her own arms around the other woman's waist, though the blonde had already let her go before she had the chance to fully relax in her arms. Intresting, why was so so disappointed about Erika letting her go? The girl had no idea, she just knew that there was a part of her that would be quite content with being held a little longer. Luckily Alycia didn't have to think about that for long, Edgar soon interrupted her thoughts with a squawk, flying over to her as soon as she made eye contact with him. She held her hand out for him to land on, knowing he wanted to check she was ok with the situation.

What she didn't expect however was Erika's familiar to follow her own, climbing up into her lap, looking up at her as though he were expecting something. Alycia looked over to the blonde, searching for any kind of reaction that would clue her in to how to handle this. Nothing. Perhaps the monkey was always this friendly. Alycia moved her free hand slowly, making sure the little mammal knew she had no intention of hurting him when she reached towards him, holding out her index finger that he grabbed almost instantly, almost making her coo at how adorable his tiny hands were.

@ᵈ˖⁺ alycia d。 Her glacier eyes locked a gaze upon the girl's countenance, staring with a hint of mixed elation and perplexity, whilst the soft gleam of her lucid orbs indicated the hidden pleasure of hearing the brunette's voice. As much as she was startled, there was a certain sense of delight in the fact that she could at least hear her now. She watched her inhale deeply, Alycia's effort to speak ever so evident in the way she squeezed her hand, unconsciously driving Erika's heart to the edge at the soft gesture of seeking ease. which the blonde returned gladly, attempting to help the girl in her difficult task as she uttered out a single letter, wincing just afterwards at the failed attempt before she successfully vocalized 'sometimes'

It was clear by now that the stammered speech of hers wasn't due to nervousness. Or just that, as a matter of fact. This is obviously a permanent speech disorder but unlike most people the girl likely encountered, Erika didn't mind it one bit. In fact, she thought it was pretty adorable; despite the apparent effort Alycia had put in. In all honesty, the healer felt so damn proud of her for speaking, she could almost feel her cheeks hurting at the blissful beam reaching her ears. However, when she saw her write instead of continuing, it was gradually replaced with a rather bittersweet simper. Selective mutism, it's what restricted her. But it also meant that she was comfortable enough to speak around Erika for her to even utter out her stammer. and that alone, felt so much like an achievement for the blonde.

But this sparked even more protective instincts into her. She just can't let this precious thing get hurt again, can she? "You sound beautiful, aly." Erika gave an assuring smile, before she reached over, encircling her arms around the brunette in a warm hug she intended nothing but to soothe her anxiety with. "I'm here for you. even if it's a bit hard to trust me entirely. I won't hurt you, I promise." However, soon enough she pulled back, a sheepish grin forming on her features whilst she rubbed her nape, "I'm sorry, i'm a bit of a skinship monster."

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 Erika's affectionate gesture of taking her hand wasn't something Alycia had expect to happen, nor was it something she'd expected to like, but for god knows what reason it seemed to relax her, to put her at ease. The necromancer had been anticipating a shocked reaction from the healer when she spoke, considering the fact that she'd attempted to learn some sign language to communicate with her, it was obvious that the other girl had assumed she was either deaf or completely mute. However, that wasn't quite the case. How Alycia wished it could be that simple. But instead she was stuck with a disorder that some would assume was just stubbornness and write off as her being antisocial or attention seeking. 'How can someone be selectively mute? Surely you're either mute or you can talk, nothing more to it.' Had been her own father's reaction upon first receiving her diagnosis, of course he'd soon adapted to understand her disability, but not everyone was as open minded.

Taking in a few deep breaths, and subconsciously squeezing Erika's hand a little, Alycia tried to keep herself calm before attempting to speak again. "S-" The brunette cut herself off, wincing a little at the sound of her own disjointed speech. She'd always struggled with certain letters more than others, unfortunately 's' happened to be one of those letters. "S-Somet-times" Alycia kept her eyes shut as she spoke, trying to pretend as though she were the only person in the room. God she hated that ing stutter of hers, it was humiliating, but what upset her even more was that she'd occasionally see even her parents get irritated with how long they'd have to wait for her to choke out a sentence.

Moving her free hand from the blanket, Alycia flipped open the notebook that she'd placed down on her lap, taking the pen between her fingers so she could jot down an explanation of her comment. 'Selective mutism' was all she scribbled on the page before holding the book out to the other woman, hoping her reaction wouldn't be a roll of her eyes or a sigh. Those were always the most frustrating.

@ᵈ˖⁺ alycia d。 Having had expected an affirmative response to her question, the head nod did nothing but intensify the concern burning in her chest. She could feel her heart stinging at the thought of poor little aly holding onto walls and objects to keep herself steady, even possibly fainting after communicating with a dead person. Was it even worth it? She wanted to ask, truly curious whether the people she summoned were worth the pain or all the scars she had caused herself. Now, she did not want to assume what kind of life the brunette had but her struggles with communication were obvious enough. Hence, she kept quiet about it for now, deciding not to cross a line she wasn't meant to cross yet. After all, she finally earned a bit of her trust. It'd be a shame if she lost it for a bit of curiosity. Especially after the girl eased to her touch, her trembling hands no longer displaying tension before she let go of them.

However, for some reason, maintaining an eye contact was far harder than she expected. Her eyes were practically glued on the slumped shoulders which she was covering up. Her slender fingers tugging the blanket further down to warm the girl up properly. Putting Erika's protective healer instincts aside, this girl sparked urges of protection deep into the blonde's chest, having her commit acts she herself got shocked at. The path of saving the current unknown from what seemed to be dangerous; to further taking it into tending to disturbing habits had been so rash so far. But the healer already threw caution into the air the second she allowed the girl shelter into her private space.

"You shouldn't be reaching the state of vertigo, this is wro-" Yet another scolding was going to take place to show Alycia her wrong ways if not for that little mutter which stopped Erika in her tracks, her heart hammering in her chest at the ton of confusion she was abruptly having. Was she hallucinating? Did the girl really just open and — spoke? Astonishment washed over her features, replacing concern with pure shock at the words she just heard. Perhaps she was imagining? the hopes of hearing the girl's voice clouding reality? or perhaps she was just a jackass which assumed mutism when the brunette could perfectly speak. "I -" Perhaps stuttering became contagious out of the blue. With knitted eyebrows and widened eyes, her gaze locked itself on the girl, one of her hands reaching out to hold Alycia’s, her grip gentle regardless of the massive daze pilling on her head. "You - You can speak" Wow she felt like such a moron.

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 For someone who usually received absolutely no social interaction, and physically contact that only came from her parents, the whole day had been a bit overwhelming for Alycia. First it was Alex gripping her arms, now it was Erika tracing her thumbs over her palms. Though she couldn't help but notice how gentle the blonde was in comparison to the man from earlier, she wasn't threatening her, nor trying to intimidate her. Perhaps she could trust this woman after all.

Alycia nodded in response to the blonde's question, she did tend to feel dizzy after her rituals, on occasions she would faint if therehad been a particularly large amount of blood loss, but she chose not to worry her companion with that information just yet. Gentle touches combined with the other's soft tone soon put the necromancer at ease, the lessened shaking of her hands showing her increase in comfort. There was something about this woman, something that Alycia liked, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what that thing was. With the slight increase in confidence, Alycia found her voice, though only very briefly. It would take time for her to be able to speak in full sentences around Erika, but considering this was the first time she'd spoken aloud to a living human other than her parents since her school days, she thought she was doing pretty well.

"Th-Thank you." Of course her speech wasn't flawless, her stammer never failing to remind her of why she'd stopped talking in the first place. But Alycia had to remind herself that Erika wasn't the the people she went to school with, surely she wouldn't laugh at her. Her trembling hands soon gripped the blanket, pulling it tighter around her, partly for warmth, partly because it made her feel less exposed.

@ᵈ˖⁺ alycia d。 Erika has witnessed a lot of cutters throughout her life, mostly in foster care; for some unadopted teenagers were absolutely miserable in their lonesome youth. In her case however, the idea of scraping sharp objects to skin till it cuts open was never appealing, hence she never tried it herself although she understood their reasons. She just had other techniques to cope with. Nonetheless, it was almost triggering for her, considering her many attempts to help those who went down the cutting road to suicide. The girl even got medicine books to help understand the human body better, to know which wounds are deep and which aren't. And to be fair, being a healer is much like being a doctor, right? She had those same instincts with lesser knowledge but better performance.

The blonde knew that her request is rather anxiety inducing, she just couldn't help the worry itching under her skin for the cutter she had found. Therefore, when Alycia sat next to her and extended her quivering hands, there was no surprise on her features. Though the cold feel of her fingers surely did cause a bit of concern. Sinking her teeth into the bottom of her lips, she dropped her cigarette into the ashtray, to concentrate fully on the task at hand. and with the most gentle of touches, Erika reached out to hold the injured palms. The pad of her thumb grazing ever so lightly upon each scar whilst she examined them. "These are deep. Do you ever feel dizzy or unstable after your rituals?"

The frown only increased as the healer diverted her sight to the other girl, gazing at her as though she was in danger. which technically, she was. But that's not the point. "You're freezing in a warm house, that's not okay." This felt more of a scolding than an observation but the girl wasn't even looking at her. instead, when she followed her vision, she was staring at the one blanket she had draped over the sofa as a decoration.

"Oh, aly -" Blinking a couple times, Erika reached back with one hand while the other still held onto Alycia's and grabbed the blanket "You should've told me that you were feeling cold." swiping her tongue briefly over her lips. She finally let go of the brunette's hand to drape the blanket over her shoulders.

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 Alycia had kept herself relatively calm throughout this whole ordeal, but when Erika asked to see her wounds she couldn't help but tense a little. The girl had found that most people didn't understand her situation, they'd see scars and immediately start a pity party, they'd treat her like she was delicate and vulnerable. Alycia didn't want that, she didn't want sympathy, nor did she need a shoulder to cry on, she was completely happy being left in peace to do her magic.

The girl pursed her lips momentarily, almost as though she were debating with herself over what kind of reaction Erika would have. 'I have to make sure you know what you're doing' Alycia blinked, a little confused by the statement. Of course she knew what she was doing, she'd been practicing for years and an incident worthy of a trip to the emergency room was incredibly rare, though the girl supposed Erika must have good intentions, judging by her tone and the way she seemed almost careful about her choice of words. Alycia nodded, sitting herself down next to the other woman. The brunette was tense and her posture gave that away, her hands trembled slightly as she presented them to Erika, waiting for a reaction that she was sure would make her feel some form of intense guilt.

The necromancer found herself looking for a distraction, her eyes darting around the room until they stopped on a blanket that had been draped over the back of the couch. It looked soft, and Alycia couldn't help but think how much warmer she'd be if she were to wrap it around herself. For someone who was permanently cold, Erika's apartment was a bit of a shock, a very different temperature to her own home, but Alycia didn't want to mention that she was feeling a little chilly, she'd hate to be any trouble.

@ᵈ˖⁺ alycia d。 The fact that the girl had no problems with any explanation she gave baffled Erika. She expected her to get mad at some point after all the questions that she asked. But maybe she was just confused or preferred to know everything, leaving no space for any blind spots. which the healer truly respected. Thus, it caused her sudden mood downfall to lessen. The blonde was trying quite hard to maintain a collected image but there was a slight twitch of a smile, surfacing at the adorable reaction she received from Alycia.

Having a feeling even before all this happened that the girl is too soft to hurt anyone, She almost chuckled at the frantic denial. yet again, hurting herself to perform magic was very concerning as well. considering the amount of people she must've communicated with or summoned, that must've taken her a lot of blood. which is most likely the reason behind her weak muscles, Erika would know. For she carried her multiple times already. and although she was a mechanic with a strong figure, she could still tell if someone is as light as a feather.

Patting the vacant spot next to her, she uttered her next words with a layer of concern ever so evident between each syllable. "Can I see your wounds? I have to make sure that you know what you're doing." Her vision was glued to the other girl, orbs filled with uneasiness at the sudden thought of all the pain she must've gone through whenever she had to communicate with someone. "Don't you care about your health? you lose a lot of blood for this. I know this for sure."

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 'Luca is a witness' as ridiculous as it was, the brunette was almost comforted by the statement, a quick glance at the monkey practically making her forget what she'd even been worried about. God he was a cute little thing, she could only imagine how easily he'd get out of trouble purely by being so adorable and fluffy. Maybe that's why Edgar was being so calm with him? As confirmation Alycia gave a nod, glancing down at what she was wearing for a moment. She had to admit, Erika owned some incredibly comfortable clothes, it almost made her wonder if the other girl had specifically chosen the garments with the softest fabrics.

Even hearing the word sacrifice was a little bit of a shock, her eyes now slightly widened, Alycia waved both hands dismissively and shook her head. Sure, she was into black magic, but that didn't make her a complete barbarian. Never in her life had the necromancer used someone elses blood, nor had she ever harmed an animal. In fact, Alycia did the opposite, she couldn't even bare to see a moth die without doing her utmost to resurrect the poor little soul. Alycia was a true softie at heart. The brunette scribbled a little more frantically this time, desperate to explain herself. 'I don't take anyone's blood. I use my own.' Alycia handed Erika the notebook once she'd finished writting.

The smell of smoke didn't bother Alycia, in fact, she found it rather comforting. It reminded her of the log fire in her cabin, the warmth and soft light that it brought to her living room. In all honesty, she missed it already. Though she figured now was not the time to be reminiscing about the place she'd quite literally been taken away from after her not so friendly old friend had paid her a visit.

@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 Healing was never something Erika used often. In fact, she'd rarely ever done it to someone other than herself. Most witches and warlocks use their gifts and powers whenever they get the chance. But not her. Healing felt like this one thing which made her unique. which made her who she is. and frankly, the only good thing about her. It's like her utmost reward to those who she deems worthy. Perhaps she was wrong this time. or perhaps the girl is indeed worthy and the flaw is in her own magic. Perhaps it isn't as rewarding as she thought it was. However, one thing for sure, protecting others always stirred trouble. if only she could turn off those saviour instincts inside of her. Then she won't be met with disappointment even when she intends no harm.

The blush was ever so evident on the other's cheek. heat reaching up to adorn it with a rosy hue though she tried to suppress it. it wasn't that hard to figure out. of course Erika looked when she changed her clothes. how could she not? now, she doesn't want to sound like a but she'd only seen her undergarments. hence, it should be fine right? "Don't worry. I didn't look much where I'm not supposed to. Luca is a witness, he can exonerate me." a chuckle resonated from whilst she held her arms up in surrender, allowing herself to take a long drag from the paper toxin.

The answers which the girl wrote concerned Erika deeply. This felt so much like a daily struggle. 'Summon his brother?' merged with blood..Sacrificial magic? The healer shouldn't be as shocked as she is but she couldn't help herself. this soft girl in front of her talks to the dead. It's not much of a shock considering the type of people in here. it was just..concerning. Not everyone approved nor liked necromancers. and this one certainly didn't seem like one though the blood told a different story. "Whose blood do you take? do you sacrifice animals or humans?" She felt icky asking such questions because both answers would be horrifying for someone which holds the power to save those who've been harmed. "and you use it for your art. now that's a sight to be seen."

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 Pursing her lips, Alycia tried her best to wrap her head around Erika's tone. She sounded hurt, like her reaction had upset her, but Alycia hadn't meant any offense, it was understandable that other people didn't grasp why her scars were important to her. Most just saw an ugly mark, an imperfection that needed to be corrected. The girl so desperately wanted to say it was ok, that she didn't mind, but the words couldn't fight their way out.

Though Alycia still wasn't entirely comfortable with a stranger stripping her and changing her clothes, what's done is done and she just had to hope that, though it was incredibly unlikely, the other girl hadn't looked. It was ridiculous really, of course she'd looked, doing it with her eyes closed would have been unnecessarily challenging, but she continued to lie to herself to suppress the blush that had began to taint her cheeks. Did it help? Not really. Was Alycia still going to repress the embarrassing truth? Absolutely.

Her eyebrows raised when the questioning was turned to her, she should have expected it really, but a silly little part of her had hoped she'd get away with being as private about her life as possible. Clearly not. Alycia gripped her pen tightly, the sweat on her palm making it a little harder to hold. She was nervous, rightfully so, not everyone thought necromancy was justifiable. 'He wanted me to summon his brother.' Alycia paused, tapping the pen against the page softly as she gathered her thoughts before continuing to write. 'He said he needed to talk to him. It seemed important.' Once again the girl stopped writing, the blood was harder to explain, though it wasn't as exactly a secret that she practiced blood magic. Her skin told that story for her. 'I need the blood for my magic. Sometimes for my art too.'

@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 Receiving a head nod for her admission was reasonably the most unpredictable reaction Erika could get. For the latter's expressions told a different story. Perhaps she was just perplexed? startled? but the displeasure of her features was quite apparent in the grim line and knitted brows. In the suspicious gazes most of all. However, although she chose to shrug it off, the blonde felt the need to apologize, her fingers reaching to grab the cigarette pack laying on the table. "I'm sorry if you didn't want the scar gone." said words were mumbled with a layer of bitterness topping it all, most probably at the wasted magic she'd performed. Perhaps she was wrong for helping, after all.

She couldn't help but observe the two familiars after she took the pack, a bit distracted at the shocking bond they've already formed. at least, they were getting along much better than their owners. or so it seemed. Dammit, Luca should've given some of his skills to his owner. That little monkey knew how to capture the hearts of others, allowing him to do whatever floats his boat. was it his cute appearance; which made anything he does seem adorable? or was it just the fact that he's a baby? Nonetheless, Erika will forever be envious.

The next questions shown to her had caused an abrupt headache to spark within her head. With an unobtrusive gulp, the blonde pressed the cold cigarette to her lips, a click of her digit lighting it up before she threw the lighter back on the table. Only parting her lips to speak after exhaling the toxins she out. "You're in my apartment. Wearing my clothes because yours were covered in blood and charcoal. as for your cottage.."

Suddenly, she had a hard time trying to explain the reason why she was parked there. is it safe to say her gut told her to? to be fair, she didn't know either. perhaps it was infatuation that made her pass by that cottage again. "I pass by it every day on my way to work. I just got suspicious when I saw that man come in so I parked and waited. Don't worry, I'm not some crazy stalker." Erika ran her fingers through her strands again, annoyed at her own statement. "Now, you answer me. What did that man want? and what's with all the blood?"

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 'I'll just call you Aly though' It had been quite some time since Alycia had been close enough to anyone to have her name shortened, even now it felt like they didn't know each other well enough to be using nicknames. Perhaps she was just out of touch with the current social norms, then again, it wasn't like she'd ever known those. Always one step behind the crowd. The necromancer decided not to dwell on it, instead giving a nod while trying her very best not to over-think the way this 'Erika' had slipped the word 'beautiful' into her sentence.

Alycia glanced over to their familiars, a little confused by how placid Edgar was being while the mischievous little monkey was playing with his feathers. That wasn't like him, not at all, Edgar tended to be equally as reserved as she herself was, he certainly didn't let others touch him, but there seemed to be no objections on his part. Perhaps he was simply allowing the other animal to amuse himself, though Alycia couldn't help but wonder if the crow had already formed a soft spot.

Turning her attention back to the other human in the room, Alycia gave yet another nod in response. She had no particular attachment to that scar, it wasn't one she'd acquired from someone special, just a pigeon she'd found dead and brought the life back to. Though she'd have to remember to tell the girl not to heal anymore without checking first. Alycia was awfully sentimental. Putting pen to paper once again, the brunette began to scrawl down her questions;
'Where am I?
Who's clothes are these and why am I wearing them?
Why were you parked so close to my house?'

@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 Erika couldn't deny the exhilaration running through her veins whilst she waited for the girl to write. For starters, she hadn't dealt with a disabled person before. Therefore, as much as she hated the lack of communication on a verbal aspect, this felt rather good for a change. Although she couldn't help but imagine what soft, beautiful voice the brunette could've had. After all, her visuals were enchanting enough with no tone to top that. it would've been an easy kill to anyone who dares glimpse her way, if she were to have it all.

Instinctively, the blonde leant forward, her lips puckered up in an attempt to pronounce the name which was written for her. "A-lycia?" her eyebrows knitted in confusion momentarily before she shrugged it off with a small simper forming upon her lips. "Beautiful. I'll just call you aly though. if that's alright." One thing for sure, this wasn't gonna end up so pleasant; for there were a lot more important things than just their names and familiars. But for some reason, getting past them made her feel quite better about the whole situation. "I'm Erika. You could just call me- rika or whatever. and please, don't worry about it. I know what it's like to have a mischievous familiar." There was a certain bittersweet vibe in the air which she couldn't fathom. but it dragged her down. mainly after seeing that one last sentence.

"Go ahead, by all means." In all honesty, The healer had already seen her notice the absence of the scar which she remedied. She just hoped that she wouldn't be mad. For she intended no harm or judgment. She merely wanted to heal some form of pain, the one thing which she could change. Inhaling a rather deep breath, Erika sat on the sofa, clasping her hands together. "I know the first one. Yes, i healed that scar." There was no point in denying now, was there?

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 As soon as Alycia had a pen in her hand, she felt far more comfortable, she had a way to communicate now, a way to let the other girl know that she was thankful for her help during the earlier events. The girl put pen to paper, quickly jotting down her name, leaving a few lines of blank space before she continued to write;

'Thank you for earlier. Sorry about Edgar, he tends to make himself at home no matter where he is. I have a few questions if you don't mind.'

As much as Alycia wanted to just thank the girl and move on, it really wasn't that easy. There was a lot about the situation that needed explaining. The necromancer handed back the notebook, only then catching a glimpse of her wrist. Her eyes narrowed, brows knitting together as she examined her own skin. Alycia knew her scars well, each one represented a ritual she'd performed, someone from the other side that she'd contacted, in her mind it was just a way of remembering her experiences. So it was quite the shock when one of the deepest ones had completely disappeared.

Green eyes flicked back up to the blonde infront of her, realisation that the other girl must have been a healer starting to kick in. She had nothing against healers, after all, they did some of the purest and least selfish magic imaginable, but they often had the reputation for being judgemental about the darker side of magic and that was enough to put Alycia on edge.

@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 Having gotten no reaction at first caused Erika to think that the latter couldn't understand her. Her teeth sinking into the flesh of her lips anxiously. To be fair, there were around 300 sign languages in the world or so she read. Maybe she just learned the wrong one. After all, she did not know the girl's nationality for sure. She just stood there like a fool, unsure of what exactly she'd done or if it was even right. Till the hint of a small smile elevated up the corners of the girl's rosy lips, turning the nervous mess into an even more sheepish one; for heat managed to reach up her neck, reddening her cheeks the slightest.

There was a sense of relief when the girl waved her hand in return, as a way of greeting she supposed. Which for some reason, looked quite adorable. She found herself unable to concentrate, her vision shifting from the girl's visage to her nimble hands which she signed with. Perhaps it was the anxiety, perhaps not. It was just fairly hard to keep up with. Hence, when the other signed the most obvious solution, the blonde couldn't help but blink a couple times whilst her mind processed the request. "Paper - OH! I'm so stupid." She could literally hear her own voice cursing her stupidity inside her head before she stumbled to get the forgotten notebook laying on a nearby armchair; her face reddening even further at the absolute embarrassment. Lord, why hadn't she thought of that?

Although her mind was very busy at the moment, the stomping which the crow emitted didn't go by unnoticed. In fact, Erika thought it was cute, especially with Luca looking curiously at it, as though it was a new child she adopted. In return, he climbed on the table himself to take a closer look at the bird and possibly touch him. Yeah, the baby monkey had a thing for touching apparently. However, they did look like they'd get along. Thus, when the girl mouthed a sorry for such behaviour, the healer couldn't help but bite back a grin, rushing to hand her the notebook while she uttered a low "Don't worry about it." and so, instinctively, she reached her hand to rub her nape, remembering to ask the most important question. "What's your name?"

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 Emerald eyes watched intently, following the blonde's every move. It was good to be cautious, caution is what had kept Alycia safe for the past nineteen years. When the other took a step forward, the necromancer took a step back, keeping the distance between them, more of an instinctive reaction as opposed to a conscious decision. Though, she had to admit it was incredibly hard to be afraid of someone who was stumbling over their words, performing basic sign language that Alycia could only assume she'd googled while she'd been sleeping. There was something reassuring about knowing the other girl was making an effort to communicate with her, perhaps she wasn't such a threat after all.

Alycia pursed her lips to hold back a smile, waving her right hand softly as a greeting before her eyes began to wander, searching the room for something she could possibly write on. After a few seconds, the brunette turned her attention back to the woman infront of her, holding out one hand to act as a piece of paper, the other forming the shape it would be in while holding a pen. It was a simple action, though she hoped it would be exactly what she needed to help her rescuer understand and overcome the whole communication barrier.

While Alycia was shy and reserved, not wanting to draw any form of attention to herself, Edgar had decided to set off on his own little mission to explore the new surroundings. He took no notice of his owner's pleading eyes and he landed on the table with a squawk, his feet tapping along the wooden surface as he walked, investigating every single item that had been left on the table. Alycia closed her eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose to avoid visibly cringing at the boldness of her familiar. 'Sorry' The necromancer mouthed the words to the blonde, hoping she wouldn't mind the crow that was now stamping his way around her apartment.

@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 As soon as Erika settled the girl on her settee, allowing her to resume her slumber on a cosier surface; she stepped away. Slender fingers running between the threads of her hair, along with a deep sigh which she heaved. What did she get herself into? had she waited long enough to talk herself out of such rashness, the peacefully knocked out brunette wouldn't be laying in her condominium, covered in dried blood and charcoal. However, soon enough, she came to accept the decision she'd made, not having the heart to leave the stranger unaided. After all, it personally hurt her heart to have the capability to help and choose not to. The blonde grabbed a baggy t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from her room before returning to the girl. she'd placed them on the sofa, to keep them in sight whilst she cleans the girl up.

It was truly overwhelming, the enormous amount of questions popping into her head. A new one sparking every minute to add to the already massive confusion. Nonetheless, above all came the urge to help, to be patient in order to understand. Now, she was the most impatient person out there but there was nothing to do at this point. She'd dipped a cloth in warm water, sitting herself on the vacant space next to the sleeping girl; before gently wiping the blood from her cheeks at the most heedful pace, not to disturb her slumber.

She'd spent at least 15 minutes cleaning the soft skin until she came across a noticeably nasty scar on her wrist. a few others on her right palm and the back of her hand. Erika contemplated whether she should heal those, knowing it can cause others to be terrified much like what happened before. Yet again, this girl was obviously into dark magic, she wouldn't really mind, would she? ergo, she chose to heal one of them. deciding to see her reaction later on before attempting to remedy all her scars away. With a tender brush of her fingers onto the scar on the girl's wrist, the blonde closed her eyes; mumbling to herself the spell as the wound started closing, causing the skin to mend and become as pure and unscathed as before right about time she opened her eyes. "as good as new." The curvature of her lips elevated in a small simper, for she felt so good about herself everytime she'd healed anything. And for some reason, now that there was nothing to cover the girl's countenance, Erika found herself admiring the seraphic features of hers, knuckles briefly brushing onto her pale cheeks before she caught herself and withdrew her hand, in fear of waking said stranger.

Undoubtedly, Erika felt ashamed about undressing the latter, even Luca was looking at her with weird gazes. However, there was no way in hell she'd let her lay on her bed with those dirty clothes. She was living alone and washing her white sheets was never pleasant. hence, she needed to change her clothes. and she did, of course, while trying not to look much where she's not supposed to; in hope that the brunette wouldn't freak out when she awakens.

Once she was done cleaning and dressing the girl, she took a deep breath, taking a moment to stare at her. "bed time, little angel." the blonde placed one hand beneath her knees and the other under her lower back whilst she lifted her up bridal style, guiding the sleeping beauty to her bed. "Sleep well" She mumbled the words under her breath as she covered her with a blanket thick enough to warm her up; before closing the door and staying in the furthest room.

So In all honesty, she hadn't expected the latter to wake up this fast. Yes, 3 hours felt like a fairly long time but she wasn't ready to face her. she'd been learning sign language since she laid her down. in hopes that maybe she'd finally be able to communicate with her. therefore, when she heard the knock on the door, her senses were quite alarmed, head whipping up at that direction before her brain could process all the information. for all of a sudden, her nerves were driving her mad, jittery fingers pushing the laptop off her lap as she got up. placing one hand of hers in the back pocket of her jeans.

"Hey.." It was a mere whisper, though edible enough to be heard across the room. How awkward. She caught herself after a second, remembing all the sign language phrases she'd learned. "uh.." abrubtly, she raised her hands up and stepped closer, her mind gathering all the information whilst she waved her hand in an intent to greet, pointing to the girl afterwards before balling her hand in a fist and letting out her thumb -which looked like a thumbs up, really- and moving it in a circle motion, for her to say "are you okay?" honestly, she felt like a jackass but if this was the only way, she was willing to take it.

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 Her head was thumping as she awoke, a pain she had gone without for so long, though she thanked her lucky stars that the light wasn't on, the last thing Alycia needed right now was bright lights. A soft groan escaped the girl's lips as she forced herself into a sitting position, her back resting against the headboard of the bed that felt worryingly unfamiliar. Brows knitted together, symbolic of the girl's confusion as she patted the area around her with her hands, desperately searching for anything that would help her identify her location. However, it was to no avail. This certainly wasn't her own house. Then the memories came flooding back, she'd be chased out her own house, practically thrown herself into an almost stranger's car and it would seem as though she'd fallen asleep during the journey because she certainly didn't remember walking herself into a bedroom. Alycia brought her hands up to her face, rubbing at her eyes to wake herself up a little as she scooted towards the edge of the bed, hissing a little when her feet made contact with the freezing cold floor.

The low lighting in the room was the only indication of what time of day it was, she must have been out for a solid three hours, which was actually rather impressive for her. At first it had startled her when she'd heard movement in the room, though a soft caw proved to be a great amount of comfort. Edgar was here. Of course he was. Before long her familiar had perched himself on her shoulder, nuzzling into her cheek, a few quiet chirps bringing a smile to her face. It was only then that Alycia noticed the clothes she was wearing where considerably less tight than what she'd been in this morning. The necromancer looked down, gripping the baggy t-shirt she was now covered by, the material was soft and she appreciated that, but it definitely wasn't something she owned...and nor were the grey sweatpants.

Her cheeks flushed involuntarily, the thought of being dressed by a stranger making her feel far more exposed than she was comfortable with. Alycia wasn't a people person, she didn't even like to socialise, so it was understandable that she wasn't best pleased about the entire situation. Though, she guessed she should be thankful, the girl had possibly saved her life after all. How tragic. Letting out a soft sigh, Alycia navigated her way through the dark room and made her way to the door, inhaling sharply as she pushed it open. She wasn't ready to face the girl, she hadn't even planned how she was going to communicate with her but the longer she waited the more daunting it become. 'Bite the bullet, Aly.' The brunette forced herself to keep walking, following the light she'd seen shining from another room. Though the other girl had brought her here, there was still a part of her that worried she was intruding and that's what led her to knock on the already open door. Alycia didn't move from the doorway while she waited for a response, her mind was utterly scattered, social situations were certainly not her forte but this was just ridiculous.

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 [ np!! ]

@ᵈ˖⁺ matthew k。 [ thank you, m8 ]

@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 [ HERE YOU GO! ]