Every sweet has its sour

A few sprigs of early blooming plants rose up from the snow, giving the ground a spotted look that entertained the pale goddess. Holographic white-to-lavender eyes shifted to her mate as he spoke in response to her request for a break. Her dry throat loved the idea of a drink and she searched the area for a stream or creek, her eyes landing on the same stream of water that Requiem had spotted. Nudging her hip, Requiem silently requested that she follow him, moving with him instead. The babbling of the water was music to her ears, and she paused just long enough to watch with a smile as her love went to find the medicines he spoke of. If they were anything like the herbs and concoctions Atropos tried to give her, she would not take them voluntarily. Lurid lowered herself to settle in and drank slowly, that first sip of icy water hitting her throat like a jackhammer, but it felt so good to have something to drink.

When her crimson shadow returned to her, he had a bundle of herbs in his mouth and laid them at her feet. He wished for her to eat them. For a moment, Lurid simply stared at her beloved, wide-eyed with disbelief. "Ad te aliquid." Though she would spit them out if she didn't like the taste of them. Lightly taking the watercress in her mouth, chewing slowly at first, finding the plant to be relatively pleasant. The valerian root was next, finding this one to be earthy but good, she ate the first two with no problem. He pulled an ugly-looking root out of his satchel next and gave it to her. This one Lurid wasn't so sure of, and he warned her of its bitterness, but she bit into it anyway. The root was so bitter, Lurid spat it out and shook her head like a child. "Oh, that's awful! I can't eat that, the other two weren't bad, but this...this is...no." Lurid drank more from the stream to rinse the taste of ginseng from her mouth, muttering softly to herself about bitter roots and potions.

After a while, she began to breathe easier, the valerian root and watercress doing their work on her lungs. She still coughed a little, but it was nowhere near as severe as it had been when they first arrived. The ginseng lay untouched aside from the single bite Lurid had refused to swallow. Requiem asked how she felt, and Lurid gave a sassy smirk at him, "Feeling better, but I am not eating that, my beloved." Pointing at the bitter root at her paws as she spoke, her dual-toned voice once again lilting with her Latin accent in lyrical fashion. Looking into those onyx and silver eyes she so loved, Lurid gave a silent challenge. He couldn't make her take that root, even if he told her the benefits. The foul taste outweighed any possible remedy it could hold. Maybe if there was a way to make it sweeter, she would. Otherwise, he would have to fight her. She would not take that willingly. She was feeling rested enough having drank her fill and the herbs she did eat taking their effect.