Duchess had been feeling a lot more sick as of late, but it didn't always stop her from getting away from the band. Still she was stuck with this blindness that she was sure she would have for the rest of her life, and it only made her want to learn how to navigate this way better. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Gypsy's entire life but mostly because of the past she was brought up in. She imagined if she had a caring father, or caring anyone to look after her, she would have learned better survival on foot that way.

Duchess found her way just a short distance from camp, being drawn to the ocean as if stepping into the water could help her. It was hard to travel these days since the crystals had taken up most of the front and back of her knees, rotating and moving up the front and down the back of her legs. Still, her legs sought the ocean almost as if soaking in the sea would heal or remove the crystals.

"Duchess"

As the world around them got worse and worse even he had begun to struggle to maintain any sort of bright outlook on things. The fact that there didn't seem to be anything they could do to improve things was part of the reason why it hung so heavy on him. When there was issues he could identify or heal or fix it at least felt like he was making progress and that helped him see a light at the end of the tunnel. In this continuous darkness that just never ended it was hard to find a bright point in any of it. He stuck close to Emersyn or Indigo, drawing any little bit of happiness from being around the wolves he cared about, but he still wished there was more that he could be doing. He kept himself busy restocking their herbs and organizing their supplies, helping Emersyn with hunts and keeping the camp well stocked on the things they would need. He spent more time with Gypsy and her goats and snuggled with Indigo whenever he needed the love he seemed to try to refuse.

And then there was Duchess. Ever since they found her blinded and encrusted with strange crystals after wandering away from camp for a while he couldn't help but feel worried and scared for her. It was unlike any kind of illness or condition he had ever seen and none of them really knew what to do. He had tried a couple of things in some kind of attempt to remove them, but it was impossible and eventually they gave up and just tried to help Duchess get around and take care of her. Well, at least he did. He knew Emersyn still wasn't a fan of the dark violet and black woman, but that didn't stop him from looking out for Duchess all the same.

He noticed her wandering away from camp and he got up to follow her just in case. He was trying to give her some independence now that she was slowly beginning to figure out how to move while blind, but he still worried that she'd fall into some kind of trouble or trip and hurt herself so he hung back just to make sure she didn't hurt herself. He realized after a bit that she was moving toward the river that flowed through the prairie and out into the ocean and she started to get a little too close to the water for his comfort so he trotted forward to catch up to her, standing at her side and lightly brushing her shoulder with his so he was sure she would know he was there. "Be careful by the water, okay?"

Segin Epsilon

Duchess would have heard Segin after her much sooner, but her mind was lost in other things. Whether it was the sickness pulling her to the calls of the ocean, or all the other harsh things on her mind, it didn't matter. When he brushed up against her side, she jolted from the spook, her sightless eyes moving towards him as if she could see him. She calmed quickly though realizing it was Segin though honestly if it had been anyone else, a stranger even, she wouldn't have cared either.

Her all black gaze moved out to the ocean where her ears perked to the sound of the crashing waves. Her paws in the bit of water that pulled out onto the shore, it seemed a bit chilly from the moon stuck on the horizon. She sighed heavily thinking of the moon, believing that it was what had cursed her and forced her to lose her and Indigo's children. "I just want to wash off." She insisted, taking a few more stiff steps forward to the ocean. She did try to keep herself clean after all, the ooze really did bother her as much as she walked through life without caring about death chasing her.

"Duchess"

Segin continued to follow Duchess as she insisted that she just wanted to wash off and he certainly couldn't blame her. It was difficult to imagine how everything must feel for her with the strange crystals and ooze that were plaguing her and he was sure a good bath would feel good. "Sure, of course," he said with a smile even though she wouldn't be able to see it. He felt like it still came through in the tone of his voice either way. "I just wanted to make sure you were being careful. I'll stick around in case you need anything, okay?" He settled down, giving her some space and independence to do what she needed to do, but also kept himself ready to jump in just in case she needed help. He knew she wasn't really the type to ask for help, but he didn't feel good about just leaving his blind band mate to her own devices around a body of water that could easily just pull her under on accident.

Segin Epsilon

Duchess didn't say anything else as Segin had almost offered her a silent company. She moved more forward into the gentle waves of the ocean water, the chill between Boreas and Auster and the permanent moon making her legs and shoulders numb as she submerged into the waters. Her blind gaze briefly turned with a side eye towards Segin as the thought of putting herself under came across her mind. The weight of the crystals would make it difficult for her to stay afloat and if she just went under now the tide and water break would have pulled her further out to sea. She couldn't though. Not with Segin watching her. And it wasn't because she knew he would save her but she was saving him the emotional trauma of experiencing her doing so and maybe even an after guilt if he couldn't save her. She sighed quietly as she stood in the water, letting the waves carefully brush along the crystals and break apart the ooze that was stuck to her fur.

"Duchess"

Duchess

Your mind convinces you that the being nearest to you is trying to kill you.


You gain:

• Mushrooms (8x)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...