After everyone had went off on their own, Aresenn had eventually made the decision to turn around and return to the bear. It lay in a massive heap, gutted, scavenged, and picked through. It was a bloody mess that stained the surrounding snow in a puddle of crimson, flesh, and organs. Honestly, pretty sickening to look at, but miraculously the pelt of the beast remained in pretty good shape aside from the puncture here and there from their battle. But with the plush white coat fanned out, it would be easy for the blemishes to go unnoticed.

Once he had most of the soon-to-be leather stripped off the fallen predator, he had drug it away from the gory scene that had been left behind. With all the snow handy he didn’t have to go very far- he could use the substrate for moisture. Once satisfied with the distance between himself and the carcass, he’d prepare to begin the tanning process. But just as he had the large hide flattened out on the ground, a thought struck his mind. He wondered if Absinth was familiar with the process. Surely she couldn’t have wandered off too far. Tilting his head back, he called out to her- beckoning her to join him as he finished covering the displaced skin in snow. The rest could wait until his charge arrived.

Absinth has indeed not gone far at all. She had endeavored to find a place where she could wash away the blood from her body, taking a bath in the frigid waters she found some minutes away. It had been exhilarating. The bear was a mighty creature, felled by her own jaws. Her heart beat felt almost pleasurable within her rib cage. She hadn’t even taken a moment to pause and think about the fact that Sephiran had been apparently pleased with her performance before a call rang out back in the direction she had come from. Absinth was curious. Again? She gathered herself and headed off towards the beckoning of her warden. She didn’t think he would take her words about calling her for company seriously anytime soon, so why?

“Aresenn.” She announced her arrival with an enthusiastic purr of his name. Her body still on a high from the fight, muscles trembling with tension still not released. Of course no one could say there was anything fearful about her- she practically radiated vigor. But why had he called her here? She glanced at the hide near him but did not make an assumption just yet. She wanted him to speak.

wormwood

It didn’t take her long to approach. He half expected her to call his bluff. Though, it was nice to see her follow through on her word. Her greeting was answered with a nod of acknowledgment as he gestured her closer to the pelt he had laid out. “You talk a big game about taking my hide, but have you ever prepared one before?” He asked with a teasing smirk below raised brows.

Without waiting for her to answer, he returned to his task at hand- explaining what he was doing as he went along. “Typically it’s best done in water, but I don’t think getting it frozen stiff would be of any benefit,” Aresenn explained as he continued to cover the fleshy party of the hide with snow. “But using the snow, the friction of scrapping away the inner flesh, should melt it.” It was more of a hypothesis than anything of solid basis. But if he acted like he knew what he was talking about, maybe she would believe him.

Flexing his claws into the layer of the soon-to-be bear leather, he raked it with them in rapid procession- essentially digging away the fat and tissue that was capable of rotting. This process was easier done with a knife, but he was certainly capable of working with what he had. After several minutes of digging, he stopped to observe his progress. Brushing away the mess he had made, he began seeing the outer layer that would hold the fur in place. “It’s a bloody slurry mess, but it’s working.” He finished, looking away from the bloodied snow mess to his audience for a brief moment- setting back to it.

"Aresenn Praetor"

She would move closer to better see his project, flashing a delighted grin as he began to speak on her obsession with his pretty red fur. She’d have it one day- make no mistake. Though the reality of getting it also came with the displeasure of him being dead. At that, she’d realize she didn’t mind if it took years. Truly. She kept silent as he spoke, working the whole while; only setting herself down on her haunches to be a good little student.

Everything he said made sense- not that she had any experience in the subject. It was one of those things you just never had the chance to learn; or in her case no one who cared enough to teach her. Absinth’s emerald gaze consumed all that he demonstrated. Her breaths coming in puffs against the cold wintry air. Aresenn scraped away meat and fat and flesh; the parts that would spoil! She absorbed the process with appreciation, nodding as he glanced up and assured that the snow was a solid option; the icy water alternative would have certainly made the hide much more difficult to work with- that he was correct in assuming.

“What would you like to be turned into? One day, I mean. You’ll be too dead to care, but- a coat? A rug?” Her lips curled teasingly, a glint in her eyes as she extended a paw to touch a spot he had mostly stripped down. “What a useful skill you’ve got there.” Her praise came forthright, mind working to commit his lesson to memory.

wormwood

It seemed that his invitation to learn a new skill was somewhat well received- she was quick to return the jeer at the expense of his own hide. Literally. She offered him a choice as to what he would like to be when he was no more. Truthfully, he didn't much care. He would be dead, and at the end of the day, it would be all the same. "Ehh, I think you could get better use of me than a rug. But I might be a little biased." He mused as he set back to his task. The polar bear hide was massive, and there was a lot that needed to be addressed before it was ready to dry. Casting another glance up to her without stopping, he'd continue "You know ... It would go a lot quicker if you helped." He pointed out casually. It was his undertaking if she chipped in or not. And he couldn't help but notice that she had already cleaned herself up after the slaughter of the beast. But the essence of blood staining her pristine coat had a certain allure that he couldn't deny.

Whether she joined him or not, he went on to sum up the end of the project. "Once it's stripped, you have to cure it. Stretch it out and let it dry. It'll shrink up a bit, but it will make you something nice to sleep on." He finished, chipping away at the workload with as much consistent effort as he could muster.

"Aresenn Praetor"

She rumbled out a chuckle of amusement at his thoughts of what manner of craft his pelt could be. So not a rug- then she was sure of it; he’d be a nice coat. It would be a nice contrast against her black and white figure. She did have the impression that maybe helping would enhance the learning experience so when he pointed out she could assist him Absinth readily stood and set to work following his motions on the other side of the hide. Though she had really just gotten clean it was a nonissue for her to get down and dirty again, glancing at his usually pale lower fores streaked and splattered in blood themselves; some remaining blood lining his lips .. she almost wished she was as bloody to match.

While they worked he came to share the final details of the task- stretching and drying the hide to complete the process. She noted that it would shrink, however this bear's pelt was so massive it would hardly be a problem. Maybe something smaller would be a hassle- she peered up at him, pausing. ’-but it will make you something nice to sleep on.’  “Oh, is this for me?” She cocked her head to the side, wondering if she had misunderstood somehow.

wormwood

It seemed she was doing a fine job paying attention. And he was quietly appreciative of the help when she did chip in. Together, they made quick work of it. “I thought you could get some use out of it.” Aresenn answered, pulling back to look at their completed project. Once he was satisfied with its condition, he shot a glance in her direction. “Maybe it’ll help buy my skin some more time.” He finished with an amused half-smirk. It was easier to make light of something than it was to paint it as a genuinely thoughtful act. He didn’t want that kind of recognition. In an attempt to avoid letting their conversation develop to that point, he continued on. “I’ll take it from here, just gotta hang it up to cure. It should be ready in a few days to do with whatever you like.” The brute explained, licking some of the dried blood from his lip before setting to drag it away from the nasty mess they had made while stripping it down. Hauling it through the snow a ways would help clean it up some, he was sure.

With a final nod, he set to finish the project without her- after all it was kind of a one-man task beyond this point. That being said, when it was all said and done, there would be no stopping him from finding her later.

-Exit Aresenn-
"Aresenn Praetor"

’Maybe it’ll help buy my skin some more time.’ There he went with that signature half-smirk she was becoming quite familiar with, offering a light joking tone along with her answer. She kept her gaze trained on him, trying to decipher his intentions for a moment; though in the end she opted to keep his light-hearted tone going. She couldn't be making him pour his soul out every time they were alone together afterall. “It just might. Thanks for the lesson- I hope I was a good student.” She returned his smirk, gathering herself to leave. Not before she watched him exert some muscle dragging it away-

Ha. She had to admit- she wanted that fucking bear skin to dry as quickly as possible.
[EXIT ABSINTH]

wormwood