With the late morning sun streaming in through his bedroom window, and his door wide open to let the fresh air circulate, the titan busied himself with getting all of his ingredients and tools prepared. The marshmallow and boneset had been rehydrating in some fresh water for a night, and were ready to be put to use. The big stone mortar and pestle that he had pilfered from the pharmacy remained in his room- no one had called on him for liberating it from that dreary room, and so he was going to keep it until they did. He cleared a space in the middle of his room, kicking rugs aside to reveal the bare hardwood and shoving discarded volumes aside for now. The stone bowls he used to rehydrate the herbs were carefully set out in the open, a handful of ceramic jars were uncorked and set nearby for when the mixture was ready. In typical fashion, the celestial beast made the last minute decision to set some fresh tinder in the fireplace, and snag the last two logs to set down. Rather than starting it with flint, like he did in the past, he wandered out into the hallway. No one was around. Well, the paralyzed girl was in her room, with her little badger friend probably eyeing him through a crack in the door, but that didn't count. Sauntering over to one of the torches set upon the wall to light the dark corners, he carefully removed it from its sconce and carried the steadily flickering flame into his room. Once he'd lit the tinder with the torch, he was quick to replace the torch upon the wall. No one the wiser, no harm done. Once he had his own fire happily dancing away in his little hearth, he returned to the matter at hand. He bunched up the discarded rug under himself and tipped the excess water from his marshmallow cuttings into a spare bowl. Then he tipped the wet plant matter into his mortar and fit the heavy stone pestle between his toes so he could get to work. ""

Sota heard Deion before he saw him. He'd been wandering the halls, feeling somewhat aimless today. Though things were going back to normal, no one was really acting completely normal, and he wasn't sure where his services were most required. Getting back into the swing of things was proving difficult for him after creeping around all wary and paranoid for months now. It was hard to forget what the world had endured - what his pack had endured. Not all had made it through as unscathed as he had. He wouldn't take it for granted, but at the same time he knew he couldn't dwell on what they'd experienced, not when they needed to return to normalcy and thrive as they had been before. Catching sight of Deion ducking into his room, Sota held back for a long moment. Though he didn't want to interrupt him, he'd enjoyed his last conversation with the starry-coated man and being alone these days didn't settle well with him. Clearing his throat as he approached, he tapped his claws lightly along the edge of the doorway and peered inside. "Excuse me? I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he started. If Deion was busy he'd gladly leave, but he was feeling strangely lonely today and the prospect of a conversation, any conversation, felt necessary.

THE BOY WHO FELL INTO THE SKY, HAD NO ONE THERE TO WATCH HIM CRY A halting staccato rhythm of dainty claws against the wooden frame of the door. The titan lifted his head, pausing his slow pulverization of the herbs in his mortar. It was that male who had sat and discussed the mushrooms with him, weeks before the cursed fungus had riddled his body. Brilliant ruby eyes blinked slowly at the petite male, who seemed keen on joining him.. for some reason. Deion shook his head lightly, waving with his free paw towards the pile of furs and pillows in the corner. "I can do two things at once," he grunted with a deadpan kind of snark that tended to be mistaken for dismissiveness. He resumed the steady rhythm of circling the mortar with the pestle in his grip, and thumping the sturdy stone rod against the bottom of the basin lightly. Scrape, mash, scrape, mash, mix. Rinse and repeat. "Did you need something?" he questioned after a few moments of silence, when he was all but certain that the small man had made himself comfortable. It wasn't often that he had visitors, and even less common for those visits to be purely friendly. Ivory tipped ears swiveled towards Sota, waiting on his response. ""

His manner of speaking was quite abrupt - Sota had to assume that was just how he was. Perhaps fortunately for them both he wasn't the type to try to derive meaning where there was none, so he took no offense to his words, instead slipping in behind him and watching him work. He nodded in understanding, tiny paws carrying him in and out of Deion's reach, giving him room to continue what he was doing... whatever that was. He didn't know the first thing about herbs but judging by the smell in the air, Deion was doing something with herbs. Perhaps he was making a medicine of some sort? His next sentence, a question, caught him a bit off guard though. Slowly he settled down onto one of the furs that Deion had gestured toward. "Oh - uh, no," he managed to stammer out, wondering if he really was intruding after all. "Just didn't feel like being alone, I guess. After - you know, everything," he explained lamely. "Thought maybe I could help. Or at least offer some company," he said, grinning sheepishly. Maybe he'd been wrong? He was just trying to be friendly, though if Deion wasn't receptive to it he'd just as soon move along and find someone else who might find use of him.

For whatever reason, the petite male was equally confused by Deion's confusion over his presence. Neither of them were cut out for casual social interaction, evidently. He stammered out that he was merely looking for company in the wake of the plague that had accompanied the eternal midnight of winter. A soft grunt escaped the cosmic male, and he glanced over at the man who now lounged on the furs near the window. He was silent for a beat or two, simply considering the male. For a moment his eyes traced the delicate patterns of ivory that traipsed over his dainty features. "I can't say I'm the best company, but you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like." He rumbled with a light shrug, before his attention drifted back down to the mortar before him. He'd gotten the marshmallow broken down fairly well, and the leftover liquids that had escaped were now swimming with pulp and macerated petals. "I'm working on a few tinctures for sore throats and coughs, our stores were nearly emptied last season." he said without looking up, unsure why he was explaining himself to the other man. "Are you familiar with herbs at all?" he asked next, and this time he glanced over for a moment at Sota. Then he got to his paws, and wandered over to the hearth. Tucked between the stone foundation and the wall, he kept assorted cookware. Metal pots worked best for boiling down mixtures into a concentrate, so he grabbed a small pot with a handle and carried it over to where he was set up. The hardest part of this was going to be tipping the mixture into the pot without spilling. Oh so carefully, he grasped the side of his mortar between his massive jaws and lifted it from the ground. Stone grating against teeth was arguably one o the most uncomfortable sensations out there, but Deion hardly complained. Once the soupy mixture had been emptied into the cooking pot, he set it aside. With a heavy paw, he tipped the bowl of sodden boneset into the mortar. Both of these plants were rather fibrous, so they would take time to cook down after being macerated in the mortar. That would allow the mixture to become more concentrated as the water evaporated, and he could dilute it across a few servings to maximize his yield. With the pestle back in his grip, he went back to the rhythm of pulverizing the woody stems and fibrous leaves. ""

Deion wasn't the best company? Now that was just silly. Any company was better than none these days, as far as he was concerned. The galaxy-colored male had always been friendly enough to him, at least enough that he felt inclined to invite himself along to whatever he was doing. He adjusted himself slightly where he sat, thankful for the comfort of the furs beneath him. Maybe he ought to think about similar furnishings for his own room, but he'd never been big on physical comforts like that. Even living in a castle was outside the realm of what he had expected to happen in his life. Perhaps comforts like this were best enjoyed in moderation, at least for himself, lest he forget what life had been before The Hallows. "No worries. Any company is better than none," he explained lightly, though he almost immediately regretted implying his company might not be great. He hoped the oversized man wouldn't misconstrue the meaning behind his words. He nodded slowly at his explanation - tinctures for sore throats and coughs for the pack. It was no surprise they'd gone through any crafted medicines during the long night. "I'm not, not really - I hardly even know the basics," Sota admitted with a sad smile. His life hadn't been full of this sort of education. He'd learned early on to fend for himself, to be swift and humble. To take what he wanted and nothing more. It was a life he'd long since abandoned, though he perpetually hoped it wasn't too late to learn ways to help contribute to his pack. "That mixture is eaten, then?" He asked after a long moment of observation, hoping it wasn't a foolish question. Everything Deion was doing looked utterly foreign to him and admittedly strange but he was interested in learning if he had any interest in teaching him.

The offhanded reassurances of the kohl marked male were easily accepted, and just as easily forgotten. Pleasantries weren't his strong suit, and reciprocating them was usually out of the question. When Sota mentioned that he wasn't familiar with even the basics of healing, the surly brute offered a one shouldered shrug. Glancing up and to his rear, where the dainty wolf was lounging near the window on the piled furs, he offered a tiny, lopsided smirk. "It isn't important for everyone to know, but it never hurts to learn." he commented absently as he returned to the repetitive motions of grinding the herbs in his mortar. When the curious male offered up a question about the mixture he was preparing, he couldn't help but smile a little. It felt unexpectedly pleasant to have someone take an interest in his craft, even something as small as asking a question that wasn't specifically prompted. He bobbed his head lightly, and dipped his muzzle lower to examine the state of the mashed herbs. "I'll be cooking down the mashed plants to infuse the water with their oils, and as it boils down it will become more concentrated. From there I can have a patient drink it, and a few doses over a handful of days should clear up the worst of a cough so that they can heal up naturally from there." he explained as he tipped the thoroughly macerated boneset into his cooking pot by grabbing hold of it in his jaws again. With the worst of the work over for now, he cast his attention towards one of the water jugs that he was fairly certain was still at least partly full. Lumbering across the room, he mindlessly moved through the motions of hefting the water jug up by the handle in his teeth, and finding some liquid still sloshing about inside. Perfect. All he needed to do was partly cover the mashed herbs, and then the jug could be replaced on the shelf. He'd have to remember to refill it soon. "It'll take a little while by the fire to get it to the next step," he explained quietly after setting down the cooking pot on the edge of the hearth. There, the flames could lick at the pot without entirely claiming the tarnished metal. Scorching the plants inside wouldn't do well for the mixture. "Is there anything you'd like to know about healing? I have time." he offered cautiously, casting his bright amaranth eyes to the small male on the other side of the room. ""

Sota gave a slightly enthusiastic nod at his words. There was nothing he wasn't interested in learning about, even if he wasn't completely passionate about it that didn't mean he wasn't willing to learn anyway. Knowing the basics could serve him well if he ever needed it, he was sure of that. "You're right about that. I'm always happy to learn," he explained hurriedly, hoping his enthusiasm wasn't mistaken for being overly demanding. But he wouldn't think on that for long, since Deion didn't seem completely put off by his company nor by explaining his craft. Deion went on to explain in more detail how he'd be cooking the plant down to make it more concentrated in a drinkable form, consumed as he'd suspected. It seemed the next step would take a bit longer, prompting Deion to ask if he had any questions about healing. Now.. that was a broad inquiry for he who had little to no experience in the craft. "Hmmm," he mused thoughtfully, adjusting his tiny form where he'd settled down comfortably. "The kind of plants you've found here- are they anything at all like wherever you came from? Wherever that might be?" Curiosity sparkled in his silver eyes as he watched him, knowing he was asking much more about Deion than he was about healing, but it was close enough.