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[name_of_thorn]

*Rare indeed are the days that Thorn takes a break from work and lessons. When he's not actively involved in one or the other, he tends to hole up in his room and study. Today he has made his deliveries for H.D.Hollister's early, and has no lessons after. Thorn puts on the most threadbare of his clothes from Christmas, and makes certain the pockets

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[courtneycrumrin]

The Nuckelavee has been doing nothing but hunting for well over a day now. Blissfully lost in the deep water, she will not be easy to find. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) for Thorn, she can feel him as well, as he draws closer.
Also the flailing and splashing in the water is attractive. The baser hunting instinct assert themselves in her divided mind. Prey? Something drowning?
She circles underneath him, not quite sure why she's hesitating to strike.

[name_of_thorn]

Thorn makes very attractive prey, plump and clumsy in the water, although a strong swimmer. Unpacking crates from the deliveries at Hollister's means that not all the weight he has gained is fat. He senses her, however, and what he senses makes him pause. She's close enough now that he can open his eyes without losing his concentration. Down, he can't tell how far.
Taking a deep breath, Thorn turns and dives towards her, an action that may make even the more bestial part of her mind pause. He is squinting hard, blinded by the water, and cannot see her until he is in danger of physically blundering into her. His hair is getting a bit unruly and streams out behind him in a white mop, and the water does not improve the texture of his face.

[courtneycrumrin]

What is it? What is it doing? Not a seal, seals don't move like...it's a person, a person, a person she knows. The overlong arms of her humanoid portion reach out to grab him.

Thorn is it thorn what--
food-giver, cousin, when I bring paper he gives things to eat good things--
Thorn?

Both the remnants of Courtney and the remnants of Ned recognize him.

We could eat this. We should not. Why not? He would be ours forever and ever. No. No hurting. Maybe?

The Nuckelavee swerves past him abruptly, the claws snagging the back of his shirt, and then they are all heading for the surface.

[name_of_thorn]

The movement close by and the snag at his clothing catch his attention, so sharply that he lets out a few bubbles of air before catching himself. His eyes open fully, long past the point of feeling the sting from the saltwater, and he turns awkwardly to get a glimpse of what's caught him.
He recognizes her. It looks nothing like her, but it looks perhaps just a bit like what she should look like, inside. He's wandered the fae realm more times than he usually admits to, and seen worse. To his eyes she's not so much horrific as just a wild, free thing, dangerous only because it's what she's meant to be. Thorn reasons that if she were going to actually hurt him, she'd have a hold of more than just his shirt by now. He's grateful to be wearing two layers, nonetheless.
When they break the surface he takes the opportunity for a good gulp of air, and reaches to graps the claw in return, his grip more calm and confident than he actually feels.

[courtneycrumrin]

((Nexustime LOL'd))

It is a little over two hours later that Courtney finds him again. It took her little enough time to find the chest and add blood from her leg and Ned's arm. The reversion to her usual body was likewise quick and startling, and if it hadn't been for the PINpoint on the little goblin's wrist, the results might not have been pretty. They PINpointed back to the Crumrin home, dripping with saltwater and naked except for a few strands of kelp.

Two hot showers later, Courtney found that her clothes didn't fit so well anymore. Evidently all the seafood she and Ned ate caused some much-needed weight gain. She checked in with the Hands and her Uncle (the latter conversation being the cause of most of the holdup), stole an old yellow sweatsuit of her mother's, and returned to the Nexus to look for Thorn.

[name_of_thorn]

Reluctant to leave the Nexus, having found her, Thorn lingers at the island of dry ground nearest to the gate home to Leela's house. His clothes are still dripping, and he sits huddled and shivering watching the gate and looking generally miserable. His hood is down, as he sees no reason to have it dripping in his face, and his hair is a disheveled mane. In places it is still short enough to be spiky, while the majority is long enough to require shoving out of his face. The brown tips make it look as if the old dye job is part of the water, running out to the ends.
It's a wonder he doesn't catch a terrible cold.

[courtneycrumrin]

"I have this insane craving for sushi," she offers awkwardly by way of greeting. The sweatsuit sleeves are rolled up above her elbows, but the pants are so long they keep trailing past the ends of her (currently bare) feet. "Do you like sushi? You're gonna catch pneumonia," She sits next to him, eyeing him in her peripheral vision.

[name_of_thorn]

He is quickly on his feet, and begins to move to hug her before he thinks better of it and pulls back, aware it might not be appreciated in his current soggy state. That there is an impulse there to stifle is significant. His eyes are glued to her as he slowly sits again, worrying his lip and looking surprisingly emotional. "I don't get sick."

[courtneycrumrin]

Some days after this conversation, a bouquet of white roses and madonna lilies arrives for Thorn. There is a note pinned on it:

Thorn,

I stabbed you a year ago. You're still willing to be my friend. Thank you.

Love,
Courtney

[name_of_thorn]

Having not been the recipient of flowers often in his life, Thorn is understandably surprised. He puts the flowers in water, and wastes a dozen pieces of paper or more trying to compose a note in reply. Sometimes, after an unusual amount of excercise such as having to swim through the Nexus after a morning spent unpacking crates at Hollister's, there's still a faint twinge in the one leg to remind him. He'd never admit it to her. He'd probably have healed properly in the first place if he had the energy.
Eventually he gives up, at least for the time being, and goes to have a snack.