✧ werecat bites

[ignoranceisblight]

[Ratio doesn't really ask what Aventurine gets up to when he's off doing whatever it is he does.

It's late right now, and Ratio's minding his own business, as he does. Probably not going to bed terribly soon anyway.

So, you know, perfect time for interruptions to his night.]

Comments

[ignoranceisblight]

[... Oh, that is unusual and extremely concerning. Ratio ushers Aventurine inside with a frown.]

Gambler, what happened?

[takesitall]

[He gestures to his arm, where the sleeve is ripped and he's bleeding.]

I got bit by something.

[ignoranceisblight]

[Well. Shit.]

Alright, come on, let's get that cleaned up. What happened?

[As he starts guiding Aventurine to the bathroom.]

[takesitall]

I was out, just walking, and some cat raced in front of me. I tried to avoid it, tripped, and the next thing I knew it bit me!

[ignoranceisblight]

That's... Hm.

[Fucking weird, honestly. They get to the bathroom and Ratio reaches under the sink to grab a first aid kit and a box of disposable gloves and sets them down in easy reach before he starts washing his hands.]

Sit down. Was the cat otherwise acting strangely before it bit you or did you not have time to determine that?

[Like, he's pretty sure he has the answer to that already, but he has to ask.]

[takesitall]

I was a little distracted.

[So. No idea.]

...it was a weird color?

[ignoranceisblight]

A weird color... Hm.

[Not especially helpful, but he'll stick a pin in the "maybe call animal control" thought for later. He dries his hands off and pulls on a pair of the gloves.

Luckily, there's no shortage of clean, dry cloths in here, so he can start putting pressure on the bite wound immediately.]

[takesitall]

Yeah. And glowing.

[Aventurine what.

But then Ratio presses against the wound and Aventurine hisses. Like a cat.]

[ignoranceisblight]

What do you mean glo--

[Ratio doesn't even have time to finish that question before Aventurine just. Hisses like a cat.

After a moment to process what he just heard, he swears.]

Keep that cloth pressed to the wound and don't move. I need to take some different measures than I thought I'd need to.

[takesitall]

Huh? What's wrong?

[But he obeys all the same.]

[ignoranceisblight]

[As he's halfway out of the room to get other supplies:]

That was a damned werecat!

[takesitall]

Are you fucking serious?!

[ignoranceisblight]

[As he's coming back in, with hot water and a case with several vials.]

Unfortunately. That hiss proved it.

[He takes the cloth again, checking to see if the wound has stopped bleeding. Satisfied, he sets the cloth aside. He'll burn it later. He takes one of the vials out of the case, then grabs some of the gauze from the first aid kit. A bit of the vial's contents are carefully dropped onto the gauze, which he wads up tightly and hands to Aventurine.]

You're going to want to bite down on that when I start treating the wound.

[takesitall]

For fuck's sake.

[He wants to ask questions but he won't. He'll just bite down as ordered.]

[ignoranceisblight]

[And so Ratio starts cleaning and disinfecting the wound (which calls for the hot water and a few more of the vials in that case). It's... definitely painful, which is why Ratio provided that gauze, sprinkled with that calming solution.

As he goes, he alternates between muttering soothing nonsense, praise, and asking him to just stand it for a bit longer. Eventually, he bandages the wound.]

There... that should do it.

[takesitall]

[Aventurine takes the gauze out, making a face.]

So, how doomed am I?

[ignoranceisblight]

Ideally? Not particularly. [As he starts pulling the gloves off. He gestures to a small trash can for the gauze.]

The things I treated the bite with will slow down some of the aspects of the transformation, making it less painful and easier for your body to handle, and will ultimately give you finer control over your form once the transformation has finalized.

It'd be a stretch to say it won't be at least somewhat unpleasant still, but that should have alleviated the worst of it.

[takesitall]

And there's no way to avoid the transformation like, at all, is there?

[Into the trash with the gauze.]

Dammit.

[ignoranceisblight]

Unfortunately, no. Once you've been bitten, that's it.

[The gloves are tossed and he washes his hands again before putting things away.]

Don't worry about having to explain this to anyone at work, I'll have that handled, especially since you're going to need time off while you adjust.

[He pauses, considering something.]

And you can stay here in the meantime.

[takesitall]

You sure? I'll need to tell Arvel, at the very least.

[ignoranceisblight]

[He nods.]

... You can stay here or I can stay with you. Which would you prefer?

[takesitall]

...I probably shouldn't be near my cats until I get this under control. They might lose it.

[ignoranceisblight]

Alright.

[...]

Let Arvel know what happened, I'll set up the guest room for you.

[takesitall]

Thanks.

[And he'll just call Arvel and have that whole fussy call.

And then he's just going to slump on the floor of the bathroom because frankly? He needs to just be a lump for a minute.]

[ignoranceisblight]

[And while Aventurine's doing that, Ratio gets the guest room set up.

... With more blankets and pillows than usual. Blankets that Aventurine prefers going for when he's come over in the past, mostly, as well as one old comforter that was a favorite of Ratio's before he got a new one.

He returns to the bathroom to tell Aventurine the room's ready, then pauses.]

... Would you rather be carried to the guest room?

[It's a genuine question. All of that must have been exhausting.]