Chapter Text
Time goes on slowly. A few days pass. When they see her, Jay continues to report that their foot is certainly better, and their tail appears to be on its way to getting better too. How she knows, they have no clue because frankly, they know jack shit about medicine, so they just have to take her word for it and hope that she’s right. They probably couldn’t really tell anyway, seeing as it’s a little difficult to see their tail nowadays. They’re not even sure they want to look at it.
So, they’re just gonna have to trust the little shit. They’re like— 90% sure she doesn’t want to screw them over that much, anyway. It wouldn’t make sense but…
She’s up to something, they know but they can’t quite tell what and it’s starting to bother them.
They're unsure whether it’s the obvious guilt she feels or a willingness to avoid the discussion that they had the other night, but she’s flighty. A little unpredictable. If she’s not desperately fussing over them, then she’s just out with some barely formed excuse passing her lips, wings twitching uselessly at her side before she’s off pacing again. Josh has no idea what she’s up to but is honestly far too tired to ask, as odd as it is. It’s probably just some dumb Elytrian thing, not that they’d know. They probably don’t even want to know, given the circumstances.
Bitch.
And yet, despite their instance that they don’t care— which they don’t! Not really, they still feel a typical sense of anxiety and mild frustration. More often than not they find themselves, for whatever reason, having to remind Jay to sit down and take a break. To let them check on her wings as best as they can manage with their limited knowledge.
More often than not, they just find themselves agitated that they don’t know what’s going on. What’s gotten her all riled up aside from their few, likely wrong, partially educated guesses.
They suppose the whole thing with their tail doesn’t really help either. It’s a stupid, frustrating situation. They’ve been sitting in the same dingy, old cave for days unable to do all that much because Jay was a cocky idiot, and for what? It’s stupid, and they hate it and they want to go home— even if this is undoubtedly way better that the… Facility.
Even if they don’t even know where home is anymore.
But, even if Josh had no idea what the hell Jay’s up to, at least she seems self-assured— at least most of the time, anyway.
Thankfully, it only takes a few days of this and Josh’s hesitant comments that her wing seems better for it all to come to ahead.
When they awake, Jay of course isn’t there but, as always, a few scraps of rotten flesh have been left besides them. They try not to think about it as they waste no time in scarfing it down. Surprisingly though— or perhaps not at this point, Jay doesn’t return until presumably later that afternoon. They can’t really tell, being in a cave and all, but that’s what it felt like anyway. That she was gone much longer than usual.
She is as insistent as ever, sitting down to check on their tail as soon as she returns. They can practically feel the tension rolling off her in waves. Shoulders tense and wings drawn tight as slightly unsteady hands tug gently at their bandages.
“So.” She chokes out after a long moment, squeaking a little as she clears her throat.
“So?” They push, a little snappish as the awkward silence persists.
“Your tail’s looking better.” She eventually comes out with. They surpressed a sigh.
“You’ve said.” They deadpan instead.
“Yes, but that’s good! Means we’re— you’re on track to get better and well—…” She trails off briefly. A healing pot is passed over their head and stuff they grab it, taking a long swig as they wonder where the fuck this is going. Does she not know how to get to the fucking point?
“My wing’s pretty much better by now, like you said! So, I climbed a tree and managed to get some air! Basically, what I’m trying to say is; I should be good to fly so…”
We can leave.
Huh.
“I made you something.” She concludes after another second, and they swivel their head surprised. They wonder briefly if it’s a joke, but Jay’s face betrays nothing. Her expression is unhelpfully blank and gaze downcast as she focuses diligently on the task of rewrapping their tail. They watch with the same laser focus and then pretend that they hadn’t been when Jay inevitably looks up and catches their eye, having made quick work of the task as usual.
They’re not embarrassed. They just want Jay to know that they’re annoyed that she won’t fucking elaborate and tell them what’s going on!
Now that she’s done though, it seems they might at least get some answers, as she stands to walk into their line of sight.
“Here.” She says as she kneels, producing a swath of leather out of her inventory. She holds it out to them. “It’s um— it’s like a prosthetic!” She stumbles as they take it tentatively, noticing the fact that it’s clearly been stuffed to fit a vaguely tail-like shape. There’s a buckle on the end, likely to secure it in place. “It should help you with your balance and stuff, you know? When you’re ready, of course but I— I don’t want you to think you’re just stuck here. You— you know you can leave if you want to, right? You don’t have to stay here, you can go whenever you want now and well—… It’s not the same but I hope this’ll help.” She finishes awkwardly as they finally take the prosthetic off of her. She dyed it a dull grey, matching their paws almost perfectly.
It’s a funny thought though, isn’t it? They can’t remember the last time someone had offered them such a thing. The last time they were given freedom. It’s suddenly hitting them that they really are free of the Hunters— of everything. They could leave, if they really wanted to. Do what they want for once.
They could do anything. The world is at their paw pads and yet the answer seems so simple.
“Where would I even go?” They query, reaching behind them to pluck a feather off the floor. “I’d be lost, and I’m sure you know your way around better than I do— Elytrians travel a lot, don’t they?” They tease as they carefully poke a hole in the leather, tucking the feather carefully inside. They reach for another. “And I’m sure travelling is more enjoyable with some company, no?” Jay doesn’t answer aside from a non—committal hum as they tuck the second feather into the leather and then reach for another to do the same. Satisfied with their work, they suddenly realise that maybe they crossed the line and broke some Elytrian tradition or something by taking her fallen feathers but when they look up, they are just greeted by a rather blank look. It is only broken after a brief, but intense staring contest.
“I—,” she pauses. “Hang on.” Josh watched with curiosity and mild apprehension as Jay reaches for her Ender Chest, placed beside the cave wall where they sit. She searches through it, looking for something and then spends some more time fiddling around with whatever she has. After a few minutes that seem to drag on for far too long, she turns. She reaches back out for the leather still clutched carefully in their hands and they let her take it. Intrigued, they watch as she uses her taloned hands to poke her own hole at the end, just under one of the feathers, and ties two pieces of string to it. Once she’s done with deftly tying the knot, she guides her hand to follow the string down, revealing a small piece of emerald, and a star shaped nugget of gold. They glimmer as they catch the light from where they now hang from the leather.
“There.” She declares. “Now it’s perfect.”
“Yes.” They echo. “Perfect.” A small and genuine smile finds its way onto their face and they wonder when the last time they really, truly smiled was. “Thank you.” They say as they glance back up at Jay who seems to mirror their expression almost perfectly. They wonder if it’s been a long time since she’s smiled like that too.