Walking through the streets of New York didn't gather as much attention as you would expect. Given that Blue was A) on fire, B) bleeding from a knife wound on his stomach and C) naked, you would expect someone to at least look twice. But maybe he was just too odd to glance at. Did they worry they would be forced to help? Be attacked? Be caught on camera in some weird television show? Whatever the reasons, he made it to Juniper's house without anyone giving him trouble.

At the door, he wondered what he should say. He had cooled down enough now (literally) that he realized he hadn't made the best choices. Lighting a building on fire with people inside was a bit evil, even for him. Lighting a girl on fire was something he knew Juniper would certainly disapprove of. But he was in need of medical attention, and clothing, and this was the only person he knew he could turn to.

Unhappily, he knocked, and prayed someone was home. At least he didn't get cold, but having to stand in a hallway naked was always weird. He gave a nod to a random neighbor walking past. Yup, just casually standing here. Nothing to see.    

Things had been quiet on her end of the city for a few days now. She was in school, and classes were no joke. Homework was seriously ramping up to be a legitimate form of torture. She was sightly mad at the blonde ray of sunshine that was her neighbor for failing to warn her that she would literally wish for death after receiving homework from the resident mathematician at the school. The man was seriously some kind of sadist, she was sure of it!

This particular night found her staring at a very tired reflection in her bathroom, hair all mussed up from threatening to tear it out for the last few hours. She was in the middle of complaining to herself about why she even needed to learn fractions if she hadn't used them once in her 19 years of life, when someone knocked at her door.

Pausing with her toothbrush clamped between her teeth, she turned to stare at her bathroom door for a moment. Who would be knocking at her door at this time of night? Surely if wouldn't be Adonis, he was usually deep in homework land or on his way to bed by now.

... Maybe he wanted to see how she was doing on the math? Heh. Maybe she'd be able to get some revenge since this was all his fault to begin with.

Tooth brush still tucked in one cheek, she headed for her door and yanked it open without even checking who was on the other side. Clyde yowled lazily from behind her, too sleepy to even get up from his own bed.

"What do yo-...Blue?" The short blond blinked, staring up at a different impossibly tall figure that she hadn't been expecting. He hadn't even told her he was coming over, the brat! Here she was in a frumpy too large t-shirt and there he was, naked and-... was that blood?

Her eyes zeroed in on the red, some one which leaking out onto the floor outside her door.

"Oh shit, get inside!"

She hurried out to rush him in, poking her head back out to see if the hallway was clear before slamming and locking her door again. Xavier certainly hadn't seen, because he'd be freaking out and fluttering around in hero mode already if he had. "@#$%, sit down anywhere you want, I don't care if you get blood on things."

Her mind was whirling in a panic. A friend was injured and... she didn't know what to do. What was she supposed to do!? Did she even own medical stuff? Xavier had medical stuff! But... @#%$, she couldn't let him in on this. She ended up fluttering around him herself, stuffing a towel into his hands for him to use to stop the blood. How was he not freaking out?!

"What the hell happened to you?!"

Blue had honestly never felt glad to see someone, but the emotion of gratitude filled him when the door opened. Standing watching your own blood force itself between your fingers was really an eerie feeling. Up until that point pain hadn't registered, and adrenaline had held him upright, but being pulling into the room reminded him that this frickin' hurt.

He managed not to get blood on anything until he was handed a towel, and he used that to secure the wound before standing there a little awkwardly. His flames made it less obvious he had no clothing, but he still knew it was generally rude to just sit anywhere when you were naked. He may not be the most well mannered human, but when you were begging for assistance, you generally tried to show some courtesy at least.

"You say that now, luv, but I'd rather not have you hollerin' at me later for gettin' blood on your only couch. Stealin' a new one would require a bit of effort on our parts to get into your place without suspicion," he teased. There was still a little humor left in him as he found a spot on the ground and sat there instead. He kept pressure on the wound, but blood was already drying all over his arm and hand. It felt dry and cake-y and he disliked that.

"What happened?" He almost looked sheepish for a moment. "There was a disagreement over a coffee, and there was fire. Then there was this girl, we exchanged words, she threw some punches, and I tried to set her on fire. So, her girlfriend stabbed me. At least, I think it was their girlfriend? Could have been a guy." Blue laid back against the floor, feeling exhausted recounting the story. He wished he had more time to stay in the fire he had made. It would have helped now that he felt so sleepy.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't set people on fire. Givin' the stab wound, I'd say we are even though. I take it you people call that karma, ya?"

She wrinkled her nose at him as she opened yet another cupboard she was sure would be empty, anyway. "I would't steal a couch, that's stupid. I'd buy one, with all of the stolen money I have." Ha, showed him, the shmuck.

Juniper shoved aside the box of new pots and pants she'd been shamed into buying, peeking behind it before ultimately giving up and leaving the kitchen. Good timing too, because if she had been around anything she could physically throw at him when he mentioned trying to set someone on fire she probably would have. Stab wound be damned.

Instead she leveled an unimpressed frown his way while squatting in front of him and pulling her phone out from the pocket of her shorts, to fish through her contact list and try to find someone who could help. It was either that, or drag his flaming butt all the way to the school, or a hospital. Both of which would probably want answers in some form or another.

Her frown turned up a bit at the corners with his mention of karma, if only because it clearly wasn't a bad enough wound to temper his dark sense of humor much. She certainly didn't approve of setting people on fire... er... or maybe only certain people on fire, but she hadn't been there and didn't know enough to judge him in any capacity. He was her friend, of a sorts, and as ornery as he could be she didn't want him hurt. She didn't like seeing him hurt.

Yet another new feeling to process and file away for a later time.

Her scrolling stopped on a name that had been newly added her to phone, which... she really didn't remember all that well considering she had been sloppy drunk at the time. Andrea. Green, snake haired lady who was apparently a nurse, if the thorough examination that she had given Zaid and herself upon picking them up was anything to go by.

She pressed call and wedged the phone between her ear and shoulder, absently dropping on hand onto Blue's forearm in an attempt to be soothing. Hopefully it would e soothing. She really sucked that this whole comforting people thing.

After the second ring, a sleepy sounding Greek picked up the phone. "Andrea?" Juniper plopped onto her butt where she had been squatting, "Heeey... so, this is Juniper." A pause as the woman on the other end of the phone spoke. "Yep. That Juniper." Another pause, which earned a snort from her. "So, I vaguely recall you mentioning something about being a doctor or something, and I have a few questions to ask..."

A few carefully worded questions about how to stitch up a stab wound later, the Greek on the other end of the phone promptly forbid Juniper from so much as touching the wound, who had been questioning if it was possible to cauterize a wound closed like they did in the movies, and announced that she would be over shortly to take care of it herself. She hung up before Juniper could get a word in edgewise.

"Well... guess we'll have company soon!" She got back up on her feet, tucking her phone away, and frowned down at him. "...I should probably find you some pants then!"

Blue had actually prepared to be smacked once he admitted his crimes, but wondered if he looked worse than he assumed because no hits came his way. He looked up at Juniper as she scrolled through her phone, feeling that weird sensation again. Gratitude. Who would have thought that he, Blue, would some day reach a point he had to get assistance on something. Or actually needed a friend.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who was using that word? Not him, nope. If there was any F word involved, what they had was not friendship. Although, listening to her on the phone with some type of nurse trying to decide how to stitch his wound killed that idea again. As did the sort of comforting contact she was giving. Hmm. Okay, that was nice. Blue shut his eyes like a lazy lizard again and sighed.

"Can't cauterize it anyway, luv. Immune to heat. Could grab a hot iron and not hurt myself. Makes it harder t' stitch." He rested his head against her leg when she sat down. Then she mentioned finding him pants and he sighed.

"Where're you gonna find pants that'll fit me, darlin'?" There was a rumble of a laugh in his question, and he looked up at her again. Maybe it was the blood loss making him so receptive to her. Or the head wound. He touched his head thoughtfully, feeling the small bump there where he got hit by the napkin dispenser. That would leave a mark too.

She stuck her tongue out at him. Okay, so she didn't have all of the in's and out's of his powers down yet, so what? She wasn't an expert on powers when her's was so simple in comparison.

As for where to find pants...

"I... Think I know someone who's about your size, who I can steal some clothes from... Be right back!"

She turned and sprinted through their shared wall like a woman on a mission. He was't in his living room, which meant he'd gone to bed already. She didn't have time to rifle through his dresser, so the next plan of attack was to just... erm... take the ones on him. She hopped onto his bed with both feet planted, reach down to snag a pant leg and the hem of his colorfully patterned pj shirt.

"SorryIdon'thavetimetoexplaini'lloweyouone!"

Then she phased them right off of the poor, surely started male and hauled ass right back through his still closed door.

She might have been blushing a teeeny tiiiiny bit when she back back in, the pj's in her arms. "Found some! Ignore the fact that they are.. um.. still warm."

She handed them over and hovered to help him if he needed it.

Early to bed, early to rise! That was one of his mottoes! If he went to bed before ten, he could wake up and get a good work out in before classes started. He looked forward to that work out. It was a good way to start the day. Working out just gave him so much ener...gy... and... he... liked...ZzzzZZzzzzZZzzz


Boof! 

"Wh-"

"SorryIdon'thavetimetoexplaini'lloweyouone!"

FWIP! Wait... were his pants gone?!

"WHAT THE ACTUAL @#$^!" 

And just like that, Juniper, the pants thief, was gone. He stared at the wall for a moment, just... shocked. "W...why?"

Yeahhhh, they were going to need to have a talk about boundaries.

Blue wasn't quite sure where Juniper ran off to, but she returned with pants. Odd...looking pajama pants, but they were pants, nonetheless. With as much dignity as he could muster, he held his hand to his stomach, and wiggled into the clothing. He did manage to shoot her one look while he did.

"Generally speaking, we usually have the pants going the opposite direction. This is a change." It was actually rather hard to get the pants on, but he managed without her help. He relaxed back against the floor, feeling tired from the experience.

"You look a lil pink. You steal 'em from your boy toy?" he chortled. While they had their own fun from time to time, he wouldn't be surprised if there was someone Juniper genuinely had feelings for. Blue didn't do feelings, but he couldn't blame people that did.

The towel was feeling wetter, and blue was having a harder time holding it to his stomach. This was an experience that was twisting with his emotions. This was what it was like to feel helpless, wasn't it? Just, laying there, in someone else's hands. He never cared who he hurt, or what he made them feel with, but he did not envy this sensation. His flames burned a little lower, closer to his body. He was tired. He really just wanted to curl up in a little fire and take a nap. He found himself leaning against Juniper again, but forced himself to stay awake.

Survival 101: never sleep when you're bleeding to death. "Did I ever tell you Blue is my actual name? Mum had a horrible sense of humor. Give birth to a baby who is always on fire, name him Blue," it was something he couldn't remember ever telling anyone. He couldn't remember the last time someone in this city knew his actual name. He was pretty sure April just kept calling him Matchstick or Tinderbox on and off.

She grinned widely as she settled back down by him. "Consider yourself lucky. I've given you pants twice now. I think that makes you like, a super duper free house elf."

She waved away the jest at her blush, allowing and even welcoming him to lean up against her however he was comfortable. "Nah. I don't do things like that. Too complicated." Heck, even just trying to thing past the friendship stage was a massive feat. She honestly couldn't imagine trying to form a relationship of any sort with how broken she was mentally.

Maybe... maybe like, years down the road after she figured out what all of these new things in her life meant.

Perhaps a tiny bit hesitantly, she placed a hand over his to help keep that red rag securely in place. It was currently the only thing keeping him from fully bleeding out on her floor, so that was important. Very important. She tired not to put too much pressure on it to avoid unnecessary pain, though.

"Really?" She hummed, genuinely surprised to a degree. It wasn't often she found other people who had parents as terrible at naming things as her own.

"Mine named me after the bush that flavors her favorite Gin. I think that means we're in the same terrible parents boat."

She chanced a peek at her phone with her other hand. It had only been a few minutes since she had called snake lady. So... hopefully she would be here soon.

"Both of mine are kooks. My dad's power lets him receive radios waves from all over, so he has to wear tinfoil in his hats all the time. He believes in, like, every conspiracy out there. My mom talks to plants. No one else can actually here if they are talking back, so... she might just be crazy and not actually have a power."

Keep him talking. Stave off the tiredness and whatnot. That's what Andrea had said, right? As awkward as it was opening up about the to people she hated half the time, it was an easy subject to blabber on about.

Blue didn't read books, so he wasn't sure what a house elf was. He assumed it was some type of nerd code though so he just let it go. He relaxed more when she talked about relationships being too complicated. That earned a rare smile for him. For a moment, he almost looked like a normal guy. Well, as normal as he could when he was always covered in blue flames, although they had gotten a bit dimmer right now.

"Relationships are just another way to hurt people. Hurtin' people is somethin' I do jus' fine enough all on my own, don't need to add another person to the mix." Did he sound bitter? Certainly not wishful, he had no desire to be cared for, or 'loved', what have you. Though, the friendship thing hadn't been so bad. He wouldn't write that off as a lost cause yet.

He chuckled slightly as she described her parents, and the hand on top of his helped. He could feel his own palm shake a little trying to keep the pressure. F*** it all. This was a kick between the legs and then some. Talking feelings on her floor while she tried to keep him from literally bleeding out.

"My dad was just an ass. Mum's been long gone. Left me a name and good riddance. Learned to burn the f***er if he hit me, and when I was old enough, I left. At least your parents sound okay. Weird, but weird isn't the worst thing if you ask me."

@#$%, keeping a smile on was starting to ache a little now. Talking about parents wasn't exactly something she tended to go in depth on, not was anything involving romance.

Every time his flames dimmed a little, though...

"I tired it a few times years ago. Other kids I knew while we were all growing up and figuring stuff out. I stopped when A boy I was sweet on OD'd on me and... I just don't have the energy to go back. Feelings hurt, ya know? So @#$% em."

She could feel panic welling up in her chest. That suffocating feeling that started small, but if left to grow would steal the breath away from you. His hand literally shaking under her own was not helping. She could feel sweat beating on the back of her neck.

"They weren't abusive, like.. physical... but they weren't great. They never believed me when I told them things, and half pf my problems right now can be traced 100% back to them." She fully blamed them for nearly everything she had even done wrong, up to a certain point. There was no doubt left in her heart about that.

"I should have left home sooner than I did, but I doubt a 12 year old would have survived very long out in the real world."

@#$%, they were both bitter and scared shitless, weren't they?

"Blue... you had better not die on my damn floor or I will be so pissed."

This whole conversation was getting heavy. Heck, it was like the world was getting heavy. He wanted to sleep, but she kept talking, and he knew they were both sort of forcing their way through this right now. Dying was bad. Dying was something he had no intention of doing today.

"I mean, at least you gave it a shot. Can't say feelings hurt when I never gave 'em a shot. Heck, this is the closest I've probably had to a friendship." Boy that was pathetic. This whole situation was stupid and ridiculous and he hated it. So why was he still even talking to her?

"I take it back, if you're parents made you feel that way then F*** 'em. You don't seem to have as many problems as you seem to think. I think you are one of the more tolerable people in this world."

He grumbled as she scolded him, and gently nudged her hand. "Jus'... get away so I don't hurt you, luv. Maybe...Maybe I can at least...burn something." He looked around, and spotted something nearby, reaching out and snatching what he vaguely recognized as a math textbook. Pulling it to his torso, he let the flames in his hands heat back up and lick the pages. It didn't take much for a fire to start and he awkwardly held his hand in the middle of the heat. He didn't want to create anything to big, just enough to leach some energy. He kept the book against his torso where he wouldn't risk lighting anything else on fire.

"If it ge's too intense, jus'....throw water on it, or somethin'...water won't hurt me." He felt like he had explained that once before, but it seemed worth noting again. The flames helped a little, he wasn't losing light so much now. He could never have guessed he would be cuddling a mathbook though as if his life depended on it.

Heh, he was funny even while dying!

"Same." She chuckled dryly, "I've bounced around so many different places in the last few years I never bothered to form any friendships. Who would've thought that one of them would be a grumpy pyro who's naked all the time? Did you ever things that you'd start to tolerate an energetic thot with sticky fingers?"

He tried to push her away and she pointedly refused with a bark of laughter. "Oh please, i'm like one of the only people in this city you can't hurt." .. For the most part. She still hadn't told him about her need to have a part of her body constantly solid. Whether or not he hadn't already figured it out on his own she didn't know. Xavier had picked up on it super quick somehow.

"Heh... feel free to burn all of my homework if you want. I'm not complaining any." She jerked her chin a little in the direction of her kitchen, where the newly purchased fire extinguisher was tucked away under her sink.

"I bought an extinguisher after that time we almost set my bed on fire." She shrugged and grinned, and it was only slightly pinched.

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK

Her heart leapt into her throat and her gaze jerked in the direction of the door. The snake lady! Was it her?!

As gently as she could she phased the parts of her he was leaning on and lowered the rest of him down to the floor. Then she made a hasty rush for her door, unlocking it and throwing it open to come face to face with a fire, flustered looking green woman and a head of equally grumpy looking snakes.

"...Eh..hehe. Thanks for coming!" She stepped to the side as the woman marched past her and then paused when she caught sight of the burning man laying on the floor, with a flaming math book clutched to his chest and a bloody rag pressed to one side.

She had been roused from a much needed nap at work on an over due break, by an unknown number which had turned out to be one of Zaid's friends. The very same friend who had been with him when she had hopped in an Oober and gone to collect the two drunkards, before they could hurt themselves.

The whole ride to Junipers place had been full of awkward snake petting and her gushing about how she had never hit on a Greek Goddess before, while Zaid had been confessing his love to Sloth, who had just wanted to go back to sleep. The whole thing had been awkward and adorable, and she wouldn't have changed it (cept for maybe less drunk pick up lines).

When Juniper had called her and started poorly trying to cover up that either she, or someone she knew, had a stab wound they were dealing with, she knew her break was over. She had already ordered a car to come pick her up, long before the awkward teen had gotten to the part about movies and burning wounds shut.

Work mode immediately kicked in when she saw the drying blood outside the girl's door, and she was already working though what kind of wound she was going to encounter inside. From the volume, as lack of a trail, it wasn't terrible. She would definitely be healing it up with blood, seeing as she got the feeling that neither of the occupants inside would probably be willing to go to a hospital for her to poke around. She wasn't going to take a chance with internal bleeding if this was going to be done in an apartment.

The Greek managed a tired smile at the door opened, and suspicions were proven correct when she failed to see a stab would on the small blonde. There was something on one of her hands that look suspiciously like the shade of gray blood would have, but she withheld a comment.

"I came as quickly as I could. Where is the patient?" She hurried inside, past the girl, and froze mid-step at what she saw. A male, laying on his back on the ground, with... was... was that book on fire? Were those flames blue?! Goodness, how pretty of a color, too.

Ack! She shook herself back into work-mode.

"Gracious me, you are in bad shape." She plopped her bag down, throwing the flap open and shifting around for a new pair of clean gloves. "How long has it been since you were stabbed?"

She didn't seem afraid, and neither did her snakes as the all tried to peek around her shoulders at the sudden new heat source.

Juniper hovered over the Greek's shoulder. Not wanting to get in the way, but also wanting to be close in case moral support, or a fire extinguisher, were needed.

Blue felt a little bit of a smile again. ”Pretty sure we wouldn’a got along so well without your sticky fingers. An’ maybe you tolerate me because I don’t owe anythin’ worth stealing.” It was true he pretty much did what he wanted and he could lose a place to live and not worry about to. Being immune to cold and heat took away most the need to have shelter or a home.

Although, being here, and having someone help him was nice. This was nice. His math book was even more nice...

Blue has been resting with his new heat source when the knock finally arrived. Somehow in the middle of the situation he had forgotten Juniper could phase and therefore would really get burnt by him, but blood loss was a thing even the strongest seemed victim too. And he wasn’t the strongest. He as a lazy, long-legged cat who just wanted to have somewhere warm to bask and enjoy himself.

He blinked up at the snakes, and the woman. The woman with a lot of snakes on her head. ”Sorry luv, I don’t have the best concept of time right now. I got stabbed, an’ I walked here. And Juni found me some pants on account of me burning the rest of my clothes being a real ass. The stabbin’ was deserved, in case you were wonderin’. Don’ judge her for helpin’ though,” he used his arm to sort of smother the flame out of the math book, so only his blue natural light remained. He missed the energy he had been leaching, but felt it would be simpler to be treated without extra variables.