Lust was wandering the camp, searching for one of the skeletons that had arrived recently. Be it those with that village Carvahall, those that came from Ellesméra or Sci and Omega. He wanted to know them better, and he was taking the day off from his.. job.

He certainly wasn't expecting to see Alter alone by the banks of the Jiet River, away from the tents. He recognized the queen mostly by how tall he was. Alter was the tallest Sans he knew other than Reaper, and Reaper was.. well, typically dressed in black and around Geno.

It was strange that Alter would be alone, as he'd heard that the queen was lonely after being away from genuine social interaction for so long. No one who mentioned Alter knew why.
Shrugging, Lust made his way over, picking up a spare coin someone had dropped and tossing it up and down.
He froze when he realized what the other was doing.

Alter was heating the water to boiling and cleaning greyed and red-stained linen that used to be white. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal a bloody snap across his right ulna, dust coating the edges and stained in the blood.

Gulping, Lust decided to creep up and stand behind the retired queen by his right until he noticed.
Alter flinched and hid everything when he did see Lust.
"Hello there. I didn't see you. Whatever are you doing here, my friend?"

Lust sat down beside him before responding, looking into Alter's eyesockets before he spoke seriously.
"Are you okay?"
The queen hesitated, glancing at the milky water. "Why do you ask?"
Lust reached out to tap the broken bone. Alter grimaced, jerking away before sighing. "You saw that, didn't you." He looked away.

"I did. What's wrong? I know you have healing magic, so the only reason why you're not doing that is because you're too weak."
Alter stuttered for a moment.

"Actually, no, not at all. It's just.. it's not working with this wound. I don't think it is infected, but it's still worsening. I think maybe there was a venom? Of some sort? I.. I don't know what to do." His shoulders slumped. "It's not healing. Roran's shoulder healed fine.." He trailed, pulling back the sleeve to peer at it.

"Maybe it just rejects your healing magic." Lust suggested, looking over the other while he was distracted before lighting up his own hands.
"Oh. I didn't realize you had it as well." Alter noted before wincing. "I never got your name."
Lust snorted. "It's not really important…. But yeah. Where I came from, I had to learn it fast when I found I had the talent."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Your world was difficult?"
"...For me, it was."
"My bad."
"S'nothing."

They both focused on the broken arm for about a minute, waiting for any change.
"..I don't feel anything. Please, save your energy. You shouldn't exhaust yourself so."
"Fine. Fine." Lust drew back, frowning at the break thoughtfully. A fleck of dust scraped off as the sleeve brushed against it.

"Maybe spells work." Lust murmured.
"You know spells?" Alter perked up in surprise.
"No." He shook his skull. "But I know some who do. We'd have to find them…. I don't trust the Du Vrangr Gata for shit, though. You probably shouldn't, either."
"What, why? They seem like good people to me."

"I'm sure they are… mostly. I still feel like they wanna take all of us to use for their own good, that's all. But hey." He stood up and offered a hand to the other. "I'm a pretty paranoid guy. Come on. We can get you help together."

Alter hesitated, then took it with his left hand. "Thank you. I thought only Dance knew spells."
"Dance knows that? Where'd he learn it? That village doesn't seem to have magicians or anything."
"No, he learned from a sorcerer hiding in the mountains…. The name still amuses me."

"They're called the Spine, right?"
Alter giggled before nodding. "It's such an irony."
"That is pretty ironic." Lust agreed as they fell in step beside each other.

Then Lust tripped, stumbling behind Alter as the taller paused, only for the shorter to run into him. Alter hissed slightly as Lust straightened, glaring at the rock he'd tripped over before sniffing the air and spotting the queen. "Oh, sorry. This is why I hate rocks. They're so stony."
Alter snorted, smiling half-heartedly at the on the spot pun before Lust frowned at him.
"Is there something else hurting you?"

Alter waved the question off. "No, not really. You just ran into a bruise."
Lust raised a non-existent eyebrow. "I'm at hip height to you. Or are you so tall falling over bruises you?"
The queen went silent, surprisingly sullen. "It's.. a bit more complicated than that."
Lust's eyelights died, thinking of awful possibilities he was painfully familiar with.

Alter was alternatively unnerved. "Are you.. alright? I didn't mean to upset you, it's just that I had a bad arrival to Alagaësia."
"Did humans do something to you?" He asked quietly.
Alter took a step back, tensing slightly.
"How did…?"

Lust stared hard at him for a moment, then sighed, crossing his arms. "I'm Lust." Alter blinked in shock, only for him to continue harshly.

"I smelled it for a second when I ran into you, thought it was humans who had fun in a tent nearby a while ago, but then you said you were bruised there…" He looked at Alter. "It adds up. Same damn thing happened to me, just a little different. And it happened with me and monsters all the damn time back home as a kid, so yeah. I'd say I can guess pretty easily that humans raped you, which is a fucking crime and even more fucked up because you're a goddamn queen."

Alter whimpered softly. "Please, I didn't want anyone else to know."
Lust's gaze softened. "I understand that. I wanted the same thing. But.. this isn't something you bottle up. It causes more damage that way." He paused, then relaxed. "You need to be able to talk to someone. I always had Tail, but he's.. not here. At least, I don't think he is." He glanced around, checking for anyone nearby.

"Look, Alter. I'm not some slutty rapist like everyone said about me."
"I never really believed them, anyway." Alter stammered.

"It doesn't matter. This isn't the Multiverse. Right now, you need help. I don't know what you've done so far, but you're hurting. No one who's okay hides their injuries. Let me help. Blue, he knows spells, he can help your fracture- but I'm pretty sure you don't want him to see whatever they did to you there. Right?"
The fragile queen nodded quickly, eyesockets wide.

"Then come on. He shouldn't be hard to find." He assured him, taking his left hand and guiding him through the camp without a word.
"....Why do you care so much? I never had anything to do with you before."
Lust hesitated.

"First of all, we're both skeletons. You know we're supposed to look out for each other. There's not enough of us compared to the rest of monsterkind, no matter the AU. Second of all, we've been through pretty much the same damn thing. Third, I'm not an emotionless bastard. Lastly, we're Sanses. Most may have forgotten that, but I sure as hell haven't."

He made to keep going, then froze.
"...Lust?"
"I am a fucking idiot." He realized.
"What? No, you're not. What's wrong?"
"No, I just.. completely forgot Error."
"Excuse me?"
Lust shook his skull and tugged a familiar armband off his left arm, summoning a sharp attack and poking it repeatedly in morse code.
"What are you doing?" Alter questioned, completely lost.
"Error can sense these things, he can help us find Blue. He's got one too. Do you?"

"Well, he offered something like that, but he suggested we figure out what part of the.. Wyrdaí Islingrya? What part of them we wanted to be."
"That's nice. Honestly, I'm just with Error. We're not as different as I thought." He mumbled.

There was a moment before Alter finally spoke again. "Really, I don't think it's necessary to poke it that much."
Lust glanced at him. "I'm using morse, buddy."
"You… are surprising. Where did you learn that?"
"Picked it up once out of boredom. I also know braille, some greek and latin, french and spanish."
He paused.

"There was a multilingual book that I read to wind down."
"I only know latin, and only because I was curious how humans made the spells for the Barrier and such."
"Those spells monsters can't use. They need human Souls."
"I'm well aware of that, it was merely curiosity. That, and I wanted to know how it functioned."

Lust was going to respond when both he and Alter jumped as something fizzled into existence across from them, Alter squeaking as the errors flickered densely around the multicolored skeleton. Error glanced between them, scoffing as he knitted. "Why do you need Blue to heal something?"

Lust recovered and responded, peering at the fluttering glitches that now revealed the other's true colors. "For some reason, traditional healing magic doesn't work." He nodded to Alter, who hesitantly pulled up his sleeve to reveal the break.
Lust noticed how Error's glitches never touched the sunglasses hanging from his neck vertebrae.
They currently read [Uo]-[k?].

Error huffed, seeing the fracture and turning away.
"Wait, what are you doing?" Lust questioned, surprised.
"It's called follow me." Error sighed, waving them to do so as a portal opened before him.
Alter smiled shyly at Lust as the sexualized skeleton led him through.

As soon as they passed through, Blue was already on Alter, surprising both of them as he murmured something under his breath, the fracture suddenly healing itself as the queen gasped. "It's so strange to see a monster casting a spell.." He marvelled softly, rubbing his formerly broken arm gratefully before he thanked him.

Blue grinned, his smile slightly eerie with the sharper teeth. "You're welcome! You could always learn them as well, your Majesty, they're far greater than the Soul magic of our humans and so much easier." He chirped, bouncing in place as he beamed at Alter, who blinked.

"Thank you, but… I would rather improve my healing capabilities. I never wanted to wield a magic such as that, though.. it would be better to improve my own abilities in healing." He smiled as Blue glanced to the side.

"That's perfectly alright. Several of us, myself included, can help you with that. The offer still stands, though." He glanced at Lust and Error. "Is that everything you needed?" He quested of the three.

"I'm fine now, thank you." Alter explained softly, before peering at Lust. The sexualized skeleton hesitated as he realized what he wanted.

"I think we'll leave.. now?" He gave Error a meaningful look as he too Alter's now healed arm and started leading him away. The glitch seemed confused, but took a step back regardless, Blue following suit with even greater puzzlement.

Alter cringed, knowing they would be asking questions later as Lust guided him out of the tent they had been portaled to and past a drowsing GB curled up on the dry, sickly looking earth.

"They know not to ask, you know." Lust spoke up quietly, not looking back at Alter.
"I.. you think so?" Alter was surprised.
"I could tell by the look on your face. I've been here long enough to know that Blue knows when something's private, and Error.. minds his own business too."

"I did not know that." Alter hesitated. "Normally.. before I went into self-exile, as queen I would often be targeted by invasive questions."

Lust scoffed, stopping in front of a tent and holding back the flap for him.
"Some idiots are like that, no respect for privacy. Luckily, it's more common among humans than monsters." He offered a smile as Alter awkwardly made his way inside, blinking as he took in the interior.

"This is.. oddly pleasant compared to other tents." He noted as he spotted a few buckets tucked away under the plush bed and almost lavish blankets, unusual clothes draped on top.

Lust chuckled, though it was oddly numb. "I've found my own way of supporting the Varden financially.. and the Wyrdaí Islingrya."
"May I ask what it is you do? Knitting..?"

"It's not that important. What is though, is that this tent is a safe space." Lust went to hang an extra curtain between the entrance post, the soft fabric looking purplish in the dimness of the tent.

"You can sit in the beanbag over there.. pull it out from the corner." He waved to the cushion tucked between the back of the tent and the bed.

Alter hesitated, then brought it over with blue magic, slowly setting himself in it as he ran his phalanges across the smooth fabric, impressed.
"Is this silk?"

Lust nodded. "Error even made it. His beanbags are to die for." He gushed before catching himself. "It's not his strings, though."

"He really uses his strings?"
"Yeah. They can do a lot more than you'd think. He can make literal air-conditioned dresses. Pretty damn cool." He winked as he gathered the clothes from the mattress, smoothing out the fabric as he draped them over the headboard.

He sat down then, facing Alter with a solemn look.
"On a more serious note." He started, peering at the former queen carefully as he patted his pelvis carefully. "This hurt a lot?"

Alter blinked, a little tense at the turn of conversation. "Not.. really. It only causes trouble when I bump into something or lean forward when seated. It's only sore beyond that."

"Did you get the bruises more than two months ago?"
"It.. the most recent one was five weeks ago."
A brief look of disgust passed over Lust's face before he regained his composure.
Leaning forward on his kneecaps, he continued in the same serious tone. "Would you let me see it in case there is more than bruising? Or is that too much right now?"

Alter tensed up at the thought. "It's entirely optional." Lust explained quickly. "What happened to you is mentally scarring, and it's okay to not be ready to feel safe so soon after such an incident."

The former queen sighed shakily. "Thank you." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I know you mean the best, and.. I know I should receive attention for my injuries, but…" His words caught, a few tears welling up against his will as he held a hand over his face, waving it in an attempt to calm down.
"I don't know why I'm so afraid." He whimpered.

Lust sighed at this, getting up from the bed to approach Alter cautiously, sitting beside the taller on the oversized seat to provide him company, offering his shoulder to the former queen. Alter slowly leaned against him, tears silently rolling down his face.

After a few minutes of silent crying, Lust spoke up, keeping his voice low.
"Would you like me to light something calming? And a lamp?"
Alter nodded softly, shifting back a little. "If you want."

Lust nodded, grabbing a pillow from the bed and handing it over. "Hold this for me." He told the other, who took it and hugged it as the sexualized skeleton stood, heading for the dresser. He lit up a lantern hanging from a ceiling support beam with a flick of lavender fire magic and pulled out a few incense sticks, setting them in a burner on top of the dresser and lighting them lazily, glancing back at Alter in the middle of the room.
"How are you feeling now?"

With a sniff, the taller replied. "Better. I'm sorry for breaking down like that."
Lust scoffed. "Everyone needs a good cry when they're stressed. It's okay. Got that? You're not bothering me."

Alter nodded mutely, listening. Lust blinked at this, before quietly going to a small cabinet on the other side of the bed, pulling out a mug that he set on top, pulling out a jar full of brown powder and a jug from his inventory.
"Would you like some hot chocolate, darling?"

"You have milk and cocoa?" Alter asked, turning to look at him, though only seeing Lust's backside as he started mixing.

The sexualized skeleton swayed in place, a little excited. "I happen to have coco powder, yes. It's also easier to get milk than you'd think." He grinned.

Alter slowly sat up, cuddling the pillow like a child did their toy. "I would appreciate it." He murmured.
"You will. It's a good cup of coco." Lust waved a phalange at him. "No one can resist!"

Alter chuckled softly, Lust turning around with both hands on top and bottom of the mug and aflame in purple, a mixing spoon poking between his phalanges out of the top.

"Are you.. heating it?" Alter questioned in surprise.
"Yes. You don't prefer cold hot chocolate, do you? That'd be awful."
"No, not at all- I'm surprised you had fire magic as well."

Lust shrugged, sitting back down beside him as he stirred it some more. "I can make a cooking flame at best. It's not my strongest suit." He offered the warm mug over, the hand gripping it still burning as the other pulled a blanket off the bed and draped it over Alter without a word.

The former queen couldn't help but giggle at this, taking the cup and sipping from it. "I can't help but feel like a child here." He commented, cupping it in both hands as the blanket draped over his shoulders.

"Sounds like fun; mind if I join?" Lust asked while plopping down beside him. Alter snorted, rolling his eyelights as he leaned away a little. "Sure. But this is my blanket now. Get your own." He stuck his tongue out jokingly, falling to giggles at Lust's mock outrage.

"A queen! Stealing my own blankets!"
"I'm sorry, but they really are too soft. It must be mine."
"How could this happen to me?"

He smiled as Alter snickered, gripping his mug in the effort to hold back his laughter. "You're going to make me spill my coco-" He giggled, staring at his cup in his helpless fit.

Lust chuckled, letting up as he sat straight. "Can't let that happen. Hot chocolate is too holy for spillage."
"Yes, it would be a sin to spill it." Alter agreed, a smile on his face as he took another sip.

There was a moment of silence as the scent of chocolate and lavender incense wafted around the room, lights flickering cozily.

"Thank you." Alter finally broke it, gratitude gleaming in his own light purple eyelights as he regarded Lust, who returned the smile. "Of course."
He held out his hand. "Venting buddies?"
Alter blinked at it, processing the offer. Then he took it. "Venting buddies." He agreed.