There was a time, when their friendship was a tad less intwined.
They started out as larping friends, with other trolls at first. Eventually they drifted off to have private sessions more often than not. Mainly because Equius seemed to put people off by his copious amounts of sweat but also because the little kitten-like troll sometimes would get this devilish look in her eye and made everyone uncomfortable with her strange romantic suggestions. So began their mostly larp-based relationship, hours of frollicking in the woods interspersed with some serious story building that somehow always reduced to cuddle sessions. The more they spent time together outside of larping, the more the larp sessions lessoned with out-of-character interaction. Almost to the point where they would need to stop and remember they were only playing a game. Soon Equius started integrating some of his robots into their sessions to make more characters, simple though they were. They were mainly lackeys to both sides, sent to "subdue and eliminate" their target, be they rival monarchs or mob bosses that day. The robots grew more accustomed to their roles as the multiple stories progressed, knowing the subtle cues to attack or offer witty, albeit tawdry remarks. It grew harder to tell the bots when to desist, as they warped suggestion to commands to uncannily true reaction to speech patterns. Equius was beginning to think they should scrap them altogether but Nepeta said it added to the 'realness' of their larp sessions, and it was hard to not give in to the brightly smiling troll.
One such day, Nepeta found herself in the metallic clutches of a lackey trying to off the best hunter the Alternian mob had ever employed. She could feel her ribs giving under the unfriendly embrace and rasped out, "Stop, stop, Eq make themm stopp!" The bigger troll boomed out his standard cease and desist command but the robot looked back at him coldly, unresponsive. "Gosh darn it, I said let her go!" he snapped taking a few steps forward until a steely voice made his blood pusher splutter. "We have our orders, Darkleer. The cat-wench is going to die." The arms of the robot twitched a bit and Nepeta cried out. "No," he almost whispered, his voice hoarse and low. "Stop now." "Negative, I can not obey that command. I already have my orders," the robot began to squeeze again and Nepeta could barely gasp, her lungs crushing together painfully. With that Equius had lunged forward and ripped the robots head from it's shoulders, causing it to short circuit and spasm. In horror he watched as Nepeta was nearly broken in two as the robot gripped her middle and thrashed about. Finally both figures were still, the blue blood knelt by them and pried the cold metal arms from around his fallen friend. "Nepeta," he said softly, "please..." A low sigh escaped green tinted lips as the girls lungs expanded against poking ribs. "Eq-" she managed before wet coughing wracked her body. Almost, her whole body. Equius sat very still for a moment, "Nepeta, can you tell me where my hands are right now?" She quirked and eyebrow at him, "How should I know, they're in your lap aren't they or by your side? Jeeez I dont know, What a strange question Equius..." He choked back a sob as he removed one hand from her bare foot and the other from her knee, realization dawning like a blaze across his thinkpan. She's been paralyzed.
"Do you think this will work?" Nepeta slurred from her wheelchair. It had been a few perigrees after the larping accident. Equius had seen that his little furry friend had the best care that could be mustered, using his influence as a blueblood to get her decent Doclacerators, ones who wouldn't experiment with her misfortune. With intensive physical therapy, she had been able to barely move her toe-claws, and was advancing everyday. The progress was slow, and though there was some hope she could walk again, there was definately incredible crippling to be dealt with for the rest of her life. That was, until Equius came up with a brilliant plan. He would build her a new spine.
"I do not think this will work Nepeta," Equius rumbled as set about guiding her onto a raised metal table, he missed the blanched look crossing Nepetas face as she was placed on her stomach. "I know it will." "But you aren't technically a doclacerator..." she mumbled through the sedative her sweaty friend had given her. "Neither are they, do you really think any one of those quacks ever went to blasted medical school... sorry, I shouldn't curse at a time like this." Nepeta giggled drunkenly, "You're fine." She reached out a slow hand to her friend, he took it gently.
"Equius?"
"Yeah?"
"I trust you."
"Thank you."
With that, he kissed her temple and waited for her breathing to even out before starting the long procedure.
"Nepeta?" The young troll stirred, her eyes rolling blearily. "Nepeta, are you awake now?" The little olive blood blinked owlishly, just where was she exactly, where was Pounce, her familiar cave paintings? Then she remembered the surgery, the accident, Equius. "OOooohhh wow," she groaned shifting awkwardly. "I'm so sore!" She stopped a potential tirade of moans and groans as she realized she felt something, even if it was soreness. "Oh wow, Eq, wow! I can, it worked!" Nepeta grinned at her friend, he was a mess. It looked like he hadn't showered in days, which translated to hours. He definitely needed a good massage and a handful, no armfull of towels at least. "You look terrible," she smiled. "Take a shower." In what seemed like years, Equius chuckled out a low resonant laugh, and squeezed his little friends hand. "Not yet, I have a surprise for you." Nepeta's eyebrows knitted together, "Like a new functioning spine wasn't enough! What could you have that would be more surprising than that?" He just grinned as he stood up and gingerly picked up the blanket covering most of her. "May I?" Confused, she nodded staring down at her feet, her legs, her waist, the fuzzy blue thing.. "Equius..." she started, and then she felt the blue thing twitch. Not only did she feel its light weight resting against her thigh but she felt where the thing rested on the bed, where it attached at her back.
"Equius Zahhak, did you give me a freaking tail?"
"Language, and you, you don't like it?"
"Equius, I LOVE it!" They grinned at each other.
"Get over here and hug me you smelly dork"
"If you insist."