ORIGIN - Hurting

Pages: 1 2

Winter was a little surprised when Kielo sat down next to her and pressed their warm body against her cold one. She was surprised that they had no fear. Then again, they were blind. They did not know what she looked like; they did not know the fear of snakes. But then why would they be afraid? Everything was so contradicting, it was making her head hurt. What should she think and believe? Should she believe in the kind young Kielo she had met at her hatching? Or should she believe in what she had learned: the the world did not trust snakes and that no one wanted her to exist?

Perhaps there was a way to believe both? At least for now, she could find someone that was kind to her. The memory of her fight with the goose flashed through her mind and the despair she had felt when she realized that Kielo might hate her or might not like her. She realized that she would rather believe that Kielo did like her and did trust her.

But what if she was wrong? No, there was too much evidence. But still, she couldn't help but be scared. She couldn't help but want to ask. But how could she ask? How would she do it? But she had to, or her mind would never be at rest.

"Yeah, I'm happy you were here." She wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying, but neither could she form a good response. Along with her confusion and fear, she couldn't help but feel warm at what Kielo was saying. It was nice to know that someone really cared about her. But did she? She didn't know until she heard it, until she heard the real answer.

Embarrassed beyond belief and fearful for what the answer was going to be, Winter turned her head away and whispered, almost barely audible, "Kielo, I...I need to ask you something." She paused, taking a deep breath. You can do this. 3...2...1... "Are you scared of me? Because I'm a snake?"

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

Kielo smiled a relieved grin as they listened to Winter, feeling her cool hide against theirs. Their nose twitched, the salty tang of her blood reaching them, intermingled with the bitter scent of moss. their ears twitched. The snake's silence bothered them slightly, but the young one reminded themselves that she'd probably be tired. Poor thing, she'd been through so much.

The hybrid raised their head, Kielo turned their face towards where winter's head should be, their ears perking to attentiveness. "O-of course. Anything!"They fluttered their wings and then furled the small appendages against their shoulders. There was something in Winter's voice that made the nervous.

They fell silent to listen to the snake's question, rustling their feathers softly as they thought of a suitable response. but there was only one logical answer to that. "Of course not!" Kielo said, and their voice held a hint of delicate surprise and warmth. "What's there to be afraid of? You're my friend, and I'm not afraid of friends. It doesn't matter how big they are, or what they look like, or what they are. And it never should." Kielo followed the scent of blood along Winter's length with a softly twitching pink nose. They readjusted themselves, searching for the moss they'd placed earlier, and began to carefully lap at the area around, aiming to clean the congealing blood from the cracks in between her smooth scales.

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"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Winter
notes: here

Winter felt herself be filled with emotion at Kielo's answer. She didn't know why it was so important for her to hear the words, but having them spoken aloud almost seemed to erase the hurts of the past days. What did it matter that other gembounds were afraid of her? She had Kielo and wasn't that enough?

She pressed her head into Kielo's soft fur to hide the emotion in her eyes, but she couldn't stop her body from shaking. Thank you, Kielo, thank you...it means a lot. It really does." She sobbed quietly as the canine's tongue softly lapped at her scales. It was soothing. Everything was soothing. Everything felt so much better, even if her wound was still to heal. But this set everything right, even for just this moment.

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

Kielo felt Winter's scaly head in their fur, and contunued to lap at the snake's scales until they could no longer taste blood. Then they continued regardless. They felt Winter shaking, and raised their head, nudging her smooth head and raising a wing in an invitation to come and coil against their warmth.

"Don't worry... you don't need to thank me, ever. It wouldn't matter to me if you were... uh..." Kielo didn't know many animal types. "...whether you were a dog, or a bird, or even a bug. You'd still be Winter." they grinned, resting their head on the ground again, eyes closed in contentment, though their face prickled with heat beneath their fur. Embarrassment at their stumble, or something else? The young one's ears flickered back.

They meant everything they said; they really did like Winter. She was one of their oldest friends, after all.

"Maybe you should rest," Kielo said finally. "I don't know much about healing, but I do know that sleep helps." They swept their feathered tail so that it made a sheltered curve along with their body. "I'll stay with you. I promise."

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"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Winter
notes: here

At Kielo's invitation, Winter didn't hesitate to move herself so that she was comfortably coiled next to them. They was so warm and their fur was so soft, she never wanted to leave again. In the back of her mind, some dark place tried to bring her back to her troubles, from the words that the goose had spoken and the cougar's hostility, to all the little things, from Azar's fear and Shade's hesitation. But it didn't come. It was as if the memories were a fog, blurred and unable to be seen.

Was it Kielo that caused this? Was it the protection, the love, and the kindness that held back the dark things she had been fighting? Was it the amount that Winter cared for them stopping the pain, even of the wound she still bore?

She didn't understand, but she didn't care. Those things could be worried about another time. She nodded at Kielo's suggestion and let her eyesight blurr as she sunk into the warmth and comfort. She had no doubt at this point that Kielo would be waiting for her in the morning.

-exit Winter

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

The hybrid smiled to themselves as they felt Winter curling against them, her scales cold against their warm fur and downy feathers. They lowered their wing once again, draping it across the almost-sleeping snake like a blanket to protect her from the outside world. Kielo yawned slightly, a small whine emerging from parted jaws, and they felt exhaustion beginning to creep into their limbs. though they hadn't realized it, the ordeal had exhausted them too.

Winter was silent and still, and Kielo's eyes didn't open. Their breaths quickly evened into long sighs, their chest rising and falling, wings lightly twitching as the memories of the earlier events dissolved into dreams. Without a worry in the world, Kielo let go, and sank into a deep and blissful sleep.

-exit Kielo-

_________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Winter
notes: here

Pages: 1 2