ORIGIN - Hurting

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Why. Why did everything still hurt? Why was she still in pain? It seemed the fight had taken place so long ago, but she still felt every wound, physical and invisible. The stone was still stuck firmly in place, puncturing the skin on her back. She had not removed it yet as she knew blood was ready to well from the wound as soon as she did. She needed to find help, she needed to find someone she could trust. But who? Who would trust a snake?

The blue jay had really taught her that. She couldn't expect trust from anyone. She couldn't expect kindness from anyone. She had been spoiled for her first cycle off the kindness of strangers. But now, the first cycle was over. She could feel things changing and she did not welcome it.

But here she was, back in Polaris. It was ironic that the first day of both her first and second cycle were in this room, with something stabbed in her back. Perhaps it was a sign, destiny. No, she didn't believe in destiny.

At one point, she stopped moving. The pain in her body was too great. She couldn't move anymore. Her consciousness was fading in and out, her eyesight blurry and her head was really fuzzy. She tasted the air and cringed at the foul smell. She had been scenting that for a while, following her. She had no idea what it was, but it couldn't be good. Perhaps her wound was infected.

That was all she needed, an infected wound to top it off. But she couldn't do anything about it, she couldn't treat an infected wound. She couldn't even move. All she could do was lie there, her breathing heavy and her head spinning, hurting from every angle.

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

Kielo had been finding their way around Polaris without too much trouble. They usually kept to the trails they knew, anywhere else their steps were cautious, but they had come to trust that the distant sound of the crystal river would guide their way, the scents of moss and stone and those who'd come before. So, they didn't worry as they followed their intuition. Their tail feathers, which were growing just long enough to trail against the ground, picked up the tiniest vibrations from footsteps or air pressure.

In body, they were almost as large as a house cat, but beginning to grow into their elegant avian stride.

It was as they padded towards the sound of the crystal river to drink their fill that a strange scent- mingled with a familiar one, tickled their nostrils. They paused, and sniffed, and their feathers rippled in pleasure as they picked up traces of a friend they'd thought long lost. Without hesitation they decided that their thirst could wait until later and began to follow the scent instead, moving as quickly as their caution would allow.

The nearer they drew, nose to the ground, the more Kielo got the sense that something was wrong- different, about the little snake who they'd met cycles ago. Were they injured? Kielo hoped not. Still, they picked up the pace and snuffled, the scent of Winter- as well as the unpleasant one- drawing closer and closer, until they felt their nose brush against what they perceived as her scaly hide.

Her scent was overpowering now, but, so too was the bad one. Kielo's brow creased in worry.

"...Winter? ...I-Is that you?" they murmured softly. "And... a-are you okay?" Their nose twitched again, scenting stale blood. Now they were certain something was wrong.

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

tags: @Winter
notes: here

Winter heard the sound of a larger creature drawing naer, but she barely noticed. She was barely conscious at this point. However, when something soft and warm bumped against her side, she couldn't help but feel a flash of terror as her tongue shot out to taste the air. She recognized that scent, there was no way...

"Kielo?" Her voice was quiet and hoarse and laced with pain, but she still managed to pick up her head enough to come face to face with the blind hybrid that had been present at her birth.

An unexpected streak of horror shot though her body. She had always imagined her reunion with Kielo and not a single one of them involved her being like this, broken and injured. It was a cruel twist of fate that the one perhaps willing to help would be none other then Kielo.

But she wasn't dumb enough to turn down the opportunity to get help. Neither was she willing to reject Kielo's company. "Yeah, it's me. And no, I'm not really okay.
I've got a rock stabbed in my back and I'm pretty sure the wound is infected.
You can smell it, right?"

It did smell pretty foul, and she was sure that Kielo, being half fox, would be able to pick it up as well. "I hate to ask for this after we haven't seen each other for so long, but I really need help." She internally cringed at her own words. As if Kielo really wanted to help her. As if anyone would want to help a snake. She doubted the fox even cared about her at all, but she couldn't get the rock out on her own.

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

Kielo's feathery ears pricked upright as Winter's voice came to them- but it was so different from what they remembered, so broken and dry. Kielo's ears drooped in sadness. "Th-that's right. It's me," the hybrid murmured soothingly, trying to keep their voice even although the feathers down their back were beginning to bristle with panic.

Winter's quick explanation explained the odd smell, intermingled so closely with the snake's familiar odour. The hybrid snuffled again at her hide, picking apart the scents so that they could follow the worst to its source.
The wound's close proximity made them almost nauseous. They tried not to touch the wound, desperate not to cause Winter any unnecessary pain. "...Y-yes, I can smell it. What do you want me to do?"

Kielo drew back, settling back on their haunches, white feathers spreading out at the base of their spine. Though they didn't know it, they'd changed a lot since their first encounter with Winter; grey down was beginning to bloom into the pristine white plumage of adulthood, and they'd started to grow into their gangly legs. It was clear to see that Kielo would soon be growing into a beautiful blend of avian and canid.

"N-no, don't worry! I'm just glad I found you. I-if I hadn't..." Kielo trailed off, their sentence left unfinished. "J-just tell me what to do. You'll be getting better before you know it! P-promise!"

_________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Winter
notes: here

Winter didn't miss the panic in Kielo's voice. However, she misinterpreted it as panic towards her, not the wound. Her stomach felt like it was being crushed. So it was true, Kielo really was scared of her. Was she intimidating her to help? Even in a weakened state like this?

In an almost monotone voice, she relayed instructions that she had built in her head for the past...she didn't even know how long. "We'll need something to stop the blood once the stone's out, something we can press on the wound.
When you've gotten it, I need you to pull the rock out and immediately press it on the wound."

She knew Kielo was going to ask. Despite knowing that she feared her, Winter couldn't help but know of her kind soul. "It'll hurt, but not for long."

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

Unbeknownst to Winter, Kielo had no inset prejudices or previous run-ins against snakes. in fact, they hadn't had any true run-ins or prejudices at all in their short life. Their blindness ensured that they were never afraid based on appearance alone, and made it impossible to see how big, what colours, or even what size the creatures they faced were. But, Kielo was also oblivious to the torment going on inside their friend. They thought the fear in her was of her wound, for her life. That's what Kielo's fear was for.

The hybrid gave a nod as Winter relayed her instructions- simple, concise. The hybrid was easily able to figure out what they needed to do. "Moss," they breathed thoughtfully, some of the panic apparent in their raised feathers and trembling wings dissipating. "I'll find some moss. I'll be back soon."

Kielo raised their nose and scurried away, tripping as they went in their haste. They scented left and right for a familiar, bitter smell. "C'mon..." they muttered fearfully, knowing that they'd eaten soft moss before, knowing that it would fulfil Winter's need. There had to be some nearby. They had to have passed some on their way. It took some time, but the pale hybrid caught a familiar scent, and their ears perked with hope. They bounded towards the source, tripping once, yelping as an avian claw snagged on a jagged stone, and seized a mouthful of the softly glowing substance. They trotted back towards Winter, neck arched protectively over the moss, feathers vibrating triumphantly.

They reached the snake, but with their mouth full of the bitter moss-scent, almost tripped over her. it was only when they put it down to sniff that they realized how close they were, and carried the moss over to her side. they settled down and once again sniffed for the wound. Their feathers trembled.

"...Ready?"

_________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Winter
notes: here

Winter shuddered when Kielo left her. She wondered if the avian would come back. Of course they would, they had promised. But, then again, they were scared. They could run away and never come back. That was probably the most likely answer. If they ran and left the evil snake to die, then they would never have to deal with that fear again. Yes, they wouldn't be coming back.

Winter resigned herself. She couldn't move any further. The stone was stabbed too deep and it had been there for too long. She wondered what would happen first - would she die of starvation, dehydration, or would her wounds take her?

But then she heard a noise and turned her head. She could barely believe her eyes when she saw Kielo returning. She was even more surprised when they came right up next to her. Perhaps that was just because they were blind and hadn't noticed her.

A small trickle of hope entered her system. Perhaps this could be okay after all. Perhaps Kielo wasn't scared? But there was no time to answer that question now. It was finally time. She turned away. She couldn't bear to look at them now. She let her eyes go foggy and braced herself. "Yeah I'm ready."

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

Kielo transferred the wad of moss they carried into one of their forepaws and then to the ground.

Kielo fluttered their wings and fluffed the feathers along their back, heaving a deep breath, all in preparation. The hybrid ran a sensitive avian paw along Winter's side to make sure they knew the placement of the offending stone. Then they slowly lowered their muzzle, brushing their lips against it, sniffling at it. "...Alright, here we go," the hybrid murmured, bracing their paws against the ground.

Kielo took a moment to consider their plan of action. although they desperately wanted to be gentle, they were certain that such a thing would only prolong their friend's pain. The quicker I do it, the less it'll hurt.

They gently grasped the stone in their teeth, adjusting their grip until they were certain it would take only one tug. They laid one paw against the snake's scaly hide to keep her as still as they could, and then jerked their head back in a swift motion. They then seized the wad of moss and as quickly as they could, shoved the soft and glowing mass into the wound, provided that Winter had remained still enough.

The hybrid tossed the stinking rock aside, trembling and shivering, and then trilled a fluting note of panic. "I'm sorry! is it o-okay? D-did it hurt?"

_________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Winter
notes: here

(minor gore is italicized)

The paw that touched Winter's side made her shiver with anticipation. She didn't want to think about what was happening next, but she knew that it had to happen. When she felt a small pressure on the stone, she froze, readying herself. She tried to keep herself as relaxed as possible, but it wasn't easy. And then, all of a sudden, Kielo thrust her head back and the stone was torn out of her hide.

Winter cried out in pain and her tail lashed against the ground. It was as if she was getting stabbed all over again, but worse, as the infection burned at her skin. As soon as the stone was out, blood and pus welled to the surface of her scales and began to spill out of the wound, staining her white scales red. Thankfully, Kielo was quick with the moss and the open wound was quickly covered and the blood flow was staunched. Next to the burning pain, Winter felt a little trickle of cold from the water in the moss and sighed as it cooled her hot scales.

After a moment of silence as she adjusted to the throbbing pain, she finally managed to choke out an answer. "Yeah, I'm fine. It hurt, but it's better now." A strange emotion welled up in her stomach and she looked away from the canine, her throat constricting. She didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve the kindness that Kielo had done for her. They should just leave her here now and save themselves the trouble of having to deal with a snake any longer.

She looked away from them, unable to look their way. But she had to say something, she couldn't just remain silent. She opened and closed her mouth to speak a few times before she finally managed to say, "And...thank you."

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kielo

Kielo's ears flattened to their head as Winter's cry of pain cut them right to the core, bringing tears prickling to their blind eyes. They sniffled softly, scenting the air- the scent of fresh blood and infection was at the forefront, but other than that, nothing was unusual. not much, except for their own fear. Winter's words caused them to relax slightly, but they still approached, snuffling over the snake's long body, just to make sure.

Kielo sighed in relief, every tensed and panicked muscle in their body appearing to relax at once. their wings fell, shaking, to their sides, wide eyes drooped closed and remained there. Their feathers still prickled but, one by one, they began to lie flat. tail feathers drooped towards the ground at their back.

The hybrid shivered, and, rather than remaining where they had stood, they approached Winter, and flopped down at her side, warm feathers brushing against her scaly hide, and chin resting on their avian paws. Their eyes remained closed all the while. At Winter's words, they raised their head slightly, turning their blind fave towards her. "O-oh? there's no need to thank m-me," they began bashfully, feathers along their neck fluffing. "I'm just glad that I could help. I woudn't have been able to live with myself, if I hadn't... well... y'know."

They dropped their head back down, slowly a smile trickling in to replace the exhaustion and fear. "I'm so happy you'll be okay. I was so scared for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier."

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

tags: @Winter
notes: here

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