[Closed] @eidxiety 🐉🐉🕊️

[winterbolt]

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[eidxiety]

[The deeply ironic thing in all of this is that if any one of them had shapeshifted in front of Ain he'd suddenly be Fine with being kidnapped only because men are hot and hot men that want to kill him are better than dragons that want to kill him (?????????????) so anyway—

Ain isn't dead! He is unfortunately unconscious, though, but some amount of shivers wracking his body say that he's clinging to life still. This sort of wound won't kill him unless the bleeding goes untreated, and it seems like he'll be patched up, therefore this thread doesn't end 22 comments in...

It will become very apparent very quickly that he's gotten some sort of illness, probably flu, from sleeping on the ground and being up in the mountains for many hours with little protection against the cold. Yes, a cave is shelter, but not when you're wearing little of anything and also have dehydrated yourself by crying for several hours. And also the blood loss.

Ain sometimes squeaks and sobs in his sleep, but otherwise, it'll probably take him another several hours to wake up... and when he does, his voice is scratchy and he definitely sounds deader than he is.]

...did I miss...?

[Girl not only did you miss your vital organs but you also pulled the pike out and had a panic attack and hit the floor. Yeah you missed.]

[lupusxylem]

[It’s funny because Add rarely shifts forms unless he has to, finding the human form to be unpleasant compared to his “real” form, while Wolfwood is a lot more liberal with using it. Granted, using them for the sake of a human partner changes things considerably, but lol…they’ve never once found a Princess who actually wanted to stay with them, so that clearly isn’t happening any time soon. So, the fact Add changed at all was a really big deal. And Add having so many books means he has a couple on healing and medical care (at least the best that can be done in the mountains), which means Ain is no longer bleeding out but also hasn’t exactly received the highest quality care. Neither dragon has healing magic, and Ain absolutely needs stitches so he doesn’t scar. The best Add could do was cover the wound with a poultice after stopping the bleeding to prevent an infection. It’s not a permanent solution by any means, but it’s the best they can do for now.

Ain will find himself waking up sometime in the morning. It’s raining outside the cave, but the dragons would have stayed in even if it wasn’t. They’re both resting in their nests with Add curled up in a ball asleep, Wolfwood curled up similarly but still awake. Ain, meanwhile, has been placed on soft things inbetween them. If he looks closely, he might realize their nests are actually connected, just with spaces set aside for them both should they want to be alone for whatever reason.

As Ain stirs, Wolfwood growls deep in the back of his throat.]

Yeah, and we ain’t slept at all cause of you. Go back to sleep.

[eidxiety]

[Blinks... ugh, his head hurts, but luckily for him he super doesn't feel like getting up. He's so tired...]

Cold...

[Is he cold? It's not like he can feel his fingers, but that might be due to blood loss more than anything. He's wedged between two giant-ass warm lizards, so he may not be as cold as he thinks, even despite the clear distance between all of them. Proximity warmth is a hell of a thing.

Yawwwwn...

Ain doesn't have much of a choice; as much as he tries to stay awake for longer, his brain simply gives up on him and he passes back out again within a few minutes. He doesn't feel any safer, but he's alive for some strange reason... apparently for his injury-induced exhaustion, that's good enough.]

[lupusxylem]

[Eventually, both Wolfwood and Add wake back up while Ain still sleeps, giving them a chance to talk about what to do with him. They could have just let him die, but since they didn’t, he’s kindof their responsibility now…but the thing is, they’ve never had someone who doesn’t WANT to go back home. Okay, they could just let him loose into the mountain, but then he’d just try to mill himself, which neither dragon is comfortable allowing either. Turns out, for all the killing and pillaging they do, they don’t just kill people for fun. Mostly.

So, what now? They argue for a while. They can’t just keep him here, he’s not…a Princess. He doesn’t have what they want. And they doubt he WANTS to partner with a pair of dragons either. They don’t really come to much of a consensus other than to keep Ain here until he recovers…however long that might be. But it’s obvious he’s sick now as well, which hugely complicates things.

After some more bickering, Add declares he’s leaving to get some food and medicinal herbs and since Wolfwood caused this mess he can watch Ain while he’s gone. Have fun!!!

Ugh.]

[eidxiety]

[Wolfwood gets to babysit this poor sneezy baby... Who has chills now despite everything and is really fucking struggling over there. His fever dreams produce only stress nightmares and at one point he wakes himself up crying, only to find out he's still alive and has not been chewed on, and then immediately passes back out.

He's fine, clearly.

He'll wake up in several more hours, distantly hungry but in too much pain to do much about it, sniffling and shaking and sneezing...]

[lupusxylem]

[If this human dies before Add gets back, he’ll never hear the end of it…

The dragon huffs, exhaling on a deep breath of smoke as he looks over at Ain trembling nearby. He can’t possibly be cold, he thinks, he’s in a warm nest…but he guesses humans don’t retain heat well given how naked they are. No fur, no scales, barely any hair…and Ain has far less than most human men he’s seen. After a moment, he gets up and steps across the cave to one of the junk piles, grabbing a thick blanket with frayed threads they stole from a caravan, patchwork like someone sewed it by hand, and drags it over to throw over Ain’s shaking form.]

Add’s bringing food back, so just. Stay there.

[eidxiety]

I don't think I could run now if I wanted to...

[Ugh. This sucks!!! He hates you guys.]

If you're trying to fatten me up to eat me, it won't work. My metabolism is too high... and I'm pretty sure I can't eat much right now anyway. You might as well just go back to your original plan of eating me. Dragons probably can't get sick.

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood stretches, resting his head on his crossed feet after laying back down again.]

We ain't eatin' you. Not after goin' to the trouble of makin' sure you don't bleed out all over our cave. You're welcome, by the way.

[His eyes drift closed, a deep sigh leaving him.]

We don't know what to do with you yet, but we ain't gonna eat you anymore.

[eidxiety]

...Kay.

[He opens his mouth to say something else, but hackwheezes into a brief coughing fit, sniffles, and goes back to laying there in a little ball. However he curled up in his sleep with His big injuries is anyone's guess.]

You said you wanted to talk to a princess. I'm not, but maybe I can help. I have political sway too, you know.

[lupusxylem]

[...geeze. Maybe he won't be alive when Add comes back. At least Add can't blame him for that one, it's not like he'll return to Ain having been eaten or anything-]

...you're kiddin', right?

[eidxiety]

...no? I really do know stuff. I hate politics, but I know them.

[He tries to look at Wolfwood, but he's facing away from the dragon and moving is hard, so... He huffs and stares at the opposite wall from under the blanket. At least he's warmer now.]

You can't go around kidnapping people. That's how you get hurt, and so do they. So if you want to have a conversation, I can try my best, even though my throat is sore.

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood's tail flicks, thumping against the cave floor.]

Dunno why your heart's bleedin' for us now, but you'd be wastin' your time. Add and I ain't exactly well known of or liked in this world, just like most other dragons. Do you really think you could just go to your Kingdom like "yeah these dragons want one of your Princesses to come talk to them" when we just kidnapped you? They're prolly putting together an army as we speak.

[eidxiety]

I'm just trying to help... I don't have anything better to do, and you keep bitching that I don't have boobs.

[Lmfao—]

You technically saved my life, so maybe I feel obligated now. And I'm curious. I don't like owing people.

[lupusxylem]

You don't owe us. I'm the one who dragged you here because I was hungry and frustrated cause none of the Princesses we bring work out.

[Grumble grumble...Wolfwood exhales another stream of smoke that trails up towards the cave ceiling as it thunders distantly outside.]

Have you not heard of us before?

[eidxiety]

Dragons are mythology where I'm from. We haven't seen them since my oldest brother was born. People think you all died off.

[Ain wiggles and tries to roll over, this time succeeding getting onto his back while grunting and huffing in pain. Again, how did he flip over in his sleep... it's anybody's guess, really.]

What do you mean "work out"? Don't you eat them?

[lupusxylem]

[Mmmgghghg...

Wolfwood looks like he might? Be about to respond, but it's hard to tell with the way his craggy brow has furrowed and he's refusing to look at Ain, at least until he's saved by the sound of Add's wings flapping as he suddenly reappears, floating through the cave entrance and giving himself a brisk shake from his head to the tip of his long tail with a frustrated sound.]

Do you seriously not have a fire going? For fuck's sake...

You didn't say you'd need one, your highness.

I didn't think I'd need to, you can SEE it's raining outside!!

[Wolfwood gestures rudely with his claws before turning away, prompting Add to turn away himself as he drops a large sack of Something near their nests, looking sidelong at where Ain is...kindof sprawled on his back like a turtle.]

Can you sit up? I brought food. ...make a FIRE you waste of space!!

[Add snaps at Wolfwood, whipping him with his tail in a way that gets Wolfwood to jolt upright, spin around, and bite Add's back. They just do this, apparently, as this results in a very brief scuffle that ends with Add zapping Wolfwood until he backs off, hissing, and heads for an old firepit nearby and starts breathing blue flames into the embers.]

[eidxiety]

[whatever's wrong with them is funnier etc etc

Ain watches this upside-down, with his head tilted back to watch them scuffle before he attempts to sit up. It's difficult, but he can get up on his elbows after a minute of struggling. God why did he try to kill himself what was he thinking (he was thinking "I refuse to die to dragons OR go home and be miserable so I'll just die").]

Yeah, give me a minute...

[He doesn't want to reopen this wound, since he can tell just by how it feels that it's not actually closed. Ugh...]

[dyn4m0]

[While Wolfwood works on the fire, Add uses his mouth to upend the bag he brought. A couple clearly-stolen foodstuffs fall out, like whole raw potatoes, tomatoes, some onions, and some carrots. Alongside that, perhaps discomfortingly so, are two whole rabbits that were definitely very recently alive, but very much are not anymore. It's not even possibly enough to feed a pair of dragons, suggesting this is all intended for Ain and not them. They can just go hunting whenever, and it's not like dragons who likely eat multiple whole animals in one sitting need to eat every single day. They're fine going without for a week or more, even longer in times of hardship like the winter.

After that, Add uses his tail to pull a few more books from his pile, dropping them nearby. He addresses Ain without looking at him as he does all of this.]

Here's the deal. Your wound is going to scar heavily at best, or get infected at worst, if left like it is. Either we can drop you back near enough to your Kingdom to go home without getting shot down by your people, or you can let me try doing it myself. Or, you can take your chances with getting horrible sepsis and dying. Your choice.

[Just. No explanation of HOW he's going to fucking do that but sure okay]

[eidxiety]

[Oh, he has no idea how to cook... this is scary, he should probably just eat the tomatoes raw and say that's good enough...]

Well, I don't want to go home... I'm never going to be able to leave the castle ever again if my mother sees me now. [Oops, he said he wasn't gonna talk about that... well, whatever, it's not like they ~know~.] I know a little bit of emergency first-aid, and I guess maybe I'd rather not die horribly...

[Ain cannot make up his mind right now. #Depression.]

I have no choice but to trust you, huh.

[dyn4m0]

Ooh? That's surprising...here I thought you'd take your chances with the wilderness. So you don't want to die?

[Add, Christ-

Wolfwood finishes up with the fire pit while Add flips open a few of the books with his tail. Some of them look like medical tomes, so that explains a lot actually. At least the pit pretty much immediately brightens the cave with a soft blue glow, warming it almost instantly as the storm continues outside.]

Maybe you didn't fuck up horribly for once, Wolfwood. I've always wanted to try this out on something, and I never thought I'd be able to do it on a human...

This is why the Princesses scream at you, freak.

[Add ignores Wolfwood as he turns to face Ain this time, his tongue flicking from his jaws like a snake.]

I'll let you decide if you want to eat before we get started, at least.

[eidxiety]

[Okay, well now he's scared! Way to go! Ain's eyes get wide and he suddenly looks down at his knees, nervously picking at the ends of his dirty sleeves.]

I-if it's a medical treatment, isn't it better if I haven't eaten first? Or...? What are you doing, exactly...?

[dyn4m0]

What do you think I'm going to do? I'm going to stitch up that third hole you made for yourself.

[He rumbles, a sort of kekeke sound. He's laughing.]

I brought herbs that can either make you not care about the pain so you can stay awake, or knock you out so you don't feel anything until we're done. The latter will mean we probably won't see you again until late tonight, fair warning.

[eidxiety]

I... don't know if I can eat with a wound in my stomach, [it's off to the side, Ain, you missed your organs,] so... maybe just do the stitches. I'll just take the drugs that'll knock me out, that way I won't know if I die.

[You need to see a therapist]

It's not like I don't need the sleep. I can eat later.

[dyn4m0]

Tch. You're no fun. Fine.

[Add sits in front of Ain and looks over at where Wolfwood has been kindof standing there, watching, and orders:]

Since I'll be doing the hard work, you start cooking an hour before sundown. He'll wake back up by then.

[Wolfwood's gaze narrows, sparks flaring near his teeth.]

Yeah, okay. If you cooked, it'd taste like fucking ass and you know it.

So you won't have any reason to complain when you do it later, will you?

[What...are they talking about. Cooking?

Well, Ain won't get much of a chance to react, because out of nowhere there's a flash of purple light that jumps and coils around Add's form, racing from his horns down his spine as it seems to envelop him as he shrinks, and just as quickly as there was a dragon sitting in front of him, there's a Man sitting there instead. Despite his penchant for not doing this, how else did Ain think he'd get stitched? Did he think a dragon was going to do it with its teeth and claws?

Add's human form is bulky and pale, with striking white hair that fits with the white fur that goes down his spine in his dragon form. The markings on his face, chest, and arms match as well, along with the purple scales that dot his frame as he crosses his legs beneath him, pulling the books close with one hand as he reaches for a different bag with the aforementioned herbs with the other, pulling them out and crushing them into a bowl.

Also, he's completely naked. He doesn't seem to care, he's sitting there with his sheath and balls out while he mixes up this medicine for Ain to drink while Wolfwood goes back to his nest to sulk.]

[eidxiety]

[The way Ain goes bright red, sputters on whatever he was about to say, starts hackwheezing again and has to choke out a "pardon me" while he's dying into the crook of his elbow, and finally manages to clear his throat... what do you mean the dragon is a HOT MAN. A HOT NAKED MAN. Is the other one hot also? Ain's head whips around to look at Wolfwood, who is Still a dragon.

He clears his throat, absolutely objectifying the hell out of Add while he sits there feeling blood gushing out of his side. Cool.]

I... think people would be a lot less scared of you both if you shapeshifted like that sooner. Just saying...

[Why are the men HOT]