Redhawk Caldera Hippos Can't Ice-Fish

Elwood frowned; Somnia still seemed determined to avoid him, and now seemed even a bit resistant to Ashton's help. It all became clear in the next few moments, however: she tried to speak, but her words were mumbled and disjointed. After giving it a bit of extra consideration, Elwood realized that she was referring to their play a few weeks ago, in which she was a queen and he was a rebellious peasant. He wondered if the cold was what made her mind revert to that situation, because it seemed as though she thought it was real.

As they got her moving down the slope towards Ashton's den, Elwood took the opportunity to explain. "Ashton, I think that she's confused -- she thinks that she's a queen and I'm a traitorous servant who tried to kill her," he said; he had, in fact, "threatened" to push her into the freezing water. "Is that something we should worry about? The fact that she thinks that's really happening?" he asked.

Once they reached the infirmary, he paused at the entrance, glancing at Somnia. Would she go in willingly? Ashton explained what he needed to do to help her, then directed a question at Elwood. He shook his head in response. "I'm fine," he said, wiggling his toes to make sure that everything felt okay. He was cold, but he hadn't been submerged as Ashton and Somnia were; he likely wouldn't feel any of the effects of hypothermia that threatened his friends. "Let's focus on her -- and you. Are you alright?" he asked. It sounded as though Somnia just needed to rest in a warm location, so he anticipated that it would be the same for Ashton, but he was prepared to help however he could.

I have recognized the fatal flaw in Ashton's den design a few weeks ago, and now I can take advantage of it. :) Oh, and I'm assuming Ashton still has the fish? :D

When Elwood made the accusation, she didn't deny it. She was the queen, and he had tried to kill her. Why Ashton didn't send Elwood away after that was unknown to the delirious wreck, but it quickly faded from her mind as more persistent feelings overtook her mind. It was getting cold!

There was an entrance to a den in front of her. Had it appeared out of nowhere? She hadn't noticed it until the golden wolf pointed it out. "Warm... Food... Meal... Nap..." Ashton linked those words to this den thing. She was cold, hungry, tired, panicked, and miserable, although the second to last was more of Elwood's fault. This place would take care of those things, according to Ashton. It wouldn't calm her down if Elwood followed her in, but Somnia didn't realize that in her current state. To her, the den would cure everything. She actually obediently entered......And fell down the dug-out stairs.

It could be blamed on her stumbling still, or that she just didn't remember and/or recognize that she'd have to be careful of the steps. Or most likely, it was a mixture of both that sent her tumbling down. Whatever the reason behind it, she ended up on the ground next to.... Fish? Was this the promised food? Somnia tried to catch them, as they were within range. Where the water or the fish had come from, she had no idea, but she tried to catch them with her jaws.

Ash was busy conversing with El, Som took her cue to waltz past the duo of them, and Ash watched her in amazement.
She was...ok, never mind. Screw it. Just go in after her, dude.

"El, take care of yourself, alright? If any inflammation comes across your lungs, and ya start coughing and sneezing and stuff all over the place, make sure you get over ASAP, before it gets worse, and you end up like-"

CRASH, BOOM, BUMP, THUD.
In his den. Somnia?

"Shit, bro, i'll totally catch up with you, later, mhmnk? I gotta make sure my little cheerleader didn't follow though with her plan of breakin every edge of her body."

He turned and made his way to the mouth of his den, and then realized that his compadre had inquired about his own health. Speaking over his shoulder, like some sort of badass movie charecter with rad hair, sunglasses, and explosions going on all around him, he said to his friend,

"I don't think theres anything Mother Nature can throw at me, that i can't handle. Later, dude."

And with that, Ash took his hardcore doctor ass down his stairs, only to find the rocky pelted babe snappin at his little bowl of fishies. Or what was left of em. He had used quite a few to make a medicine that required the omegas and other nutrients they had within their little fishies frames.

After quickly assessing that she was unharmed, he grinned, asking her in the gentle he used for her, and her alone.

"Enjoying the liddle dudes, Som?"

Last post for me and Elwood! Fun thread, guys. I'll still be stalking it. ;)

Elwood nodded as Ashton told him what symptoms to look for, though he doubted that he would be afflicted. He wasn't a medic by any means, but he thought that he would already be feeling funny if he were going to catch hypothermia. Before he could respond, however, there was a thump -- Somnia had toppled right down the stairs and into Ashton's infirmary.

"Oh no," he murmured, leaning to the side to try to look down the steps. Ashton was already making moves to go take care of the delirious Somnia, so Elwood was happy to leave her in his capable paws. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" he said as his friends disappeared into the expansive den. He lingered outside for a few minutes, then finally turned and made his way back to his own burrow, intending to curl up and nap for the next few hours.

Okay! ^.^ Oh, and I'm gonna make it so her deliriousness disappears overnight when she goes to sleep so that I can still have a bit of fun with her. :)

Ashton was quick to return to her side, thankfully without the traitor. Then came the tone of his voice; it made her feel special. So he wasn't a bad guy after all.

"Yes... But... But they... They won't let me eat them..." She complained. "A-and... It's cold." As if on cue, she started to shiver. It was actually a good sign of her becoming warmer, but she still felt freezing cold. With a few more failed snaps at the fishies, Somnia started to complain again. "I'm hungry and, and they won't let me eat them!" She repeated.

Hopelessly snapping at them wouldn't work, so.... "I, Queen Somnia, command you to swim into my mouth." That wasn't working either. "Make them do it." She told Ashton. They were his fish, after all, so maybe they would listen to him?

The teen raised a furry eyebrowat her words, still cracking the smile that only radiated for her.The toots was tryin to eat his medicine? He needed those. Alive. They cant just be swimmin all down her cute little throat, when he needed them for meds.

"Sorry, beautiful, but them aint for downin like a baby rabbit. I actually will get ya food, because after tryin to scout for a few pinecones and blue grass, I found a nice sized rabbit hole that's got some fat ol' buns in it, just waitin for you to swallow em down. But first, i gotta get you warm. C'mon, sweets, lemme show you to ya room. "

With a gentle carress of his soft blond tail to her monocollored one, he led way to the den she had previously crashed in.
Ash figured once she had burrowed herself onder the multitude of pelts, he would snatch some more from the other rooms, and stockpile em on top of her, adding more warmth to her shiverin bod.

Small bit of powerplay to help move it along, I can edit it if you have a problem. :)

"But... Food..." Somnia protested weakly before getting up to follow him. Why leave the food source? But, he offered warmth and then food. Warmth was just as tantalizing as food. And, in the end, she would still get the food.

The shivering followed her as she made her way to a room within the den. After she was all tucked in nice and warm under the pelts, Ashton left to get her food. The only part of her that stuck out was her head. She moved it a little to get in a comfy position, and movement on the walls caught her attention. Turning her head to see the movement, the dark shadow on the wall moved again.

It was unsettling, how whenever she moved, the shadow would move too. It was as if it were waiting for her to stop staring at it so it could try to move inconspicuously. Sort of like how she would stalk prey. Was she prey to this shadow?! It would've seemed hilarious that she could actual believe that, had she been in a proper state of mind. But, as she was not, it was terrifying. Somnia let out a little whine, trying to fit more of her head under head under the pelts until Ashton returned.

◆Its chill. Not a prob. :P I think this might actually be the last thread i have to do to get my Doc trade. :) ◆



Ashton left her, padded out to the nearest rabbit den, murdered 3 of em, and left the last two to live in sleeping peace. Can't just pillage Nature, then expect her to give back.

Comming back to his home, he made it back to the occupied den, and plotted the warm carcasses right infront of the chick. He had made sure to not puncture the skin of the buns, or else the leakage of blood could cause them to cool off faster, and this toots needed warm food. It was as close as he could get to giving her live prey.

"There ya go, darlin'. Theyre as warm as if they were still breathin. Hopefully, they can prevent any sort of fever that might come after ya. If you want, I can go nab you some water, too, if you're thirsty or anything."

The golden teen sat infront of the denway, waiting patiently if she requested anything. If not, he was gonna go whip up the same drink he had made for her, for Vitamin C reasons.

Yay! ^.^

The glorious scent of food filled the room a moment before Ashton appeared with it. But, another shadow moved as Ashton came in. He put the rabbits in front of her before asking her if she was thirsty or anything. "The shadow, it got reinforcements. Make it go away?" It probably wasn't a request he was expecting, but Somnia was convinced that the shadows were plotting against her.

The rabbits were still in front of her. Somnia ravenously started to eat, looking at the shadows fearfully between bites.

◆Referencing @Blue Willow simply because her wolf and mine are gonna save the wolf world one day.◆

Shadows? Reinforcements? What in blue clover's buds of willow did she do to her head to where she was scared of shadows?
Ash gave her an incredulous look, then grinned his yellow little ass off.
She was scared of shadows?
Impress her with some philosophy, dude.
Bruh...why didn't I think of that?
...You..you did.
..You're right.

"Som Som, those shadows are our mirrors. They belong to us. Ya see, there's a part of us that we just can't affect. It's permanent. You can bring it back, and take it with you, you just can't change it for what it is. Everything that you like, and don't like about yourself, it's all in that dark thing on the wall. All the things you can't change on who you are. All wrapped up in it. It's a special part of who you are, babe."

Ash watched her eat her meal without so much as a breath, and he barked a bit of laughter, before turning and whipping up her medicine. After seeing he was low on basil, he made not to find more in the late spring, when the little herbs were abundant in the left side of the meadow he ventured to on his scavenging trip.
The teen returned to her den, and placed the bowl where her rabbits once were.

"Enjoy, beautiful."

Might be my last post, depends on how Ashton reacts. Then, should we do a thread on when they wake up in the morning, or not because it would be dated forever ago. If not, I already have plans on a thread where something could happen between them. >:)

Somnia stared at him as he explained. The shadow was part of her?! It was all the things she liked and disliked about herself... But how could that be? She couldn't move it like she moved her head. Before she could question it any more, the next thing to be added to her stomach was placed in front of her. Obediently, she lapped up the mixture.

When she was done, Somnia started scooting towards Ashton. Most of the pelts draped over her came along, but a few fell off. When she got close enough, Somnia rest her head on one of Ashton's hind legs, specifically the haunch area. "You should protect me from them... Just... In case..." Somnia said, referencing the shadows as she already started to nod off.

◆Definitely gonna be there for that. You've just helped me achieve Healer. I thank you with a million stars, Syd. W_^V ◆


Ash was fully prepped for her to sleep, but he was nowhere near prepared for her sleep on him. Surprise as evident on his face, as he looked at the cuddling girl.
Was he..happy?
I guess, yea.
Yea.

"I'll protect you from anything that even blinks at you wrong, my little cheerleader."

As he spoke, the kept his lower half unmoving to not jostle her sleepy form, and used long hook-like claws to snag the fallen furs, and throw them over his own hide. When he was tucked underneath furs with her, he too, laid down, and prepared himself for beddy-bye.
But first..

Ash looked at her little noggin, and placed a soft lick on the top of her silver crown, and a silent smile at her angelic face.
It was hella better to throw the first punch.
Good enough to wanna fall in love?
Maybe, just maybe, dude.

The blond boy too, lowered himself next to the girl, wrapping his body as much as he could around her own,...
Purely for warmth reasons. Warmth. Warmth, alone. She needed to be warm, to get better, of course.
Mhmn. Right. Yup. Totally.

He knew he was lying. He knew he couldn't wait to see her beautiful face light up the room around her fur cases.
But until she woke up, he just had to wait.

Ashton, out.