Hey y'all! This is a gift for @enjolras-out and was an impromptu live write! As such any mistakes or misspelling is mine.
"Rulie...rulie come on out buddy."
Who was rulie? The name sounded familiar, but the haze in his head kept him from placing it. A cough broke through his thoughts, scattering them to the ether as his ribs rattled under the strain. His vision started to grey again, light and shadows smearing with the new comers colors into a sickening swirling palate that made the bad feelings bubbling in his stomach lurch back to life.
Ice continued to slide down his spine, fanning out until his very marrow was shaking from the chill. Yet beads of sweat continued to drip from his curls and cling to his lashes, stinging his eyes every time he blinked.
He tried to turn away, to curl back up into the ball he had been before. The voices needed to go. Go and take their confusion and colors with them. Then he could sleep until the world made sense, safely hidden away.
"No! Rulie come here! Come on buddy we can't help you if you stay in there."
*wrong,* his instincts whispered. *wrong wrong wrong. Stay hidden. Stay safe.*
More voices came, more colors and word that loomed over him. Some tried to reach for him, pale limbs groping and grabbing in a way that made only made him recoil further into the log and hug his numbed legs closer to his chest.
*stay small, stay hidden, stay safe* his instincts chanted, a mantra that only grew louder with ever failed attempt the colors made to grab him. *staystaystaystay*
"All of you back off! You aren't helping!."
The colors and limbs retreated, and he couldn't hold back a small, hiccuped sob of relief.
The voices didn't leave, but they grew softer, a white noise that his hazy mind could tune out as he buried his face back into his knees. More coughs scraped their way up his chest, shredding his already aching throat as his lungs fought their fruitless battle. Sleep hung on the edges of his consciousness, tantalizing yet out of reach.
And then something brushed against him, eking a weak growl from him as he tried to curl away. But unlike the grasping limbs of the colors, this touch stayed with him, ethereal in a way that pushed past skin and bone to reach the core of his being in a way no physical thing could.
"Magic" he thought, forcing his head to rise and his eyes to squint towards the light. "That feels like magic."
The more attention he gave it the more the feeling spread, wrapping around him with gentle pressure that felt safe rather than constricting. It was like being wrapped in heavy blanket after and endless time in the cold, and he found himself unconsciously leaning into the sensation, his own magic unfurling clumsily in reply.
He had learned long ago that his senses could be tricked, but his magic was never wrong. So he let it guide him, reaching back to the unknown source as he basked in the comfort it offered.
He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes until something warm tapped on the tip of his nose. Peeling them back open was harder than it should have been, but he was rewarded by what he saw once he'd managed to pry his lashes apart.
A fairy hovered infront of him, it's gossamer wing beating the air as it's glow filled his dark little hollow.
"Brother!" It chimed, it's tiny hands patting at his cheeks. "Come this way brother! Safety!"
"Where?" He rasped, reaching up to support her with a hand that trembled to much to be helpful. "Where is the safety sister? I couldn't find it."
"This way!" The fairy prompted again, flitting back to give him room. "Follow me!"
Moving was harder than he anticipated. Hours of staying curled up meant his limbs were numb, and the ever present haze in his mind made him slow and clumsy. Yet his sister and the magic stayed with him, coaxing and encouraging him to keep trying, even when his own mind begged him to lay down and sleep. As he neared the mouth of the log a new sensation presented itself, one that had some hidden part of his brain suddenly picturing fairies an the crystal clear waters of their fountains.
"Safety is here brother! Just a little further!" His sister trilled. "You did it!"
Warm arms closed around him, and he let himself bury his face in something firm yet soft.
"It's okay now," a voice soothed, it's tones deep and warm as his sisters joyous songs rang out. "You're safe."
He clung to his safe place with what meager strength he could muster, his fingers weakly plucking for purchase as his magic wrapped itself around its safety blanket. The feeling of both of them wrapped around him had him sobbing with relief, small hiccups shaking his shoulders even as his gritty eyes refused to produce a single tear.
"Shhhhhh it's going to be okay. We are going to take good care of you. " the deep voice rumbled, one hand sweeping soothingly thought the sweat matted hair against his scalp. "I'm going to pick you up now, so just try to relax."
He tried his best to listen, to curl into his protector and ignore the way his head spun as he was lifted into the air. Something touched the back of his neck, and the warmth of the other magic grew ten fold.
"Got him?"
"Yeah. Is he okay?"
"No. I can help keep him calm, but we need to get back to camp."
