@thrcughthewccds for conan as promised
zeke dropped the unconscious pup onto his bed, leaves rustling beneath the added weight. a few scattered across the floor, but most stayed where they belonged. it wasn't the most comfortable bed by any means, though it was enough for him and, for now, it'd have to do for the little one too. he didn't know where the others had chosen to camp after finding themselves stranded in this world, but the moment he'd realized there wasn't a cave to claim as his own, he'd built himself a place to stay instead.
calling it a cabin was generous at best. four sturdy walls, a roof that thankfully kept out most of the rain and just enough room for the essentials. cozy, in his opinion. hidden away amongst the trees where no curious fool came wandering by unless they had a death wish... or were looking for him specifically. either way, he preferred it to whatever makeshift camps everyone else had thrown together. nobody bothered him here and, just the way he liked it, the forest did most of the talking.
truth be told, he might've been a little too rough on red during their sparring session. not that he felt bad, not at all. the boy had needed the lesson. conan fought like someone desperately trying to hold onto the last pieces of the person he'd been before the bite, hiding behind that ridiculous little cloak, swinging his sword around as though sharpened steel alone could make up for the beast living beneath his skin. pretending he wasn't becoming a monster didn't make it any less true and zeke wasn't about to coddle him into believing otherwise.
it wasn't as though he didn't know whose fault it was in the first place. he'd been the one to sink his teeth into the boy, the one who'd damned him to a life beneath the moon's watchful eye. biggest regret of his life? perhaps. zeke had never intended to make more of his kind, never saw the appeal in competition, but little red had refused to disappear. despite the fear, despite the blood, despite every reason to stay away... the pup had always come back. annoying, really.
with a quiet grunt, he finished wrapping the worst of red's injuries before giving the bandage one final tug. he'd heal. faster than any ordinary human ever could. if anything, the beating would do him good. teach him to stop relying so heavily on steel and start trusting the instincts buried beneath his skin instead.
“you gonna sleep all day?” arms folded across his chest as he looked down at the unconscious werewolf, dark eyes lingering for a heartbeat longer than they probably should have before his expression settled back into its usual scowl. "lazy."
