== Chapter 1.1: Mercy
I was dying.
I pushed on and ran through the dense canopy as fast as my legs would let me, muscle spasms and piercing pain slowing me down more and more.
The faint satisfaction of me managing to Fire Blast that Seviper's face off to the point where it wouldn't be able to hunt much of anything ever again was dashed by the realization that at this rate, neither would I.
The debilitating effects of its venomous bite grew worse and worse with each passing moment, my hurting leg outright refusing to work anymore, making me trip on a jutting rock and collapse on the forest floor, pain beaming out of my left arm as it bore the brunt of the impact.
The swelling numbness and the trails of blood that leaked out of the bite made me realize just how utterly vulnerable I was at that moment, using all the strength I still had to drag myself up to a nearby tree and sit up against it, vision growing blurry as I desperately struggled to keep attention on any threats, trying to suppress any sounds that could draw attention to me-
And failing horribly, unable to hold back the yelps and howls of pain as my body felt like it was melting on the inside.
I was sweating profusely, barely able to do much more than let tremors shake my almost limp body as my vision was reduced to a blur of various shades of darkness, any and all details lost.
I was almost ready to completely surrender before hearing a trail of steps moving towards me through the underbrush, shaking eyes barely managing to make out something large, much larger than myself trying to sneak up on me.
I tried posturing defensively in desperation, growling lowly and emitting some fire out of my ears and paws- or at least trying to, barely even able to produce embers before my pathetic attempt was cut off in a yelp of stabbing pain, making me keel over.
I closed my eyes and waited for death, knowing I was utterly defeated without my opponent even making a single move. There were some sounds, ruffling, some bumps in the dark, but I didn't react to any of them, assuming whatever it was that was causing them was just trying to toy with its well-hunted, or at this point, almost well-scavenged prey.
The noises went on and on, making no sense. Some shrill and unnatural sounding, some gruffer and definitely made by a living being and then-
One right beside me.
I forced one of my eyes open and jerked my head backwards at the sudden disturbance, regretting it immediately afterwards as more pain came rushing in.
I spotted the lighter fluff and the small, dark body under it, immediately recognizing it as a Whimsicott. I've seen enough of them in my life to know how to deal with one, considering an Ember for just a brief moment before another round of intense pain clawed the idea out of my mind, a loud whine leaving my maw as I curled up a bit more, suffering growing almost too overwhelming for me to hold onto awareness.
I shuddered at the sudden sounds of impact, the situation only growing more confusing by the second. The sound of the clattering glass and metal that followed made me growl quietly, unique enough for me to realize I wasn't dealing with just any ordinary beast.
With more effort than I thought I was capable of at that moment, I focused my shaking eyes on the dark scene, reaching my less pained paw over to try and figure out what was even going on.
The larger figure's jolt and whimper at my action only piled up more confusion with how obviously weak I was at the moment. Nothing this large could actually get intimidated by such a pitiful sight, right?
Nonetheless, I turned my paw down towards the ground in response, even if I wanted to hurt the larger being I wouldn't be able to in this position, without even mentioning me being too weak to create much more than a couple sparks anymore.
Happy squeaks and the cuddling from Whimsicott continued, making me realize just how utterly weird it was that one was even getting close enough for me to see it in detail, let alone touching me- my fire would hurt them so horribly- w-why would one just huddle up to me like that?
A Whimsicott should run for the hills if one sees me and sees I'm still alive, not be so adorably, nonsensically affectionate.
More sounds, almost sounding like words, tone and inflections weirdly familiar if still alien... the whole of this mess wasn't getting even the tiniest bit clearer, but the important thing was that despite everything going on around me, I was still alive.
Somehow.
Eventually Whimsicott moved further down my body as the larger being seemed to gesture something- what was going on!?
Anything this large should be diving in to finish me off before enjoying a well scavenged meal, and not... doing whatever this one was. It made absolutely no sense, especially combined with its apparent fear of me, a half dead, half conscious Brai-
The jolt of pain from the wound interrupted my thought process as I felt something touch it in a very unpleasant way, shivering further at the weird sensation as the whole of my situation only got murkier and murkier.
A couple moments later there was the lightest prickling sensation on my leg, making me jolt slightly before it was supplanted by calming, almost refreshing warmth flowing out of it. I felt energy slowly flow into me from whatever it was that was doing it, feeling just that bit further away from death's door.
Whatever that sensation from earlier was, it was slowly reducing the burning pain in my legs and then the rest of my body, which combined with the sudden surge of nourishing warmth that followed it made me snap my eyes open and look towards the scene that was going on around the bleeding limb, desperately trying to piece the events together.
More so than the pain, the sheer confusion dug into my brain deeper and deeper, the realization making me freeze where I laid as it stilled my breath.
Are they... helping me?
The pain was slowly fading, the painful hotness all over my body decreasing to just my usual temperature as my muscles no longer felt like they were filled with knives. My trembling ceased as my vision slowly cleared, ultimately leaving me no longer horribly hurting-
Just really, really exhausted.
I jolted weakly at feeling something being pressed tightly against the wound, the sight of lighter fluff wrapped over with something I couldn't quite discern at the time making the realization that I was being helped fully set in, my gaze slowly rising up towards the larger figure once more-
Only for my eyes to go as wide as they could as I realized that I was being tended to by a human of all things, the sight briefly stilling my heart before my mind caught up, figuring out that if this one had already saved me from death, it probably wouldn't try to then immediately undo its handiwork.
It's impossible not to hear about the humans even in the thick of the woods, but the descriptions and tales of them and their actions always vary so much and so wildly that I always figured to avoid them to the extent of my abilities...
Can't avoid them now, huh.
The realization that human and what were presumably his companions saved me drilled deeper and deeper into my mind, the thought filling it up whole and not letting me focus on anything else- that is until Whimsicott yet again scrambled over to snuggle into my chest fur, its snuggling grabbing my attention once more.
The cotton ball felt ridiculously affectionate as it nuzzled and cuddled with me, the sensation feeling... pleasant, and really nice in a way I wasn't used to, unsure whether I could even remember ever feeling something like that.
I kept staring up at the human, mentally 'awwwh'-ing as it took the unusually sweet Whimsicott away, making me try reaching over towards my savior once more, softening my tense expression as much as I could, palm of my paw facing down to hopefully not appear as threatening.
At the very least, I wanted to make sure the human that saved me was real, and not just my dying imagination...
After a few tense moments the human let go of the cottonball before reaching over and grabbing my paw, the touch slightly cold but also gentle and comforting, not to mention soft.
I gently brushed my fingers on the human's paw, finally realizing that it's been looking me in the eyes for the past while, a wordless connection formed as we stared into each other.
This was real, and I sure as fuck wasn't letting that human just go like that.
I held the human's paw just a bit firmer, still nowhere near painfully but enough to be noticeable, only wanting to make sure it wouldn't leave me alone like that, still on the verge of death from exhaustion and so, so utterly vulnerable...
Some more sounds were said as my vision once more grew hazier, leftover venom and sheer exhaustion working in tandem to make me feel weaker and weaker as the seconds passed.
My other arm stung painfully with every move, still sore from being landed on, but I tried to persevere through it. After a moment, I slowly reached with it around the squeaking cottonball that was still busy trying to cuddle its hardest into me, trying to gently hold it in appreciation, too weak for anything else as my eyes closed shut.
I gasped quietly at feeling the human slide its arms underneath me, lifting both my limp body and the Whimsicott bundled up into me up with ease.
As surprised as I was at the human's sudden move, I couldn't help but to have the shock fade into appreciation, slightly turning towards the human as it held me in its arms, the aura of safety and comfort emanating from it calming me down a fair bit.
It didn't have any right to, I still had no idea why did the human even save me in the first place or what was it planning to do with me afterwards, but...
It just did. No matter how hard I tried to argue herself away from it, I did feel safe in its arms, despite my weakness and sheer exhaustion.
The travel was little more than a blur as I only barely kept forcing herself awake, instincts not letting me sleep until I knew I was really somewhere safe.
Despite that, I did blank out for just a moment and before I even knew it, I was inside... something, but definitely not underneath the forest canopy anymore.
I was laying on something much softer than even the most comfortable grass or sand as a weak source of light faintly illuminated the enclosed space. I realized I was laying down close to the human, enough so to see it in a bit more detail, even if I was still much too tired to really process what I was seeing.
The light also let me spot the item the human was holding up to my snout, one strained motion of my head determining it to be some sort of container filled with water. I rarely needed to drink on my own and never really felt thirsty, but I figured that the wounds and the exhaustion would more than justify some fluid intake, even if the taste was as disagreeable as always.
With a bit of effort I managed to down the entire cup, the modest amount still more than I ever remembered drinking at once, the sensation of being full almost weirdly relieving as I laid back down on the soft thing covering the ground, my body relaxing at the human's close proximity in such an enclosed space, figuring it most likely meant safety and being watched over.
And I definitely could use some of th-
I froze as I heard and then soon saw the spider tear through the side of this little space, cold air of the outside surging in, accompanied with a deafening screech of an Ariados that seemed to very much like the treats being laid out for it like that to serve itself to.
My brief shock was cut short as I realized the danger both myself and the human were in, the tiny bit of my renewed strength surging in a display of seething rage at my exhausted peace being disturbed like that, at the one instance of comfort and not having to constantly tend for myself being so violently carved away from me.
My frail body shook in anger for a moment as I focused and took the best swing my tired arm could manage, everything left of my power channeling into a single Fire Punch, hitting the spider on the underside of its head, the sheer heat intense enough to set it ablaze.
The fearsome creature screamed in sudden pain before scrambling its way back and away from us, the blaze lighting up the night as the Ariados skittered into the trees, orange flames creeping up around its body.
With thankfully none of them on the fabric of whatever it was that I was trying to find rest in.
Go back where you came from you ugly thing or I'll have to kick your ass again- oh who am I kidding, I'm barely conscious at this point, that punch took pretty much everything out of-
My own quiet squeak derailed my train of thought as the human suddenly pulled me into a close embrace, my mind racing as it had no idea what was going on before the rest of me noticed the human's shaking, its whimpering, its cold tears, only affirmed by my still quite limited psychic senses as they felt the human's overwhelming fear.
I was much too tired to even try to communicate mentally, deciding to just turn myself back towards the larger being, wrapping my better arm around it and returning the embrace the best I could.
You're welcome human.
I sighed quietly as I felt the human start calming down after a moment, freezing fear slowly being replaced with warmer, more pleasant sensations, a tiny smile lighting my expression up in the dark before a nasty gust of cold wind made us both shake and realize that we were still laying down next to a massive hole in the side of this... space.
Guess protection from the wind and rain is its main purpose?
Handy.
I could tell the human didn't appreciate the cold any more than I did, its shivers a clear enough proof of that. I raised an eyebrow as it got up and approached the hole, wondering how it was going to fix it- before realizing it already was, just very, very slowly.
And it's fabric to boot, so it's not like I could do much, hurting my rescuer by setting this place on fire was the absolute last thing I wanted to do.
However, as the human's repair went on, I realized it was only getting slower, its shaking body and paws wordlessly telling me everything I needed to know, giving me an idea about what I could do to help.
I carefully reached up and pressed my tail to the human's torso as it continued to work, hoping to at least keep my rescuer warm during the repair-
And realizing I've lost my wand at some point during the chaos.
Great.
The human seemed to get my intent, making me smile softly as some of its shivering ceased, frosty paws soon brought over to warm themselves.
I shivered the tiniest bit as the human pushed its paws into the fur of my tail, the briefest instant of coldness quickly undone with warmth and friction, thankfully not nearly enough to hurt it or set it on fire.
Didn't mean I couldn't use my tail for that purpose of course, but that it required a specific technique- one that fortunately couldn't be replicated on accident by the tall, nearly hairless biped as it dug into my fur for more warmth.
I raised an eyebrow in the dark when the human didn't take its now-warmed paws right away, the doubtful expression soon replaced by a flushed one as I felt the paws move to stroke my tail, the sensation both pleasant and... feeling weirdly good and comforting beyond just sensory pleasantness, confusing me for a moment before the human regretfully took the paws away.
Why did that touch feel so nice, and why was that human... embarrassed about it? That's what it looked like, unless a blush in humans meant something very different than in my own species.
Human's intermittent touch continued for a while, feeling just as nice every time, and just as confusing. Still, it did make the repairing go faster, and I couldn't complain about it feeling painful or unwanted, so there the tail stayed.
Eventually, the wind-rain-shield-thing was patched up at last, my worries about the human being too tired to wrap it up thankfully abated. I could finally close my eyes in some relative pe-
*patpat*
...
...
...
...why did the human do this, and why did it feel so nice?
I was too dazzled by the amazingly feeling touch to even hear the human's words or to try to resist as my rescuer slipped me into the sweetly soft bag. Only the light being turned off made me realize the human intended to finally go to sleep as it laid down next to me, making me feel... really, really safe, almost bizarrely so, in a way I had no idea was possible prior to today.
And then some more of the amazingly feeling pats, a tiny blush growing on my cheeks in the dark before the human rested its head and quickly fell asleep, my mind too racing at... everything that had just happened to let me sleep in that instant. Why did the human save and help me, and carry me here, and... pet me in these nice ways?
Why was I feeling so safe with someone I didn't even know until a couple hours ago, and why did that human make me feel so cared for and so... appreciated!?
The human's quiet, gentle snore took me out of my racing thoughts, and when I was finally sure it was asleep, I scooted just a bit closer towards it, resting my head next to its shoulder, wanting some more of that unexpected but oh so appreciated safety as I dozed off, more comfortably than I ever remembered before.
== Chapter 1.2: Risk
Another month, another trek through the woods to the town on the other side to pick up a package for Professor Rosewood.
The restricted nature of its contents required someone to pick it up in person, either her or someone with her written permission, delivering it to her doorstep was sadly out of the question.
And between sending her most trusted assistant on a days long hike through the dense woods with barely any real paths and driving few hours through the roundabout roads of the remote region to get there herself...
One option cost her substantially less in gas money, even in comparison to funding all the travel supplies for her assistant.
Plus I'd get to see the world some, or at least that's what the justification was.
I sighed as we approached the edge of the forest, camping gear and supplies strapped to my back as I double checked our coordinates one more time before we completely lost signal, the cool breeze of a Monday morning making me want to get right into it to warm myself up.
Lillywood was a day or two of travel straight ahead, depending on the weather, and as long as we could keep our heading we'd be back before weekend, able to enjoy one or two extra days off.
"At least it's peaceful, and I have a bit of company, eh Row, Whimsi?" - I smiled faintly, mumbling towards the lil' playful duo as the cottonball and owlet skipped along, pecking and patting at one another as we started making our way into the woods.
An uneventful day came and passed, couple stops to double-check our GPS coordinates and grab a bite of something to carry us through the day being pretty much the only notable events, until the evening at least, with the rest of the day spent on brisk, directed march.
The forest itself was dark, thick canopy blocking out most of the little remaining light as the sun slowly descended, Nincada buzzing to life all around as our party searched for a place to set up camp for the night.
Assembling the tent was becoming second nature at this point with how many times I've been sent out for parcel carrying, poles sliding through canvas until up popped a shelter from the elements.
One larger meal later I was about ready to dive into my tent and get some rest, even if it were to come very early. After all, the sooner the sleep, the sooner the waking, and the sooner the waking, the sooner we could get going, grab the package, and start heading back home.
"Time to call it a night you two." - I looked around for Row and Whimsi only to find the two not playing anymore, but rather staring off into the darkness, looking intensely focused on something. I was about to try to snap them out of their stupor before hearing the distant cries of pain myself, locking in place next to them.
"Whimsi, Row, s-stay close." - I grabbed my bag of supplies and slowly took off into the growing night, following the trail of strained noises before I made it over to its source, stopping dead in my tracks at seeing what was causing it.
In front of us sat a humanoid fox-like Pokémon, slumping against a tree as its whole body shook in tune with its yelps of pain, fiery eyes chaotically darting around the tree line. Its hot coloration combined with its outright glowing eyes and flame like tufts of fur left little confusion as to what element it had the affinity for, the same one my two lil' ones were by far the most vulnerable to.
I didn't dare move at the sight of the fiery fox, gulping audibly as it focused its glowing eyes in our direction, its cross expression making me want to run for the hills.
I pulled Whimsi and Row behind myself as I saw the fox begin to flare up, wanting to protect them should the worst come- that is, before it seemed to lose control in a fit of pain, flames that were building on its ears and paws reduced to embers as it fell over onto its side, eyes clenching shut.
I gestured to the two lil' ones to stay put, knowing full well they would be burnt to a crisp if things got ugly, before getting down on my knees and reaching into the bag, quickly pulling out the dex.
"I-its okay, foxie, it's gonna be okay..." - I tried to keep my tone as non-threatening as possible as I opened the portable encyclopedia to figure out what the fox even was, and if we had anything on hand that could help it.
"It'll all be okay, I just need to take a look at your wound and figure out what we can do to help..." - I tried to maintain eye line with the fox as I spoke softly, before aiming the device at the injured Pokémon and letting it do its loud, distracting magic-
```
Braixen: the Fox Pokémon. Braixen has a twig stuck in its tail. The friction from its tail fur causes it to set the twig alight, which it uses for signaling and combat.
The little red device electronically beeped out, myself annoyed that such a powerful device didn't have a silent mode for intense moments like these. I scrolled through the dex entry for a bit more information, finding enough basics to at least know that the medicine we had on hand would... not work.
Oh no.
I slid the dex into a pocket of my pants, trying to think up how else to help the injured fox before the cottonball's sing-song cries coming from Braixen's direction caught my attention, a quick glance revealing that Whimsi was trying to affectionately nuzzle against the fox's cheek, the sight filling me with panic.
"Whimsi, I said stay put!" - I squeaked out in a panicking whisper, trying to pay attention to the fox that could easily scorch my friend at any moment as I tried to get her out of there.
"Whimsuh?" - The ball of fluff looked up curiously at the Braixen, cottony hair staining with blood as she softly nestled against it, seemingly unaware of the danger she was in.
"Whimsi get back here before you get hurt!" - I rushed over to try to scoop up the Whimsicott before stumbling on the undergrowth and crashing right in front of the fox, groaning painfully as my hand erupted with dull pain.
"Owwh- no, no, no-" - I looked up at the fox and Whimsi in distress, especially now that the former had opened its eyes once more, staring at me with myself being stuck in the perfect roasting position.
I cursed quietly to myself as I tried to scramble back up, freezing in place when I glanced up at Braixen only to find it aiming its paw over at me, making me squeak out a whimper at the inevitable heat that was about to follow.
"B-braixen, i-its okay, we are here to help you. J-just wait a second a-and we will help!" - I tried to plead the best I could while bracing himself for the fox's defense, my body tensing up before both of us were distracted by another squeak-
"Whimsi!" - The affectionate cottonball softly hugged Braixen the best she could, burying her face in fox's stained fluff, making the latter pause before thankfully aiming its paw away from me.
"Whimsi, your affection is going to get us all killed..." - I shook a bit as I got up and slid close enough to look the fox over, quickly noticing the seeping wound on its leg, a nasty bite mark with blood trickling out of it, its purple, poisoned hue visible despite the faint light.
"Poisoned? Y-you got yourself into a bit of a tussle then, didn't you Braixen." - I mumbled out to our lil' group, trying to figure out what we could do if anything. It seemed the fox really was to weak to really pose much of a threat anymore, emboldening me enough to take a bit of a chance-
"Braixen, I'm going to try to get this would patched up for you, please don't move too much. Whimsi, can you give me a hand?" - Whimsicott craned her head a bit, mumbling her namesake a few more times as she waited for some direction, ready to help her newfound friend.
"Whimsi, be gentle, we are going to get this poison out and don't want to hurt them here. Leech Seed, please." - I calmly explained as I pointed to the open wound, hoping my intentions would transfer over despite the language barrier.
The cottonball looked up at me before firmly nodding and producing a small seed that she soon carefully planted in Braixen's open wound, small vines snaking out and wrapping around its leg as the poison was slowly drained.
"Row! Can you give us a wing?" - Rowlet took a moment to tilt his head before flapping over to rest on top of Whimsicott, beak pecking lightly at the leeching seed before looking at me and 'Row?'-ing.
"Row, can you try to Synthesis maybe? Keep the Braixen stable while this poison gets drained." - The owlet looked at me in brief confusion before reaching over with one leg, lightly holding the fox's thigh with his claws before a rejuvenating energy flowed through them, glowing faintly.
I peered down at the wound and the seed within it, a few minutes passing before the purple toxin seemed to have cleared out of Braixen's system, the leeching seed finally blooming and then immediately wilting before falling out.
Now what to do about the wound itself.
"Don't have anything for the wound... This might be a bit uncomfortable, but should keep you stable little one. Whimsi, could I get a little extra cotton?" - I asked as I tore at the sleeve of my shirt, securing a patch of fabric ready to bind the wound up with while Whimsi shook off a bundle of soft, pure white cotton, making a large and soft bandaid.
I placed the cotton against Braixen's wound, then firmly tied the scrap of fabric that used to be my shirt's right sleeve across the wound, securing everything in place and taming the flow of blood.
After finishing tying off the wound, I looked up to see the fox staring directly at me, fiery red eyes glowing in the twilight, making my body shiver at the intensity.
"T-thank you Row and Whimsi, b-but we s-should probably leave this one to their rest now and make camp." - I softly muttered out while still keeping eye contact with Braixen, trying to pull the Whimsicott from its chest before she could happily try to nest in there again, the warmth no doubt attracting her.
"Whimsi, please, we have done what we could, but we should leave this tired one to their rest." - I tried to reason with the cottonball before I finally managed to pluck her out of Braixen's fur only to have her squeak and wriggle in protest, bemoaning 'Whimsiwhimsi' filling the air as Row flapped over to perch on my shoulder.
"Whimsi, we can't go and hug any old wild Pokémon we find, its dangerous-" - My words were cut off as I turned to look at Braixen holding up its paw towards me once more, this time much less standoffish and much more... struggling?
I gently placed Whimsi back onto the ground, the cottonball wasting no time in rushing back up into the fluffy nest she had been building in fox's fur as I looked at its eyes and paw for a few more moments before extending my hand to hold it.
Braixen's hold was weak but obviously desperate, its warm body still weakly shuddering. Much to my surprise, its fur was softer than even Whimsi's cotton despite the species' fieriness.
"W-we could try seeing if this one can come back with us to the camp, at least rest the night with a bit of protection before they go off on their business." - I eventually muttered out, really hoping I wasn't making a mistake in offering some temporary shelter for the ravaged fox.
"Whimsi!" - The fluffball cheered happily at my words before continuing her huddling against the fox shaped heater.
I soon noticed the fox's eyes starting to close, taking this as a much needed sign to watch it through its recovery. After a bit of deliberation, I slid my hands underneath it before hoisting it and the Whimsicott still firmly snuggling into it up, cradling the fox in my arms before taking off and slowly walking our group back to the camp.
"It'll be okay lil' one, we will keep you safe for now, just hang in there for us and get some rest."
I readjusted my hands a few times to find a good means of cradling the half asleep Braixen, fingers brushing through its soft fur, tingling from the thick coat of soft warmth.
So soft, so warm, so... nice when it's not scared.
Soon we made it back to the darkened camp, laying Braixen down on my sleeping bag inside the tent as everyone started to settle in for the night. The tent was nothing to write home about, but was at least a nice shelter from the elements, and the sleeping bag was a much softer experience than sleeping on the rough ground.
After we all settled in, with my two companions huddling closer to me for some warmth, I flicked on a small lamp and looked over at the semi-conscious Braixen, quickly reaching into my bag and pulling out a small bottle of water and a metal cup, filling it up before holding it to the fox's maw-
"Just a little water Braixen, it'll make you feel better."
After a couple moments the fox lifted its body up a bit to investigate the cup, one paw reaching to hold it before it slowly drank its contents, shuddering ever so slightly before laying back down and handing the cup back to me.
"Good good. You'll be safe here Braixen, just try to get some rest-" - A loud skittering and chattering from outside the tent cut me off, growing in intensity before cover was sliced open by a sharp horn, a large red and black spider screeching inward at us all an instant later.
"Oh, no no no- nrrrngggrnn-" - I froze up at the sight of the Ariados approaching, its screech followed by the cacophony of its clacking appendages sending me into a cold, chattering sweat, unable to even speak out a command as my companions were no less transfixed with fear, unable to come up with anything that would work in defense.
The sight of the skittering beast inching its way closer filled up my entire perception, freezing fear completely stilling any thoughts that weren't those of terror. It was so overwhelming I didn't even initially feel the intense heat growing next to me- but I definitely saw it an instant later as Braixen's burning paw slammed into the creeping Ariados, the beast charring from the sheer heat before screeching and running off into the night, leaving as suddenly as it had arrived.
The only things it left behind were a gaping, slightly singed hole in the fabric of the tent, the frosty wind that had began forcing its way in through it, and four horrified campers forced to suffer in it.
I slowly settled back down next to the Braixen as the fear's grip eventually waned, tears welling up in my eyes before I pulled the fox against myself and held it tight, hands massaging into its back in intense thanks, accompanied by a few more whimpering sobs and shivering from terror and cold alike.
I held onto it tightly until the forest itself settled back down to its normal level of calm, the ringing in my ears from the screech ceasing and body starting to regain its composure. Only then I noticed that my two lil' ones were nestling in between me and the fiery fox, unafraid of it despite its display of power.
"T-thank you Braxy..." - I stuttered out before finally realizing what in Arceus' name I was doing, panic immediately swelling within me as I tried to let go of the no doubt irritated fox-
Only to find it holding me back, the unexpected affection slowly settling my nerves down as I held onto the hug. My tears eventually dried up as fear turned to comfort and security in the newfound alliance, the unlikely embrace continuing for a few more moments before I gave Braixen a few light pats on its back and sat back up.
Thank you, friend.
The wind howled a bitter night chill causing me to shiver intensely, this time firmly just out of cold as I looked up at the ruined side of the tent.
"Oh this hole is going to be a fun one..." - I muttered to myself before pulling out an emergency sewing kit, soon reaching over to start patching up the broken canvas. This was definitely going to take a while even in the best of circumstances, and the piercing cold wasn't helping any.
Still, I had to push through, the hole wouldn't patch itself.
Loop, loop, loop- thread through canvas. Simple loops and nothing more. Just enough so that we could sleep before my hands froze off. The growing numbness in my fingers kept causing me to drop the needle, luckily still attached to the thread, lest someone finds something pokey in the night.
Another uncontrollable shiver and drop of the needle later my thoughts shifted over into worry, concern that this patch job would literally never finish and that everyone would just have to curl up and hope it wouldn't get any colder swelling with every minute and with every numbness induced slip up.
Before my thoughts could get any darker however, I felt... warmth. Soft, fluffy warmth pressing on me, much too large and too warm to be Whimsi or Row.
Besides, these two were most likely already asleep, much better suited to deal with night chills.
Peering down, I could make out Braixen's thick furred tail blanketing my torso, providing ample heat to keep the cold away. I buried my hands into the fluff for a few moments, rubbing them together to build up a bit of friction and heat, happy to have sensation return to my fingertips.
Soft topmost fur with a rather rough, but intensely warm undercoat, the end result maybe not as delightfully soft as the neighbor's Delcatty, but in my current situation, so much more comfortable.
I couldn't help but get lost in the sensations, stroking Braixen's tail long after my hands had warmed up, a gentle twitching from the fox breaking me out of my trance, face turning beet red as I quickly went back to work, thread in hand.
I continued to patch up the hole, keeping my hands near the fox's fur as I pushed on, pace quickening drastically with the extra nimbleness of less horribly frozen fingers.
Eventually, I finally managed to tie off a rough but functional full patch, wind chill ceasing and only a trickle of cold air seeping in anymore, overwhelming cold reduced to something much more manageable, especially with the support of the newly rescued fox.
I placed the needle back into its pouch before turning towards the Braixen and giving it a gentle pat on the head, this fur even softer than the arms or tail, feeling almost velvety.
Guess the head doesn't need to set things on fire like the tail does.
"Thank you Braixen, wouldn't have been able to do this without you. But now, we should rest." - I gently ushered the fox into the sleeping bag, wrapping the rescuee in its padded warmth, followed by gathering any extra clothes I could find to form a pillow and blanket for myself before finally settling in and turning the light off.
I lied down right next to Braixen, stroking its head a few more times before muttering goodnight to everyone and resting my own head down, feeling some more of the wonderful warmth as I dozed off for the night...