Prompt: hypothermia
Technoblade was woken up by the jar being put down rather roughly.
He jolted, wincing when it sent another sharp stab of pain down the back of his skull. He would glare at the human who did this to him, the one who had bought him. But they were already walking away. Techno had seen them with the rest of the crowd, a large green blur. Upon closer inspection, he could tell they were a middle-aged man with shoulder-length blond hair pulled up into a bun. Techno had not really caught much of what had been said since he was fading in and out of consciousness by then, yet he'd heard enough to know he was going to be this guy's dinner soon enough if he didn't do anything about it.
And despite all that had happened - despite the torture and the misery and how much existing hurt at the moment - Techno wasn't ready to die.
The man moved back over, hand swiping across the table to clear room for what they were carrying in one arm. Techno saw a cascade of papers and other stuff fall to the floor, but it went completely ignored. They put down a large, round bowl. Then they left again.
Was this to be his new enclosure? Well, it beat the jar. It was bigger than the bowl he was kept in by his previous owner too, though not by much. The rounded edges made Techno dizzy.
After a few short minutes, the man returned. They had brought a bucket from outside and tipped it over to pour water into the bowl, filling it about two-thirds of the way. Then they scooped their hands into the bucket and pulled some pebbles and plants from the bottom, dropping those into the bowl too. Techno inclined his head, confused about what they were doing. At least until they picked up the jar and unscrewed the lid.
"Okay, uh… be careful? We don't want you to hit the sides." They seemed awkward speaking to him. As if they weren't quite sure if talking to Techno was something they should be doing in the first place. Techno curled up a bit as his entire world tilted diagonally, allowing himself to slide into the bowl along with the water.
The cold was a shock to his system.
The water that the man had used to fill this bowl must come from a well or some other underground deposit. It hadn't warmed up to surface temperature at all, meaning it felt like ice on Techno's skin. He shivered, swimming two quick circles hoping it would warm him up until vertigo stopped him from continuing. He'd only been awake for a short while and he was already exhausted again. When the man stepped closer to observe him, techno darted underneath one of the plants he'd been given.
It wasn't much more than a big, flat leaf. Techno doubted it was supposed to grow underwater to begin with, he was pretty sure the man had simply plucked it from the nearest tree and called it a day. But it had been so long since he'd had proper concealment or a place to bury away in, it still felt like heaven when he could curl up and know he was entirely invisible. Peeking out from beneath the leaf's edge, he watched as the man squinted at the bowl a little longer before walking away while muttering under his breath. Techno shifted, but he couldn't stop trembling. Man, why did this guy have to get his water from a literal glacier or some crap? By morning, Techno would be a popsicle.
Not that he was planning to stick around that long.
The man had been stupid enough to leave his bucket on the floor next to the table. It was still half-filled, Techno knew as much. With any luck, there'd be more plants in it too. Plants which Techno had already established were excellent when trying to hide a tiny mermaid. If he was quick, he could get out of his bowl and into the bucket before the man returned. Then he only had to pray the man would throw the rest of the water back into the well, or maybe even into some river that ran nearby.
Was there a decent chance he'd die of hypothermia before that? Yes. But that chance was not any slimmer by staying put in this enclosure that was much too cold for him.
So Techno bided his time, watching them walk around the cabin and hoping they'd leave the room sooner rather than later. With nothing better to do, Techno studied the layout of the house better too. It was made out of dark wood, though a lot of the interior beams had been painted in bright colors to liven up their appearance. Dried herbs and flowers hung above the door and against some walls, along with framed drawings in charcoal. The man owned a lot of bookcases, more than the diplomat had in his office. Techno didn't think he'd ever seen that guy read a single book, but the blond man who had bought him at the market was sitting in a cozy green armchair flicking hurriedly through the pages of the third book he'd been consulting by now. Techno didn't know what they were searching for, and neither did he care to find out.
It probably was some ancient recipe for mermaid meat stew.
The table that his bowl currently sat on must be a dining table since it had four chairs put around it. Across the room was a fireplace with a couch in front of it. An open arch without a door led into what Techno would assume to be the kitchen, going by the tile flooring peeking out from beyond the threshold. There was also another door that might lead to a bathroom or bedroom, and a spiral staircase that went up.
But the thing Techno was most interested in was the front door - his ticket out of there.
One more time the man walked to the table. He reached out and Techno braced for them tapping against the glass, an action most unpleasant. But instead, the man simply cupped the bowl gently with one hand as if considering something. Techno was shaking beneath his cover, refusing to come out. He didn't want them to get any ideas. Then they finally walked away and went upstairs.
Quickly, Techno swam up to the surface. They'd filled the bowl up enough that Techno could grab onto the edge. What a moron. Weakened as he was, it took all his strength simply to lift himself up and over. He dangled there for a moment, halfway regretting the decision because 'Wow, good job Techno. Now you're just going to drop down the side and flop around on the table like a fish out of water? Solid plan!' but then he hardened his resolve.
A slow death in the bowl or dying in an escape attempt. Techno had made up his mind already.
He refused to let another shot go to waste.
He let go, gasping in pain when he hit the wood. It wasn't a big fall, but the terrible state he was in didn't help matters. His entire body ached, each movement pulled on a muscle or made his bones feel like they were grinding into his flesh. His brain must have imploded, splattering against the inside of his skull. Techno lay there panting for a moment, grateful that he could breathe in air as well as water.
If he was working against a time limit on top of all the rest, he'd be screwed.
After a bit of lying there in agony, blinking at the ceiling and regretting every life decision that had led him there, Techno finally felt up to existing again. He twitched, the pain was bearable. Slowly but surely he attempted to roll onto his belly and use his arms to pull himself across the table.
The drop into the bucket would be even worse. It might kill him.
He still had to try.
Getting across the short distance between the bowl and the table's edge felt like it took ages. By the end of it, Techno was trembling for a whole new reason unrelated to the cold. Pain had set his nerves ablaze, making him feel almost too warm in comparison. Valiantly, he peeked over the edge.
The drop was about as deep as he expected. But he'd also been right about there being water in the bucket still. Hopefully, that'd negate some of the force of him hitting the bottom and keep him from dying.
This was a terrible idea. Technoblade knew it was.
Yet it was all he had left.
Pushing off using his arms with what little strength remained in him, he launched himself off the table.
Or he would have if somebody hadn't caught him by his tail.
They yanked him up - or maybe they were just trying to keep him from falling, but it felt the same - and lifted him in the air. It hurt bad enough to make him lash out instinctively, attacking the thing that had grabbed his sensitive tail. His sharp teeth dug into the fingers holding him. They startled and dropped him again, making him hit the table head first. This time Techno was certain he had some kind of brain damage. Through blurry vision he watched them reach out. So he thumped his tail several times in warning, also hoping it would keep them from touching it.
They'd cupped their hands instead, then used them almost gently when trying to scoop him from the table. As his head stopped pounding so bad, Techno could finally make out their words.
"Sorry, sorry. Just sit still, I'm trying to help."
'Yeah,' Techno thought, 'trying to help me not die so you can do the honors yourself later.'
He wanted to bite them again so badly. But they had learned their lesson about allowing vulnerable body parts to stay near him long. Besides, Techno was in too much pain to make another effort.
Quickly yet still with more care than many of his previous owners had afforded him, they moved him back into the bowl. Perhaps as an apology for dropping him earlier, they dipped their hands completely into the water before letting go, not caring that it soaked their sleeves. They hissed a little, noticing how cold the water was.
"I just realized that the water might be a bit too chilly for you," they said sheepishly.
Techno wanted to roll his eyes at them for such an obvious observation. He ducked back beneath his plant cover, rolling over and turning his back. Even if they couldn't tell, he was still going to be petty about this.
He whined noiselessly when they picked up the bowl, but they only moved it as far as the floor in front of the fireplace.
"This should help. Sorry again."
Techno ignored them until they walked away once more.