hearted | a bird! a plane! a...dragon?

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musebox

a bird! a plane! a...dragon?

Minako is seriously cursing her luck right about now. She'd thought just one mission with the police in Transylvania would be all right. They'd caught a suspect, saved the children, and even battled some vampires. She was still a full-blooded human, thankfully, but that last ambush had left her a little worse for the wear. Even as Sailor Venus, her magic couldn't fend off the pain forever.

So in her weakened state, jt's far too easy for that pack of possessed wolves to jump her. She yelps, swinging her good leg and the heaviest branch in the forest with all her might, but those fangs snap angrily. She doesn't have much time to run, but she must, gritting her teeth through the pain. The branches tear at her and slow her down, but she's managed to stop all but three, escaping from the forest into the open meadow.

Now, though...there are three closing in on her. She faces them down, chain whip in hand, but it doesn't comfort her much. Even worse, there's an ominous thump behind her in the grass.

What could that giant shadow be?

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That helped. She gratefully dropped back into a comfortable position, closing her eyes to clear her head for a moment.

"Hero instinct, huh?" she asked, carefully arranging herself to ease the pain. "I get it. Thanks...mister Dragon? Is there another name I should know?"

[Common decency.] He thought it was only right that if one could help, they should.

Giving her a small smile, he scribbles on the board again. [My name is Skyfire. May I know yours?]

"Skyfire. Okay. Hi," she greeted back, stopping to take a deep breath. She'd be fine. "I'm Minako. Pleased to meet you."

She bows slightly, about all she can manage like this.

He waggles one of those big fingers at her when she tries to bow, clearly worried about her hurting herself.

[Nice to meet you, but no more trying to move like that. You need to rest.]

"Okay, okay. I will. But..."

She bit her lip.

"My friends are expecting me to report back to them in two days. And that's already too long to be a burden to you."

He frowned just a tiny bit and there was just a bit of a hopeful look in his eyes. [Friends aren't burdens.]

Skyfire pauses and thinks on things a moment. He'd be more than happy to let her stay for a while, but he didn't want anyone to worry about her either. [Do you have a way to contact them?]

Two days was not enough time to see her well enough to travel in his opinion, but if she was set on leaving, he'd feel better if she had someone with her.

"Friends, huh? You'd want that...even after all I did?"

She considers it quietly, then glances at the bracelet on her wrist. "I think I can. Maybe I shouldn't see them for a little while anyway. Not after I failed our mission."

She sure looks guilty about that.

He looks rather confused and scribbles out [What did you do?] If she was worried about the way she had reacted to him, he wasn't going to hold that against her. After all, he could understand her reaction and fright... he didn't like the fact that he scared people, but he understood why.

[It shouldn't matter. They're your friends. I think they'd be happy just to know you're alright.] Skyfire didn't know what her mission was, but he wasn't going to pry if she wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Those wolves aren't normal---they were empty husks reanimated to guard something. I suspect it's the entrance to a fortress I've been trying to infiltrate. You see, I'm a part-time detective, and there's a warlock who's used magic to ruin peoples' lives hanging out there. I was trying to arrest him today, but I couldn't get close."

She moaned, curling in on herself a little. "And who knows what he'll feel brave enough to do next."

He snorts softly. [I've been destroying those things for weeks, they're warping the forest and ruining the area.]

Skyfire hesitates, but reaches out to stroke her hair gently with a finger in the only offer of comfort he's able to give without chancing making her wounds worse.

[I want them out of the forest. Would having backup help?] Because after the thrashing he gave the last batch of creatures, he hoped that there wold be time for her to recover before the warlock would strike again... and a dragon would make some big backup.

Minako has to laugh about that. Her hair's nowhere near being pristine anyway, and his care for her does help. She sighs quietly, and pats his finger with a hand.

"If you're sure. I know he's far stronger than me, but this is really serious. He'll ruin the place if he wins, and then he'll want to ruin more. That's not right at all."

[I was trying to get rid of him anyways. Help would be very welcome.]

He starts coughing and choking a bit, so he puts down the board and moves over to drink yet another container of something that he obviously really doesn't like... but it seems to stop the coughing.

"Oh no, what's wrong?"

Minako very, very carefully leans up, longing to do what she can to help.

"They didn't make you sick, did you? Well if they did, I'll kick them."

She's becoming rather fond of her rescuer. It's odd, but she'll roll with it.

He comes back to the board looking a bit sore and starts writing again.

[They're making the entire area sick. I didn't do myself any favors by lobbing fireballs at his stronghold either.]

Skyfire excuses himself a moment to go fetch a few things. [I'll be right back]

He returns a while later with a basket of fresh fruit for her and sets it next to her. It has apples, peaches, pears, pomegranates and plums in it.

[Sorry. I thought you might be hungry and I had to go feed the animals that have taken sanctuary up here with me.]

That's horrible. She frowns and tries to reach out, but then he's gone long enough for Minako to worry about him. Enough that there's a bright smile on her face when he's back. And then she giggles, delicately taking a peach in her hand.

"Oh no. I feel like a spoiled goddess lounging away on the couch," she jokes, smiling gratefully. "Thank you. But...how many are you taking care of here, anyway?"

Skyfire lets out a wheezing chuckle and winces at the soreness of his throat, but it was getting better. At least he could make some sounds now.

[We both need the rest. Trying to fight when we're not well will see us loose.] He pauses to do a mental head count and then sighs. [At least 30. I can't keep track of the foxes very well, but the unicorn heard is healing up nicely.]

"You have a unicorn herd?"

Oh yes. That's a very girly squeal.

"Oh, how wonderful! Can I meet them sometime?"

He shakes his head, but winces at the squeal a bit.

[No. I offer them a safe haven. I have a place. Nobody keeps a unicorn.]

Pausing, he considers her request.

[I can offer to let you sit with me there, but if they won't come to you I can't make them.] They were with him because he offered them sanctuary from the corruption of the forest, nothing more. If they didn't feel safe, they would vanish into the mists of another world until the danger had passed... but that was hard on them and they had new foals...

[She nods seriously.]

I'll be gentle and respectful. I promise. I just...I'm amazed. Your life can't be that easy, and you're so generous with us.

[Once we've both had some rest then. Maybe I'll have my voice back later.]

He starts coughing again and then lets out a slightly strangled sigh as he lays down, clearly needing some rest himself.

[I try and treat others the way I would hope someone will treat me one day.]

Because the poor guy spent a lot of time alone, or with people running from him in fear, he'd not give in and treat others like he'd been treated most of the time. It would be to easy to become the 'monster' he'd been called so often.

[Minako rolls over to gently pat whatever she can reach. It's hard, but...]

You're right. That's how everyone should behave---the world would be so much nicer.

[She yawns, head drooping against the blankets.]

He gives her a little smile, but that's about all he manages before he's out like a light. Poor guy really was running on fumes... Skyfire would sleep till morning, unless Minako did something to wake him because she needed something.

It's early morning when Minako wakes---just a force of habit. She's still a little stiff and sore, but overall things have greatly improved. She rises from her little slumbering nest and lifts a hand to her stomach---oh, wow, she's hungry. And she could probably use a bath. But for now, she'll settle for watching over her mysterious protector.

"You know, you're kinda cute when you sleep," she muses aloud. In a display of courage, she creeps closer and lightly touches his side. "Thank you. For everything."

She hesitates, then smiles and backs off. "But maybe I need to let sleeping dragons lie."

If he wakes at any point, he'll find her smiling mysteriously and happily wrapped up in a blanket.

She'd find that she still had plenty of fruit to nibble on until he wakes to take away at least some of the hunger pangs, but it would be a little while till he woke.

That touch to his side, would get a surprisingly quiet, but still recognizable purr out of him and a mild foot thump. Yes, even in his sleep, he was a sucker for attention...

It would be about an hour after she woke that he'd finally stir and give her a curious look at her somewhat odd smile.

Oh, he was like a kitten! A...very large kitten. Minako smiled, keeping up the patting out of force of habit. His continued sleep lulls her to relax...leading to an awkward blink when he finally wakes up.

"Oh, good morning! I'm sorry. I just...you looked so peaceful that I couldn't help myself."

She fidgeted with her hands.

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