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Words and Wonder (Myself and ShyButDangerous)

Unknown to Casey, Rhett didn't go home after leaving Casey's house. Instead he had gone to the nearby forest to stretch out his snake form, in the hopes of staving off any uncontrolled shifts. This is a normal occurrence for him. However, this day proved to be much different. Half an hour into stretching his serpentine body, a fox attacked, looking to make a meal of him. In panic, Rhett struck back, landing a couple good hits, but he took a lot of damage too. The pain of his venom eventually scared the fox off, but Rhett was left injured. He managed to find a small hole amidst a tree's roots to hide. And as night came, and the air got colder, so too did Rhett.

The next day, instead of Rhett arriving at Casey's house, it's Sarah, his human friend. It's also only 10am, and Rhett had said he wouldn't be arriving each day until 1pm. Sarah is a petite blonde with glasses, almost always dressed in jeans and a tee.

"Mister Kitman? I'm sorry to intrude but Rhett didn't go home last night. This is the last place he said he would be." Sarah stands just inside the open front door, not wanting to intrude further, but he worry had caused her to open the door instead of knocking.
 
Casey froze upon hearing the woman speak, seeming to think about it for a moment. Slowly so as to not startle the woman, he covered his mouth with his hand and stepped back into the living room.

"Ma'am, please do step inside and close the door behind you. Mister King left here yesterday and everything seemed fine." The golden goldenhaired man seemed nervous, as he was concerned it may somehow be because of him. "I intend to help you find him. Do you live with Mister King? How much do you know of his habits? Is there anywhere he's likely to have gone or stopped?"

Feeling a little brave, he figured he needed to know just how familiar this woman was with what they were as well. "How much do you know about Mister King and his... condition?" Not really wanting to come out and ask the woman if she knew he was shifter, but needing to know about his shifting habits to see if perhaps that might have been where he was.
 
Sarah does as asked, not even praising to wonder why Casey is covering his mouth. She's far too worried about Rhett. There's no romantic feelings there, but she has practically mothered him for almost three years as his best friend. When Casey calls it a condition though, Sarah plants her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me? Rhett doesn't have a condition. Just because he's different doesn't make it a condition. And you shouldn't refer to yourself like that either. Yes, Rhett told me you're a shifter too, he tells me everything. And no, I'm not about to tell anyone else. Rhett trusts me." Sarah pauses, taking a deep breath. "Now, I have no idea what kind of shifter you are, but i need your help finding him. He's a snake, if he gets too cold, he could die."
 
"He's different? Oh you must be a human then. I just couldn't think of a better way to ask if you knew about the world of the others or not. We're not supposed to go telling humans after all." Casey explained, holding his hands up with his palms facing outwards making no farther move to cover his mouth full of abnormal teeth. "That's not the point though, we need to discuss how to find Mister King. What kind of snake is he? Where does he normally let his other form out?"

"I'm a hawk shifter by the way. Now I won't be able to sniff him out like many other types of shifters, however I'm positive I can find him. I just need a place to start looking, and if he's hurt he may need you to patch him up. Don't take that as me being unwilling to, it's more that he and I don't know eachother well and he may see me as a threat in his other form." He explained rapidly before backing away to grab a shirt, his jacket, a dust mask, and his boots.
 
Sarah fidgets in the front hall, though she does relax a bit as Casey does. "I took care of him for six months in a snake rehabilitation rescue." Sarah pulls out her phone and checks it.

"Rhett is a black mamba snake. He's super venomous, but it's Rhett. He's more like to run than fight back unless attacked. I'm scared that might be what happened. He usually goes to the nearby forest, but I've been looking all morning and I can't find him."

Sarah nods as Casey speaks of her caring for him. That's understandable, better to have someone Rhett trusts care for him. Sarah is also very protective of Rhett, because of his background. "Come on, the longer we take to find him, the the worse he'll get."
 
"Okay, I'm going to walk into the forest with you like this, and I'll shift once we get into the forest. That way, if anyone sees you go into the forest they won't question it if someone comes back out with you. We cannot draw too much attention." He explained as he quickly pulled on the extra clothing.

Quickly, he strode to the door hesitating as he closer to her. "You're absolutely right. We have no time to waste. We'll find him, I'm certain of it." The last statement was an attempt to comfort her since she seemed so upset over her friend's disappearance.
 
Sarah chews on her lip as she exits Casey's home. She passes her little blue car, heading for the forest. It only takes them three minutes to walk to the forest edge. Once they arrive though, Sarah's phone rings. She pulls it out, and a new kind of panic appears on her face.

After a heated discussion, Sarah pockets her phone and turns to Casey. Without thinking, she grabs his shoulders, despite being a good five inches shorter than him. "My snake rescue has a gas leak and they need me to help evacuate. Please, Mister Kitman, you have to find Rhett. Please." Sarah only hesitates a moment longer, blue eyes staring into Casey's, before she turns and runs back the way they came.
 
The man follows her without question, looking relieved when they passed up the car and headed for the nearby woods. Feeling less apprehensive about this and a little more like they had it under control, he seemed to relax a little at least until the women's phone rang and he found her hands on his shoulders. He recoiled from the sudden contact, but found himself nodding at her desperate request.

"I will do my best." He promised as he watched her leave. More afraid than when they had started, he moved into the forest. Pulling his jacket off, he quickly folded it to act as a bag for all his clothes before stripping and tucking it all into the jacket. Fortunately, he was use to traveling like this and shifted before taking off with the bundle grasped in his talons.

It didn't take him long before he discovered evidence of a struggle, and two blood trails leading away from the scene. One seemed to be dotted with canine like footprints, and he quickly discounted that one. Instead he followed the other, finding it led to the roots of a tree. After finding the trail stopped there, he landed just next to the end of the trail and shifted. Pulling on his pants, he choose to forego the rest of his clothing for the moment partly because his body temperature ran higher than most and he didn't really need it to stay warm.

"Mister King? Are you here? It's me, Casey Kitman. Can you hear me?" He called softly, looking at the hole he could see in the roots of the tree.
 
The night passed in a fog of pain and cold. Rhett didn't think to shift back to human, he couldn't. His instincts told him it was too much of a risk and it was safer to stay here in this hole. Despite it getting quite cold over night, with autumn coming quickly, there's just enough geothermal heat from the ground to keep Rhett alive.

Casey's voice barely cuts through the fog in Rhett's mind. There's the tiniest movement on the hole, just a sluggish turn of his head. But it's enough for what light there is coming through the tree's leaves to reflect off his yellow eyes. Rhett's black, smooth scaled body is cold, all three feet of it coiled on top of itself.
 
The small movement was just enough to confirm in Casey's mind it was indeed Rhett in the hole. Carefully, he digs out a little of the ground from around the hole so his hands fit into it better before reaching in to very gently touch Rhett's cold body. Slowly he pulled Rhett's cold body from the hole and gently curled him up in the folds of the jacket and shirt. Quickly he slipped his boots on before picking the bundled up snake up and carefully positioning the bundle so that Rhett's body was up against the bare skin of his chest and none of him was visible to anyone that might see them.

He figured this was probably the best way to warm him up a little while he made his way out of the forest. It only took him a few minutes before he was standing in his house with the snake. Carefully he folded the shirt and jacket back to better look at Rhett and see how he was doing.
 
In the dappled light of the forest, it's hard to see Rhett's injuries. He's certainly bloody, though a lot of it has dried. The warmth of Casey's hands is recognized, but being more or less cold-blooded, it would take time for Rhett to really warm up.

Back at Casey's house, in the better lighting, three bite wounds can be seen along the forward half of Rhett's body. One is a couple inches behind the curve of his skull. Luckily, nothing truly major has been punctured, but the injuries are severe for a snake his size. Rhett appears to be unconscious, as although his eyes are open, since snakes don't have true eyelids, Rhett doesn't respond to being unbundled.
 
Seeing the wounds, Casey carries the snake into his bedroom and collects a first aid kit from one of his shelves. He then settles onto the bed, carefully setting Rhett on his lap. Pulling out a small jar of hydrogen peroxide, he carefully began cleaning the wounds. Once he was done, he was glad to see they didn't look too bad.

Leaning back, he situated Rhett's scaley body all along his chest and stomach figuring this was the best method he currently had access to of warming the other shifter. Covering them both with the blanket he closed his eyes, reaching for the familiar magic within him. Placing his hand over the wounds, he allowed the energy to flow through him and into the snake.

Once he was done, Casey was pale and panting as he moved his hand off to the side. While he wasn't proficient enough in magic to actually force the wounds to heal, what he had done was fed magical energy into Rhett's body to help it repair itself faster.
 
There is little response beyond scaly skin twitching as Casey tends to Rhett's wounds. Casey's method of healing will help Rhett recover faster, but he also needs the warmth the man is providing.

Most of the day is spent with little to no movement from Rhett. Sarah hasn't checked in, but she's occupied finding fosters to care for the snakes at the rescue until the gas leak can be fixed. It's late afternoon before Rhett stirs. He's still slow to move, but he could his body on Casey's chest, lifting his head to look at the man.
 
After having used magic, and being out all night in his other form Casey's body was exhausted. It wasn't long after he had expended the magic before he fell into a deep sleep. Fortunately for them both, the hawk shifter didn't move much in his sleep usually and his body was so exhausted he probably wouldn't have anyway.

By the time Rhett was stirring, Casey's eyes were still closed and his cheeks were a little flushed. The movement on his chest roused him and his eyes fluttered open giving Rhett a sleepy smile.

"Oh good. You're awake. Sorry if this is weird, but I didn't have any other way of warming you up enough. Your friend didn't leave me a way to contact her so I just did the best I could. You probably shouldn't move around too much though." Casey explained softly.
 
Rhett watches Casey wake, listening to his explanation. Sure, it might have been weird, butthe body heat is so nice compared to the last 24 hours. Rhett's body aches, and his healing process is slower than other shifters, even with Casey's help. The amount of violence he endured as a child took its toll on his body's ability to heal.

Rhett flicks his black, forked tongue. Then he lays his head down again, twisting his body a bit to act as a pillow so he can keep watching Casey. That may seem strange, but Rhett is still wary, nonetheless. For now, he's choosing to trust Casey, thus staying on his chest, and not leaving.
 
Casey's eyes flicked back closed as Rhett laid his head down, relief that the snake shifter had chosen to stay on him for the moment. "I'm going to stay right here for now. I guess my being a halfling worked in your favor this go around. My body runs a bit warmer than most as the fea magic is constantly trying to burn the iron out of my blood."

Evidently he was feeling a little loopy from the fever and exhaustion as that wasn't something he normally would have talked about. A gentle hand drifted up to rest on an uninjured portion of the snake. "Now we just rest. I'll stay here as long as you need my body temperature. Maybe I can give you more magic if you need it after I've recovered a bit." He admitted seeming to drift back into sleep.
 
Rhett flicks his tongue periodically. The info about Casey being half fae is interesting, but not something Rhett is worried about. He has nothing against halflings, just people in general. He can see Casey is feverish, no doubt from lack of sleep and using his magic on Rhett.

Rhett coils tighter as Casey settles his hand on him, even if it hurts to cool tighter. He's apprehensive about the touch but he gradually relaxes as Casey falls back to sleep.

After some time, Rhett carefully extracts himself from Casey's warmth, as much as he doesn't want to. Shifting to human form is painful, the bite marks looking way worse on his human form since the damage changes size along with his form. One bite on his left shoulder, another on the right side of his rib cage, and the third bite on the outside of his right thigh. Thankfully, the wounds don't reopen through his shift. The skin aroundthem is a rainbow of blues and purples, and the wounds themselves are just starting to scab, thanks to Casey's magic.

Rhett locates a pair of sweats and a tee. He's only a couple inches taller than Casey, so the clothing fit isn't too far off. He also manages to find a spare blanket, wrapping himself in it before heading for the kitchen. He makes a stop in the bathroom, then starts boiling water once he reaches the kitchen. He probably shouldn't be rooting around the author's home, but he's in no condition to drive himself home. Not to mention back to the forest to locate the Bush he stashed his clothing and phone in.
 
Casey manages to sleep through Rhett slithering off of him and shifting, and it's not until after the other was already in the kitchen that he stirred. Realizing that the weight of the snake was gone from his chest, he panicked bolting up. Instantly, he regretted the move and was much more careful getting up. Quickly he looked around the room, rushing out into the livingroom and eventually into the kitchen.

Upon seeing Rhett standing there, he relaxed. "Oh thank god. I was worried something else had happened to you. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" At that point, the author didn't even seem to care that he had been rooting around. Truthfully, there were only a small handful of worldly possessions he really cared for. The rest was unnecessary to him.
 
Rhett turns his head upon hearing Casey's voice, pulling a tin of teabags he had found out of a cupboard. He's reminded theres only one mug here, and hopes Casey doesn't mind if he uses it. The water kettle clicks, but Rhett looks guilty for having been searching around without asking.

"I'm.. Alright. Sore, stiff, but alive, thanks to you." Rhett drops his eyes toward the ground. He doesn't really want to owe anyone anything, but now he owes Casey his life. He would stand by that, regardless of his difficulty trusting. Right now, he stands there just holding the tin, empty mug and hot water kettle on the counter behind him, almost like he's waiting to be chastised for rooting around.
 
"You should thank you lady friend. I wouldn't have even known you were missing if it hadn't been for her coming over here and looking for you. You should probably call her and let her know you're alright." Quickly, Casey pulled his own cell phone out of a drawer and laid it on the counter. "You can use this if you either remember her number or know where to look online for it."

"Still sore? I can give you some more magic to help with that, if you'd like." He offered, stepping a little closer to Rhett. "You still look like your movements are a little sluggish. Did you get warm enough?"
 
Rhett relaxes visibly, setting the tea tin down on the counter. His eyes go to the phone, a small smile on his lips. He would make sure to call Sarah, but not at this very moment. Casey is still talking to him, and Rhett doesn't want to be rude.

At the offer of more magic, Rhett shakes his head. The blanket he's wrapped in his hiding his wounds and bruises, so Casey can't see how bad they look. Especially as they're now on pale skin instead of black scales. "Casey, you still look exhausted. You need to take care of yourself too." Rhett uses Caey's first name without even thinking about it, his voice soft and concerned.
 
Rhett's concern surprised him, and he offered him a confident smile. "It's alright. I really don't mind. I've gone much farther than this. I recover from these small bursts of magic fairly quickly, and won't use enough to really hurt me. Those wounds of yours were pretty bad, and it looked like you'd lost a lot of blood."

Casey's voice softened a bit as he took another step closer. "You also just shifted back, which I know better than most can hurt like hell. Please, at least let me give you enough to dampen the pain?" At that point Casey was giving him his equivalent of puppy dog eyes, though he was making no move to force the magic on Rhett all he really needed was a small point of contact to do so.
 
Rhett chews at his lower lip, still hesitant. He's in no shape to care for Casey should the man overexertion himself. But with a small nod, he reluctantly agrees. Rhett releases the tension from his shoulders, and lets the blanket drop from them to hang off his arms.

The wounds really do look bad, and painful. For the most part, Rhett has been ignoring the pain and aches. He's used to pain, so pretending he isn't feeling it is nothing new. "Please don't push yourself. I really can heal on my own.."
 
"That looks so much worse in this form. It does look like it's healing though." Casey spoke softly as he slowly moved closer to Rhett, examining the one he could see on Rhett's shoulder. "I'm going to have to touch you, and this may feel a little odd."

Slowly, so as to not startle Rhett, his hand rose and gently rested on the shoulder wound. It only took seconds before Rhett would begin to feel like a warm, intoxicating wind was rushing into him from Casey's hand. His usually golden eyes glowed silver, and a borderline pleasurable look on his face. After a few moments, when Casey felt like he had washed away a good portion of the pain from Rhett he removed his hand from Rhett's shoulder and stumbled back. Catching himself on the counter, he panted his skin paled and his eyes back to their usual golden color.

"There. Now keep in mind that even though it doesn't hurt as much, you're not technically any more healed now as of yet. What I did was use the magic to lessen your pain and help your body promote healing. I'm unable to safely use magic that would actually instantly regenerate your tissue." Casey explained with a small apologetic smile. "So you are kind of healing yourself. I just helped the process go a little faster."
 
Rhett chews at his lower lip, managing to stay mostly relaxed. The warmth that comes from Caeey's magic nearly causes Rhett to melt into Casey's arms. He refrains from that, but he does lean toward the man enough for it to be noticeable. The pain easing is especially nice.

When Casey has to catch himself on the counter, Rhett's hands go to the author's biceps to steady him. There's a frown on his face, seeing how the man paled. "I would have been fine without it. I'm.. Accustomed to pain. I'd rather not see you pass out. I'm really not in any condition to move you somewhere more comfortable should you hit the floor here."
 
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