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Sickness (FavoredFox & EDDE)

FavoredFox

FavoredFox

Logic is panic's Prey...
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
They couldn't stop. No matter how much Hakkai objected, they all knew that they couldn't stop. The rain had started as a blessing in the arid valley, but the relieving shower that quenched their thirst quickly evolved into biting gales and heavy sheets of water that the dry ground just couldn't handle. When the wind started to push Hakuryuu side to side to the point he was near constantly driving on two wheels, Hakkai had tried to make them stop, but there was no place to hole up. The water rushing down the cliff sides surrounding them would wash them out of any place they found. There was no choice.

Hakkai, Sanzo, Goku, and Gojyo were all packed into the bed of the jeep holding a thick tarp over themselves to protect them from the worst of mother nature's rampage, but Hakuryuu couldn't do that. Hakuryuu was the jeep. He was their mode of transportation, and the four of them wouldn't make it on foot. He revved the engine, shifted gears, and peeled out over the muddy terrain.

It was midday, but the heavy clouds and blurring rain fall made it impossible to see. He had to make it to the next town with only the help of his memory of the map and the few inches in front of him that he could just make out. He skid across mud, hydro planed, bounced off of unseen brush, and withstood the assault of kicked up sticks and rocks. He spun his wheels furiously to get traction, picking up twigs into his axles and snapping under him, scratching up his underside.

Beneath the make shift tent, Gojyo fought to keep his edge of it down. "Where the hell did this come from?!" He bitched, raising his voice to be heard over the deafening storm. "And why the hell do I have to sit so close to this damn monkey? He stinks!"

Goku, the 'monkey' nearly lost his grip and fumbled to keep the tarp down. "Screw you water sprite! You're the one stinking up this place." A particularly harsh turn had them tumbling to the side and scrambling to stay under cover. "Ouch! What the hell Hakuryuu!"

Hakuryuu could tell his passengers were talking, but he couldn't make out a single word, and he didn't have the time to spare on trying to figure it out. His left front tire hit a large rock hidden by the quickly rising water, sending them flying several yards before splashing back down. A sharp pain ran through his metallic frame and he cried out when the rear axle nearly gave out; but he wouldn't stop. If he did, the water would reach up into his under carriage before they could reach the high ground of the village that was just a few more miles away. He could make it, he had to. His friends wouldn't survive out here.

With a determined cry, Hakuryuu pressed down the gas pedal and gunned it forward, crashing through obstacles rather than wasting the time to avoid them.
 
This entire leg of their journey had been absolutely miserable. First it had been so absolutely hot and dry that the blonde had actually been having some trouble breathing in the heated air, his lungs protesting so strongly against the slight trauma that he'd actually had to focus on it to make himself continue. They'd had more relief in some of the deserts they'd driven through than this valley. Goku and Gojyo's fighting had even shut down during that part of the day. None of them were comfortable enough to even attempt to talk. So when the rain had come it had been so refreshing that even their idiotic start hadn't even been enough to put him a bad mood at first. Everyone had been relieved.

Now though; now his fingertips had long since gone numb, his hands were following, and it was starting to spread up his forearms from the amount of force the whipping wind and rains were exerting against the tarp they were all trying to hold. It wasn't just Gojyo and Goku that were having trouble keeping their grip. The problem was that he could tell it wouldn't be long before he wouldn't be able to catch his side anymore despite how heavily he was concentrating on keeping it. Sanzo could easily hold his own amoungst the fighters of the group; this was well known, however that didn't change the fact that he was still very much human, and his body simply didn't have the stability to it that the others' did.

"Dammit!" The complaint came in a growl as he was forced to hunker down against the side of the jeep while he pressed his back again the back of the seat he usually took up front once again, in attempt not to be tossed around in it right along with everyone else as they fishtailed through the rising water once again in Hakuryuu's attempts to avoid shit in his frantic attempt to escape the valley with them.

Droopy violet eyes landed sharply on Hakkai his thoughts turned abruptly to their current hopeful savior. He already knew where the man's attention would be settled. At least, he thought he did. He was surprised to find that Hakkai was actually looking at the lot of them. Then again, he realised that he was probably checking on their condition due to the jostle. Another harsh gale accosted them and Sanzo came way too close to losing the tarp, keeping his grip on it far too painful against the pins and needles in his hands to hide this time as he flinched against it and growled out and angry, "Fuck!"

Hakkai was paying close attention to everything, doing his best to keep a running tab open in his mind and constantly calculating the ever-changing circumstances. Should Hakuryuu grow too tired or, God forbid, hurt himself badly enough that he couldn't continue on his own, Hakkai would be forced to jump back up front. That would mean taking control... That would mean forcing Hakuryuu to keep going in whatever that condition happened to be that stopped him from being able to keep going on his own. Because without Hakuryuu as a jeep driving them through this horrible flash flood, the five of them would be swept away in this storm like they were nothing. They might not all die, but Hakuryuu in his dragon form most likely would. Hakkai and Sanzo didn't stand that much of a chance either, though Hakkai's was slightly better than Sanzo's. Gojyo and Goku certainly stood a better one, but not by all that much. If anything, the best-case scenario judging by how severe this storm had gotten so suddenly, was that Goku might survive it alone, if any of them would at all if they couldn't get out of here.

The main focus of Hakkai's attention, of course, was on Hakuryuu and his condition. They were being thrown all over the bed of the truck when they couldn't brace themselves against the erratic movements however, and he was beginning to notice a theme amoung his three companions. They were having trouble holding their ends of the tarps. "Goku, Gojyo, Sanzo," he called loudly to make sure they heard him.

When he was sure they were all looking, he lifted the arm he had supporting his corner of the tarp, showing them the lack of difficulty he was having due to the way he'd secured it. He'd taken the corner and securely wrapped it twice down his forearm before taking the actual corner into a tight hold. Making sure to hunker himself down in the same position Sanzo was currently sitting in to better hold himself in place against the swerving, he removed the grip he had on the side bar of their jeep friend and pantomimed the process for them, allowing them to quickly follow along as he did so. They did. In less than a second all of their faces went from pained exertion to near relief as they each leaned against their tarped arm and grabbed onto that bar through for more stability and safety in the back seat.

And by the Gods, it couldn't have come at a better moment.

Suddenly they were in the air and all the air in their lungs joined them there as various screams a curses flew from their mouths. Every one of their asses left the safety of solid flooring and each one of them did their damndest to get as close to that bar as possible so they would be landing back in that bed when they hit the ground. Thankfully, they did. Hakkai couldn't check on their condition when they landed again, though. His own landing knocked the back of his head hard into the bar and he pressed the front of it against the driver seat sharply in reaction to it. He couldn't cry out because he knew it would distract Hakuryuu, but more importantly he was just trying to get over it quickly because of the other thing that happened when they landed. The only thing he could focus on.

He'd felt it just as clearly as he'd heard it. Hakkai was right over top of the rear right wheel well. When they had hit the ground Hakuryuu's shocks had absorbed as much of the blow as they could, but it was a lot harsher than that. He felt them hit the limit of the springs, which would have been worrying on its own, but what Hakkai heard and felt after that had him absolutely petrified for his sweet, heroic little friend. From somewhere slightly deeper he heard a very distinct metalic 'crack', and he felt the slight shift in their momentum that told him it had to do with his wheel.

"Hakuryuu," he whimpered quietly. A deeply worried frown crossed over Hakkai's features as he hunkered himself down further and leaned himself past the driver seat as much as he could without compromising their tarp, placing himself between the two front seats the best he could while lifting his tarp holding hand over the driver seat so that it was being held up higher for the guys in the back.

He held onto the seat for support and began petting with his free hand over the middle console behind the stick shift gently. He couldn't see Hakuryuu since they were completely covered by the tarp and vice versa, but he hoped that Hakuryuu could at least hear that he was coaxing him with gently encouraging words even if he couldn't hear the words themselves. He hoped that being this much closer, and with the windshield and seats actually shielding some of the horrible gusts of wind with him having bent himself as low as he had, he might at least catch snippets and the comfort of his voice here and there. And it was full of warmth and comfort, because he was doing everything he could to keep his absolute fear of having to do something absolutely atrocious to his doting love out of it.

Those violet eyes were staring at Hakkai again, harder this time. Sanzo saw the look on Hakkai's face; the way his demeanor changed. He knew it meant something, and knew it was likely something he wasn't going to like. He also already understood what Hakkai would have to do if Hakuryuu couldn't hack it. The thing was, he wasn't sure Hakkai could. If he couldn't, Sanzo was more than ready to step in.
 
Hakuryuu crashed through drowning bushes and floating debris. The leaves and branches stuck into his grill or bounced over his hood, cutting at the paint and denting the metal. Logs and rocks were kicked up and clattered against his undercarriage, but he gave up on trying to avoid them. Even if they had the time to spare, there was no use in trying to dodge, because any direction he turned would result in the same thing.

He held back his cries at first, but each chip of paint lost was another scale torn from his body, and every dent was a blunt blow that radiated through his entire frame. He chirped out his pain, hoping that the storm would cover it. He could feel Hakkai's worry. He could feel the gentle hand comforting and encouraging him. Hakuryuu could tell Hakkai was talking. He could catch a few sounds, but still couldn't make out words; but his yelps became quiet grunts as he barreled through the raising water.

This continued for a few minutes more before Hakuryuu released the gas pedal, slammed on the breaks, and even pulled the emergency breaks. The sudden stop dug his wheels front wheels into the mud and lifted the back wheels straight out of the water before they crashed back down.

His muffler popped and blew out billows of black smoke as Hakuryuu desperately tried to catch his breath. His headlights flickered and his high beams flashed at the steep incline before him, and the glow of the village up at the very top. Water raged down the narrow ramp, crashing against his grill and dragging with it more merciless debris. He had driven them straight into the mouth of the run off system for the town. There was sure to be a proper entrance, but the precious little time they had was out.

Hakuryuu released the emergency break and revved his engine. "Hold on! We're almost there," He squawked. "Hakuryuu can see the village!" He started moving forward carefully, pushing himself up onto the steep incline with painful effort until all four wheels were on the ramp. "Just a little longer! Hakuryuu will get everyone-" He cut off as a wave of water crashed over him, pouring over the windshield and the tarp keeping his friends safe.

His wheels spun hard and his gears started to audibly grind as he forced himself up inch by agonizing inch. Rocks, mud, and sticks dug into the wells of his wheels, scraping and cutting at the metal while sharp stones threatened to pop them. Broken trees now tried to crash through him, bouncing off of his hood and into the windshield.

It was impossible to see. All he could do was follow the blurry light and hope that there wasn't a sudden drop. So it was only at the very last moment that he saw the broken trunk of a tree cascading towards him. He yowled and slid back down several feet as it speared straight through his windshield, crashed into the passenger seat, snapped in half, and bounced off of the tarp; but he didn't stop. He regained those few inches and continued on with his painfully slow progress. "Hakuryuu... will get everyone... up... there!"
 
Hakkai continued to comfort his best friend the best he could in their circumstances as they moved along while holding himself in place the best he could in the new position with the wild charge of water tossing the lot of them around and crashing debris into the poor creature. He was far too focused on each and every hit he could hear over the thundering rain, doing his best not to flinch with each one with little success. The battered electric lantern that sat in the bed had taken a good beating and wasn't as bright as when they'd started, but he could still see their other companions clearly underneath the tarp.

He'd been looking back to check on them once again when the air was stolen from his lungs at their sudden jolting stop, barely managing not to face plant the dash with the force of it. "Hakuryuu...?" The questioning word was mumbled and lost in the wind. He couldn't see what Hakuryuu could in his position, but it wasn't a moment longer before they started moving again. And then they were at an angle. It seemed their little dragon friend had found a way up judging by the change. Relief washed over him even as he had to brace his feet against the metal holding up the back seat in order to stay in his position.


Even over the confused and surprised complaints in the back that he could only barely hear as they also adjusted themselves as well, he hollared out his support to their current savior. He could only assume. "Go Hakuryuu! We're almost the--" but he was cut off by the sudden shock of devistation as they all felt the latest blow and the shattering of glass ran ice through his veins. "Hakuryuu!"

Time slowed for him as he heard the heavier taps of dislodged glass shower the tarp over them. Then he felt something else. While he was between the two front seats and the tarp was protecting him some, that didn't stop the heavy piece of wood from crashing down on them as well. He heard it split and turned his head back to warn the others to get down. He wasn't fast enough. And even though he was already down the wood was heavy.

The part that broke on his side came down harsh on his right leg and bounced away. He cringed at the pain sent rippling through his nerves, but wouldn't allow himself to ccry out. It would only distract Hakuryuu. But besides that he had no time to fully react to his own pain as he caught Gojyo's head flying back violently as the blow of the second piece nearly knocked him into an upright sit. And then he was slumping.

"Gojyo!" It came out in a frantic yelp as their other teammate went down. "Goku! Grab a hold of him!"

Goku did quickly and pulled Gojyo down further to the base of the seat and covered him as best his own small body could. But that brought about a new issue. It was all so fast. He wasn't sure when time had started flowing normally again, and felt absolutely helpless as he watched the new scene change. Gojyo lost his grip on his corner of the tarp as he lost consciousness and it was ripped away from his hold, while Goku simply let his go in order to reach in and grab the redhead, either absent mindedly or because getting a grip on Gojyo was simply more important in that moment.

Hakkai's attention shot to Sanzo but he was too late to warn him all over again. The monk cried out sharply as the tarp caught the wind instantly and tore away from his grasp. And then it was his turn. The rage with which the tarp tore into the air was strong enough to rip his arm into a sudden awkward position above and behind him. This time he couldn't stop himself from crying out as it first thightened around his wrist and then tore itself violently from his grasp and disappeared into the dark sky. He pulled his arm back down and cradled it for the moment it took for the downpour above them to abolutely soak them all through. Though the wetness he felt on his right wrist mingled with warmth. He wasn't foolish enough to look it over just yet. They didn't have time for that. He had to do something to get them through this faster. With the other three huddled down, Sanzo tending to his own arm in his hunkered position, he was the only one in the right position to help Hakuryuu.

"Everyone stay down!" The hollar was a clear order and none of the other three moved from their positions, both conscious parties taking him seriously. Hakkai was quick to turn his attention back to the front and put his attention on his sweet, sacrificing dragon. "Hakuryuu," he yelled so the beast could hear him properly this time. "Brace yourself and get ready! I'm going to help!"

With that he sat up with his back against the dash, climbing his way into position until he was properly braced on the back of each front seat with his knees pressing into the backs. He could only take a quick breath to ready himself as he threw his right hand forward and aimed out the back of the jeep down at the flat ground behind them. "Wait, Hakkai!" He couldn't tell which one of the back seat companions objected because he was focusing on his own power as he drew his left arm up and braced his right with the left hand. He ignored the pain of grabbing his wrist to support it.

He was going to need two shots. One to find the ground properly for the angle, and the second to blast them forward to give Hakuryuu the boost in moving forward. To his surprise though, Sanzo leaned forward, grabbed the lantern, and threw it with all his might in the direction Hakkai was aiming. Unfortunately the dim light was lost in the darkness as it went. It wasn't too much of a surprise, as even Hakuryuu's brights couldn't penetrate the darkness, and the lantern had dimmed through the abuse it had taken in the back of the jeep. Sanzo ducked his head back down again with a curse and grabbed at the railing and seat in order to brace himself for what was to come. Goku was still down on the seat shielding Gojyo. So he took his chance.

With a short breath Hakkai let loose his first shot, a bright ki blast that he focused on heavily as it shot away from them flew from his hand and ignited a beam of light that stayed fully connected as he poured the least amount of energy needed to find his place. He had to go by feeling, so he didn't put nearly as much energy into this blast as the one he was planning to once he found his grounding. And it only took a moment. He felt his attack connect with the ground below them and adjusted himself instantly so that the next round of energy he poured into the attack would help propel them forward.

That was when he yelled to Hakuryuu again. "Gun it, Hakuryuu!" It was the only warning he could give before fully loosing his energy and concentrating it into the biggest blast he could muster and maintain.
 
There was nothing he could do. He heard as well as felt the splitting log crash into his companions, but there was nothing he could do! There wasn't enough space to try and swerve even if he did have the time. He heard his master cry out, and felt the tarp that had been keeping his friends safe from smaller bits of debris rip from their arms. The corners slapped against his frame before it was stolen completely by the gales.

In a desperate attempt to get them to safety faster, Hakuryuu rapidly shifted his steering wheel from side to side, digging his front tires in and using the newfound traction to give him just a little more speed; but it wasn't enough. He knew it wasn't enough, but it was the best he had. Until he heard Hakkai call out to him. "Right!" He called back, centering his steering wheel again.

Hakuryuu figured out what his master was doing the moment he felt the demon's energy start to grow. The first blast gave him an awkwardly aimed push, but the second gave him the acceleration he needed. With one more loud cry of determination, blue flames burst from his exhaust pipe, mixing with Hakkai's energy. He lifted slightly off of the ground, and suddenly there was significantly less weight on his wheels, and their crawling pace exploded forward.

The new speed caused the drops of rain to hit harder, each one feeling like sharp stones. Debris continued to whip across his frame, scratching and denting him more and more; but it also had his wheels gliding over the cascading water. He was forced to bounce like a motorized boat on waves as they rocketed their way up the flooded run off line; and in what felt like seconds they reached the top. Hakuryuu was shot up into the air when the steep slope suddenly flattened out.

The flames from the exhaust pipe abruptly stopped, and they flew several yards before crashing back down into the mud with a loud CRACK. And they made it... Almost. Even in the darkness of the storm, the lights from the town radiated from the grey. All Hakuryuu had to do, was get them across the bridge, but that crack was followed by a bursting pop. His rear right tire had blown. Pain and exhaustion blurred his vision, and when he pressed back down on the gas pedal his body began to grind and creak, and he just couldn't hold his form any longer.

Hakuryuu's passengers were unceremoniously dropped to the ground when the truck holding them was suddenly gone. Goku held tightly to the knocked out water sprite, but frantically looked for Sanzo. Instead, his sight shot to the dragon desperately flailing in the air. Hakuryuu was back to his normal form. He was beaten and bloody and his wings kept catching cruel winds that threatened to sweep him away. Goku reached for his staff and aimed it upwards towards Hakuryuu. "Nyoi Bo!" The weapon elongated, shooting out towards the flailing dragon.

Blood and rain made it near impossible for him to see, but he clawed at the air; kicking his back legs, his split talons trying to dig in to give him traction. His weak wings pounded against gusts of wind, but his struggles were for naught. He started to spiral, squealing out chirps for help as the sky threatened to swallow him up; and he almost missed his life line. He fluttered desperately, snapping his jaws at the staff until he finally managed to sink his teeth into the wood.

Goku called out an "Alright! Hakkai! Catch!" before retracting his weapon and swinging it to the side. Effectively throwing the battered creature into Hakkai's arms.
 
They felt themselves lifting and their speed increase. Relief washed over him in a warm wave even as he concentrated. And he could feel the same energy radiating from the back seat. They were making, but they weren't out of the woods yet, so to speak. Thankfully the ascent became much faster, and it wasn't long at all before the loss of anything remotely solid was felt through them again. Hakuryuu's speed and Hakkai's push had them in the air for what felt like a much longer than it actually was before gravity took hold of them again and they were falling as they both ran out of steam in the same moment. Hakkai took hold of the steering wheel for the littlest bit of support he could muster in the moment it took for them to crash down, but completely lost his grip and was jostled into an awkward position, falling partially in the space between the front driver seat and the pedals and just barely missing the steering wheel with his face as they landed.

The horrible noise that came from Hakuryuu's body as they hit the ground had his full attention however, a panicked "Shit," escaping him just as their savior revved to move and his tire blew on top of everything. The dragon was beaten and battered before that and Hakkai's attempt to help had been a purely panicked response to the shape he was likely in already, having wanted to get him out of the treacherous situation he was facing in saving them. But before he could do anything about the new development he was falling again. This was a much shorter fall, but the ground came fast and he instinctively attempted to catch himself with his hands. The ground was much closer than he could anticipate though and he ended up misjudging, his arm buckliing under him and forcing him to land on his left side in the thick mud.

He realised instantly what the small force of that fall meant and threw himself to his own feet so quickly to get a read on Hakuryuu's position that he nearly made himself dizzy with it. Thankfully, Goku's reaction was faster than his own and just as he managed to catch sight of the tiny creature Goku was already capturing the struggling creature up. A moment later he was told to catch, and catch he did. He sunk back to his knees quickly and huddled down over the small being to shield him as best he could from the raging storm with his own body, leaning down close over him to take in what he could in the dim atmosphere with his weak vision as he pressed his wings closed against his body as not to allow the wind to take him up again.

Hakuryuu was covered with scratches and cuts and even with the little vision he had he could see where scales had been ripped from his body in the impacts he'd embraced during their escape. His claws were in horrible shape and Hakkai could see the damage to the claws on his right foot looked much more severe. More than that, what little shielding he was doing from the rain for his poor love allowed him to see the wound to his forehead seemed to be absolutely gushing, many scales ripped away from the area of the impact to his windshield.

The man's breath picked up all over again as a new wave of panic rushed through his system as he looked over his mangled little friend, though he scooled his face to be as calm as he could as he lowered his face close enough for his gentle tone to be heard and raised his right hand to hover over what looked to be the worst wound in his face first. "Thank you, Hakuryuu. You saved us."

It was difficult, but he allowed the calm tone to pulse through his own body in order to draw himself to the level needed to muster up the warm healing energy he needed to fix his little friend. Just as he began to exert that energy however a sharp pain pulled him from his concentration as an iron grip was wrapped around his wounded wrist. Hakkai's eyes shot open from having closed in the need to concentrate, staring down at the hand wrapped around his wrist that squeezed even tighter. His energy receeded without his permission and his arm became an odd kind of numb as he lost full control of it. Emerald eyes followed the other bloody arm up to land on Sanzo's face as the priest crouched over him through his reach, losing a bit of focus as they landed on droopy purple hues glaring sharply down on him.

"Don't you even think about it," the man growled down on him as the numbness in his arm began spreading futher and began making him dizzy all over again. Sanzo was exerting his power over him and the drain he'd just gone through along with that wasn't mixing too terribly well as he was paralyzed in place. But almost as soon as he began to feel like he was losing a battle he wasn't planning on facing, Sanzo released his arm and quickly turned his attention over to Goku.

"Grab that moron and let's go. We're not done yet." He heard the order as he was forced to catch himself from a fall with the hand that had just been captured as not to lose himself completely to the fall and crush the poor creature he had supported in his other arm.

It took him a moment, but his head cleared and he looked down on the poor thing once again, a comforting smile spreading across his lips as he did so. "You've done enough Hakuryuu," he mentioned carefully. "You've saved us, so now allow me to return the favor. Do your best to rest while we finish what you started."

With that he stood, noticing Sanzo was also already on his feet. They didn't have the moment they needed to recover just yet. In an instant Sanzo was off and he found himself following behind the man who'd taken the new lead blindly in the quickest pace his own pained body could follow, ignoring the heaviness it felt and willing himself onward so that they could get to a spot where they were in that position.

He could heal Hakuryuu once they found cover from the storm and things had calmed down some. He wasn't sure, but Gojyo might need his attention too.
 
He collided with Hakkai's chest with a muted grunt and coiled in on himself and against the man as tightly as his little body allowed. His tail curled up between his legs and trapped itself between their bodies. He tucked his head in and found a small spot that kept his face and eyes safe-ish from the rain, then peeked open his right eye to see his doting lover looking down on him with that same warm, soothing smile that always put him at ease. Even now, with his left eye gradually swelling, his claws split and bleeding, and several scales having been torn from his body, that smile relaxed him, and he slumped completely in Hakkai's hold.

Hakuryuu weakly chirped at the praise. "Hakuryuu's friend's are safe now." Hakkai's energy began to rise again, and he tilted his head towards the healing palm, touching his nose to it, only jolt his head back when Sanzo grabbed Hakkai's wrist and pulled it away. It was just out of reach of Hakuryuu's pitiful attempts to nip away Sanzo's grip, but the priest didn't keep the hold long. He squirmed a bit when Hakkai tumbled over. "Master Hakkai is hurt!" He argued, but he didn't have the energy to fight it. He'd done his part, and now it was theirs. Hakkai said so.

He didn't like it, but Hakuryuu simply ducked his head down and pressed himself as tightly to his master as he could muster. He shivered and quivered against the chill and the oddly numb thrumming in his limbs. He clenched his eyes shut and forced his nose and face into the fabric of Hakkai's sash and gradually started crawling his way into it, swaddling himself against his lover.

At the mention of his name, Goku perked up and looked around. Usually, he'd argue about having to carry Gojyo, be even he could tell that this wasn't the time for that. Hakuryuu was definitely hurt and so was Gojyo, but in the short seconds it took for him to look between Sanzo and Hakkai, he realized that they were both injured too. He didn't argue, but he DID complain. "You're gonna pay me back for this. Dumb water sprite!" He said while hauling the red head up onto his back. He hooked his arms under Gojyo's knees, but his feet still dragged along the ground as Goku ran off after Sanzo.

"Sanzo. Hey Sanzo!" He yelled out, catching up to the priest. "You're arm, it's-"

"Nothing. You stupid Monkey, keep going!"

"Sanzo..." A frown pulled hard on Goku's face, but he forced it away and replaced it with a look of determination. One moment, he was running a foot or two behind Sanzo, the next he was racing across the stone bridge with enough speed to kick up waves of water on either side of him; yelling "Hurry up!"

He sped right through the entrance to the town. The sooner he found an inn, then the sooner everyone's injuries could be teneded to. Including Sanzo. "Inn, Inn, where's an Inn? This one!?" Goku skidded to a near stop in front of a large building. He didn't know what kind of place it was, but it was big, so there had to be space, right? Not to mention he could smell food! Without another thought, and not even noticing the swinging sign reading 'Rhyolite Inn,' he barreled head first through the front doors.

Gojyo opened his eyes just in time to see the door before his head went through it, and he went right back to sleep once his hit the floor with a muddy thwap, sending filth all over the freshly cleaned floor as well as a few near by patrons.
 
Hakuryuu retreated into his sash and Hakkai was a bit glad for it. He was having trouble holding his arm in place as tightly as he was. Still, it didn't lower even as the little dragon secured himself and he began to run. "Oh my," he mentioned as Goku took off ahead of them. "Looks like you've motivated him, Master Sanzo," he teased as he hurried behind the blonde man. He swayed and stumbled a bit a moment later but caught himself and managed to keep his pace as a realisation struck him. The wind was beginning to die down and the rain wasn't pouring as hard as it had been just before they'dhit the bridge. He was thankful for it, as it made it that much easier to keep himself in his upright fight against his heavy body as they went.

"Shut the Hell up," Sanzo shot back as they both almost naturally sped up their pace in an ill fated attempt to keep up with Goku. "Pay attention to yourself. Don't expect me to take up your slack, you idiot."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he shot back just as jeeringly cheery as before. "You've already mentioned your shoulders aren't for leaning on, haven't you?"

"Ch." Sanzo's attention turned forward again and he caught sight of Goku skidding to a hault. He was about to call out to him to cool his ass off, but was a little too slow on the uptake as the small man barreled his way through the door without so much as a second thought. "YOU IDIOT!" The growling anger in his tone seemed to speed the man up even more as he moved from chasing after to chasing down his stupid little monkey.

By the time Hakkai caught up to them Sanzo was already berating and beating their rowdiest member over the head with that fan of his, hollaring about who would pay for the door amoung other insults. Emerald eyes scanned over the shocked faces of the patrons as he leaned himself against the broken door frame in order to catch his breath. The warmth permeating from this place filed with well dressed, somewhat horrified looking individuals was a relief that nearly had him sinking to the floor. He was getting dizzy again and couldn't help but think that perhaps the sudden safe feeling of the lovely atmosphere they'd crashed through was taking its tole on him. He was running out of adrenaline, which was likely what he'd been purely fueled by for the entire run to this place.

"Pardon the intrusion," he huffed a few more breaths before being able to continue. "We've only just escaped the storm from the valley and probably look an absolute mess. Is there any chance that there's availability here."

He only barely heard the sudden murmurs of concern that broke out through the room as someone from the crowd broke loose and hurried over to their fallen teammate on the ground claiming to be a doctor. That was because of the voice that rang from behind him rather suddenly that had him turning in that irection quickly in surprise. "Hey." It wasn't good; that he hadn't sensed or even heard the small group of men hurrying up and coming to stop so close behind him, especially since the rain had dwindled so much now. "You said you came from the valley," one man stepped forward and was staring hard at the lot of them, his eyes locking with Hakkai's. "Did you see that light just then?"

"Light?" The curious question that came from him wasn't a ruse in the moment. He was having trouble even seeing straight at the moment, and his cognitive faculties were beginning to escape him.

"Yeah!" A younger person stepped out from the crowd with an excited grin on his face. "It was this really bright light we could se through the storm; like a comet or something."

"You idiot," he was chided from within the group. "Comets shoot into the ground from the sky, not the other way around."

"I know, but that's still what it looked like!... Only bakwards, I guess."

"Oh that light," Hakkai managed as he realised what they were likely talking about. "Well--"

Any excuse he might have been about to pull out of his ass was cut off by the youngest member of their group as Goku piped up in his place. "That was us," he offered proudly, forcing a sigh from Hakkai's lips as Sanzo instantly went back to smacking him over the head and telling him to keep his moronic mouth shut.

He was having trouble hearing the berating this time as the wall behind him grew more solid against his back and his knees suddenly came up to meet him while his ass found ground hard. "Please," he managed to mutter. "We'd really just like a room if you have one..."

If there was an answer he wasn't able to hear it, as his vision swam and then went dark, Hakkai slumping against the wall fully and his body falling lax. Although, he was almost sure in that last moment that he heard a sour tone turn from Goku toward himself. "Damn you, Hakkai! What did I just say?"
 
Hakuryuu shivered in the wet swath of Hakkai's sash, the chill of the rain water soaking into his bones. He didn't poke his head out until the sound of the wind died down and the heavy raindrops became a dull thudding on the roof and walls of the inn. The little dragon gave a curious chirp as he took in his surroundings with his right eye, the left having swollen shut completely. Gojyo was on the ground being tended to by someone, Goku was getting an earful, and Sanzo was slapping Goku about with his fan. He relaxed a little. His friends were acting normal again, which meant they were safe. He was about to pull back into the sash when Hakkai's voice wavered and his stance wilted. "Master Hakkai?"

Just before his master slid down the wall, one of the men he'd been talking to reached out and grasped his arm and shoulder to guide Hakkai down into a sit. Hakuryuu peeked out of the sash once more, his long neck sliding out of the wet cloth so the dragon could poke his nose at Hakkai's chin. The man jumped back with a panicked "What the hell is that?!"

Hakuryuu barely noticed the guy's freak out, he was far to worried about Hakkai. "Master Hakkai," he started again, nipping at his chin. "Wake up! Don't sleep yet."

A young woman came into the fray with a look of worry on her face. "Yes, we have a room available," she assured. The doctor interrupted whatever she was about to say next. "Then we need to get them into beds. This guy might have a concussion. What happened out there?"
 
Sanzo noticed the reaction. But there was really no point in hiding the fact that they had a pet at this point since he had been seen. "That's--"

He was cut off instantly by the loudest mouth of their group "Our Jeep!" Goku informed the man proudly, nonchalantly adding, "He saved us."

Hakuryuu's rousing attempts didn't fall on deaf ears, it seemed. Hakkai was far too worried about him to remain in the dark for long at his beckon now that he was in a more relaxed position. He smiled down at the creature the best he could muster though tired eyes as he corrected their true pet lazily. "Hakuryuu is not a jeep, Goku. He is a dragon."

Sanzo was tired, but not stupid tired like Hakkai apparently was and Goku perpetually was. "Morons," he grumbled, before turning his full attention to his charge. "Goku, help Hakkai walk. That idiot doesn't need any more of your kind of help in his state." He motioned toward Gojyo with a slight nod of his chin in reference to the damage that had already been done. "And try to be less stupid about it. I know it's hard for you."

Then he turned his attention to the the man tending the kappa. "You said you're a doctor," he added, "so I'm sure you can handle him."

Finally, his grumpy attention fell fully on the woman who'd claimed to have space for them. "I want separate rooms. Price isn't an issue."
 
Hakuryuu chittered angrily, his trapped wings trying to flap in indignation. "Hakuryuu is a-" He was cut off and released a happy chirp at Hakkai's words. He turned his head to look back up at his master and wiggled further out of the sash to rub his bearded chin against the man's cheek. He squirmed himself free, his battered form now almost fully visible to the patrons. Everything but his tail and claws exposed to the air.

The was a collective gasp from the surrounding people when they saw Hakuryuu. "Is it really a dragon?" Someone asked in a hush. "I thought they were bigger," was a whispered response. One that fluffed Hakuryuu up the wrong way. He flapped his wings harder and snipped in a high pitched chatter. "Hakuryuu will be big someday!" He declared in a huff, only to yelp and fall back into Hakkai's chest. His broken claw caught in the wet fabric, pulling on it painfully. "Hurts!" He chirped pitifully.

Goku hurried over to Hakkai's side to help him stand, but paused briefly to grumble an 'it is not,' in a huff. "C'mon Hakkai, I'll help."

The inn keeper seemed to be in a bit of a stupor, looking between both Sanzo and Hakuryuu with wide eyes. She was forced out of it by the priest's words. "Oh! Oh yes, I suppose not," she answered with an awkward laugh. After all, a Sanzo priest traveling with a dragon had to be well off! "Right this way sirs, I'll show you to your rooms. Though, unfortunately we only have four."

The doctor nodded his head and, after waving over one of the other guys for help, lifted Gojyo up. Each man pulled a limp arm around their shoulders and started following the inn keeper upstairs.

As the four strangers and their dragon made their way upstairs, a wave of murmurs and whispers traveled through the remaining patrons. "A dragon? A real dragon? And a Sanzo Priest?"

"Someone get the priestess. She has to know!"

The woman lead the weary travelers down a hallway, offering a key to each guest as they passed their rooms. Sanzo, Gojyo, and Goku were all given regular rooms, but Hakkai was taken further down towards their VIP suites. "I'm sorry sir, but we only have one room left. You will have to share your suite," she said with an apologetic bow while holding out the key to the room. Oddly enough, it seemed she wasn't talking to Hakkai, but the wounded beast in his arms. "If you need anything, please use the phone in your room to call the front desk. We'll do anything we can for you."
 
Hakkai quickly tightened his grip carefully on his little friend as he tripped himself up. "Of course you will, Hakuryuu," he consoled warmly. He took Goku's help to get up with a gentle thanks, but was able to force himself to have the head to move on his own after a nice, deep breath. Almost there, but not yet. He still needed to protect Hakuryuu. That easily gave him the wherewithal he needed to follow the group.

Sanzo took his key with a grunt and took the first room. He wasn't stupid enough to be stuck in one between any of the others at this point. Goku took the key for the second room but followed the others towards theirs. However, when Gojyo was let into his room with the doctor, Hakkai offered him a comforting smile and a gentle nod back towards the former. "Don't worry about us now, Goku. Hakuryuu and I can take care of ourselves. I know what you're really worried about."

He hesitated for a moment with a worried look on his face before breaking out with a coy, thankful smile. "Kay," he said quietly. "But if you guys die or something, you don't get to go blaming me," before bee lining it back toward Sanzo's room to check on him.

Almost there, and yet, suddenly he was being addressed by the woman. He realised instantly as he looked from the attention he'd had on Hakuryuu over to her that her attention was not, in fact, on himself. Looking back down, he couldn't help but smile. Is that how it was? It was never a good idea to make waves. "Oh my," he offered her in a sorry tune.

"Hakuryuu," he questioned gently, "If you would like this room to yourself, I'm quite sure Goku or Gojyo would be willing to share with me. I wouldn't want to intrude." It was hard enough to keep the teasing tune out of his voice in his current state. He certainly couldn't hide the tease in those tired eyes from the dragon right now. He was always willing to give his little dragon any space he needed, but he knew well by now what the answer to such an offer would be.
 
Hakuryuu looked up curiously at the offer. "Chu?" He looked at the woman who was watching them both with a strange aw, then turned back to Hakkai to shake his head from side to side. "Please stay with Hakuryuu. If Hakkai doesn't stay, it'll be lonely," he answered.
 
With a happy chuckle, and more effort than he was willing to admit, Hakkai hunched down and nuzzled noses carefully with his love. "Of course I will. The company we share has always been my favorite."

He turned his attention back up on the woman. "Thank you very much, ma'am. We were in an awful battle today before we were struck by the storm, and I'm afraid my entire party simply isn't in the best shape tonight. Mostly though, Hakuryuu will likely need some good rest after everything he's done for us today. What time do you stop serving breakfast? I'd like to be able to get him something for when he wakes up tomorrow to help get his strength back. He's a growing dragon." He shouldn't be playing around with his words to get his information given how much attention they both needed, but it never hurt to nip several leafs in the bud at once.
 
With a happy chirp Hakuryuu reached out his neck to touch his nose to Hakkai's. He trilled delightedly when they pulled apart again before he nuzzled himself into Hakkai's chest with a small shiver.

The woman stood straight again and gave them a sympathetic look. "I understand completely. There are robes in your room, and if you'd like I can have your clothing washed for you by morning. As for breakfast," she turned her attention back to Hakuryuu and gave him the sweetest of smiles. "Just call the front desk whenever you'd like something to eat. In fact, please don't hesitate to call us for anything at all. We'll be more than happy to serve you," she assured.

Hakuryuu tilted his head a little in confusion. "Master Hakkai? Why is she telling these things to Hakuryuu?"
 
That was all the confirmation he needed. So he would give it to Hakuryuu as well. First, he gave the woman a gentle nod toward the clothing offer. "Please excuse us, but you must understand we are far more used to Sanzo's popularity. Hakuryuu greatly appreciates your hospitality. Thank you, and we hope to see you again soon."

The raven haired man waited until he'd entered the room and shut the door before answering the question he'd been posed. "Well now, if I'm not mistaken Hakuryuu, you are being treated very finely because you are an honored guest in this place." To emphasize, he motioned to the room they had been given. It was possibly the most luxurious place they had ever stayed in. Even that spa a while back paled in comparison. "I'm sure that we'll find out more about what is going on soon. But for now, understand that you are being treated as the very special little man that you are," he told him cheerily.

He looked around for a few more moments before having to fight back a wave of dizziness and deciding to take them over to the large couch the room outfitted to have a quick seat. He didn't want to soak the bed if he didn't have to. "A bath sounds both wonderful and horrible for the both of us," he mentioned. "It would warm our bones and clean us up, but it would be excruciating on our wounds..."

Speaking on their wounds made him look Hakuryuu's over contemplatively all over again. The rain had washed away most of the mud, but it was still hardly sanitary. He wasn't really willing to risk healing him up without cleaning him up first. Of course, that was going to be painful, and he really hated the idea of hurting him further. But considering it was necessary, and Hakkai was well past the point of running out of steam, he needed to get up and do whatever he was going to do to get him clean quickly. "I'd like your input. We could bathe. It will be horrible but warm. I could wash just your wounds. It will just be horrible. Either way, though, I can heal you afterward. So I need to know how you are feeling right now. I know you're likely freezing because I am, and you tend to be more sensitive than me to that. But there are other ways to warm up, too."

He knew why Sanzo had stopped him from healing Hakuryuu earlier. But they were relatively safe now. There was no longer any need to worry about Hakkai's needs as far as he was concerned. Hakuryuu's safety and comfort were all that mattered to him now.
 
The woman offered another bow as her guests made their way into their room. "Sleep well Master Hakuryuu, Hakkai," she offered before the door closed.

Hakuryuu perked up at both her words and Hakkai's. "Hakuryuu is special?" He asked happily, looking over the room with his one good eye. It truly was extravagant. A large four poster bed big enough to fit the whole party on for a nap, a big cushy couch that Hakkai was already taking a seat on, and through the open door to the bathroom he could see a massive tub that looked like the absolute best place to swim and cuddle. "She called Hakuryuu 'master,'" he chittered giddily. Not many people showed him much respect aside from Hakkai.

A bath sounded... amazing. Even if the water would hurt his wounds, the relief it would give in opposition would be worth it, but... He looked up at Hakkai's sleepy expression and shook his head. "Master Hakkai is too tired. Hakuryuu will be okay," he tried to assure while wiggling himself out of the man's arms. He managed to get himself free of the sash and tumbled harmlessly onto the couch cushion. "Hakkai can heal Hakuryuu tomorrow."
 
Hakkai's smile was sweet, but melancholy. "Unfortunately we are still both filthy, and neither of us needs to get sick." He then teased. "Especially if you're going to please your public, Master Hakuryuu."

He reached out with his left arm and very carefully pet over a few of his neck feathers. "Either way, we need to clean up. And if I'm being honest, I'd prefer to heal you sooner rather than later. It hurts me to see you in pain," he added truthfully. "Maybe even more than if I didn't. You can understand that, right?" He knew the look well enough.
 
He giggled a quiet 'Chuchuchu' at the term. It made him feel warm and bubbly without the need of a bath. He arched his neck into the gentle pet, his feathers fluffing out as if to return the kind touch. "But," he started to argue, but when he saw that look on Hakkai's face the objection died on his tongue. "Hakuryuu understands," he assured with a small nod. "Please clean us fast, so Hakkai can go back to sleep."
 
"That's fair," he agreed, reaching out and picking up his lover in a tucking grasp as he stood and walked to the large en suite bathroom. Hakkai gave an impressed whistle at the size of the tub as he set the dragon down on the large countered sink. "Someone is going to have some fun in here later," he hummed as he turned on the water after plugging up the stop.

Hakuryuu was given a playful peek over the man's shoulder before he had to put far too much attention on himself. Once more, it took far more effort than he was willing to admit to peel away the soaked clothing stuck to his body. Still, he attempted to keep it light. With a sly hum he plotted with the dragon. "Perhaps we should make Gojyo be the one who has to go looking for all of our belongings since he fell asleep first today." He chuckled in that overly cheery way of his that could only be devious. "So lazy~" he mused teasingly, mostly to keep himself up and aware as he went. Hakuryuu didn't need to know that, though.

Once he finally peeled the last.of his clothing away--it went much faster than it felt-- he turned to his little lover and offered out his arms close enough to simply be fallen into. "How are your wings feeling? Your eye is incredibly swollen and that cut looks horribly painful, not to mention your claws and missing scales. Does your head hurt? Does anything feel like it might be sprained or broken, or is it too painful to tell right now?" He would never hide his worry for the little beast, but right now he couldn't if he tried.

Once Hakuryuu was in his arms he stepped into the bath carefully. His left leg was throbbing. His right arm was screaming, and he was so tired he felt like he could collapse at a small breeze. But he didn't care about that right now. Getting into the bath wasn't going to clean them as well as he might like considering how dirty they actually were. In fact, he would likely have to clean the tub before they used it again the next time in order to take a proper bath, but it would get the job done.

He sat himself down quickly, pushing through the ache of his limbs doing so caused. "Tell me if I'm going too fast or you need me to stop." He began lowering his arms in slowly to carefully submerge his friend while being very careful to school his features against the sharp stinging pain it caused to the wound on his arm.
 
Hakuryuu curled up into the light hold to be carried into the bathroom. He was set on the counter and the little dragon tried not to make a show of sitting to avoid putting pressure on his poor aching feet. His claws were ragged and chipped, and a few were broken and snapped in a painfully deep areas. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but his right middle claw was continuing too ooze blood out onto the counter. He covered his feet and the blood puddle with his tail. "Yes!" He said in delight. "Hakuryuu wants to play with Hakkai in the big bath. With bubbles!" He agreed enthusiastically.

The dragon stretched out his neck and tilted his head to watch his master carefully remove the clothes stubbornly clinging to his skin. He felt a tinge of jealousy as Hakkai pulled his pants down, the cloth refusing to give up on their hold without a fight. That was his job. He was the only one who could cling to Hakkai like that! He poked out his tiny tongue and flicked it over his lips in a mix of agitation and desire, because he wanted to cling to him then and there. Hakkai looked tasty all wet and disheveled.

"Yes, Kappa should go," he agreed absently, too busy watching his lover undress to really follow the conversation. So lost was he, that he actually jumped a little in surprise when Hakkai turned around to gather him up again, but quickly corrected himself and slid into those open arms. Hakkai's skin was cold to the touch, but still he pressed into him as if to soak up any body heat he could find. "Hakuryuu's everything hurts," he admitted reluctantly. He didn't want to worry the man any more than he already was, but he knew that lying would be a fools errand. "But his wings are only sore," he started, stretching them out slowly to show he had full motion. "Hakuryuu's head feels like it was hit with a stick," he continued in a poor attempt at humor, because he had been hit in the head with a stick. Well, branch. "Only Hakuryuu's claws are broken," he assured in finish.

He looked down at the filling water as he was cautiously lowered towards it. Instinctively, he picked up his feet and curled his tail to try and keep his poor talons out of the warm liquid, but it was for naught. His tail touched the water first, and the luke warm temperature burned the scaleless areas, forcing an uncomfortable hiss from between his teeth. Hakuryuu listened to his love's soothing voice as Hakkai cooed comforts at him, but they didn't help his jump nor the heavy flapping of his wings when his feet breached the surface. The little dragon cried out and kicked his feet, the motion only making it worse as the water pulled on his torn nails, peeling them further from his quiks and turning the water a painful pink.
 
Hakkai softly hummed out gentle coos at his pained little savior as he began crying and kicking out his pain, wanting to urge him to calm down quickly, but knowing the sweet, gentle nothings he was offering instead would help to sooth him faster. As he did so, he lifted the hurt arm from the water and carefully, for the both of them, began petting at Hakuryuu's neck feathers and brushing his fingers gently over the unmarried side of his face. Back and forth he went in his touches as he lowered him down until they were fully settled. He didn't stop, even as Hakuryuu inevitably calmed some. He also didn't hide the worried look on his face as he looked him over lovingly.

"You are amazing Master Hakuryuu," he cooed before switching off the now full bath and settling back against the lip of the tub. The dragon had earned the fun of the prideful new nickname. After all, he'd seemed to like it. Hakkai was curious if he continued to likenitbwhen it was said more genuinely. Whenever he'd used the title in the past it had been in teasing toward the monk. And, if course, toward his sweet lover a few minutes prior. "You don't deserve these wounds but you certainly earned them. You are so brave and strong. You truly saved us today. Thank you so very much."

He contemplated the one over Hakuryuu's eye. It wasn't as bad as he'd initially thought, but he still wasn't willing to risk a concussion or an infection in such a sensitive area. Of course, that was just to start. "Allow me to repay you. It'll hurt to clean your wounds before I heal them, but you won't have to deal with it for long. Then we can play in the bath like you wanted. And tomorrow, we can have bubbles. Tonight is for making sure we are okay."

Green eyes scanned the lip of the tub until they found the wash rag hanging over the edge and he reached out and took it up. "I'll start with your eye first." That same worried look crossed over his features. "God's know we don't both need to have the same disability. Those eyes of yours really help me out sometimes, you know," he added with a wink before bringing the rag up and carefully, gently cleaning at the wound. "We'll move to your claws and legs next. I'm sure those feel the worst. I could hear how hard you used them over the storm."

"So strong..." he mused to himself warmly as he worked in one of the brief moments he began to lose focus on the world, resorting back to those nothing noises cooed in gentle tunes in order to keep it up any time it happened after.
 
Hakuryuu whimpered and whined as they lowered into the water that felt hotter than it was as it burned his exposed skin where the scales had been torn off, but his struggling gradually ceased with the gentle caresses and soft sweet nothings. He pushed his head cautiously into the petting hand, quietly panting as his battered body adjusted to the warm water, the scalding pain becoming a dull ache.

A crimson eye peeked up at his lover when the nickname was used once more, this time in a less teasing manner. He chirped quietly but pridefully, his tail wiggling as the praise continued. "Hakuryuu just did his job," he puffed proudly, unable to fain a humble tone with the humble words. After all, he did earn the right to be proud of himself. He'd carried his friends to safety, and he was the only one who could have done it. "Hakuryuu doesn't want to play tonight. Can we just curl up and sleep after Hakkai is done? Please?" His own adrenaline was wearing off, and he could feel every ache and pain in his body. Every sore muscle and scratch throbbed, but he tried not to show it with anymore whining than he already had. He didn't want to worry Hakkai anymore than he already was.

He initially flinched away from the washcloth as it neared his swollen face, but stilled himself with a tiny whimper and allowed his master to gently clean off the wound. His eye was thankfully spared of any damage, but his eyebrow was pierced through and even the smallest amount of friction had the blood flowing again. "Hakuryuu is strong," he muttered to himself, repeating Hakkai's words to keep himself from flinching away. He did, however, pull his head back and stretched out his neck when he heard a quick knock on the door followed by it opening. 'Chu?'

In moments, a man came into view, and Hakuryuu spread out his sore wings to cover Hakkai's naked chest possessively. It was the doctor who'd helped out Gojyo when they first crashed into the inn. The man was tall and lanky with light brown hair and dark eyes that held a worried expression. He said "I'm sorry to barge in, but I need to treat to the both of you," before walking into the bathroom, a medical bag in hand. He knelt on the floor beside the tub and opened the bag. "If I'm not mistaken, your name is Hakkai, right? Please let me tend to your injuries first, then I will care for the young master."
 
Hakkai simply nodded toward the request of sleep. It was a good idea. He did plan on at least healing the wound on his head first though. Just the small touch was enough to have blood slowly pooling into the water from it. He would definitely have to clean the tub in the morning.

Hakkai only barely heard the knock despite his usually keen senses. However when Hakuryuu's body language changed he was able to rile himself back into some form of proper awareness and peeked over his shoulder as well.


The entrance was met with a polite smile, but paired with a burningly possessive, protective look in his eyes as the doctor mentioned helping the both of them. He also curled a bit around his small friend and held him in a protective hug. "I'm sure I'm not too terribly injured," he assured in that perfectly polite but difinitive tone he used when making a point. "And he has always solely been my patient in the past. We are incredibly attuned with each other."

He looked down at Hakuryuu. "But I do suppose it would be your choice in this situation. I'll agree with whatever you decide on for your treatment tonight." After all, Hakuryuu had more than earned that choice, and while Hakkai knew neither of them would be very comfortable with the new help, a doctor was better than nothing. And nothing was slowly becoming what Hakkai was going to be able to offer in the form of healing. The doctor would probably be able to wrap him up more expertly until they got a bit of rest.

He didn't want to make the offer but knew it was technically a perfectly feasible one. And while he was trying to hide that, it was entirely possible Hakuryuu could tell he felt that way.
 
The doctor offered a sympathetic frown. "I'm sorry, but with the condition your arm is in, I don't think you'll be able to offer much help," he stated plainly.

Hakuryuu tilted his head curiously and realized that he hadn't taken the time to look over Hakkai. He was so used to being cared for and doted on by his master that the thought of Hakkai being injured had hardly crossed his mind. He knew the man was tired, but hadn't put much thought into it. How terrible a partner he was! The dragon then turned his attention to the arms wrapped snugly around him. One arm seemed fine, but the other had an odd lump that was turning a grotesque purple and red. "Chu!"

The man dipped his head slightly. "Please, young master. Allow me to tend to your wounds, and those of your servant."

Hakuryuu looked between Hakkai, his arm, and the doctor several times. "Not a servant!" He corrected in an irritated chirp, but calmed himself enough to answer, because Hakkai's physical injuries were more important than an indiscretion. "Please let the doctor heal Master Hakkai," He pleaded quietly. "Hakuryuu doesn't want Hakkai to be hurt. And Hakuryuu will be okay."
 
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