hello miss lonesome

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She woke with a burn rippling across her body, marrow deep and hooking itself to every breath with a sort of vengeance that haunted. Benji stirred, twitching from her side to her stomach with a guttural groan, eyes half-lidded and her mind fogged over with a sickening stickiness tearing through every slightly baked thought without a shred of hesitation and the least bit regret. 

The tawny wolf tried to stand, nails cutting into the frozen earth, but couldn’t hoist herself up past the forelegs—rear tethered to the half muddy, half frozen puddle she’d found herself in. Benji smacked her jaws, taking in her surroundings, and refused to fight her body as it sank back to the dirt. Great, she thought, stagnant and chilling in the near-freezing air. What a way to rot; she couldn’t even die right.

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"Are you okay?" Clearly, it was happenstance he came by. On the road to the Moors again, he ventured a bit past them to look beyond. The Tundra was so new to him. He hoped to explore before winter set in, making it difficult to travel. That's when he found this being, struggling to get to their paws. Bae smelt biological scent though knew better these days — especially with a neutral-looking body structure. It didn't matter though.

The man really didn't care about another's gender in the end. He would move closer, inching until he was able to see them clearly now. His good eye squinted but he did stop a respectful distance away. "I can help you up if you want." He offered this quietly. He had experience with this sort of thing, and it wouldn't be the first or last time he'd assisted someone that had new-world vertigo. Helping another to their paws was something familiar. Or just generally helping them was familiar too.

"I like to think I'm a healer" Bae added with a huff "I won't snap or bite you." But how would they know that to be true?

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Are you okay?

Her ears swiveled around before her head did, mouth shaping a surprised 'o' while her brows knitted together, analyzing the wolf before her—one of water and flame, eyes a curious mismatch of red and moon white while hers maintained a shred of confused contemplation. A stranger didn't automatically equal danger in her eyes although she met him with reserved hesitation, clearing her throat and struggling (but managing) to heave herself onto her forelegs. "I've been worse," she said, shaking out her fur with a distasteful snort, quietly pondering his offer; she wasn't the best when it came to a fight but the tawny wolf knew how to bare her teeth and take a tear, she could denote she outmatched him in size. Not much but if he tried anything ill, she'd be able to handle herself. A small price to consider when she wasn't entirely sure how thoroughly fucked she was though the blood on the air told her she was at least borderline ailing. "If you can help... somehow I'll be in your debt." Or I'll do you the favor of not biting you, too.

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Haven't we all?

He had a fleeting thought before getting to work. Moving closer with her permission, he walked to her side and pushed against her with a shoulder and flank, securing a stronger hold on her weakened state. "You don't owe me anything; as I said, I am a healer" Bae lowered himself to his forelegs too before giving instruction "now, we'll lean into each other as we rise up together. Ready?"

He waited to see if she complied. If she did, he would push into her and slowly rise to all fours. Hopefully, his actions spoke louder than simple instructions. If she pushed back, she would find that the combined actions of both wolves would more or less become easier for her to stand. It took the pressure off of tired limbs. It allowed the stronger to help the weaker ones.

Once she was on her feet, he leaned away and inspected if she had wobbly legs from a distance. "How do you feel, standing up now?" He asked her quietly "I could also fetch some water. Though... you would be drinking it from moss."

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"A healer I don't know..." Benji retorted, even through the course of accepting his help she refused to behave as though he wasn't a stranger offering help; she'd known the type, those who hold favors above one's head, she greatly doubted he wanted to help out of the sheer kindness of his heart. "...it's merely customary." She luckily finished before the necessary step to regain her limbs came into play, him bracing on one side, prompting her to rise in tandem with him.

He was lucky. If she'd known him, she'd have bitten.

Benji rose and hurt, bones feeling as though they were adjusting wrong in her body, skin too tight, fur too hot, coming in short waves that told her whatever brought her here couldn't cease the feelings of dying. He was sturdy enough that she allowed herself to lean into him, huffing hard. "I feel positively dreadful."

But she remained upright, stubborn ways and nerves keeping her so, focusing on him. "I'd not be opposed to getting the hell out of here... is there an out of here?" Or was she stuck forever? A conjured purgatory.

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"While you have a fair point" A valid one as well "I would not be so quick to offer a favor to anyone. They can and will take what they want... lording it over you." This world was just like the rest. He knew it to be the same, with similar personalities. If the woman wasn't careful, she could find herself in a bad predicament. True, she didn't know him. But Bae always assumed a good healer would not take anything in return. Doctor's oath and all that.

She proclaimed after she stood up that she felt bad. He nodded. "Try not to sit down for a bit. Force your legs to stand, but they do not have to be steady" Bae requested of her quietly "it is important to get feeling back into them. Once you feel you can't stand any longer, then you could sit" But it seemed she asked important — to her — questions. To him, who had nothing else now... He didn't really care where he was anymore "not that I know of..." Bae rumbled in reply, truthful.

He paused before continuing. "I 'woke up' here a few weeks ago. No one has given me many answers. Suffice it to say, this is a separate realm. One that is cut off from others, but connected to them just enough to accept new people" He had to hunt down and use logic to get his own answers. He directed a question at her. "do you remember who you were before now?" Some did not. The man, regretfully, did as well "my name is Baelfire, by the by." He adds.

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"Ah... but you seem a safe bet, not everyone offers their services as you have," she said, fragments of her past life to cement this in her mind. It'd be this inaction that saw her... here, she supposed. Benji remained silent as he went on, attentive to his direction and receptive to his assistance, little good was an ailing body to a vagabond. At least, that was, until he amused her own questions, leaning into him ever so slightly for some stability. Her ears slicked back, mouth pulled to a frown. "That is... not what I thought I'd hear—gah—damn. Are there, uhm, others? Not just us?" Specifically, the tawny wolf wished to know if her brother had made it but if he hadn't? Well, maybe that was for the better. She wasn't enjoying the circumstances.

Benji nodded, licking her dry lips. "I remember everything, mostly... unfortunately, maybe," she said, looking to him. "Benji, thank you for the help, uh, Baelfire. Do you, uhm, have somewhere to go? Or do you wander? I don't know if I'm able to accept much more help if so, I'd quite drag your pace."

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It was clear that Benji wanted someone here, and was disappointed by his explanation of this world. "There are many" He replied to her question, perhaps wishing this gave the other some comfort. He angled his body to where he knew some pack borders were - specifically Duskguard "I only know of one pack in the Tundra" And yet "by name, anyway. If there are packs, there are many more of us around."

He could only attest to knowing Dragonford, Northfall, and Duskguard. Benji would thank him, learning a soft grunt of acknowledgment. "Yes, I have a place I reside" For now "do not worry about me" He added quietly, a slight shake of his head "I'm used to being alone" Yes... Alone. He felt terribly alone at the moment, or rather he had felt alone for some months. He shifted back to the other wolf "if you feel well enough to walk, I advise you find a pool of clean water."

He was both used to others listening and also not. "Lick the snow if you must" he added, gesturing with a paw "you'll gain your strength back, and soon be well enough to hunt prey. Dehydration is a thing..." He gave a wary smirk. The body could survive without food longer than without clean, fresh water. While he didn't like to leave his 'patient' here, alone, Benji seemed well enough to continue "though that's up to you, I suppose." Benji was in control of Benji's body.

His words trailed off, allowing the other wolf to move on if they liked. Places to go, people to meet. All that fun stuff.

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