#OC: Angelica | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

alex-dontknow · 7 months

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Seeking Refuge

OCs: Faraday Heath, Cresc and Angelica (@taterswithranch) and Frenzi Kitts (@k1rameki )

Story type: Action, Whump, Hurt / Comfort

Necessary warnings: near-death experience, mention of drowning, hypothermia

Part 2 to this thing right here

I'm not sure about adding other characters in just yet simply cuz I asked the creators tagged above first and idk others' boundaries, lmk if you want your character written in at some point.

Cresc hadn't said a single word for the entire journey, and that was beginning to worry Faraday. While he could've simply put it up to shock of what had happened, but considering their prior escapade via a harsh river and Cresc being submerged underwater for longer than ideal, the elder was beginning to fear the worse of possibilities.

They had finally reached the treeline behind the neighbourhood streets, although Faraday didn't dare breach past the woodland. Any member of the Musix could be lurking behind a building or standing guard across the road. If they were seen again, there was no way they'd be able to outrun them again.

Faraday carefully dropped Cresc against a tree and crouched next to him, reaching in his jacket pockets for something he desperately hoped didn't fall out while they were in the river. When his fingers closed over the cold metal of his phone, he breathed a sigh of relief and pulled it out. He shook it a couple times to wring out any water in the circuits and switched it on.

He only now noticed how much he was shaking as he fumbled for his contacts, and as he glanced over at Cresc he saw the other was also shivering considerably. As he found and rang the correct contact, he gingerly wrapped an arm around Cresc and pulled him closer, hoping that he'd trap any heat between them.

He raised the phone to his ear.

"Angelica–"

"Mr. Heath!" a sharp, notably panicked voice cut him off, "Where on Earth have you been?! You dare to just disappear after what happened at the college earlier?! I've been worried sick! I have a bone to pluck from Cresc too—"

"A-Actually, Angelica," Faraday spoke up, suppressing an amused chuckle at the dragon lady's concern, "Cresc is with me—"

"Then pass me over to him right now! You both have a lot of nerve disappearing during a school invasion!" Faraday could practically see the rage seething in Angelica's voice.

"I would, but you wouldn't get much out of him," he replied with an exasperated huff, glancing at his colleague again, "he's been stone-silent for about half an hour, probably from shock—" his worry rose as he felt a trembling, clammy hand on his shoulder,"—however I fear the elements might've done a worse number on him."

Angelica finally fell silent.

"Where are you right now?"

Faraday strained his eyes for a roadsign beyond the trees.

"Downside Avenue."

"Both of you stay there, I'll come find you. Keep a close eye on Cresc... and I expect a full explanation when I get there."

The phone clicked off and Faraday pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. Placing the phone down, he turned to Cresc and reached to gently shake his shoulder. The other stickfigure's eyes were lidded and barely open, his entire body quivering and shaking in the cold air of the forest.

"Hey, come on now..." Faraday murmured in an urgent tone, shaking the man awake again, "you can't pass out on me now." With a pang of dread, he realised what was happening and went to peel off the sodden jacket from Cresc's limbs. The other stickfigure grasped onto it weakly, making a strained noise that vaguely sounded like a plea and made Faraday's chest heavy. He sighed as he carefully eased Cresc's fingers off the garment, stood up and began to wring it out, shaking and flapping it in hopes of drying it off. Faraday would've given Cresc his own jacket if he'd not been soaked himself.

Once the jacket was somewhat dry, he knelt back down besides Cresc and helped him pull it back on. The poor lad was now shivering harsher, tugging the jacket around his shoulders like a feeble blanket. Seeing as he was now somewhat responsive, Faraday snapped his fingers in front of his face to see if he'd react. It was small, but he flinched, giving the elder a dazed glare, which was a relief as it showed he wasn't totally losing himself to the cold.

Hopefully Angelica would find them before any of the Musix did.

———

"Hey, hey, c'mon, kid, stay with me!"

In the short time that had passed, Cresc had weakened significantly, eyes unfocused and no longer as responsive as before. Faraday resorted to tugging him close to protect him from the harsh winds, staring out into the road beyond the treeline.

Where the Hell is Angelica?!

Faraday grimaced at the cold, finally feeling it seep into his bones as his adrenaline finally fizzled out. He too began to shiver and the two stickfigures were forced to huddle together. It was agonising.

It was getting harder for Faraday's thoughts to remain coherent.

Just a little longer and we'll be fine...

At last, he heard the sound of a car engine come into earshot and he staggered to his feet, pulling Cresc up with him. They limped— in truth, Faraday was supporting Cresc with an arm slung under his, the latter could hardly remain upright —towards the red car near the treeline and barely made it three feet before Angelica came rushing towards them.

"There you are— oh dear God!" her eyes widened at their state, quickly taking them both by the arms and ushering them towards the passenger doors, "you're soaking! What on Earth have you been doing—?!"

"Spare the scolding, Angie, please," Faraday grumbled jitteredly, pushing the younger into the car first before clambering in himself, "just get us out of here!" He fumbled with tremoring hands to fix the seatbelts, wrapping his arms around himself and throwing a worried glance at his shivering colleague. The dragon lady made a face as she hopped back into the driver's seat, slamming the door and practically thumping the pedals.

"You both have a lot of explaining to do."

———

Faraday sat at the kitchen table with his head down on the surface, listening to Angelica fuss over Cresc upstairs as he beared his own bone-numbing chills. He'd never seen his coworker so detached before. He partially blamed himself for the ordeal; he did throw them both into a speeding river, after all. A reckless move. Careless. Endangering. He chose to ignore the guilt settling in his stomach.

Angelica soon returned downstairs and tapped him on the shoulder. When he lifted his head, he saw a neatly-folded pile of clothes and blankets in the dragon's hands.

"You need to change too, you're no less at risk than he is," she ordered, shoving the pile into his chest.

Faraday stared down at the dry covers now clutched in his arms. "I'll be fine, Angie, please don't fret-"

"I'll fret so long as your lives are on the line." She had that certain glare that meant she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Please."

The other couldn't help but give a small smile in return, rising shakily and nodding. "Thank you," he murmured softly, making a move to walk away until he stumbled over air. Angelica caught him by the shoulders and aided him up the stairs, and he could feel her hands radiating with warmth through his clammy clothes. He suddenly felt incredibly grateful for her company.

As they passed the main bedroom, Faraday caught a glance at his colleague inside. Cresc was tucked under layer upon layer of blankets, yet he could still see his decrepit form shivering violently underneath. He felt deeper pain and guilt in that moment. He caused this.

But if I didn't, then we'd both be dead anyway.

Angelica had guided him to the bathroom, helping him sit down on the toilet lid and closing the door behind her as she left.

"Just let me know when you're done, 'kay?"

Faraday sifted through the clothes Angelica had given him. There was a large long-sleeved sweater with a red trim, orange tracksuit pants and a t-shirt with a chilli pepper graphic and the phrase "just Chilli'n". He chuckled at this; somehow he didn't take Angelica as the type to wear tees like this. It was better than nothing, so he quickly changed out of his sodden clothes and into the dragon's, which he was surprised to find out fit him almost perfectly. He knocked on the door to let Angelica know he was done, and she came in to take his wet clothes and be his crutch again.

Faraday spied a photograph on one of the stands in the hallway, squinting to see Angelica next to another woman standing over a small child in front of their house. "Looks like you'll be the one with a lot of explaining to do," he remarked with a taunting tone.

The dragon rolled her eyes and set him down on the bed, tossing the blankets into his lap. "Focus on yourself and not my home life, Heath," she snapped back, but her tone turned light when she glanced back over to Cresc. She sighed worriedly and went around to the other side of the bed, placing her hand on the man's shoulder. Faraday watched as his friend tensed up and tried to shy away, only to ultimately weaken and cave to the touch with a shuddering whine. It was heartbreaking to see.

"So," Angelica spoke up, staring at Faraday with that same serious glare as before, "since he obviously can't explain what happened earlier, care to enlighten me?"

Faraday didn't know where to begin. Where could he? There was so much he had to explain in order for Angelica to understand, and even he didn't have the full story. He tried his best nonetheless, explaining what and who they were after, how he'd pulled Cresc down into the nearby river, how the latter nearly drowned, how he'd seen these people before but his memory cut out before then—

"Alright, alright, I understand," Angelica raised her hand, though the other noted the increased concern in her voice and expression, "so... you two are essentially fugitives in my home from a group of people hunting you down specifically, yet you have no memory why?"

"Yep," Faraday shrugged, "that sums it up pretty well."

Without warning, a loud banging from downstairs startled them both. Angelica's expression shifted into a protective anger and she took off. Faraday's heart pounded in his chest and he shuffled against the backboard, clutching the blankets to his chest with one hand and instinctively resting the other on Cresc's shoulder.

It's them.

It's them and they found us.

What would they do to us? To Angelica?!

His thoughts raced until he heard a familiar voice screaming downstairs.

"Are they here?!"

"Just upstairs, now hurry inside!"

Footsteps thumped rapidly up the staircase. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.

"A bit of notice ahead of time would've been nice, Kitts."

#havoc and hurt #writing #oc: faraday heath #oc: angelica #oc: cresc #oc: frenzi kitts #whump #oc whump #oc #ocs #drowning cw #hurt comfort #crow is going insane #crow writes

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