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Description

Featuring

WC: 731 | Halfbody +2 (x3), Fullbody +4 (x1), Headshot +1 (x1), Shading +2, Giftart +2, 731 Words +14
6+4+1+2+2 = 15 + 14 = 29 stars total earned
10 to Patches
19 to Jade
It was around midnight when Patches was getting ready for bed. Jade had been asleep now for hours since being put down with a story. He'd gotten all the housework done since then and it was finally time for the tired father to go to bed himself. Except... he couldn't settle. Even as he brushed his hair in front of the mirror, a habit that normally helped sooth him for sleep, he couldn't shake an unwavering sense of dread that loomed over him. It came subtly, without notice, until he dropped the brush in full panic. Something was very wrong.

No smell of smoke or toxic air, no blood, no injury or sickness about his long self. He was fine. But his hair stood on end and his heart raced all the same. Something still wasn't right. In a hurried sense of panic, he flustered his way through the small cabin he and Jade called home. No dangers. Nothing amiss. Still, the whole house turned upside-down, he couldn't shake that awful feeling.

Rain started to tap against the windows. The gloom of the stormy night felt heavy in the silence as Patches stood, breathing heavily against his rapid heartbeat.
Jade. He had to check on Jade. It was the only thing he hadn't checked. He dreaded to think something had happened to his daughter in her own room. He peaked inside, sure he was worrying himself for nothing.

She was sound asleep, at least it appeared, tucked under the covers and unmoving in the darkness. He sighed, relieved to see her sound and in one piece.

But that feeling wasn't going away. Something still wasn't right.

That's when, in the shuddering silence, he realized... she wasn't breathing.

"Jade?" His voice was tight with terror as he hurried to her bedside. "Jade, sweetie, wake up honey." He shook her, and felt her skin hot under his pads. Her little chest rose and fell in shallow, slow breaths. Sweat beaded on her pinched brow and he felt cold despite her fever against his skin. She was sick, so very sick. How? When? Why? "Honey, Jade, can you look at me please?" He rubbed her cheek and she made a feeble sound of protest to the touch. She really was burning to the touch.

How could he help her? Their tiny shack was miles from any proper water to cool her off in. When he'd catch fevers as a kid, that's what Miasma would do for him- but that was in Bumpytown, and this was Uptree.

The pines offered them both protection, but also a barrier from the nearest lakes and rivers. Not good enough. Not close enough.

Curlew. She'd know what to do, and if not, surely she'd know who would. Or at least, she'd be able to care for Jade while he ran to get his mother. If anybody could help a sick child, it was her.

He bundled Jade in her blankets and rushed to the door, forgetting the poor weather until he stepped out into the downpour. Gasping at the sudden chill of rain soaking his feathers and hair, he pushed on. Small wings came around to cover Jade as he cradled her to his chest and hurried up the path towards Curlew's house. She wasn't too far away, hopefully she'd be home tonight.

He started yelling for her before he even made it to her gate.

"Curlew! Curlew! Oh, please be awake, CURLEW!" He tried the door, finding it locked (of course) then started knocking rapidly, all whilst calling for her still. The usual care for predators and subtlety he'd learned since coming to Uptree, forgotten in his haste to alert Jade's mother to the situation.

"Please, oh, please..!" He looked up and sobbed in relief when the lights came on and the door opened to reveal Curlew and little Temari, both bleary-eyed but alarmed.

"Patches! What in the name--" She started, but cut herself off at the sight of them. Little Jade pale and still in her father's arms, Patches shivering, soaked and muddied in the rain, still cradling her and covering her with dripping wings.

"Please help her." He croaked, tears streaming down his face but more in relief that she was there than the previous panic he now felt washing out of him. She didn't hesitate and ushered them inside. This would be a long night.
This is also step 1/4 of the Patches x Curlew bonding images- this would replace the "Meeting" prompt, for the sake of their plot, and instead focuses on Patches "meeting" the real Curlew rather than her just being a random breeding partner who probably just answered an ad previously. Kekeslist- where children are made.

Description

Featuring

WC: 731 | Halfbody +2 (x3), Fullbody +4 (x1), Headshot +1 (x1), Shading +2, Giftart +2, 731 Words +14
6+4+1+2+2 = 15 + 14 = 29 stars total earned
10 to Patches
19 to Jade
It was around midnight when Patches was getting ready for bed. Jade had been asleep now for hours since being put down with a story. He'd gotten all the housework done since then and it was finally time for the tired father to go to bed himself. Except... he couldn't settle. Even as he brushed his hair in front of the mirror, a habit that normally helped sooth him for sleep, he couldn't shake an unwavering sense of dread that loomed over him. It came subtly, without notice, until he dropped the brush in full panic. Something was very wrong.

No smell of smoke or toxic air, no blood, no injury or sickness about his long self. He was fine. But his hair stood on end and his heart raced all the same. Something still wasn't right. In a hurried sense of panic, he flustered his way through the small cabin he and Jade called home. No dangers. Nothing amiss. Still, the whole house turned upside-down, he couldn't shake that awful feeling.

Rain started to tap against the windows. The gloom of the stormy night felt heavy in the silence as Patches stood, breathing heavily against his rapid heartbeat.
Jade. He had to check on Jade. It was the only thing he hadn't checked. He dreaded to think something had happened to his daughter in her own room. He peaked inside, sure he was worrying himself for nothing.

She was sound asleep, at least it appeared, tucked under the covers and unmoving in the darkness. He sighed, relieved to see her sound and in one piece.

But that feeling wasn't going away. Something still wasn't right.

That's when, in the shuddering silence, he realized... she wasn't breathing.

"Jade?" His voice was tight with terror as he hurried to her bedside. "Jade, sweetie, wake up honey." He shook her, and felt her skin hot under his pads. Her little chest rose and fell in shallow, slow breaths. Sweat beaded on her pinched brow and he felt cold despite her fever against his skin. She was sick, so very sick. How? When? Why? "Honey, Jade, can you look at me please?" He rubbed her cheek and she made a feeble sound of protest to the touch. She really was burning to the touch.

How could he help her? Their tiny shack was miles from any proper water to cool her off in. When he'd catch fevers as a kid, that's what Miasma would do for him- but that was in Bumpytown, and this was Uptree.

The pines offered them both protection, but also a barrier from the nearest lakes and rivers. Not good enough. Not close enough.

Curlew. She'd know what to do, and if not, surely she'd know who would. Or at least, she'd be able to care for Jade while he ran to get his mother. If anybody could help a sick child, it was her.

He bundled Jade in her blankets and rushed to the door, forgetting the poor weather until he stepped out into the downpour. Gasping at the sudden chill of rain soaking his feathers and hair, he pushed on. Small wings came around to cover Jade as he cradled her to his chest and hurried up the path towards Curlew's house. She wasn't too far away, hopefully she'd be home tonight.

He started yelling for her before he even made it to her gate.

"Curlew! Curlew! Oh, please be awake, CURLEW!" He tried the door, finding it locked (of course) then started knocking rapidly, all whilst calling for her still. The usual care for predators and subtlety he'd learned since coming to Uptree, forgotten in his haste to alert Jade's mother to the situation.

"Please, oh, please..!" He looked up and sobbed in relief when the lights came on and the door opened to reveal Curlew and little Temari, both bleary-eyed but alarmed.

"Patches! What in the name--" She started, but cut herself off at the sight of them. Little Jade pale and still in her father's arms, Patches shivering, soaked and muddied in the rain, still cradling her and covering her with dripping wings.

"Please help her." He croaked, tears streaming down his face but more in relief that she was there than the previous panic he now felt washing out of him. She didn't hesitate and ushered them inside. This would be a long night.
This is also step 1/4 of the Patches x Curlew bonding images- this would replace the "Meeting" prompt, for the sake of their plot, and instead focuses on Patches "meeting" the real Curlew rather than her just being a random breeding partner who probably just answered an ad previously. Kekeslist- where children are made.