#fair grounds

fair grounds stamps

((Edit:: Changed Hero to Mercer and Villain to Raven for ✨plot reasons✨))

CW: Abandoned, left for dead, sickness, lesions, touch starved

Mercer always did have an affinity for darker things. They loved horror films and enjoyed the adrenaline spike that came with getting scared. That wasn't why they were walking around an abandoned fair ground, but it definitely made the task much more enjoyable.

After clearing out abruptly after a freak accident just a couple days prior, the crew had left a lot behind.

Turning on their flashlight, Mercer entered an old building. They were just here to make sure everyone had really cleared out, but the eerie atmosphere excited them and spurred them on.

Cages lined the walls. This must've been where the animals were kept.

But... something was still here.

"Hello?" Mercer approached the cage. Although the occupant looked almost human, they had massive, black, raven-like wings. Were... they dead..?

Mercer broke the door off the cage.

Inside, the figure stirred, shifting on the floor of the cage.

Slowly, Mercer reached out a hand to the person, lightly touching their shoulder.

"N-no, don't..." The person shifted slightly with a soft whisper. "You... You'll get sick..."

Mercer pulled their hand back slightly, hesitating. "What's... wrong with you..?"

The person let out a pitiful whimper and tried to push themself up from the ground. Before they could fall back, Mercer caught them. The person fell into an intensive coughing fit as they lay limp in Mercer's hold.

"So-sorry..." They wheezed once they managed to get their cough under control.

"Were you left behind?" Mercer pulled the person close to them, ignoring their momentary protest that they would get sick too.

As soon as Mercer pulled the person in against their chest, their protests sputtered to a stop and they curled closer into Mercer's touch. "I... I was too si-sick to travel... they... they said I wasn't worth it..." They closed their eyes. "A-are you... are you gonna leave me too..?"

"No." Mercer answered quickly. "No, of course not. I'm going to get you out of here and to see a doctor."

"No... no, that won't help... Has... has to be someone who knows how to treat birds and humans..." The person turned their face towards Mercer. Their eyes were dull and white lesions were breaking out around their mouth. "I-it's... it's like Candida... but... it... it's contagious to both... to both species... I'm sorry..."

Mercer didn't know what that was, but it looked pretty bad. "Don't worry about it. I'll help find someone to treat you. What's your name?"

"They... They called me Raven... Yours..?"

"I'm Mercer."

Raven smiled softly, curling up close to Mercer's body. "You're warm..."

"I'm going to pick you up, now, okay?"

Raven nodded, clinging to the front of Mercer's costume with the hand not currently trapped against their body.