blue_ice | snow business

snow business

Seto Kaiba really hated his life at this moment.

What he'd intended to be a quick business trip quickly turned into a frozen hellscape. Meterologists were paid far too much to continuously get so much wrong in their predictions, in his opinion. He'd ended up with one frozen dragon jet, been forced to land it in the middle of nowhere...and not only that, but even his strongest signals weren't connecting with the communication satellites. He was well and truly stranded, and without fuel, the jet was little shelter from the cold.

He sat on the head of the grounded jet, stubbornly flicking ice from his hair. His business relations would simply have to wait---he could only hope his team would figure out what happened, locate him, and end this nightmare soon. The only thing he was grateful for was that Mokuba hadn't been on the plane---thankfully, he was safe at home, probably avoiding his homework. Sigh. He'd have to get on that later.

Seto squinted up at the sky when a dark shape passed overhead. Was that his rescue party already? Huh. He might have to give them a raise after all.

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Seto squinted into the distance. It was almost plane-like, but the shape was all wrong, and too flexible. Could it be a real beast? It shouldn't. All the ancient magic was supposed to have dissipated.

He stood as the beast approached, coat billowing in the wind so much that it was a struggle to stay standing. That...sure was a dragon shape. And here he had nothing to defend himself with.

He puffed up his chest, doing his best to look intimidating despite his size. Unfortunately, this action led to the winds catching his coat, blowing him right off the roof and sending him, flailing, into a nearby snow drift.

Skyfire was indeed puzzled by the dragon shaped plane, since he could tell almost immediately that it was all it was, but instantly noticed two things more important.

One, there was a human standing on the roof...
Two, the human just fell off said roof!

He threw the cautious approach out of the window and nearly ran over to check on the human. If Seto was buried in the snowbank, Sky would immediately start digging and trying to get him back out.

Fortunately, he wasn't buried too deep. It was a soft layer that hadn't had time to become hard-packed yet. Unfortunately...well, there was just about everything else about the situation.

Seto's mind numbed with the shock of the cold. How had that happened? He gathered all of his remaining strength to force himself up, finally freeing his face and taking a deep, shuddering breath when what was definitely a dragon claw came into his line of sight.

That hand was bigger than his entire body, but he was still in to deep to do much more than scowl...though he looked more like a drenched cat than a fearsome duelist, at the moment.

Luckily those claws were just there to dig the snow away from around him, and he'd soon find himself scooped up out of said snowbank.

As soon as he's out of the snow and settled in a massive pawlike hand, the claws retract and the other paw starts to carefully brush all the snow it can off of him.

He'll find himself looking up into big, blue and rather worried eyes... Even if those eyes are on the face of a dragon's head.

What the hell. He was still too shocked to try to escape, so Skyfire would find the human to be unusually cooperative, despite his internal freakout. He'd somehow been captured by a giant dragon, who was being...gentle, with him? Was this another show of shadow magic?

He sputtered, gaping up at the dragon. A blue-eyed dragon, though not his blue-eyes. He finally forced the air past his teeth, voice hoarse.

"What is happening?"

Skyfire tilted his head and tried to make out his voice over the rather loud wind, but it wasn't working very well. He wouldn't call it 'captured' himself, it was a rescued... but semantics.

"I'm here to help..." Though if he was using the right language or if he could be heard over the wind, that he wasn't sure of.

As soon as he'd gotten as much snow off of Seto as he could manage, Skyfire pulled him close against his chest to shelter him from the wind. They couldn't stay here, the storm was only going to get worse...

Fortunately, Kaiba spoke most of the major languages of the business world with some fluency, so he understood just fine. Well...thus far the dragon's words matched his actions, but it wasn't so easy to trust anymore.

He shivered again as he came into contact with the scales, which were slightly warmer than he expected. He wanted to protest, but his inner child (he even still had one) was the loudest he'd been in years. A real dragon!

He laid a hand against the scales, making a feeble attempt to push back (though really his aim was just to touch them) and drew in all the breath he could. Oh, he still tried to sound fierce, but utterly failed.

"Where are you taking me?"

The wind whipped up the snow some more and Skyfire winced as it buffeted his body, not liking the reminder of the storm that had caused him to crash so long ago.

"Shelter... before you freeze..." They could talk more once they were out of the wind and snow. Nobody was going to be able to mount an actual rescue mission for the human until after the storm, and he wasn't going to survive the weather out here without help.

Those scales are surprisingly soft and leather like, with what feels like a thin velvet coating over them in places... It might be a strange combination, but then again, no stranger than the dragon having hair and feathers as well.

Skyfire shifts him closer and covers him with both paws as he struggles a touch to get airborne. It's clear the weather is truly terrible as even over a short flight of a few minuets, he'd be able to feel Skyfire struggle to keep a steady flight.

Even so, it wouldn't be long before they're landing before a large cave entrance and Seto is being back to carried in one paw and still cradled against warm scales.

Once again, what even was his life right now. Any protests Seto might have made were drowned out by the wind. This was such a bad idea...he'd be presumed dead if anyone returned to the jet before he could, and he could only imagine what that would do to Mokuba...

But his protests would have to wait. The combination of the damp chill and turbulent flight left him shuddering, as much as he tried to suppress that reaction. Ugh. They would have to have words when this was over...assuming, of course, his rescuer's intentions were altruistic.

And he couldn't just blindly assume that.

When they landed, then, he shook his head, still making an effort to gather his wits. He managed to suppress his shivers enough to pull off some semblance of his usual businesslike tone. "Let's get to the point, then. What is it that you really want from me?"

"Want? Nothing..." That he tilts his head and peers at Seto looking rather confused. "... Well, other than not letting you freeze... That storm rolling in..." His plane was already likely covered by inches, and would be under several feet by the time any human rescue team got to it... If they could even fly in this weather.

Skyfire keeps walking deeper into the cave, and then suddenly the air temperature starts getting warmer. It also gets brighter as it becomes obvious there are lights inlaid into the walls and ceiling.

Seto will likely hear the crackling of a radio coming from somewhere ahead, it's broadcasting the local weather as well as search and rescue information for a missing plane... and that they're going to have to call off the search because all planes are grounded.

"I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to believe that anyone would perform a rescue without an angle. Everyone always wants something from me."

Seto didn't elaborate on the tiny chance the dragon truly didn't know who he was...he'd make his angle known soon enough. He chanced glancing around the lair. It was better-equipped than he expected. Even with a radio...it was still working, though the message sent another chill down his spine.

"Of course," he sighed. He was well and truly stranded, and he was certain that Mokuba would be fretting by now. One reach into his pocket confirmed that his phone was soaked through---a design flaw he would have to fix in the next revision. But if he had time to dry out the components, he could still reassemble it. If that radio worked, his tricked-out phone surely could---just as soon as he warmed that now-drenched hand. He cupped it with his other hand and rubbed it, biting his lip.

"I'll have to repair my phone," he muttered, testing the waters with a curious look up.

"I can honestly say I have no idea who you are... Other than a pilot for a plane with the registration 'Dragon 3A25D'. They lost contact with your plane over the mountains..." and with the storm rolling in, Skyfire feared the worst and went looking.

"Or you can just use mine... If the weather hasn't knocked it out yet..." It's clear the further in they get, the less 'cave like' the cave really is. There's a lot of tech in there, but none of it is either standard or mass produced. "I don't know if I have anything compatible with any of your technology, but I'll help if I can."

Skyfire puts Seto down near one of the heater vents and goes digging in a chest marked 'EMERGENCY', pulling out a blanket and a couple of towels. "Here, try and dry yourself out while I try and radio in to the air control to confirm I've picked you up..."

That was surprising...it really shouldn't have been, but when you have an ego as big as Seto Kaiba's....well.

Huh. He wouldn't say that the technology in the cave rivaled his own, at least not without a little further inspection, but he was clearly caught off guard enough to be slightly impressed.

Right, then. Priorities. First was the phone, its cover carefully popped off and the components laid away from the vent. Only then did he bother warming himself. His drenched clothing was peeled off and carefully arranged in front of the vent, and once dried, he wrapped the blanket around himself like a substitute coat.

He'd kept an eye trained on Skyfire the entire time, but only then did he turn his attention back to him fully. "How's the signal?"

While Seto was drying himself off, Skyfire was adjusting levels and punching codes into a very alien looking keyboard. The symbols were no human language, that was certain.

"Air Control One, do you read? This is Mountain Hermit, do you read Air Control?" *...Hermit, we read. Signal.. is bad...* "I have the pilot for 'Dragon 3A25D'. I repeat, I have the missing pilot." *...Status?* "Alive. Might have to wait out the weather, but safe." *St... Conf...med. Contac..*

That last crackle didn't sound good, and the 'radio' died mid transmission, causing Skyfire to cuss quietly in a language that Seto wouldn't be able to recognize.

"I'm going to have to go out there and clear off the transmitters..." Something he clearly wasn't looking forward to. "At least you won't need to worry about being labeled dead... Let me go see how much digging I'm going to have to go do, this storm is only going to get worse."

That wasn't good. Seto squinted at the screens, trying to decipher their secrets, but they definitely weren't in any language he had learned. The transmission was successful enough---though he wished in hindsight that he'd jumped in---and then it cut off.

The dragon sounded tired, and something compelled Seto to respond. "Don't force yourself to go. Much as I'm loath to admit it, I owe you, and I can see tonight's taken a lot out of you already. If you get hurt, I can't save you---and you did the most important part. I'll fix my signal and get a message to my brother later."

Skyfire eyed the tunnel they'd entered through and then sighed. "I'll be fine, I just really don't like this weather. Besides, you'll likely need the transmitter to give your phone enough of a boost to connect anyways."

He goes back over to that emergency box and starts hauling out other supplies for Seto, water bottles and ration bars among other things are set onto another blanket. Bringing them over Skyfire sets them near him. "Sorry these aren't the best right now, I was half expecting to be able to just drop you off at one of the ranger stations outside of the mountains..."

Once they managed to make contact with his family or whoever, then Skyfire could worry about getting him better things out of storage. "The longer I put this off, the worse it's going to get, and I'd rather your family doesn't need to worry about you..."

As long as Seto didn't protest again, Skyfire would be off down the tunnel and absent for about an hour... The noise of radio static returning after about twenty minuets and several images on the screens showing full signal again. Not that it would tell him what does what, but it does prove that there is more than the radio going on for communications.

Seto gave him a doubtful look, but reluctantly let him go. "Fine, but I expect you back here."

With that cheerful thought, he dug through his coat pockets again. His deck was thankfully intact and sealed in a protector (clearly more valuable than his phone), as was his emergency repair kit. He could work with that.

For the next hour, he carefully dried and re-tuned each component, glancing up at the screens every now and then. He had a lot of questions, actually. But those would have to wait, for it wasn't long before he was dialing the familiar number. As Skyfire returns, he might hear the human's voice louder than he ever has, with a smaller one crackling through.

"M---Mokuba! Mokuba. It's Seto"

"Big bro! But I thought..."

"I don't have much time. Look, I'm safe. Just stuck."

"But who's Mountain Hermit?"

"You wouldn't believe me. I'll tell you everything as soon as I can. Promise."

"You'd better!"

The transmitter wouldn't stay clear enough for much longer, so he reluctantly closed the call and looked up. The dragon appeared unharmed, at least. Seto then carefully inspected the rations before opening one, that wariness still in his eyes as he regarded his ca---rescuer.

"You made it. But you're a lot more intelligent than anyone would give you credit for, aren't you?"

Edited 2018-12-12 17:50 (UTC)

Skyfire was unharmed, but also soaked through and was standing in the entry way to avoid getting water everywhere as the snow melted off of him, water disappearing through small holes that were easily overlooked previously. He was relieved to hear that he'd got a message through.

The rations were military grade and still well within their best before date, they weren't fancy, just dried meats and fruits, but would at least take the edge off of any hunger for a while.

His question caused Skyfire to chuckle softly. "Perhaps. It depends on who you ask. I have been called a 'jumped up lizard on steroids', so it's a matter of opinion." He flicked his wings a few times to shake off any remaining clumps of snow, then huffed and shook like a dog to get most of the water off himself... He did make sure that he was far enough back in the tunnel that the water goes nowhere near the chamber with Seto and the computer equipment.

Edited (Missed a word) 2018-12-13 01:52 (UTC)

"Heh. That's definitely a name."

Seto raised an eyebrow---sure sounded like humans to do such a thing. His inner twelve year old was mildly insulted on the dragon's behalf.

The food passed his test, so he cautiously nibbled at it---he hadn't had a meal since before the flight, and this whole ordeal had taken a toll. Not that he'd ever admit to that, of course. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around the kindness being offered to him, seemingly without an ulterior motive...but maybe he could investigate.

He wrapped his blanket a little tighter around himself and wandered closer, one of the largest still-dry towels in hand. There was no towel in the human world big enough for Skyfire, but...

"Come on. Can't have you dripping out here all night like a dog."

Yes, shockingly, the grouchy human was attempting to dry any egregious spots he could reach with the towel. He frowned to keep up appearances, of course, but his inner twelve year old thought this was amazing.

Skyfire can't help it, his ears perk and he looks relieved at the idea of getting help drying off. He can turn on air blowers, but he still hates the air blowing on his face and ears when he's wet.

"Let me turn on the air driers, it'll make this go faster." He was going to do it anyways, but Seto is likely to notice that Skyfire keeps his head well away from the warm air jets... and that he didn't need to be anywhere near the console for the jets to switch on.

"Thank you..." His ears flick a bit as he puts his head down on the floor where Seto can reach. "As strange as it might sound, I can't stand those driers blowing air into my face..."

"I don't like owing favors," Seto offered as explanation, even as his actions betrayed him. He was certain those scales could handle a lot, but he was still gentle, like he hadn't done in a long time.

Just how did the technology work in here, anyway? He'd definitely have to take notes once they were better acquainted. So, to that end...

That ear was tempting. He reached up and scritched behind the ear, for...curiosity's sake. He was absolutely not hiding a smile.

"You don't owe me a thing. I'd do the same for anyone. If you really feel the need to repay me, donate a few dollars to the rescue groups in the area. They're the ones who helped stock things here for human emergencies." It's clear by the way he says that, Skyfire has no clue whatsoever who Seto is.

Annnd that would be about all the coherent wordage that would come out of Skyfire's mouth when Seto starts to scratch behind Sky's ear. He leans into that scratching and actually starts purring of all things. Ever see a dog or cat just bliss out on an ear scritch? Yeah, that. Overgrown puppycat of a dragon...

That remark draws a small chuckle. He really doesn't know who he is at all, does he? Well, that's fine. It's a good suggestion. He'd just have to make sure they were flush with cash.

For now, though...oh. That was interesting. He'd had no ideas dragons could be so domestic, and yet here they were. Such simple affection had a strange power. It made him think back on his childhood dreams of adopting a dog. Heh. Imagine if he adopted a dragon. Mokuba would flip.

...But he's getting ahead of himself. He resumes his scritching, all while helping the drying along as best he can. Eventually, he lifts his hand.

"Think you can come in yet?"

"Hmmm? Oh... er..." Whoops looks like Skyfire was a little bit distracted by the ear scratching. "Ahem... Yes, I think so... Sorry."

He's careful to give Seto enough time to step back before getting back up himself and giving himself a quick shake to try and get all his fur and hair back into place... Only to groan lightly as he poofs up a fair bit. This was the other thing that annoyed him about the air driers... static.

Trying to distract himself from how silly he must look at the moment... "Now that we're not soaked, freezing or trying to get emergency signals out... My name is Skyfire."

That was so amusing that he had to repress the urge to laugh, restricting himself to a smirk. Who would have thought?

At any rate, Seto drew himself to his full height (still tiny, compared to Skyfire) and nodded. The dragon didn't know his face---hardly surprising, as he hadn't seen any sort of television and there wouldn't be newspaper deliveries out here---but his name might still be recognizable. It was a risk, but one that presented him with other options if necessary.

"Seto Kaiba. It's been a long time since I've met anyone who didn't already know that."

Seto watched carefully for any signs of a reaction. He was starting to consider the possibility that this might not be a trick, and if so...that presented a rare opportunity.

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