[Closed] @eidxiety🐎🌹

[winterbolt]

Angelina is a black horse with white markings on her face in this sorry I can't picture her as being any other color-

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[eidxiety]

Well, sure.

[Ain tilts his head, trying to catch Wolfwood's gaze... but that doesn't wind up happening, so he turns to washing himself off next. The water sloshes about as he does so.]

They wouldn't have been clients, not necessarily, but that doesn't mean I haven't slept around just for fun. [Which, don't get him wrong, this is fun too — but he's not going to charge someone he's got a budding crush on for the opportunity to fuck his ass.] And sometimes, "just for fun" means "I have feelings for this man". It hasn't happened in a while, but I'm not completely blind to it.

[lupusxylem]

[Somehow, a nonchalant "well sure" was not the answer he was expecting. He listens regardless as he sits there in the warm water still all suds'd up and marinating, glancing up after a moment to watch Ain past his lashes as he washes himself off.]

Guess I wouldn't know. I dunno what bein' in love is like.

[eidxiety]

I mean... If it worked out for me, I probably wouldn't be here now, would I?

[Who knows how many men Ain has passed up, or that have been uninterested in him despite his interest in them, that could've saved him from his own bullshit. Not that he needs to be rescued... Maybe he'd just get a partner in crime out of it.

Sigh. Romance... A thing he will never have, because he's too freedom-seeking to settle down anywhere permanently.]

Maybe you will one day? I bet someone would really like you if you pulled your head out of your ass, haha!!

[lupusxylem]

[...okay NOW Wolfwood is looking at him directly, deadpan.]

Y'don't really think before you open your mouth, do you?

[eidxiety]

Nor do you. We're a match made in hell, don't you think?

[Winks.]

Now, do I need to take you back to the inn? You can ride on the back of your horse and not fall off while I steer, right?

[lupusxylem]

[Could they be considered a match at all? Maybe...

Wolfwood thinks about that for a moment, shucking a hand through his damp hair.]

...yeah. S'too far for me to walk.

[Angelina would have been driven into a building and she would have been like yo what the fuck]

[eidxiety]

[Poor horse lmao

Ain is getting out, then, and Wolfwood will be greeted to Ain just standing up in the water and stretching and groaning in the way you do when the stretch is real good. Sorry about the cock in your face. (He's not sorry.) He hops out to grab towels, though, and he'll help Wolfwood dry off and get dressed again before he's putting his many layers back on.

Wolfwood better not forget to pay him or Ain's gonna make the thieving personal, though—]

If you're sober tomorrow and come to that same saloon we met at... There may just be a "next time" in your future, pet.

[lupusxylem]

[Dude that cock in his face is GOING to make him act up for real. He is in the midst of acting up as we speak, at least until Ain manages to move out of the way before he can think about it too hard.

Being helped out, again, is once more appreciated in a very confusing sort of way as he gets dry and redresses himself, feeling that pounding headache starting up in the back of his head and neck. U g h. He rubs his eyes with his free hand, reaching into his jacket pocket just as Ain mentions a "next time".

...that's right. He can't just leave and let that be it, can he. Ain is his target, he has to soften him up and get his guard down enough so that he can be cornered. He just didn't think it would end up being this difficult.]

Mmm...yeah. We'll see.

[The coins jingle in his hand as he grabs for Ain's wrist, pulls it forward so his hand is out palm up, and drops the coins into it before he can say anything.

Three silver.]

[eidxiety]

[...]

Oh...? And here I thought you were going to chicken out on me. Ah, I'll have to affix a cross charm to it later.

[Ain just has a collar, of course, because he does what he does and if a man wants to be collared he won't say no. That said... Wolfwood can simply have this one, which he's pulling from his bag of stuff (another bottle of oil, extra clothing, more leather things, you know how it is). He stands on his tiptoes to affix it to Wolfwood's neck, kissing along his pulse as he tugs the leather into place and does up the buckle. It's a snug, but not overly tight, fit.

Pretty... Ain slips his finger through the ring and tugs on it a tad playfully.]

Gorgeous boy... what am I going to do with you, hm?

[lupusxylem]

...dunno. Dump me off as soon as y'can, if you know what's good for you?

[You know, just a suggestion. Before he sobers up and becomes Self Aware again. Right now, the more vulnerable side of his brain is still being let out to play, and as Ain kisses along his neck before affixing the collar to it, he feels every single one, like a firey brand to his skin.

...he is going to have to take this off later, but for now it stays. For now, he lifts a hand to sort of vaguely touch the leather, as if he can't quite believe it's really there.]

[eidxiety]

Mmm... we'll see~.

[He's going to have himself a few more neck-kisses, thank you, before he finally lets Wolfwood go and spins back around to grab his stuff, sling the cloth bag over his shoulder, and lead them both out. He will drive your horse, don't worry.

On the way out, they're going to pass Ain's gossip friends, and he makes a wrist-flip motion that basically amounts to I think I got him where I want him and Annie gives a whole-ass thumbs up, but he's headed out so he'll just have to catch up with the girlies tomorrow before he skips town in the middle of the night. Mm... or maybe he'll give it one more day, he'll see.

Anyway! Outside they go, where Ain starts to play horse whisperer to Angelina as he gets her ready to be ridden by Two bitches. Elria will follow along, he reasons. He won't be staying the night here, this is Not his workplace. She's a good horse, she would have followed Ain inside if she could fit.]

Hop on the back there, love, I'll get you back to the inn.

[lupusxylem]

[It's a good thing Ain is spotting him, because Wolfwood like...barely makes it up onto his horse. He has hit the downswing of his inebriation, starting to sortof sober up but not really, while just feeling super gross the entire time. He's dizzy, nauseous, has a headache...it is truly a miracle he does not fall backwards off Angelina the moment he's gotten onto her back.

He makes it though! That's what matters, right-

Angelina, meanwhile, is a little concerned when a stranger comes up to her even with Wolfwood climbing onto her back, but animals are very sensitive to people, and she's able to sense right away that Ain isn't going to harm her. She snorts at him, paws at the ground, but does stay still to let him hop on as well.]

[eidxiety]

[Ain is just chirping about how pretty Angelina is. Good horsey, you're so pretty, sorry your dad is drunk, we're gonna take him to the inn and make him sleep. He hops onto the front and presses his ass against Wolfwood's crotch like oops! Sorry! There's not enough room on the saddle teehee, heehee.

Anyway, he will steer Angelina toward the inn. Elria naturally just follows along.]

Stay awake, sweetheart, I need you to be able to walk to bed in one piece. It's not that long of a trip.

[Not on a horse, anyway. It's like a five-ish, ten-minute-ish ride through the brisk, late-night air. It sure has gotten chilly while he was inside.]

[lupusxylem]

[But what if he fell asleep though...what if he did that.

Fortunately, the night air is chilly enough that it does keep him awake whether he wants to be or not, but at the same time he does end up leaning heavily against Ain from behind as they ride. He's also still a little bit hard from the bath so fucking oops, Ain is just going to have to deal with a partial stiffy pressing into his ass the entire time.

Angelina is a good horse as she takes them back to the inn, meaning they make it back sooner rather than later. There's a sort of half-stable for horses on the side of the inn where Angelina goes, and when Ain starts to inevitably lead Wolfwood inside...the person manning the front looks stressed, like they think Wolfwood is going to demand more alcohol or something.

Wolfwood is not going to do that. Wolfwood is dying.]

[eidxiety]

[He thinks Wolfwood is dying, to be honest. Ain pretends to be one of the whores from the brothel, which to be fair, they just came from. He apologetically explains that this man is very drunk, he's just taking him to his room, thank you have a lovely night darling, et cetera.

Where the fuck is Wolfwood staying, because otherwise Ain is going to dump him into a storage closet.]

[lupusxylem]

[Ain would be well within his rights to do this, please just throw him headfirst into the trash honestly. But no, he's actually a couple doors down on the bottom floor, thank god, because getting him up stairs right now would probably be a war of attrition that Ain does not want to try tackling. On in his room, it reeks of cigarettes and has a few of his personal belongings strewn across the room, like an old rucksack beside the bed with miscellaneous things inside. So, you know, if Ain's pickpocketing urges take over Wolfwood is simply too dead to stop him, given the way he falls face-first into his bed.

He grumbles something barely audible into the pillows, until he happens to turn his head just enough to be heard.]

S'a'good...good time...

[eidxiety]

[Ah... he's really cute, actually. Ugh. Please sober up so Ain can rapidly change his opinion on you thanks.]

Come by that saloon tomorrow. I'll be there all day... provided you don't steal me away early.

[The barkeep will live without Ain, there are other people who can play music for him, and Ain can't say he cares too much whether the old man makes money or not. He's just here to lift stuff and bail.

...

Well. He said he'd let Wolfwood keep his things for now. So... no robbery tonight. Next time though, he'd better hide his stuff.]

And try not to die in your sleep, okay, sweet thing?

[lupusxylem]

[Why is he being so nice to me? he thinks in his drunken haze as he lays there, too blitzed out to say anything more. Though he's too tired to think or speak, his mind still races with thoughts he's too uncertain to put out into the open. Is Ain calling him these nice things just because he says them to every man he fucks, or is it him genuinely being nice and flirty? Does he actually care? And why is he telling him to come back, after the way he treated him?

It's all stuff Wolfwood lacks the cognition to even consider right now, and before long, he's fallen asleep and it doesn't matter anyway.

Now the question is how early/late Ain is planning to work that saloon, because Wolfwood is not waking up early with the kind of hangover he has. Like, he'll get up eventually, but boy does he regret how much alcohol he imbibed the night before, good god.]

[eidxiety]

[Ain goes home (an abandoned shack he's turned into a temporary shelter), and he spends the morning dodging the sheriff, lifting coinpurses, and getting ready for the day. He's still dressed all pretty, but he's wearing actual pants today. It still doesn't make him look all that masculine, to be honest. Any time there's a wanted poster, he tears it down and feeds it to Elria. Munch munch.

So, no, he's not immediately there... he's canvassing for a cross charm to affix to that collar later. You know... for fun. For profit. For to fluster the hell out of the straight boy. He does wind up finding one from a jewellery seller who seems a little sleazy, but that's alright, Ain is also a bit of a rat. He'll be good and pay for it, then pocket it for later, and if his straight boy doesn't show up at the saloon... oh well, he'll live.

Anyway, he winds up there around lunchtime, hops up onto the stage, and gets to singing. He obviously can't do this all day, it's a bit untenable, but he'll be here for the foreseeable future.]

[lupusxylem]

[While Ain is out doing his little tasks and actually singing at the saloon, Wolfwood is recovering from his hangover, first and foremost. He ends up wallowing in pain for a good few hours before making it out of bed, looking washed up and haggard as he puts his clothes on. He unfortunately remembers the key bits from the night before, such as how he completely lost it and fucked a guy despite being straight. That’s not something he’ll be living down, even if it was explicitly to get a job done.

And he still has work to do. He can’t just write it off as a mistake, so maybe the little voice in the back of his head saying “maybe” will shut up once he gets there and stays sober for his next interaction with the guy. Things will be different, he’s certain of it.

So. Ain will find his straight man walking in a couple hours into his set, sinking into a booth at the bar without buying himself any drinks this time. He’ll just smoke thanks.]

[eidxiety]

[Oh, look, it's his straight man... aww, he's so pretty and clearly not inebriated today! Which means this is going to go homophobically. Yaaaay!

Still, when he catches Wolfwood's eye, he flashes his biggest, brightest smile. He's still singing for a few more songs, but the afternoon crowd isn't as rowdy as the evening ones tend to be. When there's a lull in the crowd, Ain chooses to take something of a lunch break.

...

Which means he's setting aside his guitar and sliding into the chair across from Wolfwood.]

Hello, pet. [Does Wolfwood still have the collar on?] You look like you're not about to die this afternoon!

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood feels like he’s been hit by a truck, and it’s not just from the drinking. His lower back aches, because despite kindof-bottoming for the first time, it still ended up being a hell of a workout. And that morning…that morning he had a bit of a crisis for an hour in bed, realizing that what he did wasn’t a dream, he had sex with another man, and that’s not something you can come back from. He could take it to his grave, sure, but how is he meant to feel about it when the experience was better than any he ever had with a woman?

And so he laid there, trying to rationalize. Trying to convince himself it was just for the job, and he was drunk and lonely, so that didn’t really help. It wasn’t because he wanted it. He just did it because Ain was there. He’s only back at the saloon because he still needs to bring Ain into custody. He can’t let him go yet.

He has a job to do.

I flipped a coin 5 times to see if he’d be wearing the collar, and I flipped 4 tails in a row (isn’t wearing it), so obviously he’s wearing the collar—

At least it matches his clothes. It’s easy to mistake as a decorative choker.]

I think maybe you need your eyes checked.

[Takes another slow drag of his cigarette.]

I look like ass.

[eidxiety]

[Of course! It's black leather and hey, no one's going to criticise a straight man for being an edgy twat. If a cross hangs off the charm in the future, all the better. That is now a Catholic Man.

Meanwhile, Ain is trailing the toetip of his boot up Wolfwood's shin, stopping at the knee, and going back down. What are we doing, Ain, why are we doing this.]

Maybe so, but you aren't seconds from collapse, haha. That has to count for something!

[He flags the barkeep down and shouts for water and "a little snack", which inevitably means they're going to get a bowl of trail mix because bar food is Not fancy here, but that's fine.]

You're here early, dear. Are you planning to whisk me away, or are you back to being grouchy?

[lupusxylem]

Why? S’that what you want me to do?

[He asks in a gruff undertone, his skin blooming with goosebumps as he feels the way Ain traces his shin teasingly with his shoe. He doesn’t stop him, continuing to puff away at his cigarette.]

M’just here killin’ time. I’d just be wallowin’ in the inn room otherwise.

[And he can’t come back empty handed so-]

[eidxiety]

That's up to you, grouchy boy~.

[Their glasses of water and a bowl of mixed nuts are brought to the table, and Ain deftly unshells a peanut with his demon claws (manicured nails) and pops it into his mouth.]

You're from out of town, you said... there's really nothing in town you'd rather do? There's a big pasture west of here where you could take your horse to play, you know.

[It's full of desert grasses, because yeah, it's basically all sand and brush out here — but still, it's something for horseys to munch.]