[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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[lupusxylem]

…Ain. Pretty much every snake you’ll find out there will kill you so much as look at ya.

[Reflexively

Shifts a little closer? To Ain? Don’t die???]

Do not go pickin’ up snakes.

[eidxiety]

Yeah, but rattlesnakes don't swim, do they?

[No but they fucking drink water! Do not go spelunking in the oasis!!!]

You can hear them! They start shaking their rattles at you before they strike. I've seen them before, and I haven't had any issues.

[How are you alive.]

Buuuut, if you're going to get closer to me every time I say that I'm going to go pick up a snake with my bare hands... [winks] Then I'm toooootally going to pick up a rattlesnake and shake it around a little.

[lupusxylem]

Y- Tch.

[Wolfwood clicks his tongue audibly as his face flares hot with embarrassment when Ain calls him out, his head turned away so he won’t see how red his face is, or the way his face has twisted all up into an expression that’s difficult to properly place.]

You’re such a lil shit, yaknow that?

[eidxiety]

I'm gonna do it!! I'm gonna stick my fingers right in front of its little face until it bites me!!

[Giggles stupidly... squishes his face into the titties a little, you know, for fun and profit. They're cuddling and it looks so heterosexual right now, anyone who came by this oasis to chill out on the other benches and enjoy the sights are going to be so not-offended. It makes Ain feel so sneaky. Like a spy. But gay.

He wraps his arms around Wolfwood's waist and clings to him.]

...I know, haha. Doesn't it make me more fun? Do you want a boring— [partner? boyfriend? no no, those are bad words, uh,] —travelling companion, or do you want a fun one that keeps you on your toes?

[lupusxylem]

C’mon now. If you start doin’ that, I might just kill you myself.

[In spite of his best efforts to stay grumpy, in spite of everything…Wolfwood cracks a smile at Ain’s antics. It’s not hard to see why though. Something about him, and the way he acts, is just as infuriating sometimes as it is contagious. Maybe Ain knows that, and he acts up on purpose to see if he can get a rise out of people. It sure does work for Wolfwood 99% of the time.

And yeah, their asses sure are just out here cuddling on this bench. Ain has his arms around Wolfwood’s waist and he isn’t trying to stop him…which probably says a lot on its own. He just smirks and shakes his head a little, bringing his free hand around to ruffle his hair.

…which, inevitably, turns into his hand lingering, fingers stroking through silver locks.]

I guess not. Most of the people I know are about as interestin’ as dirt, so you make a good point.

[eidxiety]

["It's not a date" says local man who now has Wolfwood's hand in his hair and the hat he was given sitting on his knee, who asked for his old jacket and wasn't immediately told "no you're weird". "It's not a date" except in all ways save for a verbal agreement, this is date behaviour.

Ain clings tighter, turning his face into Wolfwood's chest a little more. His face is burning, but maybe Wolfwood can't see him like this.

Calm down. It's not like he's got feelings for this man, he's just touch-starved. Sex with strangers can only do so much. All he wants is a hug, that's probably what it is...]

I can promise you that you've never met a man like me, [he says, quietly enough so that if anyone overheard, they might think they missed the "wo" in "woman" and not ask questions.] And I guess... I've met men like you, but not ones who'll let me cuddle with them and give me their hats.

[lupusxylem]

[“This ain’t cuddlin’”, he thinks, but…no, yes, it is. Ain has his arms wrapped wholesale around his waist. They’re in public. His head is on his chest. This is a cuddle. It’s PDA of a level that only a couple would be engaging in in public, normally, unless it’s late at night and the cowboy who hired the prostitute is really drunk or something and just doesn’t care about appearances.

To everyone looking from the outside in, Ain is Wolfwood’s lady friend. But Wolfwood knows that isn’t the case at all. He knows, and every time he blinks with the weight of Ain’s head against his chest, he’s reminded of where he was just 12 hours ago: split in half, bent at the waist, and pounded by his cock within an inch of his life.

…best not to let his mind run away with that one for too long.]

Guess that makes me a more decent guy than I thought.

[He mutters, brushing Ain’s hair back off his forehead.

He does not act on the intrusive thought to kiss it.]

[eidxiety]

[Not cuddling, not a date, they're not gravitating toward each other and they're definitely just travelling companions who are going to split at the next town. Nothing gay happening here.]

Aww, I think you're decent. You haven't murdered anyone in the streets or anything!

[haha lol]

You're a good boy. I'm fond of you, you know? And I like your hand in my hair like that.

[lupusxylem]

Is that all it takes to be decent, these days? Not murdering people?

[If that were true, then most people would fit that description, even people who are categorically terrible.

But then…Ain calls him a good boy. Says he’s fond of him. And Wolfwood…is left at a brief loss for words, his expression softening a touch. Having the hand in his hair called out makes Wolfwood still for just a moment, as if contemplating jerking his hand away and making some excuse for why he was doing it. But…well…

Wouldn’t that be weird, acting standoffish with his “lady friend”?]

Is that my lady friend sayin’ that? Or Ain?

[eidxiety]

I'm not putting on a performance out here, when we're practically alone and no one's close enough to hear us. Your "lady friend" doesn't really exist right now.

[Ain is just a man who likes to wear skirts... Ain is the one saying all this softly romantic stuff. He can't cope with the thought that it might come from a place of attachment. He's never had repeat one-night stands that have led to... feelings, and he blames the proximity.

He'll definitely get over it if they're apart. Definitely. Wolfwood will depart at the next town and Ain will breathe a sigh of relief and head to the mountains and go see if they're cold or not. That's it. That's where life is headed. He's going to die alone and he's fine with that.

(He's not fine with that.)]

All of these things come from Ain. I like snuggling with you like this. I like the way you're all warm and protective. And I like... I dunno, I just like sitting here with you. And messing with you about snakes that I'm totally gonna touch.

[You know, throwing in that last note so that he can't be accused of being romantic.]

[lupusxylem]

[......

Wolfwood is silent for a long moment or two, just looking down at Ain now basically wrapped up in his arms, even though he just has his arm around the bench still, and not Ain himself. It manages to keep him at arm's length while also allowing for much more than he really should be...

He works his cigarette over to the other side of his mouth, exhaling another small cloud of smoke.]

Well. I dunno if I'd say you got good taste or not, in that case. [...] But I guess you ain't as annoyin' as I thought you'd be.

[eidxiety]

Aww, you haven't seen me at my most annoying!!

[He's so chipper, raising his head up and thinking about kissing Wolfwood's cheek and then

his head sinks back down because oh no, they're not to the random kisses stage are they? They're not to any stages. There's no stages.

...

Ain slinks away, getting up to go to the edge of the oasis and look for frogs.]

I'm not going to touch any snakes, so don't worry about me, okay? I'm just poking around.

[He is overturning a lilypad with a stick... it looks like this oasis might've had some stuff added to it by man rather than just been like this, but that's the beauty of starting a town around one, after all.]

[lupusxylem]

[Ain gets up, and Wolfwood figures his heart will stop hammering now that he's moved away...but it doesn't. If anything, watching him walk away to crouch by the wateer just makes it worse.

He's just...going to lean forward with his arms on his knees, smoking furiously.

While Ain pokes around, he'll find that the moment he turns the lilypad over, he's revealed one (1) frog hiding up underneath it. It blinks its eyes slowly, its throat ballooning out as it makes a soft mreeeeep noise.

Then, another frog calls from the other side of the water. Mreeeep.

Mreep mreep mreeeeeep

Ain has started something.]

[eidxiety]

[AAAAAHHH FROGGY—

Ain rocks back on his heels, forgets he's crouching, and sort of plops back into the sand. Oops. But he's here now, he's found little guys!! They're making noise! He starts laughing, bright and cheerful, as he lets that lilypad flop back into the water with a splash. He knows better than to try to grab them (that's going to create nothing but fucking chaos), but man, it's tempting...

The frogs continue to make sounds and Ain simply laughs louder, especially as one goes hopping over the lilypads like I WILL COMMIT A VIOLENCE UPON YOU.]

Nick, look! I found frogs!!

[lupusxylem]

[Ain laughs. Perfect, bright, and beautiful, and for a moment Wolfwood realizes he's forgotten to breathe. His heartrate has not become normal, and in fact has only gotten worse as he pulls his cigarette from his mouth to ash it onto the sand, crossing one leg over the other.

Never mind the fact he just called him Nick.]

Yeah, yeah. I see 'em. Guess I stand corrected, huh?

[There are forgs, they are making noise. They are fighting each other on the lilypads for dominance.]

[eidxiety]

[Wolfwood stammered out his name so hard the only time he said it that Ain's not sure what the fuck his name is other than Nick, to be honest, but...

There's no nickname. There's no façade, there's no acting out a role just to fulfill some kind of kink or otherwise. There's just a candid, earnest comment to float between them while Ain sits at the edge of the oasis and watches the frogs slap each other.

Apex predators, these ones.]

They're so cute! And they're also fighting, but it doesn't seem to be that bad.

[They are literally just slapping each other with their feets and puffing up, but it's not like any real damage is being done.

What do little guys think about...]

[lupusxylem]

They're fightin' for territory. They want sole rights to fuck 'round here.

[Nice. But also he's probably not wrong, let's be real-

The frogs slap each other until they eventually mutually tire out and retire to opposite lilypads to glare and rumble at each other. There are more frogs nearby who seem to not give a fuck about what they're doing, too busy catching bugs to think about anything else. They have no thoughts.

It's funny, that they've known each other this long and Ain still doesn't really know his name properly. What else would he have to call him but Nick, really?

Not that Wolfwood minds. Nick...hearing someone call him that, genuinely without malice...it's nice.]

[eidxiety]

See, but what they don't know is that if they all do that, we'll have so many more little friends and be better as a society for it.

[Ain that is Not how ecosystems are supposed to work. That is Not how nature Do.

Well, whatever, he will sit and look at the oasis for a while longer. He'll look up at the big, towering rock structure in the middle of it where some grasses are growing on top somehow. He'll look at the frogs... He'll sit and be fascinated with the lilypads but disappointed in the lack of fish in here.

It's so pretty. It's all so nice.]

...do you wanna get lunch? [He asks after a while,] you must be hungry right now, right?

[lupusxylem]

[It's nice, sitting here...just enjoying the scenery and the frogs. Their peeping eventually softens into the distance as they settle back into the water and on their perches, with the silence disrupted occasionally by one of them hopping into the water to get away from the hot sun beaming down. It leads Wolfwood's mind to wander, to think about how he and Ain could sit by the river if they find another one-

...well. If they found another one. They have to split up eventually. Sooner, rather than later. There's one more town between here and the mountains...that needs to be where he breaks it off.

...]

Lunch? ...sure, yeah. I could eat.

[eidxiety]

Yaaaay!

[Bounces to his feet and pats sand off of his ass and wiggles back over to Wolfwood, hi. Did you miss him. He's putting that hat back on his head.]

I bet there's somewhere selling something good. C'mon, let's go scope the town out more. It's about time to smell food wafting down the street anyway.

[lupusxylem]

[He GUESSES he missed you, maybe just a little.

Wolfwood smirks as Ain comes over to him, reaching over to press his hand into the middle of Ain's hat as if to push it down more firmly onto his head before they head off into town proper, giving them a chance to give the nearby businesses a once over. It being a bigger town than the last they were in means there are more options, but as they walk around...Wolfwood is realizing there are mostly just Saloons here. There's maybe one little mom and pop place, but he's not sure how suitable that'd be for them to have a proper meal. Hm.

He rocks back on his heels as they stop at one particular saloon with a big porch out front, where a couple of other cowboys sit and eye them suspiciously, since a man wouldn't be bringing his wife into a saloon at all.]

Hm. Whaddya think?

[He mutters to Ain...up to Ain, since he's still taller.]

[eidxiety]

[Eugh.

Yeah, he could go to a saloon, sure. Issue being Ain is not much of a drinker (but he supposes it won't be too bad if this is a nicer one that serves fucking wine, even if wine is not a Masculine Man's Drink) and that he is currently dressed rather feminine. Those weird looks are noticed, but he plays it cool. Whatever. Wouldn't be the first time; he was in that other saloon by himself anyway, and had to go through the same thing. They let ladies in if they're here to entertain men and all.

Still, he'd be entertaining, he wouldn't really be eating until he could prove that he's keeping the drunks from being too rowdy, which means "lunch" is going to be "dinner".

Sigh. Patriarchy.]

We could double back to the inn to get my guitar, [he says,] or I can change and take the makeup off. I doubt those two drunks— [who are catcalling Ain now oh my godddd,] —doubt those two rowdy drunks are going to remember you or I if they're still here when we come back.

[Huffs.]

I can entertain the men in here for a few hours and pick off of their plates. It's what I usually do.

[lupusxylem]

[Hm!

Does Ain want to see his straight cowboy get weirdly possessive over him? Because this is exactly the scenario where you get that. The moment the catcalling starts, Wolfwood throws a curse to the wind towards those men before turning Ain around with his free arm, hissing under his breath.]

...you sure? Those fuckers are vultures.

[And he cannot promise that they won't meet the steel of his gun if they don't keep their hands to themselves while they're in there.]

We'd prolly draw less attention...nobody would really question you bein' with me if you were. Yaknow.

[Whore-]

[eidxiety]

[To a couple of drunk cowboys, Wolfwood being possessive over a perceived whore really says "alpha male behaviour" and "he doesn't want to share the pretty lady", which is like... yeah fair true, so that sells it. It's not like prostitutes aren't out mid-afternoon anyway, they're out for as long as they need to make money, so having a whore this early in the afternoon simply says "that is a man looking for a hole, look he found one", even though the stereotype is that this happens at night.

Ain appreciates the protectiveness nonetheless.]

Nothing I haven't dealt with before. I can be your whore for the afternoon, though. You need to sell it, because I won't be allowed to ask for anything like at the jewellery store.

[lupusxylem]

[That's the real question, isn't it? Can he sell it?

...

He spits out his cigarette, crushing it into the sand underfoot.]

I can do that.

[Maybe. Probably. He's going to have to try, if nothing else, because he's realizing suddenly that if he wants Ain to keep being close to him, he can't be a man.

...why does he...want that?]

Let's go back and get your guitar. We'll go from there.