[This is not the first time their prey has fought back. Kicking, screaming, trying to attack in any way possible...it's only expected. The dragon, of course, is completely unphased by both being punched and having a skull thrown at him, more annoyed by this than anything. He huffs, his tail lashing at Ain's insolence (they never really give proper "last words" anyway, this always happens) and suddenly opens his jaws wide over him, teeth glistening as the back of his throat crackles to life with embers and flame. It's hard to tell whether he plans on roasting Ain first, or swallowing him whole...or both.
But all of this is cut short when a voice suddenly shouts from the cave entrance, again an echo in both their minds.]
What the fuck are you doing!?
[With his claws still holding Ain down, the dragon lifts his head with a rumbling snarl, and before Ain can even fully process what's going on, the second dragon that wasn't there previously arrives. This one is a lot sleeker than the bulky black beast holding Ain down, yet still with spikes and rough scales in places. He lumbers to land nearby with what look to be a few bits of metallic junk in his claws that he throws nearby before wheeling on the first dragon.]
Bastard! How many times are you gonna try to-
[...
......
The purple dragon stops, looking comical as he leans back on his haunches for a moment, before he looks to the black dragon and hisses, baring his teeth with disgust and annoyance.]
Does that look like a Princess to you?
It doesn't fucking matter!!
YOU don't fucking matter!!
[The purple dragon rams the black one, causing him to stumble a few feet...and within seconds, the two are literally fighting in the cave, snarling and hissing and slapping each other with their claws.]
...only my nightmares would come up with something so stupid...
[Ain concludes, still sniffling by the way, as he pulls himself up out of the nest and rubs his eyes. He's shaking so terribly from the panic attack that it's hard to move, but Ain manages to drag his jittery body over to the piles of stuff anyway. He wishes they were soft piles. And shouldn't dragon hoards have money in them...? And jewels? What a stupid dream...
He sniffles a second, third time, and then moves to sit behind one of the book piles. They're stacked so high that he can't grab one without risking the other books, but there are some in smaller piles he can safely get to without doing any damage. The dragons can bicker if they want to. Ain's thinking he fell asleep while reading and so, to wake up, he obviously has to read too. Just like in this one storybook he read once........
Sniffle.
Ugh, god Ain, you've got to get over your constant anxiety!! They're not even real!]
[Yeah the dragons have...seemingly momentarily forgotten about Ain, um. They're literally tumbling as they wrestle each other, though they at least seem to know better than to start letting loose their elemental magic inside the cave. Though, judging by the scorch marks on the walls, they can't always exercise that much restraint.]
And what were you fuckin' doin' while I was out grabbin' someone? AGAIN?! If you ain't happy with it go get 'em yourself!
The last time I brought a Princess home, she escaped because YOU weren't keeping an eye on her! I'm not going out there just to have you ruin my hard work again!
I think maybe you should kiss my fuckin' ass!!
[RAAARARA DRAGON FIGHTING they tussle like this for a while, until the purple dragon ends up stomping on the black one's head, holding him down for a second (it won't be for long, the black dragon seems to surpass the purple in strength, though perhaps not in intellect) as he whips his head around and notices...]
Where's the Prince!?
Oh HOH, you see!? He got away because YOU had to fuckin' barge in and start naggin' me, who's fault is it now!?!
[The black dragon bowls over the purple, shoves him aside for a moment, and starts to thunder over to where he'd left Ain last, sniffing the air to try to find where he went.]
You'd better come on out if you know what's good for you. You don't want us to have to find you.
[The purple dragon rolls his eyes.]
He'll definitely want to come out now. It's no fucking wonder the Princesses didn't want anything to do with you.
If this were a Princess, she would still be here because I wouldn't have SOMEBODY up my ass while tryin' to talk to her!!!!
[If they'd shut up they'd hear Ain sniffling from behind the book tower in an attempt to get it together. He just wants to read, man... He doesn't know how to escape! And he's cold...
Hiccup, sob...
And then Ain hears "talk" and can't help but scoff, okay now he's angry—]
Talk to me?! You were trying to eat me! That's not talking! Fuck you, I hope you choke on a sword and die!!
[The panic attack is ongoing. He is still sobbing.]
The black dragon snorts, and assuming Ain didn't come out from behind the book tower, he's going to try to reach around and snatch him up with his claws again, either succeeding in doing this or missing him and swiping at nothing.]
Of course I'm tryin' to eat you. You're not a Princess.
[The purple dragon lets out an audible groan, but this time doesn't intervene and just turns away from the black one completely for a minute to push the metal stuff he'd gathered into one of the many piles of junk in here.]
Any reason you grabbed a Prince then, Wolfwood? Or are you just blind? Thanks for confirming you were just going to eat him without saving any for me, by the way. Fuck you.
[The black dragon- Wolfwood- wheels around and hisses at the purple dragon, who is still looking elsewhere like lalala-]
The Queen of Elrios didn't have any girls, numbnuts. And anyway...we've been through all of the neighboring Kingdoms already. Do YOU really wanna go trying in Lanox again after what happened last time?
[Wolfwood will not catch Ain, he's rolling out of the way and getting up to move with his One book to the far recesses of the cave. Don't talk to him he's gonna try to cram himself into a crack in the wall.
Ain rubs his eyes on his sleeves again, still sniffling, still so jittery that it's difficult to move, but part of those jitters now belong to anger. He hates these dragons. And he's still cold, thanks for NOTHING you ASSHOLES—]
Why can't you talk to me? And stop kidnapping people! God...
[Scoot, scoot.]
It's not difficult to have a conversation... [he is Going into the wall.]
[Ain is right to be upset...this is pretty much what happens every time they try doing this. One of them kidnaps a Princess and brings her back with...the intent of trying to woo her, somehow, but she's either too (UNDERSTANDABLY) panicked to want anything to do with her captors, or they just...start fighting and she escapes. It's been a very long time since they've actually eaten someone they'd brought as well, though it's hard to say how many survived the attempted trek back down such a tall mountain. It seems the two aren't interested in telling those stories right now.
The purple dragon snorts audibly at what Ain says, prompting Wolfwood to thump him in the head with his tail.]
Shut up.
[And then it's back to Ain, who Wolfwood is still trying to grab but clearly can't reach because he's a little too big to fit back where Ain has wiggled himself to. The purple dragon- Add, as Wolfwood will snarl in a moment here- could probably get him, but...he's having too much fun reveling in Wolfwood's failings right now.]
Now get out here. If we have to come after you it ain't gonna be pretty!
Let me guess. Better to have a meal than be rejected...
Are you just gonna stand there mouthin' off or are you gonna help me?
Why should I? You weren't going to share, this is your mess to deal with.
I was gonna leave you half!!
[Wolfwood pulls away while Add just rolls his eyes again, sighing heavily as he decides he'd rather just grab the Prince if he can than listen to Wolfwood bitch...and unfortunately for Ain, this dragon can actually fit his head past the gap behind the books, peering with glowing purple eyes into the dark.]
[Says Ain, still trying to wiggle his way into a human-sized crack in the cavern wall that's no doubt full of bugs and cobwebs and is just as fucking cold as the inside of the cave itself... but then he sees the much lither dragon coming for him and screams—
Nonono! NO! Go away! I'd rather get stuck in here and starve to death than have to get eaten by either of you!
[Notice how he does not say he wants to go home...]
Ain is trying to go deeper but a) his fat ass thanks wolfwood cannot fit and b) he sees a really big, he means REALLY HUMONGOUS, spider in the gloom and screams and panic moves the other direction, and at this point it's either deal with the huge spider or deal with the dragons and he doesn't know what he wants to do anymore. Maybe just die? Maybe just die. But not to dragons or spiders or the cold. In a way he wants to die.
Maybe by jumping off this mountain—
He sinks onto the ground outside the crack in the wall and groans, face in his hands, trying to curl up into a ball. That'll at least protect his vital organs from any claws...]
I hate you. [And he jabs a finger at Wolfwood.] And I hate you more.
[On account of the fact Wolfwood was the one who actively planned to eat him.]
Let me out of this cave so I can go kill myself in the valley properly, please. [on second thought, Ain may need a medieval therapist,]
Add pulls his head out from the gap and looks over at Wolfwood like ????, who just kindof glares back and shakes his head because he doesn't fucking know, he just brought him here what do you want from him? Then he'll turn back, but there is enough room for Ain to leave of his own volition without Add having to grab him, though Add does look like he's still prepared to do that if he needs to.]
What are you talking about? Aren't you going to try to go back to your Kingdom?
[Sure, it's not EASY, but if he were to escape...why would he just leave and then kill himself? It doesn't make any sense.]
Like, we're not going to take you back, but if we were to let you free, it's not like we'd stop you.
[You know, unless you send an army after them. Then they might stop you.]
[Here he is, sitting on the ground in his now-dirty silk pyjamas, shivering, eyes red and puffy and his heart feeling like it'll never slow down from its breakneck beating. Ain feels a headache blooming behind his eyes, but he isn't sure if it's from the blood rushing through his ears or the general upset or the stress or all of it. Probably all of it.]
But I don't like you, so I'm not talking to you about it.
[So there! This is an adult human man btw.]
I just want to die in a way that's my choice. If you try to eat me I'm going to rip your teeth out and stab you in the eyes with them. [ain is too small to be making these threats but it's the thought that counts.]
Touch my books, and I’ll gladly disembowel you myself if you want to die so badly.
[Add hisses back before he turns away and walks back to his corner of the cave because he’s done humoring this, this is now Wolfwood’s problem until further notice (and he inevitably has to intervene AGAIN. There’s definitely a story behind these two living in the same cave when they seem to not be able to stand each other).
Wolfwood, meanwhile, is pissed off now as he sits on his own nest, staring at the book pile with his tail thumping the floor like a cat stalking its prey. As a tenuous silence falls over the cave, it’s clear that Wolfwood isn’t going to let Ain make a run for it.]
[The dragons are in their corners. Ain is moping on the floor. Honestly, he'll probably fall asleep for a few hours due to how late it is and how fatigued and stressed he is. His brain very quickly assesses that this is not some sort of traumatic stress-induced nightmare, and as he wakes up just before dawn breaks, he thinks to himself that he's probably wanted to be dead for a while now, actually, and this is just an excuse to not die miserably with some woman he doesn't want betrothed to him...
His panic brain goes no don't Ain and it's too late, because he's pushing himself up (trying not to sneeze again on the way, it's so cold here and he's barely wearing anything insulating because believe it or not silk is not actually that warm) and going to the weapon pile. He pulls out a particularly sharp and scary looking pike, loops at the tip, and gulps...
If the dragons are awake, they might watch Ain plunge the tip of it into the side of his stomach, completely missing any vital organs by some stupid miracle of God being like "no child stop child", and pulling it out a half-second later with a several-inches-deep wound and tears in his eyes. Nope nope nope suicide sucks actually he can't do this he wants to live so badly (he also wants to die so badly) and now he's bleeding and
he sneezes again and coughs and that, of course, makes the wound gush blood faster.
So he hits the floor and passes the fuck out.
The dragons might want to eat him now before their breakfast gets cold.]
[As it turns out, despite being the dragon Ain hates the least of the two (though he still hates both), Add is far less invested in the fate of this human and just. Is asleep. Again, this is Wolfwood’s problem, and he was too stupid to even bring a Princess this time so whatever!!
Wolfwood though…he does happen to be awake when Ain suddenly rushes from his hiding place, and for a moment he’s surging to his feet thinking he aims to escape-
Only to watch as Ain stabs himself with a spear before collapsing in what Wolfwood is pretty convinced must be death. Fuck’s sake…
So as Ain lays there bleeding out and unconscious, Wolfwood walks over and picks his body up with his claws, though he’s oddly careful as he brings him back to their nests. He smacks Add with his tail as he passes.]
Wake up. You said you wanted me to share, right? He fuckin’ stabbed himself, it’ll go to waste if we don’t eat now.
[Add stirs with a grumble and looks over with slitted eyes, leans his long neck over and sniffs Ain’s hair…
Then snatches him from the nest where Wolfwood set him down, putting him more in the middle instead.]
Oi!!! You greedy-
Can it. He isn’t dead.
Well he’s going to be after that. Do you see a human doctor here?
I don’t care what you think, but I’m not exactly comfortable eating a meal that killed itself, are you?
I don’t LIKE it, but when have you ever had any honor towards humans? You can barely fuckin’ stand ‘em most days…
[Add opts to ignore that and instead suddenly becomes enveloped with a bright purple light that lasts for just a moment before he’s assumed a human form, the sight of which makes Wolfwood laugh incredulously as he grabs a few nearby books.]
Gods! You haven’t shapeshifted in months, the fuck-?
Will you be quiet already? Get me herbs for a poultice from our stores or shut up and stay out of it. Next time IM doing the kidnapping to avoid another one of your messes.
[The deeply ironic thing in all of this is that if any one of them had shapeshifted in front of Ain he'd suddenly be Fine with being kidnapped only because men are hot and hot men that want to kill him are better than dragons that want to kill him (?????????????) so anyway—
Ain isn't dead! He is unfortunately unconscious, though, but some amount of shivers wracking his body say that he's clinging to life still. This sort of wound won't kill him unless the bleeding goes untreated, and it seems like he'll be patched up, therefore this thread doesn't end 22 comments in...
It will become very apparent very quickly that he's gotten some sort of illness, probably flu, from sleeping on the ground and being up in the mountains for many hours with little protection against the cold. Yes, a cave is shelter, but not when you're wearing little of anything and also have dehydrated yourself by crying for several hours. And also the blood loss.
Ain sometimes squeaks and sobs in his sleep, but otherwise, it'll probably take him another several hours to wake up... and when he does, his voice is scratchy and he definitely sounds deader than he is.]
...did I miss...?
[Girl not only did you miss your vital organs but you also pulled the pike out and had a panic attack and hit the floor. Yeah you missed.]
[It’s funny because Add rarely shifts forms unless he has to, finding the human form to be unpleasant compared to his “real” form, while Wolfwood is a lot more liberal with using it. Granted, using them for the sake of a human partner changes things considerably, but lol…they’ve never once found a Princess who actually wanted to stay with them, so that clearly isn’t happening any time soon. So, the fact Add changed at all was a really big deal. And Add having so many books means he has a couple on healing and medical care (at least the best that can be done in the mountains), which means Ain is no longer bleeding out but also hasn’t exactly received the highest quality care. Neither dragon has healing magic, and Ain absolutely needs stitches so he doesn’t scar. The best Add could do was cover the wound with a poultice after stopping the bleeding to prevent an infection. It’s not a permanent solution by any means, but it’s the best they can do for now.
Ain will find himself waking up sometime in the morning. It’s raining outside the cave, but the dragons would have stayed in even if it wasn’t. They’re both resting in their nests with Add curled up in a ball asleep, Wolfwood curled up similarly but still awake. Ain, meanwhile, has been placed on soft things inbetween them. If he looks closely, he might realize their nests are actually connected, just with spaces set aside for them both should they want to be alone for whatever reason.
As Ain stirs, Wolfwood growls deep in the back of his throat.]
Yeah, and we ain’t slept at all cause of you. Go back to sleep.
[Blinks... ugh, his head hurts, but luckily for him he super doesn't feel like getting up. He's so tired...]
Cold...
[Is he cold? It's not like he can feel his fingers, but that might be due to blood loss more than anything. He's wedged between two giant-ass warm lizards, so he may not be as cold as he thinks, even despite the clear distance between all of them. Proximity warmth is a hell of a thing.
Yawwwwn...
Ain doesn't have much of a choice; as much as he tries to stay awake for longer, his brain simply gives up on him and he passes back out again within a few minutes. He doesn't feel any safer, but he's alive for some strange reason... apparently for his injury-induced exhaustion, that's good enough.]
[Eventually, both Wolfwood and Add wake back up while Ain still sleeps, giving them a chance to talk about what to do with him. They could have just let him die, but since they didn’t, he’s kindof their responsibility now…but the thing is, they’ve never had someone who doesn’t WANT to go back home. Okay, they could just let him loose into the mountain, but then he’d just try to mill himself, which neither dragon is comfortable allowing either. Turns out, for all the killing and pillaging they do, they don’t just kill people for fun. Mostly.
So, what now? They argue for a while. They can’t just keep him here, he’s not…a Princess. He doesn’t have what they want. And they doubt he WANTS to partner with a pair of dragons either. They don’t really come to much of a consensus other than to keep Ain here until he recovers…however long that might be. But it’s obvious he’s sick now as well, which hugely complicates things.
After some more bickering, Add declares he’s leaving to get some food and medicinal herbs and since Wolfwood caused this mess he can watch Ain while he’s gone. Have fun!!!
[Wolfwood gets to babysit this poor sneezy baby... Who has chills now despite everything and is really fucking struggling over there. His fever dreams produce only stress nightmares and at one point he wakes himself up crying, only to find out he's still alive and has not been chewed on, and then immediately passes back out.
He's fine, clearly.
He'll wake up in several more hours, distantly hungry but in too much pain to do much about it, sniffling and shaking and sneezing...]
[If this human dies before Add gets back, he’ll never hear the end of it…
The dragon huffs, exhaling on a deep breath of smoke as he looks over at Ain trembling nearby. He can’t possibly be cold, he thinks, he’s in a warm nest…but he guesses humans don’t retain heat well given how naked they are. No fur, no scales, barely any hair…and Ain has far less than most human men he’s seen. After a moment, he gets up and steps across the cave to one of the junk piles, grabbing a thick blanket with frayed threads they stole from a caravan, patchwork like someone sewed it by hand, and drags it over to throw over Ain’s shaking form.]
If you're trying to fatten me up to eat me, it won't work. My metabolism is too high... and I'm pretty sure I can't eat much right now anyway. You might as well just go back to your original plan of eating me. Dragons probably can't get sick.
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But all of this is cut short when a voice suddenly shouts from the cave entrance, again an echo in both their minds.]
What the fuck are you doing!?
[With his claws still holding Ain down, the dragon lifts his head with a rumbling snarl, and before Ain can even fully process what's going on, the second dragon that wasn't there previously arrives. This one is a lot sleeker than the bulky black beast holding Ain down, yet still with spikes and rough scales in places. He lumbers to land nearby with what look to be a few bits of metallic junk in his claws that he throws nearby before wheeling on the first dragon.]
Bastard! How many times are you gonna try to-
[...
......
The purple dragon stops, looking comical as he leans back on his haunches for a moment, before he looks to the black dragon and hisses, baring his teeth with disgust and annoyance.]
Does that look like a Princess to you?
It doesn't fucking matter!!
YOU don't fucking matter!!
[The purple dragon rams the black one, causing him to stumble a few feet...and within seconds, the two are literally fighting in the cave, snarling and hissing and slapping each other with their claws.]
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[Ain concludes, still sniffling by the way, as he pulls himself up out of the nest and rubs his eyes. He's shaking so terribly from the panic attack that it's hard to move, but Ain manages to drag his jittery body over to the piles of stuff anyway. He wishes they were soft piles. And shouldn't dragon hoards have money in them...? And jewels? What a stupid dream...
He sniffles a second, third time, and then moves to sit behind one of the book piles. They're stacked so high that he can't grab one without risking the other books, but there are some in smaller piles he can safely get to without doing any damage. The dragons can bicker if they want to. Ain's thinking he fell asleep while reading and so, to wake up, he obviously has to read too. Just like in this one storybook he read once........
Sniffle.
Ugh, god Ain, you've got to get over your constant anxiety!! They're not even real!]
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And what were you fuckin' doin' while I was out grabbin' someone? AGAIN?! If you ain't happy with it go get 'em yourself!
The last time I brought a Princess home, she escaped because YOU weren't keeping an eye on her! I'm not going out there just to have you ruin my hard work again!
I think maybe you should kiss my fuckin' ass!!
[RAAARARA DRAGON FIGHTING they tussle like this for a while, until the purple dragon ends up stomping on the black one's head, holding him down for a second (it won't be for long, the black dragon seems to surpass the purple in strength, though perhaps not in intellect) as he whips his head around and notices...]
Where's the Prince!?
Oh HOH, you see!? He got away because YOU had to fuckin' barge in and start naggin' me, who's fault is it now!?!
[The black dragon bowls over the purple, shoves him aside for a moment, and starts to thunder over to where he'd left Ain last, sniffing the air to try to find where he went.]
You'd better come on out if you know what's good for you. You don't want us to have to find you.
[The purple dragon rolls his eyes.]
He'll definitely want to come out now. It's no fucking wonder the Princesses didn't want anything to do with you.
If this were a Princess, she would still be here because I wouldn't have SOMEBODY up my ass while tryin' to talk to her!!!!
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Hiccup, sob...
And then Ain hears "talk" and can't help but scoff, okay now he's angry—]
Talk to me?! You were trying to eat me! That's not talking! Fuck you, I hope you choke on a sword and die!!
[The panic attack is ongoing. He is still sobbing.]
no subject
The black dragon snorts, and assuming Ain didn't come out from behind the book tower, he's going to try to reach around and snatch him up with his claws again, either succeeding in doing this or missing him and swiping at nothing.]
Of course I'm tryin' to eat you. You're not a Princess.
[The purple dragon lets out an audible groan, but this time doesn't intervene and just turns away from the black one completely for a minute to push the metal stuff he'd gathered into one of the many piles of junk in here.]
Any reason you grabbed a Prince then, Wolfwood? Or are you just blind? Thanks for confirming you were just going to eat him without saving any for me, by the way. Fuck you.
[The black dragon- Wolfwood- wheels around and hisses at the purple dragon, who is still looking elsewhere like lalala-]
The Queen of Elrios didn't have any girls, numbnuts. And anyway...we've been through all of the neighboring Kingdoms already. Do YOU really wanna go trying in Lanox again after what happened last time?
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[Wolfwood will not catch Ain, he's rolling out of the way and getting up to move with his One book to the far recesses of the cave. Don't talk to him he's gonna try to cram himself into a crack in the wall.
Ain rubs his eyes on his sleeves again, still sniffling, still so jittery that it's difficult to move, but part of those jitters now belong to anger. He hates these dragons. And he's still cold, thanks for NOTHING you ASSHOLES—]
Why can't you talk to me? And stop kidnapping people! God...
[Scoot, scoot.]
It's not difficult to have a conversation... [he is Going into the wall.]
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The purple dragon snorts audibly at what Ain says, prompting Wolfwood to thump him in the head with his tail.]
Shut up.
[And then it's back to Ain, who Wolfwood is still trying to grab but clearly can't reach because he's a little too big to fit back where Ain has wiggled himself to. The purple dragon- Add, as Wolfwood will snarl in a moment here- could probably get him, but...he's having too much fun reveling in Wolfwood's failings right now.]
Now get out here. If we have to come after you it ain't gonna be pretty!
Let me guess. Better to have a meal than be rejected...
Are you just gonna stand there mouthin' off or are you gonna help me?
Why should I? You weren't going to share, this is your mess to deal with.
I was gonna leave you half!!
[Wolfwood pulls away while Add just rolls his eyes again, sighing heavily as he decides he'd rather just grab the Prince if he can than listen to Wolfwood bitch...and unfortunately for Ain, this dragon can actually fit his head past the gap behind the books, peering with glowing purple eyes into the dark.]
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[Says Ain, still trying to wiggle his way into a human-sized crack in the cavern wall that's no doubt full of bugs and cobwebs and is just as fucking cold as the inside of the cave itself... but then he sees the much lither dragon coming for him and screams—
Nonono! NO! Go away! I'd rather get stuck in here and starve to death than have to get eaten by either of you!
[Notice how he does not say he wants to go home...]
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[Add's text is just permanently in purple because I hate myself but also I can't think of a better color than black for Wolfwood so rip Add ig]
You can be suicidal all you want, but I'm not letting you get stuck back there to die and decompose in our cave.
[It's happened before, and Add will actually just leave if it happens a second time.]
You're not a Princess, and eating you is pointless anyway. There's nothing to eat, you have no meat on you.
Are you kiddin' me? Look at how fat his--
[Add must have hit Wolfwood because he's cut off as something smacks him in the snout.]
Now come out so I don't have to drag you out.
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Ain is trying to go deeper but a) his fat ass thanks wolfwood cannot fit and b) he sees a really big, he means REALLY HUMONGOUS, spider in the gloom and screams and panic moves the other direction, and at this point it's either deal with the huge spider or deal with the dragons and he doesn't know what he wants to do anymore. Maybe just die? Maybe just die. But not to dragons or spiders or the cold. In a way he wants to die.
Maybe by jumping off this mountain—
He sinks onto the ground outside the crack in the wall and groans, face in his hands, trying to curl up into a ball. That'll at least protect his vital organs from any claws...]
I hate you. [And he jabs a finger at Wolfwood.] And I hate you more.
[On account of the fact Wolfwood was the one who actively planned to eat him.]
Let me out of this cave so I can go kill myself in the valley properly, please. [on second thought, Ain may need a medieval therapist,]
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Add pulls his head out from the gap and looks over at Wolfwood like ????, who just kindof glares back and shakes his head because he doesn't fucking know, he just brought him here what do you want from him? Then he'll turn back, but there is enough room for Ain to leave of his own volition without Add having to grab him, though Add does look like he's still prepared to do that if he needs to.]
What are you talking about? Aren't you going to try to go back to your Kingdom?
[Sure, it's not EASY, but if he were to escape...why would he just leave and then kill himself? It doesn't make any sense.]
Like, we're not going to take you back, but if we were to let you free, it's not like we'd stop you.
[You know, unless you send an army after them. Then they might stop you.]
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[Here he is, sitting on the ground in his now-dirty silk pyjamas, shivering, eyes red and puffy and his heart feeling like it'll never slow down from its breakneck beating. Ain feels a headache blooming behind his eyes, but he isn't sure if it's from the blood rushing through his ears or the general upset or the stress or all of it. Probably all of it.]
But I don't like you, so I'm not talking to you about it.
[So there! This is an adult human man btw.]
I just want to die in a way that's my choice. If you try to eat me I'm going to rip your teeth out and stab you in the eyes with them. [ain is too small to be making these threats but it's the thought that counts.]
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[Wolfwood stomps over and hisses to Add:]
Can't we just eat the little shit already? This is pathetic.
[To which Add kindof looks at Wolfwood like >:/]
What part of "I'm not doing your work for you" did you not get, earlier? If you want him so badly, you're getting him out.
I can't fit where he's wedged himself!
And that's not my problem!
[Add centers one eye at the gap again.]
Well, you heard it yourself. We're at a crossroads. Are you going to stay back there? Because you won't be leaving any time soon.
no subject
[He's back behind the books because books feel safe to him. It's a small comfort in a world that's only done well to terrify him tonight.
Frustrated and, again, acting extremely childlike... Ain throws himself into a heap on the ground, facedown, limbs flat.
He sneezes.
He curls up into a ball.
He contemplates the sword pile. Maybe if he makes it real quick...]
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[Add hisses back before he turns away and walks back to his corner of the cave because he’s done humoring this, this is now Wolfwood’s problem until further notice (and he inevitably has to intervene AGAIN. There’s definitely a story behind these two living in the same cave when they seem to not be able to stand each other).
Wolfwood, meanwhile, is pissed off now as he sits on his own nest, staring at the book pile with his tail thumping the floor like a cat stalking its prey. As a tenuous silence falls over the cave, it’s clear that Wolfwood isn’t going to let Ain make a run for it.]
written comically, but also. suicide-
His panic brain goes no don't Ain and it's too late, because he's pushing himself up (trying not to sneeze again on the way, it's so cold here and he's barely wearing anything insulating because believe it or not silk is not actually that warm) and going to the weapon pile. He pulls out a particularly sharp and scary looking pike, loops at the tip, and gulps...
If the dragons are awake, they might watch Ain plunge the tip of it into the side of his stomach, completely missing any vital organs by some stupid miracle of God being like "no child stop child", and pulling it out a half-second later with a several-inches-deep wound and tears in his eyes. Nope nope nope suicide sucks actually he can't do this he wants to live so badly (he also wants to die so badly) and now he's bleeding and
he sneezes again and coughs and that, of course, makes the wound gush blood faster.
So he hits the floor and passes the fuck out.
The dragons might want to eat him now before their breakfast gets cold.]
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Wolfwood though…he does happen to be awake when Ain suddenly rushes from his hiding place, and for a moment he’s surging to his feet thinking he aims to escape-
Only to watch as Ain stabs himself with a spear before collapsing in what Wolfwood is pretty convinced must be death. Fuck’s sake…
So as Ain lays there bleeding out and unconscious, Wolfwood walks over and picks his body up with his claws, though he’s oddly careful as he brings him back to their nests. He smacks Add with his tail as he passes.]
Wake up. You said you wanted me to share, right? He fuckin’ stabbed himself, it’ll go to waste if we don’t eat now.
[Add stirs with a grumble and looks over with slitted eyes, leans his long neck over and sniffs Ain’s hair…
Then snatches him from the nest where Wolfwood set him down, putting him more in the middle instead.]
Oi!!! You greedy-
Can it. He isn’t dead.
Well he’s going to be after that. Do you see a human doctor here?
I don’t care what you think, but I’m not exactly comfortable eating a meal that killed itself, are you?
I don’t LIKE it, but when have you ever had any honor towards humans? You can barely fuckin’ stand ‘em most days…
[Add opts to ignore that and instead suddenly becomes enveloped with a bright purple light that lasts for just a moment before he’s assumed a human form, the sight of which makes Wolfwood laugh incredulously as he grabs a few nearby books.]
Gods! You haven’t shapeshifted in months, the fuck-?
Will you be quiet already? Get me herbs for a poultice from our stores or shut up and stay out of it. Next time IM doing the kidnapping to avoid another one of your messes.
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Ain isn't dead! He is unfortunately unconscious, though, but some amount of shivers wracking his body say that he's clinging to life still. This sort of wound won't kill him unless the bleeding goes untreated, and it seems like he'll be patched up, therefore this thread doesn't end 22 comments in...
It will become very apparent very quickly that he's gotten some sort of illness, probably flu, from sleeping on the ground and being up in the mountains for many hours with little protection against the cold. Yes, a cave is shelter, but not when you're wearing little of anything and also have dehydrated yourself by crying for several hours. And also the blood loss.
Ain sometimes squeaks and sobs in his sleep, but otherwise, it'll probably take him another several hours to wake up... and when he does, his voice is scratchy and he definitely sounds deader than he is.]
...did I miss...?
[Girl not only did you miss your vital organs but you also pulled the pike out and had a panic attack and hit the floor. Yeah you missed.]
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Ain will find himself waking up sometime in the morning. It’s raining outside the cave, but the dragons would have stayed in even if it wasn’t. They’re both resting in their nests with Add curled up in a ball asleep, Wolfwood curled up similarly but still awake. Ain, meanwhile, has been placed on soft things inbetween them. If he looks closely, he might realize their nests are actually connected, just with spaces set aside for them both should they want to be alone for whatever reason.
As Ain stirs, Wolfwood growls deep in the back of his throat.]
Yeah, and we ain’t slept at all cause of you. Go back to sleep.
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Cold...
[Is he cold? It's not like he can feel his fingers, but that might be due to blood loss more than anything. He's wedged between two giant-ass warm lizards, so he may not be as cold as he thinks, even despite the clear distance between all of them. Proximity warmth is a hell of a thing.
Yawwwwn...
Ain doesn't have much of a choice; as much as he tries to stay awake for longer, his brain simply gives up on him and he passes back out again within a few minutes. He doesn't feel any safer, but he's alive for some strange reason... apparently for his injury-induced exhaustion, that's good enough.]
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So, what now? They argue for a while. They can’t just keep him here, he’s not…a Princess. He doesn’t have what they want. And they doubt he WANTS to partner with a pair of dragons either. They don’t really come to much of a consensus other than to keep Ain here until he recovers…however long that might be. But it’s obvious he’s sick now as well, which hugely complicates things.
After some more bickering, Add declares he’s leaving to get some food and medicinal herbs and since Wolfwood caused this mess he can watch Ain while he’s gone. Have fun!!!
Ugh.]
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He's fine, clearly.
He'll wake up in several more hours, distantly hungry but in too much pain to do much about it, sniffling and shaking and sneezing...]
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The dragon huffs, exhaling on a deep breath of smoke as he looks over at Ain trembling nearby. He can’t possibly be cold, he thinks, he’s in a warm nest…but he guesses humans don’t retain heat well given how naked they are. No fur, no scales, barely any hair…and Ain has far less than most human men he’s seen. After a moment, he gets up and steps across the cave to one of the junk piles, grabbing a thick blanket with frayed threads they stole from a caravan, patchwork like someone sewed it by hand, and drags it over to throw over Ain’s shaking form.]
Add’s bringing food back, so just. Stay there.
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[Ugh. This sucks!!! He hates you guys.]
If you're trying to fatten me up to eat me, it won't work. My metabolism is too high... and I'm pretty sure I can't eat much right now anyway. You might as well just go back to your original plan of eating me. Dragons probably can't get sick.
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We ain't eatin' you. Not after goin' to the trouble of makin' sure you don't bleed out all over our cave. You're welcome, by the way.
[His eyes drift closed, a deep sigh leaving him.]
We don't know what to do with you yet, but we ain't gonna eat you anymore.
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