westwhere | [ CLOSED ] Twisting, constricted

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[ CLOSED ] Twisting, constricted

WHO: Wrathion & Visitors
WHEN: April: Beastmaster's Arrival & Aftermath
WHERE: Ke-Waihu & then... the forests around Ke-Waihu. Cosy caves.
WHAT: Wrathion clocks the Beastmaster arriving and immediately Nopes Out. Plot here!
WARNINGS: Awkward cuddling huddled by a blanket ft UST in a cave.

As soon as the Beastmaster draws near to Ke-Waihu, Wrathion slinks from the village and takes flight through the forest. He can be seen, occasionally, flying over the tree-tops in the area being pursued by the Beastmaster's creatures. Those who know him well, or those good at following tracks, can find him hiding out in a cave avoiding them while he waits out the Beastmaster's powers fading.

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Wrathion sees one of them in the trees, and he knows what is coming.

He can feel it.

The creatures are strange, wrong, and a creeping pull has already begun to nag at him.

They've run out of time. He has to leave.

Slinking across the village, Wrathion pulls together a light bag of things to take then ghosts his way to the wise man's house. He checks Anduin's room, jostles open the window and slips in. Pulling out a wrapped box containing his jihui set he rests it atop of the bed along with a folded piece of paper:

Anduin;

We have run out of time once more, and the Beastmaster is upon the village. I know you would rather I not leave you this way, but once these creatures sense me I fear being swarmed. It would be better I am away from the village when that happens.

Keep this safe for me. If I find a secure place I will send you the location.

Wrathion.

Satisfied, he glances around the room one lasts time before turning back to the window.

The door clicks, and he realises he's taken too long.

The Beastmaster's little minions are fast and sharp clawed, but they do at least not want to kill him. They'd much rather bring him down, make him submit -- no doubt so he can be used. So long as not too many of them catch him, so long as he can outpace them he's largely safe.

If he could burn them, he would, but doing that while flying is difficult -- he needs to find somewhere he can safely use fire.

A cave of some sort, something away from the trees so he doesn't set the whole place alight.

By the time he finds one he's built up a considerable following, so the first thing prospective visitors will see is the scorched remnants of several of them lining the entrance to the cave. Wrathion himself is huddled in the shadows toward the back of it, a little battered and still breathing hard. He twitches every so often, shakes his head as if trying to dislodge something.

When he senses someone approaching, his eyes open and flood red light into the cavern.

Compared to others of his race, he isn't the largest dragon on Azeroth by any means. Yet compared to an average human, Wrathion is still big. He's twice as tall as they are, perhaps a little over, and his wingspan is significant -- claws thick and strong and sharp teeth made for ripping flesh.

He lets out a low, grumbling sound of warning that trails off upon recognising the visiting figure.

Edited 2022-04-08 11:58 (UTC)

The entrance to the cave is easier to spot today, lit up sporadically by bursts of light. On approaching, Wrathion is stood at the mouth of it channelling jets of fire toward approaching fliers. He looks a little more himself, a little more together now, but the edges of anxiety still eat at him.

The fliers drop to the ground, scorched, and Wrathion frowns at them before flitting his eyes around and landing them on his visitor.

"I think that's the last of them for now. Apologies for the mess, I hope you won't hold it against me -- it seems I have some very persistent fans."

With one last glance around the forest he turns back into the cave, gesturing for his latest visitor to follow. Inside, the decoration is sparse. He has a small bag to one side, a couple of blankets, a book and little else. He'd mostly picked up what he could carry in a hurry, and anything additional is being brought by visitors.

There's always a decent chance he'll have to move caves, however, and that anything here will have to be left behind.

Edited 2022-04-07 23:26 (UTC)

Anduin knows logically that it is only mid-afternoon, but with the amount of villagers that have stopped by thus far, he feels as though he could go straight back to bed. It is with this in mind that he finds himself quietly excusing himself from his latest visitor and retreating up the stairs towards his room and a moment of privacy before he says something to anyone he might regret later.

And finds someone else already inside.

He stands for a moment in the doorway, blinking at the man before him.

"Wrathion?"

Ah.

Wrathion's eyes flit to the parcel he's left on the bed, then back to Anduin. He takes another step to the window and pushes it open again.

"I need to leave," he says simply. He suspects, in truth, Anduin doesn't really need him to say more. He can infer everything else easily enough. They've discussed this possibility before, it isn't exactly a surprise. They just hadn't known when it would happen. The time, it seems, is now. It's better if they do this quickly.

Anduin's gaze follows Wrathion's towards the bed and it takes him a moment to recognize just what he is looking at.

A letter. Wrathion's jihui set.

In that space of time Wrathion is already crossing to the window and Anduin feels as if he is taking all the air in the room with him as he goes.

They had spoken of this. Anduin has had this moment in the back of his mind ever since, the possibility of it. But -- understanding that it has come...

Anduin feels himself taking a step toward him without really knowing what it is that he intends to do. Just understanding once Wrathion climbs back out that window, that -- might be it. This might be it.

They have only just found each other again. This -- whatever it is between them -- has only just started.

...he's not ready. This is too soon.

"He is here?" he asks, though he already knows at least something of the answer.

"I've seen his creatures beginning to arrive. He'll be here soon, if he isn't already."

Which means Wrathion really shouldn't hang around.

Still, he doesn't move. There's a thread of tension between them, and he's not entirely sure how it's going to resolve. Anduin will be upset, he's sure. He will let him go in the end, he's sure. It's the in-between part that's muddy. Will he plead for them to go together? Will he ask Wrathion to wait, until they're completely sure there's no other choice?

It isn't as if Wrathion wants to leave. He'd stay, if he could, stay in the warm comfort of Anduin's room. It's too dangerous, though. The risk he could hurt someone is simply too high.

Especially Anduin himself. He couldn't live with that.

His creatures. Wrathion is familiar with them, from before, and there is always a chance they might be familiar with Wrathion in return. Anduin knows this. He knows as well this means that they are running out of time. Have run out. That Wrathion is right -- he needs to leave, and soon. Now, even.

A small, very childish part of Anduin wants to reach out to him. To close the distance between them, grab on and hold on tight. It wants to offer, insist on coming with him, but he knows that if he truly wants to give Wrathion a chance at getting through this, then he needs to let him go.

There are a number of difficult things that Anduin has done in his life. He's never tried to rank them, though if he did, he suspects this would be up there near the top.

Anduin's eyes drift back to the package on the bed. To the letter beneath. Wrathion's intended goodbye, Anduin realizes with a lurch somewhere deep within his chest, perhaps a bit after-the-fact. He had not meant to speak to him at all.

"Do you know where you will go?" he asks, forcing the question past a lump in his throat.

Wei Wuxian froze at that sound, the rumble that could have been a growl, but wasn't. His heart skips a beat, and fear almost rushes to fill the hollows of his lungs, until he steps forward, until he sees the entirety of Wrathion's unfamiliar, bestial form.

"Thank everything," he says in a sudden, sharp sigh, hand pressing to his collarbone, "You're not a dog." Or a wolf, or a fox, or anything that looks like one, because the fear that had started, the fear Wrathion might scent, dies off as quickly as it came, only lingering as the ghost of its own memory. On its heels, Wei Wuxian continues forward, holding up a cloth satchel with supplies that are... suddenly seeming much out of proportion to what he's met with.

"I had no idea I could have gone regular hunting before this, but again, are you even sure you want to eat anything out of these woods wright now? I wouldn't, it's made for an unremarkable diet, but there's enough trouble with everyone gallivanting around chasing each other or being chased, and the huntress being..." He shrugs, declining to ascribe one sentiment or motivation to her, just as he refuses to do so with any of the undead lords they know. Anurr included.

"Anyway, water? There were wolves in that village. The dogs here aren't bad enough, all the foxes aren't enough, they had night wolves. Who were villagers in the day!"

"I'll look for somewhere I can shelter in the forest, away from people. If all goes well, I'll send you a location."

If it doesn't -- well, obviously he won't be sending any kind of message.

Hopefully it won't come to that, however, hopefully they can hang on. Find a solution.

He hesitates, then Wrathion lets his bag -- drops it beside the bed and steps across the room to Anduin. One hand lifts to stroke his cheek, draw his attention up into the intensity of his gaze.

"Remember what I asked of you, please."

As much as Anduin would rather not think of it, it's important to Wrathion. A reassurance. His fear is of being allowed to hurt people, he wants to know that will be stopped.

Night wolves who were villagers in the day? ... Worgens, perhaps?

Wei Wuxian is babbling.

Wrathion tries to push himself more upright, struggling to his feet and stretching his wings in the limited space he has. They brush against the cave walls.

"I am not a dog," he rumbles, a strange resonant quality encompassing his voice in this form. He moves closer and lowers his head to Wei Wuxian, which is as large as the man himself. "You did not have to come."

Wei Wuxian owes him no debt. He is aware it is dangerous.

"Let's say I sympathise with having to hide away in caves." Ignoring that the Huntress spends half her time in the same situation, because he has no sympathy for her, frankly, until there's demonstrable proof to feel otherwise.

As it is, he holds out a hand, quirking his brow. Can he touch you, Wrathion. He wants to touch the giant creature that you are, because even if animals don't find him their favourite, he usually doesn't much resist a casual display of affection with them anyway. If they're not dogs.

"Learned most everything I knew about working with resentful energies from my time in one."

Wrathion does not speak of the alternative -- if things go poorly, but the possibility of it sits in the air between them, and Anduin is all too aware of how likely it could...

He can feel his breath catching in his chest as Wrathion drops his bag and moves to step toward him. As Wrathion reaches forward and tips his face up to meet his own, the leather of his glove rough but warm from his hands as it slides across the skin of his cheek.

Remember what I asked of you. Anduin's attention snaps to Wrathion's as he recalls the exact phrasing of his companion's request. Do not let me share my family's fate.

He holds Wrathion's gaze for a long moment, searching his face and trying not to let his emotions get the better of him.

"I promise," he says, softly. Hesitating for the fraction of a second longer before being unable to stop from tugging Wrathion forward into an embrace, wrapping him up tight.

"Be careful out there," he says, turning his face to press into Wrathion's shoulder, breathing in the smell of his jacket and trying to memorize everything he can about the wonderful, ridiculous, beautiful creature in his arms -- before he will have to let him go.

Wrathion stiffens briefly in the embrace, still not quite used to it, then slowly lets his arms slip around Anduin to return it.

"Always," he promises, and tightens his grip on Anduin. Their bodies press together, and he feels some strange combination of relief and anxiety building in his chest. Relief to hold Anduin like this, anxiety over having to let go. "Here," he says after a moment, and releases the priest slowly. He turns to move the letter off the jihui board, slides it out of the cloth and opens it up. From an interior compartment he unfurls a strip of fabric and lets the cuff fall out into his hand, turning to Anduin and offering it out to him. The lionhead symbol is the same as in his drawing, two blue gems set into its eyes. For Wrathion this is a fairly pedestrian design, but there's still a great deal of detail in it. The inside of the band is at least unadorned, other than the faint BP signature in one corner.

She has been thinking about this for the past few weeks, and not for the reasons he may think. (Still no closer to dueling Anduin to the death for his hand in marriage, sorry to say.) While her experience with the dragons in her world has been limited to a few close encounters, and there are fewer dragons in this world than back home, the truth of the matter is that their presence here is made all the more difficult, and dangerous, with the Beastmaster here.

So she knows, of course, that Wrathion has exited the village as soon as his arrival was announced, and probably for the best too.

But she has been thinking about him in terms of warding him from the Beastmaster. Blame Slick's questions for that part. In truth, without all her books here, she has no way to create runes and wards for him to not be swayed by the Beastmaster (also: ugh, awful name) and doesn't know how likely they'd be to work anyway.

Her more lasting spells - outside of the bag, and potions she makes - seem to be temporary, some fizzling out because of this magic being different and some because she hasn't brewed them with the ingredients they were meant to be brewed, but. Regardless - she's been trying.

Has even gone to a temple in the forest, and collected a few stones - replaced them with some stones from the forest floor - because they're meant to be good for protection against the Beastmaster.

When she does make her way into the cave that Wrathion described it's close to sunset, and the growl is louder than anything she's heard him let out before; she thinks maybe it has to do with the acoustics of the cave.

Until there is, right there in front of her, a dragon.

"...Wrathion?"

Ah, she came. He knew she planned to, and yet the timing of this is not... ideal.

Wrathion moves to push up more onto his feet, shaking himself a little as if trying to dislodge something bothering him.

"Hermione," he manages. He takes a swaying step forward, a little unsteady. "You are unharmed?"

She did come through the forest, after all, which he is aware the Beastmaster's creatures hunt in. It isn't entirely safe. He would hate for her to be hurt coming to bring him things, to help him.

"I..." He might not be large by Azeroth standards, but any dragon is a huge dragon to Hermione's standards. Except maybe for Norbert - but he'd been a hatchling!

"I apparated nearby," she finally answers, and then adds, "and my leaflets worked, look!" She proudly thrusts her chin up, to show him how clear her skin is now, of those cuts that she'd displayed the last time they were in a room together.

Speaking of that. She gestures at him, marvelled. "You're...a real dragon."

"I am."

He carefully lays himself down near to her, a slow sort of crumple to the ground -- chest still rising and falling too quickly for him to be relaxed. His wings tuck in to his body as much as he can, as if trying to minimise his presence and be less... oppressive. Less overwhelming for her, if he can manage it.

"You doubted?"

Did she think he was... lying? Why would he lie about something like that?

She stands there, still, towards the edge of the cave, and just watches him adjust and lower himself down to a position. The careful movements shouldn't remind her of Crookshanks when he was trying to loaf on uncomfortable surfaces, and yet...

Maybe that spurs on even more amazement.

At the question - incredible! He can communicate like this! - she snaps back to the present. "No, no, I mean - would've been rude of me to doubt. It's just, it's one thing to know you in your human form and a whole other to have..." A gesure towards his entire big dragon body. "Confirmation?"

He's a dragon. A real, talking, magic-wielding dragon. God, the Ministry of Magic would have a fit if they knew dragons could do this.

She shakes her head and opens the bottomless bag to find the stones. "Brought you something. There's been word around that stones and sticks from a specific temple in the woods have the power to provide some protection from the Beastmaster. I thought - well, they couldn't hurt, right? Wouldn't want you to fall to that git's sway, not a single bit."

Ah! He sits up a little more at that, head tilting curiously and eyes following her hands as she digs in her bag.

"I had heard that rumour. You found some? I would be curious to see what properties they have."

Perhaps he can learn something about them, about how they work? Replicate it, even? That would be preferable to constantly stealing from a shrine in a village filled with curses

The reflexes, too! Why is she finding them familiar? (Like a cat.) Maybe she's projecting - regardless, she can't quite take her eyes off him.

"I didn't exactly find them, I didn't just stumble upon them, I went looking." She did find them, though, yes. "As much as I'd like to find out the essence of what makes them tick, right now I need them to work more than I need to know how to make more myself. Because I don't think I would be able to."

She points a finger at him, holding the two stones with one hand. "No messing up my wards out of scientific curiosity."

Edited 2022-04-09 19:05 (UTC)

Ah.

Well, she does have a good point. He leans back a little, eyeing her but attention split down to the stones as well.

"The signature on them feels residual," he comments. Is he allowed to comment on that? Is commentary helpful? He isn't doing anything! Just commenting!

It's difficult to release his grip on Wrathion, as he steps back out of his arms, although he forces himself to do so. Fingers slowly loosening from their tightened hold on his jacket until Wrathion steps free completely -- and moves to the jihui board on the bed.

Anduin is confused for a moment, unsure where this is going, waiting uncertainly as Wrathion tips something from it and turns to hold out -- the cuff from his design. It may be fairly pedestrian for Wrathion, at least by his standards. But to Anduin himself...

"It's lovely," he says softly, glancing up to Wrathion as he does. "It's finished, then?"

"Mm, presumably they were blessed or consecrated or...something," she mutters, waving off the line of thought so she can place them, one on each side of the cave opening. "I hope it doesn't take following the religion for them to work."

She turns to look at Wrathion again, and tilts her head. "How has this been working for you? Is it safe? I can try to put up wards, so that at the very least the cave entrance is not noticeable to anyone who isn't specifically looking for it or aware it's there." Wards similar to the ones she placed around their tent while hunting for Horcruxes, wards she is so very familiar with at this point.

Ah, she's taking them away. His eyes follow her, and he leans just a little as if desiring to be closer to them but making sure his body stays put.

He's been told not to meddle, but the urge is truly overpowering.

"Wards would be useful," he allows, "although I expect I will be forced to move eventually."

There's only so long this cave will last before it is discovered, and if the ward only prevents people who don't know from finding it then that won't help once that happens.

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[ CLOSED ] Twisting, constricted

LEAVING IN A HURRY (ANDUIN):

CAVE: DRAGON FORM

CAVE: HUMAN

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brings this fool over

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