blackscales: Made this for myself, Do Not Take! (22)
̶W̶R̶A̶T̶H̶I̶O̶N̶ ([personal profile] blackscales) wrote in [community profile] westwhere2022-04-07 11:03 pm

[ 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.

chosenbylight: do not take (015)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-04-08 01:29 pm (UTC)(link)
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?"
chosenbylight: (aenia-003)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-04-08 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
chosenbylight: do not take (schematise-007)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-04-08 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
weifinder: (oshi | with the noise in my head)

brings this fool over

[personal profile] weifinder 2022-04-09 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
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!"
weifinder: (headache | won't you come in)

[personal profile] weifinder 2022-04-09 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
"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."
chosenbylight: do not take (161)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-04-09 02:39 pm (UTC)(link)
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.
reparo: (legilimens)

[personal profile] reparo 2022-04-09 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
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?"
reparo: (alchemy)

[personal profile] reparo 2022-04-09 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"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."
reparo: (protego totalum)

[personal profile] reparo 2022-04-09 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
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."
reparo: (reducio)

[personal profile] reparo 2022-04-09 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
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)
chosenbylight: do not take (162)

[personal profile] chosenbylight 2022-04-09 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
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?"
reparo: (advanced warding)

[personal profile] reparo 2022-04-09 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"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.

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