[He doesn't remember life before the cold. To Kravitz, it has always been there. His only, constant companion. Maybe it says something about how far gone he is, that he's long since begun regarding that which killed him, as a friend. Or, maybe it speaks more to all the years he's had to reflect, stuck in time. To learn an appreciation for the beauty and savagery of the ice.
The first kill was an accident. (That's how he remembers it, anyway.) Desperation, fear, loneliness- he could blame it on any number of factors, but the end result won't change. After that, he has less excuses to make. It's become second nature. Whipping up snowstorms. Removing tracks. Holding them down until their limbs are cemented to the ice, and their eyes glaze over.
In the distance, he can just barely see it- the outline of another traveler, destined to go missing in the mountains.]
2 / vampire child
[He is not centuries old. Not yet an adult trapped in a child's body, not yet a mind growing restless in eternity. Nah. He's just a very small, very bitey kiddo who is feeling, hearing and smelling a lot- including you.
And you smell great.]
3 / jorogumo
[The forest seemed so open and bright at first. Color and light, dappled over a sea of leaves and daisies. Then it all began to thin out- the flowers, the light, the color- everything except the trees, which only grew thicker and closer, as if swallowing everything else up.
And then you spot it.
Web. Strung not between branches or blades of grass, but encompassing entire trunks. Crawling over boulders and hills spanning all the way up to the overhead canopy in places, where it hangs like a moth eaten blanket. You've wandered too far. The web near surrounds you.
And something is stirring.]
4a / merman
[He's a merman. Do I need to purple prose here? Nah. Maybe you're a merman/maid/person too! Family? Partner? Wacky neighbor a little too into kelp? Or maybe this is a human and merperson star-crossed lovers/friends deal! Go for it.]
4b / siren
[Or with a twist: this is no little mermaid. This is a siren, one who has tracked your ship, or drifted in to see you at the shore, all with plans to lull you into complacency and drag you out to sea. Stay sharp!]
5 / centaur
[You've caught him with his guard down. Centaurs are reclusive and shy by nature, and Kravitz is no different. But he's injured and tired, one leg folded awkwardly and blood running from his hair into his face. He's bent over a stream, attempting to wash it off, and some combination of pain and exhaustion has allowed you to draw close. Will you help? Or do you, presumably like his attackers, value Kravitz's pelt over his life?
Or: pick your scenario! One that doesn't involve playing nurse. Looking at you Taako, you horse fucker.]
6 / ghost
[Play with clay. Get spooked. Take your pick. Hell, maybe you were the ghost all along...!!!!]
7 / wendigo
[The hunger is all-consuming. Burning. And yet, Kravitz knows that every time he gives in, the further away from humanity he slips. Half of his mouth is stretched wide, teeth jagged and thin, long and razor sharp. They prick at his cheeks, where his skin grows sallow. Sickly. His nails are growing out, and his eyes are large and milky. At his temples, he can always acutely feel the worst of it.
Antlers. Slowly but surely, sprouting from his skull. They don't hurt. But they don't feel right, either.
If anyone wanders into the woods again, looking for Kravitz, the missing man- he doesn't know what he'll do.]
[or literally whatever else, hit me!]
Edited 2018-02-25 14:46 (UTC)
im gonna do a bunch but im starting with 5, don't call me out like this
At first, he thinks he's seeing things. Taako had spent the first part of this weekend camping with the rest of his friends- which uh, when you're partying with your sister and a number of literal rocket scientists at a top university trip, means he's spent the majority of the last two days blitzed out of his mind. Chemists make amazing cocktails, and he frankly thinks Davenport has outdone himself every single time when it's a miracle he can even remember the night previous. It's still early in the day, early enough that he's only had a morning mimosa, so he's pretty sure he's sober and not just hallucinating from a combination of whatever fucked up shit Merle passed him last night.
But also... that's a horse man. That's part man part horse. That's a shirtless dude- an incredibly attractive shirtless dude- that is also part horse. He's seen some shit in his mind and also on the internet but that is a horse man and he's trying to figure out if this is freaking him out or not.
Regardless of if it is, Taako can't help but find himself fascinated, and a little confused. Did he get into a fight? Do horse dudes do that? Oh jeez, there must be more of them somewhere. This is the most wild thing that's happened to him, like, this month at least.
He moves a bit to get a better look, and the bushes he's hiding in shift, his feet crunching a bit in the dirt as he resettles. But he's not exactly being subtle over there since his whole head is basically out and staring. Whoops.]
[Kravitz isn't sure what he's expecting when he whips his head around to the sound of rustling and crunching leaves. Definitely wasn't some dudes actual, entire head sticking out of a bush, though. What the fuck.
Shock freezes him for a moment, and he stares back dumbly at the (hot, very hot cool cool cool) face of this intruder.
The moment is broken when a droplet of blood curves it's way down Kravitz's temple and collects in the dip beside his eye. He wipes it away with the back of his hand, and stands to his full height, doing his best to look scarier than he feels right now. It's all very "look at me so impressive please run away now", and accompanied by an only mostly human sounding huff-snarl-thing.
Sorry Taako. Two legged folk haven't done him much good lately.]
Now, you shouldn't be here. I thought you'd all been quite convinced that leaving was best.
[He feels his eyes widen as the other man stands, gaze travelling upwards as he rises. Oh, god, he's even fucking bigger now. Taako's not a short man- he's six feet without heels, easily. But fuck, he has the feeling this would be bigger than him even if it was just a horse. Not gonna lie, either, the blood is pretty intimidating.
Too bad Taako's a fucking idiot.]
Uh, if you wanted to convince me of leaving, you probably should've done it by talking to me first. Or uh, putting on a shirt maybe.
[Yeah, he's a fucking moron. Deciding he's been had, he clambers out of the bushes, brushing leaves off his clothes as he arrives. Nothing fancy for a trip through the woods; a pair of fashionable overalls and a crop top doesn't make for an intimidating look. He runs his hand up and through his hair, pushing most of it back and over his head while bits of fringe fall around his eyes.]
So you're real, right? This is really happening? I mean, no offense if you're not, or whatever, I've been kinda fucked up this weekend. But I get the feeling you weren't, uh, talking to me there, or maybe you thought you were or I was some other dude. Maybe the cause of uh, all that.
[He kind of gives a wiggly motion to the blood on his face.]
I mean the injures there btw, not your face. It's a great face.
[Kravitz opens his mouth, closes it, and opens it once more, this time leaving it to hang that way as he blinks dumbly. Blood rushes to his cheeks.
Did this guy just clamber out of a bush to hit on him? Is this some kind of ingenious fucking ruse and he's about to get stabbed in the gut?]
Uhhhhhhh.
[Somewhere in his staring- nice, cool, human(?) dude also has a hot bod, important info he definitely needed- Kravitz is pretty sure he picks up that this guy wasn't with the group that attacked him earlier, and that once again, he's hitting on him.]
...Could you repeat that? --No, I, sorry- you're not intimidated by me at all?
[Oh. Oh jeez, he's blushing. That only serves to make him less scared, because it's actually wildly cute. The idea of something that could kill him getting flustered is just staggering in a way he can't even describe, and he's going to ask his dick to politely Not in this exact moment, because this is a dude but still, like, a horse dude. He's not willing to confront that part of himself just yet. Taako cards a hand through his hair again, shaking a stray twig out and letting the bangs fall back around his eyes.]
I mean, don't get me wrong, you uh, totally look like you could kill me right now? But I kinda figured if you saw I was like, kinda hot, maybe you wouldn't be inclined to kick me in the fucking head.
[Even though he sounds like he already has been. Taako gestures to his face again, sort of spinning his wrist the direction of the blood.]
Or uh, maybe you did? Instructions were unclear, got my dick caught in the ceiling fan, anyway--
[Is Kravitz catching on that he talks when he's nervous and this is why he's never shutting up? Maybe!]
I wasn't even out here looking for you, actually, I just heard something fucking big over here and I wanted to make sure you weren't, uh, a big fucking bear or something that was gonna eat me. But uh, pretty cool that you're not doing that. Really into this.
[Kravitz chokes out a laugh, something stuttery and disbelieving. He's still red.]
I commend you for being so upfront about that? I guess? "Kinda" hot...
[That last part is to himself; sarcastic and maybe a tad self-mocking. He's gay. End him.
Much of what Taako says goes over his head- the fuck is a ceiling fan???- but something in his tone ignites a thread of anxiety. Maybe it's just Taako's own nervousness, feeding back into Kravitz like a loop- but regardless, he kicks anxiously at the ground.]
Yes. Well. No bears here. And I can expect no more humans, either, correct?
[read: you're not about to tell all ur friends where i am right]
[Taako grins at that little bit, trying to make himself look less stupid but gaining more control in this situation than he thought he had. So that's essentially key for 'I've started getting away with things, I bet I can keep doing so'. He swings his hips out and puts his hands on them, legs just a bit apart in the weirdest sort of sideways stance. Yes. Power move.
(The kicks do make him a little anxious. That shit could kill him stupid fast.)]
What, no, no, they're way back there. I mean, if they show up, I didn't call 'em, but by the time they all come looking they'll probably be wasted again and think you aren't real.
[He's still gotta ask though, because he's a rude boy, and he points to the blood on Kravitz' face.]
So uh, what happened to you, stallion of the cimarron? Get into a fight? Lose to a tree? You can make up some badass reason if it was just somethin' real dumb, I won't judge, uh, a lot.
From an outside perspective, Taako has no incredible stake in this. Sure, he knew Kravitz- as far as anyone else was concerned, they shared a few classes at their college, had some meetings in the dining halls, traded books and notes. But they weren't friends. Who was really friends with Taako besides his sister? He's a guy everyone knows, a guy most people even liked or at least found funny. But there's no one that close. What reasons does he have now, weeks after Kravitz has gone missing, for a barely there not friend to be tromping through the woods with a flashlight as the sun sets?
Only Lup knows, when she cornered him on his way out the door, cloak pulled over his head as he tried to slink out without her seeing. But she got it, through the badly concealed blush, the mumbled confession he never gave, the vulnerability he never knew how to be when Kravitz was around. And now, tromping through the underbrush, light from the sky fading, he just wants him back. Just wants one more chance. Taako hates permanence- he hates this middle ground of not knowing, not doing anything, just nothing. So he's going to fix it. He's going to bring him home.
Intermittently, he calls out, waiting for some sort of response.]
Krav? Look, I know you've gotta be out here, just-- come on.
[He sounds tired. He's so close to giving up. But he'll go just a little farther.]
[At first he follows the voice as if in a daze, driven by nothing but hunger. He moves fast, faster than he should be able to, using the trees and the growing darkness as cover. His feet barely make a sound.
It's only when he's close enough to see Taako's outline in the near distance that he comes back to himself, and his gut lurches as his brain wraps around a couple of things. Namely: he knows who this is, even from this distance. He can smell the perfume Taako always wears, he can hear his voice like it was right beside him, and can discern the soft lines of his hair from this far off.
He's hungry for the person he's missed the most since losing himself to this shit. Kravitz thinks he might be sick.
He stays behind a cluster of trees, fighting the urge to stay, and the arguing with the knowledge that he should leave. A shudder wracks him; a noise haunting and low echoes through the brush.]
[He’s a little lost in his own thoughts, but as soon as an unusual sound rings out, Taako stops, digging in his heel and whipping around. What the fuck was that? He’d like to convince himself it was a wolf, or a bear, or something— even if that wasn’t ideal, either, what the fuck would he do against any of those things— but at least that would be explainable. Something he knew how to deal with. There’s legends, of course, of things out here that are beastlike and gaunt and hunt anything that cross their path. But at this point, Taako’s more afraid that sound means he might find Kravitz’ corpse, and it won’t be the answer he wanted.
The anxiety chokes into his throat, and he swallows hard, trying to speak to fill the silence.]
Y’know, I know I uh, totally sound like a white dude in a horror movie here, but please don’t be somethin’ that’s about to chase me.
[He’s looking hurriedly in his field of vision, but not seeing anything definitive, even as the sunset illuminates the wood still.]
Let’s just— make it easy this time, huh universe? Let’s have it not be something terrible. Let’s just find him with his hair all messed up and he like, I dunno, has been unconscious in some dirt for a little bit and everything’s fine. Right?
[He's afraid. He's afraid, and he's here for Kravitz, because of course he is. His heart lurches with a poisonous mix of feelings. A perverse sort of pride stirs in his chest, darker than anything he's felt before. A possessiveness. Taako is here for him because he's his, and he can do what he wants with him, and he's hungry.
Kravitz sobs, stuffing a hand into his mouth and instantly crying out in pain as his own sharp teeth rake through his skin. The blood tastes good, and he forgets about worrying about the fact that Taako will hear and locate him as he laps it clean, long tongue unfurling.
[Taako babbles when he's nervous, but the cry stops him, another spike of fear making him feel like he's going to vomit up his own heart. Was that-- was that his voice? Is he here, is he hurt, is he in trouble--
He flips his flashlight on, the beam whizzing past him, and catches the light off one of Kravitz' eyes. He jolts immediately, stumbling as one foot goes down much too hard behind him.]
Fuck, oh fuck--
[He's afraid he's shaking, like he's about to be attacked by something he doesn't even know, like he's going to die out here and Lup is going to rez his corpse just to call him a fucking moron, and he retrains the light that direction, prepared to bolt.
And he sees him.
It's only a second or two before Taako lets his arm fall, the beam shining onto the ground, letting his eyes adjust again in the fading light to the man in the bush. The man he thinks-- no, doesn't think, knows. Just knows. But something is so wrong, so beyond wrong, he doesn't even know where to begin.]
K... Krav?
[His voice is shaking. He babbles when he's nervous, sure, but he's jumped past nervous and directly into afraid.]
[Oh. That's new. Shame is what he feels now, a hot wash of it that prompts him to shudder and turn his face away. It's strong enough to drown out the pinprick of anger the disgusting, hungry presence in his gut feels, which is good, but Taako's shocked and frightened expression is burned into his mind, which is... not great. Kravitz's stomach turns.
He grates out a reply, voice hoarse with disuse and thick with emotion. It's hard to parse what, exactly- fear? Pain? Even Kravitz isn't sure.]
[He can't take his eyes off him, in a way that's completely different than what it meant before. Taako can see the places where he's Kravitz but not, the way teeth tear at his skin and things rip from him in a way that can only be painful. There are legends of something that lives out here, but there are legends of something that lives out everywhere. Is it-- is this what Kravitz has always been? He can roll with that, I mean-- hell of a secret, but he can accept a monster boyfriend out of the deal. Maybe it's like a werewolf thing. He'd take any fucking reasoning at this point. Anything to make it okay.
He hates that he can practically tell he's not right by the way Kravitz doesn't even seem to want to look at himself, much less Taako. He clicks the flashlight off.]
So, uh, listen, if I've stumbled across your secret identity as the like, chupacabra or something, I seriously swear not to tell anyone.
[His voice is high and shaken, and obviously scared, even as he tries to shove it down.]
We can-- I mean, I can work with this. Probably. But you kinda have to, uhm, tell me what's. What's up, here.
[Taako pulls Kravitz by the wrist through the water, tail twisting impatiently as he halfheartedly drags the other man forward. Sure, where they're going isn't perfectly safe, when pretty much their colony's only instructions are "don't mess with human shit", but Taako knows he can talk Kravitz into anything. Lup's providing cover for them back with the pod, so they have the time to slip away for a few hours. Just a quick trip and back. Taako takes a hand off of Kravitz to adjust the strap on his shoulder bag, stop it from digging into his neck from the angle he's swimming at. His long hair is braided back today to stay out of his face, devoid of the typical adornments he has around his neck, wrists, and tail. Still, the pale blue of his scales glimmer in the sunlight as it filters through the water, glittering from patches of dark skin back to the near-white of his hair. Today's for adventures. Today's for finding new, interesting things.
If that's in the shipwreck, or with each other, well, that's a different story.]
The quicker we get there the quicker we can get back. Kapeesh?
[At first, Kravitz tried with everything he had to discourage this plan and act like he wasn't super fucking enthusiastic about it. It breaks the one and only Big Rule, and although he cares more about not having to deal with the fall out of being caught, more than he cares about actually breaking it, that still makes messing with human shit something he's not on board with for his own reasons.
But Taako is nothing if not good at convincing him, and Kravitz has long since given up trying. He clasps Taako's hand and grins at him knowingly, allowing himself to be dragged more for the goof at this stage.]
Are you really sure this is what you want to do with a few precious, uninterrupted hours? Scour some filthy human ship? I don't know. Convince me again.
Oh you massive idiot. I know you can swim, come onnnnn. I’m certainly not gonna spend this whole time fuckin’ dragging you there.
[He tugs a little harder, still grinning. Doofus. His doofus, which makes his heart thrum weirdly and sends shivers all the way to the tips of him, that he hopes Kravitz can’t feel.]
Y’know, if we finish early, we’re gonna have time left over if you’re really sooooo intent on that sort of thing.
[In a moment, he stops swimming forward, but keeps the momentum of his pull, thrusting Kravitz into his chest and sending them both just a bit backwards as they press together and Taako curls his tail around Kravitz’.]
But you’re gonna have to be faster than that if you want it, huh?
[And just a second later, all of the closeness is gone, and Taako swims around him in a tight circle as he laughs. Kravitz is too easy to mess with. He adores it.]
Edited (i just noticed a typo lmfao fuck) 2018-03-19 05:36 (UTC)
[He laughs too, entirely giving away his act, but not making it any easier for Taako to pull him along. Teasing Taako leads to him teasing back, and that leads to wonderful (often frustrating) places.
Case in point. Taako flings them together via momentum, and for just a second he can feel soft hair drifting over his shoulders and scales pressed roughly against his own, intimate and promising, capped with words no less so- and then it's all gone again in a rush, predictable and nonetheless effective.
Kravitz groans as Taako laughs, long suffering and adoring in one. That's sort of the way this works.
He does pick up his pace, batting at Taako with his tail and he moves past him.]
Alright, alright, I'm thoroughly convinced. Lead the way.
[He's still laughing, showing off sharp teeth as Kravitz smacks him around with his tail as he hurries to keep pace.]
Oh, I got you babe. C'mon, we're almost there.
[True to form, it's only another minute or so before they swim over the edge of a crater and the wreck comes into view. It's an older ship, splintered wood leaving holes in the hull and tattered sail billowing in the current. Taako looks delighted, grabbing Kravitz by the hand as they approach.]
Look at this. All ours for the looting. Who knows what kinda cool shit they couldn't save.
[It's positively huge, and Taako looks up and down, investigating for a way in.]
[He feels like 'almost there' could mean anything coming from Taako, so Kravitz is relieved when it really is only a few minutes before they arrive. He can't like, either- the wreck is a compelling and somewhat eerily beautiful sight. Where treasure, uh, 'fascinates' Taako, the history of another world fascinates Kravitz. He's a nerd.]
Hm. I must admit, I'm beginning to see the merit of this expedition. [A toothy grin as he drifts closer to his excited boyfriend.] Besides the company, of course.
[It's cheesy, but Kravitz is cheesy. He loops an arm around Taako's waist and tugs him in, humming as he decides.]
Top to bottom. I believe there's a higher chance of saving the best for last, that way.
[He blows a raspberry towards Kravitz as his hand finds purchase, his gills fluttering as his tail flips impatiently.]
Gods, don't be such a fuckin' sap. Come on, don't you want to see me glittering with fancy human jewels? Let's go!
[He wiggles until he's moving, streaking through the water and up until he's above the deck, looking for places the infrastructure has crumbled or the doors can be opened and slipped inside. By the looks of it, it wasn't just a party vessel, but Taako's already trying to get into the highest deck which seemed to hold some sort of boardroom.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
kravitz | open | ready ur butts for 100 prompts
[He doesn't remember life before the cold. To Kravitz, it has always been there. His only, constant companion. Maybe it says something about how far gone he is, that he's long since begun regarding that which killed him, as a friend. Or, maybe it speaks more to all the years he's had to reflect, stuck in time. To learn an appreciation for the beauty and savagery of the ice.
The first kill was an accident. (That's how he remembers it, anyway.) Desperation, fear, loneliness- he could blame it on any number of factors, but the end result won't change. After that, he has less excuses to make. It's become second nature. Whipping up snowstorms. Removing tracks. Holding them down until their limbs are cemented to the ice, and their eyes glaze over.
In the distance, he can just barely see it- the outline of another traveler, destined to go missing in the mountains.]
2 / vampire child
[He is not centuries old. Not yet an adult trapped in a child's body, not yet a mind growing restless in eternity. Nah. He's just a very small, very bitey kiddo who is feeling, hearing and smelling a lot- including you.
And you smell great.]
3 / jorogumo
[The forest seemed so open and bright at first. Color and light, dappled over a sea of leaves and daisies. Then it all began to thin out- the flowers, the light, the color- everything except the trees, which only grew thicker and closer, as if swallowing everything else up.
And then you spot it.
Web. Strung not between branches or blades of grass, but encompassing entire trunks. Crawling over boulders and hills spanning all the way up to the overhead canopy in places, where it hangs like a moth eaten blanket. You've wandered too far. The web near surrounds you.
And something is stirring.]
4a / merman
[He's a merman. Do I need to purple prose here? Nah. Maybe you're a merman/maid/person too! Family? Partner? Wacky neighbor a little too into kelp? Or maybe this is a human and merperson star-crossed lovers/friends deal! Go for it.]
4b / siren
[Or with a twist: this is no little mermaid. This is a siren, one who has tracked your ship, or drifted in to see you at the shore, all with plans to lull you into complacency and drag you out to sea. Stay sharp!]
5 / centaur
[You've caught him with his guard down. Centaurs are reclusive and shy by nature, and Kravitz is no different. But he's injured and tired, one leg folded awkwardly and blood running from his hair into his face. He's bent over a stream, attempting to wash it off, and some combination of pain and exhaustion has allowed you to draw close. Will you help? Or do you, presumably like his attackers, value Kravitz's pelt over his life?
Or: pick your scenario! One that doesn't involve playing nurse. Looking at you Taako, you horse fucker.]
6 / ghost
[Play with clay. Get spooked. Take your pick. Hell, maybe you were the ghost all along...!!!!]
7 / wendigo
[The hunger is all-consuming. Burning. And yet, Kravitz knows that every time he gives in, the further away from humanity he slips. Half of his mouth is stretched wide, teeth jagged and thin, long and razor sharp. They prick at his cheeks, where his skin grows sallow. Sickly. His nails are growing out, and his eyes are large and milky. At his temples, he can always acutely feel the worst of it.
Antlers. Slowly but surely, sprouting from his skull. They don't hurt. But they don't feel right, either.
If anyone wanders into the woods again, looking for Kravitz, the missing man- he doesn't know what he'll do.]
[or literally whatever else, hit me!]
im gonna do a bunch but im starting with 5, don't call me out like this
Yet.At first, he thinks he's seeing things. Taako had spent the first part of this weekend camping with the rest of his friends- which uh, when you're partying with your sister and a number of literal rocket scientists at a top university trip, means he's spent the majority of the last two days blitzed out of his mind. Chemists make amazing cocktails, and he frankly thinks Davenport has outdone himself every single time when it's a miracle he can even remember the night previous. It's still early in the day, early enough that he's only had a morning mimosa, so he's pretty sure he's sober and not just hallucinating from a combination of whatever fucked up shit Merle passed him last night.
But also... that's a horse man. That's part man part horse. That's a shirtless dude- an incredibly attractive shirtless dude- that is also part horse. He's seen some shit in his mind and also on the internet but that is a horse man and he's trying to figure out if this is freaking him out or not.
Regardless of if it is, Taako can't help but find himself fascinated, and a little confused. Did he get into a fight? Do horse dudes do that? Oh jeez, there must be more of them somewhere. This is the most wild thing that's happened to him, like, this month at least.
He moves a bit to get a better look, and the bushes he's hiding in shift, his feet crunching a bit in the dirt as he resettles. But he's not exactly being subtle over there since his whole head is basically out and staring. Whoops.]
ill always call u out
Shock freezes him for a moment, and he stares back dumbly at the (hot, very hot cool cool cool) face of this intruder.
The moment is broken when a droplet of blood curves it's way down Kravitz's temple and collects in the dip beside his eye. He wipes it away with the back of his hand, and stands to his full height, doing his best to look scarier than he feels right now. It's all very "look at me so impressive please run away now", and accompanied by an only mostly human sounding huff-snarl-thing.
Sorry Taako. Two legged folk haven't done him much good lately.]
Now, you shouldn't be here. I thought you'd all been quite convinced that leaving was best.
i love you but also DONT
Too bad Taako's a fucking idiot.]
Uh, if you wanted to convince me of leaving, you probably should've done it by talking to me first. Or uh, putting on a shirt maybe.
[Yeah, he's a fucking moron. Deciding he's been had, he clambers out of the bushes, brushing leaves off his clothes as he arrives. Nothing fancy for a trip through the woods; a pair of fashionable overalls and a crop top doesn't make for an intimidating look. He runs his hand up and through his hair, pushing most of it back and over his head while bits of fringe fall around his eyes.]
So you're real, right? This is really happening? I mean, no offense if you're not, or whatever, I've been kinda fucked up this weekend. But I get the feeling you weren't, uh, talking to me there, or maybe you thought you were or I was some other dude. Maybe the cause of uh, all that.
[He kind of gives a wiggly motion to the blood on his face.]
I mean the injures there btw, not your face. It's a great face.
[Dumbass.]
no subject
Did this guy just clamber out of a bush to hit on him? Is this some kind of ingenious fucking ruse and he's about to get stabbed in the gut?]
Uhhhhhhh.
[Somewhere in his staring- nice, cool, human(?) dude also has a hot bod, important info he definitely needed- Kravitz is pretty sure he picks up that this guy wasn't with the group that attacked him earlier, and that once again, he's hitting on him.]
...Could you repeat that? --No, I, sorry- you're not intimidated by me at all?
no subject
I mean, don't get me wrong, you uh, totally look like you could kill me right now? But I kinda figured if you saw I was like, kinda hot, maybe you wouldn't be inclined to kick me in the fucking head.
[Even though he sounds like he already has been. Taako gestures to his face again, sort of spinning his wrist the direction of the blood.]
Or uh, maybe you did? Instructions were unclear, got my dick caught in the ceiling fan, anyway--
[Is Kravitz catching on that he talks when he's nervous and this is why he's never shutting up? Maybe!]
I wasn't even out here looking for you, actually, I just heard something fucking big over here and I wanted to make sure you weren't, uh, a big fucking bear or something that was gonna eat me. But uh, pretty cool that you're not doing that. Really into this.
no subject
I commend you for being so upfront about that? I guess? "Kinda" hot...
[That last part is to himself; sarcastic and maybe a tad self-mocking. He's gay. End him.
Much of what Taako says goes over his head- the fuck is a ceiling fan???- but something in his tone ignites a thread of anxiety. Maybe it's just Taako's own nervousness, feeding back into Kravitz like a loop- but regardless, he kicks anxiously at the ground.]
Yes. Well. No bears here. And I can expect no more humans, either, correct?
[read: you're not about to tell all ur friends where i am right]
no subject
(The kicks do make him a little anxious. That shit could kill him stupid fast.)]
What, no, no, they're way back there. I mean, if they show up, I didn't call 'em, but by the time they all come looking they'll probably be wasted again and think you aren't real.
[He's still gotta ask though, because he's a rude boy, and he points to the blood on Kravitz' face.]
So uh, what happened to you, stallion of the cimarron? Get into a fight? Lose to a tree? You can make up some badass reason if it was just somethin' real dumb, I won't judge, uh, a lot.
comes back to open more of these, 7
From an outside perspective, Taako has no incredible stake in this. Sure, he knew Kravitz- as far as anyone else was concerned, they shared a few classes at their college, had some meetings in the dining halls, traded books and notes. But they weren't friends. Who was really friends with Taako besides his sister? He's a guy everyone knows, a guy most people even liked or at least found funny. But there's no one that close. What reasons does he have now, weeks after Kravitz has gone missing, for a barely there not friend to be tromping through the woods with a flashlight as the sun sets?
Only Lup knows, when she cornered him on his way out the door, cloak pulled over his head as he tried to slink out without her seeing. But she got it, through the badly concealed blush, the mumbled confession he never gave, the vulnerability he never knew how to be when Kravitz was around. And now, tromping through the underbrush, light from the sky fading, he just wants him back. Just wants one more chance. Taako hates permanence- he hates this middle ground of not knowing, not doing anything, just nothing. So he's going to fix it. He's going to bring him home.
Intermittently, he calls out, waiting for some sort of response.]
Krav? Look, I know you've gotta be out here, just-- come on.
[He sounds tired. He's so close to giving up. But he'll go just a little farther.]
no subject
It's only when he's close enough to see Taako's outline in the near distance that he comes back to himself, and his gut lurches as his brain wraps around a couple of things. Namely: he knows who this is, even from this distance. He can smell the perfume Taako always wears, he can hear his voice like it was right beside him, and can discern the soft lines of his hair from this far off.
He's hungry for the person he's missed the most since losing himself to this shit. Kravitz thinks he might be sick.
He stays behind a cluster of trees, fighting the urge to stay, and the arguing with the knowledge that he should leave. A shudder wracks him; a noise haunting and low echoes through the brush.]
no subject
The anxiety chokes into his throat, and he swallows hard, trying to speak to fill the silence.]
Y’know, I know I uh, totally sound like a white dude in a horror movie here, but please don’t be somethin’ that’s about to chase me.
[He’s looking hurriedly in his field of vision, but not seeing anything definitive, even as the sunset illuminates the wood still.]
Let’s just— make it easy this time, huh universe? Let’s have it not be something terrible. Let’s just find him with his hair all messed up and he like, I dunno, has been unconscious in some dirt for a little bit and everything’s fine. Right?
no subject
Kravitz sobs, stuffing a hand into his mouth and instantly crying out in pain as his own sharp teeth rake through his skin. The blood tastes good, and he forgets about worrying about the fact that Taako will hear and locate him as he laps it clean, long tongue unfurling.
He looks like an animal.]
no subject
He flips his flashlight on, the beam whizzing past him, and catches the light off one of Kravitz' eyes. He jolts immediately, stumbling as one foot goes down much too hard behind him.]
Fuck, oh fuck--
[He's afraid he's shaking, like he's about to be attacked by something he doesn't even know, like he's going to die out here and Lup is going to rez his corpse just to call him a fucking moron, and he retrains the light that direction, prepared to bolt.
And he sees him.
It's only a second or two before Taako lets his arm fall, the beam shining onto the ground, letting his eyes adjust again in the fading light to the man in the bush. The man he thinks-- no, doesn't think, knows. Just knows. But something is so wrong, so beyond wrong, he doesn't even know where to begin.]
K... Krav?
[His voice is shaking. He babbles when he's nervous, sure, but he's jumped past nervous and directly into afraid.]
Is... I... y... what is this?
no subject
He grates out a reply, voice hoarse with disuse and thick with emotion. It's hard to parse what, exactly- fear? Pain? Even Kravitz isn't sure.]
Please leave. Please.
no subject
He hates that he can practically tell he's not right by the way Kravitz doesn't even seem to want to look at himself, much less Taako. He clicks the flashlight off.]
So, uh, listen, if I've stumbled across your secret identity as the like, chupacabra or something, I seriously swear not to tell anyone.
[His voice is high and shaken, and obviously scared, even as he tries to shove it down.]
We can-- I mean, I can work with this. Probably. But you kinda have to, uhm, tell me what's. What's up, here.
AND ALSO 4A BC MERPEOPLE GOD
[Taako pulls Kravitz by the wrist through the water, tail twisting impatiently as he halfheartedly drags the other man forward. Sure, where they're going isn't perfectly safe, when pretty much their colony's only instructions are "don't mess with human shit", but Taako knows he can talk Kravitz into anything. Lup's providing cover for them back with the pod, so they have the time to slip away for a few hours. Just a quick trip and back. Taako takes a hand off of Kravitz to adjust the strap on his shoulder bag, stop it from digging into his neck from the angle he's swimming at. His long hair is braided back today to stay out of his face, devoid of the typical adornments he has around his neck, wrists, and tail. Still, the pale blue of his scales glimmer in the sunlight as it filters through the water, glittering from patches of dark skin back to the near-white of his hair. Today's for adventures. Today's for finding new, interesting things.
If that's in the shipwreck, or with each other, well, that's a different story.]
The quicker we get there the quicker we can get back. Kapeesh?
no subject
But Taako is nothing if not good at convincing him, and Kravitz has long since given up trying. He clasps Taako's hand and grins at him knowingly, allowing himself to be dragged more for the goof at this stage.]
Are you really sure this is what you want to do with a few precious, uninterrupted hours? Scour some filthy human ship? I don't know. Convince me again.
no subject
[He tugs a little harder, still grinning. Doofus. His doofus, which makes his heart thrum weirdly and sends shivers all the way to the tips of him, that he hopes Kravitz can’t feel.]
Y’know, if we finish early, we’re gonna have time left over if you’re really sooooo intent on that sort of thing.
[In a moment, he stops swimming forward, but keeps the momentum of his pull, thrusting Kravitz into his chest and sending them both just a bit backwards as they press together and Taako curls his tail around Kravitz’.]
But you’re gonna have to be faster than that if you want it, huh?
[And just a second later, all of the closeness is gone, and Taako swims around him in a tight circle as he laughs. Kravitz is too easy to mess with. He adores it.]
no subject
[He laughs too, entirely giving away his act, but not making it any easier for Taako to pull him along. Teasing Taako leads to him teasing back, and that leads to wonderful (often frustrating) places.
Case in point. Taako flings them together via momentum, and for just a second he can feel soft hair drifting over his shoulders and scales pressed roughly against his own, intimate and promising, capped with words no less so- and then it's all gone again in a rush, predictable and nonetheless effective.
Kravitz groans as Taako laughs, long suffering and adoring in one. That's sort of the way this works.
He does pick up his pace, batting at Taako with his tail and he moves past him.]
Alright, alright, I'm thoroughly convinced. Lead the way.
no subject
Oh, I got you babe. C'mon, we're almost there.
[True to form, it's only another minute or so before they swim over the edge of a crater and the wreck comes into view. It's an older ship, splintered wood leaving holes in the hull and tattered sail billowing in the current. Taako looks delighted, grabbing Kravitz by the hand as they approach.]
Look at this. All ours for the looting. Who knows what kinda cool shit they couldn't save.
[It's positively huge, and Taako looks up and down, investigating for a way in.]
Where should we start? Bottom up or top down?
no subject
Hm. I must admit, I'm beginning to see the merit of this expedition. [A toothy grin as he drifts closer to his excited boyfriend.] Besides the company, of course.
[It's cheesy, but Kravitz is cheesy. He loops an arm around Taako's waist and tugs him in, humming as he decides.]
Top to bottom. I believe there's a higher chance of saving the best for last, that way.
no subject
Gods, don't be such a fuckin' sap. Come on, don't you want to see me glittering with fancy human jewels? Let's go!
[He wiggles until he's moving, streaking through the water and up until he's above the deck, looking for places the infrastructure has crumbled or the doors can be opened and slipped inside. By the looks of it, it wasn't just a party vessel, but Taako's already trying to get into the highest deck which seemed to hold some sort of boardroom.]