middaeg | Are you brave enough to see? [open]

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Are you brave enough to see? [open]

Who: Berserker (Cú Chulainn Alter) and you!
When: Throughout Feoveuer
Where: The Wilde
What: Wilde Quest #2 Dragon's Den -- a dragon would like you to stop leaving him food offerings and go away
Warnings: none

((NOTE: Berserker will be in his full-sized dragon form, meaning he's about the size of an elephant, so keep that in mind!))

[ 1. Will you bite the hand that feeds? (Existing CR) ]

[ Food has been showing up at the mouth of the den he'd set up since he showed up in the Wilde. It's been an annoyance and it's not like he can tell them to cut it the fuck out. Instead, he just moves the offerings inside (mostly to prevent drawing in any wild creatures that might want to partake). Well, at least he won't go hungry.

Nearby footsteps draw his attention from where he's laying. He peeks his head out of the den and narrows his eyes. The dragon recognizes who's coming and huffs out a sigh. ]

... You came to find me, didn't you? Don't tell me you brought food, too.

[ 2. Will you chew until it bleeds? (New CR) ]

[ The sound of something being dropped near the opening of his temporary home gets Berserker to stand up and look out. It's not a mirrorbound that's familiar to him, so he's not about to be very friendly to them -- he's out here to be alone, after all. ]

Leave what you've brought and go before my kindness runs out.

[ Someone is a cranky boy. ]

[ 3. Will you get up off your knees? (Wildcard) ]

[ Did we plot something? Have an idea for this quest? Drop me a starter or PM me here or on Discord glitzkrieg#0673 and we can work something out! ]

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Yes!

[ flat announces this cheerfully, the basket in his hands a clear sign of the “offering” he was bringing for the dragon that everyone in the city seemed to be wary of.

he doesn’t fear the size of the dragon or the glare—maybe if it were another dragon, sure, but flat’s able to recognize that steady pulse of their bond anywhere. and because of that, he runs to the den without any hesitation, he sets the basket down at the entrance, leaving his hands open to hold the side of the dragon’s head, resting his forehead against him. ]

You know you could have told me you were leaving in person, right? I am awake at that time.

[ It helps that even in his dragon form that his scales mimic his tattoos, which helps in making him recognizable.

Flat's presence doesn't surprise him, rather it's the lack of hesitation to be physically affectionate. He'd been so hesitant and even uncomfortable with it before. It's a pleasant surprise. Berserker tilts his head and presses into the affection. ]

... I couldn't have. That's why I left the note at all.

[ If he'd told either of his Bonded in person, he wouldn't have been able to run off. Things are markedly more complicated now and disappearing into the woods wasn't as easy as it used to be. Seeing the effect of his decisions on those he cares about is too difficult; he would have simply chosen to stay instead because it was easier and less painful.

After a few more lingering moments, Berserker moves away and clears the entranceway to let Flat pass, if he wants to. ]

Bring that inside. You may stay for awhile, if you'd like.

So you would have even left without a word! Terrible!

[ despite his words, flat is not angry in any way whatsoever. considering what the dragon had been through, he understands the wish to be far away from the city that had hurt him.

and if he had disappeared without saying a word, then flat would have come looking for him regardless, because he is loyal to those that he cares about—in his own way, at least.

he makes his way through the entranceway, picking up the rather heavy basket of food and offerings. ]

So I was really unsure about what you liked at first. There’s a lot of offerings from the people that I met along the way— [ he pulls out an assortment of dried meats, each one from someone different. ] I think they’re more afraid of you than you are of them, but I guess that’s why you made yourself a giant dragon. [ shrug. he pulls out some apples. ] Anyways, since you’re Irish, I realized what would be the best thing to bring you!

[ and last, but not least, he dumps the rest of the large basket’s content on the ground. they’re potatoes. raw. potatoes.

he beams up at berserker, similar to a cat that just dropped a mouse at their owner’s feet. ]

What do you think!? Perfect idea, right?

You know I would sooner allow you to starve than coddle you like that.

[It's difficult to say how true that sentiment is. Ozymandias does, at this point, have a bit of a history in forcing Berserker to look after himself a little better than he's naturally inclined, but these circumstances are a bit different. Choosing to live out here, in this form? He does expect a degree of self-sufficiency.]

[But it is the truth that he has brought no such offerings with him as clearly so many before him have. He has just not come alone. Trotting quite fearlessly ahead of Ozymandias, the sphinx cub starts to wander straight into the den to greet Berserker. In contrast, Ozymandias stops just outside and does nothing to wrangle the little one back outside. He trusts Berserker will remove it as gently as possible if it is truly a bother.]

I needed to come see for myself that it was you and not another. [It seemed unlikely based upon the description the Wilders provided that it was anyone other than Berserker out here. Before Berserker can make any sort of remarks that he's seen and can leave, he asks,] Are you faring well out here then?

[Whatever emotions have filtered through their Bond, Berserker might note, have been startlingly subdued and, even now, as he stands at the mouth of the cave, he's hard to read. It's not that Diarmuid looks unwell or unhappy so much as something about him feels subtly... off. Maybe his stride isn't as confident as normal or his head held as high. Maybe it's related to the strips of bandages wound around a few of his fingers, visible as he brushes his hair back off of his face with one hand. Whatever it is, it's controlled and purposeful but not in the sense of trying to deceive.

Regardless, he can't help but smile as his eyes fall over the beast settled in the darkness.]

... not food, no.

[He doesn't wait to be invited in- but neither does he go straight to him like he wants to. Instead, he makes his way forward slowly, stepping around baskets of offerings until, finally, he's before the dragon. Tucked under his own arm is a small wicker hamper.]

If you're not ready to see me yet, I can leave.

[Just finding him alive and well- if only physically- is enough.]

Edited 2020-02-01 19:02 (UTC)

[ There's an oil lamp lit in the den and signs that he'd lit a fire at some point -- seems as though he's not spending all of his time as a dragon. There's even a makeshift bed by one wall, not exactly luxurious but one could sleep there.

Berserker can only give a blank stare at Flat as he proudly looks at him. Would smothering him be considered rude or would anyone really blame him for it? ]

...

You're serious, aren't you? [ He doesn't have to ask that -- he knows Flat is serious. ] I can't refuse it so...they will be eaten.

Edited 2020-02-01 22:32 (UTC)

[ Ah, it was mainly curiosity that drove the Rider to come all this way to find him. Berserker can't truly mind it; it's not like he's seen Ozymandias in recent memory. His memory had been...spotty since the kidnapping business, mostly blank spots where the more heinous acts should have been and the aftermath. His time spent in the infirmary was oddly hazy...

Nevermind. Berserker does nothing to dissuade the sphinx kitten and actually lets it climb on his foreleg. It's not as if its claws could hope to puncture his hide. ]

Well enough. I don't have to worry about food for some time. [ There are several baskets at the opening of the den, stuffed full of any number of things. It seems no one had any idea what to feed a dragon. ] It's not just curiosity that brought you here, is it?

[ He's certain concern played a part in it. It wasn't exactly a secret what happened to him. Even in this form, the scars are visible. ]

[ The steady pulse of their Bond and Diarmuid's familiar presence growing closer alerted hm to who it was long before he saw him. It's a welcome sight and he perks up when he hears his voice. That ... happiness is quickly replaced by an ache as he notices the careful concealment in Diarmuid's motions. It stings, especially since he knows he likely had a hand in it by being absent.

He wants to comfort him, but doesn't, at least not immediately. He wants to tell the witch to leave and never return, to forget about him and leave him here. His presence in Diarmuid's life has done nothing but complicate it and make things more difficult for him. It would be easier for the dragon to just live the rest of his life in isolation and forget the life they'd made together in Aefenglom...but it wouldn't be fair.

Berserker lowers his head and presses the flat of it as gently as he can against Diarmuid's forehead. It's a small comfort, but it's the best he can do in this form. The pain and discomfort he feels echoes through their Bond, though the contact eases it some. ]

Stay. I will allow you to stay the night, if you wish it. [ There are a few unlit oil lamps in the den, signs of a fire extinguished in the last night, and a makeshift bed against one wall along with the clothing he took with him. ] I can change form, too, if you'd prefer...

[ And also because he wants to hug and kiss Diarmuid and apologize for his absence in a way words can't hope to do. The lancer's faith and devotion would be rewarded in time...Once he figures out how he can adequately do that. ]

You don't sound excited at all! Did I mess up somehow? I thought the Irish loved potatoes...but I'll take it back if you don't want them.

[ it's not like he has never seen cu get excited outside of a murder and it's not like he thinks about how, if this were true, then he would have to like escargot by manner of just being french.

flat sighs dramatically as he puts the potatoes in the basket. next topic. ]

So, how long are you planning to stay here? Are you gonna become a caveman now? Ah but you're not a man right now...cave...cavedragon... that doesn't have a good ring to it. Caveman.

[ The urge to smother Flat isn't really going away. It would be trivial to just lay down on him and wait for the struggling to stop. He'd never hear another word out of him again...

Of course he won't do it. Flat's bizarre behavior is endearing to him now; after what he went through, it's familiar. His strange musings give him a sense of normalcy after everything and that is what he craves most of all. It doesn't stop him from staring at Flat, though. While he expects those sort of bizarre comments, it never makes them any easier to deal with.

Berserker ignores the caveman comment and responds to what his actual question was. ]

...

I don't know. Until I feel like I can handle being in the city again. However long that takes.

[ flat hums thoughtfully at cu's response, as he stops packing up the potatoes to give the dragon a rather long, pointed stare. it's like he's trying to process the information, trying to understand the logic behind it. ]

I guess that makes sense.

[ he resumes putting back the few potatoes left on the ground before making his way closer to cu, sitting down and leaning his back against him. his tone and emotions are both oddly neutral as he thinks. ]

Then I'll just have to keep coming then. People are really eager to "appease the dragon" or something like that, so maybe I'll just keep on bringing you weird stuff. It's a lot more exercise than I want to do, but...

[ hm. ]

It's kind of boring without you around.

[ He carefully settles down around Flat, curling around him protectively. The last person he sat like this with...is gone now. Berserker doesn't want to think too much about that; the pain of his severed Bond still hasn't completely subsided. He'd rather focus on maintaining the two he still has.

This feels ... fine, actually, once he stops thinking about Geralt's absence. He gently nuzzles Flat, savoring the pleasant pulse of magic between them. As frustrating as the witch can be and as troublesome as he is, he's still important to Berserker and always will be. ]

You need more friends. [ Teasing. He's feeling a little bit better if he can tease him. ] And...I will come back. I promise you that much.

[ He nuzzles Flat again before continuing. While he came out here to isolate himself, the touch and comfort of his Bonded are something he finds himself craving. ]

You're welcome to come here as much as you like, but I will send you away if I want to be alone. You can respect that much, can't you?

Ahaha... you're not wrong.

[ somehow, cu's teasing does manage to strike a chord in flat. it's nothing serious, but there is a slight tinge of frustration that comes from the witch as he nuzzles the dragon back. ]

I tried to talk to someone a few days ago and I guess that something I said must have made her really angry. She told me not to talk to or approach her ever again-- which, I mean, is more honest than most people in the Clock Tower, so that's good! I'm just not sure what I did wrong...

[ he sighs, with a little more flair than what he really feels. it's not that big of a deal in his head, especially since he did have cu and waver still.

flat nods after cu speaks. ]

Yep! I'll be as quiet as a mouse-- you won't even know I'm here!

[The thing that answers him isn't...precisely, a person. It's a swirling mass of shadows curled in the shaded branches of a tree as the sunset dimmed to twilight.

The shadow's dropped a rabbit--dead, raw, but not wriggling, not with its spine snapped and its guts removed hours ago.]

So it does work.

[The shadow-thing's voice could be better described as an echo--one that seemed reluctant to fade, like a persistent dream.]

[Ozymandias comes close to brushing the question aside, the obvious assumption that if Berserker thinks to ask that question, he probably already knows the answer. But giving it more than a second's thought, it occurs to Ozymandias that may not be the case. Whether it's the memory of Berserker complaining about Ozymandias' assumptions or the fact Berserker has retreated out here in this form, he sets aside what he was about to say in favor of actually answering the question.]

I know you're capable of caring for yourself, but I can't exactly trust you to always do just that, can I? [The kitten flops over, doing its best to rub on Berserker. It probably knows it won't get pets out of him while he's like this, but that won't stop it from hamming it up.] Especially when you're taking to hiding in caves all by yourself.

[ Berserker is immediately on edge, though he doesn't growl or make himself more threatening. The ... thing that presents itself to him is enough to unsettle him. He stays in place, briefly glancing to the dead rabbit. Most of the things offered to him have been processed and not just the animal itself, so it's a bit strange. ]

...What works?

[ His voice is somewhat distorted at this size, deeper with a strange edge to it. ]

You do have a habit of saying stupid, rude things. [ Blunt. ] Maybe that's what set her off...It takes a certain kind of person to be able to deal with you.

[ He...probably shouldn't be so blunt, but it's just how he is. It's another sign things are slowly returning to normal. ]

...When I say "leave", I mean back to the city. You realize that, right?

Ah, that makes you the same as me, then! What's the phrase...pot calling the kettle black?

[ he laughs, despite the harsh comment. flat knows he's right so there's no need to argue--he's just living up to cu's judgement. somewhat on purpose.

nevertheless, his smile does falter a bit after. the realization that he's feeling awfully anxious over the idea of leaving cu alone for too long hasn't hit him yet, so the feeling remains unknown in him, nameless and uncomfortable like the idea of a monster under the bed. ]

Yeah, yeah, I do. I'll leave when you say the word.

[ Truth be told, he had been expecting Ozymandias to deflect the question, so it's a nice surprise that he actually answers it. Berserker can't exactly do anything to pet the sphinx kitten, but it is certainly distracting. He lowers his head to get a better look at it and gives it a gentle nudge with his muzzle. ]

... I'm not hiding. [ He is hiding. ] But I'm fine. Little can threaten me like this and even the Cwyld have trouble getting through my plates.

[ Though the still-patchy scales along his back and feet present a strong vulnerability. ]

You didn't need to come all this way.

[ "But I appreciate it." ]

[ He can feel that anxiety and he doesn't like it. What happened to him affected both of his Bonded so badly to the point that his own trauma was meaningless. It hurt him worse to know they were suffering, too. This is an unfortunate feedback loop that only increases his own shame and pain. Berserker shifts how he's laying, trying to ignore the unpleasant emotions churning inside him. A futile effort all around. ]

... Are you afraid to leave me alone?

[ Afraid that something might happen to him again, that he won't be able to protect himself again. ]

...

[ the question posed makes flat's eyes widen in surprise, turning to the dragon. once again, berserker had hit the mark excellently. ]

I guess so!

[ he was not unused to fear. he was afraid of himself for the longest time, afraid of the things he could do and what he could see. fear of separation, though, that was something entirely new to him. even when svin had left the class after graduation, he had never felt any sort of fear of being alone.

then again, even without svin or caules, he never felt lonely because he had the el melloi classroom as a whole to be a source of comfort for him. in this place, he had none of that. if both the people he leaned on the most were taken from him again, then he'd be truly alone.

it was a new, strange form of terror--and flat could only laugh softly in response. ]

It's a pretty silly fear, isn't it? But I am an idiot, so maybe it's natural that I'd be afraid of something like that.

Edited 2020-02-02 05:58 (UTC)

[ Berserker's body, even in this form, still showed the scars from both Dorchacht and his torture; his scales still haven't regrown, leaving his bare patches on his body. His mortal frailty is more known to him than ever. If even the strongest and most capable were able to be kidnapped and tormented, it meant no one was safe. The ones Flat cared for most were stolen away and missing for a week. For once, he can't call it stupid. Flat seems to be much like him and experiencing unwanted and unfamiliar emotions, so he can relate far more than he'd like to admit.

He wanted to tell Flat to leave and never look back so he could die alone in this forest, but that wasn't fair. Going back to how he used to be, apathetic and ever lonely, was no longer an option. He had two people he needed to care for, at the very least. Two people who needed him now and he wasn't strong enough to stay.

Berserker curls around him as tightly as he can and carefully rests his head in his lap. He's less like a dragon and more like a giant cat right now. ]

I will return to you and Diarmuid, I promise you that. You will not lose me again...Not this easily.

[It's far more difficult to keep his control once he feels the cool, smooth press of his scales against his skin- impossible, even, when he talks and his voice shivers through him in that strangely sourceless but comforting rumble. Letting the basket clatter to the floor, Diarmuid closes his eyes and runs a hand over his jaw to feel the powerful muscle beneath. Pure affection rushes through him, all apprehension temporarily lost in the relief of finding him not only well but wanting to see him as well.]

I do wish it. Very much.

[He places the lightest of kisses to his snout and steps back to take in the rest of the cave. It's hardly comfortable but it's clear that Berserker's made an effort to make it more liveable beyond the basic need for shelter; a sign that he's likely going to be staying here for some time. With one last, reluctant nuzzle, he finally tugs back the furred hood of his cloak, revealing newly cut hair, which he pauses to rub a hand through. It's longer than it was when he arrived but shorter than the generous plait he'd become accustomed to and, while his appearance is one thing he usually has confidence in, he still seems unsure about it.

Maybe that's just how he feels right now anyway. Unsure.]

Whichever causes you the least pain, a mhuirnín.

[The Dragon didn't snarl at her, and seemed to be quite lucid. Something about those markings tugged at a memory, but Kaede couldn't quite place it.

The shadow-thing gathered itself, shrinking into a more solid, colorful, identifiably humanoid form. Relatively speaking. Kaede had a few too many limbs in odd shapes to cut an entirely person-shaped outline.

The Chimera stretched out on the branch like a leopard, her feathery tail spilling off the edge and curling at the end.]

Leaving food out here. [A glance at the rabbit.] Stress relief. Whichever. Thought it'd go to waste.

[In a way they expected to find him here in the forest. After all, where else could they go when there is nothing left in the city that can be trusted?]

I wanted to but...I think this is more a coincidence than anything else.

[Their voice sounds soft and even. To be fair, they aren't entirely up to this confrontation yet. Some wounds are still too fresh and this is one of them.]

If you want to hide you have to do better, Cu.

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Are you brave enough to see? [open]

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