Happily Ever After

[viceofvoices]

[Troubadour and Krichevskoy walk along the market stalls of a sprawling bazaar. Items and goods from many different dimensions have all gathered here, at a sort of multidimensional marketplace]

Ah! Krichevskoy! Look at this!

[he pulls the other man to a shop full of flowers, exotic and fantastical]

Comments

[musicalplum]

Wait...! [No! No, no, this is all wrong! Before he even realizes what he's doing, his hand shoots out to grab Krichevskoy's wrist, only he's too slow, missing entirely and instead getting a handful of the other man's backside]

[beautifulrondo]

[Krichevskoy slowly stands, facing away from Troubadour, but seems to have frozen entirely afterward, face burning scarlet under the hood.]

[musicalplum]

N-No, I...I didn't mean...ah...

[he jerks his hand back as if it were on fire, utterly horrified, all trace of his wolfish mannerisms shattered]

[beautifulrondo]

[he pulls on the hood, and when he turns around, all that can be seen is the hood. He's pulled it that far over his face]

I think... I am just going to forget that that happened.

[musicalplum]

I was trying t-to grab your hand! I didn't mean to touch your butt, not that it's a terrible butt, in fact it's as firm and pert as I'd expect it to be; do you work out? A-Ah, what am I saying!?

[beautifulrondo]

[the cloak is about halfway off of him before he stops pulling it down. This is becoming increasingly awkward. What he had said during that pond incident, the implications of him buying a set of matching rings and sharing with Troubadour, and now this?]

...C, Correct as your assessment of my posterior is, this is still incredibly... I... I shall take you at your word.

[at least he's not leaving anymore]

[musicalplum]

[he's almost on the verge of tears now, less an alpha male than a whining puppy]

I-I do not understand what's gotten into me, but I've been trying so hard not to do anything untoward but somehow all I want to do is devour you, ever since I put on this ring!

[beautifulrondo]

Even in word selection...!

[he rearranges the cloak so that he can see again, now convinced that he can keep it together, and stares down at the ring on his own finger]

That's... odd. I have not felt anything of that sort. Are you certain it isn't a coincidence?

[musicalplum]

I WOULD NEVER DO THESE THINGS UNDER MY OWN VOLITION!

[beautifulrondo]

[Krichevskoy leans away a bit] Then why would it affect only you?

[he hasn't felt too different, after all. Maybe finding Troubadour a bit more intimidating than, well, ever, but that could easily be attributed to something on Troubadour's end.]

[musicalplum]

I! [he falls to his knees quite dramatically, defeated] I don't know...

Perhaps it is better that you leave. I cannot bear the thought of doing more damage to our friendship.

[beautifulrondo]

[he leans over, a hand cupping his chin]

Have you tried taking the ring off?

[musicalplum]

Of COURSE I--!

[he freezes suddenly as he realizes that, no, he in fact hadn't even considered the idea. After a moment, he turns his back to Krichevskoy, struggling to get the ring off]

Come on, you blasted...! OUCH!

[he hisses in sudden pain, sucking the blood welling up around the ring]

[beautifulrondo]

[Krichevskoy takes a step closer, trying to peer around Troubadour to get a look. Is it really that tight on? Maybe it's like one of those finger traps where you have to pull it gently.

He looks down at the ring on his own finger (does it look a little less tarnished somehow?) and pulls on it a bit, but it doesn't budge. His brows knit together and it's not long before he's pulling on it with the same furiousness as Troubadour] Why won't it--?! Khhh!

[he shakes his hand from the pain, sending a drop or two flying] J, Just how tight is it on?!

[musicalplum]

[Troubadour slowly rises up, fist still pressed to his lips as he turns to face Krichevskoy]

...so this is it, then. I have been so tainted? Am I to lose myself to a trashy ring?

[he sniffles and tears flow freely from his eyes] I don't wanna eeaaaat yoooouuuuu!

[beautifulrondo]

Eh?! You meant that?! [he shakes his head quickly to clear it and pulls the hood up again as he starts to pace a little]

W, well... I still have some food left if you still are hungry. [he's not sure he wants to admit to this part now, but...] And I purchased a few other things as well.

[musicalplum]

No food you have will satiate me the way your flesh would!

[he sobs and pulls out a knife from under his cape] I will take this ring off no matter what! I can live without a finger!

[ah, but...as a musician, his hands are precious. His grip trembles on the knife as he hesitates]

[beautifulrondo]

[he throws up his hands] C, Calm down! You could at least try it anyway! If you calm yourself and focus, perhaps you can chase those feelings away?

[it's disturbing to think about, but...] If you must, think of it another way. It is incredibly difficult for anything to pierce this skin. Even if you were to try, you would not fine... eating me... so simple.

[musicalplum]

[he sighs brokenly and flings the knife away] Y-Yes...willpower. As a man and a god, I cannot give in so easily.

[he looks down at his hand once more, at the ring which now seems somehow more tarnished than before, almost black] I...perhaps we should leave this forest. Find the merchant and demand answers!

[beautifulrondo]

[Krichevskoy nods] That may be best. Surely he will know what is going on.

...Ah. Before we go. [he reaches into a dimensional pocket, pulling out a grey fur cloak and some plum wine] I am not sure whether it counts as feeling ill anymore, but I felt at the time that it might at least raise your spirits if I brought these. [also he has a very skewed idea of the value of a HL] This was the type of cloak you were looking for, was it not?

[musicalplum]

...! [he gasps, snatching the cloak from his hands and rubbing it against his face] I-It's...it is perfect!

[with a sharp gesture, he makes his usual red cape disappear and swings the fur around his shoulders. Then he embraces Krichevskoy, spinning around in place]

Aaaah, you truly are a noble soul...!

[beautifulrondo]

[that seems more like the Troubadour he knows. Krichevskoy cracks a smile, for once not bothered by the fact he's being spun around like that. It's good to see him feeling better.] But of course. I have said that time and again, have I not?

[musicalplum]

[he sniffles and nods. Then...sniffs again. Man, Krichevskoy, you smell good. In fact, Troubadour's sense of smell has heightened, it seems. Still holding on to the other man, he snuffles and sniffs along his throat]

Mmm...you smell delicious!

[beautifulrondo]

[Krichevskoy tenses a moment, and then tries to wriggle out of Troubadour's grasp with a small, awkward laugh] I am not sure whether or not I should take that as a compliment...

[musicalplum]

Are you certain you feel no different now? The ring has truly not changed you in any way? [sniff sniff SNIFFFF] ...perhaps given you some...bacon-y element?