[Open Commentlog] - Old Persian - Found Prince 001
[Unfortunately, Dastan only reads that very first line written by Lord Deior before he snapped the journal closed, frowning before absent-mindedly tucking it into his belt. Sorry, Deior, but he believes he has a way to fix this, and if time isn't on his side he has to move now so it soon will be. First objective: find the dagger. He certainly can't
( Read more... )
Anna had laughed and brushed off his attempts to hand her cloak back to her. Her internal body heat seemed to radiate much higher these days and sat a little over a hundred degrees. She found that she was not nearly as cold as the other people in the Keep seemed to be.
She had a few preparations to make before she shifted. The first one was locating some sort of portable bag in order to stuff clothes in. Shifting was physical - there was no magical transition, it was a raw and painful process that required nudity, lest she destroy her clothing.
However, if she felt like conversing in any way with Dastan after their little...'encounter' she was going to need clothes and her journal. A quick search yielded nothing so she settled for bundling her things in a spare cloak that she quickly tied up and set aside.
Now? Time to shift.
After a few brief, bonecrackingly agonizing seconds, a 300 plus pound Bengal tiger stood where Anna once did. She picked up her little bundle in her mouth, then barreled out of her room and back outside and into the snow.
Oh Dastaaaaaan where aaaare you]
Reply
Shifting on his feet, he looks around, wondering at the idiocy of his challenge, and if Anna would seriously expect to take him on. Here. In the snow.
He looked for items he could use, taking in his surroundings with a wary eye. He didn't want to fight her, per se, but he did think he could take her. On a good day. Probably.
Maybe he could tie her up? Or a distraction of some kind?
Then he sees a large Bengal tiger making her way towards him, a makeshift bag held by pointed teeth. There was absolutely no mistaking it--Anna truly was a shifter.
He gasped, eyes widening as he leans back somewhat, but he doesn't step away. He isn't afraid of her, but he is startled, and the odd sound wrung from his throat doesn't hide it.]
Y-y-you...
[He points, stops, and stares, face incredulous.]
It really is you!
Reply
He's probably cold and she leaned against him to give him some of her warmth.
...Of course it's her, silly prince. Anna huffs in what could be a laugh - her head bobs as she confirms that yes, it's indeed Anna and yes, she does understand every word that he's saying to her.
She bares her teeth at him in a catlike grin, fully aware just how menacing that might look.]
Reply
Well. Aren't you both beautiful and dangerous.
[He stretched a hand out toward her, then froze before he could touch her. Perhaps she did not wish to be touched while in this form? Or maybe it was an invasion of privacy? Still. She was blissfully warm at the moment, and Dastan couldn't help but want nothing more than to pull that warmth into his numbed and frozen limbs.]
...Can I touch you?
[He sees that grin, Anna, and Dastan's eyes suspiciously narrow at it. He doesn't exactly like the menacing look, or the amused sparkle in her eye. Not while she's a three-hundred pound tiger that could--yes--potentially eat him.]
I'd give you awful indigestion. I hope you remember that.
[Yes, he's teasing, but he's doing a pretty good job of keeping his tone serious, even if his expression wasn't.]
Reply
Usually, people petting her is not allowed - she views it as incredibly condescending and more fodder to the whole 'nothing more than an animal' argument people liked to use in relation to Misfits.
However, she can sense that is not the case with Dastan - and she waits to see if he will touch her without permission, or rectify that approaching hand.
She grunts in approval when he asks.
That earns him more approval in her books, and she nods - yes, he is allowed to touch her. For several reasons, though the two highest being that he showed her the proper respect and he is probably freezing half to death at this point.
...
Oh, fine. She stops 'grinning' at him and almost pouts, sniffing a little as she sits still under his hand.]
Reply
Do you have wild animals, too, where you come from? Or is most of the wildlife of your world actually human?
[Dastan crouches down tentatively before her, looking into her eyes and roving over the patterns of her fur. He isn't leaning closer to try to draw in some of her heat. Well... not completely, anyway. That would be rude, and an invasion of personal space. Just like his hand very well may be. With a forlorn sigh, Dastan spreads his fingers wide in the fur near the scruff of her neck once more, then solemnly takes his hand away.]
If I could be as warm as you are now, I would gladly change my frozen form for one with fur. I assume it is pretty handy on more than one occasion.
[He grins at her response to his comment about indigestion. He could practically feel what she thought about that.]
So how are your other senses, then? Your sense of smell? Have you discerned my scent? Will you be able to track me anywhere, now? [He was teasing, and hoped she realized that. He was also mostly curious, however, head tilted to one side as he awaited her response.]
Reply
There are few people brave enough to face Anna, especially while in this form, and for him to look her in the eye while doing so spoke volumes of his courage. It simply added more to her opinion of the man in Anna's book.
She purred quietly as she enjoyed - for once - the feeling of hands in her fur. But then it's gone and his comment made her huff.
She pushed back in against him, headbutting him gently. Don't be dumb, she seemed to be saying. Warm up.
She sniffed carefully at him, then sneezed. Oh yeah - she'd be able to track you anywhere at all, Dastan!]
Reply
Sorry. I'm a curious individual. I think you'll find that out rather quickly if you haven't already.
[She had purred lightly at his touch, however, so perhaps it was not entirely unwanted? Then she was headbutting him, and Dastan throws his head back and laughs again.]
Okay, Okay. I can take the hint.
[Carefully, he moves a bit closer to her, pressing his side along hers and shivering slightly at the contrast of her heat in comparison to his cold. Then he carefully spreads his palm flat against her upper shoulder, his fingers once again slowly and rhythmically delving into fur. He stares at his hand slightly in disbelief before his questing fingers once again rise up to find the scruff of her neck. It will take him a while to get used to the idea that she was a tiger, and he was touching--
He couldn't think along those lines of thought. He'd get tongue-tied and awkward and feel even more embarrassed that he seemed to be so fascinated by her and her ability.]
Ah--er... if you mind this, feel free to somehow let me know. Though I suppose you already would have done so, if that were the case, so...
[He trails off. Yeah, he's just going to try to warm up, hoping it was the cold that was addling his brain and that it was possible to cure.]
Reply
Especially when she is going to pound him into the snow in a few moments.
She rests her head on his shoulder, yawning her massive jaws wide as she waits for him to heat up a bit.
And he's quite right - she would have torn him limb from limb were he any other and were she in any way not alright with this current situation.]
Reply
I'm going to hazard a guess and assume you are also from a warmer climate.
[Dastan grins. He could talk to himself/Anna forever while she was like this. He finds it kind of humorous to be able to say anything to her without her being able to contradict him.]
So. Do I win every argument or debate while you're like this, seeing as how you can't say anything otherwise?
[His grin is wide when he turns to look at her.]
Reply
She pulls back at that next statement though, eyes glinting a little as she decides that it's time to teach the sassy boy a little lesson by pressing heavy paws against his chest then shoving him back against the snow in an effort to pin him down, jaws open and teeth bared in his face.
She might not have vocal chords, but she can certainly 'disagree'!]
Reply
Woah, woah! Okay, I get it. You're disagreeing with me, now.
[He pauses when she bares sharp teeth, but doesn't move to attack him in any way. Oh. So she was playing with him, hmm? Or making her opinion known, at the very least. Having a strong and powerful tigeress pin him down left him good and well trapped, but it wouldn't be impossible for him to break her hold. Not harming her to do it, on the other hand... He relaxed, letting up on the presssure of his forarm against her, then abruptly wraps his arm around her and twists, getting leverage from his legs as he attempts to flip her over--or at least roll her to her side.]
Reply
Pleased at his reactions, she doesn't put up much of a resistance when he moves to roll her, though as she moves she wraps those massive paws around him, dragging him with her. If she's going, then he is too.
He felt a little warmer, at least - maybe he wouldn't end up with...whatever it is people ended up with too much exposure to the cold. Anna honestly didn't know, considering she'd never really been exposed to it before. It had surprised her when it hadn't bothered her as much as she'd thought it might, but she had simply attributed it to the fact that she was...'special'.]
Reply
[His victory was short lived, however, as Anna's large and formidable paw uses Dastan's momentum to take him right back down with her. He pauses, surprised to find himself on the ground beside her, but as she makes no move at him he simply twists his head to gaze at her inquisitively.]
Shall we call this a draw, then?
[His tone was dry, but the edges of his lips quirked up into a smile. Now that he was lying on the frozen ground, he wondered if he's get colder faster. The freezing temperature had yet to penetrate fully, however, what with the blood pumping through his veins and a massive forearm stretched out across him. At least the arm was warm.]
Reply
She moved to lift herself off of him, head lowering to give him a nudge, pushing him to get up. They should get him inside. She has no want for him to freeze to death. There is an innate need to keep him safe, protect him - though she is completely certain that he does not need her whatsoever.
Inside, she can curl around him until he’s thawed out. Then she could swap back, and they could…talk more. Perhaps.]
Reply
Heading somewhere in particular, I take it?
[He grins, but holds up his hands in good-humor as he walks where she indicates.] All right. I will play along. I sincerely hope you are leading me to someplace warm.
[Little did Anna know she was quickly becomming someone Dastan felt he could like and trust. She may not need a Prince of Persia to look out for her, but she would find she had someone she could trust in him, that was certain.]
((Do you want to assume they warmed up and chatted, or do you want to continue? I will let you decide. :D <3 <3 <3))
Reply
Leave a comment