string_theory | You want paradise

In this place everything echoed. The huge, cavernous ice tunnels left by dragons who's lived here long ago, weaving in and out of each other, were perfect in many ways for the boy to take up residence in. The echoing let him know if anyone was coming, their twisting patterns made it easy to move amoung them, to hide if need be. There was clean water bubbling from hot springs deep in the caves, and hunting not far from their entrances. And best of all, the cold was too biting for any normal human to seek out their safety. Whatever the strange magic that ran through his body was, one very useful side effect he was finding was that the cold never touched him. Any other person would freze to death here.

Because of that he hadn't heard any echos but his own. Until today.

Although he knew that, clearly, moving silently was impossible in these caves, he still did his best to follow as quietly as he could. His foot steps were soft, sliding along the ice when he could, trying to see as much about this strange person who'd invaded what he'd come to think of as his home in the months he'd spent hiding here.

He wasn't scared, not yet. Just curious.

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His blood hissed when it landed on the smooth ice below him, melting through the surface and delving deeper within it. He dragged his body along, pressing a hand against the deepest wound bleeding through his side. His blood was dark, thick, and smelled acrid, welling out over his fingers as he tried to staunch the bleeding. His wounds were deeper than others he had gotten before, he had been clumsy--the men who had chased away more violent than usual.

Of the two horns that usually rested on his brow, only one remained, ridged and curled like a ram's horn, deep gray turning darker and tinted red as it moved to the tip. The other was broken off roughly near the base, and he could feel the uneven weight on his skull. He breathed out a sigh, his exhale flaring and visible in the cool air.

A human would quickly freeze to death in an ice carved cavern. Momochi Zabuza was not human, not quite. His feet shuffled as he walked deeper into the den, only to crumple into a slump against the wall, sliding down to his knees.

He was hurt. So hurt, in fact, Haku had a feeling he didn't have much to worry about. At least not for much longer.

And that thought wretched something a little inside him. He hadn't been near people in a long time, but the idea of letting someone die, hurt and alone, when they were harmless to him...

Moving closer, he stopped as the smell reached him. As he saw it hissing into ice, melting it away. As he realized that the twisting bone on his brow was attached.

This man wasn't human.

But he also wasn't doing well. That hadn't changed. Swallowing and gathering his courage, he moved forward again.

"I can take you to water. Warm water. A place to rest, better than here."

He was slow to react to the other's approach, his head drooping, chin nearly resting on his chest. When he did hear him, and see him approaching in the reflections of the ice, his immediate response was to bear his teeth and snarl like a startled dog would.

His teeth were jagged and uneven, gleaming white marred by a deep rust red. The sound tapered off, its echo dying through the hallways.

The proposition was surprising, inwardly. Outwardly, he narrowed his eyes. "What are you?" It was as much an accusation as a question.

When the other rumbled like that, deep, like an animal, he moved back. But more than scaring him, it reinforced what he had thought. If he walked away now, he would have nothing to worry about from this intruder.

But he didn't turn away.

That question, from someone who clearly wasn't human, shouldn't sting. And it didn't, not as much as it could. He had no idea if it was time, or situation, but either way, he moved forward.

"I'm human. Enough. But it's not important what I am. You need help."

As much as he would hate to admit it, Zabuza was at the mercy of this stranger. There would be no way to defend himself should the frail looking being choose to set upon him. His breath sawed out over his teeth, puffs of white that disappeared into the air. If the creature intended to do him harm, he likely would have done so already. Either he was genuine, or he had much darker intentions that he could not guess.

"And you are simply offering me help?" He grunted out, "Fine."

He drew himself onto all fours, clawed fingers splayed over the icy ground, as he didn't think he could stand in his state, tipping his head for the other to guide him.

He nodded at the question, feeling like he shouldn't talk too loud or move too fast. There was something feral in the other, but also something far more dangerous than that.

And Haku wasn't looking to test out how well he could defend himself.

"This way..." he said softly, starting down one of the burrows of ice, walking so he could keep an eye on the other. He knew his way well enough, and slipping on the ice wasn't much of a worry.

"There's...one ways is faster, but harder. The other is a bit round about. Which...?"

((OOC- Sorry I know I said I'm slow but I'm usually not THIS slow. I had a real life thing and hiatused and forgot not everyone was on my plurk. So sorry!))

(( Damn it I didn't mean to return the favor. I hope you haven't written me off just yet ))

Zabuza dragged himself along, trying not to bite into his lip as he grit his jagged teeth. For him slipping on the ice was a much more present danger, and the steaming drips of his own blood landing beneath him did little to increase his stability. At this point he was too worn to be visibly agitated, but on the inside he stewed over. He was still alive. He needed time to recover. He was being led by a stranger, deeper and deeper into a chamber of solid ice.

His head jerked when he realized the boy was asking him a question. "Faster." He snarled. "I'll manage." Or so he hoped.

The urgency he sensed from the other man made him want to move faster, but he stayed just ahead, trying to make the path as clear as possible. He didn't get to close as he lead him, until they were almost there. And at that point he had a feeling he had to help.

The caves weren't made for of by humans, and this one ended in a nearly 8 foot sheer jump. It was far from impossible in good health, but looking at the man struggling behind him, Haku didn't think he could make it.

Well, at this point he was in hot water either way. Murmuring under his breath, he ran his hands over the sheer ice wall, pulling and shaping hand grips along it's surface, before scrambling to the top and holding out his hand.

((Not at all! I'm just glad I didn't lose you :D))

He came to a stop before the sheer drop, his eyes narrowing at the darker ice beneath. A fall that far wouldn't kill him, most likely, but it would hurt, maybe even keep him down for a few hours in the cold. He slowed, watching the other climb down. Peering over the edge, he watched him alter the wall of ice, molding it like one would clay or dough, forming footholds and outcrops.

His eyes were locked onto the movement itself that it took him a moment to realize what he was doing. It was a gesture for his sake.

He was silent for a while, staring between his face and his hand. "That's a nice trick." he grumbled. He didn't want to say how he wasn't sure he could climb in this state. Instead, he took his hand, his warm skin against the other's pale palm.

You want paradise

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