Sunbeam Lair Be My Eyes

Its a colder night - 20 degrees I’d say. Around 2200 - 10:00 pm

His new companion has proven to be entertaining at the very least. He’s not quite sure what possessed him to allow @Clarence to follow him, but at least he’s not annoying. They’ve been scaling the moderately steep slope of this mountain. Hopeful for a passive they can use without the risk of falling to their absolute death, but maybe that’s wishful thinking.

Then finally a opening of a cave move only about two and half meters high. The cave is pitch black beyond the mouth of the cave. He gazes back to Clarence and smirks. “Ready to go? It’ll be dangerous.” He says intensely, attempting to spook the other, doubting it will work.

Clarence was happy to have a traveling companion - being around another wolf in this way was not familiar to the boy, but he loved it. Even if his counterpart was intent on testing and pushing him in ways he might not be fully comfortable with, he liked it much better than being alone.

The mountain was steep and Clarence's paws kept slipping on the icy rocks. His joints burned with the effort of keeping up with the taller wolf, but he was trained to ignore his body. The piebald boy kept pace well, overall, and didn't hesitate to approach the mouth of the cave alongside Santiago.

How could a cave be dangerous? It was dark, yes, but Clarence didn't see anything inherently dangerous about that. The weapon waved his tail and looked up at Santiago. "That's okay. Let's go," he stated, long legs carrying him into the cave without pausing.

Im gonna attempt to make this cave a spoopy one lol. Lots of crazy twists and turns and deadly drops! Some good life threatening bonding time! Feel free to introduce some crazy dangerous shit in the cave too!

He scoffs, but his smile stills resides where it usually is. Following the smaller in, Gabriel’s eyes flick over to the others form. Not afraid of getting caught staring, he watches him as they walk, still stunned by that pelt of his. The want to snatch him up with his teeth is constant, like an itch he can scratch but probably shouldn’t. He supposes it’s the same as the feeling you get when you want to squeeze something when you feel strongly about it. In this case though, he yearns to see blood paint a masterpiece on his coat. Whether it’s the his own, the piebald wolf’s, or someone else’s it doesn’t matter. 

The blackness of the cave overcomes them and it’s not too difficult to navigate the darkness. Then an idea pops into his head and instantly he knows it’s probably a bad idea for multiple reasons. The wolf-dog is always so close to him, presumably afraid of being left behind. He loves teasing him, testing him.

Elongated fangs peeking out from his whiskered lips he sets his idea into action. Then all of a sudden he’s running ahead in the darkness of the cave, only glancing back briefly before his jog becomes a sprint to briefly lose the other. “Don’t get left behind.” He calls. “Better keep up.” He says teasingly back at him, his deep accented voice echoing through the cave.

Spoopy caves are the best

The cave was not a good place, Clarence quickly decided. Dark, slightly damp, cold, confining. Too much like the cages - too much like the place his brain couldn't fathom returning to. So, of course he stuck close to Santiago's side, closer to him than he had been out on the mountaintops. He was afraid of being left behind. 

The larger wolf breaks off into a sprint and Clarence is suddenly left, stunned, standing in this place that reminds him of hell itself. The boy was frozen for several moments, red eyes wide in the darkness. It took him too long to chase after Santiago, and he didn't realize he'd made a wrong turn, and slammed into a small dead end. There was a screeching sound - a metal door opening, gloved hands reaching in to grab him... - as he disturbed the bats above him. 

Teeth snapped at nothing, red eyes wide and wild, and tail tucked between his legs. His head throbbed and he backed up into a corner, fur bristling and posture terrified, but muzzle peeled back into a snarl. Piss dribbled to the floor beneath him, just a few drops squeezed out by his bladder as all of his muscles clenched and unclenched, the picture of terror.

Oh my god. Your last post was so descriptive and it’s truly amazing!!

Santi relishes the way the other sticks to him like a life line. Like if he literally can’t be near or touching him it is detrimental for his health, and honestly, it is. As the larger wolf disappears off into the blackness that is this cave it’s like a panic button is hit. The sirens go off, wailing out into the smaller head. He’s too paralyzed in shock to run after so therefore he’s left standing by himself and his demons. 

Santi notices those beautiful red eyes widen in the darkness and his devilish smirk is splayed across his face as per usual. The white wolf-dog begins curling in on himself, breath coming swifter, eyes going distant, his teeth bare viciously, and it’s at this point Santi knows he fucked up leaving the younger behind to fend his demons by himself once more. 

He watches the younger revert to his former self, the purest of fear is displayed for Gabriel to see. He’s astonished at the change, his own ivory hues unable to leave the form before him. It’s stunning to see really, the raw emotions out on display, the ones he has saved away in the fog of his mind. Santi isn’t sure how to stop it now that he thinks about it? Maybe like he did last time? Though that reaction was more fear based, as is this one but with left physical reaction. He could very well likely aim to attack Santi. Hell, he has to do it anyway. 

Rounding a corner he was peaking behind, he comes closer. “Clarence.” His voice call out in the darkness. His accent rolls the name smoothly, a strong calming presence if what he strives to be. “You are safe. You’re here with me.” His smile is devious yet still he is concerned for the other, he doesn’t know why. Then his pearly white teeth show. “I would never hurt you, Clarence. Come to me, cariño.” He offers his warm embrace to the other but he’s sure more than words will have to be used to snap him out of this playback he seems stuck in.

thank you ;-; wanted to get a little further into clarence's head

It must have been Clarence's eyes, or maybe the panic, but he could see very little in the darkness, and certainly not Santiago's dark form. This was no longer the creature Clarence was, nor what he wanted to be, but it was like a switch existed inside his brain. Something flipped and his head fucking hurt, and nothing made sense anymore.

The voice that comes from the darkness, accompanied by two silver disks of eyes, is deep and soothing, but it does little to loosen the knot of fear in the boy's chest. 

"Don't touch me," he warned in a snarl, and the paralysis turned into frenzied energy. He began pacing back and forth at the back of the cave, like a tiger in a cage at the zoo. Red eyes locked on silver, ears back, muzzle still wrinkled in fear and tail only half-tucked now. "You're lying. It's not safe here, or there, with you or without you. I don't..." He broke off in a whine as his head throbbed, and he pressed his skull against the cool, damp wall of the cave. Cage? He wasn't sure anymore. "You're putting me back in a cage," the boy rasped, body trembling from stress and fear and exhaustion. "You're going to leave me in here forever and I'll never come out."

The snarl that’s ripped from the boys chest mildly startles Santi, he never heard the other be to absolutely vicious. He almost likes it he decides. Though he’s vicious due to fear and that is not acceptable to Santi. He wants to help him get over his fears and he’s beginning to think that it’s not a good idea fucking with him in this manner.

As the other paces the dead end of one of many tunnels, bravely, Santi comes closer. He wipes the smirk of his face and replaces it with his charming smile, even though he’s sure the other can’t tell which is which in this darkness. He risks his well being as he comes even closer to the wolf-dog. He’s sure the other will snap at him, but if he doesn’t, Santi comes forward butts his head softly into the others neck.

Gabriel nuzzles against him. “No, no, cariño. Do you know who I am? I will protect you.” He soothes, the words, action, and tone of voice fairly out of character for him. He understands that he has to help the other even though he did this to him. He asks as if the answer is obvious.

Clarence does not snap at the man. His head feels like it's splitting open, his heart is hammering in his chest, and his breath is coming out in short intakes, but he doesn't bite. Doesn't want to - the last thing Clarence wants is to hurt someone else. But it's difficult, his body coiled and trembling as Santiago approached. The boy does growl, though, lithe muscles hardened and tense beneath the older man's head as he laid it on his neck. 

"I..." he began, voice hoarse and body shuddering as it tried to come down from the stress it had just endured. A whine pulled from his throat and he jerked his head to the side, eyes squeezing shut. "My head..." the boy panted, ears flattened as his brain ached and throbbed behind his skull.

The boy is troubled; anyone could see that. Santi has no idea to help him. The only way that seems viable is to expose him to the feeling that terrifies him so that he begins to numb. So that it doesn’t terrify him and finally knows that he’s only having flashbacks and throwing himself into that stage of mind. They can only tell in time if Santi can actually manage at helping him.

So there he stands before the boy, removing his head from the crook of the others neck to lick a long stripe across the others cheek and forehead with his blackened tongue.

“Come back Clarence, it’s not real. The things you’re feeling are in the past. You must leave them there.” He says strongly. 

He knows it’s not easy and it will take time. Even Santi has found himself looking back to all the things he’s done, but the problem is is that he enjoyed it. His devilish smirk almost dares to come back, but he doesn’t want to flash teeth directly in front of the others face while he’s having his episode. So he turns away to face him, kicking his gently with a hip before stepping a few paces away.

Looking back he tilts his chin to him. “Come. You’re okay.” He soothes, allowing the devil to come out in his features then. That same smirk making an appearance once more.

"That's easy for you to say right now," he gritted out, squeezing his eyes shut at the feeling of a tongue across his face. It was nice, he had to admit, soothing in a way. But at the same time, his heart hammered in his chest and he trembled, not leaning one way or the other. His head pounded relentlessly, threatening to white out his vision entirely. 

Fear was a snake coiling around his chest, sinking sharp fangs into his throat. But he shook his head, regardless of the fire behind his skull. He had to snap out of this - Santiago was right. 

The boy took a few stiff steps after the older wolf, his legs wobbling as they fought to keep him upright. But the more steps he took, the steadier he felt, and his head began to clear up a little. "Sorry," he whispered, hushed and exhausted, as he fell into step beside the tailless wolf.

He watches the other struggle, his voice is tight, his body is tense with muscles drawn taut. He finally begins to loosen up and once the bigger male sees how defeated the other is he shakes his head. I really am a piece of shit, huh? Santi briefly thinks to himself as the other begins slinking towards him. Listening to the male even as he causes him to have flashbacks and panic attacks. His smirk drops as the smaller gives a weak Sorry as he walks obediently up to him.

Santiago finds himself feeling bad believe it or not. Though his good side and his bad side are always at each others throats and more often than not, his bad side wins. Even then, he still finds himself waiting for the other to reach his side to begin walking again, not wanting to leave him behind again.

He chuckles inappropriately, more out of spite of himself than anything. “It’s not your fault, amigo.” Is all he says, even though the words It’s mine almost come out. The words echo through the the cave even when his voice is low.

Santi shakes his head to himself once more as they continue down the original path. It leads further and further down into the great earth before them. It’s pitch black and they find themselves sticking together more now that there is hardly any light to reflect off the cave walls. Their sides brush often and Santi finds himself checking to make sure the younger is directly beside him more often than he probably should. 

Then as Gabe takes one long stride of his front paw forwards his heart leaps into his throat as he keeps going. He catches himself from falling and stands steadily on his feet once more. He darts over instantly to grab the smaller’s scruff on the back of his neck, teeth gentle enough not too hurt too bad but still not the most pleasant due to the sudden reaction. He grabs him as to make sure he doesn’t fall and pulls him back against his own form with an angry huff. Letting go he growls. “There’s a fucking drop off. I don’t know how deep it is, but fuck that could have been bad.”