(keeping the outcome of "blame" somewhat vague but going off the assumption he joins SL)

Things were strange now. It hadn't been a painless transition from being alone in the great big world to being constantly surrounded, and at times, Nero struggled with the idea that there were just.. so many faces around him. The pride was large, larger than he had ever seen (which didn't say much) and he didn't understand how anyone was expected to memorize all those names and faces. His heart weighed heavily in his chest, though, and he couldn't figure out the reason why. If Nero had everything he wanted, why wasn't he elated and jumping for joy? It was weird, but maybe it would come in time as the shock began to wear off? It wasn't like he had anyone to ask about it, and so he simply sneaked away every once in a while to have some time alone.

Today's adventure had brought him to a massive underground chasm, stalactites hanging precariously overhead. Nero scrutinized them suspiciously, pausing every once in a while to make sure they weren't about to make him a shish kabob -- so far, so good. The albino drifted deeper into the cave system, wondering what sort of creatures could possibly live within.

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Lately, the weather had been less than ideal. Hiccup had been drenched several times over by sudden downpours, soaking him to the bone and completely ruining his day. Well, not today! That morning he had decided to stay inside and do a little exploring. The cavern system of the Hollow promised an adventure — a dry, mud-free adventure! — and he plunged into the darkness with a smile, looking forward to whatever lay ahead.

Hiccup remembered Faevyre’s trick as he wandered through the tunnels and rubbed his body along various rocks, so he could follow his scent back once he was done. He’d finished sliding across another one when the echoing hiss of rain reached him, causing his ears to lean forward on his head and listen. The noise was … unexpected. There must’ve been an opening in the rock ceiling somewhere. More curious than concerned, the cherry-coated boy picked up the pace and followed the sound.

Rounding the bend, Hiccup found himself in a bizarre chamber, where rocks grew from the floor to the ceiling like broken teeth. And even weirder, they were glowing! He blinked in awe, his mercury-colored eyes drawn upward to the moondoor, from which rainwater poured in. White, eerie light flashed through the window and illuminated the chamber for a second and before the shadows could wash in again, Hiccup saw him.

Nero … !

The relief that surged in his chest was short-lived. Nero was okay! … most likely though, he hated him. Hiccup’s teeth sank into his lower lip, unease fluttering in his stomach — not enough to warrant a hiccup yet, but he could feel the need rising …

He needed to move before his nervous tic struck, to approach Nero before his hiccuping gave him away. He’d rather not give Nero the impression that he’d been stalking him, so he headed over and announced himself, asking, “Nero? Is that you?” Of course it was, but it seemed a nice, not horribly awkward way to strike up a conversation, considering how their last one had ended.

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The whirlwind that ravaged his mind was quelled by curiosity as he slipped further and further into the caverns. It was almost as if the deeper he went, the less his brain was allowed to focus on anything other than the increasingly dim light and where he would put his paw next. Nero certainly didn't want to misstep, so he plodded along on a trail that had the scent of others; if that scent abruptly ended, he knew to turn back. Hopefully he was able to turn before he plummeted to his death, but hey, what was life without taking risks?

Long. Long and fulfilling, probably.

Venturing into the cavern was one of the dumbest things he'd done recently, to be honest. With his leg having been freshly broken and set, the boy's progress had been reset to zero. He was conscious of it this time around, however, and made sure to tend to it properly instead of letting it do its own thing. Emery had been kind enough to, you know, snap the bone that had been healing improperly and he would squander that kindness. Weird, huh?

The albino teenager was snaking around a stalagmite when he heard his name being echoed through the tunnels. As he turned, the voice was quite suddenly right in front of him. Nero jumped, startled, but quickly calmed when he realized who it was. Well, rather, his anxiety shifted from one brand to another. "H-hey, Hiccup." The kid grinned uncomfortably, ducking his head as though he could simply.. disappear from Hiccup's line of sight. Oof, he didn't think he was ready for this conversation.

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The boy’s oversized paws — which he was steadily growing into — slowed below him and he paused there next to a calcified pillar, giving Nero a very wide berth. He had no idea how Nero would respond, if he’d yell and try hobbling away or what. So, he kept his distance, his uncertainty clearly etched in the worried expression he wore.

To his surprise, Nero seemed as anxious as he was. No anger, no thorny words — only nervousness. That was something Hiccup could work with. He wondered if that meant Nero didn’t detest him after all, despite how cruel his comments had been. He still had no idea why Nero had been so mad that evening on the mountain, but as long as Nero didn’t completely hate him for it, he was hopeful that they could work through it.

Even as a teeny hiccup squeaked from his chest, the younger boy managed a small, not entirely awkward smile for the pale adolescent. He didn’t demand answers over his anger, nor did he greet him with his own. There was lingering concern for Asteria and how Nero had treated her, but not vengeful anger. Instead, he looked … relieved, actually.

“What are you doing here?” he asked as he stepped closer. A cave was probably not the safest place for Nero and his broken leg …

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Nero certainly didn't think Hiccup would turn and begin mauling him, but that didn't mean he trusted the kid not to have some sort of reaction. Even if it wasn't an intentionally violent one, there was still a bit of hesitance considering.. well, his leg. Hiccup hadn't meant to yeet him down a tree, but it had happened and Nero was paying the price. It hadn't been his fault, yeah, but Nero couldn't afford to get booted off a cliff into a field of stalactites below. Not when things were.. kind of going okay for a change.

Instead of mentioning their tiff at all, he simply asked what he was doing there. The albino teenager glanced around him as if someone would be able to supply an answer, but his crimson gaze settled on Hiccup's own. "I dunno, just explorin' I guess. What are you doing here?" Nero hardly expected a different answer, although maybe he was part of a secret cult and this was their meeting grounds. It would make sense, huh? Being a sweet, innocent child with a dark secret. Hiccup the High Priest of Satan had quite a ring to it.

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Explorin’, Nero guessed and while Hiccup was concerned by his answer (seriously, exploring a cave on a broken leg sounded really risky), he said nothing. Naturally, Nero asked him what he was doing too, to which Hiccup shrugged. “I live in Obsidian Hollow,” he answered. He had told him once before, but it would better explain what followed next. “It’s a big cave and there’s a lot of tunnels. It’s been raining a lot and I didn’t want to get wet, sooo … I’m exploring too.” Another step forward. “One of the tunnels led me here.” He was certainly not hosting a super secret cult meeting, but simply having himself a one-boy adventure.

A sad sheen passed through his mercury-colored eyes as they moved to Nero’s broken limb. “How … how is your leg doing?” he mumbled, a quiet hiccup chasing the question. Maybe Nero was exploring the cave because he was well enough to. Maybe his leg was better.

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Call him crazy, but the idea of a pride being only a tunnel system seemed.. unsafe. Nero wouldn't say it out loud, of course, considering he'd already been rude enough to Hiccup enough for one lifetime. Bringing up that his pride territory was weird seemed inappropriate, so he simply nodded in a vague attempt to keep his mouth shut. It was definitely an odd choice, he thought, but would have made sense for lions with his.. condition. Albinism was a curse he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy, though the concept of a cavernous pride was intriguing. It was an option for the future if nothing else -- y'know, if it turned out the beach was a cruddy place. The jury was still out on that one.

As for the leg, Nero followed Hiccup's gaze down to it as though seeing it for the first time. "I think it's okay? It's getting better, at least. Apparently it wasn't healing right so these two ladies broke it again and supposedly it's healing good now?" Nero shrugged, a bit lost with the whole thing. "They gave me some herbs for pain, so it hasn't been as bothersome." He let the paw fall gingerly to the ground just enough to kiss it, testing it out. Didn't feel great, didn't feel horrible.

"I don't blame you for it, either," he mumbled under his breath, cheeks reddening below his fur.

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The budding sense of relief Hiccup experienced when Nero said his leg was doing better was SQUASHED as he explained it had been rebroken. Apparently it had not healed well, warranting a second break. “Oo- oh,” he swallowed, the mental image making his stomach turn. Poor Nero … The kid had been through so much because of him and Hiccup hiccuped thinking about it, his gaze lowering to the cavern floor, ears angling back on his tufted head in his guilt. Except for squeaking out in a hiccup, the boy’s voice failed him — so when Nero said he had herbs that helped with the pain, Hiccup could only nod, staring miserably at his paws.

But what drew his sight from the floor was Nero saying he didn’t blame him for what had happened. Hiccup’s mind wandered back to the evening on the mountain, and while he couldn’t remember exactly what Nero had said, he could hear enough of an echo in his memories that he wanted to melt into a puddle. Maybe the rain would trickle his way and wash him down into a dark chasm, where he felt he belonged …

Since he couldn’t actually melt, he did the next best thing and lowered his head, avoiding Nero’s gaze. “It was my fault,” he muttered quietly, shame prickling inside his heart. “It was my butt that knocked you off … ”

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Nero considered too late that what he'd explained about his leg may have upset the kid even further. It hadn't been his intention, he'd only been filling him in on what was happening with it. The albino certainly didn't hold a grudge against Hiccup for it in the least, but he understood where there could be some underlying guilt. Guilt for something that wasn't his fault? Boy, could Nero relate to that in an unimaginable amount of ways.

Still, he didn't think too much of it until Hiccup grew quiet while trying to accept blame. Nero bit the inside of his cheek, wishing he knew how to help someone for once in his life. Typically it was Nero requiring emotional support or help, so this was a whole situation he didn't know how to handle right off. "Hey, no, I didn't have to be dumb and try to get you down myself. It's fine, Hiccup, I promise." Although he wondered briefly whether or not his promises meant anything to anyone anymore. Since he'd.. sorta broken his promise to Asteria (it was extenuating circumstances!) and still carried the guilt of that, saying he promised felt empty. "I tail twist truth," he declared, turning to offer his tail to Hiccup. If he needed to weave their tails together to seal the promise in a childish way, then goddamn, he would.

It was how they pinky swore, okay? I just made it up, fuck off.

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Hiccup fixed his gaze on his paws, unable to meet Nero’s eyes in his shame, even as Nero insisted that it was fine. A bump on the head would’ve been fine — a broken leg, however, was much worse. And Nero had needed it broken AGAIN because of the way it had healed. Had Hiccup stayed on the ground that day, Nero never would’ve been forced to climb that tree. He never would’ve been knocked out of it. Everything that had happened to Nero had been because of Hiccup. And Hiccup … he accepted the blame.

The shame and sadness threatened to spread through him and consume what had been a good mood. Hiccup sat there, his ears twisted on his head and his eyes blinking, trying to clear the tears he could feel pooling in them. Fortunately, before a single one could spill down his eyelashes and onto his cream-colored cheek, Nero spoke again and declared a tail twist. The offer had Hiccup lifting his head to look at him with a surprised expression, one that softened a moment later as he smiled. “Really?” he asked with a small and relieved sniffle, his hiccups dying down as he finally moved.

Making his way to Nero, the younger boy approached him, sliding along his non-broken side so he didn’t accidentally bump his leg when he stepped next to him. Hiccup stood side by side with Nero and with a flick of his tail, twisted it with the other youth. “Y’know, trying to help a scardey cub out of a tree wasn’t dumb,” Hiccup gently corrected his earlier comment. “It was actually really brave.”

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