feathers of icarus | larissa day 2

[hesper hart 🐺 d9f]

^{L A R I S S A .}

While she waited for the strange deer creature to finish its bleeding, Perry and Bellamy resumed what was quickly becoming their regular bickering and Larissa took the opportunity to step away again and level herself. She'd always been better at decompressing away from others, an introvert in every sense of the word except by practice, and that was by sheer force of will. She couldn't afford to be an introvert when so many eyes were on her. Even if its who she really was, it wasn't who the character she was playing was. But here, when she was playing all of the time, taking small victories like this was probably the only thing keeping her from losing her mind.

Besides. The gamemakers already had their fun with them for at least the next few hours, she hoped. She obviously knew separating herself from the group was a risk in any games, but in this games in particular she knew she should have more reservations about stepping away. So many strange things were liable to happen, if nothing else, it was nice when there was someone else to confirm they were really happening.

At the very least, this part of the forest was nicer than where they'd ended up spending most of their time yesterday. The air was fresh and sweet, wind rustled the leaves of the massive trees, and in the distance birds competed for love with their songs. She breathed in through her nose and out through the mouth, golden eyes taking in every detail as the violence died down and life surrounding them seemed to go on living.

"Gotta pee," she'd lied, though she half-doubted either of them even heard as she stepped into the brush. She trekked uphill for a couple hundred yards to a clearing. It was much like the one where the tributes rose into the arena, only much smaller and with less flowers. Oh, and obviously there wasn't a giant glimmering stone archway in the center of this one. She did see something catching the light near the middle though, and her curiosity got the best of her. She leaned down and picked up a shimmery golden feather. It should've registered sooner, but when the sunlight overhead was broken by the shadow of something and Larissa' head snapped up, she hadn't yet connected the pieces.

"Oh great."

[gryphon roll 1]
6Ooqj4ughm1-4

1-4

[hesper hart 🐺 d9f]

^{L A R I S S A .}

The same winged creature that'd found her yesterday in the bog landed in the clearing with expert precision. She fell back onto her backside to avoid the impact that didn't come- though it had landed close enough to her to touch, it hadn't.

She scrambled back and away, and it pawed the dirt.

"You again!" Had it been following them since yesterday? Was it a coincidence? She felt reluctant to believe that just as soon as she was alone, she'd happen upon one of its feathers and then it would arrive so shortly after. But there it stood, preening its white plume with a beak that could've cracked her skull open like a nutshell.

It cooed and began to trot around in the open space, rearing its head and stretching its wings out. Larissa had already booked it to the edge of the clearing just as soon as she could gather the sense to stand and use her legs properly, but the beast didn't seem particularly keen on pursuing her. Had it been intending on a friendly visit? She had ended their last interaction by throwing leaves and debris at it, and it didn't seem particularly tame. While it was possible that she'd stumbled upon the most patient mutt ever, her observations of the one that'd been following Perry suggested that they were maybe only tolerant of most humans at most. So what did this one want with her?

[gryphon roll 2]
UQd1MMWKWW1-4

1-4

[hesper hart 🐺 d9f]

^{L A R I S S A .}

"I can't play with you."

This was a wild animal. It wasn't a pet. The idea of climbing onto that thing's back and then it taking flight was terrifying, to say the least. Way too much she wouldn't have been able to control, way too much for her to have to worry about.

The beast stopped trotting around and came to a slow pace right toward her, halting in its tracks entirely about five feet away from the edge of the clearing. It wasn't as tall as Perry's, she noticed, and she guessed by its markings that it might've been a bit younger as well. Oh, she considered, maybe it's only being playful because it's still a... colt? What would the baby versions of these things be called? She didn't even know what to call the adult versions, so colt seemed a fair enough estimation. But maybe this same creature could still grow up and become even larger, more fearsome. It'd lose its friendly disposition and become an expert at hunting. It'd learn to use the beak, and those claws.

It cooed at her again, as if it both read her mind and disagreed with Larissa's told fortune for it. Its yellow eyes peered at her curiously, and it quirked its head to the side.

"What?"

The birds ceased their songs, the wind seemed to hold its breath for a moment. The creature tucked its wings back in, and then brought its beak down to its chest. It leaned down, down, down, until it was in a bowing position at her feet. It sat there unmoving, waiting for Larissa to make the next move. She had absolutely no idea what to do.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Fine."

She took the world's most hesitant step forward, and slowly reached her hand out to touch the creature's forehead. Contact made it open its eyes, which made Larissa tense, but it didn't otherwise move so she replaced her hand onto its forehead. It cooed. She was having a hard time believing any of this was happening, her fingers sliding down its feathered back, slipping between its wings to the dip in its spine where they stopped. It was, she had to admit, a beautiful thing. Though still decidedly smaller than others she'd seen like it, the white feathers made it look pristine and regal, and the occasional sepia-toned feather she'd noticed yesterday actually glimmered like gold in sunlight.

"Icarus," she decided, "I'll call you Icarus."

[gryphon roll 3]
bgXkpeF3a71-4

[larissa caught a gryphon!]

1-4