buried in their humor :: axyl / rhys

[pogue]

A   X   Y   L

So, splitting up to cover more ground had seemed like a great theory.

In execution, well it's like most things he's done in his life: piss poor, without planning, and destined to fail. He treks a shaky path away from the charred cabin and towards the forest, arcing wide around the towering mansion of the cornucopia if only to avoid cutting Benny's paws on the leftover fragments of his shattered pride.

He'd named him Benny, the polar bear he's got now, by the way.

Decided he'd looked like one after losing one too many staring contests with the damn thing, tracing his own sins into the snow-covered grounds as Hugo took another piss break. Damn kid had the bladder of a child after chuggin' an entire thing of H8erade, Decadence limited edition.

It'd been on the third or fourth time that Axyl had finally cut his losses and laid out his cards on the table between them with a sigh and a smirk, tossing a whistle into the tree line as his ally turned away. "I'm gonna go ahead, over to the forest. Can cover more ground that way." Hardly'd caught the look on his allies face before he'd slapped Benny's side and issued a gallop. A look with a little more fury that time, then a roar. "Alright, won't do it again." 

Running again. There's a voice in the back of his mind that carves and claws at his mind against the bite of the wind, pulling and tugging at seams too weak to hold. Axyl knows it but can't swallow a pill like that, not yet. So he buries it in the snow behind him, wrapped in blood-soaked bandage and wounded pride, left to freeze with the thoughts of his own ally, with the thought of his own failures.

He owes him one. A lifetime, and he fucking hates it. It etches itself into his soul and reminds him of the fact every time they speak, every time they so much as exist. He's not safe around anyone, thorns in skin and fire waiting to catch. Better to run from what he knows will happen than to burn anyone else.

Plus, there's something positive nestled in being all alone out in the big scary wilderness like he is. He can stop and piss whenever he wanted, whenever he needed.

Not that he couldn't have back with Hugo. It's just- he's a bit pee shy. Which is ironic, considering there are flashes of red that dot the tree line, a million eyes watching him.

"Slow it down, B-dog." He mutters to the bear, and the mount responds with a lazy groan, then a yawn. "Yeah, yeah. We'll take a rest here for a bit." 

He's carving a smiley face in yellow into the mounds of snow, an artiste in the making with his good and the other palming the bark of the tree, listening to the silence of the forest and the soft rustle of the trees.

Until, it isn't.

There's a crack and a shuffle and he twists on shaking heel, realizing he's forgotten everything but his knife back with Benny, a look towards the now sleeping bear and his fate wraps around him. Pulled seams, pulled knife in shaking hand, sputtering heartbeat.

"Best idea would be to move along!" he shouts to the tree line, waiting for anything but the silence to answer him back.

[Scavenges The Tower]

AocY0_SNxp1-7

1-7

[parsnip]

R H Y S
P E A C E

      Go hunting for supplies, they’d said. It’ll be safe, they’d said. That was before Rhys was met by an inquisitive tribute and their literal bear, tooth and claw.

Before the commotion; Rhys hovered gently in the Wintry Forest, taking in a peaceful time where the Bloodbath felt far enough away that he’d forgotten he was even in an arena. Sure, it was freezing cold, his hands were bright red and his cheeks the same, but at least he had nobody around him aside from the cautious peace that the sea of branches gave him. He sighed privately, and the icy darkness stole his breath.

“Why don’t you go ahead” he said the Malygos, his familiar. “In fact, go behind, that’ll mean you’ve covered our exit.”

“Sure thing, boss” said the Dragonlet, snowy in colour and warm as a hearth in personality.

Rhys smiled back at the flapping wings, but looked ahead to what he thought was maybe another wild animal he could capture. Seemed not, though, as when he neared - and a twig beneath had collapsed under his weight, there was the revelation that it was indeed a tribute. There was no way to play it otherwise. He simply had to own up to accidentally sneaking around.

"Best idea would be to move along!"

Rhys crouched low at first, causing more rustling. But, eventually, he came forward from the tree-line. “Look, I come in peace” he said “Preferably not pieces…” he eyed the polar bear. “How ‘bout we not fight…? It’s been a long day…”

[Rhys collects Goodberries]