thaw and order - day 5 (soft bois)

[parsnip]

R H Y S
P E A C E

      In the secluded refuge of the unearthed trees, Rhys and Garnet find a momentary respite from the chaos of the arena. The makeshift camp offers a semblance of shelter amidst the wintry landscape, the skeletal branches of the trees casting long shadows in the fading light.

As they settle into their makeshift sanctuary, a heavy silence descends upon them, the weight of their shared experiences hanging in the air like a shroud. They sit in quiet contemplation, each lost in their own thoughts, the crackling of the nearby fire the only sound breaking the stillness of the night.

It's Rhys who breaks the silence, his voice soft yet resolute as he speaks the words that hang heavy in the air. "I still have your back," he says, the sincerity in his tone betraying the depth of his commitment to their alliance. In that simple phrase, he offers reassurance and solidarity, a silent promise to stand by Garnet's side no matter what challenges lie ahead.

And as they sit beneath the canopy of unearthed trees, surrounded by the remnants of a world in flux, Rhys's words echo in the stillness of the darkening day, a beacon of hope amidst the uncertainty of their journey through the unforgiving landscape of the Games.

[Rhys collects drinkable water and places into canteen]

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

It's not the fading light or the blood on his hands that got to Garnet.

It was the heat. The slow but steadily rising temperature. From their shelter amongst the trees they could see across the ice sheet for miles, it seemed. And it sure looked like it was going to melt right out from under them.

He'd stripped off layers one by one. Every so often he'd felt moved to peel off his ski mask, then untie the sleeping bag which had acted as another coat. At sunset he struggled out of his uniform to shirk his wool thermal shirt. After that he finally came to stillness, though the sweat beaded along his vertebrae.

"I still have your back."

Garnet slapped his bare shoulder first and then reached out and grasped Rhys'. "And I've got yours."

He sniffed and choked back something that tasted like tears. For a moment when he lurched to his feet he felt a wave of vertigo but it passed. "I'm going to build a fire... just cuz. Then I think we gotta go see what's left over there," he said, jerking his head towards the mines exit.

[Garnet lights a fire and purifies water and probs other stuff]

[Garnet scavenges the Mines Exit]

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[7. Compound Fishing Rod]

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