makin' up a mess of fun;

[wolfchild]

Who: arya + henry + kyubey
What: good life choices
When: night + morning probably
Where: the tall grass no one should ever go into
Rating: R for RAPTORSSS okay nothing bad is actually happening. except for kyubey's creepy stare.

[ They had been running long. Branches snagged and sliced at her, their leaves no less cruel. Arya does not let go of Henry's hand as she pulls them on. They can figure out their way back later. But only if they're alive.

When the trees stop, so does Arya. A field of grass lies before them. Tall enough to hide in. Arya draws in a shuddering breath. There's a painful stitch in her side that she is beginning to feel now that they've stopped. ]

Come on. We can hide in there. Find a place to rest and-and filter to the others.

Comments

[fantasies]

[Slowing down means all the repercussions of the last hour or so have a chance to catch up with him. He's suddenly aware of how his chest is heaving, his heart is pounding, and the muscles in his legs are burning. His free hand shakes, for reasons other than the exertion of running for his life.

When Arya speaks, though, and the panic of not knowing where his friends and family are comes rushing back, he gets a second wind. Just enough to keep his legs from turning to jelly right then and there.

Mom. He needs to hear her voice, make sure she's okay. August, Ruby, Robb, and everyone.

He nods, swallowing hard, and presses forward towards the grass, not quite enough breath left to talk just yet.]

[wolfchild]

[ Falling silent too, she follows Henry. Arya can feel his trembling. She squeezes his hand in solidarity, her thumb rubbing a soft arc over the back of his hand. Pulling her hood down, she cranes her neck to try to catch a glimpse of the last member of their ragtag bunch. At least Kyubey did not fall. He would have been impossible to find.

Once she judges they're far enough, she kneels on the ground. The grasses sway around them. She hopes they'll warn them if anything comes close. ]

We'll rest here. [ Her voice is no more than a whisper. She gives Henry her back where the ridiculous bear pack (a bear with a long tail. no bear has a long tail. it is the stupidest thing.) still clings to her back, unable to be removed. ] There's water there. I think there might be some food. And my journal.

[quota]

[Kyubey moves when Arya offers her back to Henry, figuring he's in the way of the zipper. He steps up onto Arya's shoulders, out of the hood, his tail wrapping around the back of her neck. Maybe it's just having been bounced around in the hood for so long, but he's a little short of breath, too.

Ah, if only he could talk right now.]

[fantasies]

[Henry fumbles with the zipper, his body not quite readjusted to fine motor movements just yet. His eyes track Kyubey as he fishes out the water and the journal, handing them to Arya over her shoulder. He has to keep searching for the food.]

What-- [His voice is scratchy. He clears his throat so he can keep the volume down.] What's that?

[wolfchild]

What? Kyubey? [ Arya glances up before flipping her journal open. ] He's a Messenger of Magic.

[ Arya finds it ludicrous. But Henry might like it. ]

[quota]

[Kyubey sits, his eyes moving to Henry's to stare, unblinking. His catlike smile stays fixed on his face.]

[fantasies]

Oh.

[Henry stares back, his hands stilling for a moment inside the bag. It's kind of unsettling, if he's 100% honest.

His fingers find the food, and he zips the bag back up, still watching Kyubey.]

What's a Messenger of Magic do? Tell people about magic?

[wolfchild]

Look after magical girls, he said. He can't talk right now, but you can ask him after. [ If they survive.

She gets to a clean page. Before putting up a filter, she lifts her head. A small scratching sound is at the edge of her hearing. It stops. ]

Do you hear that?

[quota]

[Kyubey gives Henry a single nod of his head before he, too, is distracted by the noise. Unlike Arya, however, Kyubey moves towards it, leaping from her shoulder and moving across the jungle turf. Whatever it is, it certainly isn't big.]

[fantasies]

[Henry shifts so he's beside Arya instead of behind her, watching the spot Kyubey seems to be heading towards.

He hovers, then takes one cautious step forward.]

Maybe it's a bird.

[He hopes it's a bird.]

[wolfchild]

[ Arya doesn't hope. She unties the bear's tail from where she had looped it around Needle and draws the slender sword. If nothing else, she can buy Henry time to run. Someone must come looking for them soon. They will know they are missing.

She grabs Henry's shoulder in a tight warning grip: stay behind me. Sword held in front of her, she follows Kyubey. Arya pushes aside grass until there is none to push aside anymore.

They're in a small clearing in the sea of grasses. When she takes a step, her foot sinks. A hole? No, a little depression. The clicking starts up again. Arya squints to see—

Eggs. Large white eggs. One of them moves, the source of the sounds. Even as she watches, the spiderweb cracks on the surface widen and pieces of shell are pushed out. ]

It's a nest. The babies are coming out.

[quota]

[Kyubey stops right on the edge of the nest, and he reaches one tiny paw to the nearest egg and taps it, gently.

Then he looks back to the children, knowingly.]

[fantasies]

[He does stay behind her, but only to a point. A moment later, he's peeking around her shoulder again.

He can't help it: this is incredible. His eyes flicker between Arya, Kyubey, and the eggs.]

Whoa.

[He reaches out to the closest one, the one hatching as they watch, not quite touching.]

This is so cool.

[wolfchild]

[ Arya glares at them both like they have lost their minds. ]

Are you mad? Get away from them. What do you think the mother will do if she finds us here?

[quota]

[Kyubey has no fear. Kyubey needs no fear.

Sadly, as it is, it's impossible to explain his reasonings to her.

Instead, he returns to her side, tail a-swishing behind him.]

[fantasies]

[He crouches, still reaching.]

I just want to look at them. It'll be quick. We'll go in a second, I promise.

[wolfchild]

Leave them be!

[ Though even Arya stops, fascinated, as the first egg cracks open. The creature lifts its head, issuing high-pitched cries. Its eyes seem gold. Like Nymeria's.

It fails to reassure her. ]

It's calling for its mother. We have to go.

[quota]

[Kyubey looks up at Arya, and then leaps up to her shoulder.

You should stop it from screaming, he wants to will her. Otherwise, she may still hear.]

[fantasies]

[Henry snatches his arm back, looking up at the grass warily.]

Okay. Okay.

[He straightens up a little and tries to ease out of the nest quietly and slowly, even as the baby raptor continues to cry.]

[wolfchild]

[ Arya cannot hear Kyubey. But her thoughts run similar to his. ]

Isn't there a way to make it be quiet? [ Not only the mother. Any predator nearby will be drawn to newborn cries.

Arya does not want to kill it if she does not have to. The blood would only draw them quicker. ]

[quota]

[Kyubey reaches a paw to Arya's jugular, gently pressing. Kill it, girl. It's too small to have much blood.]

[fantasies]

Not unless we're going to hold his mouth shut.

[Which he's not doing. Have you seen those teeth?

As cool as it is, the longer the baby cries the more queasy Henry feels.]

He's hungry.

[wolfchild]

Go back. [ She tugs his arm to push him back. ] Get moving.

[ Whatever she ends up doing, she'd rather Henry doesn't see. He's such a child still.

Even as they argue, the first starts breaking its body out of the shell. Another pokes the tip of its mouth out of a small hole in its egg. ]

[quota]

[Kyubey just holds on, in case Arya starts running again X(]

[fantasies]

[He stumbles back a few steps so he's at least behind her again, but he reaches out to grab her shoulder before she can shove him away anymore.]

Wait. What're you going to do?

[wolfchild]

Nothing. Move.

[ she glares at him to. ]

[quota]

[Kyubey looks to Henry, face inches from that offending hand. Will he fight her?]

[fantasies]

[He holds his ground. Arya would wipe the floor with him if he tried anything anyway.]

If you're not going to do anything, then you should come too.

[wolfchild]

Just hurry up! …Wait. Be quiet. Do you hear anything?

[quota]

[And Kyubey's ears prick up, and he points in the direction behind him with his "floppy" ears.]

[fantasies]

[Henry freezes. He stares where Kyubey points, and then points himself.

His voice drops back down to a whisper.]

Does that... sound bigger to you?

[wolfchild]

Move back. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run.

[ she moves to slide between henry and whatever is coming. if nothing else, she can buy him time.

despite her mounting fear, needle remains steady in her grasp. ]

[quota]

[He nods, crouching down into Arya's hood.]

[fantasies]

[This time, Henry doesn't talk back. He takes one shaky step back, then another, and then another.

It's taking every ounce of will in his body not to turn and bolt.]

[wolfchild]

[ arya keeps in front of him. she only looks down to make sure she doesn't step on any of the babies. when the raptor comes into view, arya can hear her heartbeat in her ears.

out of the corner of her mouth, she whispers. ]

Take Kyubey. When I tell you to run, you run. Don't look back. Don't stop.