Phoenix Maplewood Stronger Connected

Esaro's reaction was nearly instantaneous.  Before him was a glorious display of flailing limbs, fear, and confusion. He shot forward, guided like a missile of pure instinct into his final destination; a maple tree not so far away.  Head met wood with a muffled kerthunk and it was lights out for bozo.

Reek could hardly suppress the rare and genuine belly laugh that commenced in the wake of Esaro's mishap. It had been so long since Reek had truly laughed. The response felt foreign on his tongue, but the feeling it brought was more than welcome. In truth, it had been the happiest he had felt since Scarlett had passed. It was a curious thing how the misfotune of others could overshadow one's own feelings of sorrow and insecuriy, and mask them with layer of what felt like normalcy.

"Holy shit kid," wheezed Reek inbetween raucous fits of laughter. His attention and gaze soon drifted to his limp and still form under the tree, unaware of his lack of consciousness. "I mean— You have know idea how much I needed that." The unconscious Esaro made no sound in response, and Reek's jovial fit faded as reality began to set in.

He neared Esaro's body and prodded at his shoulder with a forepaw in the hopes he would recieve some sort of a response.