Cedar Sweep the whole world is sleeping

@Delight

He doesn't remember making a bed and passing out, and when Titmouse startles awake he is briefly overwhelmed by his confusion. In the scramble to reaquaint himself with his own body he flails a bit, and when he's finally gotten to his feet he remembers. The rain had taken him by surprise overnight; it had become aggressive, wave after wave of rain. The boy didn't recognize this forest any better than he'd recognized the previous groves and shoots - and it didn't really matter. Judging by the light and the chill in the air, he thought maybe it was midday, but not much later. He shook his body out to relieve the tension of his poor sleep, and began to mosey between the cedars - fur stuck-up at odd angles from how it had dried overnight - and the boy was looking a bit worse for wear because of it. Like he'd had a night out on the town. A scowl soon took up residence upon his gaunt face, indicating the onset of a surly disposition.

ty for starting!

he is back in the sweep, too anxious to put space between him and bri and morwinyon that even the full of their forest isn't enough. he's not upset about it

(he's not)

but it's understandable, right? that he needs some time alone to think, to process? just because delight has known from the jump - just because he'd joked about the pair as lovebirds - just because secretly he'd hoped it would happen doesn't mean he's not allowed to feel.. something. confirmation of his role as outsider, maybe. perhaps chroniclers aren't required to watch from outside the looking glass, but delight thinks they should. he should. (he's got no choice but to.)

and the thing is he can't maintain an aloof persona even if he tried. bri knows. of course she does, she's smarter than the rest of them put together about that sort of thing. and delight isn't going to let something as mundane as jealousy infect his friendship or hurt tindómë even because anyone with half a brain can see -- ugh nevermind.

once again his desire to brood in the sweep is cut short by another in his path. this time, though, the boy he encounters looks like the singing-sunlight feels, down to the matching scowl. "you look rough," he says baldly, eschewing any form of proper greeting. who has the time, anyway?

When he hears a voice, it is like the sound is coming from the other end of a deep cavern; it is far away and echoing for a split second, an irregular moment while the rest of him catches up. The tone isn't mean but it isn't altogether friendly either. The stranger is off to one side, as if they've stopped to thumb a lift from a passing good samaritan. Titmouse glances their way for a second and tries to think of a witty response, but this falls flat. He just kind of.. stares... blankly... And then gives a little snort.

Just hungry, the boy grumbles, not at all intending to slow his fluid stride. Whatever this stranger wants, he knew without any thought or consideration that there was nothing Tit could do for him. Although it had been quite a while since the boy had seen anyone at all - friendly or otherwise - that even when he was passing by the smokey beast, he was silently reconsidering. It took a moment for Titmouse to stop, to slouch, and to watch. But he did. He let out a small sigh that seemed much too old a mannerism for his teenage self, and with the full weight of his angst he commented, You any good at huntin'?

watching the boy snort and stomp delight can only think same, though a prickle of irritation flashes through him when it looks like he isn't going to stop - "oi," the androgyne starts, ready to be offended, but pauses as the stranger slows and speaks again. he huffs.

"good as i gotta be to eat, y'know," delight says in his most 'no-duh' voice. and it's true: he gets by, he wasn't exactly starving before mato picked him up, though he's never really gone after more than small game by himself. belatedly the núro realises that was probably a (terrible) invitation to hunt with the stranger. he sighs and straightens his back, stepping a little closer. "i don't have anything else going on if you wanna hunt together, i guess," delight says, an approximation of (if we're being generous) friendliness in his voice. if nothing else it's a distraction from what truly ails him, and a welcome one at that.

Sorry its so short!!!

Better than nothing. He isn't sure if this kid is to be trusted entirely, but Tit has been (unknowingly) trusting of everyone else he's come across so far. Although he was hungry, something about this stranger didn't sit well with him. Almost like he was talking to himself - maybe he'd met his match?

Eh, I dunno, he started to drawl, as if reconsidering. You ever fought a bear before?
Yeah, he was still on that tangent. I was hopin' for somethin' big like that... But you're pretty... hm, average.

no worries!! also i love these two, omg

the stranger, much to his offense, acts as if he is changing his mind about his terrible invitation. who has the gall to revoke a not-real invitation in the first place? the delicate boy huffs and rolls his eyes. "uh huh," he says, giving the silvery furred boy a bit of a look, "'cause this forest is teeming with bears." delight does not for a second believe that this guy has gone head to head with a bear (and he'll be mighty annoyed to find out he's wrong), but more than that - what kinda idiot goes poking bears for fun?

nah. he sighs dramatically and looks away. "'sides, i'm not interested in getting myself killed with someone who's name i don't even know," he points out, rolling his shoulders lightly as he looks back at him. "if you wanna go for somethin' actually huntable though, by all means."

Tit wasn't sure if the guy was being sarcastic or not, even though it should've been obvious. He could've snapped back with something along the lines of, well not now that I'm here! But that would've dug him a bigger pit. And even if Tit wanted to be impressive - or maybe scare this guy off - he was hungry. Best not to insult the bigger hunter, not when you need all the help you can get.

Mmkay - he hastily tried to recover control of the conversation, not that he had much to begin with, Well we can both scope this place out separately and cover more ground, or search together - your call. But if we run in to a bear I'm tellin' you -- the bear comment was said in a quieter voice, almost mumbled, as he moved around the stranger and further afield. The sentiment was cut off when Tit remembered something.

You can call me Screech.

the boy doesn't seem to take the bait, which wins him some points in delight's favor. for all that he dishes out he's never been really good when people react against him in response. also winning the stranger points: he resembles mato faintly - though mato is of course more regal and handsome and refined, nonetheless it's hard to maintain a grudge. maybe he's developing a type.

ugh.

"telling me what, that our deaths are imminent?" he scoffs lightly, even as he moves forward to fall into step with him. "search together," the androgyne says, "and i'm delight singing-sunlight." with that, he looks at screech expectantly.

Delight-- he parrots at first, wondering briefly if he heard correctly. The boy looked at his new friend as if he were looking at a newly discovered species of animal, his eyes widening for a momentary flash of uncertainty and befuddlement. Right, okay, lets.. Lets go. Don't say anything. Don't mention anything about the guy's parents potentially being a little out-there, and certainly don't make a pun about how delighted you are to meet him, especially because that would be a lie. Titmouse held his tongue and walked alongside the other wolf, glossing over the awkward moment in the conversation and putting on his best hard at work face.

it is lucky screech holds his tongue, because the androgyne is sensitive about his name (and who can blame him when he's teased constantly for it, despite it being a wonderful, perfectly normal name?) he does catch the confused look the boy gives him, but he's already decided screech is maybe one berry short of a bunch, and chalks it up to that. "you lead," he half asks, half orders -- it's only fair since screech asked him, and also, delight's sort of hoping he's got experience in this area even if he thinks the bear story is total bunk.

Not that he wanted to put distance between himself and Delightfully Shining Starlight or whatever, but he slunk along through the cedars without a care as to where his hunting partner was located. The boy's serious face was firmly planted, and he was swift to assume a no-nonsense approach to the hunt. It wasn't his usual schtick but, he had a name to live up to. A legend to cultivate! Except the more he scoured the leaf-litter, the more often he paused to inspect a bend in the trees, a pile of old logs, or scratch at the soil, he found... Nothing. There were no traces of any other animal besides himself and Delight, which wasn't a good feeling.

singing-sunlight, thank you, and said s-s trails him doggedly, either oblivious to or pretending to ignore screech's seeming disinterest in his presence. 

screech didn't seem to be very good at hunting.

delight slinks along beside him quietly, absolutely paying no mind to their empty-handed pursuit, his intense silvered gaze instead following the boy's movements. every so often he catches vague scents - potential pray, maybe - but does not attempt to steer them or push screech to more fruitful ground. really, he's more invested in his ego. the pair continues like this, and finally the vailë clears his throat. "you haven't found anything," he points out.

They were working together, sort of, but coming up with nothing. Just when Titmouse was thinking it would be better if he just ditched the other guy (as if that would make things better, being alone again), Delight made a very obvious comment that made Tit's ears pin back. He almost sniped back with, yeah well neither have you! 

He glanced at Delight in his periphery, but before anything could be stated - and before Tit could really think - there was a weird sound penetrating the dense forest around the two of them. It was like... Like a scream! Nothing the boy had ever heard before though. It was incredibly loud and grating. So much so that Tit's reaction was to duck, and the dark hairs along his spine raised without prompting.

The sound came again a moment later, but from further away - still quite loud, but obviously in transit.
The hell was that? Demanded the boy, snapping to attention with his nose in the air.

whatever the sound is, it sends delight about three feet into the air, every single hair on his hide raised. barely is there time for his panic to diminish before the second cry - the vailë jumps again, crashing into screech's side - or over him, maybe - turning from wolf into a jumble of terrifiedly flailing limbs as he collides with the earth. 

"i don't know," delight near-wails, scrambling back to his feet. he doesn't have any interest in finding out what the noise is or what caused it - he shoves at screech's side urgently, eyes blown wide: "we gotta move, c'mon, c'mon--"

He'd barely uttered the words before something careened in to him; Tit was startled more by the contact than anything, and came crashing down with Delight tangled up in him. The older boy was speaking quickly, clearly afraid as he got back to his feet, and Titmouse was scrambling to do the same as he was poked and prodded. Hey! Hey! Stop kickin' me! The boy protested, vivified by the other's frenzied behavior. Once they were suitably separated and Delight was bolting - well, Tit followed. He wasn't sure what the screaming thing was, and let the chocolate-coated boy lead them to safety. Truthfully, Tit was more concerned by his new friend's behavior - he'd almost forgotten the screeching noises in the trees, until another call came from directly above them. Like a stampeding horse, he came to a full stop and skidded against the forest floor, rearing his head back and up with his eyes wide - and then he looked to Delight as if to say, What now?

wrap up here/soon?

delight. does not. like. being frightened!

whatever direction he's picked to pull the pair, it's wrong: the scream comes again, this time directly over head. a siren-call, the falling of bombs, rome about to burn - the androgyne throws himself on the ground with a whimper, but there does not come the rending of flesh he expects. or - anything, actually.

moon-wide eyes meet screech's. "why are you looking at me," he hisses, and twists away, slowly climbing to his feet. he dare not move suddenly, but looks around, gingerly stepping forward. there is no fourth scream, not yet. "i think it's .. okay now," he says, breath held. "but i'm not sticking around to find out what that was," he adds, fur still fluffed in fear as he begins to edge his way away from the sweep and it's hell beasts, back in the direction of tindómë.

Whatever had been following them (hunting them as they should've been hunting it), the creature had been dispatched easily enough. Titmouse wasn't so much afraid of it as he was curious, and mostly startled by his companion's knee-jerk reaction. He hoped the other boy didn't notice the way his body was trembling (Its dark and cold! He would have proclaimed if asked). As soon as things seemed calm though, Delight was up and racing off - choosing to leave Titmouse all alone in the dark of the wood. Without any chance to convince him otherwise (as the older boy was fast, as if he innately knew this forest), Tit was abandoned. He snorted in to the darkness where his hunting partner had scurried, and then took off in the other direction - feeling utterly defeated.