Whitebark Stream the moment you smiled at me

ezra doesn't necessarily mean to be so frostbitten in his replies, but he is humiliated and ashamed, made worse by the fact that the stranger had witnessed it and both of them burn furiously in his chest. it's not an excuse and perhaps ezra has been bottling up too much, unsure of where and how to let out all the pent up anger at amadeo for fighting his father and grief for both anselm and gideon going missing.

it all seethes beneath the surface, using the internal and external wounds of the wolverine's claws upon his flesh as an outlet.

..., he stares for a moment, before a resigned sigh loosens itself from his lips, followed by another wince. probably. he mumbles in agreement.

only to cut a dour glare towards the stranger as he mentions that frogs don't bite as the frog yeets itself into the water. a loud snort, followed by an eye roll is given but ezra doesn't dignify it with a response. instead, he bends down to the water himself, hesitating just before plunging his face into the cool waters.

he does this a few times, the cooling waters a brief relief to the pain.

vhat's your name? ezra speaks it more of a demand and less of an ask. if the stranger was going to tease him and had bore witness to his great failure then ezra felt he at least deserved the man's name in return.