[ P ] Thicker than water

Holding his breath, Aegir crept forward another meter or so. The rabbit hadn't noticed him yet, thanks to the autumnal colors that concealed him. If he called these woods home, he'd never have to worry about food again—not even in winter. I'm just passing through, he reminded himself. He couldn't call any place home until he found a sense of peace. And he couldn't find that peace until the fighting stopped. Aegir quietly released the breath he'd been holding, clearing his mind once more. Politics could wait. He had a rabbit to catch. He crouched low, his cream-colored belly brushing the ground as he closed in on his prey. The rabbit was oblivious as it munched on a piece of bark. Blue eyes bright, he sank back, coiling the muscles in his legs. Then he lunged. It was over in moments. Aegir released his grip on the rabbit's broken neck and let it fall onto a bed of snow. Then he lowered his head. "Deònaich fois shìorraidh dha," he whispered. After a few more seconds of silence, he opened his eyes and looked upon his prey. "Thank you," he added in the native tongue. Then he settled onto the ground and began to eat, trying not to notice the all-too-familiar sight of snow stained crimson with blood.

table ▸ bunny x art ▸ amphi

The Redwood. Likely familiar stomping grounds to any of his relatives, considering how close it was in relation to the Tiamat brood. A young man travelled quietly, the crisp chill in the air reminding forest-dwellers that winter was underfoot. Crimson leaves battered like paper cranes in the sky, fluttering and dancing to and fro. He caught himself watching nature's ballet, ever so often glancing upwards to witness the action.

It was not long before an unfamiliar scent began to drift through the branches, slowly at first but with an iron-wrought punch as he neared the source.

Blood, he thought to himself with curiosity, wondering what was injured this far out into the woods. Another Mainlander? Or perhaps innocent prey, unlucky and wet with the stench of fear and death. The question of which was enough to draw him closer to the smell, ears pulling forward as his golden body weaved through the trees.

Upon his descent, the smell became indistinguishably rabbit-like. And if the confirmation wasn't enough, he crept onwards to lay eyes on a man as red as the landscape behind him. Slopes of cream shadowed his back and shoulders, but it did little to mask the overwhelming, mistletoe hue. The sight of such a thing allowed the stranger a brief pause before Sethos was nearly feet away, his own body still as he watched the other male eat his dinner.

"Deònaich fois shìorraidh dha," came unreadable speech, uttered almost as though it were a prayer over the fallen meat. Narrowing his eyes, the yearling quarreled over what language he had just heard. Nothing he had ever heard from this part of Rionnach, anyway.

A short 'thank you' followed the foreign tongue, and he stayed silent as the stranger feasted. A swift moment passed where he contemplated if he should speak up or not, but by the time he had decided, flesh and fur were mangled with teeth.

Instead, he sat down in the shadows, intent on letting the foreigner finish. His own nosiness could wait.

@Aegir

Blood continued to seep into the snow, painting it a vibrant and sickening red. Soon, even the savory taste of rabbit became nauseating. Aegir wiped blood from his lips and sat up, closing his eyes for a moment and waiting for the feeling to pass. His stomach churned even as he turned his head away, drawing in a deep breath of cold, clean air— Oh. It seemed he wasn't alone. Nose twitching, he scanned the trees until he saw a flash of gold. Heat blossomed across his face as he realized how strange he must look, turning up his nose at a fresh kill. How could he explain the way the sight of blood on snow made him feel? The memories it conjured? He faked a smile. "I'm sorry," said Aegir, though he had no reason to be. "Have you been standing there long?" He shouldn't have been so careless. What if the stranger had meant him harm? His nose had been preoccupied with the smell of blood and fur, and his ears had been ringing with the din of past battles. He gave the stranger a moment to respond, then stepped away from the snow bank and gestured with a dip of his head. "Please, help yourself. I've already had my fill." A lie, but the stranger didn't need to know that. And he certainly didn't want the life of the rabbit to go to waste.

table ▸ bunny x art ▸ amphi

It was not long before his presence became known. He hadn't exactly tried to conceal his location, after all. A stony expression was met with a surprised one as blue eyes settled across Sethos's face, the stranger's cheeks saturated in red as he realized he was not alone. "I'm sorry. Have you been standing there long?" The man questioned, and instinctively, Sethos rose to his feet once more. He hadn't. He had just been passing through. "No. I felt it rude to intrude before you finished." Came his simple reply, a stray right ear flicking forward to attentiveness. For a second, he could have sworn he caught a look of disgust on the other man's face. Was the rabbit sour?

"Please, help yourself. I've already had my fill." Golden eyes blinked slowly, taken aback by the offer. He wasn't particularly hungry, but a large portion of the carcass was still strewn across the snow. Left for hungry scavengers, or fit for a small meal for himself. The decision was easy. Approaching slowly, he lowered his body into a crouch near the rabbit, nosing the creature's spine with his maw. He looked up briefly, as if to convey silent gratitude, before taking the small thing between bared teeth and shuffling back to where he came.

Between mouthfuls, Sethos nodded towards the other male. "Do you live around this area?" His aim was innocent, as he just wanted to know if this stranger had been residing here for long. His family was nearby. It was almost necessary to distinguish friend from foe when it appeared practically on his doorstep.

@Aegir