♇ - [video]

[keeperfromtheflame]

[For a moment, all anyone would be able to see is a blur of browns and greens. Branches. Leaves. An arm. And a loud barking coming from somewhere relatively close by. Once the camera steadies, a brief, high-angle view of a lovely Catahoula Cur with its paws up against a tree trunk could be seen. Or, at least, the dog would seem lovely, if it weren't barking ferociously at something.]

[Another shift in angles, and we find out what the dog is barking at: Hazel.]

[Who is currently stuck up in the tree.]

Umm...help? Somebody?

[The others were so going to laugh at her for this. She's pretty sure they were already laughing at her for this. But it was either ask for help, or hurt the dog.]

Comments

[boyhood]

_{[Oops, does someone have a problem with him sending text messages? Better keep going, then.]}

This world makes it possible. Nifty bit of magic.

_{[And another one not a minute later:]}

I can still hear the dog. It sounds vicious. What do you prefer, knife or crossbow?

[keeperfromtheflame]

[Not a problem, per say. Just...don't expect any texting in return anytime soon.]

If I wanted to kill it, it would already be dead.

I don't want it hurt. Just gone.

[boyhood]

<sub>[Big words coming from a girl who's likely blocked off from whatever makes her special, the same as him. Now Peter wouldn't mind killing his way to a moment of peace and quiet, but luckily for the pups, they don't try to chase him around like Hazel's.

And besides, venting his feelings takes work when killing has to be all done by hand.]</sub>

What difference does it make? It's only a memory. A living memory.

[keeperfromtheflame]

[Not so big words if and when he ever realized that she wasn't blocked off from what actually made her special: her training. A year of actual, literal Spartan-like warfare and experience. She knew how to carry a sword, how to ride a warhorse, and while, sure, there were certain other abilities that had given her the advantage against recent mythological appearances along their seemingly never-ending Quest...she didn't have to be able to control the Mist to take down a little dog.]

That doesn't even make sense.

[She was quite familiar with the idea of "living memory", in fact--only recently having stopped experiencing actual Blackouts in which she was forced to relive memories of her old life.]

[boyhood]

_{[Of course that makes sense, Peter said it.]}

Think about it.

<sub>[And after this text, Peter stops messaging for a while, giving her the time to do just that. A living magical creation might seem like it has the same degree of life force, tangibility, as the rest of its kind across the board, but that's sentimental thinking.

Maybe Peter's feeling a little touchy, too.]</sub>

You could say it's not even a real dog. But if you won't do it, better make yourself comfortable. It doesn't sound like it feels as kind toward you.

_{[If she's afraid of one little dog attack but won't get rid of the threat, then really, she's bought herself a nice, comfortable seat in that tree with her own money, hasn't she?]}

[keeperfromtheflame]

[After the first part of his text, Hazel simply assumed he was leaving her high and dry. Literally. Which...honestly suited her just fine, if he didn't have any other solutions as to how to get rid of the mutt below. The barking had stopped for a moment, but it was still down there. She could could see him circling the tree for a moment before--]

[Before peeing on the tree. Ew]

[Then her communicator alerted her to a second message. Still from the same boy. Huh. She would have thought he'd given up.]

If you're not going to help, then why keep messaging me?

[boyhood]

<sub>[Wow, dog, rude. Exactly why Peter's been taking his stormy moods out on the dog population himself.

He might not have any more magic than the average person, but he doesn't have to stand for puppies trying to relieve themselves around him. He gets enough of that from people from the Enchanted Forest.]</sub>

I was, but you just said you didn't want your attacker hurt.

_{[Also, he's bored and these texts don't take a lot of effort to devise.]}

Why not? What else have you got to do up there?

[keeperfromtheflame]

Plenty.

Don't you have anything better to do?

[boyhood]

Such as? Enjoy the view from a treetop?

<sub>[Well, those who live in glass houses can't throw stones. Playing this game of swapping written messages for spoken replies at least provides some kind of break in the monotony.

... The literal monotony. All this grey is as depressing as having his well of magic blocked off from him. Remind him never to visit Frankenstein's land without color.]</sub>

I have time at the moment.

[keeperfromtheflame]

Well, I don't.

[She was starting to get antsy from sitting "still" for so long. Her mind was beginning to wander, and it was getting harder to focus on a single conversation she had absolutely no interest in any longer.]

I should be talking to people who are going to help. Not people who think they can try to mess with me because they're bored.

[boyhood]

_{[She's right, but Peter still doesn't think that. He knows he could mess with her plenty.]}

I offered. You refused.

What's the real problem, can't outrun the one dog?

_{[Or is there something about dogs in particular?]}

[keeperfromtheflame]

Apparently not.

[She wasn't embarrassed to admit that much. The little bugger was fast, alright? He had twice as many legs as she did. It was practically cheating.]

I already told you what the problem is. I don't want to hurt it. I just want it gone.

And other people who aren't you offered to help. They'll be here soon.

[Including her brother.]

[boyhood]

As fierce as I'm sure that dog is, next time I hope your foe isn't something as touchy as a wild boar. A full grown one, not those young ones that have been running around. Or a hunting cat, say.

<sub>[Or, you know, an even greater threat than dangerous animals.

Peter takes some pride in the fact that even he, magicless, can still escape the clutches of a furball, but then, he's a boy. His legs are longer, and his stamina's greater. And his sentiment isn't so great. That's why a little girl's up a tree, and he's not.]</sub>

There now, all your problems are solved. :) Don't you feel a bit better having had someone to talk to while you waited?

[keeperfromtheflame]

[She had no idea what those two dots and end parenthesis were supposed to mean--emotes were still a long way away in her time--but she was pretty sure she didn't like it.]

Not really, no.

[boyhood]

_{[Get with the times, Hazel. Don't let this old geezer beat you in the great race of emoticons when he doesn't even have indoor plumbing where he's from.]}

That's a shame. Cheer up.

_{[Don't want to be as drab and cheerless as the colorless landscape, do you?]}

[keeperfromtheflame]

No.

[Now she was just being stubborn; Hazel had always had a stubborn streak to her. Especially when it came to people trying to tell her what to do.]

[boyhood]

_{[It does seem a bit counterproductive, doesn't it...]}

If you won't even do that much, is it any wonder you're up a tree because of a dog?

You must give your parents a run for their money when they try to tell you to go to bed.

[keeperfromtheflame]

[Now there's a slightly sore spot, right there. Parents.]

Not really.

[boyhood]

<sub>[What better topic is there than parents. One of Peter's favorite, to be honest, conveniently ignoring the fact he ever was one himself and failed spectacularly at it.

To be even more honest, memories like those tend to push at the surface a little harder to get attention when he's without his powers like this, but if Peter's good at anything, it's ignoring what he doesn't like to deal with.]</sub>

No? You seem like a bit of a free spirit to me, and most kids your age like rebellion.

[keeperfromtheflame]

[She scoffed at the free spirit line. He had no idea.]

If you say so.