Hold Your Breath | Man x Boy |

⊶»﴾ 𝟸. 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・
・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷】【𝟶𝟶:𝟷𝟾:𝟺𝟻:𝟹𝟼】⥋・

Devynn didn't know how long they'd been walking, only that as they did, the terrain changed drastically from one place to the next. They'd been walking across wide opened fields before, but now they were surrounded by thick forest again. The trees were different from the twisted ones, but... still just as uncanny as the ones before. Instead of being twisted and contorted in strange, creepy ways, they were completely straight, not a single limb or anything, no leaves, just... wooden stalks placed in close enough proximity to call it a forest.

It was chilly, Devynn's bare arms were covered in gooseflesh, and the sun was getting dangerously low on the horizon, making him look out even harder for monsters. His feet were aching, hurting so much that he never wanted to walk again. He was getting hungry, too, hungry enough that he felt dizzy. He'd drank, just enough to keep him alive, really, thanks to Scythe's help, but he was getting... really hungry and tired. He hadn't slept the night before, so with the reminder of nighttime looming over them, he was beginning to feel it.

"Hey, you," Scythe's voice caught his attention and he visibly shook his head, looking over at him. "I'm going to set up camp here for the night." Devynn paused, glancing around them and finally taking in the sight of a tiny clearing.

"This isn't... much space for two people," Devynn said, prompting Scythe to shrug his shoulders.

"We're in the woods, it's survival of the fittest, not a five-star resort. You can stay in this little clearing, or find your own. Either works for me." Scythe said coolly, prompting Devynn to bite his lip and shake his head. He didn't want to be any father from Scythe than he already was, given how reliant on him he was right now.

"W-What're we doing for f-food and warmth? I-It's pretty wet here..." Devynn said, making a show of his shoes squelching in the mud.

"You're probably not gonna like the answer to that," Scythe said emotionlessly. "In the way of food, there isn't anything. As for warmth. Well, we can't have a fire out here, so it's either the mud, or you're going to get real close to me real quick."

"I-Is there anywhere to shower in the morning?" Devynn asked worriedly, prompting him to shake his head. "I-I don't want to be covered in mud..." Devynn stammered out.

"Then you'd better get real friendly with me quickly," Scythe said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't care either way, I'm used to being covered in mud and blood, so this is nothing new for me." Devynn nodded his head, biting into his lip as he fought back a yawn, terribly. Scythe let out a sigh and dropped his bag to the ground. "Preferably this'd be miles from the campsite but you're slow so I didn't have time to make it to the damn point," Scythe grumbled under his breath, making Devynn raise an eyebrow.

He wasn't just imagining that, from sleep deprivation or hunger, right? He... was pretty sure that Scythe had said he'd leave him behind if he slowed him down. He didn't comment on it, not, instead, he looked away and bit his bottom lip, his chest filling with warmth. For all his big talking, Scythe had yet to stand by all of his talk about leaving Devynn in the dust to fend for himself. He still didn't want to push his luck, though, the prospect of him getting tired of him was high and Devynn would prefer to keep that from happening.

Devynn couldn't fight back the yawn he let out then, prompting Scythe to look up at him from where he was kneeling on the ground. Devynn flushed brightly, his arms wrapping around himself. He wished he had a jacket or something, he was cold. The fire the night before felt much more comfortable.

"Why can't we have a fire out here?" Devynn asked, prompting a deep, heavy sigh from Scythe's lips.

"Because certain monsters are drawn to the light, others are repelled with the light," Scythe paused for a moment, "This area is full of monsters that are drawn to light. We didn't make it through the woods in time, so this is the plan now. Do what you want, but regardless, I have to sit and watch to make sure you don't get eaten either way." He griped. Devynn bit his lip.