life is like—

[soulbrand]

. . . a swamp, noisy and bearing an aroma you can’t quite close in on, yet; you’d smile as the wildlife ran by almost unaware of your existence. It was in this manner would the man, Souban, sit, perched atop a makeshift bench.

A log, broken and slumped atop another would be the place in which the ivory haired man sat, a box folded open atop his lap as Bacchus lay drunkenly discarded at his swinging legs. A cookie, warm and scented with a strong butterscotch odor would be withdrawn and munched on slowly. It was the Muhirian flora that gathered his attention here, the scent dismissed, as he merely watched the vibrant leaves as they bowed to the wind.

Another cookie, Souban would pat his stomach, a faint tune coming to fruition.

It was with a crash and a tumble, would his gape depart from the flowing leaves, to an animal, a strong resemblance to a bear, sans a snake skinned tail that taunted the space behind him. A moment and they would lock eyes, the crunching of a cookie the only sound between them, the bear would twist and drink from a cerulean hued pool of water before heading back from where it came. A purple leaf was knocked free in the minor staring contest, to which the man one, it would steal the attention of the tranquil place, only more disturbed by a single:

Crunch.

[Rajasi]

She didn't even notice the man sitting on the bench as she crawled out from beneath the foliage to take a look at the bear like creature. Half of her body was still underneath the leaves, and her torso was low to the ground, long brown hair splayed across the dirt-- obviously she was paying no mind to the mud as her hands and concealed feet were covered in it. No doubt her skin would be chock full of nutrients thereafter.

The look of curiosity on her face was unrivaled, except for perhaps an infant gazing up at his mobile; wide-eyed, in awe and oblivious to her surroundings, most especially the man on the log despite half of her being in plain view of the man and bear snake thing. As the bear-esque creature left, that curiosity turned to visible frustration. Her eyebrows moved inward, one quirked up; her lips pouted ever so slightly. She moved out of the foliage completely then and came to a standing position. Wiping her hands on her already dirty shorts, she rid herself of the muck that had gathered on her hands by her following the bear creature. Her hand lifted to her forehead as she took a moment to figure out the next move. Does she continue to follow or does she give up the chase?

She heard a slight movement from behind her then-- it was hardly noticeable but in the silence of the swamp, the interruption was ever so evident. And that small noise excited the young woman. A smile erupted on her face and excitement bubbled up within her. A new creature to follow?! So soon!? Oh oh oh! She whipped around, that smile still evident. BUT! Oh no, no, no. She wasn't so lucky to find another creature as she whipped around, almost falling over her muddy shoes. That excitement downgraded to disappointment to see the man. Pfft, not a creature she had any interest in following: she had enough people watching in her own home between all her siblings and her parents and the bickering that ensued. The smile faltered, dwindling into what one might construe as a frown.

"Well, that blows," was all she said.

[soulbrand]

A timbre, female and sudden, would disrupt the otherwise peacefulness of the venture; standing with box in hand he would allow a fleeting glance to rest firmly upon Bacchus. No, my friend, you’ve earned yourself a moment to sleep it off.

Walking towards the edge of the branch, he would teeter along the edge, his feet atop the roots as he pushed himself up to his tip toes, all the while his gaze remaining upon the female, her mud decorated visage causing a light curl of his lip. “Yes, I would think so as well, what with being covered in mud!” Smirking, he’d leap from the edge of the bench, careful to not spill out a single cookie (or for that matter a crumb) before he walked slowly towards the female.

As he drew near, the box would become balanced atop a heaven lifted palm, his free hand rubbed gently and plucked upon his earlobe, speaking he’d stop within arm reach of the female. “Would you like a cookie? You can have one if you promise not to get mud on too many of them.” A light bite, he wouldn’t wait for her answer before he drew the box back, all but a moment, so he could once more pluck a cookie from the box.

“Better to eat them when they are warm, don’t ya think?” He nodded, agreeing with his own question.

[Rajasi]

"Well, actually, I was referring to the fact that you are here."

That's all she said and matter-of-factly to boot. It was as if she wasn't paying any mind that what she was saying was fairly rude, which she wasn't, but more so that she didn't know. She made a motion of disappointment, doing a small turn as if she were hoping for the bear snake animal to make a reappearance so she could continue following it. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips within the quick movement of her admitting defeat. Disregarding the held out cookies, she continued.

"I've been following it all day," she began, "and now I probably won't ever see-- yeah, yeah, actually, I would." It was then that she wiped her hand down her pants once more, reaching up to grab a cookie. Within about 3.5 seconds, it was gone and she was sputtering as she had consumed the butterscotch mouth delight far too fast. A few more seconds of a recovery and she was soon looking back at him.

"It's better to eat them at all, really. Wasting anything is--- why are you here?"

[soulbrand]

A lip sent heavenward, he’d curl it in confusion, more annoyed by his presence than the splattered mud that had adorned and masked both her visage and attire; a free hand stroked the top of his head as he would merely nod, a single shrug removed the innocuous thoughts from his head.

“Oh well, maybe it likes butterscotch, we can lure him back with the promise of a snack?” He’d smile, as she wiped her hand once more and then withdrew a cookie, checking the box he would give a light blow to the cookies, before plucking another from the box and munching it vigorously. It was with her comment, would he pass the box towards her, setting it on the makeshift bench behind him:

“You are more than welcome to the rest of them; I am full and would only waste them.” A nod, he’d wipe his fingers on his slacks, with a flick of his wrist Bacchus would groan, drunkenly dancing before coming to the outstretched hand before him. “I merely came here to watch the world, a peculiar display has been known to happen in the woods here, embedded soil rich in mana seems to have a way of getting out of hand.”

Infinity rested hard on his shoulder, he’d do his best to sturdy his drunken comrade, however, he would wave even in the firms of grips, his base hitting the swamp before, as lemniscates were now hip placed, looking back to the girl, he’d take a moment to enjoy the silence of the woodlands.

[Rajasi]

She walked to the pool of water and began to pace the low bank. Eyes wandered in a desperate search as his words fell on seemingly deaf ears. She bent over, picked up a pebble and analyzed it and clenched her fist around it. Glancing back, she watched him speak the last few words, mentioning the mana. She had seen the soil a few times, having been lost in these woods purposely. But, she'd be surprised if she knew her way to them once more considering her inability to remember much of anything. Finally unclenching her hand, she made a swift sideways throw motion. The pebble jumped across the surface before a rather loud plunk indicated its journey to the muddy depth. Now hand once more muddy she spun back around.

"I know where they are. On that note, I refuse to bring you to the most rich unless you manage to bring the creature back to me."

She smiled widely, as if she were the salesman who proposed the deal that no idiotic shopaholic could turn down. Nothing on her face would indicate that she didn't really recall where they were; no, it would be pure luck if she found her way back to them. Once more, she approached him; or rather, the cookies, and plopped a whole one into her mouth, which caused her cheeks to bulge on either side as she chewed.

[soulbrand]

Bacchus groaned with a drunken eagerness, his hilt placed and twirled before the unhappy Souban once more merely allowed him to rest in a lean upon a moss covered rock. A few steps forward and he would also come to the pool of water, kneeling the lingering sensation of butterscotches was cleansed from him hands. “A forest already as rich as this, has more to offer?” A peculiar glance was casted towards the girl, his eyes narrowed and he would merely shrug a single reaction before standing and drying his hands upon his shirt.

“A beast as large as that, shouldn't be that terribly hard to find again, merely follow in the pressed mud and I am sure he, she . . . erm it! It will surely be well in our view again.” Smiling a bit, he would reach his hand towards the drunken comrade, it would once more swirl and spiral about the air before landing with the familiar clank, swiveled he would carry it once more by the marking of eternity, his legs dragged as he helped the cohort stand in their advancement. “I am no more or no less interested in the beast as I am in the soil, however the tranquility of this woodlands is far too much for me to pass up on, and if there is such a spot as you promise!”

A claimed lack of interested seemed false, as his tone adjusted and lifted, excitement sliced his face. “I would be a fool to not at least gaze upon it, if for just a moment.” And with that, he took the lead towards the direction the beast had departed from.

[Rajasi]

"Hm, I don't know," she began, a finger tapping her chin, "it only gets muddier! Like, life, you know? You get to the center and you're up to your knees in it. Yet, because your tracks are gone, you can't seem to find your way back to the beginning."

As he took up Bacchus, it was at this moment that she spun around to actually listen to him. As if, for a moment, she had reached some point in her mind that had stilled for a few seconds to absorb what he was saying.

"Eh, perhaps there isn't such a spot. I can't really remember," she began to explain, just now pointing out that well, she just didn't know. Or, perhaps she did and it was a slight of mind. Or, perhaps a yearning for company. It would be unknown at this given point-- to Souban, at the very least. A mystery worth solving? Who knew. The apparent excitement that shone on his face got her excited. But, she held back from following even as he disappeared into the brush. It became incredibly quiet, with the exception of the random twittering of insect life and tweeting of the birds. In that very moment, she took off after him, acutely aware of the sudden loneliness of having no one nearby. Her footsteps through the brush were anything but carefully placed. She sounded quite like a fumbling giant with how she made her way. And in the very last minute as she came back into view, she slipped on a muddy log that had strewn itself over the pathway; a stupid attempt to use it as leverage to jump closer her caused her to become completely engrossed in a muddy mess.

[soulbrand]

It was into the belly of a clearing would Souban land and he saw no beast nor heard any signs of further progression, instead a honeydew fog twisted about his frame before merely fading into the tree line, startled by the sound of splashes and the sight of mud as it hurled itself upward from the swamp. Bacchus was released and merely stumbled forward a step and a half before collapsing under the weight of his demons; the man however would shift himself towards the source of the disturbance.

“Well, I suppose that is the price for comparing life to mud, you talk of such ideas and that is all the need to become.” It was the smile that remained, the irony provoked a subtle laugh before he knelt and tucked hands into his pockets. It was a gesture to not confuse his amusement with chivalry. “It seems the beast went a different direction, perhaps he as well slipped into the swamp?” Standing again he would laugh, his structure and gait aimed towards his more known companion lay, sitting with his back to tree.

“If you wish to pursue the beast further, I would suggest we take a moment so you can attempt to clean up a bit, unless you feel the camouflage and scent of the swamp to well placed in the hunt.” It was the smile that faded, a finger lifted and pressed to the tree behind him, leaning forward the tree dissipated in a display of vibrant cubes that swirled about the clearing before taking shape of an oaken table with two chairs placed at either head. Standing he would take the closest head, sliding the chair out he would sit, bringing his legs to a cross.