002 {Audio}

[fallintheriver]

[So this whole invasion thing? Ezra is not taking it seriously at all. After hearing about it on the comms, he actually left the safety of the temple to check it out. Realizing quickly that it was less interesting and more painful than he had thought, he headed for the river by Eider Village

Comments

[thenotmagician]

Oi, leave cats alone and go back to burnin' the mice.

[commentlog!]

[thenotmagician]

Oh, there y'are.

[YAY HE FOUND YOU.]

Now get outta th'water so I can take a look at your feet.

[commentlog!]

[fallintheriver]

I don't wanna.

[Oh dear god does he want to.]

Come in and check.

[Don't do it, Zeke!]

[commentlog!]

[thenotmagician]

[Zeke stares at Ezra, then at the water, and then at his bad leg, and then at the water some more]

...Yeah, that's not happenin'. Now get your ass over here.

[commentlog!]

[fallintheriver]

[Slowly slowly slowly Ezra approaches the bank. He stops ankle deep in the shallows, bizarrely serene smile on his face.]

This good enough? I feel safer in the water.

Re: [commentlog!]

[thenotmagician]

[Two can play at this game!]

Yeah? Well I don't. 'Sides, th'hell are we gonna take care of your feet when you're standing in th'damn water, eh?

[commentlog!]

[fallintheriver]

Like this.

[Plop. Ezra's sitting down now, holding his foot up out of the water. There are cuts all over from the mice, and the webbing between his big and pointer toes is ripped all the way up.

Oh look, Ezra's capybara is coming to say hi. It nudges him, and Ezra whistles at it sharply.

It's definitely staring at you now, Zeke. Weird.]

[commentlog!] noooooo--

[thenotmagician]

[Oooookay this is totally the weirdest thing ever.

Creepy capybara aside, Zeke determines that if Ezra won't budge he's going to have to go in and get him.

SIIIGH]

Alright, kid, enough funny business. I'm gonna drag y'out of there if I have to.

[And into the water he goes]

[commentlog!]

[fallintheriver]

I told you, I'm not a kid.

[But he doesn't seem that put off about it. Ezra waits until Zeke gets right up close and then lunges at his bad leg. Yeah, he noticed that.

Meanwhile, his capybara just ran back into the river squealing at the top of its lungs.]

[commentlog!] 1/2?

[thenotmagician]

Yeah, yeah, whatever you say-

[Aaand then Zeke is down in the water. Suffice to say Zeke is more than a little surprised.

That's a low blow, Ezra. Gosh]

[commentlog!] done 8D

[thenotmagician]

[But! He's quick to react. Zeke isn't sure whether or not it was an accident, but he's not taking chances. He kind of really doesn't want to drown.

He pushes himself up so he's at least sort of sitting and kicks at Ezra with his not-crappy leg, just hard enough to get him off. Zeke doesn't want to hurt the poor guy.

And if that goes over well, Zeke squirms around to grab at Ezra so he can stumble out of the water like a drowned rat, dragging Ezra along]

[commentlog!]

[fallintheriver]

[There's no such thing as an accident, Zeke! ...okay, there is, but this isn't one.

But the water isn't deep enough here. And after that kick, his reaction is to regroup in deeper water.

Except Zeke has him by the leg, and he's not gonna win this battle of strength by a long shot. So he's flailing like a fish and screaming bloody murder.

Smooth.]

[commentlog!]

[thenotmagician]

[Yeah, you just keep screaming, Ezra. Zeke's not letting you go anytime soon.

He walks off a safe distance from the water and takes a quick look around to make sure there aren't any mice or rabbits, and lets go of Ezra's leg.

But then he squats right away and grabs Ezra by the back of his shirt.

Zeke looks MENACING]

Oi, you gonna tell me what th'fuck that was about?

[commentlog!]

[fallintheriver]

[Ezra is cowering like a cornered rat. Why so scary, Zeke?]

I- I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I didn't mean it I can't help it I'm sorry.

[Maybe if he talks really fast, he can win Zeke over before he decides to kill him.]

[commentlog!]

[thenotmagician]

[Honestly, Zeke is having a really hard time making himself look angry.

Because he really isn't.

So he cracks a smile]

Shit, calm down. Speak slowly, I can't keep up.

[commentlog!]

[fallintheriver]

[This has to be a trick, right? Ezra doesn't believe you're not mad, Zeke. But he listens to your order, and slows down his speech.]

I-it's instinct. I'm sorry.

[Cue the most pitiful look he can muster. Feel sorry for me, Zeke.]