Chapter Text
"You remember that cyan girl? Remember that stick with the human avatar ahm, that stiff blonde ponytail and floppy hat thing?" Dark gabbled, prodding at Chosen's shoulder as he lay over the soft, dewy grass. The sun rose slowly above the horizon, the green blades tips turning a golden yellow, trees swaying side to side as cotton candy colored clouds swirled in the baby pink sky.
Chosen rested over his back, the rocks prodding into his legs and digging in-between the ribs but it was fine. Things were peaceful at least.
"Mm," he hummed, shutting his eyes.
Dark scooted closer to him, poking him again. "I saw her again yeah, you listening Cho? Cho ya listening yeah-"
"Yes man, I'm listening," Chosen mumbled wearily. His muscles ached. He tried to imagine stretching them out, like how those sticks, those elderly women would stretch out washed clothes. He loved watching the water drawing from the fabric, the little noises drip drops over the floor, the scent of soap and strong lavender. He used to watch them do that all the time. Clean clothes... mmm.
"Yeah I saw her again yeah? And she was missing a finger! Chosen! A whole finger! Are they cutting off fingers now??"
Chosen shrugged, keeping his eyes shut. He was too tired for this
"Maybe."
Dark seemed quite agitated at the lack of a response.
"What do you mean maybe?? Cho! Cho that's- that ain't good! Y'think they're gonna do it for fricken stealing now? Cho what if they catch us?!"
"Guess we're losing fingers then," Chosen says, his lips curling upwards slightly at the awaited outburst.
"NO CHOSEN THEY CAN'T!" he spluttered, shaking Chosen by his shoulder.
"WE'LL START AN UPRISING THEN! I ain't losing my fingers for no stiff avatar human thing! Hell, they don't even know how to animate the walk cycles right! It's so stiff!"
Chosen pushed himself up and shoved Dark's arms away, mildly annoyed.
"Obviously they aren't cutting off fingers dumbass," Chosen groans with an eye roll.
Dark flapped his hands
"Why not??? YOU-"
"Then how on earth are they supposed to work us to death?"
Dark paused
Chosen shrugged
"Anyway, I don't think it'd be logical to chop off a sticks finger for something as low as stealing food."
The corner of his lips curved upward slightly and he lay back down with a heavy sigh
"Mm barely give out whippings. Can just bribe y'way out. Relax Dark, we'll be ok."
Dark sat and stared at a beetle crawling across his shoe.
He shifted so it fell off and lifted his foot to crush it
Chosen raised an eyebrow, holding out his hand
"Don't kill it"
Dark rolled his eyes. Trust Chosen to stop him from crushing a stupid insect. Why shouldn't he? Nothing but an annoyance.
He gazed up at the pink sky. A sudden overwhelm of peace flowed through his blood and he inhaled slowly
"...Cho. I'll get us outta here, you'll see"
Chosen chuckled
"Sure thing."
Dark punched him in the side and Chosen yelped, kicking him away.
"Ow man-"
"Stop treating me like a stupid know-nothing child!"
"You ARE a child Dark"
"I'm a teenager! Barely younger than you! Shut up and take me seriously for once"
"Fine fine, let's here your grand escape plan again. Don't speak about this in the city yeah, dunno where they've planted their stupid cameras"
"Duhhhh, listen now Chosen!"
Dark clasped his hand and forced him to look up
"I'll save up all the money we steal 'nd then we can hop outta the city! Go live in one of them foreign places! And then I can be one of em fancy coders! And you..."
"Mm I'll dance on the streets and play my magic flute to enchant all the snakes-"
"CHOSEN!"
Chosen chuckled again.
"Eh, well it's fine to have dreams I guess."
"I'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN!"
"Sure thing Darkie"
Dark pouted. "Why don't you ever believe me?? I'll figure something out, we bribe our way out, get on all em stock cars and we'll be free ! No more humans! no more damn avatars!"
Chosen didn't say anything, merely shrugging.
"What we eating then?"
Dark hated Chosen for a moment
They'd get out and he'd rub it into Chosen's face everyday. Oh that'd be nice.
Dark flopped onto his back and didn't answer.
Chosen sensed something was off and patted Dark on the arm
"Hey. I'll get you something nice today"
He forced himself to his feet and stretched, uncomfortably stiff.
Dark looked up. A wave of unease overcame him and he called out to Chosen just before he left
"You... You don't get caught yeah? You sure nothing will happen?"
Chosen shrugged him off, giving him a small wink. "Just a fine Dark. Worst case a quick punch to the face. I'll be ok"
Dark watched him walk away, the unease still precedent in his stomach. He wasn't sure they could afford fines... Though Chosen did manage to pull money out of nowhere somehow. Where from, he didn't know
Chosen said he would be ok
Chosen was always ok
So why...
Why... and how did Dark end up here?
Pushing and elbowing and jostling about roughly in a crowd that seemed stone still, all towering over him?
How did he end up just under the whipping post stage?
And how... How did he end up watching Chosen half unconscious, bloody and battered, arms strung up over his head to the whipping post, bare back a mess similar to shredded beef?
Dark wasn't sure
All he could do was watch as the whip came crashing down over ragged flesh again.