[Chr24] [CHR24] stalking in the woods

The buildup to the main events of the holidays had been exciting, to say the least. Bonnie glanced to the bandages wrapped carefully around his arm by his mother, memories of the giant twiwa flickering idly through his mind. The beast had just been angry they were inside its home, and more than that it had been hungry. Bo recognized the hunger burning in its tired eyes better than anyone, the need for any kind of food. It got rid of rationale, robbed you of good sense. 

Bo didn’t blame the beast for what had happened, and so when Amestris had demanded to know where it was he had instructed his brothers carefully on how to refuse their mother the full truth. She wouldn’t be happy, but Bo knew it was for the best. There was no need for her to be hurt as well as the twiwa, after all. 

Sighing, Bo turned his gaze from his bandaged arm to the squabbling pile of his siblings. Desotto and Ruvik were currently bickering while Rookie tried to settle them both, though it lacked any of the hostility it used to hold. Bo was proud of Desotto especially, he had proven to be a stronger person than anyone had really expected him to be. When Genya originally brought him home, Des had been standoffish at best and outright hostile at worst. Not to mention the general distaste for the “golden child”, Ruvik. The fact the two were so close now… well. It surprised Bo, and made him feel ashamed that he couldn’t let go of his bitter feelings. He knew it was hardly any fault of Roo’s, being coddled so. But it still burned. 

Sighing, Bo rose from his seat and meandered over to his siblings. He paused in the door frame, smiling in fond amusement as he noticed a small bundle of green curled into the corner. Reaching a hand up, he watched his reetle crawl eagerly onto his hand. The small creature had always had more personality than Bo expected something so small to have, proving time and time again his species wasn’t one to be underestimated.

“Bo!” Ruvik cheered, beaming up at him as he joined them. He bit back the guilt and the bitter feelings, and ruffled the younger man’s hair with a careful hand. “Oh- and Prancer.” Ruvik added after a moment, laughing softly as the small reetle chattered pointedly. 

The bavee that Ruvik had saved from certain doom on their last adventure out had bonded quickly with him, and had yet to leave the buck’s side. Bo was almost certain the little thing would shower with him, given the chance to. It fit in well with the rest of the clingy pets, from Desotto’s shoon to Rookie’s cat. It seemed the only one in the house without a clingy pet was Amestris, but Bo knew Rat was a little more attached than the twiwa was ever going to let on. 

“What’re we talking about doing now?” Bo asked, humor lacing every word as he spoke. Ruvik beamed, Desotto rolled his eyes, and Rookie just looked exasperated. 

“They want to go out and bring home a tree.” Rookie deadpanned, and Bo lifted a brow at that. 

“A… tree?”
“Yeah! Like the one we decorated, but actually alive. We wanna get it the old fashioned way– pick and chop!” Ruvik chirped, pointing with his thumb to said tree behind him. The thing was a fake one that Amestris had definitely gotten through less than legal means, one of many things Rookie violently ignored while he was home. It was scraggly looking, even when they fluffed its branches to the best of their abilities, and the ornaments dangled a little pathetically between the permanently placed lights. 

Bo could understand why they wanted a real one. 

“Are we sure that’s something we’ve got to do?” Bo asked, gently. He got why they wanted to, but going out and cutting one down themselves was a large commitment. Not to mention Ruvik and Desotto were hardly the planners of the family, and if they dragged Rookie along they’d have to be mindful not to accidentally trespass or break any other laws the man knew about along the way. 

Ruvik nodded though, all enthusiasm and cheer, and bounced to his feet. 

“Yup! I think it’ll be fun, and good exercise! But we oughta go soon, before it gets too dark.” Apparently, all they had needed was Bo’s presence and input for Ruvik to decide this was a journey that was happening for sure. The younger buck was gone a moment later, chatting amiably with his bavee about maybe putting it in a matching scarf for the adventure. Turning to his other brothers, Bo caught the fond amusement in Desotto’s gaze as he watched Ruvik go before he too stood up. 

“Well. Guess we should get our jackets on.” Des shrugged, motioning for Tumnus to follow. Ever loyal, the shoon idly mozied after her owner without complaint despite the perilous journeys before this.

Bo heard a heavy sigh come from where Rookie was seated, glancing over to find the other man already pulling on his coat. “Babysitting duty for us again, huh?” Bo teased, earning a light laugh from Rookie. Both of them knew they didn’t mind it too much, and more importantly they knew that they were not going to leave those two on their own. That was asking for horrible trouble. 

“Yeah, looks like. I guess I’ll use it as an excuse to get my steps in for the day, along with Blitzen.” Rookie glanced to his cat as he said it, the feline yawning as if she knew she had been mentioned. Bo sighed, then nodded.

“Yeah, I guess that’s how we’ll both have to look at it. Though I don’t think Prancer is getting any exercise out of sitting on my shoulder,” Bo joked, grinning at the creature in question. Prancer, apparently aware he’d been talked about, fluttered his small wings for show. 

Bo laughed, leaving the small den to hunt down where he’d tossed a coat that didn’t have claw marks in the arm. While he pulled it on, adjusting around Prancer, he listened to the ambience of the home around him. Wood creaked as his family walked about, Ruvik’s voice carried from his room, Desotto’s humming following a steady rhythm. A fire crackled from Amestris and Genya’s room, the two likely sharing a quiet day in together. Bo wondered briefly if they should ask their parents if they want to join, but the idea of interrupting some of the rare peace they get was enough to convince him otherwise.

The idea that soon the house would be filled with the scent of fresh pine was nice, it would add to the surprisingly homely atmosphere that had covered them since the holidays began. Genya had been determined to make this house feel like a real home for all of them, and Bonnie appreciated that effort. Even if his relationship with his step father was a little awkward, Bo knew that the man was trying to be good for Amestris. That was more than enough. 

“Bonnie! You coming?” Ruvik’s head appeared around the corner, eyes glinting with a childish kind of excitement. Bo snorted but gave a nod, shifting to make doubly sure Prancer was settled before he headed for the door behind Ruvik.

He let his brothers take over the conversation, choosing to trail behind them like he usually did. Blitzen decided she was going to keep pace with him rather than Rookie, occasionally demanding he lift her out of the cold snow for a break from walking. Bo didn’t mind, though Prancer occasionally argued. Tumnus and the bavee both stuck to their owners rather than hanging back with Bo, but that didn’t surprise him. Tumnus was fiercely loyal to Des, and the little Bavee- well. By nature those things were territorial, but Ruvik had also developed a habit of cradling it whenever he could. It was cute, Bo would admit. 

“So are we going for a taller tree or a wider tree?” Rookie asked eventually, snow crunching comfortably beneath his boots. Ruvik seemed to consider this, as he was apparently head of the project, but Desotto ended up being the one to answer.
“Can’t be too tall or it won’t fit. Wide is good, though. Has plenty of space where the old tree is.” 

“Tall and wide.” Ruvik grinned, as if he had been the one to present the idea first. Bo wondered if those two realized just how twin like they had become over the past months. Appearances aside, they complemented each other well. It was a little uncanny.

“Right.” Rookie hummed, clearly considering what kind of tree he’d be keeping an eye out for. A half silence fell across them again as they wandered, occasionally chatting about small things, until finally Rookie held up a hand to point.

“That looks like a good grove to start in.” 

Looking to where his finger lead, Bo had to agree. The trees were lush, tall enough to fill the space of their high ceiling without overwhelming the area and being too hard to decorate. Most of them seemed filled out nicely, hardly any bald patches among their branches. Ruvik seemed to agree with the inspection, letting out a happy sound before heading straight for them. A moment later and he had decided which one he liked best, though it had taken a bit of deliberating with Desotto and Rookie. Bo kept a distance, just keeping an eye on things from where he-

A movement caught his eye, shifting just out of sight even as he turned to try and watch it. Something was out here with them, and he wondered not for the first time if someone here was some kind of bad luck charm. He’d blame Rookie. It was funny. 

“Hey, guys?” He called, though none of them seemed to hear. Sighing, he moved closer, calling out again, “Guys?”

Ruvik paused mid swing of the axe, blinking owlishly. “What’s up?”

Before Bo could mention that he had seen something, they all heard a soft snorting sound. They all froze, if only because the snort didn’t sound like another buck. Bo tried to pinpoint where it had come from, but with the layout of the area it was nearly impossible. “There’s something out here,” he muttered, a bit uselessly now. 

“No crap.” Rookie muttered, hand twitching like he was yearning to grab a weapon. Desotto pressed closer to Ruvik, not by much but enough for Bo to notice. The pets were all on alert as well, Tumnus holding her head high for once while Blitzen narrowed her eyes towards the treeline. Prancer couldn’t do too much, but he seemed more still than before somehow. The bavee, to its credit, was also holding still and quiet, though it seemed a little grumpy about it. 

“What do we do?” Ruvik asked softly. “I mean- it could be like. Nothing. Like a. Like a deer or something.”
“A deer?” Desotto asked a little hysterically. Ruvik shrugged in response. 

“Look, let’s just get the tree and leave. Okay?” Bo sighed, turning his head to look at the younger two. “I’ll keep an eye out. Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem super interested in us. Yet.”

“What if it’s one of those…. Uh.” Ruvik paused, contemplating like he’d lost a word. Finally he groaned, waving his free hand in a half circle. “You know, the story ma told us? About the bucks cursed to protect the trees or something?” As he spoke, Ruvik tapped the tree gently with his axe now as if to emphasize. 

“He makes a point,” Desotto mumbled, seemingly antsy. “Maybe we just… call it. We can get a new tree next year.” 

“Are you sure? You were so excited about-” Another chuffing sound, but this one seemed closer. Ruvik put the axe carefully back into a holster and lifted his Bavee from where it had settled on a nearby tree.

“Yep. Yep. I’m sure. Certain, actually. Let’s just… leave.” Bo would have argued, but a creeping feeling of dread made him agree. Maybe it was best they didn’t try and test their luck today, especially after how things had been going for them recently. Desotto and Rookie both didn’t seem opposed either, their pets keeping close as the group started back home. 

The further they got from the tree’s grove, the more at ease they felt. Bo wondered if maybe Ruvik had a point when he mentioned that story, and one last time took a glance over his shoulder. Later, when he told his siblings, they all said he was just trying to scare them, but he could have sworn in the moment that he saw the outline of a skull in the dim lighting of the forest.