[2913] [13757] Paint for Days [Depthstriders p2]

Theneras- “This is absurd.”  

The Chaser had been grumbling about it nonstop, his tail twitching in irritation as he tried to keep still. Every few minutes—at most—he would huff, scowl, and shift uncomfortably, making his displeasure painfully clear.  

Theneras- “We’ve done this before! Remember the Forgotten? At least that had a purpose! What’s the point of this?”  

He shot an exasperated look at the other Chaser beside him, his ears flicking in frustration. 

Pyrrah-Vos~” You’re actually such a party pooper! Do you know what fun is?? I feel like you got a few gaps in your enjoyment centre in your brain sometimes…”

Theneras- “Do you know how long it took me to get the paint out last time?? Several baths! Over several days!" 

Ornaax had practically thrown the paints at them- bright, glow-in-the-dark colours that seemed unnecessarily garish- and declared it was time to “get creative.” Beyond that, Ornaax hadn’t offered so much as a hint of explanation.  

Now here they were. Theneras sat stiffly, his white and pale pink coat a canvas for streaks of neon paint that didn’t even show up properly. His colours were too light for the effect to work, leaving him looking less like a glowing masterpiece and more like a muddled experiment gone wrong.  

He glared at the offending paint smeared along his side and muttered under his breath.  

Theneras- “This is just ridiculous…”  

Theneras threw his head back with a big inhale, followed by a loud groan and grumbled into Pyrrah’s direction.

Theneras- “Get this over quick.”

Pyrrah-Vos~” Then I’ll make sure to draw it out as long as possible!”

Pyrrah had to bite his lip to keep from outright laughing at Theneras. Watching him sit there, stiff as a board and covered in neon smudges, was comedy gold. If anyone looked like they belonged anywhere but a painting event, it was this guy.

Pyrrah-Vos~ “You’re acting like it’s torture or something. Relax! It’s not like they’re making you recite poetry or, y’know, do maths.”

Theneras- “It is torture." 

Grinning, he dipped a paw into one of the nearby paint pots, swirling the glowing substance around a bit. It was cold and slimy, but Pyrrah barely flinched, already scheming. Theneras, meanwhile, looked like he might spontaneously combust if anyone so much as mentioned fun again.

Pyrrah-Vos~ “Alright, hold still. You’re looking more ‘abstract disaster’ than ‘artistic genius,’ and I can’t let you go out like that.”

Without waiting for permission, he leaned over and smeared a streak of teal across Theneras’s shoulder. It was intentionally bold and jagged, standing out against the pale fur like a comet streaking across the night sky.

Pyrrah-Vos~ “There! Now you’re at least eighty percent less embarrassing to be seen with. You’re welcome, and I will suffer way less as a result.”

Theneras- “You suffer way less??" 

Theneras questioned as Pyrrah stepped back to admire his handiwork, a smug grin spreading across his face. The glow of the paint contrasted nicely with the softer tones of Theneras’s coat, even if the chaser didn’t exactly seem thrilled about the makeover. Pyrrah grabbed another pot—this one a shockingly bright orange—and shot Theneras a mischievous look.

Pyrrah-Vos~ “You’re lucky I’m an artist at heart. Could’ve just dumped the whole thing on you and called it modern art…”

His grin widened as he added, teasingly,

Pyrrah-Vos~ “Or, you know, I could still do that…”

He made a dramatic show of holding the paint pot over Theneras’s head, waiting to see if his grumpy companion would flinch.

Theneras didn’t flinch. He simply stared, unblinking, his heart shaped eyes narrowed in quiet defiance.  

Theneras: “You wouldn’t dare.”  

His tone was calm, but the weight behind it was enough to make his frustration crystal clear. He wasn’t about to give Pyrrah the satisfaction of reacting- at least not in the sense that the Chaser clearly wanted him to react with. Instead, he sat motionless, his tail curling tightly around his paws as if to anchor himself.  

Theneras- “If you ruin my coat any further, you’ll be the one spending days scrubbing paint out of your fur.”  

It wasn’t a threat- it was a promise, delivered with a pointed flick of his gaze toward Pyrrah’s less than clean coat, riddled with his own paints. His tail uncurled slightly, and his paw- smeared with stray splotches of teal that had coated the floor- subtly shifted. Pyrrah didn’t notice until it was too late.

With one quick, fluid motion, Theneras flicked a bold streak of teal paint right onto Pyrrah’s cheek. The Chaser smirked, his calm expression cracking just enough to reveal the satisfaction that took its place.

Theneras- “Consider that a warning shot. And believe me, I won’t miss a second. Or a third.”

Pyrrah-Vos~ “You cheeky little- !!”

With a cry for battle, Pyrrah aimed the pot in his pawns in the other Chaser’s direction, but  Theneras darted away, his tail swishing behind him as the paint-slinging chaos officially began.