The two, brand new best buddies; are now walking side by side.
Rhys was fascinated by all the bugs and small critters roaming around during the day.
The mushrooms that were glowing were also dazzling.
Dylan: [I know you love this forest.
But don’t forget about the scary monster lurking.]
Rhys: [Oh, screw you!
No way that creature is real!]
Rhys hovers his hand over some glowing fungus.
Wondering if it would react to his body heat or something.
He then notices the sweater and gloves that he was wearing.
Looking like the ones he had before; just a little more uncanny.
Dylan: [Man, I can’t believe how much you changed in a split second.
You’re like a completely different person right now.]
Rhys: [Don’t worry, my guy.
I just wasn’t in the right headspace at the moment.
After seeing this beauty though, I think I’m gonna be just fine.]
Dylan’s face faltered for a split second; Rhys got back to an upright position and began leading the way this time.
Something felt off about him.
Dylan: [Alright, the pond is just above that mini hill that way!]
His pale index finger shows the way.
Dylan: [Let’s get going, slowpoke!]
Rhys nods and picks up the pace, to Dylan’s shock.
The smell of fresh water in the air was noticeable to Rhys.
It felt potent.
Both of their heads slowly poked above the mini-hill and witnessed the glory of the pond.
Crystals seemed to form on the water’s surface; as different breeds of fish jetted past each other in an entropic fashion.
The rainbow eyes on Rhys sparkled and glowed in unison with its beauty.
This was the best thing Rhys had ever seen in his existence.
Dylan: [I know this is the coolest place around for a reason.
I mean, It has everything one could ever need…]
He then grabs onto the collar of Rhys’s sweater.
Dylan: [But don’t what we came here for!]
Rhys snaps out of his angelic trance and tries to squirm his way out.
Over the hill Dylan drags him, and he stomps onto the muddy beach.
Just as he makes it to the tide, he drops Rhys, head first back onto the shallow puddle leading to greatness.
Rhys: Ah SHIT!
I CAN’T SWIM!
DAMMIT DYLAN!
Dylan watches in awe as Rhys struggles in a centimetre of water.
He waits for a second to see if he was bluffing, before pulling him back out.
The shock fully sent him into survival mode, with him shooting off the ground, landing, and wiping his face with his left hand.
Rhys: [*Cough, cough!
What the hell was that for—]
He looks down at his reflection in the crystal water; horrified— no…
disgusted at what he saw.
There was a reason for everyone’s disgust with him, obviously.
I never told you guys why, though.
He had the face of what his world would call; a macaque.
His eyes were like rainbow beads shoved into two holes on his head.
Bulging out of his head like a space alien.
His new nose was red, and right below was his animal mouth.
It was a wonder how he could speak normally.
Where was also the rainbow scar on his forehead, forever leaking out something he couldn’t describe.
Rhys fondled his features frantically.
Just trying to make sure that it wasn’t some sort of hallucination.
To his dismay, however, it wasn’t in the slightest.
When Rhys flinched like a distressed animal that had just been shot, Dylan’s plastered-on smile slowly faded.
Dylan: [H-hey man!
You ok there?]
Rhys: [G-get it off of me!!!]
Shaking violently, Rhys tries his best to rip off his own flesh.
Wanting to see if he was still in there somewhere.
His claws rip through the stained gloves and tear his cheek skin right off.
Not caring about the stinging pain that followed.
Dylan: [Y-yo!
Stop that, you idiot!
Calm down!]
He grabs Rhys’s arm and uses all the force he has to rip them apart.
He appeared to be built like a brick wall, though.
Rhys couldn’t stop.
He couldn’t accept his identity being stripped away by me.
No way, I had to make him look like a monster, right?
Rhys: [S-stop touching me!!!]
Rhys flinches away from Dylan’s prodding, and lands on his butt before nudging himself away from the tide.
Every atom in Rhys’s body was shivering from some sort of imposter syndrome.
All he wanted to do was rip off his face.
It didn’t belong to him.
That wasn’t him.
That will never be him.
Dylan: [Dude!
It can’t be that bad!]
Rhys: [S-SHUT THE FUCK UP!!
Shut up for a second.]
He uses every ounce of his strength to calm himself down.
Leaving nothing behind.
It takes a minute, but he does eventually get his stuff together and wobbles his way back onto his two feet.
Dylan’s eyes traced his movements, and was shocked to see the bags that formed under Rhys’s eyes.
Dylan: [U-um, so are you okay now?]
He thought that sounded a lot nicer in his head.
Rhys: [Y-yeah, hold on.
Just gimme a sec…]
His claws retracted as he slapped them onto his face before sliding them across the surface.
Really trying to get a feeling of what his new life was going to be.
Rhys: That outburst was only a fluke.
I-I can’t keep letting everything get to me… C’mon!
Get it together!!
Showcasing his mug once more, Dylan was even more surprised at the shift right back to how he was a minute ago.
A feeling of uncertainty grew in his chest.
Rhys: [Okay… we’re good now!]
He gives a big ‘ole smile.
Rhys: [Hey!
uh, could you, turn around for the next couple of seconds?]
Dylan’s eyebrow rises just as Rhys is halfway done with taking his dirty sweater off.
After that, he gets the memo and does a twirl on one foot.
Rhys places every single last one of his clothes onto the muddy ground, just before picking them all up again and heading for the pond.
He threw the clothes into the air before splashing the water back onto Rhys and Dylan.
Rhys follows in suit of his make-ship Cannonball.
His hands, padded like a real monkey from back home, felt almost real.
His old mindset tried to come back again.
Rhys was not letting that happen, though.
Not again.
Rhys: [Hey, Dylan?]
Dylan: [Yeah, what’s up?]
He says, whilst still having his back turned.
The eye bags seem to have become a permanent feature.
Letting the juxtaposition take place
Rhys: [Is my appearance…
scary to you?]
Dylan takes a little while to think of the best answer he could give.
Dylan: [I mean, a little.
I’ve never seen someone like you before; the same goes for most of the village.]
Rhys listened.
Dylan: [You also reminded the people of the urban legend somewhat.
Especially the elders.
That’s just a hunch though.]
Rhys: [Huh…]
Rhys looked at his body and then peered at his face.
Then, he remembered another thing monkeys have.
Rhys: [Hang on a minute, do I have a tail?!]
Dylan gives a slight nod of approval.