tinstar | Text Overflow: It's just a flesh wound

[Malcolm considered that.]

You know how, every time we talked about me coming here or... or anyone visiting here, really, you emphasized the prominence of the gun culture? It seemed like it was just... a regional hobby, in its way. But it's not. If people here pretend they don't have feelings - even to themselves - then how can they deal with them? I'll tell you how: they shoot some people. [A beat.] ...Or throw rocks at them, apparently. Gun violence is toxic masculinity's gift to the world.

[He glanced over.] Because everything is about feelings, whether we like it or not. A witness might not remember where or when or how something happened, but they'll remember how they felt. That being said, it's hard for anyone to talk about it. It's hard to let ourselves be vulnerable. To put our real selves out there. But when it goes well, it's always rewarding. [Another beat.] Though when it goes badly it's devastating, which is why it's so scary....

[He paused.]

I'm rambling. Anyway. [He glanced at his hands and then at Raylan.] Thank you for sharing it with me. I'm really glad to know you.

[Raylan nodded at the question and eyed Malcolm as he kept them on the road. The reason he'd emphasized it was to try to get the depth of it across, but he wasn't surprised. Everyone thought Kentucky to be simple. It wasn't, by any stretch.

Having already gathered the Malcolm was also more than a little touch starved and not wanting to brush the thanks off for his seeming inability to say 'You're Welcome', Raylan reached over and turned over his hand.

.. Wanna hold it?]

You gotta keep in mind the lengths people go to not feel them. It's not pretending, it's ignoring it. Running away from themselves and the truth of what they are. [Not an issue with Raylan, so much.]. We find one or two people that we trust to talk about it and to hell with everyone else.

There aren't a lotta rewards out here, even when things go well. There's always a backdraft of some kind. A catch. [Add that onto the list of reasons he wanted to leave.]

[When Raylan extended his hand, it surprised Malcolm after all the talk of stoning people, but he reached for it - carefully, like he was afraid he might be misunderstanding its intention. Once his own hand was wrapped in the warmth of it, the shaky breath released felt like he exhaled for the first time since everything went sideways at the bar.

There was a level inside him where he was afraid he'd ruined it, because he always ruined things and almost always the same way.]

What sort of a catch?

[He was sincerely interested. The behaviour he'd seen out here so far both conformed to what he knew about human behaviour and was informed by stimuli he really had absolutely no experience with.]

[Raylan squeezed his hand gently, noting Malcolm's shaky exhale.]

Family or bullshit or assholes. People aren't allowed to just be happy, is what I mean. Poverty, bitterness, general abuse if you don't learn the social language. There's places out here that GPS hasn't even mapped.. [There was no wonder as to why he'd been reassigned here.]

[Malcolm nodded.]

I can see why you don't want to stay here. I mean, I could understand why you might not want to stay here, but now I really see why you don't want to stay here.

[He looked over at Raylan.]

You're not going to have more problems with them now?

[More danger, specifically. Because of what Malcolm did.]

[Raylan supposed there was no real explaining the depth and breadth of misery and anger that had long seeped into the hills and into its people.]

No more than I already had. I can handle Boyd. It'll be fine.

You didn't ruin anything. Just gave him a little more fodder to chew on. He'll calm down..

As long as he doesn't see you again.

[ AKA they weren't going to be doing much leaving from Arlo's til they went back to Lexington.]

[He nodded acceptance of that. Actions had consequences. It could be worse. He could still stay with Raylan; that was all he really wanted here.]

So... axe throwing?

[Something to be done in the privacy of Arlo's. If Raylan was confident Boyd's thugs wouldn't show up there, Malcolm wouldn't worry about it.]

Axe throwing, [Raylan confirmed with a nod of his head and a pull of his smile as they made their way back to Arlo's.

Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling back up and Raylan was sliding out.]

How did you get into Axe throwing? [Of all things.]

[Malcolm came around the car to draw up beside him, pressing his lips together. Ainsley had let that cat out of the bag more or less, right? He took a breath.]

Okay. So. [He glanced at Raylan, uncertain how he'd receive this information.] I had to stop taking ballet when my father was arrested. Some of the parents... weren't comfortable with me being there. It wasn't long before I was in a place where I probably would have had to drop it anyway, but... [He waved it off with both hands.] Anyway. After a while, my mother wanted me to get out of the house and... do something. We had to find something that wasn't done in groups. I saw an ad for axe throwing lessons and I think she would have let me try anything at that point if it meant I showed a genuine interest.

[Raylan listened with a faint lift of his eyebrows, happy that they were coming back around to what Ainsley had basically already told him, but he wanted the details and Malcolm seemed happy enough to comply.]

Any of that ballet stuff stick around?

[Malcolm tried to suppress a smile, but failed. He gave Raylan a coy look.]

Like... terminology? Tights? ....I'm still pretty flexible. I keep it up with all the yoga.

[Raylan lifted his eyebrows a little, and answered with a careful 'Hmm' that had the edges of his lips curling as he headed towards the house. Despite the fact that they hadn't taken things to a deeper physical level, Raylan couldn't help but have ideas about it. Good ideas.]

We'll have to test that one day.

[He couldn't stop the curl of his smile then, but he could cover it a little better as he led them into the house.]

So what should we be throwing axes at?

[Malcolm grinned at the remark. He was keen, if the way he'd pressed himself against Raylan at the first invitation was any indication.]

A block of wood is a pretty good target. It has to be sturdy; the axe will hit it hard. It's a problem if it can knock it over. And you want to make sure there's nothing behind it that can get damaged by being hit with an axe, but you have lots of room out here.

[Back in their lair, Malcolm was regaining his perky demeanour and eagerness.]

[The first invitation had been nothing more than Raylan stopping and facing him once they were inside, but he slipped an arm around Malcolm anyway, happily.]

I think we've got some sizable logs that can be hauled near a tree. We've got a few that have grown out into giant Y's.. Or we say to hell with the log and just use the trees..

[A beat passed and Raylan let his levity slip a bit.] You okay? [Now that they were somewhere safe where Malcolm could be himself without fear of getting punched in the face.]

[Malcolm's arms slid around Raylan and he pressed his face into his shoulder.]

I'm all right. [It was more a sigh than a sentence.] I just... have done that before. Gone too far. I never seem to be able to... to gauge it.

[Moving his off hand around Malcolm too, Raylan held him gently and silently before propping his lips on his head.]

It's harder to gauge when you don't have real context. If there's a next time, you'll do better.

[He hoped there wasn't a next time, not down here, anyway.]

It's okay, [He reiterated with a soft squeeze of a hug. ]

[People had backed away from the intense little weirdo and closed the figurative door for less egregious displays than that one. He lifted his head to look up at Raylan's face. There was no condemnation there. He wasn't mad. He wasn't even a bit weirded out.

Nothing in his face suggested he'd kind of rather Malcolm leave now.

There was some sort of gratitude in his features as he nodded acceptance and then he answered Raylan's previous question without moving from his grasp.]

We can just throw at those trees. They'll be nice and sturdy. What kind of axes do you have?

Rusty, ugly ones, I promise, [He said with a curl of a smile as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to Malcolm's lips before lightly slapping his ass.]

C'mon, I'll show ya.

[Slipping out of Malcolm's arms, Raylan stepped forward, forced to adjust his hat with a soft clearing of his throat. Kissing Malcolm was a very dangerous distraction.

As he went, he pulled off his overshirt and pushed up the sleeves to his collarless cotton, undershirt and headed outside.]

There's one there - [ He pointed to a long handled axe that was leaned against the house,] and I think we've got a shorter handled one behind the camper, hold on.

[It was only a minute or so before Raylan walked back into view, spinning the axe in his hand with a sense of having done it a few times before. He liked the way it felt in his hand.]

[The kiss and slap dissipated any lingering uncertainty and guilt and he smiled broadly. Ugly rusty axes were perfect. He pulled his sweater off over his head and threw it over the nearest chair, then undid his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. He was still wearing his tie; he looked like a private school boy cutting class as he followed Raylan out the door. As Raylan went to get the smaller axe, Malcolm picked up the large one, testing its heft.

He outright grinned at Raylan's handling of the axe.] You're going to be a natural.

[As they headed out onto the land again, Malcolm carried the big axe. He looked over at Raylan as they walked.] What do you use the camper for?

Ya think? I've used axes to break down wood so I don't think it'll be that hard but then again, only metal I have is my tin star.

[There was something about the way that Malcolm walked with the axe that made him look.. dangerous. Filled with glorious purpose. It should probably worry Raylan, but it didn't.]

Helen put it there for Arlo. Gives him someplace to be when he's under house arrest even though it's outside his tether range. Gave him. I think he enjoyed annoying and wasting taxpayer dollars and cop time.

You ever seen American Psycho?

Throwing axes is all in the technique, though it requires a certain amount of upper body strength. [Malcolm glanced over at Raylan's very distracting physique.] Which you won't have a problem with. Anyway. [He cleared his throat.] You've already got a good eye for aim, so as soon as you get a feel for this, you'll nail it. [He glanced over mischievously.] Then maybe we'll figure out how to use a Marshal's badge as a throwing star.

[At his question, Malcolm raised his eyebrows.]

It's a movie, right? No, I haven't seen it. I tend to stay away from media with things like 'crazy' or 'psycho' or 'nightmare' in the titles.

[Baseball had been good for something other than defense, that was for sure. He notices Malcolm noticing.

The idea of using the Marshal's star as a throwing star had occurred to him before but it had been so long ago that the reminder and Malcolm's echo of it made Raylan laugh.]

We'll see, [He said with a squinting grin as he used his axe head to point at an outcropping of trees, turning them in that direction.]

I won't ask you to, but whenever you hold an axe just.. refrain from any comments about Huey Lewis and the News.

[He laughed softly.] I... don't really know what that means, but I've gone thirty-three years without ever making a comment about Huey Lewis, so I think I can manage.

[He assessed the trees as they approached.] We need to decide what the target is. How about the bottom of the 'Y'?

[He tested the axe in his hand with a small toss up and catch.]

Now normally, in competition, we use shorter-handled axes, but the principle is the same: you have to find its centre of balance, because that's the point it'll spin around when you throw it.

[Raylan could only grin.]

You know they call that a crotch? [ It would never not amuse 12 year old him.]

You want this one for throwing? If that one is too long to throw...

How do you find the center? I know how on guns but this isn't the same so.

[Malcolm tilted his head, looking at the tree.]

I did not know that, but I get it.

[He looked at the smaller axe, then grinned with a sparkle in his expression that only came when he faced a challenge he relished.] Oh, I'm going to throw the big one.

[He held it towards the back of the handle.] If you're confident throwing it up and catching it, you can give it a toss and see what point it rotates at. The more... cautious way to do it is to balance it on the edge of your hand. Whatever point it sits balanced is the centre of gravity.

[He waved at Raylan to stand to the side, then, still holding the lengthy axe towards the butt end of the handle. He drew it back over his shoulder and threw it overhand with a big step forward, following through with his throwing arm coming across his body. With its mass, it seemed to tumble relatively slowly end over end, but it hit the tree blade first and lodged itself right between the two branches of the 'Y'.]

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