Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Nov 20, 2015 23:54:04 GMT -6
Though he pretended to be unamused, the Sacaen night sky was really a sight to behold.
Jude hadn't ever really been exposed to this caliber of beauty before, and while he kept his hands shoved in his pockets and his eyes focused forward, he had the occasional tendency to look up and very quickly admire the beauty that was above him. He didn't want Mel to think he was the type to be preoccupied with what he wanted to pretend was something totally unimportant-- after all, they had a job to do. A job that required this sort of darkness, and the intense focus that Jude was losing minute by minute as the gentle waves of grass blew gently across the tops of his grey boots.
The pink-haired boy stepped softly through the tall grass, careful of his step enough to avoid any snakes or anything that might be prowling around for him. In truth, while he was leading the two of them, he wasn't quite sure where he was going. Some large settlement, or so he'd been told, but at present, he saw nothing, and heard even less. It seemed that out in this open expanse of plains that the only things around were the moon, the bright stars, the grass, the rolling hills, the occasional tree, and himself with Mel at his back. It had been a few days since they'd set off in this direction, and Jude had yet to really tackle any awkward obstacles that he knew lie between the two. For now, he could occupy himself with his work, and worry about anything later. Or not worry about it at all.
He sighed, and spit off to the side. Might be best to ignore it for now.
Eventually, the red-eyed boy stopped, hands still in his pockets. He looked around, finally allowing himself the time to take in everything around him. He made no motion to make his awe known; he simply took it in, letting the bright light from the moon reflect in his red eyes a sort of quaint, quiet amusement. While he may have looked slightly interested, he was majorly interested. He was also very, very hungry.
"I am very, very hungry." Jude said flatly, not bothering to turn to Mel. "Let's find-- HEY!"
He heard a rustling in the grass ahead of him. Something small with a bushy tail darted forwards away from the duo.
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Nov 25, 2015 23:00:43 GMT -6
Mel hardly looked amused at Jude's declaration of hunger, or in this case the third one of the hour. Ugh. She rolled her eyes and casually let her fingers brush over the tips of the irritatingly tall grass. It wasn't the first time that she found herself in Sacae, but every time she returned it was always little things that unnerved her. The horizon in Bern was ridged, something always rising up so menacingly in the distance. There were rolling hills, scarring mountains, and dipping valleys. The land rose and fell like the waves. Sacae was endless, her sight ending far before the land itself did.
Her fingers curled gently up into her palms and the teen rubbed the weary grit from her eyes. They had been walking for hours upon hours with only a vague understanding where they were headed. For once Jude was right about something, after a day of walking with nothing but berries and hard bread to gnaw on she was hungry. They needed to sit down and have a meal at some point. Her pace began to slow as she pressed her thumbs to her temples to relieve the slight pain festering from stress. "Probably a little mo-"
Her stance stiffened at the sudden rustle of the grass, hand jumping to rest on the blade sheathed to her thigh. An irritatingly new habit she had yet to rid herself of. What sort of bandit would lie in the grass waiting for hours for someone to pass? The thought of a man accidentally trampled to death as he lay in wait drew a small grimace. It was amusing though.
The flash of fluffy bum was an awakening for the both of them. In a mere moment's time the yearning for fresh food and the hope for a warm meal flipping the two stubborn chickens onto the same page. There was no discussion needed about who, what, or even how. they wanted the rabbit. The succulent treat that tempted and taunted, hopping away gaily back to whatever blasted cesspool it came from. Food.
She drew her knife, stiffly pinching the blade between two fingers as her gaze followed the rustling of the grass. Mel was tempted to test her luck, see if it was even possible to land a good hit on the fluffy little meal. However, losing another knife would be... It would be troublesome alright. And they needed all the help they could get to keep away from further trouble, they were mixing themselves up in enough already. With a grudging sigh she sheathed the small blade and glanced at Jude, following his approach closely.
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Nov 26, 2015 9:58:46 GMT -6
Jude whipped around quietly, eyes ablaze as he saw Mel draw a weapon. He almost waved a hand frantically to tell the girl to stop, but fortunately, she realized her idiocy in short enough time that she wouldn't be a problem. This was good. Now, Jude thought, they might actually get the little bastard rabbit. This was shaping up to be a delicious, if small, meal. Exactly what they needed.
Bread and berries could only do so much... But here was meat. And it was tantalizing. It had been so long since the two of them had had anything but fruit, bread, and the occasional vegetable-- this could be a real meal. This could be it. This could be their golden ticket; the meal Jude had been dreaming of for weeks. They were low on weapons and supplies, but it didn't matter. This was something they could handle. It was something he could handle, and he knew that. This was his moment. His time to shine. His time to capture their dinner... To become a hero.
He stuck his hand out behind him as he crept slowly through the grass, indicating that he wanted Mel to stay behind him. It didn't make much sense, since Mel was more in tune with the natural world, not to mention her smaller size and weight would be more beneficial for something this delicate, but Jude had no time for rational thoughts. He was hungry. This was his duty. His redemption.
The little rabbit's ears wiggled slightly above the tall grass, and Jude swiftly drew one of his last few throwing knives from the slot inside his gloved wrist. He held it near his head with two fingers, ready to toss it of. In a quick flash, the moonlight gleamed off of the dagger and it pierced the air with a slight sound, as though it were cutting the very atmosphere. It flew forth with bright fury, directly towards the rabbit.
And it missed.
"ARE YOU F**KING KIDDING ME?!" Jude screamed, causing the rabbit to dash forward and away from them. Not accepting defeat, Jude took off in a dead sprint after the rabbit, his trained eyes able to follow even the slightest movements through the grass. He watched and followed as the bunny darted among the tall strands of grass, weaving between rows with expert precision. Jude followed, determined to capture his prey. When the time was right, he knew what to do.
Jude leaped through the air, arms outstretched, ready to capture the rabbit between his palms when he fell. He could almost see his trajectory; he was perfectly alignment, and if the rabbit didn't move--
And then the rabbit moved, darting off back towards the direction it had come. Jude slid hard into the ground, eating dirt and ripping up the ground around him. He flew into the ground head-first, his cheeks filling with tall wet grass and dirt. If his mouth hadn't been full, he would've screamed.
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Nov 27, 2015 23:41:51 GMT -6
Mel dropped back with a snicker, her chest quivering as she broke into fruity peals of laughter. Jude was utterly pathetic as usual. So determined, trying to show off to her or something silly like that. His failure only served to make him ever more ridiculous. The rage bursting at his britches's seam topped the scene. Ah, she was growing aware of the severity of her hunger now that food had lept from his arms. It certainly seemed worth a few rumbles of her stomach. Jude's cheeks were flushed with rage, his breathing heavy as he lay prone in the dirt.
"Now now don't fill up on dirt" she mocked, swaying merrily from side to side as she perched herself on her pack to watch him. "You won't have any room for rabbit." The teen snickered again, raising a hand to cover up the vile but triumphant grin bursting across her cheeks. That's what he deserved for trying to act so full of himself. Now if he asked her for a little assistance...she'd certainly hold a little more sympathy for his situation. But not by much. Only enough to keep her from openly mocking him. Jude wasn't very proficient in hunting out of the water, and neither was she for that matter. Plants were easy enough to procure that she never really bothered with it.
Mel didn't want to do very much to help, but she had more than enough ideas of how to go about it. They were better than any of Jude's obviously, none of them contained yelling in hopes the fluffy little meal would topple over in fear. Or leaping on them in a fit of stupidity fueled by rage and embarrassment. Honestly, he set himself up to fail spectacularly.
Then there was an idea.
"How about a contest? If you can catch the rabbit before...say..." She raised up her chin and peered up at the sky, the sun only beginning to dip below the horizon, gauging the amount of time they'd be left before nightfall. It wouldn't be much, once it began the dark rushed in quickly. "Three stars are out in the sky. Have the rabbit and we'll figure out something. If you don't, I'll get something. Simple yeah? Meat you win. No meat you lose."
She smirked and threw out her arms in a grand gesture. "Are you afraid of a little competition mud eater?"
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Nov 29, 2015 21:38:38 GMT -6
Jude shut his eyes and tried to bite his tongue to hold his remarks back, but he couldn't. His mouth was full of dirt.
Instead, the boy forced himself back up on his feet and spit all the dirt out of his mouth, lurched over, hands and knees in the wet grass. He wiped his mouth and groaned loudly, quickly turned his head back to Mel in a flash, his red eyes on fire. He had half a mind to walk over and sock her in the face, but that would be too easy. No. He had to humiliate her. He wasn't about to put up with this kind of torture from her to simply be scoffed... And punching her would be a quick solution, but not nearly satisfying enough. Maybe that could come after. Jude stood finally, reaching his full height, and put his hands on his hips. His smirk was wide, his glare mischievous.
"Fine." He said flatly. "Get ready to get your ass kicked by a mud-eater." He turned away from her, pulling another throwing knife from inside his right wrist. He had two more, and that was it. "But when I catch this, you ain't gettin' any of it. This is all mine. You catch it, you don't have to share either." He turned back around to her, the playful glint still in his eye. Jude thrived on competition. He was sure that he could at least do this much. He had absolutely no intention of sharing anything he would capture. She would starve, if he had anything to say about it.
Looking up, the pink-haired boy guessed at about how much time he would have to make this catch. He looked around in the grass, and in no time, saw the same rabbit that had embarrassed him so much earlier. It was hard to hide in a plain field; it was made a little easier by the tall grass, but with few trees or shrubs, this would be easy picking. Jude thought about what else he had at his disposal-- his dagger was gone, he didn't have any more binding for bandages... Most traps were out of the question. Simply tackling it and slitting its throat wasn't an option either.
The boy took one quiet step towards the rabbit.
He did have... Ah yes, Jude thought. That might just do the trick.
Reaching into the small pack behind his waist below the sheath that normally held his curved iron dagger, Jude pulled out a small, rock-sized sack tied tightly at the top. The powder inside could give him exactly what he needed... Confusion. He picked the rabbit's ears out of the tall grass again, and took his chance. With something like this, it would be hard to miss. He chucked the sack as hard as he could, and when it struck the ground, a dense, heavy cloud of smoke covered the area. Jude dove inside, mouth covered.
He felt his senses dulling, but could make out the rabbit no less. In the confusion, the rabbit clearly has no idea where to go or how to get out-- what a stupid creature, and what a perfect opportunity. Jude smiled as he lifted the dagger up and level with his head. He threw it, this time not missing his mark-- The red-eyed boy killed the rabbit instantly.
"HELL YEAH, YOU BETTER BELIEVE I--ACK!" Jude had moved his hand away from his mouth, and the smoke entering his lungs caused him to stumble, falling a bit to the ground. He tried to recover himself, coughing as he did. He had to shut his eyes as they started to water. Once the smoke began to clear, he stood again, and turned around towards Mel.
But it wasn't Mel that greeted him.
"...The hell are you?"
Suddenly the strange creature's tail lifted, spraying Jude with a foul-smelling liquid. The droplets covered him from head to toe, and he leaped back, missed his mark, and slipped on his hell, falling again on his ass. A skunk?
"A SKUNK?!"
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on Nov 30, 2015 1:02:53 GMT -6
Catch it? Had he misinterpreted her intentions? Ha!
It made no difference to her if he caught it or not, all she had planned on doing was sitting on back and watching him look ever further the fool. Mel was petty enough to smash it into the dirt if he refused to share, in the off chance he succeeded of course. There was also that she was feeling rather tired from tromping through the damned grass all day.
Mel leaned a little more of her weight down on her pack, knees locked as she stretched out her aching limbs. They probably should have taken a break hours before when she had first brought up the idea. However, Jude's grating comments about carrying her had seared her better judgement. She'd be sore in the morning and as usual she had some sort of salve to help. The girl rolled her shoulders and sighed, curling her fingers up tightly to her palm and raising her arms up above her head. She let the tension hold through her upper body, breathing softly for a drawn out minute. The stretch was a moment of peace, the throb of her thighs fading momentarily in the midst of it. Jude was still hunting the rabbit of course, she heard him stalking further through the grass in heated pursuit.
As usual he was in high spirits, fired up like a child as he flounced about as if it was some sort of- Well she wasn't very sure. It was reminiscent of a child hunting a particularly large and juicy beetle. Mel wasn't very sure if she believed he would succeed. Hopeful maybe. Though that hope slipped out just as easily as she had slipped in with his vile bellow of a curse. Even the rabbit was likely more amused than afraid by now.
She raised her head to see just what the commotion from him was and was met with a cloud of thick smoke growing ever closer. The wind whipped her hair back and she immediately pulled her arms up to cover her face, unsurprisingly cursing Jude more than her lack of attention. Her balance shifted and she dropped onto her back, keeping low as she kept count and waited for it to pass.
"A SKUNK?!"
There were so many retorts that Mel could have drawn up, but she bit her tongue and continued her count, waiting until a full minute and a half to carefully crack open an eye. Safe? Well she wasn't blinded. "Skunk?" Her voice trailed off as she sat up and peered off in the direction she last saw the pink-haired baboon, not sure what she was to make of his latest yelp. She knew what a skunk was of course, she knew about their telltale white stripe and the vile stench. Though she was cynical on the latter, a good scrubbing could get rid of everything. Also all of the people who had told tales about it as a child also spoke of demons whisking away children in the dead of night, and sprites stealing teeth. Skepticism was the word for it.
"Meat's meat? I don't see why you have to be so loud about it. It'll just run away."
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on Apr 30, 2016 20:24:48 GMT -6
This was it. This was where he would meet his end. Jude tried to pick himself up, but failed, and when he stumbled, he just allowed himself instead to rest on his shins, folding his legs back so his knees were firm into the ground. He looked around. The skunk was gone. It had vanished about as quickly as it had come, and while normally Jude might be extremely angry at this totally ridiculous turn of events, he was upset and confused. He also knew he smelled really badly; he could smell himself, and it was almost worse than the second the skunk had started spraying him. What the hell did the skunk have with that dead rabbit, anyway?
Jude looked over to Mel, his normally blazing red eyes glossed over with distaste and disinterest. He was put out and tired of all this. He could feel the weight of his body, the scars he'd earned in the past few days with her. In truth, he hadn't had time to rest, and this certainly hadn't made it any easier. His very bones ached from how fatigued his muscles were, and while this seemed like such an easy challenge, now that the pink-haired boy was reflecting on it, he'd used a knife, used his bag of smoke, and now had one single rabbit-- all that remained for his trouble-- and had been sprayed by a skunk. In truth, he'd lost this fight. Even Jude knew that. But at least he had his meal, and Mel would starve if she dared make fun of him for it. Provided, of course, that he could bring himself to approach her again and get over his embarrassment.
"Meat's meat." He repeated softly, almost under his breath. He looked back behind him and grabbed the rabbit he'd slain, picking it up by the ears. What a small, crappy little thing. This wouldn't even be much of a meal; not compared to what he'd had when he was last with the Mountain Man. They ate meat all the time, and with Mel, his meals were always crappy. Neither of the two were great companions; it seemed to Jude that finding suitable traveling partners was impossible. But after all they'd been through together, he figured he could enjoy some rabbit, however small. Not that Mel would be able to, though.
Strangely silent, Jude stood and removed his tattered vest, all that remained on his torso after he'd lost his scarf. He saw now in full presence the dirt and grime that had accumulated around the edges of his vest, and tried to wipe it off, but it was too old and too stained to his skin. He pressed a hand to his abdomen, feeling his muscles tense and tired, and made sure he hadn't suffered any internal injuries. Tired though he was, he seemed to be alright. He tossed his vest aside, assuming that because of the skunk, it was likely of no use to him any longer. He also removed his stained boots, setting them aside as well, and opted to leave his pants on for the sake of his dignity. He ran the same hand through his dirty hair, wishing he had time for a shower. Looking up, his ruby red eyes saw two stars in the sky. He smirked, laughing a little as he composed himself. At least he'd met her stupid little challenge.
Walking back towards her, his usual scowl reappeared on his face. He took a seat on the ground across from the silver-haired midget and threw the rabbit down at his side, making sure it was out of her reach. "I'm not loud. You're loud."
He coughed. He suddenly felt the full embarrassment of being mostly naked, and his brow furrowed and he looked down so she might not see his red cheeks. He stared at the rabbit he'd killed so brutally, the blood still leaking out of his neck where he'd pierced it only moments prior. So quickly its life had been lost, and Jude paid it absolutely no mind. He simply poked at it to get his mind off of himself and onto something else, then sighed heavily, angrily, as if something had just annoyed him greatly. "I guess I have to make a fire, since I'm the only one of us that's any good for anything around here."
When he looked up, he realized there weren't any trees he could see anywhere near him. No wood meant no fire. They were surrounded by rolling hills of tall grass billowing like a blanket hung up on a line, and nothing in his immediate area would be able to provide him with fire. Jude pressed his fingers against his temples. "But if there's no wood, there's no fire. And if there's no fire, this meat is gonna taste like crap."
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on May 7, 2016 20:01:20 GMT -6
The mood quickly dampened with Jude's scowl, hardly the one where she could poke and prod further for entertainment. No, it was the sort of scowl that only promised tense silences and explosive uncontrollable rage if pushed too far. She didn't want to deal with it, especially when the fallout would leak out into the rest of the week. She was already far too tired, and sitting still only made that ever more clear. Dinner, sleep, and a new start in the morning was the mutual truce.
She propped herself up on her elbows after rolling over, a hand snapping up over her nose and mouth as she retched at the foul stench filling the air. Jude reeked. It became more clear with each step that he took towards her and their little camp, an worse just the same. Was he even aware of it, or had he seared his nostrils so badly that his sense of smell no longer functioned. Blue eyes watering Mel considered using tact due to Jude's rather pathetically fragile state, there was a certain logic to it. However, the stench made it's own compelling argument as she gagged.
"You reek."
Mel didn't bother making some drawn out comparison and instead dove straight to the point of the matter, the faster it resolved the better. "You have to go wash off or...anything. Roll about in the dirt, rub the rabbit's innards all over, take a permanent dive in a stream." She tossed her arms up in exasperation and deeply regretted it, the stench entering her nostrils at full force. Head jolting forwards she retched, hand slapping back over her nose and pinching it to stifle the stench.
"Go wash before I vomit in your face."
She clicked her tongue and turned to her pack to pull out something, anything that could help. Mel settled on a small tin of salve, the scent strong enough to make her eyes water if they hadn't already, but far more tolerable than Jude. Scooping up a hefty glob with a fingertip she spread it under her nose and across her nostrils, thankful that it masked most of the bite from her companion's intolerable stench.
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on May 8, 2016 20:21:53 GMT -6
Jude snapped. "Oh yeah!" He said, he voice feigned happy and full of amusement as his red eyes lit up like a flame. "You're absolutely right." He stood up, throwing his hands out in the air, palms open and facing the silver haired gnat. "Look at all the streams around I can bathe in! And my gods, the SOAP! An endless selection, really." He snorted, then sat back down. Angrily, he ripped up and clump of grass next to him and tossed it aside, trying to find a way to channel all the anger he was feeling. He couldn't even cook his food. There was no fire. Nothing to make a fire with. Just a bunch of damned grass and hills. He had been forced to eat raw meat once before, but he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Then his stomach growled more loudly than it had in what felt like forever, and as Jude blushed, he looked down at the dead rabbit next to him. Cooked or not, it was, after all, still food. And good food, since the other options on his table included his boots, one of his limbs, or nothing at all. The rabbit was looking pretty damn great, especially the more he thought about it.
Before he knew it, Jude had taken a fresh bite out of a rabbit that was fresh dead and not cooked. The blood dripped out the corner of his mouth, and he gagged, throwing the rabbit aside. "Okay." He sighed, closing his eyes. "Okay. I've had better ideas." He knew better than to lash out at Mel at this point; whatever she had to say was probably warranted. But he was starving. That rabbit was going to get eaten, damn it, come hell or high water. And Mel would have none of it. She could eat her salve for all he cared.
Eventually Jude stood up again, trying to ignore Mel's words as she whirled around the get the scent of something else into his system in an vain attempt to ignore skunk spray. Jude had never realized how potent the stuff was until now, when he'd been sprayed at a point-blank range by this skunk who was very clearly upset that Jude had had the nerve to interfere with whatever stupid animal business it had going on at the moment.
"I know that you're only really good at complaining about literally everything, but we should do something about thi-- HEY!" Jude darted off, almost tripping over himself, as he saw a small white flash in the distance. The skunk was back. That skunk had made its last mistake.
"GET BACK HERE, FILTHY BASTARD! I'LL EAT YOU AND YOUR SHITTY LITTLE FRIEND FOR DINNER!"
Of course, Jude now realized he had no weapon. But the skunk did have a weapon.
It didn't matter. The pink-haired boy pushed the thought out of his head. He would wrestle that skunk and suffocate it if he had to. Now that he'd been sprayed once, surely it wouldn't get worse if he got hit again, right? And nothing else mattered more than Jude getting his revenge. He would have it. And before the night was over, he would feast on the skunk's entrails.
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Mel
Thief
Posts: 187
Profession: Professional Asshole
Affiliation: Bandits and Tiger and Bears, OH MY!
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Mel
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Post by Mel on May 16, 2016 22:19:52 GMT -6
To be fair. It had gone a whole lot better than Mel would have ever imagined. Instead of Jude exploding in a fit of rage, or turning into a sullen sorry sack of crap, he'd just run off. Having the lout direct his animosity elsewhere made her night more peaceful. She had a rabbit to cook before Jude ate it, fur and all.
With Jude sprinting off once again and the unbearable stench being dragged along with him Mel finally found the peace of mind to brood through their latest trial. A lack of proper kindling. The grass would burn, but it certainly wouldn't make for a roaring fire. She lightly tugged out her knife and set to work skinning the rabbit, some work to occupy her hands in the long stretch of silence. Even with Jude shouting faintly off in the distance it was still peaceful, the well sharpened blade slicing cleanly through the skin. It was small, but it would do for the night.
With the rabbit cleaned Mel tossed it aside, grabbing a handful of grass and slicing away at the base. She repeated the process four or five times, amassing a sizable pile of the easy kindling beside her. There really was no guarantee that it would work, but the thief couldn't quite drum up a reason to abstain from at least making an attempt, pathetic as it may be.
She laid a good handful down in a small ditch scraped out by the heel of her boot and tossed the skinned rabbit on top, covering it thickly with the rest of the pile. The way she saw it the grass wouldn't burn hot nor for long, but there was plenty of it resting just at her fingertips. In the battle of patience Mel was far better prepared than the rabbit, and with Jude off for who knew how long time was aplenty as well. All she had to do was have a spark catch and wait.
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Jude
Thief
"Lotta things you learn in this life. I still don't know what the hell's going on."
Posts: 118
Profession: Wannabe Pirate
Affiliation: Jabal's Pet and Human Weapon
Guild: Mel's Miniature Muppets
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Jude | Tracker
OoC Alias: Tiz
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Post by Jude on May 17, 2016 9:56:26 GMT -6
Jude surveyed the field, fiery red eyes trained on the blades of grass, watching them dance in the gentle breeze as he kept crouched low to conceal himself.
Nothing.
No movement. Everything was quiet on this front... But he knew the skunk had to still be here somewhere. If he could just be patient, not make a sound... He might see it. He kept his eyes fixed forward, only daring to look off to the side a few times. He took a careful step through the grass, maintaining his slow and steady pace, moving with the wind as to not make too much noise and scare the skunk away. If that little bastard thought it was safe, it would be turned into Jude's delicious second dinner. It seemed only fitting. When harm befell Jude, Jude made harm befall whatever harmed him. At least, that's what he liked to tell himself. It wasn't often that that was the case, but with something as simple and easy as a skunk, surely he could make that a reality. It would taste all the better after having sprayed him. An eye for an eye wasn't good enough-- this was going to be an eye for the entire body of this damned animal.
THERE!
Jude saw a flash of black rise quickly above the tall grass about four meters away from him. Close enough to dive for. He saw the grass rustle and move opposite the direction of the wind. He dove forward, hands outstretched, like a jungle cat nabbing its prey with ease. Unsurprisingly, he missed, and the skunk outwitted and outmaneuvered him, dashing around him and down the field towards some rolling hills and an area with some more trees. How had he not seen them before?
Before the pink-haired boy had time to think about it, he chased after the skunk without a word. He sprinted as fast as he could, changing direction a few times since he wasn't sure exactly where the animal had gone. Once he saw it, he corrected his course, and miscalculated a few times before finally following the thing into a small clearing of tall, leafy trees atop a hill. The final destination. The arena of fate. The graveyard of this piece of garbage animal. It probably didn't even taste good. But that didn't matter. This was about pride. This was about victory. This was about dinner.
Jude went for his knives. Not there. The boy reached around the back of his waist, feeling the empty leather sheath of his long, curved dagger. Not there.
Sighing heavily, trying his best to contain his rage, Jude thought carefully through his next move. It didn't seem the skunk had left, but he sure didn't see it. He had no weapon, and the skunk likely had an unlimited supply of foul-smelling liquid. As he looked around, he had an idea. The tree branches might suffice. A hard enough whack could probably turn the lights off for any small rodent. That would have to work. Jude leapt from his current position to grab a low hanging branch, then yanked it down as he fell, pulling some spare twigs from it as he did so. It was much lighter than the blade Ryuzaki had forced him to wield, but felt about the same weight as the dagger he normally carried, just longer. Which, of course, could still cause some problems.
Jude waited. He bided his time, only moving when absolutely necessary. He looked for the skunk, carefully positioning himself at bases of trees, turning around to look only every few minutes. He saw nothing. But if the skunk had left the area, he would've heard it weave through the grass, or at least have seen it in the distance, since he was keeping a pretty close eye on things. He darted again behind another tree at the perimeter of the clearing at the top of this small, barely sloped hill. He looked around the tree again, searching for the skunk--
And then he felt a large, meaty hand grab his head and slam it back against the tree, and then everything went black.
[end]
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