RP:Duck Hunt
Characters:
- Satoshi, Kit-vampire, Frost Singer.
- Ovouri, Deviant, Assassin.
Summary: Satoshi is introduced to Ovouri's little draconic companion, and she takes the pair on a hunting trip for the peculiar Tundra Duck indigenous to Frostmaw.
Ovouri is practically pacing with excitement, behind the small assassin pounces a tiny black dragon, the creature bounding from one boot-print to the next in time with Ovouri's impatient wandering. Eti, as he's come to call the tiny broodling seems right at home in the cold landscape, giving little 'purree' like calls with each happy leap behind her diminutive rider." Eti and Vi have to be patient Eti... We have to wait on Miss Satoshi, her's not met Eti yet, and she can help vi find Eti some foods."
Satoshi's appearance is announced with the sound of bells and faint crunches, both caused by the reindeer she's seated upon--the bells from its silver and white bridle, and the crunches from the snow pressed beneath powerful hooves. The stag halts paces away from the tracks left by assassin and dragon, giving a shake of his antlered head to awaken his--until now sleeping companion--and following it up with a snort when Satoshi complains blearily. "Nn. What? Already? You walk too fast. Nap was too short." Blinking sleep from her eyes, and looking remarkably like an owl in the process, Satoshi turns her unfocused attention toward Ovouri. "Vivi. Hullo-hullo. How fairs? And..." Another blink along with a squint takes in the dragon. "Who's your little friend?"
Ovouri might have well seen a celebrity, the assassin is practically on the reindeer the moment he's addressed." Vi is good, this looks like food.." He prods gently the Reindeer in question, his thoughts only supported by the overly eager bump of a dragon's spike-crowned skull gently against the creatures foreleg, and a small growl." Oh!.." He picks up the tiny now snow-dusted dragon, Eti flapping her wings a little in agitation before settling into his grasp. " This is Eti, Vi didn't kill her. Her is a part of Vi now. Eti is Vi's Dragon.... Eti is hungry too." The shark-toothed grin offered by Ovouri at his excited, animated explanation is almost immediately mirrored by the tiny black broodling, as if Satoshi holds the key to their food prospects. " Vi guesses that since miss Satoshi is riding the deer, that he and Eti cannot eat it. Does Miss Satoshi want to help us hunt?"
Satoshi leans forward between the buck's curling antlers to peer at the dragon for a long moment. After an appreciative nod, she settles back and laughs quietly. "Your dragon, then? Does she teleport? Is that how she disappeared? And no, this fellow here isn't for eating. Although I tried once." The vampire and her peculiar thrall exchange a look before the stag pushes his snout forward to placidly sniff at Eti. Satoshi merely returns to leaning upon his head, slowly slipping into a drowsy lounge. "Nn. No hunting for me, thanks. I just want a-" Whatever the bard is going to say, it's halted by her mount's sudden snort and sharp shake of his head, jostling the vixen into sitting up straight as he turns a watery brown eye on her. It's almost like a parent silently chiding a child with that expression, and Satoshi looks the child as she fidgets anxiously. "..Don't give me that look or I'll let them eat you..." It's a lie, and the stag knows it, shaking his head again to urge the foxkin into dismounting, grumbling all the while. "All right, all right. I'll -try-. Happy now?" A sudden grin for Ovouri--just a tad strained. "Where to~?"
Ovouri celebrates with what can only be described as an excited wriggle with the small dragon before he let's Eti down and nods. "Alright! " Then comes the sudden pause and a rather bemused expression aimed at the Queen. " vi dunno, What can little Eti's eat?" He glances at the tiny dragon in question before shrugging. "Eti turns into the markings on Vi's face. Andth' book Vi read called it portal-flight. But, Vi had to get help reading that book." There is an embarassed expression thereafter, Ovouri touching his index fingers together nervously.
Satoshi lifts a brow at the deviant, carefully keeping a smile off her face. "You haven't been studying, have you? I should send you off to do so right now, but," the bard leans forward to whisper conspiratorally with Ovouri, "studying is useless on an empty stomach. Let's find something you and your little friend can eat." Satoshi rocks back on her heels then, a thoughtful expression on her face. "But what can we catch that you both can eat." A stern snort from the reindeer has her hastily adding, "And myself too, I suppose." And then... ding! Lightbulb moment. "Tundra ducks!" Small enough for a dragonling, wily enough for an assassin, and with enough blood to at least get the reindeer off the foxkin's case.
Ovouri could have fell over at the thought of having to study without food, poor little deviant, food was literally one of the only things he couldn't pass up. "Vi will study hard, after food getting." He beams as Satoshi decides their prey, happily nodding and unsheathing a small dagger in preparation. " Let's go! Vi hasn't had tundra duck, are they like water ducks?"
Satoshi said to Ovouri, "Kind of," she explains as she leads them in the direction of the frozen lake, home of the populous Tundra Ducks, "But they have tusks coming out of their beaks, like a walrus. They're also fatter, and waddle about almost like a feathery seal~." She refrains from explaining that, despite the ducks' large girth, they're incredibly agile. Best leave that as a fun surprised for the deviant. "And watch their quacks. Loud enough to make you deaf for a while~."
Ovouri said to Satoshi, "Maybe Vi can use their tusks for something..."
Satoshi lightly pats Ovouri's... shoulder. Darn, he's gotten too tall to easily pat his head. "Perhaps you can. They live just beyond those trees there." She points toward the stand, the glistening of a large body of ice peeking between the trunks. "Let's get them~."
Ovouri wasn't one to simply rush into the confrontation, instead the tstill short assassin maneuvers stealthily towards the lake, pausing as he catches sight of one of the rather large ducks. The deviant moves a hand into his pack, pulling out a set of ear muffs which he neatly uses to protect his rather sensitive hearing. It is, with further study of the 'lumbering' fowl, that Ovouri, and in turn Eti ready for a exuberant pounce. This is executed to perfection by Eti, whom lands upon the bird only long enough to startle it and send it rockets in a squawking fever towards Satoshi, with Vi and the tiny dragon racing behind it. "They're fast!"
Satoshi very nearly slips on the ice--imagine! a cryomancer slipping on ice!--when she discovers the duck racing toward her. "Hellfire!" Satoshi scrabbles hastily for the stag's antlers to lift herself up and out of the duck's path follows, the duo watching silently while the bird darts between the reindeer's hooves. A shared sigh of relief is made before they realize Ovouri and his dragon aren't far behind. "Vivi! Look out!" Satoshi shouts as the stag rears onto his hindlegs, trying to avoid a collision mid-chase and leaving the foxkin clinging to him high in the air.
Ovouri was anything but prepared for the duck's sly bit of footwork, it is by sheer ingenuity on the devian'ts part however that he manages to slide, dropped to his knees, back ached beneath the buck in question. Eti perched upon his chest, launches herself at the Duck again, a tiny and not very impressive roar leaving her small jaws. Ovouri launches both of his daggers, helping keep the tundra-beast- straight on line with the broodlings pounce. Eti saves the day with a surprising latching of her sharp teeth to the erranyt fowl's throat while Ovouri, now incapable of stopping himself ploughs into the snow-clad shoreline amid much clawing and pawing at the ice.
Satoshi drops back to the ice in an unceremonious heap, with the reindeer shuffling anxiously beside her and snorting regularly. Returning to her feet, the foxkin dusts herself off and ambles toward the entrenched Ovouri--pausing to give Eti a nod of approval on a kill well gained. "They're fun, aren't they, Vivi~?" She plunges a hand into the snowbank, fishing around in search of the deviant's coat collar so that she can drag him back out with a heave and grunt. "Your little friend did well~. But if you want a meal, you'll need to catch another." Like the one that's approaching them now, hunkered down with wings spread as it hisses threateningly, tusks bared and dripping ominously. One can assume bard and assassin have wandered too close to this duck's nest for it to tolerate them any longer.
Ovouri It practically hefted from the frigid 'fluff' of snow, beaming from ear to ear. It's curious at least until he holds up both hands, bearing three eggs towards the approaching, rather angry duck. " wann'em? too bad, Vi gonna scrabble em' later.. but first, Vi gonna eat you!" His feet scuffle on the ice for moments before he gets traction enough and charges the irate Tundra duck, Oblige trilling happily in his hands as he attempts to behed the plump and yet surprisingly swift tusked duck. "C'mere! feathery ponce, it'll hurt only for a minute. ' eti, eagerly watches her rider, amusement wrote on the tiny dragon's features as she glances from Ovouri to Satoshi.
Satoshi watches the head-on charge with amusment matching Eti's. Never a dull moment when the deviant's about, is there? The duck seems to agree as she squawks shrilly, a frantic hop and flutter of wings carrying her over Oblige's swipe and on course for a direction collision with Ovouri's face. Steal her eggs, will he?! Just watch what she can do with her tusks, why don'tcha?
Satoshi can't help thinking this is going to end badly for someone. Hopefully the duck.
Ovouri had been raised in a fashion similar if not exactly considered feral. It's something that actually benefits the small killer as the duck launches herself at him. The upwards jerk of her beak in order to tear into his flesh with those tusks is excatly what he needs in fact. Ovouri's head dips, mouth opening wide, bearing those shark-like teeth and sinking them into the creature's soft-feathered throat. The combined weight of his prey and the awkward balance does make for an amusing mishap of course as the assassin falls bird-in- mouth, face first upon the ice with a thump and the sound of a slow slide over the glassy surface.
Satoshi's content to watch the assassination of an arctic fowl, but the reindeer isn't. Even as Ovouri claims his own kill, the foxkin is finding a blunt snout shoved against her back, urging her forward and toward another of the ducks--this only a young adult, unfortunate enough to stand idly by and observe the going-ons. "All right, all right. Don't get so pushy..." the minstrel complains, stomping past Ovouri and toward the stationary duck. "Birdbrain, c'mere~. I'm supposed to eat y-" a crunch, not of ice, beneath her feet halts the foxkin and blinking she peers down at Ovouri's bag, lost in his faceforward tumble. "Hrm~?" Lifting the pack to eye level, Satoshi peers closely at it, sniffing lightly, as if she might determine where the deviant disappears to for long spans of time. "Heavy, aren't cha..?"
Ovouri is currently dead to the world, duck in mouth. Eti, is much the same ignorant of the trespassing done by Satoshi at current. The pack in question, smells of blood, and dark, damp places forgotten by time. From the askew bag tumbles a folder, medical in appearance the thing is carefully tied closed, spotted with blood. The title on the faded tab is very oddly labeled, 'Experiment OV 539' within the thing Satoshi would find the directions to make an inhibitor medication, and further still three private correspondences. The directions for the inhibitor would likely catch her eye more quickly than the rest of course, as just above it reads a small note explicitly focused upon the deviant stating that he is to be issued the drug to have continued optimal performance.
Satoshi's a curious creature, even with her feline nature removed by homeland deities--but that's another story for another time--and she can't resist plucking up the folder when it falls free. Potion recipes and the like are a common read for the bardic mage, and this particular one seems most intriguing. "Experiment... inhibitor... optimal performance..." Satoshi murmurs the words as she looks toward the unconscious Ovouri, raising her brows in something akin to worry. "Just what are you, Vivi..?" The question goes unanswered, however, as she pours over the recipe, putting her scholarly mind to use and memorizing the words flawlessly--and thus the reason behind her inability to remember a person's name--before returning the folder to the pack and depositing it beside the deviant. There's a duck to be caught, after all, and she might as well put a hint of effort into hunting attempts.
Ovouri is slow to wake up from his brief ice-nap. The deviant spits a bit of plummage from his mouth, savoring the slight irony taste of the blood in his mouth. He notices his bag, and then his two companions soon after. " Vi's head hurts..." And it's no surprise really there is a rather large knot on his forehead, and even as he dazedly works on plucking the feathers from the duck and musing over just how he might take the tusks without the beak being included. He has the bird carefully attached to the ice in mere moments, a slender skinning blade is retrieved from the assassin's numerous sheathes and he's very quickly at work gutting, and skinning his catch, whilst humming quietly.
Satoshi absentmindedly offers, "Put some ice on it, then. Eases headaches," whilst stalking forward, eyes locked with the still living duck. This bird is either incredibly bold or incredibly stupid, unmoving as the fox approaches. Or perhaps it's the fact that he senses no hint of predatory malice from Satoshi. The reindeer can coax her to hunt, but he can't make her -want- to feed. There's no managing that. The hunter's spirit is lost. The desire for blood, that wild, all powerful hunger is gone entirely from her mind, with a promise never to return, never to enslave her to its whims again. Which leaves Satoshi the -chore- of feeding, something she does now purely to get a moment's peace from her thrall's harassment. Her kill is as lacking as her state of mind, a simple whistle freezing the duck's webbed feet to the ice and likewise sealing its beak so that she can deftly snap its neck, forbidding it a final quack. 'Nyeh~..." the bard whines as she plops down on the ice cradling the fowl, baring her fangs and plunging them into the downy feathers to begin an unenthused feeding; slow and dull.
Ovouri is rather pleased with his kill and continues rather happily cutting the meat away from the bones of the bird. It's only after he's a pile of meat and a pile of scraps that the deviant tears into the raw meat; devouring it piece by piece. " Vi likes Tundra ducks, they are tasteys." There is an audible, contented 'Purree' from the now rather happily fattened black broodling just a few yards away.
Satoshi is the only one not pleased with her meal... well, that's not entirely true. There's in thrill of the hunt or joy in the kill, but there's also no denying the pleasant feeling of an appetite being sated. An appetite she's been thus far unaware of. Funny how a lack of bloodlust can lead a vampire to oblivious starvation. But there's no starving for Satoshi tonight, thanks to a persistent reindeer and an easily caught duck. "Hnn~," the bard hums to herself, plucking a stray feather from her bloodstained lips and examining it absently. "They are, Vivi. You should try the recipes the Frost Giants have for these beasties. Citizens eat like kings when tundra duck is on the menu~." Glancing at the two other hunters, she can't help adding with a grin, "Although you two seem to like it just fine raw~."
Ovouri said to Satoshi, "Vi and Eti, don't like it when they cook meat too long... Miss Satoshi, Vi was wondering... tomorrow, if Vi gave you something important to him, to help him read, would you have time to do so?"
Satoshi is starting to look drowsy after her meal and it results her in blinking in an unfocused manner at the deviant. "Something important? 'course. Can do. Tomorrow, though, like you said." The foxkin nods earnestly as she lifts herself back on her feet with the aid of an offered antler--seems the reindeer is keenly aware of his companion's state of mind. Leaning heavily against the stag's broad side, Satoshi fixes Ovouri with a piercing look, suddenly alert and deathly serious if her level, tuneless voice is any indication. "Also, remember that weird body we had when you escorted Herald and I back to town? She says there are more. Be careful, Vivi. Avoid going out after dark. Those things... are a lot more dangerous than some Tundra Duck."
Ovouri said to Satoshi, "Vi will be careful."
Satoshi nods before flashing Ovouri a smile. "Good. Let's head back, shall we? We'll do some lessons tomorrow and such. But right now..." Preluding her words is a wide yawn, ending in an involuntary squeak as the vixen slumps against her antlered guardian. "Sleep sounds best." With a groan Satoshi drags herself onto the reindeer's wide back and stretches out, already beginning to doze before the animal's even turned his nose back toward Frostmaw.