RP:It Was Uttered with a Tone to It
Dead Forest
Daisy needs a reason to be here. An amazing reason of reasoning at that! Well not really. She only needs to be here for... Well she doesn't really need to be anywhere, now does she? But she'll be here for exploring and the reaching of her furry little arms into those thin, brittle limbs. "Poor things." Would it be so hard for her to change the state of these plants? Absolutely not. She's very good at growing, you know. Druids do that sort of thing. What she does do is mourn for the loss of friends.
Istvan was practicing. The deadness of this place suited him--it meant there was nothing for him to burn, no mana to channel or life energy to accelerate. Which removed the temptation to cheat. Mime was all well and good for keeping in touch with one's body, but one still needs to go through the motions of defending sometimes and it's for that reason that Istvan comes out here. He rolled out from under a nearby bush, short, broad blade slashing upwards at an invisible foe, then sprang nimbly to his feet and slashed again, followed by retreating backwards several steps--all the way until he'd pulled up alongside Daisy. His attention didn't go to her just yet, though--first, there was the matter of whatever thing he was fighting. He stared at it intensely, facial expression totally blank--waiting for something.
Daisy is very still when that bush births a male form of a person, figuring if she doesn't move, she won't be seen. Oh come now, kitten. You're the brightest thing for miles. Unless he is blind -which he very well could be- you will be seen. Just smile and wait for him to finish waiting for his something. "Hello." Or that. She greets him with a smile. Always polite. Always sweet. You never know about strangers. Reading materials and jackets, of course.
Istvan gave no reaction at first--so totally focused on the invisible foe that he didn't seem to even hear her. Then abruptly, he left his fighting stance and sheathed his blade, turning to her with a smile--granted, something of a forced smile, but it was a smile. "Greetings, señorita," he said with a light bow. "My apologies for disturbing you with my practice, though I have sufficiently wounded the castle-beast as to give us time to converse properly." He sent a glance or two in the direction of the invisible--castle beast? probably imaginary--creature. "I am Istvan. And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"
Daisy doesn't mind invisible or visible beasts. They happen and so long as they are wounded and not attacking her, this is all for the better. She looks the man over with a not so forced giggle. Señorita. That must be her! Of course it is you. He is being polite. Be polite back! "Not disturbing." She lowers her arms to curtsy since a bow should be returned with something of an equally polite gesture. "Daisy." He is so formal, isn't he? Polite too. Polite has been mentioned. Ah, but you know about polite and its ability to hide things. There is a slight flick of her corgitush tail, hidden beneath her skirt.
Istvan nodded and looked back towards the invisible beast, hands behind his back. "Ah, splendid name, Daisy. I happen to be quite fond of them, myself--have you had daisy tea before? It's really quite lovely, once you acquire the taste." Despite his watchfulness, he appeared almost languid in his movements--using almost no effort on any muscles other than those needed. "I'm glad I wasn't disturbing you, señorita Daisy. May I ask what brings you out here?" He flicked the fingers of his right hand, eyes still focused on the whatever-it-was.
Daisy likes it when people talk. It tells her so much about them. More than they suspect, she expects. Also - she doesn't have to say much to keep the conversation going. "Yes." She is quite the little tea maker herself. Even sells some herbal mixes to the lady over in Cenril with the shop from time to time. You have another question to answer, kitten. She squats down and pushes some of the leaves away, exposing a small cluster of tiny mushrooms. "Discovering." The invisi-beast is given a glance.
Istvan caught on that he was being given minimal responses. Which was fine by him--although he was prepared to return the short-response fire momentarily. Or at least he would have been, if the castle-beast that lived in his mind's-eye hadn't decided to turn back towards them. Istvan immediately drew his weapon and charged, transferring it to his left hand and then grabbing a large tree branch with his right, hauling himself into the air. He grabbed the weapon in both hands and delivered a massive two-handed blow... to nothing, then tucked, rolled, sprang back to his feet, and mimed cleaning the blade before sheathing it and walking back towards Daisy. "And that should take care of that." He leaned on the tree. "Discovering what?" he asked, deciding to try mimicking her less-than-verboseness.
Daisy doesn't have any idea what she is discovering. That is the point of discovery, right? Finding the unknown and learning new things. New things like this man and his battle with an unseen creature. Oh how very interesting. Perhaps the beast does exist. Or did, rather. She smiles at the thought of invisible meat and wonders how much the butcher would pay for it. Her new friend -for he has been claimed as such by now- returns and she lifts one of those mushrooms up. Held between two claws, she offers it to him. Sometimes a girl doesn't have to say a thing to make a big impact. Go on, Istvan. Take the mushroom. You're a brave man. Even Alice took a chance and Daisy looks quite like a little note that suggests consumption.
Istvan accepted the mushroom and looked it over, wiping the dirt off of it. He's well aware of the issues involved in eating mushrooms--the wrong kinds could lower one's ability to think clearly, or in worse situations kill a person. And whether or not he ought to trust her on the effects or taste of this particular one wasn't something he'd figured out yet. He looked it over. "Will you tell me what you know about this, señorita?" he asked, still holding it--the question was not asked unkindly and it looked as though he intended to eventually put it in his mouth, but it never hurts to ask about strange substances.
Daisy 's eyes radiate honesty and truth as she stares up at the elf. "It is a mushroom." And that is all she knows. She has never seen one of this sort before so she tells him what she knows. Another of the little fungus sprouts is plucked up and held inches from her nose so her feline eyes can take in what they can. Tiny blue hairs wave back at her from beneath the cap that sits atop a brownish-grey stem. The cap itself is long (rather than flat) and stark white, which is surprising considering the area. Though it does form a tiny little beacon there in the dirt. Oh, this little thing wants to be eaten.
Istvan smirked and exhaled slightly--he knew that much, too. "Hm." He peered at it closely and thought for a moment--then, deciding that a person only lives for so long and that adventures must be had, he took a bite out of it. Immediately the mushroom let out a small noise--like a quiet version of a screaming owl--and burst, scattering fibers and goo to the wind and splattering the elf with its blue-grey remains. The bit inside his mouth did the same, and one eye twitched as the texture hit him. "Mmm." He tried to speak, but found that inside his mouth the substance rapidly hardened and prevented his jaw from opening. "Mmm? Mmmmm." The last "mmm" was uttered with a >:( tone to it and he tried to open his mouth manually, with his hands--no good. That was when the ground rumbled ominously directly below the patch of mushrooms...
Daisy likes to try new things herself, but this time she is glad she didn’t! That splattering goo barely missed her nose and splotched on her shoulder instead. Shame on you, kitten. Subjecting this innocent bystander to the likes of your experiments. Ah, I suppose I wasn’t any help either. Don’t touch that goo! Your paw is likely to stick to your shoulder. Good girl. Now see if you have anything to help him get his mouth open. The feline looks in her bag, but not for long. Grounds don’t often rumble for less than dangerous reasons.
Istvan shot a brief glare at Daisy with a "Mm-mmmm..." sort of sound, then took several steps away from the location and spread his hands, wiggling his fingers like a gunslinger in a western movie--just waiting for whatever-was-under-there to burst up, if anything did. And oh, definitely something did. The mushrooms were, in fact, a trap. The creature that waited below burst from under the soil, the patch of mushrooms being ripped away and split in two, rising into the air--attached to several tentacles ringing a wide, razor-sharp-tooth-lined maw. The creature had a squat body and long, crocodilian jaws, and only three limbs with wide, splaying claws. It burst from the ground, easily twice as tall as Istvan, spraying the goo in all directions from its tentacles and roaring its challenge. Istvan would have drawn the panabas but the animal had too many limbs. Instead, he pulled a cane-like item from a holster and gave it a special spin. Twin blades unfolded from the ends, and the handles that had once held the blades together folded back around to the inside and snapped closed. The effect was that the weapon tripled in total length, with the handle in the middle and the two blades on either end. He dropped into a stance and prepared himself--he was sure the creature would come for him, since he was marked by its mushroom and all.
Daisy is marked too! Look there. On her shoulder. There’s... Look harder! See! A little pea-sized bit of goo. Luckily the kitten is able to scramble away from the-- Why is it always tentacles? Every time there’s some sort of raging beast, there are tentacles. Seriously. This is the third... fourth? Tentacle monster Daisy has come across in the past year. It is like the whole of Hollow is infected with tentacles. At any rate. The kitten doesn’t have much of a fighting stance. Mostly she just stands there and look cute. I don’t know, kitten. You’re gonna have to roll several natural 20s in a row to tame this beast. Plus, you’ll be wanting to look out for that spraying goo! A sidestep and she is behind a tree, keeping herself from being extra goo’d. There has to be a weakness! She glances around the tree, looking for the dragon’s missing scale, so to speak.
Istvan 's stance was good enough for the time being--well, almost. While it made him a smaller target and most of the flying goo missed him, some of it got on his shirt. He winced--that was a nice shirt--but he couldn't risk it hampering him during combat. So, with one fluid motion, he Taylor Lautner'd and tossed the shirt aside. He'd left his jacket someplace else, so at least that was safe. He was, naturally, fairly well-built--though of course he wasn't Goku or a bodybuilder. He was more wire than bulk. Now how, you ask, did he get the shirt over his weapon? Simple! Roleplaying physics! =D No, but seriously, he swapped hands back and forth while pulling it off. The monster, meanwhile, sits there in the middle undecided. It couldn't see--it located its prey by the scent and feel of the goo the mushrooms burst. As such, the bit that got on Daisy was enough to cause it some confusion as to where its prey was. The sudden motion of the shirt being tossed, however, triggered its predatory instincts and it hurled itself after the garment, grabbing it with its massive jaws and shaking it side-to-side. Istvan, still muted, moved very slowly away from it, watching very much like Daisy for the metaphorical missing scale.
Daisy is momentarily distracted by the elven stripper. Maybe she’ll have to visit Rynvale again sometime soon. Hn. Focus, kitten! There is a crocotentacle alibeast there nomming the crap out of that pretty man’s shirt and you’re just being filthy. This is how druids get themselves killed, you know. Especially tiny ones who can’t fight. Do something useful! Feline eyes narrow at more than just the beast. There has to be a spot. Everyone has a spot. Every-thing- has a spot. Every... Ah-ha! Right there under its leftmost tentacle is a red X. You’d think she was a pirate, finding that marked spot so easily. “Pssst.” She waves her paws at Istvan, trying to get his attention. “PSSST!” The druid’s left arm is lifted and she points to her ribs before nodding at the goo-flinger.
Istvan looked over at Daisy and tilted his head in confusion. Then he looked at the monster--aha! A red X, hm? Probably some kind of scar, or perhaps an eyespot to try and intimidate foes, but if it was a scar then it must have been fairly fresh and Istvan was certain he could reopen it. He aimed the bladestaff thing like a lance and sprang towards the creature, driving the blade deep into--well, trying to, anyhow. Whoever made up this monster needs to be shot. The X was a decoy, it would seem. Istvan's blade struck bone tougher and thicker than concrete, and glanced off with a spark. Istvan, never one to miss an opportunity, used the bounce to help propel the second blade, burning a little of the staff's energy and carving a deep gash between two of the animal's ribs. It didn't like that and roared, swinging a clawed limb at the man with enough force to flip a stagecoach.
Daisy covers both eyes with her paws when Istvan just pounces the tentadile like a fat kitten on cake. She sure does like cake. Look at her! Pudgy little thing. So cute anyway, yeah? Maybe that cute can be put to use. So she purrs. Purrs? Damn right, she purrs! It brings all the boys to the yard. Tentagators too. She could teach you, but she’d have to charge. Why the purring? It is her soothing mechanism, you see. Calms even the rageingful, tableflippingest of beasts. “Sshhh...” she coos at the creature, purring louder and louder. She knows that staff between its ribs sucks, but hopefully she’ll be able to calm it down enough so Istvan can kill it. Oh! A shiny rock. She bends over to pick it up and if the adorable corgitush of where her tail used to be doesn’t make you aww from cute, you have no soul.
Istvan was quick, but the monster wasn't slow either. Its claws caught his legs as he tried to jump out of the way and hurled him, spinning uncontrollably, backwards, where he smacked into a tree and, due to the spinning, bounced off in a different direction, hitting the ground and sliding a few feet, coming to a halt once he'd run into the purring Daisy. Despite being an elite martial artist and master of himself, such a massive blow was enough to knock anyone silly and the man lay there stunned if not completely unconscious. Which meant that the primary sources of mushroom goo were all in the same place. The monster swallowed the demolished shirt and turned towards the pair, snarling--but that purr caused it to move more slowly. The sounds affected its brain somehow--helping to numb the pain, to induce a faint fog of lethargy and confusion--what was it doing again? Oh, right, the marked prey. Half-heartedly, it trotted towards them, opening its jaws in a sleepy "om nom nom".
Daisy jumps up like some sort of ninja, dodging the sliding Istvan! At least that would be what happened if she were paying attention. Also - She is pretty much the Mr. Bean of ninjas, so we both know this is going to be a disaster. Sliding right into the back of her legs, Istvan topples the kitten like some sort of reverse game of Jenga. You don’t just go shoving the pieces in the bottom, elfie boy. That causes kittens to squeal and land on your belly while you’re flat on your back. Geez. I mean it’s not like something smacked you into her. I... Oh. Right. *cough* The tentacle crockagator! It approaches, hungry and heading straight for them! Or gay for them. Whatever. We don’t judge. “Hey.” Daisy presses both paws to Istvan’s chest and leans forward, damn near giving him an eskimo kiss. “Wake up!” Oh, this isn’t good. Sleeping Beauty here is out cold and this druid is no prince! Well crap. Think of something, kitten! And then she gets it! You even see a light bulb pop up all shiny like there above her head. A cookie is retrieved from her bag and rubbed on herself. Not just in any spot, but where the goo is! She steals some goo from Istvan too. Throw the cookie, kitten! Throw it! The cookie flies through the air and since the feline isn’t very physically inclined, the treat misses its mark. Instead of landing behind the creature, the little disc of edible goodness bonks Mr. Sharkfacetentaclearms right on the top of his head and bounces over to the side a bit. Not too far, but maybe the distraction is long enough for Daisy to wake Istvan up. Somehow.
Istvan || The cookie bounces off the creature's face and lands off to the side. Enough of the slime has gotten on the cookie that the monster (whose intelligence was quite impaired by this point) stopped, and turned to find the cookie, pawing at the ground in search of the treat. Meanwhile, Istvan's eyelids fluttered open and he found himself staring into Daisy's eyes. (Or perhaps at the back of her head, depending on how soon she returned to darn near giving him an eskimo kiss after throwing the cookie.) He blinked a few times and lay there for a moment, then, "...mm-mm? Mmm...?"
Daisy goes right back to the near eskimo kissing as soon as the creature is distracted. Okay so maybe this time she gives him one cause it makes me gigglefit. Even with her super feline hearing, she can’t understand what he is saying. Oh that is right. His mouth is still goo’d shut! Funny how a cookie can rub the goo from their skin and clothes, but his mouth is still... Holy good god, kitten! You’re a genius! She grins and produces another cookie from her bag. This one is carefully rubbed on Istvan’s mouth. Maybe a little sneaks inside somehow. “Eat.”
Istvan was now thoroughly confused. He'd barely met this woman, he could still hear the tentagator stomping around behind them (though it was rapidly beginning to consider maybe going back to sleep would be a better option), and here she was, laying on him, having given him an eskimo kiss and now feeding him a cookie. Exactly what sort of concussion-induced hallucination was he having? Still, it seemed realistic, so he used his lips to pull bits of the cookie into his mouth, and found that its texture and porousness helped to soak up the blue goo. As he moved it around his mouth, he became aware of a very pleasant and soothing vibration emanating from the woman--his eyes closed and he relaxed, trying to resist the urge to put his arms around her and hug her like a kid hugs a teddy bear. He wasn't sure why he had this urge, but he figured it had something to do with the noise.
Daisy is quite pleased the cookie is working! She wasn’t sure that it would. You never can tell with these sorts of things. Especially if the dice don’t fall in your favor. Then you’re just effed. Just keep everyone calm, kitten. Men and beasts alike, though rarely different, are easier to handle when calm. She slowly leans down, still with that purr in her throat, and whispers quietly into Istvan’s ear so the creature can just keep busy with the cookie and not pay them any mind. “Can you kill it?” Remaining mostly still, another cookie is pressed to Istvan’s lips to help out the first one.
Istvan still had the first cookie in his mouth, the second he tried to decline but ended up forgetting why he was doing that because it was a cookie, darn it, and now had his face stuffed with cookie bits. "Haaarg," he struggled to say, and succeeded to start swallowing small sections of scrumptious cookie (Combo breaker!). Her action of leaning down to whisper in his ear is responded to with a nod--he's pretty darn sure he can kill just about any beast if he needs to--and then decided to give her a hug anyways, because she was just so relax-y and comfortable. The purring was near-intoxicating and he tried very hard to keep his thoughts straight. The monster behind them, meanwhile, finally tired of the cookie and began--slowly--returning its attention to the pair, staggering a little and making a rather more feeble growling noise.
Daisy is quite pleased with his answer and oh! Oh she is being hugged. If that doesn’t make her purr louder, nothing will. She smiles and nuzzles briefly against his cheek. But only briefly because there is are tentacles afoot! Alimb? Maybe tentacles don’t have feet. Just ends. Tips. Tentacles atip! Stupid language. Where were we? Right! That pretty elf is given a nuzzle and a hug in return before she slips to the ground and gives him a little nudge towards the approaching creature. “Well have at it then.”
Istvan 's fighting style was naturally relaxed, and so as he hauled himself to his feet, he merely required a roll of his neck to unlimber, and he drew the panabas--he knew now exactly how to deal with this monster, and though it probably wasn't going to be pretty, it would work. "Stop purring for a moment, señorita," he said, twitching a smile in her direction. "I need this beast riled up just a little more for this plan to work." He flipped the curved sword in his hand and took up a stance, waiting for the perfect moment.
Daisy nods and decides she can do one better than that! The purring stops and just as easily as she calmed the beast, her magic can irritate him too. She pokes and prods and taunts its mind. She won’t irritate too much, mind you. Just a little. Like waiting behind that guy with fifty transactions at the bank. Or your roommate leaving two mouthfuls of orange juice in the carton and putting it back in the fridge. Seriously. Those people should be punched in the shin. She also takes care to stay out of the way. The last thing a guy needs is a furry obstacle to trip over.
Istvan || The abrupt transition from relaxation to annoyance seemed to offend the beast personally--rather like being woken up from a nice nap by your younger brother who has yet to develop respect for your boundaries and who makes sure you stay awake by pulling the freakin' covers from your body. This has happened to the narrator more than once. The monster blinks aside the sleep and roars, opening its mouth wide and charging. Which Istvan takes full advantage of and charges straight into the creature's mouth! Because it's still rather confused from the abrupt shift, it doesn't react as swiftly as it normally would and its jaws come crashing closed too late. Istvan is already inside, past the teeth, and with one arm he reaches out and touches the animal. He focuses and uses his power--every calorie in the animal's body burns itself at once as Istvan channels its strength into his arm and sword. The blade punches straight through the top of its skull, heated red-hot, and yeah pretty much if that didn't kill it I don't know what will. The beast slumps over, mouth hanging partially open, Istvan's legs hanging out of them. He still has some energy left over from the monster, and so uses that energy--along with some from the runes embedded in his sword--to push on the creature's jaws. There's a loud, distinct "pop" sound as the jaws unhinge and Istvan crawls out backwards from the creature's head. Covered in saliva and purplish blood, but very much alive.
Daisy covers her eyes again. Again she peeks out through her fingers. The last thing she wants to see is her new friend get eaten. We’re trying NOT to get eaten and this guy just jumps inside like some sort of man in a black suit and sunglasses. Sheesh! Luckily, Istvan knows what he is doing. “Are you alright?” She moves closer to the dead creature, pausing when the elf backs out of the thing’s maw. Ew. Seriously. Ew. She reaches into her cleavage there and pulls out the daintiest of handkerchiefs anyone has ever seen. The sheer fabric is offered to Istvan. “Thank you.”
Istvan stood up and nodded to her, then declined the use of the handkerchief when offered. It'd likely completely ruin the handkerchief--speaking of which, whoever ran the nearest <insert Hollow's version of a laundromat here> was going to have a fit when he or she saw Isty's pants. Hopefully it would come out. ...hopefully. "You're very welcome, señorita." It was at this point that Istvan realized that he hadn't a shirt anymore. It took only another moment to decide that he didn't really care that much--and also that he wanted to buy this woman a drink. "May I suggest we go someplace less prone to trying to eat us? I know some rather delicious recipes for mixed drinks, if you happen to like alcohol."
Daisy doesn’t mind the elf being shirtless either and doubts that many would! The handkerchief is tucked away again before she brushes some dirt from her dress even though we all know that is sort of pointless for a druid to do. “I do.” She smiles and steps around the sticky mess Istvan left on the ground so that traveling towards town can happen.