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 Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:22 am
One ear flicked forward at the pathetic choice of word, and Jasper's survival instinct smothered the laugh for him. Clearly the wolf was distracted, but certainly not enough to ensure a quick escape. Point in fact, the look in the wolf's eyes was enough to keep the fox planted precisely where he was.
Admittedly, he couldn't help showing off just a little. "Ordeal," Jasper replied smoothly, a gentle gnaw at his forepaw concealing the gleam in his eyes. It wouldn't do to be caught out laughing mentally.
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Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:32 pm
Rorret smirked. Such interesting choices the fox made! He liked to think it spoke to the creature's thoughts. That was, of course, the appeal of the word games -- Rorret believed, in his heart, that somewhere there was a great Truth, a truth beyond what was obvious, and that it could be gotten to through meaning...and that meaning could be identified through the links in words.
"Dealings," he said. At this rate, perhaps they would only need one round after all. He had greatly underestimated the fox's vocabulary when the game began.
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 9:28 am
A fumble could be more than costly. Although Jasper was confident in his ability to run away- he was, after all, still alive- he was not entirely certain that the wolf couldn't track him down and rend him limb from limb. There was, of course, always the chance that the wolf would grow weary of the game and attack regardless.
Much of the fox's intelligence had been left unused- something he was well aware of and rather resentful about- but there was plenty available to draw upon for moments such as these. Repeating "dealings" in his mind for a moment, Jasper gave the air a hopefully casual sniff.
"Lingering."
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 1:58 am
His brow raised. "Lingering?" He reapeated, and his lip curled. "You seem to have forgotten the...sibilance...in your choice of words."
He grinned, though his mismatched eyes remained cold. "One point, for me."
For a long while he regarded the fox, as though deliberating whether or not to end the game prematurely. His lip remained curled, showing one glistening fang. "But you play well, Repsaj. I grow bored and the night approaches, and I suspect you may have....other talents...that may interest me, if you wish to share them."
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2011 6:13 am
Control was the hallmark that put individuals above mere prey, and it was control Jasper exercised now. The wolf hadn't lunged, had not attacked the moment he'd slipped up on his word choice, and so the fox made no move to flee. Barely reacted, point in fact, with a mere flick of his ears as he regarded Rorret, lifting his muzzle slightly to give the wolf a quizzical look.
"You seem to know quite a bit about me for such a brief meeting. Is this game your way of testing someone's mettle?"
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 10:41 am
"Among other things," he said. He rose to his paws, and glanced back at the ever-darkening sun. "I play many games, Master Fox. Some of them are very dangerous."
He paused for a moment, thoughtfully, and then continued. "I find myself, sometimes, in need of an extra pair of eyes and ears. I wonder if you would be equal to the task."
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 6:55 am
"A secondary set to keep an eye on things just out of your sphere, hmm?" Jasper concealed any expression and merely flicked an ear back, keeping a careful watch for any of the wolf's compatriots. The last thing he needed was a pack coming up and wanting to know why the fox was still alive.
Nibbling on a forepaw, he pretended to consider for a long moment as his mind was flickering wildly through every possibility. "Aside from permitting me to live- I've no doubt that's part of your bargain- what else would I expect to get from this... arrangement?"
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:27 am
Rorret laughed appreciatively. "You are a bold one, Mr. Fox," he said. "You look into the face of death and still you believe you can bargain."
But it was clear from his expression that Rorret was in no rush to dispatch the multi-hued creature. A certain fondness gleamed in his mismatched eyes. "You would live at my side, and so be protected indefinitely. And you would have easy access to food, whenever you liked." He hesitated on that point for a moment. Perhaps the fox would not be so enthusiastic at the notion of eating wolf-flesh. "And, as you so astutely pointed out, I will not kill you."
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 10:10 pm
It was quite a proposition, and one that Jasper had no intention of agreeing to without considering it for a moment. It was not quite the arrangement he had imagined coming, but certainly a beneficial one. Granted, he didn't have to scrabble for food- being clever had its' advantages- but it did require quite a bit of effort to maintain that level of 'well-fed.'
It was the protection that intrigued the fox, and his ears swung forward with slow deliberation as he dropped his strawberry head to nibble on his forepaw, stalling for time as he ran through the possibilities. Jasper lifted his head, regarding Rorret evenly as his tail flicked.
"A very thorough offer you make, but I can't help but wonder what you will do once the novelty of my company wears off."
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 12:55 am
Rorret smirked, his ears flicking. "Ah, you misunderstand. I have no attachment to your person," he said. "But you, being -- as you are -- both small and inconsequential, are privy to information which I could not obtain myself."
He dropped his mismatched eyes to the fox, and his smirk faded from his maw, his expression regaining the usual stony countenance he was most accustomed to. "I will level with you, Mr. Fox," he said. "I have, at present, no particular reason to be regarded with respect amongst my peers, and I seek to change that. And you will help me."
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:00 pm
Jasper couldn't help but notice there was no "if" or "should you" in those statements. Of course, it was also amusing that of all the wolves he should encounter, it would be a lowly wolf with ambitions.
"And considering you have just stated you have little respect from your peers, what is to stop them from deciding that one as 'inconsequential'
as myself is fair game, no matter what you may say?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 4:29 pm
Rorret bared his teeth, mismatched eyes flashing. "Do not try my patience," he said, calmly, but there was an undercurrent of threat in his tone and his posture -- a certainty that, though he had been quite civil until now, it was not unlikely that he would eviscerate the fox if he grew bored with these proceedings, and boredom seemed dangerously close.
"You misunderstand my intent, Mr. Fox," he said, his tone civil but a low growl clouding his words. "I am not a shat-upon soul looking for acceptance. I am an equal seeking greatness. I offer you to share in that greatness. Your other option -- your only other option -- is death."
He was not being hyperbolic here. He was playing a dangerous game. He had allowed himself to open up to an outsider, and if that outsider did not pledge allegiance to him, he would need to dispatch him quickly and quietly. "The others will not harm you. If you do your job, the others need not know you exist until you prove yourself worthy. Do we understand each other?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:44 pm
It was the answer he'd been seeking, and with that, Jasper lifted his head, concealing the smirk through practiced effort. His ears swung forward as he settled on his paws, maintaining the guise of comfortable ease. "Then I think we understand each other very well." Better to not let the wolf see how he'd been prepared to bolt in the manner well known to any prey animal.
"So detail my first assignment then, and we will see how this goes."
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:17 pm
Excellent. A partnership had been formed, then. And now, the next move of this dangerous game could be played.
"Our pack's numbers are dwindling. We need new recruits -- strong male recruits -- and due to the...unique...nature of our pack, it is best if those recruits are young."
It was uncouth to say they were a group of pupnappers, but he suspected his meaning would get across well enough. "Find me some young blood. I have need of a prodigy."
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