Welcome to Gaia! ::

Maybe someone was out looking for the thing. By the time a meal had passed, maybe they would be knocking at his door and would collect the bug. Easy. That's what he was hoping, anyway.


Famous last words. Well, thoughts.

The dinner had been tedious enough. Ralph had never had a ladybug guest before, but he was sure no normal insect could eat so much. A simple meal of left-over grass roots (he really didn’t feel like sparing anything good like snail meat or sweet berries on the little intruder) and in only a few silent moments the creature had gulped down its (and some of Ralphs) entire plate.

Eager to keep with the agreement he had made- before the tiny bug had even finished chewing its last root, the hedgehog was attempting to push him out the door.

“Okay, you can go find someone else to get you back home now-“.

His words were drowned out by the hyperactivity of his guest. It was doing summersaults, flips, bouncing from wall to wall- Ralph watched in a brief pause of surprise, mouth hanging agape as the ladybug preformed another marvellous bout of acrobatics. The surprise reverted quickly back to anger at the sight of one sorted seed pile crashing to the ground.


The basic anatomy of a ladybug makes it incredibly hard to strangle. No neck, you see. Fine. Stomping on the creature would work just as well. Ralph grit his teeth, glaring across the room at the still prancing and leaping annoyance. His violent thoughts branched into off into how exactly he was going to find the time to sort through the pile again, how hard it had been to find those stupid seeds in the first place, how troublesome the ladybug had made itself- And then a new idea sparked in Ralph’s mind. That damn bug was going to earn back the time it had wasted.

A backpack, a quick trip to the closest berry tree, an armful of rare, ripe berries- and this terrible night would surely pay off.

“Alright, bug, it’s time to pay for that meal and all this mess”.

( 2! )

[2 - If I'ma go down, I'ma go down FIGHTIN']

Malena groaned and shook her head with a cringe when she slowly came to. It took her a moment to figure out what had happened, and when she did, she she gasped and bolted upright despite her tremendous headache. Her nose wrinkled at the awful smell and feeling of...whatever it was she was lying in. Maybe dirt. By the Great Tree, she hoped it was dirt...

She wasn't sure exactly where she was, but she could tell it was a home of some sort, and she recalled the last words she heard spoken by that horrid badger before she was knocked out - the badger intended to eat her! Well, Malena wasn't going down without a fight, that was for sure. She was from Fangroot - she had her pride! Immediately, Malena started grabbing anything and everything she could that wasn't secured to the ground in order to defend herself. That chair looked pretty nasty to be hit with, so she grabbed it first - she wanted to make sure she hit her attacker with it and not get hit again herself.

“I’ll tell ye now, bug, I don’t hold high hopes on findin’ yer owner…”

It had already been hours since he first donned his ladybug adventuring hat. HOURS. And not a damn thing had been found, ‘scept a handful of shrugged shoulders and somewhat miffed-lookin’ neighbors not wanting much to do with the noisy bug or the brash-mouthed mouse. Well, if it wasn’t yer bug, then just say so in the first place! Don’t go asking dumb questions, like ‘where’d you find it’ or ‘why’s it on yer head.’ Quinn felt he was searching far and wide for a whole load of nothing, save for a ringing in his ears where the ladybug decided to squeal away its misery every time he took a wrong turn.

Quinn didn’t care too much that the bug was directing him far from his usual stomping grounds; nowadays it was hard for him to recognize any landmarks at all, what with his constant moving-about. But the bug’s flailing legs were pointing him toward darker, deeper woods, and even if this was an adventurer’s bread and butter… Quinn didn’t like it one bit. It seemed to think this was the right way, though, and every step Quinn took made it squeak a little louder, a touch more enthusiastically. The ground grew boggy, and stills of standing water started to line up along his path, but Quinn bravely pushed on.

What fun this was.

But then, hope! Right as Quinn thought he’d toss the bug to the side and find a more pleasing place to wander, a hut appeared in the distance! A ragged, miserable-looking thing that sat on stilts and looked more than ready to tip into the marsh below, yeah, but it was still an abode of some sort. The ladybug was pleased to see it, anyway, clacking its wingshells. Home, home! So this is where that little bug originated from, then.

And, lo and behold, as if summoned by the ladybug’s excited yelling, a figure emerged from the hut.

Euuughh… That wasn’t so much a figure as it was a disheveled potato wearing a badger fur. A hideous old she-demon with a lopsided grin and a voice like rocks in a bag came forth, swiped the bug from Quinn’s head, and mentioned a dinner… “I am a bit hungry, miss-”

WHUNK.

And then, Quinn found himself where no mouse should ever be finding themselves; on his back, dizzy eyes watching a mouldy roof drip above him, the top of his head sticky with a bit of his own dried blood - and something much more displeasing underneath. He didn’t wanna assume that he was lying in a pile of squashed, half-rotten body bits… but he was lying in a pile of squashed, half-rotten body bits. He figured they were all the little pieces that this she-demon decided weren’t worth eating - a little spewing organ here, a few bits of bone and - was that… stomach matter? - there. He wanted very much to scream and leap to his paws, fight his way free of the decay if possible, but he reeeally didn’t need that Canker beast coming to see if her latest meal needed tenderized a little more. He needed to think this through, creep out when the coast was clear, and steal off into the wilderness…

Aw, to hell with that. He could hear the heavy, lunking footsteps as the distinctly-hideous badger made her approach, babbling something to her bug (that damn conniving, sweet-talking, backstabbing little bug) with a slur that was probably the result of her magnificently hair-lipped muzzle… Quinn rolled onto his stomach, ignored the squish of unpleasantries that moved about under his paws, and took hold of the biggest chunk of something he could find. Femur bone? Probably. Quinn wasn’t an anatomist. It looked heavy on one end, sufficient enough to be a club, and pulling it closer to his body Quinn waited.

The floorboards creaked. Quinn lay still, heart pounding in his chest.

The door slid open, and a ghastly shadow filled the empty gap beyond; the badger, complete with ladybug perched on her shoulder. Quinn didn’t move. “Time fer eatin!” the badger rumbled, diseased body filling the little room.

Up went the little spotted mouse straight to his paws, bone club held deftly as though he knew what he was doing. Aim for the eyes, aim for the eyes! He roared wordlessly, and threw his little body forward with as much gumption as he could muster. He'd knock this monster offa it's rocker, then dart away into the wilderness, free as a bird!

... if he could manage it, anyways.

(Option 2)

Abeya glanced back at Woodhaven as she left it’s borders. Oh, how exciting! She thought to herself, This will be quite an adventure, won‘t it? “Home…Home” The little bug began to call. Abeya raised an eyebrow and looked at the muddy hole of a place. “Well, not my cup of tea, but who am I to judge?” She shrugged and put the ladybug down, letting her free to run.

---

“Eeerrr…Ergh!” Abeya whimpered, tears in her eyes, as she finally came to. One hand went to her head, the other went down to push herself into a sitting position. As soon has her hand touched down she pulled it back and quickly scrambled away from the slimy feeling. Looking at where she had been laying, she began to feel sick, seeing all the used and discarded bandages covered in puss and blood, which was now all over her hands and coat. “Vile!” She turned to see the Badger looming over her, “You disgusting creature…you vile, pathetic creature!” On any other occasion, Abeya would have felt pity for the Badger and maybe even offered to help…but having been met with violence and the threat of death by eating, she felt nothing but anger and hatred.
With the blood boiling in her tiny mouse veins, making her feel ten times her true size, all Abeya could think of was fighting this beast and making her pay for her depraved and brutish ways. Her tiny paws balled up and she began shake, a high pitched squeaking sound emanating from her tightly pursed lips. Then with a strength that would have shocked Abeya, had she not been so caught up in everything, she leapt forward at the Badgers face and began to claw furiously at her.
[Round One: Option One/Round Two: Option One/Round Three: Option 2]

(#2. Take a stand and fight!)

The first thing Silvia was aware of was the heavy stench of decay lingering in the air. She wrinkled her nose, eyes still shut tightly, her head throbbing painfully, as if her brain was trying to escape from her skull. With a soft groan, she shifted, gingerly raising herself to a sitting position before daring open her eyes. It was dark, but not pitch; she wasn't sure how long she'd been out, but she felt it hadn't been more than minutes. Senses returning, she took stock of her surroundings while recalling the events that led up to her blackout.

She sneered softly at herself. She'd let herself go; she should never have been taken by surprise so easily, not before. Dirty brute would pay for knocking her about...and that bug, rotten little deceiver...when she got her paws on it...

She froze, shaking her head, then cringing at the resulting pain. No, dark thoughts like that wouldn't help. They tended to cloud judgment, force one to act irrationally and irresponsibly. The important thing was making sure she got out of this mess safely.

Nevermind that she was haunted by the twisted things she'd wanted to do to the pair that had just crossed her mind, if only briefly.

Pushing the thought aside, almost physically, she struggled to her feet. She wavered a bit, but remained upright. Her paw flew to her hip, had the beast thought to... Curses! Her dagger was gone. The brute must have thought enough to disarm her while she was out. A second glance around the room, however, revealed a bit of light gleaming from the hilt of the blade, resting on a nearby shelf. Apparently, her captor had not expected her to wake so soon. Or, a more sobering thought...perhaps she wasn't disarming her at all; merely prepping her dinner for eating.

Stifling a shiver, Silvia snatched her dagger and quickly returned its sheath to its comforting place at her hip. The blade in hand, she slipped over towards the doorway, hovering in the shadows beside the only entrance and exit to the room. A mouse versus a badger; not great odds, but then again...she'd seen worse and still come out on top. She hadn't earned her reputation by sitting on her tail. Size wasn't everything in a scuffle. Especially if you had the element of surprise.

All she had to do was wait on the she-badger's inevitable return, get the jump on her long enough to cause confusion, then make her escape.

She didn't want more blood on her paws, but she was backed into a corner...

Although it had been relatively bright outside when Aeronwy had first been disturbed by the ruckus-creating ladybug outside her home, the daylight had quickly faded into a rather ominous, oppressive dusk. With the light quickly dwindling, Aeronwy ushered the ladybug into her home through the hole in the top of her log, her little mouse-paws gently brushing the back of the bug's exoskeleton to urge him.

"I promise, I'll cook ya somethin' right tasty," she enticed him, stepping down off the stone table in the middle of her home with the ladybug carried somewhat awkwardly in her arms. She hadn't really expected him to jump from the roof to the floor; Aeronwy had sort of bypassed any sort of offer for help and simply scooped him up. She refrained from holding him while she prepared a quick dinner, though. No cooking for this mouse! A simple plate of greens and various fruits, along with a bit of salted fish was all that was offered- and quickly inhaled.

"Well," Aeronwy remarked, sitting back after their rather quick meal with a chuckle. "I guess you were rather hungry, hmm?" She really didn't mind that the ladybug had eaten some of her dinner, too. She hadn't been that hungry to begin with, and there was always more food to be had!

But after dinner, Aeronwy /was/ starting to find that the ladybug was grating on her nerves. She hadn't fed him anything particularly sugar-y, and was perplexed to find him so.. hyper. Doing somersaults, flips, and walking up the walls- "NO! Hey, no! Get DOWN from there!" Aeronwy cursed loudly and leaped from her chair, trying to shoo the ladybug down from the wall before..- CRASH!

Too late.

Aeronwy's /favorite/ wall hanging came crashing down, crumpling to the floor with a sickening crunch. Her face scrunched into a mixture of disappointment, anger, and regret- regret for ever inviting the damned bug inside her home! With a swift kick to his rear end seeming imminent, Aeronwy began to march to where the ladybug currently was... and stopped. The metaphorical light bulb-above-her-head suddenly burst to bright life; Aeronwy had an idea for harnessing and channeling all this energy!

"You just stay /right there/, little bug! Don't move a muscle! Or.. whatever. I've got to find you somethin'..." Aeronwy trailed off, dashing into the curtained-off part of the log she used for her personal space, akin to a bedroom. She threw open a small, carved trunk [of sorts] that she had and began searching through the spare bits of fabric and other material she had collected here and there, in case she ever needed it. She was going to fashion this little ladybug with a backpack [and maybe a leash!] and send him out to gather berries for her! The best kind grew on the highest branches, but she was too heavy to get up that far. It was too dark to start gathering now, but if they started bright and early... Aeronwy found herself rubbing her paws in anticipation of the great wealth sure to come her way.

Tenga was beginning to feel a bit paranoid. He was constantly checking the sun for the time and when it started to get close to the horizon, he began peeping little comments like “So uhh… is this one yours?” and “Are we there yet?”. They had seen quite a few houses by now, none of which were the one, and were heading much further than expected. Tenga had to return to his post eventually and he was already outside of the clan limits.

“HOME! HOME!”

Tenga smiled at the cheery little ladybug as it squeaked back to him. He was genuinely happy, more so for the fact that he could be alone now, but he was happy. As he was about to make his departure, another creature emerged from the cave.

A badger.

She was quite the visual opposite of the well-cleaned Tenga. As she grabbed his arm with sore covered paws, the only thing Tenga could think was I hope it’s not contagious before she hit him in the head with something hard and he was out.

Awakening, there was very little light. Tenga had no doubt that it was far past nightfall now. Squirming a little, he turned his aching head to face his new bedding and would have lost his lunch from the stench if had eaten any that day. Stupid traitor child bug.

Tiny white bones reflected in the little light that barely illuminated the cave. There was also something matte under him. Dirty patches of fur he presumed. It sure smelled like it. Grabbing two of the pointier bones, Tenga concealed them on himself. He was going to hunt down that Badger and teach it a lesson.

It wasn’t very hard to hunt the Badger. This was in fact her hole and she seemed to be meticulously preparing for a grand dinner. Him. From his hiding spot, Tenga observed the situation. The badger had to have a blind spot, a weakness. His best bet would be to get close to her, but with that bug watching her back, Tenga didn’t have a chance to sneak up on her. Returning to his bed of bones and fur with revulsion, he pretended to still be knocked out. After some time waiting, his chance finally arrived. The badger was done setting up and finally needed the main course. Waddling up to him, she leaned down to grab him by his skinny neck and in return was slashed across the face with one of the bones Tenga had previously picked up. With a smirk, Tenga sat up. Darn, should have aimed a bit lower. And deeper.