|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:04 pm
 Location: Four Fronds Forest
This RP takes place pre-Hunters meta.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:05 pm
When you're hungry, you hunt. If you don't hunt, you don't eat. Masoal always knew this. When he was younger, Fossamom did a majority of the significant hunting, leaving him to train on squeak and featherbeasts. He was older now, though, more experienced, and so expected to begin carrying his own weight in matters beyond training and climbing trees.
From hopbeasts to oinkbeasts, he'd begun taking down larger and larger prey with each passing month, feeding himself without the assistance of his lusus. Tonight was no different. It had been a few dusks since he'd eaten and it felt like something was clawing away at his insides. It was time.
Darting out the open window, Masoal met with Fossamom, who showed herself only briefly before vanishing into the upper canopy as she often did. Around him, the bells tied to branches near his hive jingled in the breeze until he'd gone so far he couldn't hear them. It wasn't long after that when he spotted his meal. A rabbit, a large one at that, likely a high ranker in its warren. Rank meant nothing to Masoal. He was hungry.
Fossamom was moving lower, eyes narrowed on her charge, who'd taken down the hopbeast with relative ease. His better position in the trees granted him advantage, it hadn't even had a chance to run. Now the young troll was hunched over his felled prey, warm blood pooling around his fingers where his claws were dug into its neck. Don't waste time, her low, throaty hiss said. Of course, he listened, beginning to drag his catch into the bushes for cover.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 4:06 pm
Tonight, Luxara was discovering, was a mixed bag. Pro: after a long hunt, she had finally succeeded. Con: taking the kill down took forever for a reason. The greenblood was strong enough to pull her body up trees every night, but she had limits. She was going to eat well, but first she had to get back to her hive.
Which would take a while.
Luxara quietly huffed, amused and bemused at her predicament. She adjusted the body draped over her shoulder, then continued to pull the carcass along with its lower half dragging across the leaf-mottled ground behind her. Stagdad would be impressed. Or mutely horrified. This thing could be, like, his cousin or something. Four legs, hooves, the same kind of ears and snout. But it hadn't been her lusus, which was what mattered. Any non-troll creature found alone in the forest was fair game. It would be bad to kill something parenting young, and terrible to kill someone's lusus. She did her best to avoid that.
But, she couldn't afford to refuse to eat meat at all; only nutbeasts survived on tree snacks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:43 am
Fossamom was always quiet. After her expectant hiss, she made no other sounds, and Masoal hardly found that unusual. It was when the rest of the forest went still that he took notice.
To the casual observer, a non-native, the forest might already appear silent, but that was far from the whole truth. The occasional rustle of wildlife through the underbrush, the twitter of wingbeasts... there was always something, a low melody of life between the trees. When everything stopped, it often meant death was near.
Momentarily forgetting his meal, Masoal hunched lower, peering through the spotty camouflage of the bush. He heard them coming before he saw them. A hunter and her prey. The young troll felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up when they were close enough to really see. The catch was huge, much larger than anything he'd be able to bring down on his own.
It shouldn't have mattered.
Masoal should've accepted his limitations, knowing somenight he'd be on her level, too. Age simply had its advantages, that was all. He respected her ability, though deep down, he also envied it. Despite himself, and knowing fully well he'd hear about it from Fossamom later, the tealblood let out a throaty, challenging hiss. Were she any hunter worth her mettle, it wouldn't go unnoticed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:18 pm
Luxara turned and crouched in the same motion. Something had noticed her. More importantly, it wanted to challenge her for the kill she had worked so hard for. Not today, buddy. Her hands rested on her crossbow, ready to aim and take a warning show. The greenblood glanced about in the meantime, looking for where the hiss had come from. She spotted something in the brush; Luxara definitely wasn't alone. She grounded herself, ready for whatever it was to jump at her...then blinked.
She had expected a white beast. Luxara hadn't settled on expecting fur or scales or feathers; but definitely a wild animal. But there wasn't a lusus there. It was a troll. A small child. But, looking at them, she could tell from the expression that they had sure hissed at her. She had never really met any trolls outside of the forest who fueled so much emotion in a hostile introduction. If a kid was acting like an animal, they were likely local. Like her.
"Hey, kiddo," she greeted in a casual tone even though her body was still a little rigid. Never knew if you might get jumped. Anyway, they should have a lusus around... "You speak trollian, right? Maybe? Have you heard the concept of share? You don't have to present yourself as a rabid nutbeast to get what you want, you know."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:35 pm
Claws still stained with the blood of his own kill, Masoal gripped tensely at the earth, crawling nearly all the way out of his compromised hiding spot. He left the bushes at his back as an escape route, just in case. Of course, he wouldn't need them, obviously, but it paid to be prepared. Especially with the casual way this older troll was addressing him; it made him suspicious of her plans (the ones he assumed quite readily she had). He hated when anyone was too collected after his thinly veiled attempts at intimidation.
Another hiss was the only response she'd receive for her questions, at least at first. Masoal could speak, but he rarely chose to. After all, out here in the forest, most anything that breathed was an animal and spoke in tongues he didn't understand. That, or they wouldn't be alive much longer, anyway. The tealblood saw plenty of trolls fall to the hunts and the hunters themselves certainly weren't good candidates for conversation.
Honestly, Masoal had nothing to say. The more he thought about it, the more he realized: there was absolutely no reason to be here right now, facing off against this greenblood with notably superior prowess when he had his own dinner waiting in the underbrush. He side-eyed her kill, unbelievably impressive considering her size... s**t, he should run, but Masoal never backed down. What would any other troll do in this situation? Start a pleasant, friendly conversation? Masoal didn't do that either. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the young tealblood went with the first thing that came to mind.
"... I don't share!" Well, it was true, at least. He was a rather selfish child.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 2:23 pm
"He speaks! A good start." She squatted to his level. "It's okay, kid. A lot of things around here don't do the whole sharing thing. Everyone's looking out for number one, and I understand that. But you're a troll, and you'll probably have to deal with other trolls at some point. And a good way to keep from a fight or just having issues for no reason other than being a grumpypants is to show some good will. It's amazing what kinda stuff can happen if you don't, you know, hiss at everything you see. So, even though you don't share, do you mind if I share? Or," she cracked more of a grin, "are you gonna keep hissing at me until I run away crying?"
Luxara knew she had to be careful, though. Even though Masoal was no threat, his lusus very well could decide it was high-time to kick a** and take names. She had no idea if Stagdad was nearby to back her up if things went south. She could end up hurt, without dinner, and seem weak to someone half her size.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:34 pm
The things she said sounded vaguely familiar to Masoal. Nothing about sharing or good will, Fossamom didn't touch on that very often. Having to deal with other trolls, though, the tealblood had already gotten more lessons than he wanted in that particular area. Multiple encounters had ended poorly, but his lusus wouldn't stop pushing the inevitable need to interact with others of his species. She'd tried to make him ready for anything, but it was obvious he had a long way to go if this meeting was any indication.
"You do what you want..." he responded, his voice calmed from what it was, but still tainted with an edge of grumpiness. She was old enough and skilled enough to do just that, Masoal had to admit it to himself. Didn't make her pokes and prods at his pride any less like salt in a wound. Of course she wouldn't be running away with her tail between her legs.
"I don't care if you share... I don't need it! You just go if you want!" He pointed harshly in the direction she'd been moving before, almost hoping she'd simply go. He'd embarrassed himself enough already.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:14 pm
"So, lemme get this straight. You get my attention, you act all tough, and then you just want me to leave? That's really confusing! I don't know what you want. Do you even know?" she laughed, still amiable.
Luxara went from a squat to a sit. "I dunno if you 'need' anything from me, either. I'm not assuming you do! Cuz, like, I see you've caught your own thing. I think that's impressive! Really! Catching stuff was a struggle for me at that age. Life in the forest is hard, surviving everything here and getting stuff yourself. It can be frustrating sometimes. Sometimes you don't even have the luck of having anything to eat that night. Nothing against your lusus- that's just how it would be for me once in a while. You never know when you might need an emergency back-up."
Of course, it was very possible this child could leave the forest if he chose, and just pick up food from places in Four Fronds proper and beyond, but with a personality like that...she wasn't sure how well he did in society.
"You don't need help, I get it, but I'm willing to offer anyway. Cuz it's tough out here. But it's your choice. Keep me company while I skin this thing, I can give you some of the meat. You don't want it, you can leave. Up to you. I won't judge or make you do anything you don't want to, kiddo." she stood up, shrugged, looked to the catch. "My name's Luxara, by the way."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
