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Post by vu on Nov 3, 2006 1:02:17 GMT -5
Concluding his rounds—to insure his boys stayed out of trouble as they enjoyed their downtime. Playing the soccer like game of cuju, sleeping, writing letters home, gambling, practicing music, smoking or bribing the quartermasters for whatever. As long as they caused little trouble as possible and the authority of the officer commanding them until the Admiral’s return let him be…
Intending to enjoy this warm, cloudless day for as long as possible he left for the river. Leaving behind his armor and so clothed in his grayish overalls and boots, he took a red leather satchel with him while winding his way through the encampment.
Those unblessed with downtime or a day off at the moment went about their usual duties. Some louder than others as he awaited a few platoon of tagetiers—infantrymen armed with sword and shield, pass by his path whilst they sang their marching song. If you could call such racket singing. The officer at the front beginning a line while the rest of them yelled the second.
He—ey footsoldiers WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Grab your weapons and follow us FOR WE ARE YOUR TARGETIER INFANTRY!!!
A damn crazy job that must be, Vu thought. He’d never want to be one of those saps whose unit duties entailed facing a cavalry charge. Sure it was typically for your spearmen to face down a mass of charging ostrich-horses during a fight—which says nothing of the Earth Kingdom saps doing the same for rhinos… But to know you’ll deliberately be doing such ahead of time? With a wicker shield and sword? Or just a two handed sword?
He—ey artillery WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Man your weapons and follow us FOR WE ARE YOUR TARGETIER INFANTRY!!!
He shook his head, unintentionally in front of them. Do they even get hazard pay for that?
The officer at the head, grinned in Vu’s direction as he began the next verse.
“He—ey crawlers WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Get in your wagons and follow us FOR WE ARE YOUR TARGETIER INFANTRY!!!”
No their operators called them others often saw them as, thus calling them, wagons or carriages. As if those iron steam machines were made of wood and cloth easily set ablaze.
“He—ey targetiers What are you doing? GRABBING OUR WEAPONS TO FOLLOW YOU FOR WE HAVE TO SAVE THE OTHER THREE!!!”
And I still haven’t figured what to do with them, referring to the three tagetier platoons assigned to his command. They were less of a defense and more of anti-personnel when the time came. Yet that meant the crawlers would have to keep pace with the footmen in order to be effective. Putting a halt to any high-speed maneuvers that could prove useful to the machines that could practically keep pace, if not outrun, a charging cavalry. As well as decimate them in a head on collision.
Vu, tapped his temple as he continued to the riverbank. Then there’s the problem of communicating with them from the crawler—which will be even worse in the middle of a battle, he sighed.
But he wasn’t going to bother with it now. Later, but not now. Rather than sit by the river and draft out tactical maneuvers he’ll instead draw and write some letters home.
All that’s left ,sliding down the small incline to the river bank, is to find a nice quiet… He grimaced as a boot sank into the soft mud leaving him to struggle for a few moments as he pulled it out. Kicking large clumps off as he continued walking parallel to the river.
A quiet and dry spot.
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Post by leighanief on Nov 3, 2006 1:55:09 GMT -5
Black-edged lips stretched over pointed teeth as the small beast yawned and sounded out a prolonged 'mrow' noise. Stretching its legs as it walked along side sandalled feet that hit down along the slightly beaten down bouts of ground. It's little paws working twice as fast to catch up after it's stretching. Amber eyes glanced down at the little vole-tiger, and a small subtle curve came to the young woman's lips.
"Okay okay I get it, already." She said in an amused tone of voice, "We can stop for a little bit and rest alright?" The miniature tiger-creature looked up to her pleased, as though it was quite content with getting its way. She bent down at the waist slightly, continuing to walk though, "Let's get to the river though shall we? You can hear it can't you?"
The excited little thing mewed out an indistinguishable answer and trotted ahead. Kaijin watched, adjusting the two bags over her shoulders slightly. They weren't particularly heavy despite packed full, but after so long of carrying them she was starting to disagree.
Pushing some of the dark brown hair out of her amber gaze she smirked slightly, and trotted forward after her small companion. "Hey! Wait up, don't just run off!" The weather was gorgeous and all truth be told, she felt quite glad to take a break from walking. It seemed as though it'd be very peaceful indeed, but she felt a bit uneasy still with her little scamp getting too far away from her. She wasn't sure of exactly where they were, and there was a bit of an odd feeling in the air, for the twittering of birds only seemed to one side of her and even then a bit more distant, but she shrugged it off and assumed it was because of the watersource that divided the trees. Maybe I should check the map again... well, maybe when we start off again.
She found him lapping up the water with his light pink tongue at a slight incline in the bank of the river. "Oye... don't do that, Himizu." She said softly and rubbed the fur on his head briefly, ducking under a lower tree, she set down the bags in the shade, glad to get them off her back before she sat down and undid her belt so she could pull off her tunic, finding it too hot now that all the walking was catching up to her. She threw it over her bags and hung the sash belt with her sheathed wheels over a small broken branch near them.
Her neck craned slightly to see out and over what she could of the river through the low branches, deciding that she truly did like this place. It was calm and peaceful, and though seemed mostly untrodden, there were some paths so she didn't have to take main roads and the large old trees mixed with the smaller younger ones provided decent coverage. Especially low-lying ones like where she was now.
She readjusted her black tank-top and sat back against the trunk, enjoying the breeze until she heard the slight panting of her small friend as he came back and gave her a big newly wettened and sloppy kiss all over her arm. "Ugh, Proud!" She opened an eye furrowing her brow down as the small vole-tiger looked up to her innocently. His dark red stripes against light orange fur shifting as he sat down, and his tail wrapped around to his side. She could never really stay mad at him long, he was after all only two feet tall, if even that yet. But she did scowl at him as she tried to wipe the slobber from her arm.
Rolling up her pant legs she tied them up just beyond her knees and pushed Himizu, or as if were 'Proud' as well, away as he nipped at the red ties playfully while she took to undoing her sandals. She pulled herself forward, twigs and ground somewhat rough against her knees as she crawled the few meters it was till the river bank, and slowly dipped her feet in. Sap coloured eyes glinting in the sunlight as her gaze fell across the water.
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Post by vu on Nov 3, 2006 14:27:22 GMT -5
Much of the river perpendicular to the encampment was rather unguarded. Though it wasn’t of necessary concern as the riverbank and incline leading up to the encampment could be seen from a even a sitting position to anyone on the camp’s edge, and many of the trees that would have provided cover for anyone snooping were cut down to be used for firewood and minor structures.
As such Vu, if his men and anyone who asked, was last seen walking down the incline to the river before traveling downstream alongside it and out of view.
But there’d be no need to worry. The captain would surely return before mess. Or he’d eventually wander into the into the perimeter trekked by patrol soldiers if he walked far enough. And this site was secluded from wayward wanders off the beaten path. No one except for beasts and his comrades-in-arms would ever catch sight of soldier looking for someplace quiet.
Quiet, he thought, dry, still shaking mud from his boot, and shaded, viewing the numerous cypress trees offering spotty shade on this clear, sunny day.
Amidst the bird calls and cicada chitters abound along the babbling riverside, methodically he reviewed his options. He had no intention of writing his book at the moment. Devising tactics for his platoon and the infantry with them. Nor did he consider napping. Too well rested to try and sleep. Or course he could meditate but then that’d mean ignoring the scenery about him, on a day as lovely as this.
He patted a suitable cypress. Providing more than enough shade.
It's been decided. He’ll enjoy today’s scenery; even write a letter home. If he can manage to get the thoughts out.
Reaching into his red leather satchel after setting it on the ground he withdrew a stone bowl smaller than his palm and an ebony, cylindrical stick. Kneeling on the river’s small shore, and muddying his knees in the process, the bowl was filled with a small amount of water. He then began grinding the stick into the bowl. Tuning his ears out from hearing the scraping noise of the ink stick on upon the bowl-shaped ink stone.
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Post by leighanief on Nov 3, 2006 17:59:13 GMT -5
Barefeet splashed gently in the water that was much colder than she had expected, but as her skin seemed to adjust to it, it was rather refreshing. Her little companion lapped up more of the clear liquid and trotted back to the bags, sniffing at them, yipping once. She glanced back briefly, and shook her head gently. Oye, little bugger.
"Not right now. We only have so much." Plus... then I'd have to crawl back under there... She was pretty sure she already had a pine needle or two stuck in her hair. Himizu returned and nipped at her arm, with a low-toned yip.
Pulling her arm on to her lap, she chose to ignore him for that, "Go swim or something." Her finger pointed out to the water and he slipped his front paws down the incline again, pawing at the water. A slight smirk came over her lips as she pushed his butt forward, making him tumble into the cold water.
She'd have felt guilty if it weren't that she knew he loved water so much. That was why she'd name him as such, Himizu meaning roughly, 'fire and water'. He was an odd one... mind you she was the one talking to him like he understood.
She brushed her fingers through her hair as he puttered about in the water, pulling out a couple pine-needles. Aha! I knew it. She tied it up quickly in a messy pony-tail, and looked back to her friend who'd returned to her feet with a rather thick stick. He was trying to doggy-paddle and gnaw at it at the same time. Her hand came down and grabbed it, pulling at it as he kept a firm hold on it with his jaws.
"Geh." She almost slipped in a bit, so she splashed his face and got him to let go, and then raised it up behind her head, throwing the reasonably heavy thing as far as she could get it. "...Go on." She encouraged as she lied back against the uneven grass and dirt patches as the vole-tiger swan off after the floating debree.
He travelled out quite far, regaining a hold on the new chewtoy, turning slightly to head back, when his ears perked up and he looked about. He glanced back to his lazing about companion, then travelled on down the river a little more to find the scratching noises, it didn't quite recognize until it saw the figure of another being, advancing a bit more curiously.
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Post by vu on Nov 3, 2006 19:22:31 GMT -5
It always took time. Grinding an ink stick atop a grindstone container. Amongst serious calligraphers (like his father) and ink painters (like his mother) this was an important task in itself. Though they children, except for their daughter it seems, ever fully caught on to such a thing. Using the time spent on the slow, gentle, circular motion to calm one’s mind. Gather their thoughts. Or even empty them.
The droning, ever circular movement. The rhythmic scratching that accompanied it. Were rather entrancing during the minutes the process took.
Satisfied with the ink’s dark viscosity, he set the small bowl down next to him before dying the ink stick with his palm, and then began extending his hand into the river.
Suddenly—startled—his body shuddered. Knocking over the small bowl of ink and spilling its contents onto the bank soil and in the river. A short, sharp shuddered followed by a immediate freeze. Body locked into a kneeling position while his hand reaching into the water twisted at the wrist. Palm outwards, warmth—heat rising from it.
All this time grinding ink yet he failed to notice that… thing swimming closer to him.
The shock and immediate defensive-military taught reaction would have fried the poor thing. If that did happen, he considered, would the platoon cook Pema be able to make a decent meal from it.
Grinning at the false alarm from it—some water rodent or even an otter he could only guess from seeing its head and the stick in its mouth. Maybe there was something to clearing your mind after all. I probably would have noticed wetfurball coming if I did. He quietly laughed at himself.
“Afternoon lil’ fella,” addressing the creature while he washed his palm. The ink had immediately dried in his would-be attempt to fricassee the water animal, causing him to use his other hand to scrape it off. “You shouldn’t go around sneaking up on people like that. You’re liable to get hurt that way,” he lightly admonished as if it understood.
Hmm, he thought to himself. “Wait one moment,” and began reaching back towards his satchel, but took a few moments to grimace over the spilled ink. Reaching into his satchel he intended to set out a few bits of seed and dried fruit, packed for himself, for the little creature. If it ate such things.
Then again by the time he turned around it may be gone.
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Post by leighanief on Nov 3, 2006 20:22:42 GMT -5
Himizu had been quite satisfied with himself as he had found what this thing and sound had been. A man and the grinding of rocks for whatever purpose. The little predator didn't care about such things afterall, why should he. But the human could prove interesting, perhaps. His blue eyes, quite vivid against his pale orange coat, watched the man during his series of reaction.
As Vu had shown such a defensive nature and his hands move quickly, Himizu released the stick from his mouth and ducked under the water momentarily, resurfacing quickly though, perhaps even too quickly should there have been any sort of attack, but now it kept most of its nose under as well, just watching with his eyes. The man seemed to have calmed down though, and continued with what was his own business.
The creature travelled ever closer though as Vu spoke to him as though he were to understand, a tone that Kaijin used with him often. One he found slight trust in, but mostly one that allowed his curiosity to carry. He glanced back down the stream momentarily as Vu turned his back, unsure it seemed if he were allowed to be there, but he paddled forward and managed to get his powerful front paws on to the soil, back ones gripping clumsily to the wet dirt and rock that lined the river side below the water. He was quite silent in doing this though.
Tilting his head slightly he stretched up his neck trying to see what exactly this man was getting to now. Water dripping from the striped fur, as its pink nose twitched slightly, trying to account for the smells. The creature was most definitely more tiger than rodent, it's feline appearence only a little lessened by the way the water made its thick coat droop. Its feriocity somewhat lessened by the fact it was almost full-grown but only the size of a medium dog, it was however a predator as was shown by its teeth, and a suffucient one at that, taking on larger prey sometimes, even with the limited ability to fire-bend. One however that had been diluted partially from its ancestry as was the case of its size for this particular species.
But a human was not on its menu, rather he was under the impression to some degree that Kaijin was his sister of some sort. Himizu had grown somewhat too bold though, and he pushed his face towards Vu's own when the man was taking his attention away from the bag. It sounded out something between it's 'mrow' noise again, in a demand for this man to hurry up.
Kaijin yawned and let out a satisfied sigh after, enjoying basking in the sun with her feet in the cool running water. She opened an eye as something brushed against her leg, rough texture. "Alright. I'll throw it again." She mumbled out lazily, and slowly sat herself up, eyes coming down to see nothing in the water but a large flake of bark floating along. She grabbed it in thought before tossing it back out, "Himizu...?" A moment of anxiety hit her as she couldn't see him after looking around the water.
Okay okay, calm down he's just wandered. Probably chasing a squirrel-thing. Of course, that's it. She pulled her feet out of the water, and reached under the tree, searching around for her sandals.
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Post by vu on Nov 4, 2006 11:20:56 GMT -5
“You’ll see. Just a moment now” telling it over his shoulder after it issued a ‘mrow.’ Vu took for a ‘what are you up to’ statement.
Turning around after pulling a small velvet pouch from the satchel, he found the creature had inched closer to shore. From the ‘mrow’ sound he ruled it out as an otter—though Vu himself not having the slightest clue what an otter of any sort sounds like. “Exploring and curious lil’ thing aren’t you,” seeing its sturdy front paws ashore and guessing its size, despite it’s heavily drooping coat, to be around the size of medium dog. A tad over knee height once on all fours he estimated. Wonder if it grows any larger.
Apologizing he began, “unfortunately I have no meat,” pouring a bit of the contents from the pouch onto his other hand. “In fact the only meat my camp has left is whatever you hunt and kill. And even those who do catch something only share it with their unit and friends.” Skidding his hand along the soil and slowly pouring its contents before the creature’s paws. “All I got to share is a few nuts and dried fruit. Yet I doubt most felines can stand eating such things, can they?”
“And if you’re not hungry,” in the back of his mind he wondered why he feet oddly friendly and talkative towards this creature. Let alone he had little fear of a wild animal of its size. “We can find that stick of yours and play a game of fetch. Would you like that? Do you know what fetch is, friend?”
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Post by leighanief on Nov 4, 2006 13:18:54 GMT -5
He tilted his head again as this man responded to his beckons in such a calm talkative manner, very much like his sister, though similarly didn't understand exactly what he meant. Ah, but food! Food was good no matter what, though yes meat would have been nice, but a creature took what he could get, especially when it was with out work.
He watched the ground where a portion of the contants of that little bag had been swt out for him and waited for Vu's hand to receed away. Nobody was to be toughing his food while he ate, certainly not this man. Himizu's find. To display this he lifted his head slightly and nipped the air in the direction of Vu's fingers, but quickly went to licking up everything he could off the ground with his pink tongue, footing slipping on the side of the river as he stretched a bit to get every piece, his front paws, shifting to give him more grip.
His blue eyes locked on the velvet bag again once he finished, lifting his head high, and even proudly as he thought it over. If he bit at this man... would he get more? ... or even the bag? His light brown brow scrunched down as he consider it briefly.
Wait... stick? Oh the stick, the stick! He'd left it floating out there, the man would play? He shook his head to get the water off his decently sized ears. A soft jangle came as the thing around his neck moved back anf forth soewhat with the movement, uncovered from his thick fur around his neck. It unnaturally wore a thin string of rawhide doubled up for strength and wear and tear. Though most of it was still covered with wet and damp fur, it held gold, red and sap coloured beads. Two of each going from gold, to sap, to both red, back to sap, then to gold. From left to right, equally as such right to left.
Stiiiiiick. Himizu wiggled his behind as he pushed off with his back paws, working his front paws backwards at the same time so he could get off the ledge. He plopped back down into the water going under again momentarily before he bobbed back up, swimming out towards the slowly drifting stick to get a hold of it again.
Sandalled feet moved across the riverside, Kaijin cursed to herself as she had to push past some foiliage in her way, having to fight of the leaves while keeping her feet from slipping into the weak edges of river-bordering soil. Which was rather tough at some points. Where in the world has he gotten to!? "Himizu!" She called in a voice not too much louder than a loud voice, not wanting to shout too much for fear of many things. She saw something bobbing ahead in the water though, good lord he'd gone quite far for a stick, but she hadn't thought she'd thwon it that long a ways. She wasn't sure if she could throw it that long a ways.
Quickening her pace she moved in his direction along the shore, about to call again when something else took hold of her gaze. A figure...? She squinted slightly, having stumbled across that a bit too close for comfort.
It was a figure. Damn damn damn it! She ducked quickly behind a bush, kneeling down and looking through the leaves. Speaking of which, leaves that didn't seem plentiful, she tried to pull some of the branches more in front of her. What, had she had to pick the most skraggily bush in the whole forest? Had the man heard her? Had Himizu? Geh... she wasn't sure. She looked out to what she could see of the man. Grey overalls... bald... tanned, decently built from what she could see from the distance. Gah! Why doesn't he have any defining features? Maybe a sign that says 'Hi, I'm from such and such nation, and I am/am not a bandit'.
She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity... yeah like that's realistic. She furrowed her brow slightly as she watched Himizu paddling back towards the man with the stick in his mouth. Traitor! What was he doing? And how was she supposed to get his attention now? Though she was pretty sure Himizu had heard her even if only a little and was just choosing not to listen currently. And... she was right. He wondered if Vu'd give him more food should he play the stick game, whereas Kaijin would only be giving him any once the campfire was going.
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Post by vu on Nov 4, 2006 14:58:35 GMT -5
Hungry or greedy lil’ fella, but at least it understood him… or just that he had food.
Vu felt rewarded, given a further viewing of the soaked being as it lifted its head further from the water. It took a moment for him to catch on. It was looking at his food bag.
Was it thinking of taking it or asking for more? Greedy indeed.
And just as Vu posed the question in his head, the dog size orange-and-striped creature began shaking the water from its head and then the rest of its body. Making a little jingle sound as it did and flinging droplets in Vu’s direction. Causing the man to grinningly block his face. Then just as it finished, the thing shot under the water. Pushing its forward paws backwards akin to a human swimmer.
Vu rose from his kneeling position. Wondering if the thing was leaving him to resume its own business. Then began to grin as he figured what the animal was doing. Then laughed to himself.
“—Zuuu…”
His head rose for a moment at what he then ignored for some sort of bird, before returning his attention to the animal chasing after the stick and returning it. With a hearty chuckle as the thing reached shore he wondered if this is what owners of such animals felt. His parents never allowed his siblings to keep animals of the furry hair variety, due to his mother’s allergies with them. They tried to keep the scaly and slimy kind but mother never did react too well when she found them. Repeatedly punching dad because he continually laughed at her for it. His younger brothers tried the eight-legged types of pets next—only to have mother freak again and then firebend them out of existence.
“And here we go,” he took the stick from the creatures match. Guffawing while flinging it upstream.
Eventually the four siblings found they could have birds. Though even their father refused them from having the puffy faced screaming birds. And the family eventually settled on quails. Small, flightless, low maintenance and helpful by eating whatever insects they found in the throughout the house. Father always was always found of them too, no matter how often he joked about eating their “walking quail nuggets”.
Wait a minute! Watching it travel upstream. I’m playing fetch… with a wild animal? A wild animal... that knows how to play fetch?
He slowly began scanning the river’s horizon, above his view of the animal chasing after the stick. Surely someone must have taught it that! Scanning both shores, he periodically lowered his gaze ever few moments. Scanning further and further down the river towards his position.
Finally his gazed stopped at a looking scraggily bush. Incongruent brown and blacks amidst its small amount of foliage. As if not noticing whatever hid in the bush—the animal’s beast tamer or one of his comrades—he turned his gaze back towards the river animal. As it came back to him, stick in mouth, he refocused his sight on both the animal and whoever was behind the bush.
Whoever it was they’d eventually have to reveal themselves eventually.
He could wait.
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Post by leighanief on Nov 4, 2006 16:44:13 GMT -5
Kaijin mentally winced as the man across stream seemed to look right to her, as if he knew exactly where and who she was, it was an all-over fear, but she relaxed slightly as he seemed to bring his attention most casually back to Himizu as the vole-tiger returned the stick once more. Gah, that little beast! He was in so much trouble when she got her hands on him! But the problem was how exactly was she going to do that, the man would probably watch Himizu all the way to the bush if she managed to get his attention. Maybe though... she thought to herself for a while glowering over to the other shore while doing so. At least this man was playing nicely with Himizu.
Himizu, himself was rather enjoying this, unaware of his companion's distressing situation. He came back with the stick again, equally as wet as the first time he'd shown up, and scraped his way back up on to the shore with his front paws again, ears twitching from the water. He'd started to chew up the thing with his back tteth though, finding that an equally amusing process while paddling back. He looked up to Vu thoughm lifting his shoulders up and offering up the stick. Though he wasn't going to give it up as easily this time, even if for the sheer sport of tugging at the stick some.
It'd come into Kaijin's plan that if she could make this man believe she were another animal that maybe it'd seem natural for Himizu to come over to her. "Murroooh." She called out, trying to slur her sounds and make it sound like a call she'd heard Himizu do quite often, but it turned out somewhat sickly the first time. So she tried again trying to make it louder, and a third time as loud as she could without forcing herself to pronounce the sounds like words. She thought she did a pretty fine job actually, hoping the length over the river would distort it more.
Knowing Himizu probably wouldn't buy but maybe the man would, and all she needed was for the vole-tiger to know it was her, and she was sure he'd recognize it enough, she made noises to him all the time.
Himizu's ears lifted up and he craned his neck back, gnawing still on the wood as he tilted his head in her direction. He figured enough it was time to go and pushed himself once more into the water, glancing back briefly to Vu before paddling off. It took him a few moments to get over there, but as she'd figured he'd gone right to the bush, figuring out where she was easily enough.
"C'mon, boy." She encouraged in a hushed tone, "We gotta go." As he started to pull himself up on to the land, she was busy trying to figure out what angle she needed to crawl at the be the least seen. Glancing over, she took hold of the stick still in his mouth as he pushed through the bush slightly, pulling at it to help get him up all the way.
He, however, thought this a good opportunity to have the tugging game he'd wanted to do with Vu before the call. He growled playfully and began to pull, bracing his front paws on the ground and shifting his weight backward. "Hey! What are you doing?!" She pulled back slightly, trying to get him to come up, but he only pulled harder and she got a face-full of leaves and branches. Opening her eyes as her hands slid down the river incline and hit water.
She pushed her hands into the side of the incline and gripped the wet ground stopping herself from toppling into the river all together. She glared over to Himizu bitterly. A rather clever plan ruined because of a cat and his stick!
There'd be time to agonize over that later though! She looked up towards the man once more, she was a little less than half exposed now, the best thing to do, would to beat it now. She tried to pull herself up and her eyes widened in surprise at the immobility of her one arm. BAD! BAD! BAD! BAD!! She bellowed in her head, and pulled at her arm from the awkward position. She was stuck! Her arm just above her wrist had sunk right down into the mud, and now it wouldn't let go.
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Post by vu on Nov 5, 2006 16:30:40 GMT -5
Laughing as the creature pulled itself back to shore, “So you do know fetch,” Vu began reaching for the stick.
Before his hand enclosed around the stick the creature pricked up its ears and turned from him. Gnawing on its stick in thought.
Vu heard a broken “Murrooooh,” distorted by the babbling river.
Following the feline’s line of sight, he presumed it coming from whatever it was hiding behind the bush upstream.
There was another broken “Murrooooh” before the creature pushed off the shore and back into the water. Giving him a brief glance before paddling on its way. Though Vu was busy looking upstream to the bush, lost in thought, and only noticed his playmate swimming off.
Maybe it’s just another animal, considering it not to be humanoid as he first thought. Maybe its pack—no feline—its pride. Vu turned back to his ink stone and ink stick. Mmmm, he finally began reaching for them. I’d like to know what exactly it is. Pygmy tiger? Tiger rat? Some domestic cat that lost its owner? Would explain why it knew how to play fetch. Returning his velvet meal bag into the satchel. Then gathering the small grayish, bowl-shaped ink stone and ebony ink stick in one hand while grabbing his red satchel with the other.
Hoping, as he stood, the pride would remain long enough for him to get a brief ink sketch.
He strolled after the creature, picking his way through soft mud and around foliage, while the creature paddled upstream to the bush across the other shore.
Eventually catching up with to creature, on the opposite shore, Vu was a tad dismayed. There was no pride, unfortunately. Instead it turned out to be a human after all, mimicking an animal call. A human amusingly struggling with its hand in the mud. Stuck.
Standing on the shore opposite from the scene, Vu settled down. Tossing his satchel aside then squatting. Sitting atop his haunches he began undoing the top few buttons of his collar. Then folded the collar to hide the small golden collar trim, bars and flame of his rank. Retrieving water for his ink stone he began grinding ink again. Watching the comical sight as the bob of hair and arm he could see struggle its wrist from the mud while he grinded away absentmindedly.
No doubt the animal’s owner, this would-be beast tamer, had spotted him playing. Whoever or whatever that person is… if the person wouldn’t be sucked under the mud, then he’d have to handle the matter personally. Just in case they caught sight of who and what Vu is. If the person wasn’t alone then he’d have to attempt to find the camp’s location and if alone…
Well, he had never killed anyone outside of his crawler before…
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Post by leighanief on Nov 5, 2006 19:41:31 GMT -5
Kaijin kept struggling, figuring out that she should let go of the stick that Himizu was still pulling her in small bouts with. Her other hand clapped into the water and she struggled to pull back, up to the elbows in water, while her back end was still in the bush where the front of her had been pulled through. Himizu dropped the stick and pawed at it as it bobbed in the shallower water. Golden yellow eyes narrowed on the beast. “Himee..!” She let the word, incomplete, trail off, and looked up towards the far shore; she didn’t want the man to hear the creature’s true name. It’d caused her problems enough before. “Damn it, Proud! You’re in so much trouble when I get my hands on you!” She growled out.
Looking up again her eyes frantically searched over the other shore, where’d the man gone? Catching his movements, her eyes widened as she saw he was actually coming closer, following along shore! Not good, not good! She dragged her knees forward on the hard ground and managed to prop them up, sandaled heels pushing against the ground near the river edge, trying to give herself more leverage, but the position was more awkward than anything really. Her other hand grasped her elbow and she pulled back as hard as she could, looking somewhat like a frog while doing so. “Proud, help me! Dig up the mud or something.”
Himizu took his attention away from the stick, as he heard his secondary name and looked up to his ‘owner’. He sounded out a playful noise and jumped up; putting his front paws on to Kaijin’s shoulder blades much like he’d done back at the shore with Vu. She yelped and tried to stabilize herself but hadn’t been quick enough and got a face full of water. Her free hand came up out of the water and she grabbed for the vole-tiger’s tail, giving the bunch of fur she blindly got a pull.
A growl of protest sounded out, but Himizu slid down from her back, and she came up quickly for air, taking quick gasps between coughs, her nose burning from inhaling water. Himizu swivelled around, grabbing her free hand in his mouth and gnawed gently still in protest, but as a warning for her to not do that again. She narrowed her eyes. “Consider yourself dinner, Proud…”
She looked up again, long wet bangs plastering to parts of her face, but she became slightly baffled by the fact the man across river was right across, sitting and what…? Making ink?
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Post by vu on Nov 7, 2006 16:25:43 GMT -5
Maybe this creature will save me the trouble, accidentally laughing loud enough to be heard. But it was hard not to at the sight. The owner attempting to pull himself from the mud, the creature playfully yet nearly drowning its owner, and the owner frantically trying to pull it off. Again, he wondered if owners of larger pets usually went through this as he grinded the ink stick and ink stone on the opposite shore.
Oddly enough the owner’s gasps sounded a tad womanish. Then again the person was gasping for air. Afterall, you’re struggling for air. Why concern yourself about the sound of your voice when you’re gasping?
Eventually he’ll have to say something to him. But what? And if this, what he presumed to be, man asked who he was and what he was doing? Hmmm…. what to make up? A believable cover story, especially upon closer inspection he wouldn’t be able to hide his ethnicity.
But how to speak towards this person, this man is probably some backwoods wanderer if he’s this far from the main roads. Maybe something similar to more rural members you hear in the forces, he considered on how he could favorably address the beast’s owner. The owner coughing and gasping for air still at this time.
Af’ernoon yall. Migh’i fine creature ya got urself thur. He shook his head. No too much of a forced drawl. I’d sound patronizing. Maybe I should try something less patronizing, but still friendly. The man was now looking at him with a baffled look through the wet bangs of hair plastered about his face.
Vu grinned toothlessly and nodded to the man at the opposite shore. Managing a drawl-less yet what he hoped was a friendly rural sounding sentence he began speaking with his natural baritenor voice: “Mightah fine an’mal ya got there!”
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Post by leighanief on Nov 7, 2006 22:01:15 GMT -5
She quirked a brow as he spoke out for her to hear, she'd never heard an accent quite like that one, but she'd never visited too many farms or anything, normally she found work near inns and the more rural stuff had been older people, quite often women who needed a helping hand with stuff. But again, the accent didn't help to decipher affiliation too clearly. Maybe she was closer to a town than she thought, or a bush community that harvested things out here...?
His words, however, made her face pucker into a bitter look, as she looked over to the 'mightah fine an’mal' that was currently dully chewing on her only freehand. Yeeeah... a real winner. Though she had come to be the scene of ridicule from Himizu's persistence, and she wasn't particularily in the mood to be laughed at now. Maybe in hindsight it's be worth a chuckle.
That was if she hadn't been gagged and robbed by this man, and any associate bandits he might have around. Maybe he was just a farmer or equally a traveler like she... well, one could at least hope, right?
Himizu bit down a bit hard and she grimaced, "Geh!" She pulled forward her foot across the thick soil, lifting it up in an extraordinarily awkward means. Balancing on one foot, with a hand stuck in the mud below, water now almost at her chin since the vole-tiger had her other one. The ball of her sandaled foot came down on Himizu's forehead, and she began trying to pry him off. "Oh yeah... he's a gem!" She sputtered sarcastically, voice still hoarse from coughing, throat and nose still sore from both.
Himizu growled slightly, but she narrowed her eyes at him, having had just about enough. "Proud, that's enough!" She yelled at him once he didn't let go, a savageness in her tone that she hadn't planned on letting out escaped. His ears lowered and he released her wrist backing up in the shallow water, her foot pulling back from him as she barely managed to keep her hardly remaining balance. "Get up there." She muttered non-negotionalby. He followed order and scraped his way up on to the bank, shaking off some of the water to her dismay before he lied down in the grass and dirt.
Now... she glanced back to her hand and then back up to Vu. She had two remaining problems. One which was lessening slowly as she found strength and lee-way enough in the mud to twist her wrist and start to loosen off some it's suction.
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Post by vu on Nov 7, 2006 23:08:19 GMT -5
For all you hear about rural hospitality this person wasn’t very talkative. Or maybe that was because this person was simply stuck in the mud. And thus forwent the matter of talking. Or they just felt uncomfortable or uncertain talking with such a stranger out of nowhere.
“Oh yeah… he’s a gem!” She only replied to him. Wait a moment… she? Vu’s eyebrow quirked at listening to the voice. It was a woman’s voice.
Proud? His ears perked to listen. So that’s the name of his new little friend, eh? And yep, that was a woman’s voice. As she watched her struggle with her gem of a pet.
And upon further, nonchalant and hopefully unemotional, inspection later whilst she struggled in her situation and ordered her animal ashore: she was indeed a woman.
For some reason and unable to hide the thoughts, while trying his best not to gaze too long or forlornly at her black tank top... Vu couldn’t help but remember the last time he received any “hospitality” at his last port of call.
He ceased grinding ink, using the hand he held the ink stick to swat himself for thinking that, then continued grinding ink again while she struggled with her predicament. But it's not like you ignore those sort of feelings being couped up with men for weeks and months upon end and just now seeing your first female since.
“I see ya must be lookin’ for crawdads or sumthin,’” he began trying to strike up a friendly enough conversation. Hoping he came off mostly harmless, despite being a man.
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