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[Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 5:04 pm
by Arkash
73rd of Ash, 4621
“I sincerely hope for your sake that you’re joking,” came the Necrodoctor’s declaration with an amused raise of his brows, as though he prepared to laugh. Arkash pursed his lips in turn, showing that he was indeed serious.
“Why would I joke with you?” Arkash retorted with a frown. “I think I’ve made it very clear that I don’t like you; we’re so far from joking terms,” the rath elaborated with a turn of his human hand. Briefly, he thought of how a noble might rub salt in the fresh wound they’d caused with their words, and he shrugged before adding “sorry if that’s not obvious. I thought it was.” He crossed his arms beneath his frown, clearly upset by the rejection.
“Oh…!” Raphael returned with a rise in his tone. “You do wound me, lizard. And after I’ve been so hospitable to you, too…” the mage started, tongue dripping with sarcasm. “I was even nice enough to forgive your tardiness on your journey home from the badlands, oh dear.” The mage shook his head dramatically. “Well, I was thinking of helping you-.”
“-You were?” Arkash returned, far too hopeful.
Raphael grinned. “I was, but your attitude… Oh! I fear my heart can’t take much more cruelty!” The mage removed his gore-covered gloves to lift the back of his hand to his head as if he felt faint. Arkash rolled his eyes. “No, in fact,” the Veir continued, “I don’t think I can even stand to look at you. Get out, go!” He continued in an eccentric fashion over the incapacitated mage on his operating table, waving his arms to shoo off the 'guised Rathor.
Arkash narrowed his eyes in a squint. Anger festered in his bones while he watched the human in disgust. On the spot, he turned and took two steps toward the door.
“There is one thing… That might alleviate my grief,” Raphael added.
Arkash waved a hand to dismiss the request before it was even delivered. “Not interested!” he projected his voice so that his Master might hear him without turning his head as he walked out the laboratory door.
He’d suspected Raphael might refuse to help. No, he’d expected it. Raphael would do nothing for him until he initiated the mage in blood magic. He was, at least, allowed to wander free until then. For how much longer, he didn’t know. A sigh escaped him as he climbed the spiral staircase, and took a sharp right on the first landing to exit through the door of the bright, sunny courtyard.
A short trip through the grass that lined the main path led him to the front gate, where he passed the Halamire then followed the dirt path that drastically contrasted the grass within the walls toward town some distance, before he broke off-road, away from the river, and walked toward the locale that he’d left his giant, rotting savior.
He’d thought for some time on the way back to the fortress, after being saved by the other Rath, about what he might do if Raphael refused to simply repair Reiss. He had some semblance of a plan, but it would require effort from both his and Reiss’s parts. It wasn’t all that ethical, or particularly legal either. But what would Raphael do if he was caught? Kill him? Laughable at best.
The sun was becoming more and more a problem for the young rath while he walked, and he believed himself far enough off-road to assume his true form without consequence. So, he did. Quickly, his shape changed, and the bare feet that met with the hot terrain beyond the fortress walls steadily grew their talon-like claws, and the skin that covered his form morphed seamlessly to small basalt plates. He let out an exhale to dispel some of the warmth that was otherwise trapped in his humanoid form, then adjusted his rags to better fit his new bone structure as all the details set.
A deep breath flared his nostrils, and he looked about the area to confirm no one had seen him before he proceeded with adept feet into the arid savannah.
Before too long, he came upon the decline of earth that he’d left her at, just to wait while Arkash scoped out the situation. “Reiss!” He called, cupping two hands around his mouth to further project his voice. His voice echoed in the sloping valley of red earth. “I Have news!” He called out into the open, then proceeded down the slope. There were lots of nooks and crannies for her to slip inside in the depths of the canyon he’d discovered, and without a heartbeat, the only identifier that allowed him to find her was her smell.
One of his favorite things about the Canyon was that the shade gave him an opportunity to cool off, and the sunlight didn’t often reach the bottom directly, so the sand there was cold. If it weren’t for his mutation, he’d surely hate the space and resolve to find a different hiding spot, but because of his heat retention, it was helpful to hang around in the shade to cool off.
The valley itself was rife with hiding opportunities, which was why he’d chosen to hide her there. There were caves of all sorts, large boulders in the sand to conceal larger frames. In addition to the plentiful hiding opportunities, there was no wind down there. The tall, rocky walls of the canyon meant that there was no breeze to carry any such smell of decay. Arkash furrowed his brow. That was great because it meant that No one would catch a whiff of her and track down her rotting cadaver, but it also meant it would be harder to find her.
He didn’t think her the type to deliberately hide and jump out at him when he wasn’t expecting it, despite how common horror stories depicted their monsters, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t. He squinted as he neared one such boulder. “Reiss! It’s me, Arkash! You can come out now!” he called again, throwing his voice off the tall stone walls that surrounded them on all sides. Where was she? What had happened in the Canyon while he was gone?
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:54 pm
by Mallory Reiss
There were a few perks to being dead, but Mallory particularly favored the incredible tolerance to pain. That being that she couldn't feel it. She stretched out as she pushed back against the jagged rocks she leaned against, the muscle in her arms and legs tensing for a while before she dropped. Her lips smacked together as she eyed herself. The hole in her wrist was something she struggled with, it was hard not to fidget with it a peeling sunburn, and for Mal it was basically the same thing. There wasn't much of a sensation when the wolf dug at it, and it wasn't often. In a strange way it was calming, feeling the wounds she'd collected over these last few years gave her a sense she was still here. God she felt fucking dramatic.
She closed her eyes and shook her shoulders. What was 'comfort' for someone who couldn't feel pain anyways? Mal wasn't sure there was a point in trying to sleep, other than passing time. Fruit had wandered off a bit deeper into the corner she settled into, probably passed out himself.
"I push that damn horse." Her voice was just a mumble, but it was enough to stir the equine enough into a grumpy snort. "Sorry, Fruity. Go back to bed." Her eyes were open again, staring off and making shapes in the cracks of the wall opposite to her. Gently, she knocked her head against the cliff wall behind her and pushed her hands into the sand to get up, starting her trek to explore a bit more of the land. It was big enough where she wouldn't often smack her head on rocks if she was careful enough- but the little cave she took to wasn't really worth exploring beyond a hole that likely belonged to an animal.
Mallory paused just at the entrance then stepped out, thankful to stay out of the sun. Arkash was kind of smart to bring her here.
The lizard seemed confident his friend would repay her for saving the Rathor's life, which was mostly what motivated her to follow stranger to a place she'd never been to. It wasn't like her own plan was reliable. Her admitted shyness never brought her as close to people as she was with Arkash earlier, until now she'd just been swaying to rumors and signs but it was slow and frustrating.
Paw pads kicked the sand around and in she fished for her bit of tail, pulling it out and looking to her backside with some strain. It looked rough, Mallory was sure that another incident like that last would tear the rest off. The rotting flesh was put back where it belonged (a bag.) and she briefly noted where she left Fruit before she kept going. Maybe she was just impatient, but even the dead would lose their mind just sitting there.
Mallory bent down and picked up a few stones she'd been collecting, tossing them into corners to mark her path while her eyes followed the browns and reds of the patterns in the stone. When she hit a dead end the Dunash turned and picked her pebbles up, turning around and kicking her way through the sand. A snake had passed by on her way back, and the undead shivered as she adjusted her 'hood' back atop her head.
As she looked back up, Mallory lost sight of the next stone in the order she'd kept and just stopped her lips from muttering a curse.
"Ahh.. My luck." Mallory called out. She took a few steps in what she thought was the right direction-- and slammed her snout into a giant jagged boulder. Mallory was dazed for a moment, and as the dust settled in her fur she heard Arkash call for her.
"Second- One second!" The Dunash spat and sputtered, rubbing her dirty palms over her eyes in a poor attempt to get the dirt out.
He'd probably spot her head first before he heard her. By the second call she'd felt alright enough to peak around the corner and wave a hand. "Arkash! It's good news, right?" The wolf's voice was a bit gruff, and her dark fur was still tinted brown, but her feet brought her to him in a slow jog, meeting him the middle. Mallory tossed away her last stone as she neared the comparably tiny lizard and stood tall in front of him for a moment. Her eyes were focused behind him, ears flaking as they flapped and acted like a wiggly radar.
"Did your friend agree to it?" Dirty claws scraped against her makeshift clothing to relay her nerves, or to wipe something away. Maybe his friend was just too lazy to come along and they had to travel to him, it sounded reasonable. Or maybe they were just slow?
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 2:20 am
by Arkash
To be without any of the superior senses that he otherwise relied upon in place of his sub-par eyesight was a little troubling for the Rathor. He often listened for the heartbeats of others to better identify their positions and breathed the scents that clung to the breeze as a means of working out what was around him, far and wide. His eyesight wasn't terrible, but he still leaned heavier on his stronger senses. No doubt he'd catch her smell when he was closer to her, but without any sort of breeze to carry her scent, it would be a process.
Would it though? No, not really. She did reek, and he was sure he'd smell her before he saw her... or heard her even.
As if to prove him wrong, a thud sounded. He heard her for the first time with some sort of collision included. His teeth bared briefly with a twitch of his lip and his claws flexed. Had someone found her? Quickly, he gripped the earth with his foot claws and ran headlong into the shade with his night vision to guide him. She was around there somewhere, he just had to find her. When her scent hit his nostrils, before he even saw her, he slowed himself by digging his claws into the dirt and sand, skidding to a halt just as he turned the corner and set eyes on her at last. "Reiss?" he asked, a flicker of confusion about his features. There was no one there? What had happened?
"Are you okay?" He asked cautiously. "I heard some sorta bang," came his reasoning for his upstart in worry. His eyes briefly traced her dirty features, and he wondered what might have happened. Was she playing in the sand? Well people had to occupy their time some way or another, right?
He would have taken the other Rathor with him, but Raphael had already expressed interest in using Arkash for parts. the only reason he hadn't done so was that Arkash was supposedly capable of initiating him in the magic he sought. Even so, the Rathor refused him, and they were locked in an eternal stalemate. Reiss had nothing to offer the Necrodoctor other than her own flesh. He didn't trust the man enough NOT to tear Reiss apart, so he just didn't introduce them to one another.
"Good news.." He started, "yep, all good news," he began with a smile that pulled at the corners of his reptilian lips. "So, I'm actually learning necromancy from this guy right now. And he thinks I'm skilled enough to fix you up; he's really busy so it's on me this time." He flat-out lied. Arkash had never even touched Raphael's tools before, though he meant to learn necromancy. If anything, fixing Reiss up would be a good learning experience for him, he thought he could learn a lot from applying some of the basic tools he'd seen the necromancer use. How hard could it be? After all, Raphael was an idiot. if he could do it, why couldn't Arkash?
"But before we start, we have to get some preparations done. I need some fresh meat to work with, like to replace your missing spots. It can be any sort of meat, and won't turn out all patchy. I can make it look just like your normal skin and fur, even if you bring me Zebra carcasses...." he believed, from what he'd seen with that mortar and pestle. How did he freshen up the parts of her that were rotting though? He knew how to create new flesh, but it would just be connected to the broken, decaying flesh, and it would quickly decay in turn.
He mentally shrugged, how hard could it be? He'd just figure it out as he went, but he should probably add some sort of clause to his proposal just so that it didn't look like he was lying.
"I will say though, I'm not an expert or anything, still just an apprentice." More like a complete rookie, but it was almost the truth. "If you do want an actual expert to work on you, I can try and help you find someone else. My guy's all booked until late Frost..." He had to propose an alternative. After all, she shouldn't be forced into a situation where she had no choice but to go with his shoddy work, and Raphael wasn't an option. So what could he do but help her find another Necromancer?
He picked his claws briefly, then looked up at the wolf. "Oh right, and about the meat... We'll probably need a lot, like at least your entire bodyweight in meat, if not more." Arkash knew he was bound to make mistakes and botch something. Having extra material meant that he would be able to recover from those mistakes and still get it done. It was... Fortunate that Mallory didn't feel pain. "Are you any good at hunting? If not, I can help you track down and kill some animals out there, but I'll need your help bringing them back," he explained with a turn of his claws. "If we get going now, we can probably start tonight."
He'd said his piece, laid all her options out on the table. He thought he had a pretty good plan, and some idea of how to repair her... As gruesome as it was. As far as regular medical tools like scalpels went, Arkash was sure he could blood shape and suffuse tools far sharper than anything the market could sell. If anything, he believed that she'd be privileged to be operated on and restored by himself.
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 11:24 pm
by Mallory Reiss
Reiss waved a hand through the air to dismiss an explanation, muttering something about a rock, but the topic changed just as quickly as it was brought up. Her attention flickered from behind the lizard to his mouth, as if those scales would move a bit faster if she stared real hard and hoped real bad. The wound up tension in her shoulders slumped in relief, seeing him mouth the words 'good news' before her ears even caught up, and maybe she was just excited, but the undead had gotten considerably closer while waiting. Of course his answer wasn't quite what she expected after that.
"Oh! You're learning from him? Will he be there to watch and coach you?" Genuine excitement laced her voice, but her nerves were impossible to ignore. Mallory wasn't sure how comfortable she was in the hands of a fledgling necromancer however, and started her flurry of questions. "He didn't even want to meet me, though.. ? I'd like to think seeing me might bring a sense of urgency." Mal stood up a bit taller, staring down the path she could only assume he took to her. Long dirty claws started to pick at her wrist, consciously making the choice to keep away from the gaping hole.
"Preparations?" She repeated, only half listening while Mallory thought of her own possible demise. "Wa-Wait, Zebra?" Her lids fluttered, like Mal was resetting as she stared down at Arkash with a cold look. What did he bring zebra's up for again? Mal doubted a soul on this continent knew anything about her, so she wasn't worried, it was just curious that's what Arkash had chosen to bring up. "The.. Flesh. Right, repairing and such. I've briefly seen it in person with-" The wolf shut her mouth.
"Well. Back home." Her hand came up to usher him along with her, the undead's towering form kicking through the sand. She was listening, looking back to Arkash and encouraging him to continue with short nods as they walked. Of course if the lizard didn't move she'd stop before either lost sight of the other.
"I expected that. I've not actively hunted before, but I think I have a sort of grasp on how to do it. And I do have an idea of what I'd like you to work on first. It'd be good practice for you and if you mess it up you can just rip it off anyways." Suddenly she stopped all together, head tilted and a nervous dance set off a small dust cloud at her ankles. She was actually considering letting a novice work on her body- even worse she practically already agreed to it! Mallory was desperate, but her limbs weren't falling off, and from what she knew Daravin was a place for mages to thrive. Unfortunately she also knew it was a place where anyone did not.
"It's not like I have a lot of money to repay another person. The fact that I saved your life is really the only thing keeping you around, Arkash." The lupine felt a bit bad for questioning him now, but had a damn right to be a bit skeptical. Fruit, who'd they'd been walking towards was already up and walking, off in the corner where both Rathor could see, and with the horse in her sights Mal turned back to face him with what felt like her hundredth question.
"Is there a reason you didn't bring up your apprenticeship beforehand when I asked, did you just forget? And.. I don't think you mentioned his name, but how quick was your teacher to believe that you had a dead wolf in need of a necrodoctor?"
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 4:28 pm
by Arkash
Of course, Reiss wasn't without her suspicions, who wouldn't be? She did ask an awful lot of questions, but it made sense. It was her body they were talking about after all. One of the questions she asked, he felt had an obvious answer. He smiled a little uncomfortably at its ask, then shook his head. "...If he did have the time to oversee me, I wouldn't be the one to operate on you; he'd just do it himself," he laughed a bit. If she didn't accompany such a question with such excitement, he might have let his irritation slip outright.
It didn't help that the prick, Raphael, had done his very best to annoy Arkash before he came to find his savior. "Ah, well that's the thing," he spoke in regards to the urgency. "His duty is to the mages in Fort Alistian; a stronghold against the invading archetypes and Hyr'Norai raiders that come through the channel there. Mages and Halamire both end up mortally wounded on the front lines, and he's always elbow-deep in someone's guts, I swear." It wasn't too far from the truth; Raphael was indeed busy... but that wasn't why the necrodoctor couldn't see her. Raphael still had time for cosmetic appointments.
Indeed, Zebra. "Yeah, it's like a stripey horse, there are lots of them around here in big herds," he explained with a turn of his claws. "I figure if we can knock a couple of them down, we'd have all the materials we need to put you back together." Arkash furrowed his brow then, peering at her with some level of interest. What was that expression she was making? It was honestly quite hard to tell given that so much of her face was missing, but she almost looked afraid? Sad? Was she afraid of Zebras? "Doesn't have to be a zebra, there's plenty of impala and stuff here too."
She began to dance once she'd said it would be okay if he made mistakes while fixing her up. He smiled a little as she ran on the spot, something about the gesture was endearing; the manner in which she expressed herself. It made the younger rath want to call 'Awww!', but he didn't. Maybe it was just because she looked a lot like a dog, and seeing her so expressive was heartwarming?
"Well, I don't plan to make any mistakes, but then who does, right?" He offered with a grin. "I won't leave you in shambles either. If worse comes to worst, I'll just have to beg my guy to skip out on some sleep," he promised, though he wasn't sure if he intended to keep that promise. "I'll help you hunt something, won't even bite it so the meat stays fresh," He explained with a gentle nod.
He winced a little at her observation and furrowed his brow. "Hey, no, that's not right," he spoke with a somewhat stern twist to his voice. "I'd help you even if you hadn't given me your water... Well, if I'd survived without your water," He corrected. "We're family in a grand way, aren't we? I wouldn't just leave you out to rot, Reiss." He watched her a second longer with that uncertain, stern look, then shook his head. "Besides, you came over and helped me without even knowing me. I could have been some drunken lout and you still would have helped me. The fact that you're a good person also motivates me to help you, whether you saved my life or not."
He really was a fragile thing, wasn't he? Nearly slain by the sun. He couldn't help but think of all the other trials he'd faced and compare them to the wrath of the sun. Of all the times he'd dodged the headsman's axe and severed the long arm of the law, he'd never really come so close to death in such an innocent manner... Except for the time with the wolf in frost, and the tree.
Arkash woke from his warm memories of almost dying to the question, then tilted his head. "Why didn't I w-?" He paused. "Oh, well I'm not that good, and it never really came up. I think the only reason my guy's cool with me working on you is that you don't feel pain, haha." That probably wasn't very comforting. "I mean like... if I were to botch something on a living person, I might accidentally kill them, either by the mistake directly or with shock and horror." That was probably an even worse way of putting it. "What I'm trying to say is-!"
And there it was, the feeling that she was prying much too close to the seams of his lies. Stress built on his shoulders as she closed in and he wrote himself into a box; it was falling apart. She seemed to pick up everything that didn't make sense with much more attention than someone really should. His eyes met hers while he grinned in a manner most casual. She was smart. Too smart. Did he come clean? Did he undo all his web of lies?
Did he finish the job?
"I really am just learning, I'm not confident in my abilities. If I tried to repair injuries of this extent on someone living, they'd probably just die..." Arkash shook his head. "It's a risk, I won't lie to you. I've barely even touched the tools before, just watched their application and such. If you don't want me to operate on you, I understand." Arkash sighed again, then pressed his back to the wall. "And if you want another necromancer to help you, I can be very persuasive. My guy's name is Edwardo, but I know another called Raphael who works in the same building..." Some string of truth, he settled on. Lies would get him nowhere with her, she saw through him completely.
He began to wonder. If she did figure him out all that quickly, if she discovered what sort of man he really was, could he kill her? Would he? He supposed he could eat her; everything that fell in his stomach was broken down in seconds. But did he want to do that? It might as well have been matricide; he didn't think it was in him.
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:35 pm
by Mallory Reiss
"No. You're right. You answered my question before I even asked it." Right, that question was fucking stupid, but Mallory long accepted she wasn't the sharpest axe and excused her short distanced thinking with the terrible knot in her tummy. A hand felt through the thick fur atop of her head, brushing it back and away. "Oh." He sounded like a big deal then. Or maybe all mages were busy? She hadn't been in town or spoken to the people of Daravin nearly enough to understand how important mages were. Mallory put two and two together. She supposed in a war magic would be a great weapon, both to heal and to mess things up.
"No, I know what they are." Mallory covered her eyes and brushed all her fur back again, like that would dismiss the echoing thoughts in her head. It wasn't like she was angry at Arkash, Mallory was just lonely, longing for something she never should have lost. Her irritation flared when anything about her children was brought up, even if it was just herself and an angry equine on the road a loan turtle would be something she'd have to stop and stare at. The lupine was angry at herself at the ridiculous reactions she had to the smallest things.
A tattered hand fell back to her side, her head turned to direct her eyes to the incredibly interesting pattern of the wall a few feet beside them. "Zebras are fine, they're just horses with stripes. Fast ones, which might the only problem. Can lift things just fine but my everything is a bit sluggish compared to it."
Of course he didn't actively want to mess up, and he even offered a plan B if something went terribly wrong. It relieved her some, and it showed in the way she held herself, her feet shuffling a bit longer before her dance stopped. "That helps." Mallory confirmed. "Knowing that I mean. I don't mean to doubt your skill, I'm sure you're well taught- but you understand my nerves about it, yeah hun?" The lupine paused. She might've been a bit quick to say that was all he was there for, but Mallory meant to say that she understood there weren't a lot of options for her. What money she had usually went to water and food for the beast that followed her around. Mallory didn't even stick in one place long enough to work. The grand family was important to her just as it was to any Rathor, but it hadn't even been on her mind when the words left her mouth, and she suddenly felt terrible for that. "I'm sorry, Arkash. I shouldn't think less of you."
Her pain tolerance played a massive part in her answer, but knowing Dunash were exceptionally weak to magical mishaps worried her. She didn't think an evil green zombie fireball would fly from his hand and fry her, but it wasn't important to note her previous encounters with necromancers were brief. They were usually present after the worst of the slaughter.
As the little lizard started to ramble, the giant started to laugh. His anxiety canceled out her own. It comforted her to know she wasn't the only one overthinking about all of this, fidgeting and clawing their brains for the best option. Somehow Mallory didn't think he was telling the whole truth, but if he was trying to help her how bad a Rathor could he be? It wasn't like he was an assassin hellbent on the destruction of society.
"Tell you what. We can try it. I've just about gotten used to your face so it'd be nice to have a friend doing it I guess." She wasn't all too sure why she agreed, his option to have another, more skilled doctor work on her was a good one! Maybe it was how he pushed so much, or maybe the Dunash just wanted to get to know this strange little dragon a bit better. Why stop a good thing, right?
Bonus, it was free!
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 6:21 am
by Arkash
Stress was a curious thing for the demon rathor. He both had a high tolerance for it in that he quickly recovered, but his coping methods almost made it look as though he couldn't take much. To coping method was simple; he destroyed whatever it was that brought him stress. He couldn't worry about what was dead, could he? It all escalated so quickly too, and with poor emotional control, he often found himself drawn into situations in which he blew up over meager things. Violence was at the forefront of his mind, his most fluent language, a speak that had been with him since before he came of age. Was there any wonder why he quickly resorted to it?
Reiss was different though. She pried at his mask too quickly, sought the truth under his lies far faster than he was comfortable with. Most who picked him apart that quickly often damned themselves to a one-way trip down his throat in scraps of broken bone and tattered meat. He fought those urges for her, but wouldn't budge too much on the assertion of his walls. He had boundaries that no stranger would ever cross, and though she was quick to consider him a friend, he did little more than smile at the gesture. "You're too kind," he spoke with a bow of his head.
He supposed he had told her some truth. He was studying Necromancy by watching Raphael's application, he'd never touched the tools before but knew how to use them from watching them in action, and he could get Raphael to fix her up if things turned out worse than he ever could have fixed. That was fine, he supposed. Some compromise was necessary for any relationship to work, even if he didn't really like compromising.
The only lies, then, were the implication of who he was; some student studying under a hotshot Necromancer, so very far from the truth. Did it matter who he was? No. All that mattered was who he could be for the Rathor in need.
"Are you sure?" he asked with a tilt of his head. "If you're a hundred percent, then we can go with it. I already have some idea of how I can freshen you up, it will just take a long time... And might be kinda invasive." How awkward, he'd never really worked with someone's body so closely before, except for when he was pushing his blade through their heart. He hadn't really thought of it that way at all through their conversation, but he didn't even know what wolf anatomy was supposed to look like, or even what female anatomy was supposed to look like. Oh dear, he had his work cut out for him.
No, he'd skinned a wolf once when he was young, a great big beast with a pelt that warmed him for many winters, and enough meat to feet himself and Liu for days... until it spoiled. He had some idea of the musculature and how it was supposed to look on a Faunis form, but a Beastalt? He wasn't entirely sure.
"Okay..." he started with a nod, then looked back toward the entrance of the canyon they'd taken refuge in. "Okay, so we can do some hunting until Edwardo goes to bed, then I'll take his tools and come find you. I think I have the perfect plan for hunting, too..." he spoke with something of an opportunistic glint to his eyes as he turned, and stepped off toward the slope that led out of the sheltered canyon. "Come on," he spoke with a motion of his claws. "We don't have much time."
"So there are some animals here that feed off of carcasses left behind by other animals... They're called like... Yee-Nas? Hi-Yee-Nas? If we lay you down near some pack of them, wait till they come and investigate, then ambush them, we could get a load of material for free. What do you think? Think you could take a couple?" He waited for her response for just a second before he added. "Uh, course, I could play bait instead if you prefer, but I think we'd have more luck with you."
While they discussed their plans to hunt, he led her out into the sun and continued on toward the more wild areas of the savannah, less touched by civilization. The further they got from the influence of man, the more likely they were to encounter wildlife. It was only after he'd decided that they would try and kill some predators that Arkash realized he was without his swords and gun, which had been at his hip and back for the majority of the season prior.
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:26 am
by Mallory Reiss
"Yeah, worst that could happen is I lose a few bits an bobs." On paper it she felt like it was a good enough plan; Mallory was concerned about the danger he'd had to face and the potential losses of her fucking limbs, but it was a plan. He'd probably hunted before, but he wasn't dead. As far as she was aware he felt pain, so what if he got hurt in the process, what if doing this meant she had to save his life twice? As a mother she knew how to deal with colds and allergies, tantrums and tears but gaping leg wounds weren't apart of her skillset and it wasn't something she wanted to see, especially happening to Arkash. She hadn't got as far as to lecture her kids on barfights and drinking, which were the only two things Mal had hoped they'd engage in in reference to violence. As a mother she didn't want to see anyone hurt.
"You'll be fine right? I wont die but you're flesh and blood, they could take a bit out of you." Her maw was stuck open for a second, like she aimed to say something but opted not to. "But always. If you wanted to start small you could work on my mangy tail." To illustrate that, Mallory had to pull out the stubby thing she'd been carrying. It'd be completely useless to him in the state that it was in, not to mention along her ride more pieces of fur, skin and even tissue had fallen-- but it might've given him a clue on what the bone looked like. "It's useless, but it felt weird opting to throw a part of myself away. What's your main idea?" Whether or not he took the piece didn't matter to her, Mallory was incredibly thankful for her luck, and incredibly hopeful this wouldn't all end in disaster. Admittedly her own physiology was still confusing to her, she couldn't imagine how strange it must've been for Arkash. Would she even blame him if something went wrong? Mal wasn't sure she would.
Couldn't feel a lick of pain, most feeling at all was dull, her limbs wore down and got slower as she rotted, naturally, yet even as parts of her literally fell of she could move her tail, flutter her ears, she kept moving and didn't have to breathe. Mallory was sure at least one of her organs were busted. Maybe when Mallory was completely repaired she'd be stronger? She knew she'd certainly move quicker again, the Dunash at home always seemed that way. She'd reflect on her time spent in Icheron a bit later, but she could stand to remember a bit more about her own race.
"I'm not worried about invasive, really." Mallory had seen her own insides on the occasion. "I probably could fight off two or three if I was lucky. Depends how easy it is to bite through them." In the wild a feral hyena would probably have a better chance, but Mallory would take advantage of her apposable thumbs and the claws that fitted them. If it did take a bite out of her it would be just one more thing to fix. "And I understand. It's at least nice to know hyenas like the smell of fish and dead dog." It was hard for her not to laugh a bit, no matter how morbid it sounded coming from her mouth.
They started their trek, and the wolf suddenly turned her head every which way to find Fruit. "Don't mean to delay, just give me a moment? He's just a horse but I don't trust a damn thing around here." It was quick and easy. Mallory took the leash and pulled him to the cave they'd been in in the beginning. Mal gave him a stern look as she slammed a rock on his lead, well aware he could break away from his prison anyway. She calmed him for a moment, then rushed right back out to meet what she hoped was a patient Rathor.
"Thank you, Arkash. Even trying to help me out with this is something I appreciate." Mallory spoke up as she returned to the lizard. No doubt they spoke some on the trek there, perhaps negotiating his plans for the.. 'invasive' plan he had, while she occasionally trailed off into her own world.
Re: [Valtoria] Forgiveness > Permission
Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:47 pm
by Nyx
Thread Review
Arkash
Regular Experience: 8
Magical Experience: 0
Injury/Ailments: N/A
Awarded Lore:
[*] Acting: Conceal murderous intent
[*] Acting: Playing the role of an aspiring necromancer
[*] Persuasion: Offer alternatives
[*] Persuasion: Assure that you're qualified
[*] Persuasion: Add a caveat
[*] Persuasion: Make the alternatives appear less appealing
[*] Persuasion: It's much easier to persuade someone if the option you're offering is the most convenient
[*] Persuasion: Smile
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[*] [PC] Mallory: Kinda clumsy
[*] [PC] Mallory: Seems to trust you
[*] [PC] Mallory: Is okay with you restoring her body
[*] [PC] Mallory: Has no money
[*] [PC] Mallory: Afraid of Zebra
[*] [PC] Mallory: Comfortable with hunting
Loot: N/A
Mallory
Regular Experience: 8
Magical Experience: 0
Injury/Ailments: N/A
Awarded Lore:
Navigation: Landmarks, no matter how small can get you back
Navigation: Generic Lore (1)
Investigation: How much does this lizard actually know about necromancy? Not a lot, cool.
Apprasial: A rotting tail would be useless, but it could give him a decent idea on structure
Negotiation: Try and see how the lizard does before commiting fully
Animal Handling: Generic Lore (1)
Etiquette: Generic Lore (1)
Etiquette: Generic Lore (2)
Loot: N/A
Comments: Wow, you two really have have an interesting dynamic! It made the thread really fun and easy to read. I'm excited to see more.