[SE] good ideas and power moves

I salute you if you're much too much to handle

The heat is stifling, but it doesn't bother Aithne as she hikes down the cliffside to get to the cavern holding the Black Lake. In fact, she revels in it, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face and the distant crackle of fire in the air.

She isn't the only one to come to the lake today. Many Grounds citizens are taking the opportunity to go for a swim in the underground waterway, assuming - probably correctly - that the waters within will be cooler than the waters without. Torches dot the cavern as Aithne descends, providing light in an otherwise pitch black space. The Ancient hops down the last drop of a few feet to land on the cavern floor, near silent in the echoing cave, and pauses, tail flicking behind her, taking in the sheer size of the lake.

Swimmers dot the shallows, but beyond them, everything fades into an inky midnight that not even Aithne can see through. She snags a torch as she passes by, holding it aloft as she makes her way deeper. She's searching for somewhere she can practice playing with fire, away from the prying eyes of those above. It's a new skill, after all, and she doesn't wish to be laughed at as she learns the ropes.

Eventually, she finds somewhere beyond the light of the torches, her light the only one visible. There, she sets her torch in a nook in the rock and sits beside it, studying the flames as they dance. And it is there she will be found, on the edge of practicing, but not yet diving in.

Aithne

Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.

Thalassa

The Black Lake is a common visiting place for Thal. Whether she's taking time to relax by the water or visiting the shrine for a quest from Dygra, it's a familiar and comforting place. Perhaps it's the proximity to the water or the seclusion from society, but she finds herself drawn to the place when she has nothing better to do with her time. 

However, today's a bust. She hadn't expected there to be so many people here, lining the water's edge and diving into the black depths. It leaves her no space to herself, and no quiet. So Thal searches for the one spot there aren't people. The far corner of the cavern.

She settles into the dark, empty space, leaning back comfortably on the stone. Her soft hum echoes against the damp walls as she weaves fire between her fingertips, completely content to enjoy the solitude. The light dances on the rivulets of water, her lyrical tone singing like a siren to draw people closer - despite her obvious desire not to have company. It cuts short when footsteps draw near, her tone turning clipped as she calls out, "Find a different spot. This one's taken."

I'm in love with my future

I salute you if you're much too much to handle

It isn't until she finds the perfect spot to practice and sinks to her knees before her torch that the voice rings out, surly and clipped as it warns her to find another spot. If she was anyone else, she would shrug and move along, not wishing to inconvenience a stranger. But she's her, and the chaos gremlin that lives in the back of her mind won't let her, not when she can heckle and pester the owner of the voice.

So she pulls a bit of flame from the torch and holds it aloft, pleased as punch when the fire answers her call. The figure that the light illuminates is dark and somewhat familiar, though it's hard to make out details in the flickering torchlight. "I won't bother you," Aithne promises, though the flames dancing in her dark eyes tell a different story. "We can totally share."

Aithne

Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.

Thalassa

She doesn't appreciate when her orders aren't followed, especially by a welp of a brat - the same one she recognizes when her eyes find the figure in the dark. The fire at her fingertips move sharper, cutting the distance between each digit in a snapping motion that threatens violence.

"Or not."

The torch flickers, the woman looking way too proud for the meager display of magic. In combination with the chaos swimming in her eyes, it's almost enough to make Thal laugh. She has to smother the hint of a smile, choosing instead to close her eyes and ignore the attempts at mischief. "This is why you can't even catch an ash ferret."

I'm in love with my future

I salute you if you're much too much to handle

Aithne has to admit that there's a certain thrill to controlling fire, to bending the flames to her will. And while her display is nothing in comparison to that of the stranger - less of a stranger than she thinks, actually, or so she realizes as the flames light up the woman's face - it is still more than she could do yesterday, and that, she thinks, is worth being proud of.

So she plays with the fire, bouncing it from fingertip to fingertip, wiggling the fingers of her upheld hang to pass it along the digits like a coin flipped from one to the other.

"Oh, come on, that was one time!" the girl complains, wrinkling her nose in the other woman's direction. "I'm much better now." She perks up, flames evaporating from her fingertips as she seems to come to some inner decision. "Want to see? We can go hunt. Not ash ferrets this time, but I'll totally still share."

Aithne

Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.

Thalassa

The whining cuts through the shadowy cave, straight to her ears. She doesn't quite wince, but Thal cracks an eye open to look at the woman, watching the flames wink out. Nothing about her appears convinced, a single dark eyebrow raising as her doubtful hum filters like a playful melody in the darkness. "Mhm."

As for a hunt... well, Thal will never turn down a chance to curb her bloodlust, even if it's with a whiny brat of a girl. Maybe she'll even be able to teach her a thing or two about interrupting predators in dark caverns. 

Stretching her arms above her head, the fire twines around her glistening horns like a halo of chaos, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as her eyes peek open. "As long as it's bigger than an ash ferret, we can talk about sharing, but you have to pull your own weight. I'm not going to catch it for you." And if she turns out to be dead weight, Thal might just consider cutting her out of the loot.

I'm in love with my future

Aithne

Something happened for the first time

A doubtful hum lingers in the darkness of the cavern, and Aithne (barely) resists the urge to stick her tongue out at the woman. Aithne would show her! She’s improved loads since she was first turned, thanks very much!

So Aithne snorts, rising to her feet and shifting her weight from one leg to the other as she eagerly awaits the beginning of the hunt. ”You can count on me!” she trills, eyes flashing with delight at the opportunity to hunt with someone other than Soren. She loves her best friend with all her heart, but it will be interesting to see how things differ with someone who doesn’t basically share half of her soul.

Then the girl shifts. Hands and feet become paws; her jaw and nose elongate into the muzzle of her fyrhund shift. It is but a moment before the fiery, dog-like creature stands before the other woman, blinking excitedly at her. And perhaps, in the darkness, there’s even a bit of a tail-wag.

In the darkest little paradise

Thalassa

Raising an eyebrow at the bold claim, Thal lowers her arms, the fire following to weave through her fingertips like it might be taking notes of all the ways she finds the woman lacking. "We'll see about that." She tilts her head, watching the fyrhund appear with quiet assessment before declaring, "I heard about some ROUS hiding out in the caves. Maybe you can find them." The message is clear: the woman is on her own for this part. 

Rolling her shoulders like she's shrugging on a cloak, her skin ripples into fur, heat pushing through in cracks of molten lava that glow softly against the damp walls of the cave. Her eyes gleam a dangerous blue, watching the fyrhund with a predatory grace that has little to do with her shift. Unlike the other Ancient, Thal doesn't wag her tail, only a slight flick of the tip showing her potential amusement - or annoyance. A signal for the hunt to begin - if she's able to back up her words.

Bite my tongue, bide my time
Wearing a warning sign

Aithne

Something happened for the first time

Okay, so perhaps Aithne is a little too enthusiastic, but it’s been a lovely time for her lately and some grumpy Ancient lady isn’t going to ruin it for her, thankyouverymuch.

Briefly, she thinks about lifting her nose into the air and trotting past the molten tiger (which is, by the way, an incredibly cool shift), just to show how little she minds the woman’s moodiness, but that seems like a poor choice when she has no idea where the ROUS are. Trotting off in a random direction and hoping for the best will not convince her new friend (ish?) that she knows how to hunt.

So the first thing she does is cast her senses outward. She sniffs for anything that smells different and rodent-y, filtering out the smells of the other Ancient and the people further towards the cave’s entrance. She looks for signs of a ROUS, searching for prints or fur or anything else in the scant light cast from the lava flowing from the tiger’s body. And she listens for scrabbling or snuffling, anything to indicate a direction.

When she chooses to move, it’s after a brief pause, and it’s with the intent of a hunter. She prowls quietly, walking as softly as she’s able, following a trail that seems to indicate activity.

In the darkest little paradise

Thalassa

Thal is proud of her grumpy status, and when the fyrhund hesitates, she nearly snaps her teeth to hurry the Ancient along just for the fun of it. But luckily, the woman seems to get over her uncertainty fairly quickly, turning to walk cautiously into the darkness. It's at a much slower pace than she would prefer, but she's not about to take the lead when this was supposed to be a test. Maybe if the woman does well enough, she'll even offer some bonus tips. 

For now, it takes a bit of concentration to keep from slapping her paws against the stone as she follows behind, impatience earning an eye roll immediately. She doesn't crouch or stalk, even as her body gives subtle signs of her alertness. Silvery ears rotate to filter through sounds of lapping water and distant laughter, a blackened nose twitching as it catches hints of rodent and trash coming from the left path, muscles rippling beneath the metallic fur in quiet preparation for when the fyrhund inevitably screws this up.

Bite my tongue, bide my time
Wearing a warning sign

Aithne

Something happened for the first time

The fyrhund treks on, following her nose more than anything else to start the hunt. There are scents everywhere, but that does not deter her; she must simply sort through them. As the stench of rodent grows steadily stronger, she grows more confident and moves more quickly, always careful to keep her steps quiet and her eyes and ears alert.

They reach a divide in the path and Aithne leads them left. Now she can hear scurrying up ahead, and her ears prick in the direction of the ROUS that she hopes she is tracking. She rounds a bend in the cave, and in the dim light, she picks out a hulking, rat-like form with its back to them, and she can’t help but toss a satisfied look over her shoulder at the molten tiger following her. See? the looks seems to say. I can hunt.

The ROUS is blessedly unaware of their approach, and Aithne slinks closer, trying to get close enough to pounce without tipping off her prey.

—-

Aithne and Thalassa have encountered a ROUS!

These large rodents are entirely blind but have increased olfactory senses. They gnaw on the stone walls to sharpen and help trim their long teeth and eat mostly garbage. Humans are a delicacy that these creatures like to hunt in packs.

ROUS HP: 694/694

In the darkest little paradise

Thalassa

Thal watches quietly, assessing the fyrhund's every move and decision. She wouldn't have put her paw in that puddle. She wouldn't have turned the corner that fast. She wouldn't have needed to glance smugly behind her when the ROUS were close enough to catch their scents. The amused glow of her blue eyes seems to communicate this, the gaze full of skepticism and critique for the hunt thus far. 

Certain she can hop in when things go wrong, Thal doesn't immediately jump in. She lowers her body, grateful for the blindness of her prey so she doesn't have to hide the deep glow of her molten fur, however, the soft sizzle of droplets on the damp floor might give her away, and she moves quickly - elegantly - into striking position.

A streak of danger against the wall, she moves to the ROUS's flank, attention split between the Ancient and their prey, still holding back as she waits for the other to strike. Her tail hovers, suspended above her tense haunches, betraying none of her growing anticipation or the exhilaration of possible failure for her to capitalize on.

Bite my tongue, bide my time
Wearing a warning sign

Aithne

Something happened for the first time

If Aithne notes the judgmental gleam in the tiger’s eye, she ignores it, choosing instead to celebrate that she’d managed to find her prey. She dutifully focuses on her quarry, creeping ever closer until she’s within striking distance. And as soon as she is, she lunges, teeth bared, in a silent attack aimed to grasp the ROUS’s neck and shake.

And somehow, the girl’s attack manages to hit. Teeth close on the ROUS, breaking skin and tearing into flesh. Putrid blood pours into her mouth as she shakes; it oozes around her lips as her prey squeals and squirms, terrified and infuriated in equal measure. After a moment, it falls from Aithne’s grip, disoriented, and scrambles away as it tries to reorient itself - right towards the waiting tiger.

—-

ROUS HP: 616/694 (lol this is gonna take forever, AM I DOING THIS RIGHT shhhh just tripling attack stats because we can)

In the darkest little paradise

Thalassa

Strength flows through her limbs, ready to strike at a moment's notice. And that moment comes sooner than expected.

The fyrhund actually does a decent job at attacking, managing to secure a hold before the ROUS can register what's happening. Except that when it does register that it's under attack, the creature lets out such a shriek that Thal's lips draw back in a silent snarl, her ears flattening against her head to protect her delicate hearing. She still holds back, watching as the two wrestle for dominance, eyes aglow with hunger when the putrid smell is joined by the coppery scent of blood. 

Alert even when appreciating a coming meal, she notices the moment the ROUS slips lose, watching it stumble and scramble with sharp claws against the damp rock. It flees towards her, apparently too panicked to smell the danger that awaits. But Thal has no sympathy or mercy for the creature, and the moment it's in range, her paw swipes out, slicing claws deep into its face as the force of her blow rattles what little brains swim in its tiny skull. The impact throws the ROUS back, slamming it into a wall.

---

ROUS HP: 523

Bite my tongue, bide my time
Wearing a warning sign