digiorno | ic inbox ( ǣfenglōm )

[If it was a joke, it was one he appreciated as much as she did. Close to the full moon as it is, he could use the exercise; and then of course, while he very much enjoys a nice afternoon at a cafe, he's perfectly happy skulking through the woods with the full expectation of having to fight for at least limb if not life.]

[The question of whether he can fight is a weird one, though. Yes, with weapons, and also technically hand to hand, but his power is so different here. It's surprisingly hard to get used to being a vampire. Still, his senses are at their peak in the quiet of the forest, hearing focused on every rattle of leaves, information coming on every gust of wind. He's always moved quietly, but he moves more quietly, now.]

. . . Look. There's more of them.

[The trails of flowers — not exactly straight, sometimes meandering towards water sources or copses of trees, but never wider than a foot or two. They look like a path. It seems so improbable, though.]

What are you thinking?

[The closer to full the moons crept, the louder their incessant calls echoed in Kaede's head. Inhuman sounds, inhuman impulses. Whispers in the dark.

But they were distant background noise this time, easily ignored when there were other things to focus on. The Chimera's tapered ears swiveled after each sound, not unlike the very deer they were following. She didn't need to turn and look to find where her companion was--especially when he began whispering. A real sound, here and now, not something her mind imagined.

Kaede's eyes were good in the dark, and picking out the trails of flowers that weren't like the other wild blooms was a simple task.]

We should follow the biggest one.

[She wasn't the best at tracking, but to her mind a larger trail either meant a larger animal or several following the track of the first.

Direction wasn't so easy to deduce, though. The Chimera slowly crept closer to one of the flower trails with quiet steps, peering through the stems to look for something, anything. Some bent grass there, but that only said something had been by. And recently--nothing had worn away the scent of old dirt and mildew.

--there, in the soft ground. Half a track, at best, but sharply pointed in front like a deer's hoof. There were more smudges and blemishes in the ground, but Kaede wasn't certain if they were more tracks or something...else.

She was glad she was wearing shoes, though these sandals seemed inadequate now.]

This way.

[Kaede's head lifted, and while she didn't point with her hands, started walking in the same direction. Slowly, so she didn't crinkle any leaves underfoot.]

Edited 2019-08-12 15:53 (UTC)

[The logic works well enough for him. Nodding, he watches her process carefully, noting everything she does, even if he doesn't understand all of it. This isn't the time to ask for explanations. The crux of it makes perfect sense, in any case; even he can tell which part of the hoof is the front.]

[He follows her, then catches up to her, walking on the opposite side of the track from her. Something about the flowers makes him not want to touch them, much less walk directly in the track. One thing he catches before they make it very far at all, though—]

There's definitely more than one.

[Some of the tracks overlap each other. Unless a single deer was tap-dancing, he's pretty sure that means there were at least two, maybe more. How many deer usually travel together? God, he doesn't know anything about deer. Ask him about bugs and he'll actually be able to help.]

[There's something else on the ground. He's not sure what to make of it, but he slows slightly to get a better look. It's flaky, slightly pinkish and variegated, an odd texture — he doesn't touch it, but to the eye it seems as though it would feel like mica, or lichen.]

[His brows furrow. There's so little of it. Maybe it's nothing.]

Hm. [It's an affirmative sound only--Kaede doesn't nod, or look back. An ear turned to follow the sound of Giorno's steps, but she kept her eyes forward. The deer were probably close by, or the Wilders wouldn't have pointed them in this direction.

The Chimera hadn't noticed the strange growth with her eyes, but her nose wrinkled after a few steps.]

Something smells like mold.

[Not overtly so, but like the rot of old, damp basements.]

Look down.

[Quiet, for her ears only. He doesn't stop moving, either, not this time; just takes care not to step on the growths, because frankly, if it's strong enough that Kaede's bothered by it, he doesn't want to mess with it. Never mind that they'll have to in the end if it's connected to the deer.]

[It's organic, then. Well, not mica. Tipping his head to one side, he looks out ahead and sees the path of their growth — right alongside the deer path.]

They follow the deer. [Or they walk together. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.]

[Kaede's ear twitched first before the Chimera glanced down--and she had to abruptly redirect her foot before she stepped in something lichen-like. Or like one of those scabby mushrooms that grew on trees? Something like that, and something Kaede did not want to touch.]

Great. [It was not Great, by her slightly disgusted tone.] They grow mushrooms too.

Whee.

[Whee! Only sarcasm in these woods. Don't worry, he's no more impressed than you are, Kaede.]

I wish we had breathing masks. [Or hazmat suits.] If there are mushrooms, there'll be spores.

[Kaede snorted, both ears flicking back to the side of her head.]

A bit late for--

[A sound that didn't fit with the forest or either of their movements strayed over the wind, and the Chimera froze, looking off to the edge of the forest proper. Something was moving--was it the undergrowth stirring in a breeze? Something with--legs. Those were legs, spindly things, belonging to more than one creature.]

--get down.

[The garishly feathered Chimera vanished into the grass in a moment, the twitching of her tail feathers the only sign of where she'd gone.]

[He doesn't question it. He may not always act smart, but he isn't stupid. The second she stops speaking and looks away, he's ready. The second she says get down, he's down.]

[Not as quiet as she is, naturally, not as animal as she is, but quiet. Still. Unbreathing, unblinking in the grass, he watches with wide eyes, listens, parts his lips to better scent the air. He hears it coming, of course. But more than that—]

[Tastes it. That mold smell, that fungus. Tensed to bolt, or to attack, he glances at her out of the corner of his eye as something comes into view.]

[The Chimera might have vanished into the hedge like a cat, but her voice was still a clear whisper. Her tail kept twitching, stirring the grass where she hid.]

At the treeline, look.

[A deer had appeared, pushing aside the scrub underfoot with practiced, gentle ease. It was a big one, with antlers scooped and rounded as satellite dishes. Nothing like the sharp points of Kaede's horns.

But its oddness didn't end there. There were...growths on its limbs, and Kaede thought they were scales at first until the stag turned towards the nearest stream. But--no. The growths resembled the shelflike fungus underfoot, but many magnitudes larger. And the reek of rot drifted towards them on the wind.

The stag wasn't alone--another deer followed it, then another, and another. All calmly plodding towards the stream Kaede and Giorno were standing near, unaware of their presence. There were a few precious moments to act.]

ic inbox ( ǣfenglōm )

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I sure did forget to finish a sentence

sentences are hard tbf

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