Blackberry Fields silver scales, gold chains

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Discussing fishing techniques? Duck bristled, just slightly, as he knew that - despite the man's frequent apologetic sounds - he wasn't sorry really, not at all, he was more than happy to keep playing at Duck's expense. Oh yeah, he was just one big joke, like he hadn't heard anything like that before. You should meet my siblings! he wanted to scream, you'd get on so well! And my father, well it's a shame he's a rotten corpse somewhere, because he'd have loved you too!

The jesting was hardly the brutal sort, though, and instead sounded a lot like backtracking. How funny these lies were, though, for it was so so painfully obvious that Duck's opinion in this didn't matter one jot, only Nineva's. How quickly this man was backtracking and explaining himself, spitting a pretty story which he couldn't possibly think reflected the truth. But clearly it didn't matter if Duck knew. He wasn't important enough, not like Nineva, who had to be encouraged to believe the fakery, because her viewpoint actually mattered. And while he gave the brown liar one rough stink-eye, a pointed you are lying sack of shit, of course he said nothing, because that would have been the non-cowardly thing to do. And this bully had correctly deduced everything he needed to about Duckweed, after all.

Nineva, though. Oh, Nineva. When she came out with the kind of retort Duck could only dream he was capable of - level-headed, controlled, cool, even shaming - the pale Calor was suddenly torn both ways, in wishing she had never appeared and very glad she did. He could live vicariously through her in these moments. The liar already thought nothing of him so what was there to lose?

Lower lip jutting out a little as he re-fixed a glare back onto the bully, Duck took a few calming breaths, and before he lost his courage, muttered: "It's fuh-f-f-fuh, f-fine. N-not w-w-wor-worth it."

Just get it over with. In Duck's vast experience, bullies were never put off with appeals to reason, didn't learn the error of their ways, and certainly weren't capable of sincere apologies, so why would he expect any of it now? He just wanted to drag himself home, tail between his legs, and never come this way again.

I'm okay with finishing this up. This can be Merys' last post if you two want to fade. :) If anything is shouted out to him as he turns to leave, feel free to play him as (probably) ignoring it completely.

Merys watched judiciously as the younger female boasted herself through the conversation with her dead eyes and attempted cool demeanour. He hated wolves like that, and she was so young to already have such an ugly attitude. His eyes shifted between the meek dumpling and the overbearing harpy, still feeling worse for the boy. This could have been a much easier going encounter had his naggy friend not showed up to make it worse. Now it was turned into Merys being some kind of accosting bully that came looking for someone to beat up on, which had hardly been the case.

Unfortunately, the boy did not choose to take the bait to get the girl off his back, though it had been a bit of a stretch in the case of them being strangers anyway. The female almost seemed to take his word for it though, but insisted on attempting to wound him nonetheless. "I expect a lot more from an adult-" Oh for jesus' sake. Merys rolled his eyes as soon as he heard that, the rest of her words so thereafter discredited that he didn't care to even register them as part of the conversation. "Oh please, you can stop your sour attempts of seeming old enough to have an opinion that matters, girl. Your nose does not belong where it is not invited, and your brave callousness is doing more to injure his self-esteem than mine, so spare us." He happily roped the boy into his side of the argument, as it was clear that she was not acutely in tune with his wants either, blind to his melting away from her and the situation. His polite lying voice was gone, replaced with a nonpareiled authoritative one that travelled much stronger and lower than either of the two children's in front of him. He would not stand for her scolding or belittling, despite the hypocrisy around the poking fun he had just been doing to the marshmallow-centered boy. 

"You are exactly right," he agreed with the boy's mumbles, likely thought to have gone unheard by the adult. "It is isn't worth the conversation at all, is it?" He shook his pelt casually, "I expect we all have somewhere more useful to be." With that, he returned his eyes to the girl, as he had been speaking directly and only to the boy, as though she were not there or needed at all for the situation. Once he met her eyes, he let them linger for a moment, sending an completely unimpressed look of judgement in her direction. He then removed them just as quickly, forgetting her once more. "Good day," he bid the boy with a nod, a casual departing comment as though nothing were askew between them. He turned to leave, insisting on ignoring the spoiled brat of a child behind him as he trotted away. Hopefully the boy would grow someday into a more powerful wolf. The girl? Well, he pitied whoever was raising that punk of a youngster. 

(This post was last modified: Jun 19, 2016, 03:00 PM by Merys.)

founding member | 2016

Siki if you want Duck to have spoken up at Merys just let me know and I'll change my post c:

Her friend did speak up, and despite all the stuttering that entailed, Nineva was very glad that he did so. She still wasn't sure what exactly it was that muffled him so, but if it was simply a lack of courage then she was hopeful that baby steps like this would still make for important progress in his life. Given what he said, coupled with the tone and that hateful glare, it was very much clear that he was not okay with this man's apology. It was still decisively an end to it however, and the girl was willing to dismiss the stranger's existence then and there.

Her jaws parted ever so slightly, words ready at the back of her tongue for Duck alone, but the man's voice picked up once more and the new tone he chose immediately snagged her attention. His condescension relit her anger, and her eyes blazed at him as he dared to tell her that she was too young to matter. The idea was ridiculous and unmeritable, but regardless of whether he believed in it, the sheer audacity pissed her off. He further dared to claim that she had no right to defend her friend against him, that she was equally antagonising the young adult.

Then he focused on Duckweed and reinforced that it was not worth anyone's time for his feelings to be defended, not just by her but at all. Her glare did not waver, not with any of his words and not when their eyes met for the final time. Yes, he would certainly be remembered for this.

When finally the man took his leave, Nineva turned her attention back onto Duckweed. It was only then that the fire left her eyes. Her muzzle quickly swept under his and gently bumped upward, an attempt to get him to hold his head a little higher.

"No, he's not worth much. But you are," she told him, hoping that he understood she absolutely did not think it a waste of time to have stopped for him today or any other time, past or future.

"Whattaya gonna do now?"

(This post was last modified: Jun 21, 2016, 02:06 AM by Nineva.)

@Merys @Nineva archived <3

Not invited? Duck stared at the man incredulously. Nineva hadn't been invited, but no more than the jerk himself had. So it was perfectly fine for him to come and enjoy his mockery without asking first, but not for someone to want to be nice?!

Of course, the bully wasn't wrong in all he said, and the pale Calor dropped his gaze and fidgeted a little at the mention of how Nineva's otherwise worthy defence actually kinda sucked. It made her look good, sure. But the wolf who was supposed to be twice her age? Yeah.

It was clear, though, that she had won, and the man's jeers ended with an equally cold dismissal and turnabout, deeming the younger pair not worth his time. Duck might have felt even more shame at the thought if he wasn't just massively relieved that it was over. His ego was never meant to solidify into anything anyway, or so he would keep telling himself. It hurt less that way.

The superheroine's job was not yet over, and Duck felt his face flush pink under his thin pale fur as she nudged his head higher, instinctively flinching back at the unexpected electric touch - but, just as quickly realising that it was done out of kindness, swallowed and relaxed again. He didn't like her looking at him, and was unable to meet her gaze. She could say sweet reassurances all she wanted, but he wasn't worth her attention, no more than the bully was. At least that man had a spine, but he had also been a nobody, and while it was embarassing in the moment, Duck would have gone home and pretended that nothing happened. Now he had to crawl back home knowing that someone who mattered - only a little! just a little! - had witnessed it too.

"Go h-h-h-home," he whispered in response, eyes firmly on the ground, wishing that he was enough of a child to believe the 'if I can't see you, you can't see me' game. He turned to move away, but hesitated, and without looking back added a quiet: "th-th-th, thhh... thanks," before making the uncomfortable walk back to the thicket. How many times would their meeting end in his gratitude for being rescued in some fashion? He might as well become her official damsel in distress.