( closed ) free meat is just a bonus

[shithogs]

Who: Kainé & Ferris Eris
Which: Log
Where: Farmlands.
What: Two stubborn women make an attempt at hunting down the Mutton Man on their lonesome and cross paths. Suddenly, a match made in hell.
Warnings: Language, potential for violence.

[Everything seems to come back around to sheep these last couple of weeks. This particular job was more to her tastes than herding them had been, enough so that the reward itself is honestly secondary at this point. It seems like a good opportunity to let off some steam— and while she's pretty damn firm on her stance regarding not using her blades on people outside of sparring matches, all accounts so far point to this unsavory customer being a something rather than a someone.

She'll figure out the details when he shows up, if he does. So far, the targets have mostly been livestock and a handful of butchers. It hadn't taken much asking around to find out which of the local farms hadn't been hit yet, and her gaze is sharp and searching as she approaches the sheep pen just after dark, looking for any sign of bipedal movement that might show she isn't alone. Taking company had been encouraged when she'd asked about further details regarding the mark, but Kainé had been quick to shrug off that advice— there were people she could ask, sure, but she preferred to do things herself. It'd give her a chance to clear her head, anyway, and she needs that more than she's letting on as this place continues to challenge her reality time and time again.

Sighing, she hefts herself up onto the fence along one side of the pen, swinging her legs over and letting her swords come to rest against the post beside her as she swings one foot, looking down and giving a curious ewe the faintest quirk of a smile and a shrug.]

Guess it's just us for now. You see anything, you... I dunno, bleat?

[She's pretty sure that's what sheep do.]

Comments

[dangoism]

[ For her part, Ferris had spent the last while doing a whole lot of nothing, which she appreciated very much considering that she has only started to make up for a fraction of the work that the slave driving king of Roland, Sion Astal, made her do. Also chasing after Ryner had been a rather arduous task in and of itself. And some might argue that pining for dango is a full time job. For her, anyway. But even professional dango-piners get bored sometimes, plus, there's the side benefit of the reward. Free meat. The best kind.

Much like Kainé, she's spent some time doing her research and ends up out in the farmlands area after nightfall. A pity that there's not more cover, with the exception of scattered hay bales and scant fencing throughout the fields, but she'll have to make do should her target manifest himself tonight.

She doesn't cut an imposing figure but she also isn't making much of an attempt to be very stealthy given that it's dark enough by now, and having people around hasn't seemed to stop him from making an appearance. She still really wishes she had some boxes of dango to snack on as she waits, coming nearer to the gated sheep pen.

Ferris can hear one of them making noises in the slight distance she has yet to cross. ]

[shithogs]

[Hell, she'd only half-expected the sheep to actually make any noise if they'd heard anyone coming— but even if they hadn't, she can hear movement somewhere off to her right in the middle distance, and she sharply turns her head towards the sound of footfalls as she reaches for her one of her swords.

Almost immediately upon spotting the source, she relaxes her hold. She doesn't know Ferris by name, but she's at least seen her around— not like there are so many people in Reverein that someone couldn't get to know most of the regulars on sight after a couple of months. Either way, not the mark she's out here to hunt, and she sighs.]

Shit. I was hoping you'd be the Mutton Man.

[... god, it sounds stupid just saying it aloud. She grimaces.]

[dangoism]

[ Blinking, Ferris mentally shrugs that she's not the only one out here. It figures; after all, this job bad been posted for anyone to take. It does mean that she's probably going to need to share the reward though (it does not cross her mind that she potentially can't take him down...)

Like Kaine, there's a sense of vague recognition but nothing specific when Ferris takes a better look at her. But, the first thing Ferris really notes are her blades, and her eyes linger a little longer on those before she acknowledges anything that's been said - ]

Unfortunately not. It would have made this task much easier.

[ Less research, turning herself in, wait, that's not how this should work. ]

So I take it you've seen no sight as of yet.

[shithogs]

[She sighs before letting out a groan of frustration, releasing her hold on her sword and digging the heel of her shoe sharply against the fence she remains seated on.]

Nothing yet. The way I hear it, we'll know it when this asshole is coming. He's not exactly subtle.

[She's a little on edge, but having an enemy who likes to announce themselves does take a little bit of the work out of it.]

So. We're hunting the same mark.

[Hm. There's a lot of meat to split between two people, supposedly, but she's not sure how she feels about having to share. It's never been one of her finer points.]

[dangoism]

[ Ferris herself is also wondering how this will work. It's more that she's very accustomed to working alone, or with very specific people in a very specific fashion. That is, she's in charge (or acts like it) in most of those situations, which makes things a lot more straightforward...

And sharing is a consideration. After all, safe food seems to be a rare commodity around this place, and she has at least one other mouth to feed if she's feeling charitable...

All of this does make things a bit more complicated. ]

It seems we are. Will that be an issue?

[ whether during a battle with the fiend, or afterward? Either/or. Ferris sounds idly curious though, she's not trying to be confrontational about it. ]

[shithogs]

Don't see why it should be, so long as you can hold your own and don't get in my way.

[It would seem, at least going by first impressions, that they're both quite used to getting their own way.

That could get messy.]

Willing to bet that weapon of yours isn't for show, at least.

[dangoism]

[ Get in her way? Well then. This is going to be more interesting than she may have originally thought. Ferris' eyes fix on Kaine for a moment, for a Ferris' equivalent of a glare (non-Ryner version), and a hand moves to rest on the pommel of her sword. ]

It would be foolish to carry a weapon if you had no knowledge how or the intent to use it.

[ It sounds a little annoyed, maybe? But also very matter of fact. ]

The same might be said about you.

[shithogs]

Sure as hell don't carry 'em around for my health, but shit, you never know. I've seen plenty of idiots try to wave a sword around without knowing how to use the damn thing.

[They usually don't make it that far beyond their villages, or depend on people like her or Nier to swoop in and get the job done. Some rudimentary knowledge of how to defend yourself is pretty much required where she comes from, but for many, it doesn't go much further beyond that.]

Interested to see what you can do, in that case. Seems like there's a shitload of people here who know how to hold their own. Kind of a nice change.

[It's been kind of fun, having the opportunity to spar with people who can actually keep up with her.]

You got a name?

[She'll ask, but not offer her own. Not yet.]

[dangoism]

[ Meanwhile Ferris isn't really fazed or impressed by so many people who can fight; it seems all too common where she comes from, even if generally most people aren't as practiced as she is. But, she knows impressive when she sees it, and is definitely getting that vibe. ]

Ferris.

[ And she moves to lean slightly against the fence, pointedly not asking for Kaine's name. She'll give it if she wants to, when she wants to. Ferris' own decision to answer was much the same. ]

I think we'll be enough to take him.

[shithogs]

Kainé.

[Fair's fair. Ferris had given hers up, so she'll do the same.]

Considering we both came out here planning to do it on our own? Yeah, no fuckin' sweat.

[It might, quite possibly, even be nice to have the security of a little backup, even if she hadn't thought to ask for it beforehand. It wasn't in her nature, but... if this guy is really as nasty as they say?

Maybe better safe than sorry. Like hell she's admitting that aloud, though.]

Now we just need this guy to—

[Before she can finish that thought, there's a distinct sound in the distance— a low, strained bellowing, coming somewhere from the west.

"Mutton! Freeeesh mutton!"]

[dangoism]

[ He really does say that! Ferris hadn't been completely convinced. That said, at the haunting sound of those words, it is now clear - the target is approaching and none of their planning, however independent of one another, had been for naught. ]

Sounds like our cue. Are you flanking or am I?

[ She's normally the one to charge head on, but... they have to try to make this impromptu two person strategy work (even if... they haven't talked about it. What is talking about a strategy anyway, can you eat it?) ]

[shithogs]

[Kainé hadn't been convinced, either, but hell, there they have it— he really does announce himself like they said.]

Shit, let's get this show on the road.

[She grins openly, though there's something distinctively sharp about it. This is definitely where she feels at most in her element; she hasn't had nearly enough opportunities to put her blades to good use since coming here, and she's itching to let loose once they get close enough to this guy.

... right. Strategy. Best to keep it loose, probably? She usually just plays things by ear.]

You grab his attention— I'll flank.

[She sure as hell isn't stealthy, but she is fast. It'll work.]

[dangoism]

[ Strategy in the loosest sense of the word, but still! Ferris recognizes something of that look in the woman's eyes but is just going to go with it. It works for her, and will hopefully work for them...

She doesn't bother to answer Kaine, and instead just starts to move. Ferris can be stealthy when she needs to be, but fortunately this isn't one of those times. Moving toward the source of the sound, the cries of mutton, fresh mutton growing closer and closer, Ferris is not watching where Kaine is in relation to her, nor is she thinking about how to best catch his attention. She has to leave the flaking in Kaine's hands, expecting she's competent or Ferris herself will just need to deal with that on her own -

Once the... thing is in sight though, she calls out to him, stopping with her arms crossed in front of her. ]

It's rude to leave a girl waiting.

[ a pity he doesn't seem to care. And so, Ferris also chooses not to care, her blade sliding into her hands as she starts a proper dash toward him, already preparing her first strike. ]