Re: The Great Belligerency [Round 1: The Rainy Place]
10-09-2010, 03:43 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by MalkyTop.
While Soft was rather content that something was finally going well and on a fairly predictable path, Cole walked carefully. A forest of hands wasn't exactly an environment he liked to be in. The hands, being hands, looked as though they would grab him and drag him into the ground. The fact that they didn't quite yet just made him more worried.
There was also what appeared to be a tower of fungi in the distance. It writhed slightly as he watched and seemed to be trying to move in a certain direction. But it also seemed to be slouching. Or maybe...melting? No, uh...what was the word for it...? In any case, it was disappearing over the treeline. Or the handline.
"Hurry up," Soft called from ahead, swinging her axe in that leisurely fashion once more. The hands shied away from the blade but she appeared to take no notice. "Slowpokes get caught by bears, bug boy."
"You could call me by my name," Cole snapped back, though he did speed up slightly.
Without even turning around, Soft replied, "Names should mean what they are, and since you're a bug boy, I'm calling you bug boy."
Frustratingly insane logic as usual. Cole looked back where they came from. Maybe it was just him, but it seemed as though the hands had obscured the path from view. So there was no backing out anyways...
He almost ran right into Soft, who had just stopped randomly, tapping her axe on her shoulder pensively.
"What is it?"
"Hmm," was her only reply as she prodded the ground. Looking down with her, Cole could see some very fresh footprints.
"Probably belongs to another contestant," he said. "But you're probably going to ignore that and say--"
"We'll follow these footprints," Soft interrupted. As usual, she employed the 'I know about these things more than you do so you should shut up and follow me' tone.
Bugs, unfortunately, can't really roll their eyes. If Cole were able to, he would have. He settled for a beleagered sigh. "And who do you think these footprints belong to, then?"
Soft started walking again at a faster pace. "An old witch disguised as an old lady."
"Isn't that what old witches are?" Soft ignored him.
"She will pretend to be weak and ask you for something and in your pride, you will refuse, and then she'll reveal herself to you and curse you and that will start your journey to being a better person. Or death."
"I'm already cursed."
Soft paused for a moment, embarrassed that she had somehow gotten her stories confused but not willing to show it. She almost 'er'ed but stopped herself. "Then...it's...the first test to becomming a better person. There are always three, you know. And this one...is..."
Cole waited as Soft struggled to shuffle through the many stories in her mind, trying to figure out what sort of test would come first. "A...woodcutter, or a wandering lost girl...or something," she finished lamely. "And it's the first test, so you'll probably not do the right thing at first."
Cole made some sort of snorting sound. "Are these people disguised witches as well?"
"Look," Soft angrily shot back, finally turning around. "They might be predictable, but they're very important--"
One of the hands grabbed her leg and pulled her to the ground.
The forest suddenly stopped waving aimlessly in the non-existant wind. They bowed forward at the two with focused malice. Behind the curtain of the forest, Cole could make out a figure. He was pretty sure he knew who it was.
Beside him, Soft lopped off a grasping hand and hissed angrily when more grabbed her arms and went for her neck.
While Soft was rather content that something was finally going well and on a fairly predictable path, Cole walked carefully. A forest of hands wasn't exactly an environment he liked to be in. The hands, being hands, looked as though they would grab him and drag him into the ground. The fact that they didn't quite yet just made him more worried.
There was also what appeared to be a tower of fungi in the distance. It writhed slightly as he watched and seemed to be trying to move in a certain direction. But it also seemed to be slouching. Or maybe...melting? No, uh...what was the word for it...? In any case, it was disappearing over the treeline. Or the handline.
"Hurry up," Soft called from ahead, swinging her axe in that leisurely fashion once more. The hands shied away from the blade but she appeared to take no notice. "Slowpokes get caught by bears, bug boy."
"You could call me by my name," Cole snapped back, though he did speed up slightly.
Without even turning around, Soft replied, "Names should mean what they are, and since you're a bug boy, I'm calling you bug boy."
Frustratingly insane logic as usual. Cole looked back where they came from. Maybe it was just him, but it seemed as though the hands had obscured the path from view. So there was no backing out anyways...
He almost ran right into Soft, who had just stopped randomly, tapping her axe on her shoulder pensively.
"What is it?"
"Hmm," was her only reply as she prodded the ground. Looking down with her, Cole could see some very fresh footprints.
"Probably belongs to another contestant," he said. "But you're probably going to ignore that and say--"
"We'll follow these footprints," Soft interrupted. As usual, she employed the 'I know about these things more than you do so you should shut up and follow me' tone.
Bugs, unfortunately, can't really roll their eyes. If Cole were able to, he would have. He settled for a beleagered sigh. "And who do you think these footprints belong to, then?"
Soft started walking again at a faster pace. "An old witch disguised as an old lady."
"Isn't that what old witches are?" Soft ignored him.
"She will pretend to be weak and ask you for something and in your pride, you will refuse, and then she'll reveal herself to you and curse you and that will start your journey to being a better person. Or death."
"I'm already cursed."
Soft paused for a moment, embarrassed that she had somehow gotten her stories confused but not willing to show it. She almost 'er'ed but stopped herself. "Then...it's...the first test to becomming a better person. There are always three, you know. And this one...is..."
Cole waited as Soft struggled to shuffle through the many stories in her mind, trying to figure out what sort of test would come first. "A...woodcutter, or a wandering lost girl...or something," she finished lamely. "And it's the first test, so you'll probably not do the right thing at first."
Cole made some sort of snorting sound. "Are these people disguised witches as well?"
"Look," Soft angrily shot back, finally turning around. "They might be predictable, but they're very important--"
One of the hands grabbed her leg and pulled her to the ground.
The forest suddenly stopped waving aimlessly in the non-existant wind. They bowed forward at the two with focused malice. Behind the curtain of the forest, Cole could make out a figure. He was pretty sure he knew who it was.
Beside him, Soft lopped off a grasping hand and hissed angrily when more grabbed her arms and went for her neck.