Stay Down: The Lives and Times of Yorkmizer's Finest (IC)

[SikstaSlathalin]

Grizzwald had been digging through the box while everyone babbled on. All the food was foil wrapped, freeze dried, normal dried or very salted. It would likely live longer than any of them, but yea it wasn't all going to taste good. That was just a given. Once he logged it all away for later he did some thinking and guessed the other four boxes they had would be around the same kind of stuff. It would last them about a month, but if the drive out to this town was as easy as Mr. Yorkmizer seemed to make it out to be they might be able to trade them for food that didn't taste like shit.

He carried the box back to the truck after pulling out an MRE for him to enjoy and the bag of candies. He wasn't one to waste ammo on shooting rabbits, but if the others wanted to he'd stay in camp and get the fire going. "Ok you three go hunt, I'll stay here and get the fire going. And the person who brings back the fattest rabbit will get first pick out this bag of candy the boss gave us. But remember you only need three rabbits to eat, and we don't have any way to preserve the meat aside from smoking it over the fire for a bit." He opened the MRE and searched through it for the heater bag and main course. It was chicken and dumplings a personal favorite of his. Soon his quest came to an end, he poured water into the bag and tossed the food pouch in and let it lean against a rock nearby to cook. "You three go have fun hunting, just don't go too far cause I ain't coming out to find you! Unless it's Dawn, then I might come looking for her."

[Kiro Akira]

Ketsuki made a pouting look when he was told that he couldn't shoot the bald rabbit. Of course he'd play along and it was all fun and games, he simply set his rifle down and moved over to the commando who was barring his teeth only to grab him by the bald head in one hand and point at his teeth with the other hand. "Look at how ferocious it is tho. Looks like it could attack any moment." He said then peered down at the mans teeth blinking seeing the slightest bit of saliva in his mouth from the barred teeth. He shook his head giving him a gently push. "Oops never mind this one has rabies. Don't want rabies in my dinner thank you very much!" He said before quickly moving back over to his rifle. "Alright now! Lets go kill something!" He shouted with pride and joy only to hear Grizzwalds words shortly after. "Well alrighty then, don't need you comin' after me anyways. Not really sure any of us need you to come find us. We're adults right?" Of course the man did nothing wrong at this given point in time but he was still annoyed at the situation that had happened earlier in the day. Besides he just seemed like a jerk in his eyes anyways.

Ketsuki quickly loaded a mag with ammo and popped it into the rifle giving the clip a good smack on the bottom until a click was heard showing the mag had clipped into the gun and was ready to go. He then proceeded to pull the bolt back and cock it back into place loading a single round into the chamber before flicking the safety on for the obvious of reasoning. Then proceeded to head towards the exit of the out cove they had rested in. "Well, here we go! I'll be back with three rabbits my own, and I'll gladly take away the winning streak!" He said with a widened grinned aiming to kill the biggest rabbit there was out there.

[bluemoon]

Dawn looked to the retreating form of Suki, then back to Grizz as he prepared his MRE. She was torn between staying and going, but she really wanted to go hunting. ..and candy.... "Okay...I'm going," she said, taking a few steps closer to Grizz. She gave him a shy smile and grabbed his shoulders, pulling herself higher onto her tiptoes. "Kiss for good luck?" she said before bringing his mouth to hers. She had planned on just a quick peck, but Grizz wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in tighter, his mouth lingering on hers. "Oh..." she breathed in a husky whisper, finally breaking the kiss and giving him a flirty pout.

"I'm coming..." she called over her shoulder to Ketsuki and mouthed...until later to Grizz before leaving his embrace. ...and then she was off, running full out to catch up and join the hunt. She was not mindful of the quiet pursuit and gave a rebel yell to scatter the night creatures. She pulled a knife from her boot and sent it sailing in the air with a quick flick of her wrist, her blade passing close to Suki's ear. The blade sailed straight, arcing downward, then embedded itself deep into the flesh of the sand, missing the intended target by inches.

"Damn it!" Dawn yelled, grabbing the blade and taking off after another one. "The candy is mine!"

[Ma1chbox]

Dawn's rebel yell made it clear: The hunt had begun. Both the sniper and the mechanic had darted off, chasing the ones that were out in the open. Barsad, contrary to his usual self, stood fast atop his perch. He stood back and observed how the rabbits scattered, noting in which directions they seemed to gravitate towards. He was already lagging behind in score, but he took his sweet time. Once he had gauged a good guess, he slipped his armored coat and hood off, stripping down to just his pants and boots. Now it was his turn to act.

He darted off, but not quite in the direction the others went. Speed was indeed of the essence, but Barsad made sure to go slow enough to be able to track the rabbits effectively. Each time he would come across footprints or droppings, he would correct his bearing bit by bit, while at the same time using bunched foliage as guides for where to look. The commando was now out of sight of the rest of the crew, but still nearby enough to hear any gunshots or warning signals. Finally, he spotted it. A hole in the sand, just about big enough for a man to crawl in. Its edges were soft, but clumped together enough to hold fast instead of crumbling like the surrounding sands. The small claw marks and droppings of varying freshness around the entrance only served to confirm the commando's suspicions.

With a grin, Barsad took a smoke grenade in hand and prepared to toss it in and smoke his prey out. "Hohoho, delightfully devilish, Barsad. I hope they're ready for an unforgettable feast!" The grenade's safety pin came flying off, then off it went into the dark hole. A few clinks and thunks resonated outwards before silence crept in. Finally, it was punctuated by a low, distant hissing noise, followed by a small plume of gray smoke that crept back up into the entrance. It was there that Barsad stood waiting, knife in hand, ready to stab and grab the escaping rabbits within a moment's notice.

[SikstaSlathalin]

Grizzwald Night chuckled watching the others run off to hunt. That would give him some peace and quiet for a bit. Soon the small fire was blazing merrily and Grizz was enjoying his MRE, it was cooling off so the birdman shrugged more into his coat. He sighed gently letting his mind wander some it would take a few seconds for his main meal to be done so he fished through the rest of the bag for something else to eat.

He pocketed the candy, and opened the Lemon Pound cake taking a healthy bite out of it. He could hear the scuffling of his comrades for a few minutes before he lost track of them. He focused on the dancing fire his mouth working mechanically around the sweet food. It was then he heard what sounded like chains rattling. It was a sound he's heard his entire life, his rifle was in the truck but he had the Tire Axe. Forgetting his Pound Cake the Driver pulled the axe from his coat and quickly turned in the direction of the sound.

And as he suspected there was the Bloody Man. Grizz had no idea how or why, but this barely human thing has been stalking him his entire life even when he was in the safety of the Yorkmizer Guild. He never said anything just stood there an impossible grin on his pale broken face and the chains wrapped around his body jingling annoyingly as he swayed from side to side. Grizzwald simply snarled and charged him, bringing the axe down looking to cleave him in two, but like mist the Bloody Man was in another place. Grizz and he had been playing this game for years and Grizz never won and all it every did was piss him off and occasionally get him locked in the Guild's Brig. But out here it was just them and nature. So once again and charged and attacked and once again the man was gone and appeared somewhere else still that dead smile and still in his bloody leather clothes and broken armor.

Enraged now Grizzwald let out a fierce yell and continued to attack the footsteps kicking up clouds of dust making it cling to the man's eyes and throat. But still he kept at it, until in a final bout of anger he flung the axe at Bloody Man. It hit him, and embedded itself in the rockwall, panting Grizz dropped to his knees wiping sweat and dust from his face. Bloody Man was gone again, like all the times before, eventually Grizzwald would get him and ask what the hell his problem was. He growled and yanked the ax from the rock and returned to his meal washing the dust off his face.

[Kiro Akira]

Ketsuki was out in the deserted area now. It was quiet and he could see many different things jumping around the ground. He quickly dropped to a kneeling position and took aim. He focused his view on a target. The fattest rabbit he could see out there would be his. He took aim and fired off the first round. From that point he watched as the rabbit dropped with a splatter of blood coming straight from its skull. Ketsuki quickly pulled the bolt back and chambered yet another round and took aim again. This time the rabbit he fired at was a little smaller yet he still put a round stright through the neck just barely missing the head. Ketsuki quickly shouldered his rifle and took off running to grab the two rabbits he collected. "That should be a fine meal!" He said with a grin and quickly snatched on the ears one good time to snap the necks of the rabbits.

Ketsuki continued his reign of terror on the poor rabbits and brought back the biggest three rabbits he shot. They were each a considerable weight but nothing overly large, but the rabbits were still a decent size. Ketsuki dropped his rabbits near the fire and looked to Grizzwald. "You can cook right?" He asked before going into the back of the truck and tossing his rifle onto the bed. He was the first one back and he didn't mind but it did give the other two more time to catch a bigger rabbit.

[bluemoon]

Dawn's tactics had earned her only one rabbit so far, and it was barely full grown--too small to even be considered a winning prize. She went deeper into the desert, keeping the light from the small camp fire at her back. The reports of Suki's rifle were confirmation of his kills and she was sure Barsad was also doing well. She refused to be outdone. She went deeper still, the last flicker of her beacon finally fading from view. Even with Grizz's words echoing in her head, "...don't go too far... " she kept on her path outward.

..and then she saw it...the winning rabbit. She crouched low and crept closer, drawing her blade back and arching the projectile in a perfect throw. The squeal of the beast confirmed her hit and she ran forward to claim her prize...only to come face-to-face with another beast, its salivating maw already gripping her meal. Beady black eyes pivoted to her and matted black fur bristled. A low growl escaped the mangy dogs throat. Dawn froze in her tracks, putting her hands out in front of her.

"Good doggie...it's all yours..." she whispered in a silky voice. Calm the beast. She dropped her eyes to the sand and began to back up, making herself seem beaten, non-threatening. ..and the ruse worked. The sound of muscle tearing and bones cracking met her ears. The bastard mutt was eating her prize. She saw the bag of candy fall from her reach and in that instant she charged, throwing herself at the dog and wrestling the remaining scraps from its jaws. In a tangle of limbs she stabbed at the beast's body, feeling its claws tearing at her skin. Blood dripped from her hands when she rose victorious, holding the limb body in both of her arms.

Dawn walked back, using the light from the sky to retrace her steps, a path of bloody droplets marking her passing like a trail of bread crumbs. She walked up to the fire and dropped the mutt, followed by the remains of her prize rabbit. The smaller rabbit she had already devoured raw, evidence of it on her blood-stained mouth. She herself was as bloody as the beast before her, but it was not hers which stained her clothing. She sat before the fire, feeling the heat on her skin, and sighed.

"Bastard ate my prize..." she said dejectedly.

[Ma1chbox]

The plan was went slow at first. A slight trickle of rabbits rushed out of the smoky hole, but none being good enough for the winning prize. Most of the escapees were still juveniles, but that was expected from smoking out a den. He'd bagged two matured ones, but they were definitely nothing to write home about. In the distance, he could hear the faint echo of gunshots, no doubt from his competitors.

The trickle of game soon enough started to pick up. The smoke should have filled the deepest chambers by then. The commando sat just outside the den's mouth, methodically snagging his prizes. It was nothing special or flashy, just plain practical, like a factory job.

All in all, he ended up with eight rabbits, all snapped cleanly at the neck. Out of seven, five were pretty much just average. Only two were possible prize winners. One was quite fat, the other being more muscular to the touch. Most likely the den mother and an alpha. A lucky catch, to be sure. Barsad decided he'd go with the fat one for his contender, then keep the rest for the coming days. A little bit of extra rations wouldn't hurt anybody.

When he'd arrived at the alcove, he saw that the other two hunters had already returned. No surprise, considering Barsad took a steady, methodical approach. He laid out his six extra kills on the back of the truck to air out, then held the den mother aloft triumphantly. "I do hope you're all ready for an unforgettable banquet! Tonight's main, and only course, some mouthwatering steamed hare!"

[SikstaSlathalin]

Grizz was still mulling over Bloody Man's visit when his comrades showed up with six rabbits and a freaking wild dog. He sighed feeling a tired sadness filling his body and mind. He pulled the candy from his pocket and tossed it by the pile of bodies. "Three way tie, you guys are good, be sure to skin and gut them away from camp so meaner predators don't come eat us in our sleep." He stood up from his spot by the fire and walked into the truck heading for his bag to retrieve his tools. Working on his robo-arm usually worked for getting his mind off Bloody Man.

The stout man let out a deep sigh and sat on his bunk taking his coat, vest, and shirt off tossing them into a pile on his bed. His upper body was quite pale and had fine red hair going down his chest and stomach. His shoulder was red and painful, seems like he had tightened it too much at lunch, but that wouldn't be the only reason for the constant whining from the servos. Normally the birdman could remove and fix it himself, but his mind was distraught with the grinning visage of Bloody Man and he could barely hold onto the tools. They fell to the floor and he simply dropped his head into his hands breathing slowly.

[bluemoon]

Dawn had wiped her mouth and was rubbing sand over her clothes and armor to clean off the blood when Grizz threw the candy over by the fire. She could tell by the slump of his shoulders and the tone of his voice that he was upset. Grabbing a handful of the sweets and shoving them into her pocket, she followed him into the back of the semi, finding him sitting dejectedly on his bunk.

"Hey..." she said when she entered, bending to pick up his discarded screwdriver. She put a hand on his chin, lifting his face to look at her. "Let me...okay?" She didn't wait for a response, just started working at removing the robo-arm. His other tools were by his side and she grabbed them up as well, loosening the connections with some effort.

"Was it him again?" she asked as she worked, referring to his personal demon.

Grizzwald was glad to see Dawn, but his mind was too jumbled to do much more than nod slowly twisting his body around so she could reach it easier. He sighed lightly as he felt the straps loosen and soon the arm came off and fell into Dawn's hands. "Yes, he was by the rocks....mocking me...like always." He slipped to the floor rubbing his sore shoulder slowly his eyes still staring at the floor. "Why does he follow me?"

Dawn sat down on the floor by his side, placing his prosthetic by her. "I don't know. ...because you are awesome?" she tried, hoping a little humor would pull him from his brooding. "Come on...look at me." She bent her head lower, looking at his face at a profile. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, wrapping an arm around his bare back.

Grizz smiled lightly returning the hug, pulling Dawn closer with his good arm and pulling her a little onto his lap. He kissed her neck and rested his head on her shoulder. "I don't know, I haven't always been awesome, but he's always been there." He sighed feeling tears begin to well up in his eyes. Grizz's moods had never been stable, but seeing the Bloody Man everywhere for as long as he could remember had moved from anger to sadness every time. He gripped the woman's coat stifling his sobs.

Grizz had always been one of the biggest and toughest of his comrades, so facing an enemy he'd never been able to fight fairly just brought up so many emotions he'd tried to keep down. "I just want him to leave me alone."

"I know," Dawn soothed, tucking herself tighter into his lap. She wiped at the tears that fell on his cheek and gently kissed him on the lips. "Maybe next time, I can help you fight him...maybe we can defeat him together." She wrapped her arms around him and held tightly, waiting for him to settle back into his normal self.

Grizz returned the kiss, holding it for a few seconds before nuzzling into Dawn's shoulder again. His body shook gently with emotion. Dawn was the only one who he let in to see him like this, they'd been through a lot together, and anyone else in the Guild would likely try to control him with the fear. They were brought to the Guild around the same time, they were bunkmates and training partners since childhood, as they grew older they became lovers and confidants. And while they weren't exclusive, by the end of the training they were among the last ones standing and sleeping in the same bed just became...right...they didn't have sex much, but they protected each other.

Dawn's words and presence always kept Bloody Man away, and Grizz's reputation kept troublemakers away from the generally smaller woman. It took a couple of minutes for Grizz to regain his composure, but as he did he looked into Dawn's eyes smiling affection, and gratitude glowed gently in his eyes. "Maybe, but he's scared of you I think. He never comes around when I'm near you, only when I'm alone." He leaned down and kissed Dawn's chest, wrapping his arm around her waist and listening to her heartbeat, trying to sync his breathing with it. Another trick she taught him when his emotions kicked up, she was usually a calm collected person and it helped him calm down as well.

Dawn gently unfolded herself from Grizz, bringing his hand to her lips and drawing one finger into her mouth, her teeth grazing the calloused surface lightly. She winked at him, an untold promise in her eyes. In a playful manner, she dropped back down to his side and picked up his robo-arm. "What say you to working on this beast together?" she asked, hefting his arm into her lap and turning it around to examine it closely. "We need to adjust this here so it's not pinching so much...and this too..." She leaned over, grabbing his tool bag and hefting out some more wrenches. "Hold this..." she said, plopping the arm into his lap...then she set herself to work.