forum I summon thee @Young-Dusty

Started May 08, 2019 by @amber_is_in_a_loop

tune

"Pretty good," he replied, moving closer to the fire. "How 'bout you two?"

« Great! » Jessie chimed, pulling a cooking plate closer to heat some breakfast. « Slash went off hunting. »
Charlotte nodded, and looked up to the sky.
« Pretty clear day. Easy visibility, which might be a disadvantage. Depends on how bright the sun will get. »

Rick nodded, brushing away some grass seeds that had gotten stuck to him in the night. "Sounds like conditions could be worse. I'm ready to start scoutin' as soon as Slash gets back and we've all eaten."

"Alright. When are we thinking of leaving?" Charlotte thought out loud, taking the bowl Jessie was handing to her and passing over the one for Rick.

"Sometime before noon, I guess," Rick replied, accepting the food. "Might as well make use of as much of the day as possible. How many of us are goin' on this scouting trip, by the way?"

Charlotte looked up at Jessie, who avoided looking back. "Well… I'd like to go in any case, but I don't mind going alone. It's up to you all who wants to come with but I'd rather Jessie stay here and rest."
Jessie's gaze flitted up momentarily, silently thanking Charlotte.

"That's fair. I guess when Slash gets back, I'll ask him if he's goin' or stayin', and then make my choice from there."
Slash popped his head oer the hill. "Oh, sorry, I've been back for a while. What do you need me for?"
Rick took a breath and carefully put his knife back in his sheath. "Don't scare me like that, son. I was gonna ask if you felt like keepin' Jessie here company while Charlotte and I scout the area."
"Oh. Sure, I'll stay here." Slash came over and sat down, shifting into his human form. "Are you guys leaving now?"

"Yes, I think so, if Rick is ready to go," Charlotte added, and stopped herself.
She'd… given someone else the decision. Instinctively. She couldn't remember the last time she'd let anyone decide where she was going if she could help it.

Rick finished eating and stood up, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "I'm ready," he said cheerfully, then noticed Charlotte's hesitation and paused. "You all right?"

« You know what… » she started, slowly getting to her feet. « I’m really good. Let’s do this. » She grabbed a bag and a dagger, and walked up next to him. « Onwards! » she said, half laughing.

Rick brightened, grinning back at her. "Yeah, let's get this show on the road." He started off up the hill, giving Jessie and Slash a wave. "Stay sharp, you two. Hopefully we'll be back for lunch."
Slash watched them go, then glanced at Jessie. "Finally, those two are gone," he grumbled. "Now we can have some peace and quiet. It was getting annoying, them being all sweet to each other this whole time. Right?"

(Idk which characters you want to focus on, I guess we could do a little of both if that works for you)

(Sounds like a plan!)
Charlotte followed Rick upwards, feeling suddenly lighter. And although their mission was in a particularly painful goal, she felt ready and happier than ever to finally be dealing with her own personal plague, and with the help of someone she had somehow come to trust.

Jessie giggled lightly , watching them go. « What do you mean? »

Once they were on their way, Rick rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a small pair of battered binoculars. "Here, you can have these if you want. I sorta remember where this place is, but I think the further away we stay from it, the better. For now, at least."

Slash rolled his eyes. "You mean you haven't noticed? Maybe it's different for humans. If they were Deorns, I'd say they're starting to like each other, you know? It's kind of annoying to watch." He did seem a bit on edge, tossing a pebble from hand to hand as if he was restless.

Charlotte nodded her thanks, looking up at Rick's face as she reached to take the tool from him. She brought it up to her face, swept the horizon, and pointed somewhere out south-west.
"That way. I can see some sort of fence, and walls. They're a bit difficult to spot against the grey sky but they're there." She lowered the binoculars, looking over at him again.

Jessie's eyes widened. "Really? You think so?" she exclaimed, dropping the pot she was holding into her lap. "And I mean, would that be such a bad thing? Maybe… they would make each other happy!" she cried happily, staring intently at Slash as he grew agitated.

(oops almost forgot to reply to both parts lol)
Rick followed her gaze, using the scope of his rifle to look a bit farther. "I see it. Let's try and get a little closer, find out what kind of defenses we're up against." By this time he was all business, speaking calmly and scanning the way ahead for obstacles. "I reckon if we zig-zag through the tall grass we can make it a ways more without gettin' seen."

"Maybe," Slash grumbled. "I mean, probably. They already make each other happy. But I guess the more they have each other, the less they'll need anybody else. You know what I mean?"

"That sounds about right," Charlotte approved, inhaling deeply. "How long you think the trip will take, more or less? At least it's still early, so I think that if we move at a reasonable pace we can make it back before nightfall."

Jessie narrowed her eyes, still looking at Slash. "Hold on a minute. You're jealous, aren't you?" she questioned him in a mocking parent-like tone.

(Ghhh tysm, you're too nice XDD)
"Aw, for sure," Rick replied. "I think we could make it there 'n back by noon, if we're smart about it." He started off towards the distant structure, going at an angle to use the environment as cover. "Let's go see what we're up against, hey?"

Slash straightened angrily. "Maybe I am. I dunno. You don't have to worry because you're already part of the family. But I'm not. Pretty soon…..pretty soon they might decide they don't want me around anymore." He looked back down again, the last part of his sentence trailing off unhappily.

(Ohhh shit I thought I'd answered sorry)
(Anyway, I'm just stating facts)
Charlotte nodded, her grin slowly fading. Now that they were standing right next to their destination, the stakes were clear: the lives of two of her children, that she'd avoided thinking about for nearly 5 years now. They were nearby and in some state she couldn't define. She looked ahead, towards the hulking shadow of the building, and actively emptied her head of all thoughts.
She needed a clear mind for this.
"Let's do it."

Jessie paused in her tinkering to look over at Slash, her peppiness melting— though just a little. It wasn't like she kind of cared about him or anything.
"You idiot," she started forcefully. "You're not replaceable. And the way Charlie acts around you and Rick, she'd fight and give her life for you at this point. She defends the ones she trusts, believe me because I've seen it."

(oooh I can't wait XD)
Rick kept a sharp eye out in all directions as he pressed forward, moving with surprising stealth for a man his size. So far he didn't see any signs of long-range sentries or heavy-duty surveillance from the building, but he himself had done some work as a sniper so he knew how easy it was to hide if you knew the terrain. He made sure not to get too far from Charlotte, but drifted to the side so they'd make a less noticeable target. Slowly but steadily, they drew closer to Axel's fortress.

Slash gave Jessie a grudging look, as if he wanted to believe her but was still a bit doubtful. "Yeah? Well…..maybe you're right. But we'll see what happens when you guys have your own land. If they decide they don't want me near their animals….or you…..then I won't be surprised."

The towering grey structure was drawing itself across the sky, darkly silhouetted across the expanse of blue.
It looked deserted from the outside, but a layer of thick tall walls blocked most of the grounds from outside view.
There were, however, slit windows here and there, presumably for snipers. They needed to be slow, careful, and hidden.

Jessie sighed again, frustrated. "Okay, but what if I wanted you around? Would you stay or run before someone else could do it for you?"
She couldn't understand this boy. We're Deorns really that oblivious and uncomprehending to human emotions?

Once they were a bit closer, Rick paused to take in the details of the area once more. He was still seeing no movement and hearing nothing from the imposing building, but didn't relax. If anything, he felt more tense, wondering whether someone was watching them from the narrow, black windows. He glanced at Charlotte and pointed at the walls, silently asking her if she could see anything from her angle.

Slash paused. "Well—I mean—if you wanted me around, then obviously I'd want to be around you too—" He shook his head to clear it, having effectively confused himself. "If you really wanted me to stay, but the others didn't, are you saying you'd stand up to them? Even if they got mad at you?"

Charlotte nodded to Rick, letting him know she’d understood, and looked back towards the building. She could see the beginnings of a roof and two towers, and some open staircases. The staircases and anything more than the tops of the tower’s barriers were unseen to her, since they were too far down behind the wall.
She could, however, if she really looked, make out the shape of a telescope and two people up on the roof. And just as she was about to duck back down to tell Rick, she spotted movement in one of the slit windows.
She clicked her tongue and knelt, looking over at Rick.
« They’re ready for distance. They’ve got a telescope and one sniper that I know of, but definitely more. »

Jessie studied Slash, feeling a sudden surge of appreciation for his adorable stupidity. « I would. They could never stay mad at me, anyway. »
Suddenly bashful, Jessie looked down at her hands, saying something else in an unintelligible mutter.