Megalomaniacs [James]

[Asclas Papadios]

Snow. So much snow, it just had to be a blizzard the day it was Asclas turn for patrol. He had been on patrol about three times now in the past week. So far it had been uneventful, it was becoming dull, though Asclas couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. He hadn't seen much action lately - didn't have to chase and kill anyone. Though on the plus side no one tried to chase and kill him. Not yet anyway. Currently Asclas was patrolling the borders of Carna territory. He was only about 8 miles away from the border. This had been his second time this week this far out, yet nothing eventful took place. Not anything worth mentioning anyway. Today was a bit of an eventful day for nature though, it was a blizzard going on. Bundled up in his clothing and old blankets he was able to scavenge and usually used for sleeping Asclas was out in the cold. At the moment he was hiding behind a large oak tree. It seemed to be just a frozen as he was. The ground was covered in about two feet of snow. Luckily Asclas had boots on which allowed him to stomp throughout the snow without freezing his feet off. The rags he wore wrapped around the bottom of his face to protect it from the snow. One was also draped around his jacket similar to a poncho. Even so with all the clothing and extra blanket protection it felt like it did nothing against the pelting of the icy cold winds and snow. The only thing that kept Asclas moving was the fact that if he stood still he felt like he was going to become a living snowman. Asclas never really liked snow, even since he was little. Often he thinks its because of his shfit form. Snakes really didn't like the cold. Every bone in his body felt like it was covered with ice. If he hadn't already survived it before in The Menagerie, Asclas was pretty sure that he would kill over. Maybe he was just being dramatic, it was a thing he often did. He had a flare for being over dramatic when he was disgruntled. He found himself thinking back to when he was a child - deciding whether or not to go outside and suffer in the cold, or stay inside with an abusive father. The thoughts made him shudder, or maybe it was the cold blasting air. Every chance he took Asclas would move from behind one large tree to another, trudging in the snow. He was using the trees as a barricade from the blizzard. Breathing hard and tired from being on the move he leaned up against a tree; he put too much force against one tree while leaning back. Making it do something for nerve racking to Asclas. The trees branches shook, already filled to the brim with snow in its leaves, which decided to make its way on to Asclas instead. Damn gravity. Asclas soon found himself with a large mountain of snow around on top of him. It was strong enough to force him to the ground on his hands and knees. Breaking free of the snow mound similar to a polar bear in heat, Asclas grudgingly began to make his way to the next tree. Now freezing even more, not to mention his make shift snow poncho got lost in the snow and snagged between a fallen branch which just barely missed his head. Asclas decided that with the cracking sounds of the branches and the fact that he was clearly agitated not to make the effort to retrieve the blanket. "Stupid, stupid snow. I hate snow so much. So freaking much." Asclas grumbled to himself as he continued to stomp through the snow. Eventually making his way to another tree Asclas spotted a figure in the distance, his vision wasn't great within the blasting flurries of snow making its way through the forest but it was to make out a figure. Asclas wasn't sure at this point if his day was going to get more eventful and possibly fun or more annoying but either way he wasn't going to take any chances. He leaned behind the tree using it as cover, however at the time the wind had been blowing in that same direction causing him to be pelted with snow. Not to mention the snow dripping from the tree above. A blob of it had fallen and smacked Asclas right in his face causing his vision to be even more impaired. Asclas began to dig his hands into the snow, moving most of it to the side until bare ground was exposed. Smacking his hand against he was able to feel everything within a 2 mile radius. It was almost as if he could see with his sense of touch instead of his eyes, being able to make out the figure, its form, size and just how far away it was from him. It was intriguing but it was one Asclas had yet come across or rather been able to take a mental note of before, which meant two things. One it could be a possible enemy, or two it could just be someone in Carna he hadn't met before. He was prepared to use his knife just in case. Asclas moved from tree to tree with in the area in an attempt to get closer, due to his eyes stinging every time he tried to open them he kept them shut relying only on his uncanny sense of touch to lead his way. He could feel the leaves rustle, the snow fall to the ground and build it up, the leaves shake as more snow touched down on it. He could feel the winds smack against his body even more, which blurred out a bit of his focus in small excrement's causing him to get a little disoriented due to the overwhelming feedback. It was enough to make him sweat and so tired he thought he might fall over. Though he persisted. He calmed his mind, took deep breathes and trudged on. He had been through worse. Much worse, this wasn't going to stop him, especially if it meant coming across prey. Finally being open his eyes, Asclas could make out the figure better with site, though the winds still made it increasingly hard for him to do so. Just who was this person? Asclas had a feeling of familiarity but he decided to keep his distance until not having to became an option. TAGS: James Colt, Silfrvarg

[James Colt]

No animal in its right mind would be out in weather like this, which said something uncomplimentary about James, didn't it? Given the choice between checking the snares close to the waterfront and going further out after bigger prey, well, it had been a no brainer. That was before the snow turned from lightly drifting flakes into an unexpected blizzard. Harsh move nature. He was up past his knees in a snow drift, struggling to move through the stuff until he shifted with a grumble, four legs and fur being rather more convenient than two legs and soaked pants. Stomping out of the drift he shook his fur, looking around with narrowed eyes. The tracks he'd been following had been wiped out by snow, likewise the scent trail, and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of anything since. It was tempting just to head back and try his luck later, but he always hated going back empty handed. He stopped, closing his eyes to the unhelpful image of snow, snow and more snow and focusing on what he could smell, feel, and to a lesser extent, hear. There was the faint scent of rabbit on the air, and, if he focused he could feel the faint thump of their feet through the snow, somewhere to his right. He was about to head off in that direction when he felt footsteps behind him. Clearing some snow to get a better feel on the tremors through the ground, he frowned. It was human footsteps, so likely a shifter or a mildly mutated anthromorph, but it wasn't a gait he knew from memory. Of course, that didn't mean too much, there were always new Carna. Still, he had to check it out, it wouldn't do to let someone slip through and have them cause problems later. As far as he knew they weren't fighting with any of the other rings, but that never stopped anyone from making trouble, it sure as hell never stopped him. He was downwind from whoever it was, meaning he wouldn't be able to smell them till he got closer. It was best to be cautious, and though his shift form was formidable, it was always better to keep it in reserve and use it to his advantage. Reluctantly (his fur was much warmer than this ratty old jacket) he shifted back, readying his favourite knife with something almost like excitement. His blood always sang when there was the possibility of a fight. He slowed down to let the other shifter come to him, more from necessity than any real strategy, the snow was getting deeper this way. He felt the other shifter get closer and closer, shielding his eyes until he could make them out. They were bundled up warmer than he was for the weather, male? He stepped closer warily, sniffing the air to catch their scent. Human... Scales and something bitter, snake shifter? The slightly musty smell of dry sewers, the tang of salt, after all these years it smelt like home. Carna then, just not one he recognised. With some disappointment he sheathed his knife, raising his arms to show his hands were empty in case the other shifter couldn't smell that he was Carna too; accidents happened. "Damn, you're Carna too. For a moment there I thought this hunt was going to get fun, at least a good fight would have warmed me up." he grinned at the other Carna. ooc: Lustian

[Asclas Papadios]

Changing his mind Asclas decided to move closer, the standing still wasn't getting him anywhere. So far all of his scouting missions had proven to be uneventful. He had seen the least amount of action as a Scout so far, considering all the other scouts and the feuds they had endured. Being a new Scout currently most had seen no form of bloodshed besides stray factionless Shifters. He couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing, not having to be plunged into battle after battle for his life. On the plus side it gave him much needed time to get his strength and skill to where he would like to be in forms of entering a fight. Though on the down side it was incredibly dull. Sneaking closer still using the trees as a form of camouflage and shielding from the snow, Asclas began to ready his weapon even more. He was pretty thankful for this weapon, having came across it at random from a dead body when he first entered The Menagerie, it was a pleasant surprise alongside the rotting corpse. Even so it proved to come in handy many times in the past. He ducked behind the large tree, making sure not to bump into it hard, the last thing he needed was another pile of snow to pummel him. The cold clung to him, and his bare exposed fingers tips that had been digging through the snow. His hands were red, and stiff, almost taken by frost bite. If it wasn't for his pockets and the cloth surrounding most of his hand besides his fingertips he was sure they would've fallen off. From what he could see the other guy wasn't nearly as prepared for the snow as he was. If Asclas was more of a warm blooded person he felt as though he could use the snow to his advantage, though sadly he wasn't. If anything he felt like he was at a major disadvantage, not only could he not stand this cold, but his body was getting stiffer, weaker by the second. He wasn't sure if it was because of the animal he could shift into or if it was just the way his body was. His body fat did nothing for the cold, and that was saying a lot. The snow was taking over to the point where if he was to shift he'd probably end up dying from the cold. At this point he felt like he was at a major disadvantage, but backing down wasn't something he would do, not easily. Even though he knew he was at disadvantage - a major one. He trudged on regardless. Apparently the other person had noticed him and was heading his way but began to slow down. He was waiting. Asclas could make out his features a little more distinctively now. Asclas gripped his knife, ready to remove it from its sheath and strike if needed. He was large, but he was fast. His training with Grey, and a maybe a little tinkering by the Keepers had assured him of that. As the man got closer, Asclas found himself able to faintly pick up his scent. It was something else he had developed while training with Grey, after smelling him so much and being around other Carna, it stuck with him. Much more than he would've liked. There was a faint hint of familiarity within it. So much so that the man did not seem like a threat any longer. The man came out with his hands up. Asclas was never one to let his guard down easy. Though he did the same, making sure to perch his knife on his belt, and cloak it using his blanket. Asclas face was still covered by the raggedy blanket as he stomped closer to the man through the ever growing pile of snow. The man scent got stronger, and Asclas found himself becoming less cautious and anxious as the scent of familiarity grew even stronger. Noticing his features, Asclas thought he was quite the looker. A nice build, strong chin a bit easy on the eyes, minus all the pummeling snow smacking into the both of them. He lowered his hands slowly. "You and me both" Asclas spoke rather loudly, so that his voice could be heard through the roaring winds and rag covering his mouth. "What brings you out here?" Asclas spoke out of curiosity. Mostly because he was trying to discern if the man was a scout like him. Scouting with someone else would make things a lot easier, not to mention the combined body heat. Not to mention that and this weather would make it so that this would be the perfect time for someone to try and pass through Carna's borders unnoticed. The snow and roaring winds covered up many things which made an ideal time for enemies to strike. From what Asclas had taken in so far, he suspected the man had a few good observing skills, simply for the fact that he was able to notice Asclas and discern he was Carna as well, not to mention he made himself vulnerable coming out with his hands up to assure Asclas he meant no harm - that would make him either a good scout or a fool. TAGS: James Colt, Silfrvarg

[James Colt]

"I was tracking a wild pig this way, but I lost the trail when the sky decided to dump this blizzard on us," he rolled his eyes, "I might be able to get a few rabbits, but if I wanted rabbits I would have stayed closer to home. I was looking forward to bacon." He eyed the other Carna curiously, trying to get a read on him. He didn't recognise him, which probably meant he was new, or at least new-ish. He also didn't seem to be enjoying himself out in all this snow, although James didn't blame him, every second he spent out of his fur made him wish for a better jacket and a pair of pants that wasn't soaked through. He was of a larger build, but James knew better than to underestimate someone because of their size. Not too bad to look at either, an appraising look showed, perhaps not James' usual type, but he didn't really have a type anyway. The other Carna seemed wary still, James caught the flash of a knife sheath just before it was hidden by the edge of the blanket, which was more good sense than paranoia, just because someone looked harmless didn't mean they weren't going to rip your throat later. As fun as conversations at knifepoint were, things tended to move smoother when you at least pretended to trust the other person. "I'm James, or Colt if you're a last name sort of person, hunter and all around pain in the ass." He quirked an eyebrow at the other Carna, inviting him to introduce himself in turn. He should probably do something about the chill seeping through his clothes though, just standing around underdressed in all this snow wasn't the best idea. Of course shifting might be seen as a provocation to some people, so it was probably best to warn the guy. "I'm going to shift now, because I'm freezing my ass off and that would be a tragedy, so don't go getting stabby." He smirked, nodding at the hidden knife. It was a relief to shift, his tiger shape was much more suited to the snow than his human one, no need for winter clothes when you had fur. Still, all this standing around had made him a little stiff, so, with a massive yawn, he dropped to the ground and stretched from toes to tail, and maybe showing off a bit as he did. Sure, pretty much everyone in this place could shift at will, but it was still pretty cool, and, in his humble opinion, tigers were awesome. He cocked his head and watched the other man, wondering if it would be better to join up and try to accomplish something today, or to cut his losses and go back to where he scented those rabbits. Of course it depended on the other guy, no sense tagging along if he was just wandering for the sake of wandering, which was unlikely in this weather, but you never knew. People were weird. "So, what's your reason for being out on this lovely day? Breathing in the nice crisp air? Getting this amazing view of white, white and more white?" ooc: Lustian Asclas Papadios

[Asclas Papadios]

Pigs. Asclas often forgot the full extent of the wild life in The Menagerie, often when he ate it was in his shifter form, things were... Simpler that way. He liked to do the least amount of work possible in the winter when it came to food. Usually finding a mouse or birds in his human form helped. Shifting then eating made it so that he got the nutrients and energy he needed, not to mention it made things less gross. He always found it weird that he could eat a mouse without even a second thought when he was shifted as a snake, but when in human form even touching one sometimes was enough to repulse him. Though he had yet to see a pig, he could see why James was willing to track the pig all the way out here. Especially while failing to notice the up incoming blizzard that had started to form above them in the morning. "Yes, bacon is always a good reason for recklessness." Asclas said with a condescending nod. The thought of pigs and rabbits made Asclas hungry. For most of the evening he neglected the fact that he had failed to eat anything. The only thing currently getting him through the day was water, lots of it. It was enough to make his stomach rumble. Hopefully not enough for James to hear - that would be embarrassing. Eventually Asclas found himself thinking about food, and lots of it. Rabbit stew sounded so good right about now, and he was pretty damn good at cooking it. A few carrots and veggies, from Garden traders within Sewertown, and boom, there you have it a full meal. One Asclas was willing to slave over a hot makeshift stove for. It was enough to have him fantasizing about it. The chewy crisp taste of bacon, the smooth broth of the rabbit stew. It was enough to make his mouth water beneath the cloth wrapping around it. That however was a bad idea, considering most of the saliva just began to freeze and feel cold against his skin. Ow! James had finally introduced himself, he was a hunter. Asclas hadn't met many hunters yet. Though to think a hunter would come out this far to the border, this was usually Scout territory unless a war was going on. He most of really wanted that pig. Though from the thoughts going in his imagination station, Asclas could understand why. "My name is Asclas Papadios. Most call me Papadios." That however was a blatant lie, he didn't really like people knowing his first name. Yet alone speaking it casually, though most often did. He felt as thought his last name retained a form of stature to it, it sounded fancy. "I'm a Carna Scout, just doing my patrol - almost done. He said, patting the sleeves of his jacket, in order knock the snow that had built up while they where talking. Asclas found himself losing a bit more of his vision while speaking to James, the blizzard was getting thicker. Much thicker, this wasn't good. It also meant that he might have to cut his patrol short, which was something he didn't want to explain to those higher ups. Cutting a patrol short meant putting others in danger, and that was something the Carna didn't tolerate. Asclas licked his head attached to his body. Though while he had trouble seeing, it was enough to notice a bit of James features, they where... Rugged. James announced that he was going to shift, along with a silly remark to which Asclas replied "No promises, Bacon boy." He said with a slight chuckle. Watching James shift was a fairly amazing thing to Asclas, he never got tired of seeing others turn into their animal forms. Often when he was younger he found himself starring into a mirror as he shifted, trying to get a look at what it was like. To see how his body changed form and structure, to see how his skin changed colors and how his eyes and vision changed along with it. James had turned into a tiger, a big one. This was the first tiger shifter Asclas had seen it was interesting to say the least. To see how he grew fur instead of scales, to see how his body got almost bigger rather than smaller, to see his clothes disperse into fur and his eyes change shape and color, to see his body stretch out as he yawned. It was a powerful animal to turn into. Honestly seeing James shift form made Asclas a little jealous, he often wondered what it would be like to turn into something other than a snake, but it had its benefits. Just as much as it had its weakness the same could be said for the tiger, a spear would usually do the trick to take down a larger animal. Asclas made a mental note to find a spear at some point, just in case the need arrived for him to ever need one. Though even so, Asclas at this point in time wished he shift into something warmer, turning into a snake now would literally kill him if he didn't have something to wrap around or shelter himself in that was warm. He couldn't help but think about shifting and wrapping himself loosely around James neck, bundling himself in his fur. The thought alone was enough to warm him down. "Oh you, know just taking in that nice winter air." Asclas said with a sarcastic tone, he had just mentioned he was a Scout after all. "I'm out here on patrol." He said looking around he began to wander towards the now tiger shifted James. "Your welcome to join me if you like, I could use the extra body heat." He said reaching out wanting to touch the tigers nose. He wasn't quite sure if it was appropriate to pet James or not but he had the urge too. OOC: Sorry for the late reply. TAGS: James Colt Silfrvarg

[James Colt]

"Hey, chasing down a pig through a blizzard doesn't count as being reckless! Now, chasing down a pig in a blizzard in another ring's territory? that would be reckless, which is why I wouldn't do it unless I was really really bored." James grinned, only half joking. It wasn't that he minded being called reckless, especially not when he knew it was a pretty accurate description for him, he just didn't think hunting during a blizzard counted. There were plenty of things in this dome that could kill him deader than a dodo, there wasn't much sense worrying about the weather. Worst case he could stay shifted and hole up somewhere until the worst of it passed. It wouldn't be fun, and he'd have to explain to his superiors why he had been out for so long with nothing to show for it, but it wouldn't kill him. Probably. Of course, if he had a different shift, one less suited to the cold, he might be in trouble, but as a tiger there was little to worry about. The snow was getting heavier though, even with his enhanced eyesight visibility was low, if it wasn't for his other senses he'd be almost useless in this weather. Thankfully he could still smell and feel an enemy coming, provided they were travelling by ground instead of air and the wind was in his favour. Knowing his luck this would be the moment he was attacked by a horde of bird shifters coming from upwind. The other Carna, Papadios, was a scout, which he supposed explained what he was doing near the border during a snowstorm, he had a much better excuse than James did. James didn't think anyone would try to cross the border in this weather, it would be too easy to get turned around with the visibility this low, still, the snow would provide excellent cover if someone was mad or determined enough to try, and the last thing the Carna needed was more chaos. A little chaos was fun, necessary even, but too much upheaval put everyone on edge even more than they usually were, and when they were on edge it was a bad idea to annoy them further. Since annoying his fellow Carna was the closest thing to entertainment in this place, it tended to make things a little dull when he couldn't. James smirked at Papadios' comment on the weather, the other Carna certainly seemed less than impressed with the cold. He was rugged up fairly warmly but that didn't mean much, especially if he was used to warmer climates. James' first few winters in the Menagerie after spending most of his life in northern Queensland where it was either hot and muggy or hot and dry had been miserable. His ears perked up when Papadios mentioned being on patrol though, if he tagged along for patrol he would have a better excuse for being delayed than an unsuccessful hunt, and it looked like the other Carna could use a hand. James was fairly happy to lend a hand to another Carna, even more happy if it meant they'd owe him a favour. Of course he'd probably help anyway if he was asked, out of loyalty or some inconvenient warm fuzzy feeling like that, but he certainly wasn't about to tell Papadios that. Clearly the other Carna anticipated him though, because before he could open his mouth there was an offer to tag along. He was about to reply with just the right tone of reluctance when a hand reached out towards his nose. He blinked in surprise at the unexpected contact, too shocked to growl and show his teeth in warning like he knew he should. He was a tiger, a fierce, wild creature, not some cuddly little house cat! Pats and cuddles were for his cat (adorable little fleabag) not for him! This was undignified! This was humiliating! This was... kind of nice actually. The nose petting lasted a few moments, James firmly resisting the urge to lean into it, before he came to his sense and pulled away, trying to look as nonchalant as a tiger could. "Whoah, I usually make a guy buy me dinner before we get to the petting stage!" He did his best impression of a diva pose if the diva had four legs and fur, "I know, it's hard to resist this, but if I let you pat me on the first date people will talk, and I don't want to get a bad reputation." He smirked somewhat wickedly, more than aware that he already had a somewhat questionable reputation, and perfectly willing to play it up. He knew the pat probably hadn't been meant in that way, but it was always fun to rile people up, and innuendo was often the easiest way to do it. He sighed, "I suppose I can help you finish your patrol, I can't very well leave you to wander around in the snow alone. Just warn me if you can't resist the urge to cuddle, and no rubbing me belly!" He pinned Papadios with a mock stern glare, "I mean it, rubbing a house cat's belly is risky enough, you probably don't want to chance it with a tiger." ooc: Lustian Asclas Papadios sorry this took a while, I just started a new job and underestimated the amount of sleep it would cause :)

[Asclas Papadios]

"Ha, I suppose so." Asclas chuckled. James had a way of making light of everything it seemed. His cheerful attitude was at a refreshing change of pace, considering most in Carna seemed to be so... stern. Though Asclas would never admit that sense usually he was one of the ones with a stern demeanor himself, at least for appearances anyway. He couldn't let people think he was some type of joke. He was already talked about because of his... More to love body. Though if anything that just showed he was capable of hunting - as well as eating. Asclas made a mental note to look for that pig later. Considering James kept mentioning it. He imagined roasting it, though the thought popped up that if he was to find it, he should split it with James. He had yet to see a pig yet, what he really preferred though was a boar - more protein, taste, and it was chewy. So chewy... The thought of eating roasted boar, along with a stash of veggies he had found and hid. The cold had some advantages at least, keeping veggies fresh was a lot easier if they were partially frozen. "We should make sure to keep a lookout for the pig... Or hopefully a boar." Warm, so warm. James nose seemed to be the only thing of warmth that Asclas hands had touched in what seemed like forever. The tattered rag around his face was becoming undone, thus Asclas had to remove his hands from the warm nose and tighten up the rag around his mouth, and held up longer than he thought. It was pretty thick so it absorbed most of the moisture from the melting snow. His breath could be seen through the rags, thanks to his scout training he had learned to regulate his breathing when running but it helped for other things too. Like breathing in a snow storm, which came in pretty hand. Thinking back to earlier events of him and James first running into each other, Asclas realized that both him and James had fairly decent tracking skills, especially when it came to picking up things around each other. Seeing in snow didn't effect them as much but the same thing could be said for others as well. He had begun to let his guard down just a tiny bit when talking to James, his body quickly became a bit more tense at that fact came to realization. James had made a joke about buying him dinner first to which Asclas replied "I can cook better than I could buy. Of course I'm also pretty... Conservative." Which was just he was of saying 'hey I'm cheap lets eat in.' He was only half joking about that, a part of him was asking James to come eat with him, which was new with Asclas. Even the fact that he touched James was really new, Asclas didn't realize it at the time but he was slowly becoming more comfortable around James. It was a new feeling. He didn't quite comprehend it yet. - he shoved it down as just having mutual interest with someone, for now anyway. James had made a joke about Asclas rubbing his belly, which Asclas kind of liked the thought of doing, but not the consequence, which could possibly be; being mauled to death or close to it. James was a tiger after all, even if he did have the personality of an over grown ally cat. Asclas smirked at James statement which couldn't be seen through his rag. He simply replied "Duly noted." He raised his hands over his head to block the snow trying to at least see what little he could. He figured they should hid further towards Carna territory than away from it. Even though they could track pretty well, in a storm like this someone could easily get lost. Though something was bothering Asclas, he felt like he was forgetting a very important fact. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Looking around he spotted a more shaded area of the snow, the thick trees surrounding a bit of the area he had just came from, that's the direction he decided he would hid. More cover from the snow, unless it decided to come tumbling down from the branches again. "Stupid branches." Asclas thought, as he shivered a little due to the early experiences of being mildly crushed by snow. As Asclas began walking towards the grove of snow. Asclas had remembered something, the fact that James was a tiger, wild boars, pigs, fur, cold, warm, snakes. All this thoughts jumped around his head coming to one conclusion; Shifters. Asclas had forgotten completely thinking that no one would dear be out in this cold, who could withstand weather like this. Nothing for long really, besides animal or shifters with animal forms that dwell and live in weather like this. If an enemy of Carna had shifters like that in their mist this would be the perfect time to strike, especially if they had tracking skills similar to Asclas and James. A plan like that would be crackerjack. The thought was enough to make Asclas grab his knifes hilt hard. "You should be on your guard James, who knows what type of many creatures dwell in this winter wonderland." It was basically Asclas way of saying 'don't be to carefree you idiot' but in a much nicer tone. Maybe having a big ol' tiger with him wouldn't be so bad, even if he was goofy... OOC: Sorry for the suuuper late reply. Omg. Don't hate me ;-; Tags: James Colt, Silfrvarg

[James Colt]

"Well I'd be hard pressed to say no to anything even remotely resembling a cooked meal," James said, and even he was unsure if he was playing along with the flirting or accepting the offer, "Usually I just burn whatever I catch until it looks safe, or eat it raw if I'm hungry enough. That's about the limit of my cooking skills I'm afraid." He smirked wryly, unfortunately it was true, he'd never really had the chance to figure out anything more than burn it 'til you can eat it, living on the run hadn't left much time to learn. One of the other boys, Nate, had been able to make pretty much anything taste good, and James had tried to get him to show him how, only to somehow ruin a perfectly good rabbit. Of course shortly after that he'd gotten them all caught. He wondered if Nate was still alive, had he even made it to the menagerie? He shook himself out of that line of thinking, best not to wonder about that sort of thing, either they wee alive and you'd likely never see them again, or they were dead. It didn't really matter in the end, either way he'd failed them. He forced himself to smile, a little self consciously, spacing out when you were meant to be flirting was never a good idea. Papadios had started walking towards one of the groves, looking about as miserable in the snow as any shifter could, and James fell in step behind him, more than content to let the other man take the lead until they found a scent. He froze in his tracks for a moment when Papadios told him to be on his guard, had the other man sensed something? Closing his eyes he focused on what he could feel and smell, nothing more than the gentle fall of snow and the faint scent of rabbit. It was just paranoia then, the though almost made him relax. So most, because, much as he hated to give into the voice of paranoia, Papadios was right. Under the cover of snow would be nice the perfect time for an enemy to strike, perhaps counting on the fact that any scouts out would be too focused on staying warm to pay attention to their duties, even if they could see through all this snow. Thankfully, the low visibility didn't seem to hamper Papadios much, meaning he was probably enhanced in some way, just like James. That would give them an edge... hopefully. He moved closer to Papdios, shifting, getting into his personal space and hoping he wasn't about to get shanked for it. Slinging an arm over his shoulder and pressing himself against him far too closely for manners, he turned to whisper into his ear, grinning flirtatiously. "I'm flirting with you. It's working because I'm awesome. Smile, laugh, flirt back, just don't slap me yet because then I won't have an excuse to whisper into your ear." "You're right, now would be the perfect time to strike if you didn't mind getting a little soggy. However, if there is anyone, and if they are watching us, wouldn't it be smarter to look like we don't know they're there?" "So I say we take a walk, nice and slow, and we look like the laziest pair of Carna to ever get stuck with border duty. If there's anyone out there, we'll sniff them out before too long. If there's an ambush... Well, we'll just have to turn it back into their teeth." He flashed a bloodthirsty grin at Papadios, "Now you can slap me, if you want. That's usually the end result of my flirting." He hoped the other man didn't slap him though, holding him was a little like holding a snowman, but he had to admit he could get used to it. ooc: Lustian Asclas Papadios, sorry this is so horrendously late, it's been sitting half written in my files for ages and I finally had the time to sit down and wrestle it into shape. I sent you a pm with a plot idea if you want?