A Hunter will do anything for a Buck, (Orion)

[Qist Tiere]

30th of Summer, 512 AV Late Morning-Early Afternoon It was a beautiful day out, with a slightly cool wind whisking through the castle. The sun had risen not but a few bells ago, and yet Qist was already wide awake. Surprisingly, she found herself in her own home, fairly clean and sober. Deciding that she was already ahead on her luck, the petite femme stood. After a brief pause, she began to methodically stretch out her stiff body. If she were to be sober, then she'd make good use of this time; today she would hunt. If not hunt, then, at the very least, she would head out to check the traps she had set earlier. Scooping up her net and javelin, Qist began to weave her way back into the crowd outside. Her head was hung low, avoiding any eye contact. In her world, eye contact was something of a sin. It opened doors that Qi would much rather keep closed: doors for fights, passages to relationships and, deadliest of all, an entryway to conversation. Shivering at the thought of speaking to one of the many Humans within the city limits, she high-tailed it to the gates. Slithering her way out into the open, Qist broke into a steady hunter's trot. She headed northeast towards the Bronze Woods, the first stop of four on her journey. These traps were set deep within the woods, far from both the Avitar river and North Kabrin Road. The thought originally behind this was one provoked by paranoia and the sting of an old mistake. See, once, in her earlier hunting years, Qist had made a trap similar to the ones she still uses. It was crafted of tree branches and foilage, capturing game in the thick vines and lifting them above the ground. The trap was simple, and not very well hidden; standing in near-clear sight, the contracption would easily be spotted from the North Kabrin Road. Naive then, Qist had seen no problem with this. That is, until whatever haul was entrapped was swiftly stolen by travellers. Reaching the first trap, she found herself glad she held this experience, as there were no sign of intruding scavengers. Unfortunately for her, though, there was also no sign of any haul. Great. Qist grunted, letting loose a few profanities along the way. It seemed that her earlier luck had since faded. Seeing no point in just standing around mourning the death of what could have been a good meal, the mixed blooded huntress trotted onward, wishing for her fortune to return.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 29-30, 512 AV Summer, 30th "I never realized just exactly how boring grass is." He sighed. How had he gotten in this predicament? The previous day had started off simple enough... ------------------------------------------------ Summer, 29th Orion woke that morning with a hop in his step. It was going to be a good day, no doubt about it. It had taken him awhile, but he finally felt like he had hit his stride in life again. Every day was easier and easier. He stretched out and slid on a slightly stained off white shirt and black pants. He needn't be presentable today due to his destination. The woods. He was going to travel out there and collect so much plant life. It would save him a ton on his practice. The problem for Orion is, he'd never really been out there much alone. He'd gone with others before, sure, but how hard it could it really be? He scooped up his pack, and made his way out of the Traveler's Row, heading for the gates. He would head up the road and keep to the edges of the forest. What could go wrong? Orion found the answer to that question was pretty much everything. He'd failed to stick to the side of the woods while searching for plants and berries. Instead, his endeavors had been fruitless, and he had wondered aimlessly in the woods for what must have been several bells. "I...suddenly regret this decision," he muttered. His stomach rumbled so he took a seat and dug into his pack. He had brought a days worth of travel rations in case he wasn't able to scavenge anything, but he'd hoped he wouldn't need to use them. "Ugh...tastes like sawdust.." he said, choking down a bite of the food which was made to last, not to taste. He took a drink from his water skin when and scanned the area, and for a moment, it seemed as though is fortunes had changed. It was a blueberry bush. He would gather up as much as he could, cook with some, sell some. At least the day wouldn't be a waste. He set down his stuff, grabbed his pack, and made his way over the bush. The berries were ripe and juicy. They looked perfect. As he stepped in front of the bush, he found himself suddenly viewing their perfection from above. As the vine wrapped around his legs and suspended him in the air, he let out a sigh, as though he should have expected something else. -------------------------------------- Summer, 30th A night had come and go, and still he hung. He had found a way to swing back and forth to keep his circulation flowing, but other than that, he hadn't had much success. The trap had caught him perfectly, one foot holding the other in place. He grunted and wheezed as he tried to use his abs to pull himself up to grab his feet, but he wasn't even close to strong enough. Each time he tried, a new commitment to working out was made, and each time he failed, he convinced himself it wouldn't matter anyways. To pass the time, Orion had started singing little diddles about what he saw around him, hoping someone would hear him and free him. His was was rough and amaturish, but held a tune well enough. "Cute little animals, their eyes strange with passion wait, that's just hunger, they're eating up my ration!" "Hello there bird, flying through the wind, when will your travels, my nightmare, come to end?" "Lalala la lalalalalaaaaaa. La dee la...dee..la la lala!" Orion sighed dejectedly. "...Is anyone out there?"

OOCMy apologies for how dumb this was. lol

[Qist Tiere]

OOC : No, no! It was entertaining. "Cute little animals, their eyes strange with passion wait, that's just hunger, they're eating up my ration!" xD I have a feeling that is going to be stuck in my head for a bit. Oh, and this whole first paragraph is sort of....random. Sorry if it doesn't make any sense at all. >.< For about a bell Qist switched off between jogging and walking. At times, when she felt ambitious, she would sprint. She wouldn't dare close her eyes, seeing as she had a bungler streak about her lately, rather she would just gaze at the air above her. Her stare held a desire, one that ran deep through her blood. A desire to fly. If I were a bird, She began to wonder what she would look like if a winged creature. Would she be brightly colored? Large? A hunter? Stopping, she grinned at a clearing in the branches above her. Her eyes analyzed what little of the sky she could see. As her gaze was interupted by a low-flying hawk, Qist realized what kind of bird she would be: a naked one. Shaking her head in disgust, she took up a trot once more. She would never be a bird; her body would never grow feathers or wings. Qist would never fly. How ever disappointing this realization, Qi understood this was how it had to be. How ridiculous would a clothed bird be? Nearing the next trap, her mind was taken away from images of birds in dressage. Hoping there would be something more than air trapped in this one, Qist slowed to a brisk walk. She gently pushed aside a shrub and stepped through it, astonished by what she found before her. Not precisely what I was hoping for... The femme took a catious step forward, looking at the man who hung in her trap. Her javalin hung limply in her right hand while her net was slung over her left shoulder. For a moment, she contemplated putting them to use against this intruder, but quickly dropped the idea once figuring that humanoid flesh probably tasted very rough in comparision. Tilting her head, she peered into the face of this grown man. Qist snickered lightly. "At least the trap works, though I don't see you tasting very good in a stew."

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 30, 512 AV Orion's eyes lit up when he saw her. "Oh, thank goodness! I've been hanging here all night, and well..." His stomach rumbled at the thought of stew. "..I assure you I wouldn't taste good at all, but there happens to be a blueberry bush right here! If you get me down, I would gladly share them with you." He grinned, looking the redhead over, his eyes resting momentarily on her face, before lingering on the weapon she held. His smile disappeared as Orion gulped. "Heck, take them all, just get me down. Please?," he begged. He could deal with hunger later. If he was up here any longer he'd go insane. Especially if with there being a woman down there. A redheaded javelin wielding one, at that. He'd couldn't remember ever meeting one of those. Could be fun... A devilish smirk appeared on his face for a second before he caught himself and switched back to a more pleading expression.

oocSorry it's short. I'm kinda at your mercy, so I felt like anything more would be words just for the sake of words

[Qist Tiere]

Qist nodded, setting her net to the ground. Normally, she would toss the javelin towards the trap in hopes that the vine might snap. Looking down at the pointed edge of the weapon, she came to the conclusion that just throwing it around willy-nilly would not be the best option; murder was definately not on her to-do list today. Setting the stick to the ground, Qist walked over to the tree the vine was hung on. She sighed. Was this tree this tall last time? Perhaps she had just shrunk. Either way, it was not the easiest task launching her four-foot mass into the tree. After a few failed attempts, Qist cursed under her breath."I will kill you, you cursed tree you." Looking about her, the mixed blood wondered how she even got near that branch before. She soon found her answer on adjacent side of the trapped man. "Ah, well that would make sense, wouldn't it? Excuse me," She ducked under him, rising on the other side with a smile on her face. Triumphantly, Qist hopped up on top of the large rock she had found earlier, then quickly swung up onto the nearest branch. A hop, skip and a jump later, her 'haul' fell to the forest floor. Thud. "Probably should have warned him first, eh?" Probably. "Meh, he's a man. He'll be fine." Qist shrugged away the brief, quiet conversation, turning her attention to more, if not only slightly but nevertheless more, important matters. "Land well, chandelier?"

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 30, 512 AV Orion watched the small woman futilely jump for the branch. As her arms flailed, a grin started to spread on his face. Maybe it was all the blood that had been pooling, but despite his situation, a snicker escaped from him, which he regretted only moments later. She disappeared from sight and suddenly the ground got much closer. His breath escaped violently as his crashed to the forest floor. "...ouch...," he muttered, reaching to rub his shoulder, which now throbbed painfully. "Probably shouldn't laugh at someone rescuing you, huh?" Orion remarked, trying to sit up, but his blood flow returning to normal would have something to say about that. Dizziness overtook him, his vision blurring. He collapsed back into the vegetation, exhaling a moan while covering his eyes with his hands. "I'd have gone with 'how's it hanging', but the chandelier bit is good, too." His eyes closed, he tried to listen for the woman's movements, but his senses felt distorted. It wasn't the first time he'd felt this way, and he knew it wouldn't be the best. "Usually when everything's like this, I'm a dozen mugs in." He chuckled, but that only served to make the pain worse. "I'm just going to lay here for a moment, if you don't mind. Thanks for getting me down." He'd yet to get a good look at her to really realize her stature. Half a day of hanging upside down could alter one's perception. The spots in his vision remained even while his eyes were closed. Sometimes I wonder if I'm marked to recieve serious head trauma...

[Qist Tiere]

Qist smirked. At least he was well enough to be humorous. "Ah, well I've never been known for my humor, or wit." Scaling her way back to the rock she had just used, Qist laughed. "Then again, it doesn't look like wit has been favored by you, either." Sure, rub some salt into the wound; add insult to injury. Beautiful. "Oh, hush. He isn't dead." She folded her legs neatly beneath her, huffing at the small voice inside her head. When alcohol was referenced, Qist chortled. "I know the feeling." Of disorientation due to falling from a tree? "No, of being three sheets to the wind." Outside of hunting, drinking seemed to be the only thing Qi was deathly dedicated to. She wasn't quite sure when she picked up the habit, though she often used her parents as a scapegoat. Whenever the obssession started, she had become accustomed to it and the symptoms it brought: wicked head aches, severe loss of proper balance and lessened senses, all just the tip of the iceberg. Thus, the mixed blood was fairly empathetic with the stranger on the ground. It would clearly be a while before he recovered. "Take your time, I'm in no hurry to get back to the castle."

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 30, 512 AV He gave a half smile to her comments, opening and uncovering his eyes to watch her walk over to the rock. "A fellow enthusiast, are you? I was wondering if our proximity to the ground was our only common trait," he said, taking notice of her height, while the smile became a full on grin. "I'm Orion, but I do enjoy pet names, so if you'd like to call me Chandelier, I would treasure it so." He closed his eyes again, everything swimming, though clearer now. "I'll have to come up with something for you, though, otherwise it isn't fair." He slowly sat up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder for now. He'd need to check that out when he got back to Syliras. It could very well be damaged, but he could only hope otherwise for now. "You know, this upside down thing, probably a lot cheaper than drinking. The headaches the same, but I think the falls hurt worse." Orion let his gaze rest on her fully this time, noting her occasional quip to a question or statement that hadn't been asked. "I take it this was your trap. Quite a ways out in the forest, isn't it? Well, i think. If I'm completely honest, I haven't a clue where I am." He grinned sheepishly. It was kind of embarrassing to be this lost. He hadn't intended to venture off the path, and really wasn't sure what led him here. As strange as it was to admit, if he hadn't fallen prey to her trap, he'd probably still be wondering the woods. But instead, there he sat, dazed, with this fire haired, in a word, spirited woman. Always an adventure, right?

[Qist Tiere]

The side of her lips rose in a smirk. Enthusiast...Qist found the word to be somewhat lacking in severity. It was like describing a rock as calloused; it just wasn't a strong enough word. At least, this was for her own purposes. Who knows, perhaps she was just a hobbyist compared to the drinker before her. Qi doubted it though. "I suppose you could say that." She rearanged her legs, folding them so one hung off the edge of the boulder. Her eyebrows raised at the latter part of his statement. "Do you always bite the hand that feeds you, or am I just special?" Oh, you're special alright. She tossed her eyes back, opting to not indulge her pesky little friend with a response. Growing antsy once more, Qist stood. She reached up to stretch out her arms, letting them pop and crack in protest. Once finished, the redhead found herself picking berries off the nearby bush. She hadn't realized it before, but she had forgotten to eat earlier. Normally she would have mooched off of a merchant for breakfast, which would have netted her a decent meal, though she must've been too eager to remember to do so this morning. As she picked the tiny fruit, Qist answered the man in reverse. "Yes, it is. The idea was to place the trap where no one would loot or meddle with it." Great job with that one. "Or, at least that was the idea." Her eyes flickered over to him, casting a quick look of condescendence. With a few of the round treats in hand, the petite gal walked over to Orion. She flipped her hand over, waiting for him to raise his own hand to catch the berries. "Pleasure." She nodded towards his introduction, flashing a brief, somewhat playful smile. "My friends call me Qi, though you can call me Qist."

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 30, 512 AV He watched her speak from the boulder, feeling almost a tinge of guilt when she questioned his comments. Almost. His eyes were dancing with excitement and laughter at this point as Orion shook his head and smiled. "Please, forgive my jest. It was in poor taste. I think it a defense mechanism of mine when dealing with pain." Or redheads, he thought with a smirk. "I'm actually quite grateful you showed up. If you didn't set that trap, I'd be done for. And if you hadn't caught me in it and showed up, I'd be double done. So let me tell you this, miss. If anyone questions the quality of your trapping, I'll personally vouch for it." Orion gave her a playful wink. He watched her go for the berries and his stomach called out to her with a grumble. "Well on a normal day, I'm sure you're plan would have worked to perfection and you'd have caught something much more edible. However, I've learned that things hardly go as plan with me." He grinned putting his hands out to take her gift. "Qist." Qist, Qist, Qist. Her statement wasn't lost on him. I wonder how many people actually get to call her Qi. "Well, Qist. I'm certainly feeling a lot better now, so after a taking our fill of this bush, shall we be on our way?" He was lying about feeling better. He was actually resisting making comments that would endanger a half incapacitated man, and he figured the longer they were here, the greater a chance of him slipping would be. She just doesn't see the type....