night of the hunter

[chosenfake]

Who: Luke and anyone else in the vicinity!
What: It's deer season.
Where: Silverglen Retreat and the forest surrounding it.
When: April 18th, daytime.
Warnings:

[ A. Silverglen Retreat (Red, Bronze, and Green flights only.)]

[After proving he could do the freaky fire thing with his hands, Luke has been admitted to the village. He's getting a lot of looks, though. He's human, and pretty short, and his fiery red hair is uncommon enough to be remarked upon. Most night elves have shades of white, black, or blue hair. It's like walking into the dark side of anime.

He keeps to himself as he checks out the little market and the way the people live, only asking small questions with a lot of apologies and grateful smiles. Sooner or later, he'll endear himself to them. Maybe. In the meantime, he's learned what a barter system is. Without any real marketable skills besides his sword, that means he has to go hunting.

Oh boy.

If one doesn't find him wandering the stalls in the morning, by afternoon he's bringing in a couple of freshly-killed deer in exchange for spices and clothing.]

[ B. The outlying forest. ]

[Luke is a mighty hunter. The mightiest of all hunters. He actually doesn't know the first thing about hunting a wild animal, so he's spent the past couple hours in a tree hoping this crazy idea works.

One may aid him in stalking and killing the stags. Or, they can simply watch him drop out of the sky on one's back. He's able to kill one after wrestling it for a minute. In the end, hitting the deer very hard in the head finally earns him the quest completion.

Time for a break. He plops down on the grass, panting, covered in fur and leaves.]

Comments

[chosenfake]

[Luke has never seen a player in action before. Sure, he's seen Guy flirt with the maids, but this is different and way more intentional. Zelos has them in the palms of his hands, maybe literally a little later. It's an incredible sight with Zelos all shameless and manipulative, and it kind of annoys Luke. A lot. He can't say exactly why, but it's kinda disgusting.

Luke stares from nearby, glaring over his stack of clothes. If he could, he'd be boring a hole through Zelos' skull. But instead, he might end up getting confused for a distant relative-- there are some curious glances from one of the girls closest to him.]

[wilder]

[Even if Luke can't bore a hole into his skull literally, it's not too long until he gets the sense someone is watching him. He glances over his shoulder a bit apathetically, expecting it to be some guy from the village that's jealous of the attention. But the streak of red at the corner of his vision is enough to tell him nope, it might actually be trouble]

[And so he'll give the girls an apologetic look and tell them he has to get going. There's a few whines of protest, and pleas that he should come back soon. But all in all, the break away is simple enough. Though a few of the girls are definitely watching them, and trying to get a good look at Luke- trying to figure out who this other redhead is.]

[Zelos meanwhile, seems to be acting completely nonchalant, even if he can see Luke's glare from very far away.]

Hey Luke, something up?

[chosenfake]

[Luke wasn't really expecting Zelos to come all the way over here. He sighs, adjusting his load.]

I've been working my butt off all day to get some deer to trade, and you're getting even more stuff just by flirting with girls?

I don't get it.

[wilder]

Hey, it's not like I've been lazy.

[He offers a shrug]

But I dunno what to tell you. I guess girls just like it when a charming guy with a pretty face pays them attention.

[chosenfake]

[Absolutely fucking shameless.]

All you're doing is just talking to them. I mean, you weren't even touching them.

-- Don't tell me you have some weird... mind thing that makes girls like you.

[wilder]

[A slight eye roll and in a deadpan tone:]

Oh yeah, you caught me, Luke. I have this special power, it's very effective.

I call it knowing how to talk to girls.

[chosenfake]

[Luke knows when he's being made fun of. He glowers a bit, then grabs one of the shirts he traded for and THROWS IT AT ZELOS' FACE.]

S-shut up! That's beyond talking to girls. That's a whole new level of-- of something.

[wilder]

[Whoa he's throwing things. Zelos looks mildly surprised as the shirt hits his face, and he'll pull it off him]

Hey, I told you before- all my powers are gone. So there's no way I could have some weird mind power.

Why are you so worked about this?

[chosenfake]

[Because someone has to have the moral high ground here and apparently it ISN'T FUCKING ZELOS.

Luke has to stop and think about that for a moment.]

I'm not worked up! I just can't--

-- I can't talk to girls the way you do.

[Well, yes that's obvious.]

... I can't really talk to girls at all, if we're being honest. I don't know the first thing about it.

[wilder]

[Hunny if you were expecting Zelos to be the moral high ground, you were fucked from the start]

Ha...really, huh.

[Seriously Luke you pretty much scream clueless. But he'll grin and shrug dramatically]

But oh! I see now! The young Luke has finally noticed girls and his inability to communicate with them! Good for you!

[chosenfake]

[Luke turns the color of his hair.]

Do you have to say it so loudly!? I was going to ask you for help but-- [He bristles and turns.] Ugh, just forget it.

[wilder]

Hey now, don't get mad. It's nothing to be ashamed about! Better to admit your ignorance than go on acting like you're a charmer when you're not.

[He'll side step so Luke's facing him again]

So why are you interested in help? You just wanna talk to girls better or is there someone special in mind?

[chosenfake]

[Luke couldn't even PRETEND to be smooth. He's just bad at existing. He's obviously flustered, and he ducks his head to avoid eye contact-- though he doesn't try to run off now that Zelos is taking him halfway seriously.]

Uh--

[Oh god.]

S... someone special? Uh, n... not really?

[Very convincing.]

[wilder]

[So very convincing]

Hm? Really? No one at all?

[chosenfake]

[Look at him, trying to lie to the master of lies. How cute.]

Nn... no? I mean, does it really matter?

[wilder]

[It's so cute when they're stupid. He just smiles and slings a free arm around Luke's neck]

Haha, yes. It does. ♥

[chosenfake]

[That smile is terrifying, as is the sudden invasion of space. This is like half of a stranglehold and he knows it.]

Well...

[A pause.]

Okay, what if there was someone? Just, you know, what if.

[wilder]

[Just think of how much lloyd had to endure this]

[But oh! He knows this not really hypothetical game]

Yeah?

And is this someone taken? You know, if there was someone?

[chosenfake]

[At least Luke realizes he has romantic feelings.]

Not that I know of.

[wilder]

[Yeah good job. the eight year old beat Lloyd on emotional awareness]

Oh? And hypothetically, would there be a reason you can't make a move?

[chosenfake]

[The eight year old also had to kill a lot of people to do it tbh.]

I'm really close to this person. Uh, hypothetically. They were cold to me at first-- not that I blame them-- but they've watched me all this time. They mean a lot to me, more than almost anything else. When I met them again in Exsilium... it was really, really important.

I... I'm afraid I'll ruin everything.

[wilder]

[Hey whatever works!! Except try to kill less gosh Luke]

[And yeah, he's wondering who this person is supposed to be, because frankly he only really knows Jade and Asch]

[Which no way in hell it's either of those two, right? ....Right?]

[But okay seriously now!]

Hmmm....

That's a pretty valid concern to have, I'll admit.

[chosenfake]

[That's like asking Zelos to stop having casual sex tbh.

IT'S A HUGE COMMITMENT.]

I'm not even sure if they like me back. How do you even tell?

[wilder]

[SHHH DON'T REMIND HIM HOW LITTLE SEX HE'S HAD LATELY. IT'S A DEPRESSING THING.]

How do you tell?

[You're asking a guy that assumes everyone hates him until they spell otherwise out to him, OKAY. But okay, he can fake it, right? Just think about...other people!]

Well...it depends! Everyone will react differently. I mean some might out right tell you, others...well-

Do they like spending a lot of time with you, or get easily flustered with you when they don't with others?

[chosenfake]

[Oh god, he's no good at this either.]

We... didn't exactly have a lot of free time. We were trying to save the world, so...

[He scratches the back of his head.]

I don't think so, but she does get mad at me a lot.

[There you go, it's not Asch.]