she was a v i p e r, coiled and ready to strike. irritable on the best of days, though the coin had not landed on such favorable outcomes this afternoon. be it the rhythmic pangs of hunger or the unpleasant bursts of autumn air tangling locks of earthly pelt, solaris was in no mood for entertaining the likes of others. she was not built for the cooler months, a summer babe through and through.
like a serpent slithering in your garden, she weaved herself throughout the berry bushes, tuffs of fur catching bundles of foliage as she brushed by. the sweet aroma of the air was enough to get drunk off of, and as a low rumble echoed it's way from the depths of her stomach, the serpentine woman settled for what she could get. it was no proper meal, but at least it would ease the discomfort of a vacant stomach.
iseul was probably more comparable to a bear than anything with her massive size. the girl thundered with a stocky build, large paws seemingly crushing anything that found itself underneath her weight. she was always jealous of her sister for having such a trim build, perhaps her mother just fed her too much as a kid and just never lost her baby pudge. either way, this form of thinking rarely puts her off food. despite her vain frustrations, food is fuel. and as it grows colder, iseul must work to conserve her coat and fat.
luckily, a ptarmigan was not able to escape her grasp. its feathers had not yet turned white like snow, having a more mottled brown color that reflected churned soil. its blood was warm and the feathers were tickling her throat; it would be best to eat it fresh while she had the time to do so.
so, the girl hunkers down, appearing like a massive log upon the meadow. she can smell the sweetness of the berries that surrounded her. and for a moment she thinks of their flavor. perhaps she'd sample the delicacies after eating her poultry. she begins plucking the feathers, licking and spitting them out, unaware of the snake that lingers not too far from her, in search of morsels to eat as well.
a drifting breeze brought about the faintest scent of metallic sting to her nose. she paused for a moment from her fruitful snack, lips stained a deep mulberry. another gust assured her of the recently departed, this time the fragrance of another mixed with the odor of death.
and so the snake slithered onward, curious if she might steal a meal away from an unsuspecting victim. that thought went out the window as soon as she was close enough to catch a glimpse of the burly figure.
she was hungry, not stupid.
she'd stand no chance against the behemoth, and dropped all interest in the possibility of gaining a fleshful meal right then and there. the viper sought only to announce her presence to the other in the form of a chuff. a serpent revealed was less threatening than the one hiding amongst the weeds was it not?
she could sense the body of another, ears swiveling like radar to determine where the other was. a chuff greets her ears, and for a moment iseul grabs ahold of her kill tightly and protectively. she was never opposed to sharing, usually her sister always begged for the better parts of her successful hunts. however, this stranger did not carry the blood of her family. iseul would have to see what business they had.
the girl lifts her head to look towards the viper, jadeite meets heterochromia of emerald and gold. she blinks once and allows for her hackles to remain stationary. she herself returns her own chuff, an audible recognition of the other's presence. iseul is one who is often too thoughtful for her own good, and now she must question whether being altruistic in this one would be a good idea. in a sense, she'd be helping someone who was probably hungry and scrounging around for berries.
on the other, this is a stranger, not her family. kindness can only be extended so far when you are somewhere far from home. "Are they good?" they in reference to the berries at least. a way to see if this lady would be a willing companion for a few minutes and want to chat her up or not.
her sour mood from earlier had subsided just enough to entertain the thought of conversing, but was it enough? she gave a thoughtful glance towards whatever morsal the stranger had acquired. perhaps with some persuasion or pity, the viper might yet strike a blow of success and gain a more fulfilling treat. but she was not one to typically accept such sympathy unless absolutely desperate, which she was not.
not put off by the other's initial wariness, solaris remained where she stood, happy to keep the space between them a respectable distance. "they are enough", was all that was offered as a response to the inquiry. truth be told, there was not much else to be said. they were berries, and she'd rather not waste time spent on small talk regarding nothing more than fruit.
she bent down then to pluck another few stray fruits from the shrubbery they hid amongst, a visual assurance to her earlier words. "what of your own pickings? any good?" she asked as she munch away on the natural sweets.
a bloodied tongue laps against her dark lips. "it is an old bird." not much to really enjoy about meat that has become stiff with age. this ptarmigan has probably served its life well parenting and procreating. and now, its final job would be complete. here the girl does something gristly, taking hold and tearing the bird as evenly as she gets. no reason to be protective of meat that is not precious anyways.
the carcass rips with ease, and iseul lays the other half not far from her. an invitation of kindness, something that she hopes will not get her in trouble. "if you'd like more." is what she offers before taking a bite from her own half. the crunching of bones and cartilage is loud and probably unwanted, but for iseul, it is a nose that promises her nourishment. she'd probably taste the berries the viper has snacked upon, but she would wait to see if her counterpart would even come out of the bushes to sit near her.
perhaps a sign of kindness, of desperation for company, or perhaps the weakness of not providing for others. for iseul, it was just another day and another old bird.
the offer is made, though not one she was keen on accepting. mother did always say to never take food from strangers, though this is not what prompted the viper's wariness. "your offer is kind", she begins, glancing down to the severed half that had been put forward for her. "but half a bird will not fill my empty stomach." it was not intended to be a rude remark, though her tone lacked any indication of it being anything else.
she stepped forward to pluck yet another buddle of berries from the shrubbery. a bad bunch this time, sour and not to her taste. she spat them out gracelessly to the ground, tongue smacking against the roof of her mouth as she tried to rid herself of the unappetizing flavor. maybe she should have accepted that bird.
"perhaps, if you'd be up for it, we might work together to take down a creature that could satisfy both our hunger." and there she lay her offer, direct and without hesitation. the other was clearly skilled enough to hunt for herself, so perhaps with their combined effort, the two of them might secure something more nourishing than an old bird and berries.
at first her ears airplane a bit at the remark. food was food for the simple iseul, whether it was something decadent or something that had to be scrounged for. she wondered if the reason why this one was so skinny and small was that she never ate anything unless it was perfect. the bird still lay there for the taking, and as iseul kept crunching, she could hear the unsatisfied nose spitting from the viper. and here, she hides an entertained and coy smile as she eats.
though, something is offered, an idea, or more a sharing of talents. here iseul lifts up her head from the carcass and thinks. she could bring down something with her large size, not a problem there. what use could Solaris be? perhaps it was just her inexperienced and youthful brain speaking to her, only seeing strength as the real reason why hunts are successful instead of strategy.
she could use a full belly anyways, the bird really was not all that tasty. so, iseul gets up to her paws and nods toward Solaris. she isn't sure quite what to expect, but hopefully it would pan out to be more of a learning experience. "where to?" iseul doesn't know this land quite that well, so she hoped that the older female might have more knowledge as to where big game strays to in the fall.
want to fade here and start a new thread for their hunt, or continue in this one?
there were but a few moments of thought that drifted quietly throughout the surrounding air as the stranger contemplated the offer laid before her. chestnut ears pricked forward at the answer, a splash of surprise upon the viper's face, for she had not expected the other to be so easily accepting. perhaps the woman was hungrier than what she appeared.
"was hoping you'd have some suggestion on that", she answered back, brow lifting as she tossed a fleeting glance to the other. eyes peered away to scan their surroundings, the meadow stretching onwards until it broke against woodland.
"i'm sure creatures of all sizes gather near to this meadow for easy nourishment", the two of them had after all. "we might find luck by scouting nearby for recent signs of activity." or at least that was the hope. she looked to the other for approval on her suggestion before an attempt at putting her plan into motion was considered.
i would be happy to start a new one for us if you'd like! <3
it seemed that two strangers were in the same corner of the unfamiliarity of the lands. at least they had 2 pairs of working eyes and 2 sets of functioning legs. that usually was enough to accomplish any goal in mind. iseul lifted her gaze, trying to peer over the bushes in the meadow to see where life would be. hopefully, something along the lines of the deer or boar that are familiar to her homelands.
"I came from the south," she says, pointing her nose in the direction of meadowlark prairie,
"past a tall grass field on the way here. we might be able to find something larger there grazing." at least iseul remembered where she traveled from, this would serve her well in life. she'd look towards her hunting companion to see if there would be any qualms about heading in that direction. and if not, she'd aim to start walking in that direction.
would love that, i'll fade here then :3
the stranger pointed off in an unfamiliar direction, and solaris' eyes followed to look off to the south. she'd not come from that direction, but supposed it was as good as any other area to start off with. "lead the way." the viper waited until the other took the first few steps off in their intended direction before she followed suit.
her nose switched between hanging low to the floor and lifting high to catch the oncoming breeze. with any luck the duo might spot signs of life before the daylight had faded.