Duck Lake if you dream to the top you’ll be over the edge

@Jaime
tags for reference

Rockhopper's time as a pathetic little rogue was officially over. His dear old sister had finally seen his worth and sent him away to lead a merry band of misfits of his own. And it was about fuckin' time! He'd been waiting for this position for his entire life, and you bet your ass he took full advantage of it.

"Get your worthless as over there and steal some shit!" He hissed at @Phillip as they stared down some packs claim. It was the perfect way to get some time away from the twerp. "And you, he growled at @Dragonfly, "Make yourself useful and gather recruits" Man did it feel good to boss her around without being beaten to a pulp! Life was good indeed.

While those two did their jobs, Rockhopper would head off and make himself busy. He'd scout the surrounding areas, maybe meet a couple babes along the way (spring was a magnificent time for that), and get back to Phillip in a couple weeks or so. Hopefully the runt would have some food waiting for him.

Ah, speaking of food, would you look at that! Ducks everywhere! They'd make a good snack. Rockhopper stood a good distance away from them, waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch one up.

ducks are one of his least favorite birds, actually. annoying, smelly, kinda ugly. he hates them. so killing them is more satisfying than typical hunts — enough to make up for how much he hates hunting them. he abandons his hiding spot and dives in for the kill, gripping one by the neck and shaking it wildly. he's oblivious to the presence of another nearby, too caught up in his favorite part. feathers fly as he whips the duck's body around by its neck, breaking bones and making short work of the poor bird. too easy.

Just as he spots an opening, someone runs towards the birds like a bat out of hell. Rockhopper lifted his head and watched them fly away in a fearful frenzy. So much for a fuckin snack. He cursed under his breath and looked back down at the man who now had a dead duck in his jaws. What a little thief. That should've been his. Well he was just going to have to take it right back was he?

Rockhopper trotted our from his cover and cleared his throat. The smile he put on wasn't very genuine. The irritation was as clear as day. He was never any good at hiding his emotions.

Nice catch ye got there.

the approach of another startles him, putting him on edge immediately. more so when he realizes how agitated the guy looks, despite the smile and compliment. it's kinda creepy. he drops the duck and puts a paw over it. uh, thanks, he says warily. should be more on the other side of the lake, if you're hungry.

Oh no, he didn't care about all those live ones over there, just the dead one beneath that paw. Why waste his breath chasing around those birds when he could just have that one? It'd be a pain to take it off the guy though.. hmm.. Oh! A lightbulb flickered over his head.

Well shit. I was hoping I'd catch somethin' over here. Less walkin' y'know? It'd be easier on me leg. He looked over his shoulder and winced. Ah well. Got no choice now that ye scared 'em away. And then he walks away with a limp. Throws in a couple grunts here and there. Tried not to overdo it. It's a performance worthy of an Oscar if you asked him! And then his head shot up as if a grand idea just hit him. Ay, why don't you help me catch somethin'? He turned around, eyes bright. I'll make it worth ye while.

jaime isn't the brightest bulb, but he's not exactly naive, either. he feels bad at first, but the performance quickly reveals itself as just that. dude hadn't been limping before. uh, sure. let me just... finish this, he says, trying not to show how nervous he is. he's not much of a fighter — if it comes to that, there's no way he'll be able to hang on to the bird.

Ha! The idiot! Fell right into his perfectly laid trap. He'd be dining on duck soon, and he wouldn't even have to work for it. Nice work Rockhopper, nice indeed.

Oh sure, take ya time. No but really, he better hurry it up. Rockhopper wasn't a patient man, and there's work to be done!

it goes over better than he'd expected, to his relief. if the guy isn't hoping to steal what he'd already killed, he has time to slip out of this without any conflict. he picks up the bird and turns to put a little distance between them, ears twitching warily. he isn't really scared, but he's creeped out to the point that he has no intentions of sticking around once he finishes his meal. that in mind, he tries to eat quickly, hoping the distance between them will be enough of a head start for him to slip away quickly. he doesn't want to help this weirdo hunt anything.

Woah, woah, did Rockhopper smell or something? That's the only reason why he'd step away from him like that. And if you asked him he was smelling quite fine today thank you very much. So what's the deal?

Common now, I won't bite. He took a few steps forward. Rockhopper was watching him intently now. What was his next move? Eat? Run? Fight?