Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » The cackling hound

[This rp is open to all. If you see an appropriate time to jump in you may do so. I only ask that you keep post order and are patient with other players and allow them as much time as needed to reply. There is no rush.]

Darkness fell on the forest as the sun fell deeper and deeper giving way for the moon to rule the skies. However, no moon rose, or so it appeared. The new moon was just a vague black spot moving along a cloud riddled sky. The forest's nocturnal denizens scampered and scurried while trees creaked and cracked like an old man's tired bones. It started with a snicker, barely audible really. A sickening snap and the wet sound of teeth clamping in to fresh flesh echoed off of the leaves and trees, bushes and branches. For a moment all life was still. A vacuum sucked all the sound from that dense stretch of wild. Then, the cackling rang out like a signal to all creatures. Nocte was awake. He was mad. He was hungry.

Ukichi was traversing through the dark forest with no real destination in mind. She was simply content to see where she would wind up rather then limit herself to one strict destination. Besides the journey itself was often more interesting then the destination even if she had one.

That being said, she was taking care to make sure she didn't travel in circles, luckily she was a master of navigation so even on such a dark night, the kitsune wasn't having any trouble traveling in a straight line. As she moved silently, she enjoyed the cacophony of sounds made by the forest's nocturnal children. Of course it was impossible not to notice the sudden silence after that subtle snicker. Oh Ukichi had no difficulty hearing it despite how faint it was, when you had large and hypersensitive ears, it was easy to pick up the sounds that would go noticed by most. The sounds of sharp teeth on flesh offered the suggestion that a predator had made a successful hunt. Yet where were the usual alarm calls? Curiously absent it would appear.

Now the ancient kitsune was a very inquisitive sort of creature possessed with a unquenchable thirst for knowledge. So with the hope of seeing something unusual, she raced off in pursuit of the source of the sounds. That being said, she wasn't stupid, so instead of rushing in blindly, once she got close, she dropped low to the ground and started to stalk closer. The darkness would serve as her friend it allowed her to be swallowed up in it thanks to her nearly pure black pelt. She had every intention of staying in the shadows so she could get an unobtrusive look at whatever was up ahead.

Nocte rose from the ground while his tongue eagerly cleaned his cartoonishly wide grin. With his limbs plunged in to the hole he was feasting from just moments before, he worked feverishly to pluck the rabbit carcass from it's former home.

The rabbit began to hop as he turned it's lifeless form in to a puppet. "Little bunny foo foo hopping through the forest!" his sing song rythem coupled with the higher pitched and ethereal tone of his voice was an eerie pair. "Snatching up the field mice and biting off all their heads!" with his final words his jaws wrapped around the rabbits head with the ferocity and speed of a viper strike. Gulp! The carcass was tossed behind him as he almost slithered from tree to tree.

Nocte paid no mind to the foxen creature that hunted him and watched him. Not to say he would have even noticed her presence. Nocte certainly wasn't one too terribly used to being th one being hunted. Nocte hummed as he moved along. He snickered and giggled to himself like there was some kind of conversation going on in his head. This assumption was only reinforced by the random words he would mutter. "No, no can't do that. But, what about the bananas!" Nocte shot up straight, wide eyed with the grin wiped from hi face. He started to shake his head giggling again. "No, no banana men here"

Ukichi watched with interest, her entire body like a statue save for the slight movement of breathing. The sight of the rabbit's corpse hoping again in some crude imitation of life was especially intriguing. Of course she was rather dismayed with what seemed to be his "questionable" sanity, but occasionally there was more then what meets the eye when dealing with characters such as these.

While she was still wary of Nocte, she decided it would be better to come out into the open rather then continue the game of cat and mouse. Besides it was better to be willingly expose yourself rather then be caught stalking someone if you wish to engage in civil conversation.

So the kitsune would slowly move out of her cover and then call out to him. "Greetings, dark one. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name? Mine is Ukichi and I must say I don't recall ever seeing a being quite like you before." Her tone of voice was calm and respectful, but also completely devoid of any fear. Ukichi had lived for several thousand years after all and had seen many things. As a result she was not an easy one to frighten. As for her posture, it was straight and poised with all nine tails fanned out for easy counting.

While she wasn't interested in a battle, that didn't mean that she wouldn't defend herself should Nocte become aggressive. Should the dark creature make an agressive move towards her, she would instantly respond by bringing out her foxfire in a threat display. Then should he persist despite the highly visible warning, she would attack, but she really would prefer to avoid conflict.

It was deathly quiet on the nights when Nocte emerged to hunt and tonight was no different. For miles around, not even a cricket would creak; the bats wouldn't flap and the shrews didn't shuffle. So, it wasn't hard to notice when a faint rustle of leaves and a voice called out from behind him.

Nocte's head whirled round, steady but quick. It would be hard for any common creature to make out such black figures on a dark night. If someone were to happen by they may not even realize what danger they were in with one, possibly two, deadly predators just feet apart from each other. Two orbs and a toothy crescent grin glowed at his brave visitor. His ears perked and moved like wandering radar dishes desperately searching for a signal until they locked on in the direction of the fox. Drool drizzled from the row of needles lining his gums. It was a rare sight to see food so willing to serve itself up on a fancy platter. He could just pop on over, chow down, and be on his way. So many crunchy tails on display really got his juices flowing. Everyone knows fox tails are the best part of the meal! And, after all, how often do you find so many on one plate?

"My name?" he pondered the question. His mind wandered off in tangents as his head slowly started to tilt. Nocte's head flipped upside down with that grin still locked on his maw as if it were painted on. "No name. But, you can call me hungry." No surprise there. The Bastard was always hungry. He righted his head with a quick snap and peered intently at his...Friend? Meal? Enemy? Too soon to tell. He licked his drooling chops and spoke again. "Those tails sure are fluffy. I bet they'd feel like crunchy pillows between my teeth." He grew closer. His form appeared almost bubbling, oozing, and snake like with two lanky limbs that protruded from what would be his shoulders. He moved around the Fox like creature. His movements might even be described as graceful as he moved effortlessly around the fur covered, talking meat. "You remind me of a rabbit I once knew. He was a playful little critter." he snickered ominously.

[I hope my style and shotty grammar are up to your standards)

(Hey you use paragraphs and remember to put a space in after each period. I have seen worse and I'm not a grammar nazi.)

Ukichi would stand her ground still without fear, but she kept a wary eye on Nocte at all times. When he referred to himself as hungry, she would reply with. "I see that the rabbit you ate must not have been enough was it? Perhaps you should hunt much larger game like wild pigs or deer for example."

As he circled her, Ukichi would be sure to keep him in sight at all times even if that meant turning around. She wasn't about to let him into her blind spot for good reason, particularly since he had mentioned eating her tails. However that wouldn't be the first comment she would reply to. "I saw that rabbit, how exactly did you make him move like that? Telekinesis? Possession?" The only thing readable from her tone as she said this was her curiosity so he was hoping to frighten her, he was still striking out. However she would then continue with, "However as to eating my tails or any other body part of mine..." Suddenly all nine tail tips and her ankles would erupt with bright white/blue foxfire. "I don't think I would make the best choice of food. A little too hot I believe. That being said, I have no desire to fight with you. I merely wish to talk, nothing more."

She would keep her foxfire ignited until she felt reasonably convinced that Nocte had abandoned his current dinner plans as she did sincerely mean it when she said that she had no desire to fight. The kitsune didn't enjoy fighting and normally only did so to defend herself as she wasn't the type to start them.

(Sorry, I had a poker game and I ended up having to leave before I could finish my post yesterday since we ended up leaving an hour earlier then I expected.)

Madness began to creep and crawl in to his mind. The grinning beast's eyes narrowed on his would be meal. He salivated with anticipation, catching droplets of drool with his tongue and slurping it back under control.

He replied to Ukichi's question about his latest snack. "Ooooh I don't know. I guess it was on strings, maybe." he only grew angry when she told him he wouldn't be indulging in Fox tails this night. A flash of light made Nocte recoil. His figure would be seen whipping up the side of a near by but still dark tree. He shielded himself from the light. "EVIL, EVIL MEAT!" Nocte glanced down and noticed the birds nest just below him. He gobbled down the nest, eggs and all. With a gulp "how dare you! You turn off those tail bulbs this instant! I won't stand for it. Who do you work for? The banana men?" Nocte perked up as he did when he referenced the banana men, except, this time he was furious. "Come on out banana men!" he shouted, nearly screamed. Then mumbling to himself. "Silly men in their yellow banana suits and glass faces." if you thought about it you might infer the banana men were scientists in some type of chemical or radiation suit.

To Ukichi. "What do you want with me? Are you just bait set by the banana men? The jig is up!"

Shadow was in her cat form...watching the two beings of the nocturnal...The blue fox fire slightly blinded her, but she quickly recovered from it...She watched them from the tree, silently...She was practically invisible to them. Her pure black fur making her practically transparent...She watched them and narrowed her green eyes at them...
(If this is too short, I will try to add more in the future.)

(Jonathon, wasn't this supposed to be a private rp or were you open to other people joining?)

(He told me I could join this one)

(Well he didn't tell me one word about it so I was like to hear it from him.)

(Alrighty)

[Anyone is free to jump in as long as they feel the timing is right and they abide by posting order. I have no objections to anyone joining the rp so long as they act appropriately and do not disrupt the flow of the story beyond repair or recognition.]

(I promise to do that)

[Well alright, wish you would have told me, but it's fine. I'll post a little later, have a few other rps I have to post to first.)

(Alright)

[That being said, if any member of the ongoing RP has any objection to someone joining at a certain point or feel it will not further the story they may make their concerns known and it should be taken in to consideration.]

[Its actually Ukichi's turn to post. Post order, including Shadow would be Nocte, Shadow, Ukichi]

Ukichi was pleased to see the immediate reaction that Nocte gave towards her foxfire, but obligingly let the flames go out. "There the "bulbs" are all gone, but they will come back if you try to eat my tails, but otherwise I will be happy to have them stay out." Her voice was sincere and soothing as she tried to appease the strange creature of darkness. It was readily apparent by his behavior that trying to get a straight answer from him would be a great feat, but that didn't mean that she wasn't willing to try once he was calm though!

"You seem to be quite mistaken, the only one I work for is me, myself, and I. I have no idea who these banana men are, but I can assure you that I have nothing to do with them. As for me, I merely wish to talk with you, nothing more. I wouldn't have even turned the "bulbs" on if it wasn't for the fact that I was concerned that you would attempt to eat my tails. Now about those strings, were you controlling them?"

Ukichi was content to play along with his madness in hopes that he would say something interesting, maybe give her some clues that she could use a paint a picture of exactly what sort of being he was. While one might think this was a fool's errand, Ukichi was very curious and she had nothing, but time on her paws.

(this is just a jump-in post, I will abide by the post order after I figure out who I'm after.)

Nearby, but far from view... a fire had been lit in the night. (It IS still night correct?) A small encampment had been made, covered by a tarp. with a crackling fire roasting venison steaks which had been stuck onto a spit, and nearby, a cloaked individual is reading a book nestled under the leaves and branches of an elderberry tree, with an etheral lantern by his side, giving him light. The book's cover is lined and detailed with gold, with a glowing blue rune etched into front. "*sigh...* Ah, what good times we had... haven't seen them in a while now, especially not the lass... I guess they moved on." He gets up, puts the book away into a blue bag and stuffs it in his cloak. He picks up the lantern and moves over to the encampment, sits down and starts turning the spit.