. all you have's your axe to grind . closed

[shikomizue]

Who: Takasugi Shinsuke (shikomizue) & "Friends" | Closed
What: Catch All For April-May-June
When: Over April / May / June
Where: Mostly Wyver, some Thesa and Olympia
Warning(s): alcohol + graphic violence + bang + will edit as needed

[ closed starters in the comments ]

Comments

[originallutece]

[Normally, she doubts she'd ever be able to sneak up on him, but today is different. For starters, he's decidedly preoccupied with that bird, and judging by how it's pointedly not diving down and picking anything up, it's not going well. And secondly, she'd teleported her way forward as soon as she's recognized that figure, so she's come up soundlessly behind him.

She watches him at it for a long few seconds. There's fear in her throat, but she refuses to let that stop her. She won't run from him. She won't spend the rest of her life fleeing from this man, despite what he'd done to her. The only way forward is to act as though her fear isn't there.]

Perhaps you can train the bird to chirp out orders and you can fetch it. It might go faster that way.

[shikomizue]

[Watching the bird soar above leaves a single splotch of vision in his eye, where the rest have become accustomed to the diffused but brilliant light of Nysa's sun. Casting his gaze to the ground, the grass swirls - he can't see in enough detail to pinpoint where he'd thrown the jewel.

All he has is a vague idea-

And a vague feeling of being watched.

Takasugi turns to the intake of breath that precedes speech, and he doesn't need the vision that's slowly returning to him to recognize who has joined him.

He smiles, but he isn't amused.] Heh. What good advice, Ms. Bird Instructor.

Go ahead and teach it that. [Two fingers plunge into his satchel, producing a mangled piece of what once was a mouse. The moment he raises it, the hawk descends, landing on his gloved hand with agitated wings.]

[originallutece]

I think I'd best teach you first.

[She takes a few steps forward, coming to stand next to him, watching the falcon. It knows that, at least. Perhaps if they can associate the two in its mind . . .]

Can you fetch?

[shikomizue]

[Rather than listen to implicit derisions, Takasugi turns his attention to the bird perched on his arm. It clamps its beak down on the snack, flinging limp flesh wildly as it slowly swallows the bloody mess.

Impatient, with red smeared on its beak, the bird lifts one foot and then the other, talons flexing against thick leather.]

That's the bird's job, not mine. [He hooks his thumb around the creature's ankle, keeping it in place. His hawk bends, pecking petulantly at the digit holding it down.]

[originallutece]

Offer it a jewel.

[She turns towards him, watching the bird carefully. She's not altogether fond of any kind of animal, but the bird seems somewhat sane, and that's more she can say for horses.]

Associate the food and the intended target together, that's the first step.

[shikomizue]

[What the hell did a horse do to you Ros???

Eye narrowed, Takasugi doesn't look to the woman giving him direction. Her logic makes sense - it would, her pride needs to hinge on something, and that anchor certainly isn't strength.

He plucks a jewel, brilliant blue inlaid in cracked gold, from his belt and offers it to the bird.

The hawk tilts its head, pecks at his hands some more. Only when its release becomes abundantly impossible does the creature scoot up Takasugi's arm and inspect the jewel. It takes it, tries to eat it, then drops it on the ground.]

Impressive. [That's sarcasm.]

[originallutece]

It's more than it's done for you, so let's keep the sarcasm to ourselves, shall we?

[She says it tartly, absolutely unfazed by his dry tone.]

Do it again.

[It'd be a lie to say she isn't enjoying bossing him.]

[shikomizue]

[There's the juvenile temptation to release the bird, cut the thing loose from its short leather leash and watch it fly away. Vanishing along with it would be the coy tone in the woman's voice - he doesn't need to look at her to know she's satisfied with herself.

But even that would be telling her too much.] If it eats them, you'll buy me a replacement.

[Replacement finery, or a replacement dumbass bird.

First food, pinched between thumb and finger to make the bird yank it from him. Then another bauble, this one a string of pearls, several cracked or missing.

The bird gobbles its snack, and holds onto the bracelet, head cocked.]

[originallutece]

[She doesn't reply to that. She most certainly won't buy him anything, but saying so will only lead to a bickering competition that isn't worth starting. Instead: she watches with satisfaction as the bird seems to grasp the shining things aren't something to eat.]

Well done. And now . . .?

[shikomizue]

Now-

[Hell if he knows - but the expectation that he does looms.

Takasugi procures another piece of food, a smaller scrap, and offers it to the bird. As the creature takes its snack, he slips the pearls from its beak.

That's the sort of trade they'll be needing to make.]

And the same with paper. [Logic at its simplest, though there's no telling how long this technique will take.]

What else? [He's as greedy as ever for more.]