It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

The vermillion boy was on the hunt. Determined to make something of himself, considering his… shortcomings. He couldn’t remain a stuttering fool, or a twitchy idiot forever. And if he was doomed to be… he’d better have some more merits than his face and hide. Right?

After sniffing around the tall grasses for any feline-like scents, he was quick to to switch mental gears in favor of an ambush! But- well. He had to find something to catch first, didn’t he? There were all sorts of things, lizards, bugs, an occasional frog – nothing that really screamed challenge. What was the fun in something easy? No, he needed something he hadn’t attempted before. Something he would have to work for.

So, the boy had his nose to the ground, stepping as cautiously as possible. He had to keep his footfalls light, because if he was doomed to have such a strikingly red coat - he had to be good at stalking and ambushing! No prey worth hunting would just allow him to walk up to them, gosh, was there any one else who knew what this was like? What was he supposed to do here? Just as he was about to give up in frustration, the boy spotted a bird of some type, poking about on the ground. It appeared earthy in coloration with a long pointed tail. Perhaps just what he was looking for! So the boy scanned his surroundings, uncertain of how to begin his attempt. It was a bird so... it could fly, and if it did he would be left in it's dust. Shoot.

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murder

Code by TR

With the coming of Spring came the opportunities for expanding her skills. Morticia wanted to work more on the traps that her mother had shown her how to make, to get as good as Medusa at setting up snares for prey. More than anything, the girl was just eager to start collecting more prey and working on adding some new bones to her collection. She had been very disappointed when Medusa used some of the bones for the snare that required them to be broken, but she had understood why after. A good snare needs good materials… so maybe she would just need to keep her trophies and bones for making snares separate. That way she could have both! Yes, Morticia thought to herself. That would work. After spending a while digging out a spare den for her materials, Morticia had realized that hunger had begun to gnaw at her. She had been so busy digging that she hadn’t thought about lunch, but now she would need to break away and see what she could find. Maybe a rabbit? Or a turkey? She had liked the turkeys when she managed to get them. They were kind of dumb… and tasty. She grinned as she set off at a light lope, careful to make sure she didn’t cause too much noise and potentially scare away something to eat. It was on this trip that she noticed the smaller form of red, and her eyes lit up. Ahh, one of her little siblings! She had seen them from afar with their mother, but Moriticia hadn’t not managed to have any one on one time with them yet. And… she blinked, nose twitching as she caught the scent of the grouse on the wind. Oh, was her brother trying to hunt? Excitement bubbled up in her chest as she crept quietly forward, a delighted whisper falling forth from her lips as she spoke to the pup. “Grouse do not fly far, and spend much of the time on the ground.” She turned to her little brother. “Does little Red think he can grab hold of the Grouse if Morticia chases it? Then Morticia will help kill it, and then Red and Morticia can eat~” It would be some good experience for him if he wanted to hunt. The bird would try to take off the ground and glide away if she came after it, but if Redrum pounced on it then it wouldn’t be able to get away. It sounded like a foolproof plan in her mind to get them both something tasty to eat. --- Word Count: 432 Words (700) "Speech," 'Thought.'

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

As the boy remained still, body low to the ground so as to not spook his quarry — he pondered his options. There were only a few scenarios he could come up with for this particular situation. This hunt for the bird foraging along the tall grasses was.. most likely too much for him alone. He was still clumsy, and his paws were much too big for stealth; but he did possess the spirit to try until he succeeded. Call it stubbornness or foolishness.

So. A battle plan. At the moment the bird had not noticed him, it’s distance several meters away and slightly obscured as it moved along the ground in search of sustenance. It appeared to be alone, but there were other sounds of motion further out, so maybe this bird was a straggler - too absorbed to notice how far it had strayed. But Red still had no true plan, other than attempting to sneak up on it and wait for it to wander closer to him? Not a very solid plan at all…

Just as he was going to enact some version of that plan did a quiet shuffle and a voice ring out softly nearby. From what seemed like thin air, one of his elder siblings had appeared! They had only been able to see each other from afar, never individually thus far. Immediately Redrum felt a heavy excitement build within his chest, his tail wagging as a warm grin spread across his lips. A flash of sharp needle-like puppy teeth, golden eyes gleaming as he returned her delight. “Grouse. Red d-did no-t know its n-ame.” The boy nodded, his gaze returning back to the newly identified bird, applying the knowledge to what he had observed so far. It did appear more ground dwelling than, say, a regular smaller bird. It was large too. Not dissimilar to ducks. He guessed it was an established pattern, the bigger they were, the rounder — the more time they spend on the ground? At his elder sister’s suggestion, Redrum met her gaze with a nod. He could do it. Wait for Morticia to chase the bird. Grab the bird. Easy.

1,059/1500

murder

Code by TR

Aww, her little brother was so cute! Redrum would grin, the enthusiasm of the pup filling Morticia as her tail wagged back and forth beside him. His speech was a bit more broken, almost twitchy as he responded. Morticia didn’t mind that though - odd quirks were kind of a thing in their family after all. Her baby brother hadn’t known the name of the grouse, nor the info about it, but if he had interest in hunting he would learn all about prey in no time working with her. The rainbow skeletal girl let her gaze flick between her brother and the grouse, waiting for him to process the information that she had told him. This would be a great experience for Red, and she would be able to help encourage and nurture his growth as a hunter. It would be the perfect bonding experience! Satisfied that Redrum had taken her lesson to heart, Morticia lowered down into a stalking position. Her ears perked forward, steps light as she crept around the grouse in a wide arc. The bird was still feeding, unaware of the presence of the two siblings that were working together to bring about its demise. Her tail flicked back and forth as she crept to the opposite side of the Grouse that Red was on. She could still make out bits of his coat in the long grasses - their bright colors wouldn’t do them any favors there. But Morticia had learned that sneaking up on her prey, or even setting traps to help snare them so they couldn’t get away. The femme’s eyes lit up as she wiggled her rump. Alright, she was ready. Hopefully Red was prepared to do some catching. If he missed, they would likely lose the grouse, but Morticia wouldn’t be angry with him. She wanted him to succeed, but not for the sake of the meal, but so he could get his first catch as a hunter! Morticia kicked off against the ground, breaking past the taller grasses as she charged headlong at the bird. The sudden loud noise and bark from the skeletal girl got the bird moving immediately. It began to rush forward, wings opening as he started to try and take off. So long as it didn’t get off the ground successfully before being near Red, this grouse was as good as theirs. “Now Red, grab the grouse!” She barked. ----------------- Word Count: 404 Words (1,463) "Speech," 'Thought.'

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

It was thrilling to work as a unit. Red followed his elder sister’s lead, disappearing as best he could into the brush and undergrowth. The Grouse remained foraging despite the danger looming so close, completely oblivious to the duo. Redrum felt his head this against his chest as he moved, carefully, carefully, afraid of making a misstep and alerting their quarry. And they held their positions for a few moments, his nails pressing into the hard ground in anticipation— waiting for the right moment…

When Morticia burst out from her cover, the Grouse making a distressed noise as it turned and spread its wings. It attempted to run, to get a good liftoff from the ground. But Redrum was already there. His vermillion body surging into action, not willing to disappoint his sister. He met the bird in a flurry of dust and feathers. Teeth snapping against the delicate neck of the grouse, his full body taking it to the ground. He held fast to it, until his sister came to help him with the killing blow. And when it was done he grinned happily at her, satisfied with his first true hunt.

murder

Code by TR