Hello Hateful

The man's lips twitched in pure irritation when he saw Kanja's reaction to him through the expression that crossed her face. It was obvious that she wouldn't have any part in taking orders from him, and he'd known from the moment the words escaped his mouth that he'd have no control over her even if he'd intended to stop her. He had never told her what to do before. "Of course I'm going to jump." Her retort was exactly as to be expected. Of course she was going to jump. Why wouldn't she do the exact opposite of what someone else told her to do? His black-tipped tail lashed in annoyance as he eyed her. Had she really thought about this? As she continued to speak, it became more and more apparent she was going to dive from the cliff. "You should care what happens to you," he growled, muscles tensing uncomfortably.

Ehrgeiz couldn't help the rising feeling that he needed to somehow stall her further. That feeling was followed by anger. Why couldn't he stop himself from caring what she did? Even if he tried to act like it, the turmoil he felt within was undeniable. He didn't want her to get hurt or die - unless he did it himself. At least then he could torture himself for the rest of his already miserable life, but if she got herself killed, there wouldn't be anything he could do about it. That just didn't sit well with him.

His singular eye twitched when she backed up and moved to the side, looking as though she were going to make her way back to the cliff's edge. She told him not to worry. He found it laughable, but not a sound escaped him. If only she knew why he worried. But her mother had made sure he'd never said a word to Kanja about who he was in relation to her. Even now, he didn't dare speak the words - surely his master would appear out of nowhere and beat him to a pulp if he spilled the secret she commanded him to keep. So, he couldn't tell Kanja. But without Sabine present, he would certainly behave differently toward her, whether she liked it or not. She'd just have to keep wondering what his problem was.

An egotistical snort escaped him as she said it wasn't a far fall. That it would be fun, and that he should try it. Yea right. But perhaps this would give him a chance to check it out for himself, to ease the damned worry and rage that he was sure was going to make him crazy. If he wasn't already there. "Well, if you're going to jump, I'm going first," he snarked, moving quickly to dart around her and head for the edge of the cliff. He kicked off into a sprint suddenly; he wasn't going to let her beat him to it. He hoped that his sudden movement caught her off guard and had her pausing in confusion. He wasn't worried about what happened to himself - in fact, adrenaline-inducing activities were one of few things he actually enjoyed. By doing this he figured that if he actually hit some rocks at the bottom and died, maybe Kanja would think twice; and if he didn't, well then perhaps he could say he'd had fun for the first time in many seasons. What a bizarre day this was turning out to be.

His paws carried him swiftly to the edge of the cliff, and when he reached it, his hind paws struck the ground, muscular hind legs extending as he propelled himself into open air. His body stretched out, forepaws reaching forward as he sailed far from solid ground. As gravity began to take over, Ehrgeiz finally looked down at the dizzying drop he was about to take, his singular eye distorting his ability to determine the actual depth of the drop. A wild grin formed on his face as he started to plunge headfirst toward the water. "Holy fuuuuck!" he roared, half in terror, half in elation. The force of the wind intensified as he picked up speed, and he had to firmly press his lips closed and ears folded back. His eye narrowed to a slit, and just before he hit the water's surface he turned his neck and pushed forward his shoulder so that he hit first with his shoulder and side, preventing water rushing up his nostrils. He struck the water painfully, but it just caused a surge of adrenaline to course through him, which helped him to gain his bearings once he'd plunged far under water. Paws churning the water, he swam for the surface, following the dim glare of the sun through the dark water.

When he finally broke the surface from below, he gulped in air greedily, paddling to keep himself afloat. The thrilling rush pulsed through his veins, and rough but euphoric laughter escaping him. What a rush! Fresh with excitement, his eye wide, he looked upward, wondering if Kanja would soon be on her way.