blow me away
fighting seasonal - solo
11-04-2023, 08:50 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-16-2023, 03:38 AM by Araneae. Edited 3 times in total.)
it’s their first time in Auster, and so far Spider isn’t too impressed. not because the land is ugly, per say - it’s quite pretty, in fact, for a dense forest clearing - but rather because it seems frighteningly determined to sweep them completely off their feet and carry them away into the sky. the wind appears to grow stronger with every step, until they’re straining just to move forward, claws digging into the earth to keep them anchored. Spider grits their teeth and keeps their head bent, ears tucked to shield them from the itchy granules whipping through the air. their fur lifts and falls with sharp jerks, brushing into their eyes and giving them a rather porcupine-esque appearance, and twigs keep pelting them from either side, as though the forest itself is angry at their intrusion.
Spider comes to a halt and frowns through a clump of fur, trying to get their bearings. they’d thought this place ideal for an impromptu spar, but perhaps they’re better off turning around and going back the way they came…if they can find it, that is. they stumble blindly through the clearing, wincing as sharp twigs and stones pierce the soft pads of their feet, and slowly a sense of panic begins to mount, fear for their safety rising until their head is filled with an anxious buzz, logic dulled in favour of blind fear. which direction had they entered? why haven't they found the exit yet? thankfully, before despair can truly set in, a figure appears in the distance. relief melts the ice in their veins, and they push forward several steps, a sheepish smile pulling at the skin about their mouth. "thank the stars - i was beginning to think i was the only one lost in this storm." the figure doesn't respond, just grows closer as they charge through the wind. at first Spider thinks them rushing to their aid, but as the figure’s expression becomes clearer, they note the angry snarl twisting their features, and the sharp line of their creased brow. no, this is not an ally rushing to help, but rather a furious man coming to defend his territory against a trespasser.
as the gap closes between them, Spider tries to splutter out an explanation – some kind of consolation, anything to calm this wrathful stranger – but the man leaps at them with claws outstretched, spittle flying from his mouth. Spider yelps as those claws pierce their shoulder, sending them hurtling to the ground on their back as their attacker looms over them. a breathless “omfph!” leaves them, and its only instinct that spurns them into action. throwing all their weight into it, they thrust their hind legs into the man’s belly and flip them over, rolling them through the clearing until both spring apart. wind howls in their ears, making conversation near-impossible; the man doesn’t appear to feel like talking, anyway. slowly, they circle each other, the fur along their bodies whipping back and forth in the harsh breeze. bleeding from their shoulder, Spider eyes the man warily, watching his every move with careful precision. they won’t allow him to get the jump on them again.
suddenly, the man gives a snarl and charges, snapping teeth at their throat that Spider just manages to dance back and avoid. utilising their smaller size, they dart away from the man’s snapping jaws, attempting to land a few blows of their own. neither of them manage to land a hit for several moments – but then a twig snaps across Spider’s cheek, drawing blood, and in the ensuing confusion the man manages to grip their right ear between his teeth. a guttural scream is pulled from them, but the wind casts it aside, flinging the sound back at them as skin and vein is punctured. crimson falls into their eyes, and they desperately blink it away, tears pooling down their face as sheer agony lights up their body. never have they known pain like this – true pain, the kind that leaves you numb and shaking and wishing for death.
acting with only survival in mind, Spider twists in the man’s grip and sinks their teeth into his throat, crunching down desperately. blood fills their mouth and pools down their throat, drawing bile to the surface as they gag at the taste. they release the man the moment he falls limp. something cold and terrible fills them as they gaze down at his bloodied form, the wind pelting him from all sides. it lifts the hair from his face, revealing roving, spiteful eyes. for a moment they simply stare at him, at this man who’d tried so earnestly to end their life. he’s not dead, not quite…but he could’ve been. they could’ve killed him. would it have made them a murderer? yes. okay, fine. but should they feel badly about it? they don’t. they don’t feel…anything beyond relief, and a vague sense of disgust. if he’d died, he’d had deserved it…right? would they feel differently if they had killed him? “you’re lucky you’re not dead, you bastard,” they spit, and the very shape of the words feel viscous in their mouth.
WC: 867
Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.
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1. | blow me away | Grapevine Cathedral | 08:50 PM, 11-04-2023 | 02:43 AM, 02-13-2024 |