Lurking in the Forest

Started by Vincent Matthews at May 30, 2020 11:04 am
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59 Posts

Vincent Matthews

Vince, Vin, Vinny
36 Posts

Slander is worse than cannibalism.


"I can tell." Vince chuckled and got himself settled against a tree. There wouldn't really be much for him to do while Bryce was taking care of the squirrels. All he had to do was observe. And listen, of course. "Well, I know who I want with me if I ever get lost out here." He let out another small chuckle. "You and a secret place to sleep."

He watched as Bryce took out as many squirrels as he could, thoroughly impressed by his accuracy. Even he, as skilled as he was with his crossbow, would have missed a handful of times after a while. When the other was finished, Vince straightened up and gave him a round of applause."Bravo! Well done! This should keep people happy for a day or so. Maybe longer if we cure a bunch..." Jerky had quickly become one of his favourite things to snack on during the day, and even at night if he woke up particularly peckish (which happened more often than not). At Bryce's suggestion - cause, surely, that's all it was? - Vince couldn't help but smirk. Whereas a lot of people in Bosler would have been deeply disturbed by watching an Avarus eat, Vince found it interesting. He knew what that hunger felt like, and even felt a small pang of jealousy. He hoped a stranger wandered too close to camp, and soon...

After watching for a few moments, during which time quite a few impressive tears appeared in the squirrel's body, Vince moved himself away from the tree properly and glanced up at the sky. "I suppose we'd best head back. Especially if you want the tasty treat we were talking about earlier." He made sure he had everything before heading back in the direction of town.


Bryce Gavagan

28 Posts

Back from the dead to tell you that I'm alive. Killed the old way but I survived.


Bryce couldn't hide the childlike grin that appeared at the praise, chest puffing slightly and back straightening. Clearly, he didn't get a whole lot of positive attention, and was enjoying this. "Ooh! Jerky sounds good! Like little squirrel nuggets," he agreed with a laugh. He was all but drooling at the idea of that... Or was it the limp body still clutched in his hands? Either way, he didn't care in the slightest if Vince decided to look as he chowed down. There was absolutely no shame in the act, though he couldn't help a soft growl of satisfaction as those tiny bones cracked and the squirrel gave up exactly what he craved. It was still warm too, which was just the cherry on top of the furry little cake!

When Vince reminded him about heading back, he just nodded with a small hum, and followed after the man as he finished his meal. He finally cast the last few remnants away for the coyotes, and lapped eagerly at what was left on his fingers to clean them off. "Anything in my beard?" he asked after a moment, combing his fingers through the coarse hair at his chin. While he never hid what he was, the idea of walking through town with bits of squirrel on his face wasn't one he particularly enjoyed... 


Vincent Matthews

Vince, Vin, Vinny
36 Posts

Slander is worse than cannibalism.


Vince lost himself for a little while in watching Bryce eat. How long had it been? Six months? Longer? He'd spotted some poor, lost sap one afternoon while he sat in the lookout tower, and just couldn't help himself. Nobody had missed him for the hour he'd been gone, and it kept him in meat for a good week or so. He'd had to have been more vigilant in keeping his little supply separate from the rest of the meat he had, just in case he had a lapse in concentration. It was one thing for him to indulge in his little..."hobby", but quite another to bring other people into the loop.

He stopped walking and came back into himself when Bryce spoke again. He studied the other's beard for a few moments, then plucked out a few stray squirrel hairs and a little clump of meat, which he offered the other on the end of his finger. "Don't bite it off, now." He joked before continuing on.


Bryce Gavagan

28 Posts

Back from the dead to tell you that I'm alive. Killed the old way but I survived.


Bryce paused to let Vince inspect his facial hair, tipping his chin forward so he could reach more easily. "I was saving that one for later!" he chuckled, eyeing the little chunk for a second before just casually leaning forward. Though the temptation was there, his teeth never came close to the digit, save for the split second when he plucked the bit of meat away with surprising delicacy. "Nah, hands are too stringy... All the tendons and shit... Plus, ever bite your nails and get bits stuck between your teeth? Imagine that, but with a whole fingernail. Not fun." Though he'd only known Vince for a few months, he felt comfortable about filling him in on the gross little details when they came up. Something about the guy put him at ease, and he seemed wholly unflappable, no matter what disgusting or weird thing came out of Bryce's mouth...

The smell of the fires was the first thing to hit him before he could even see the familiar ramshackle buildings of Bosler. It sent a painful pang through his chest, loving the smell and wishing he could join his friends around the fire, perhaps with a good cup of tea or some of the ever-coveted moonshine or homemade wine. He felt like Charlie Bucket, watching all the other kids find golden tickets in their Wonka bars, but unlike Charlie, he knew his would never come. "Uhm... I'll pop by in a bit to pick up the stuff?" he offered. It didn't take a rocket surgeon to know that humans didn't tend to hold up well to being eaten, and he'd much rather not have his newest friend suffer such a fate by showing up at the Nest with a nice, fresh brain after dark. Even if Vince did manage to survive that, he imagined it wouldn't be the greatest thing for their friendship...


Vincent Matthews

Vince, Vin, Vinny
36 Posts

Slander is worse than cannibalism.


Vince laughed and shook his head. "Saving it for later, huh? I can't imagine it'd fill you up for long." He kept looking around as they walked, and while he was focused on the conversation, he was listening to everything else that was going on as well. He'd always been suspicious of outsiders, so was constantly on the look-out for someone he didn't recognise. He wrinkled his nose. "Hands?" He looked at Bryce. "Is there even any meat on a hand?" He looked down at his own palm, and though he knew very well where all the meaty bits in the human body were, he'd never considered eating hands. Or fingers, for that matter. Surely it'd be like eating a substandard chicken wing? The ones with more gristle and bone than anything else. "Maybe they'd be alright for a quick snack?" He quipped, though it was only a half joke. Then again, if bodies started showing up specifically with their fingers missing, he had a feeling people might just question it.

He smiled and nodded at Bryce when they got closer to camp. "Yeah, sure. Give me about ten minutes to get everything done." It wouldn't take him long to prepare and gut the deer; he'd done it a thousand times by that point. He knew how to cut an animal apart. "I'll probably give you some other bits too, if you want? You could share them out." He always, always, always kept specific organs for himself, but it was moderately difficult to make sausages by hand without the proper equipment. He'd dreamed of finding a top restaurant somewhere and stealing everything he'd wanted, but he knew it would never amount to more than a dream.


Bryce Gavagan

28 Posts

Back from the dead to tell you that I'm alive. Killed the old way but I survived.


"Honestly, not even. They're mostly skin, fat, and bone... Same with feet, actually," Bryce shrugged casually. It wasn't a secret that most Avarus had eaten at least one human in their lives, so he had no shame in admitting to any of this to anyone who asked. The offer of extra bits was met with an excited nod. "Sounds good to me, yeah! Actually, if you don't have plans for it, I could probably turn the tongue into a new pair of sneakers." One of the other guys had a thing for deer tongues, and a pair of sneakers Bryce had had his eye on for a while now. Of course, he wasn't expecting Vince to give up anything he didn't want to, knowing he wasn't owed anything. In fact, when he had the mental clarity to not simply inhale everything in front of him, he also tried to save things he knew Vince liked to return the kindness the man showed him.

As they pushed through the last of the trees and came up on Bosler proper, he instinctively gave the nearby firepit a wide berth, eyeing it cautiously. "But yeah, take your time with it. I got a few things to do first, so no rush." That, and he kind of wanted to wait for most of the others to clear out of the Nest for the night so he could enjoy his treat in relative peace... After a quick goodbye, he headed for the Nest to wash up and get a few things done.

He wasn't sure exactly how much later it was as he skulked along the trees that ringed Bosler. In fact, there wasn't much he was sure of at the moment, except a vague recollection that he'd been promised food and the fact that he was... God, he was so fucking hungry... A low rumble started up in his chest, predatory but not quite enough to be a growl, as he drew closer and could smell the deer hanging in Vince's shack. Even still, he kept his distance from that blasted fire, eyeing it warily and with nothing but disdain on his face. Led by his nose and sheer animal instinct, he slowly crept closer and closer to the shack, fingers eventually scraping against the exterior, searching for some way to get at the intoxicating smell inside.


Vincent Matthews

Vince, Vin, Vinny
36 Posts

Slander is worse than cannibalism.


Vince wrinkled his nose again. "They must be useful for something, though..." Maybe a broth for a soup? Or something? Hm, maybe not the feet, though. It might make the broth a little more odorous than he wanted. The hands, though, could be put to good use if he wasn't planning on eating them. He made a mental note to try it out sometime. Bryce's comment about the tongue gave him pause for a moment. So much so, that he actually frowned. "You don't mean that literally, right?" He glanced quickly down to the other's feet, and by no stretch of the imagination could he see one single stag tongue turning into two pairs of fairly large shoes. Was he just thinking stupidly due to hunger? Probably.

"Alright, no worries. I'll see you tomorrow!" Vince waved at Bryce before taking the stag and squirrels inside and getting them ready. It was his favourite part of the hunt, cutting things apart. He chopped off the deer's head with one strong movement with his cleaver, before moving on to the rest. Before he left for the night, he made sure to lock up everything he didn't want interfered with, made sure Bryce would be able to get what he wanted, and took whatever was left out for the other Avarus. He cleaned himself off and settled in for the night safe in the knowledge that at least Bryce would be well fed.


Bryce Gavagan

28 Posts

Back from the dead to tell you that I'm alive. Killed the old way but I survived.


Even in this state, Bryce remembered... something about the shack before him. Whether it was anything more than the idea that simply ripping the door off its hinges to get at the food inside being quite rude was unclear, but he still managed to keep his manners about him... For now, at least... Instead, his head snapped to the side when another scent caught his attention, vision all but useless in the motionless dark, and it didn't take long to zero in on it. The hands that reached for his prize were no doubt aggressive and bound to leave their mark on the hiding place, but he didn't care in the slightest, knowing little more than hunger as he seized the brain finally.

Sat in the dirt without shame, he ate what was easily the best meal he'd had in weeks. Sure, it would've been even better warmed up, but even the idea of getting near enough to the fires to do anything about that send a shiver down to his very core. Cold would have to do. Perhaps next time, he could come earlier and beg Vince to warm it up though... Either way, he wasn't about to complain as he tore the brain to bits, eagerly stuffing each one into his mouth with reckless abandon. Soon enough, however, the feast was over, and he afforded himself a moment to slump back against the side of the shed... Which is precisely where he remained until morning as sleep suddenly overtook him...


Vincent Matthews

Vince, Vin, Vinny
36 Posts

Slander is worse than cannibalism.


Vince slept for maybe an hour before getting up. He lit a few candles, picked up his book and got settled on the dusty old armchair he'd bartered from one of the scavengers. He sat there for the rest of the night, steadily working through the pages, until the sun started creeping over the horizon. The rest of Bosler would soon be stirring, but not before he'd had a quick wash and gathered his hunting gear. Like clockwork, he was. He didn't step out of his front door, of course, until the sun had well and truly risen, and even then he made sure to walk as close to the fire pits as he could. He could hear people calling their morning greetings to one another as he headed to his shack, even offering a few words of his own to anyone who called his way.

He opened the door to his shack carefully, peering into the darkness and just about being able to make out the form of Bryce against the wall. At least, he assumed it was Bryce; nobody else knew about the meat he'd left in there for the other. He chuckled softly to himself before ducking back out of the shack again. He stood and chatted with a few of the raiders for a while before they went off doing...whatever it was they kept themselves busy with before opening the shack door again and stepping inside. He moved quietly, carefully stepping across to where he'd locked up everything to take to market. Considering the things his hands had done over the years, and the violence he was more than capable of, he moved with a very delicate grace, moving things aside with deliberate, yet gentle movements in the hopes that he didn't wake Bryce up.