[He observes and, quite unaccustomed to being out of his element, looks upon her victory with sullen dissatisfaction. But for all that he is a bit annoyed with how easy this comes to her and how difficult it comes to him- and it shouldn't, because he is a highly evolved creature who was uplifted beyond the need to hunt and gather or so he'll keep telling himself.
Failure is just not a master he willingly accepts.
Rather than just wade back in, however, he picks up one of her spears, which are far longer than he is tall. That doesn't bother him- most weapons he picks up are significantly bigger than he is.]
[Accustomed to large weapons as he is, a spear is a much more difficult weapon to wield than a gun. He adjusts it a few times in his hands before he gets a grip on it that doesn't cause it to drag and gets closer to the edge. This seems a better alternative, because he doesn't have to wade into the water.
As the fish begin to panic from Asha's intervention, Rocket waits. This is a simple tactic- one he's applied on much larger enemies. It shouldn't be hard to wait until they're clustered in a panicked circle and then- THERE. He slams the spear at an angle into what he hopes is the tasty body of a fish.]
I got it! I got it! [Unfortunately, being thirty pounds soaking wet (which he is) means that there's some unfortunate physics at work here. As the spear sticks, it springs upwards, carrying Rocket with it, until there is now a spear stuck in the muddy lake bottom with a very confused raccoonoid clinging to it.]
[ It is a strategy that works regardless of his skill with a spear — Asha's spotted at least three fish she can catch by hand. ]
[ She laughs, a clear, bright sound. Hey, he didn't say she couldn't do that. She walks over to pry it off the lake bed, and waits for him to steady himself on the shore. Curiously, ]
[He drops back down onto the shore, thankful that he didn't end up back in the water, though feeling about as humiliated as he would be, if he had. He runs his paws over his head in frustration, making wet fur stick up at odd angles.]
That wasn't something I ever had to learn! If I wanted food, I stole it. I lived off the streets, not the freakin' wilderness! It ain't like I was born out here.
[He thrusts a hand at the woods around them. So maybe he's a little defensive of his inability to do a simple task. His IQ is off the charts. He can reverse engineer just about anything he gets his hands on and make weapons out of scrap.
[Oh there's a question. One that inspires a brief flinch, because there's no way to wheedle out of it and also no way to really explain it to someone who is from a society that hasn't embraced firearms yet.]
No, I'm the only thing like me anywhere. It's a whole thing.
[ Though — a different way, she was not created like him, nor did she grow up needing to steal scraps from others. But the loneliness of that position — she understands. ]
[He gives her a sidelong look.] Y'know, you'd probably be a lot more comfortable in my neck of the universe- if it hadn't gotten eaten. Badass warrior broads who can make men piss themselves in terror with a look do pretty well out in the galaxy.
[ The bitterness of this knowledge is new and growing. There are men here who do not look at her body like it belongs to them, or seek ownership during conversation. She thinks them soft, true, but it is as one starved sitting before a grand feast, with food too rich for her stomach. ]
Can you start a fire? It is quicker if I do all the fishing.
[He digs into his pocket producing a a tiny lighter, and begins dragging a few dry sticks and leaves into a pile. It's not the most handsome fire there ever was, but at this juncture, doing anything correctly is worthy of pride for Rocket, especially when it comes to lighting the fire with nothing more than a snap of a light to ignite the kindling and get it burning lightly.]
[ She eyes the lighter. Another on a long list of items Asha has to acquire and master. She has been glancing over at others without making it seem too obvious — many say she has an accent, and many do not mean that kindly. ]
[ Asha brings the fish over, wrapping them in leaves to make them easier to carry. She sets two stones by the fire, balancing some thin sticks on them. Unwrapping the fish, she lays them over the sticks. It's rudimentary, but without a pot for soup or a metal rod for a spit, this will do. She has eaten worse. ]
[ Fun fact: she's actually never done this before. Cooking and making fires is work for smallfolk and thralls. Asha sees it and knows the principle, but little else. ]
Swim or drown. [That gets a weak chuckle out of him.] Shit. I've been livin' large for so long I forgot what the hell it was like to need to be that adaptable.
Here's hopin' you get somewhere to put a fleet when we get where we're goin'. Or I could always just teach you how to embrace a more superior kind of ship. [He waves a hand at the set-up.] Fair trade, so I don't feel as pathetic for being a survivalist wash-out.
Just frickin' glides through the stars, like nothing else. And if you get a good one, you can get from just about any place in the galaxy in a few jumps- and if you time it right, you never have to worry about getting caught. And even if you do, these ships have got weapons like you can't even imagine. And all you gotta do is aim and press a few buttons.
[He's getting... pretty into this explanation.] Not to brag or anything, but I'm the best pilot in the frickin' universe. There ain't a spaceship I can't fly.
[The bitter I don't feel at home anywhere almost slips out, but he catches it, grimacing a bit. And then, of course, the much more pleasant "I have a crew of my own" also doesn't come. Stuck between a bitter and a hopeful place- sounds like his life.
He settles for something neutral.]
Yeah, well if someone as freakin' sensible as you puts up with 'em, they can't possibly be idiots. I feel like you'd beat the shit out of anyone who didn't pull their weight or made you look bad.
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beatupgrass) wrote2017-07-02 05:08 am
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Failure is just not a master he willingly accepts.
Rather than just wade back in, however, he picks up one of her spears, which are far longer than he is tall. That doesn't bother him- most weapons he picks up are significantly bigger than he is.]
What about these?
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Stand at the edge. I will chase them towards you.
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As the fish begin to panic from Asha's intervention, Rocket waits. This is a simple tactic- one he's applied on much larger enemies. It shouldn't be hard to wait until they're clustered in a panicked circle and then- THERE. He slams the spear at an angle into what he hopes is the tasty body of a fish.]
I got it! I got it! [Unfortunately, being thirty pounds soaking wet (which he is) means that there's some unfortunate physics at work here. As the spear sticks, it springs upwards, carrying Rocket with it, until there is now a spear stuck in the muddy lake bottom with a very confused raccoonoid clinging to it.]
Don't say a word...
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[ She laughs, a clear, bright sound. Hey, he didn't say she couldn't do that. She walks over to pry it off the lake bed, and waits for him to steady himself on the shore. Curiously, ]
How is it you cannot hunt?
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That wasn't something I ever had to learn! If I wanted food, I stole it. I lived off the streets, not the freakin' wilderness! It ain't like I was born out here.
[He thrusts a hand at the woods around them. So maybe he's a little defensive of his inability to do a simple task. His IQ is off the charts. He can reverse engineer just about anything he gets his hands on and make weapons out of scrap.
But he can't
catch
a fucking
fish.]
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Are there many like you, in the city you come from?
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No, I'm the only thing like me anywhere. It's a whole thing.
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[ Though — a different way, she was not created like him, nor did she grow up needing to steal scraps from others. But the loneliness of that position — she understands. ]
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[ The bitterness of this knowledge is new and growing. There are men here who do not look at her body like it belongs to them, or seek ownership during conversation. She thinks them soft, true, but it is as one starved sitting before a grand feast, with food too rich for her stomach. ]
Can you start a fire? It is quicker if I do all the fishing.
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[He digs into his pocket producing a a tiny lighter, and begins dragging a few dry sticks and leaves into a pile. It's not the most handsome fire there ever was, but at this juncture, doing anything correctly is worthy of pride for Rocket, especially when it comes to lighting the fire with nothing more than a snap of a light to ignite the kindling and get it burning lightly.]
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[ Asha brings the fish over, wrapping them in leaves to make them easier to carry. She sets two stones by the fire, balancing some thin sticks on them. Unwrapping the fish, she lays them over the sticks. It's rudimentary, but without a pot for soup or a metal rod for a spit, this will do. She has eaten worse. ]
We may turn them soon.
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So he's just staring at their little makeshift campfire with an incredulous expression.]
You, uh... Must have to do this a lot, huh?
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Swim, or drown. I make my choice.
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[And he's not ashamed to admit it.]
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I had my own fleet. My crew would die for me. [ She values loyalty far more than fear. ] They may sleep, but I am still their captain.
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[ etc. etc. ]
But I wish to hear what you think I should have.
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I'm listening.
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[He's getting... pretty into this explanation.] Not to brag or anything, but I'm the best pilot in the frickin' universe. There ain't a spaceship I can't fly.
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[ Only now — when someone speaks of it like a ship should be — does she feel some connection to that hunk of metal. ]
You would feel at home among my crew.
[ Raucous, delightful bunch. She misses them fiercely, and another time might have aimed to poach Rocket for her own helmsman. ]
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He settles for something neutral.]
Yeah, well if someone as freakin' sensible as you puts up with 'em, they can't possibly be idiots. I feel like you'd beat the shit out of anyone who didn't pull their weight or made you look bad.
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