7PREYS

* sauce me them drops boy 

my name is \poppy\. 

@R3HUMAN 
            
            frida looked at the skeleton with one raised eyebrow, the way he watched himself in the mirror, with a dignity with a soldier, or at least trying too. the corner of her lip curled up, trying to conceal a laugh who dared to escape. she had been called many things in her life, but bad meat was something new on her list. 
            
            “nice to meet you gorm.” the redhead told the skeleton, doing a courtesy. “and you must be maltzar. such a beautiful name.” yes, she could escape from them so easily if she wanted too, but it had been so long ever since she had a good laugh. the room looked touched by age, dull in some places, dusty in others. 
            
            her eyes then went down at the gorm’s feet, or the lack off, and at his one shoe. tactical choice he said? well, she should listen to a soldier now shouldn’t she? so frida lifted her foot up and took one shoe off, matching gorm. “it really is tactical, great eye.” the shoe fell on the floor with a loud thud. “but what about no shoes?” and that’s how she ended up barefoot before gorm and maltzar. 

⠀⠀⠀   ⠀ the little firebird cocked its head, peering at the woman with one bright eye before giving a tiny chirrup.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ ‘oh…  another human,’ it said.
            
            gorm nodded gravely. ‘aye. another one.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ‘and yet ye called her meat.’
            
            ‘she hath four limbs.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀  ‘so hath a chair.’
            
            gorm slowly turned his skull toward the bird.
            
            ‘do not compare my supper to furniture.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ the firebird gave another soft chirp, almost as though it were laughing.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀⠀ ‘she is not supper.’
            
            ‘not yet.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀    ⠀⠀‘gorm.’
            
            ‘what?’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀ ‘she can hear thee.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    gorm looked toward the woman, then back at the bird.      ‘excellent. then she shall know to run.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀   ‘ye are the one standing in her way.’
            
            ‘that is the point.’      gorm grumbled, shaking his head as he stepped before the woman and spread both arms wide, blocking her path with all the dignity of a knight guarding a sacred gate.     ‘away now. away! i shall frighten it off.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ the firebird fluttered onto his shoulder.      ‘ye are frightening no one.’
            
            ‘then be quiet, maltzar. i am making an impression.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀  ‘ye are wearing one shoe.’
            
            gorm glanced down.
            
            ‘…a tactical choice.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀   ‘ye have no feet.’
            
            ‘even more tactical.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀ ‘now, you! get out of my showroom. ye have ruined the atmosphere entirely.’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ @lykhaos.

⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ ⠀ gorm snorted.         the skeleton champion stood before the polished bronze mirror, its surface dulled in places with age yet bright enough to cast back his boney reflection. humming to himself an old rockberry tune, he turned his hips this way and that, inspecting himself with the solemn vanity of a warrior preparing for battle. he straightened his shoulders, adjusted the rag hanging from his waist, and gave his skull one final approving tilt. then, upon catching sight of the woman reflected behind him, he froze. slowly, he turned, pointing toward her with a shriek.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀     ‘meat! maltzar, come quickly! good fortune hath greeted us! milord! aha!’    jumping with a low swagger, he clapped his hands and began circling her, utterly delighted by the discovery. yet, as though some second thought had struck him squarely in the skull, he stopped mid step, his jaw hanging open.
            
            ⠀⠀ ‘oh…  it speaks.’    ⠀grumbling to himself, gorm glanced from the woman to the little firebird perched nearby, its bright feathers puffing gently in the warmth.       ‘bad meat. very bad meat. never mind, maltzar, i shan’t be selfish. ye may have the speaking one.’

* it was aight wbu ? u get ur car yet ???

@R3HUMAN 
            
            rowan   stared   down   at   gorm   without   much   expression  .
            
             upside   down   or   not  ,    he   seemed   hardly   impressed  .
                  “   first   of   all  .    put   me   down  .   ”
             his   eyes   narrowed   slightly  .
                  “   second  .    nikolas   is   away   hunting  .   ”
             a   pause  .
                  “   and   third  .    you   didn't   catch   me  .    i   just   ate   your   bait  .   ”
             there   was   the   faintest   pull   at   the   corner   of   his   mouth  .
                  “   which   makes   me   wonder  .    why   did   the   lord   leave   his   castle   in   the   hands   of   a   dead   man  ?   ”
             rowan   looked   over   gorm's   skull  ,    taking   in   the   empty   sockets   as   though   he   were   seriously   considering   the   matter  .
                  “   no   offense  .   ”
             his   gaze   returned   to   him  .
                  “   but   you're   a   skeleton  .    you're   hardly   intimidating  .   ”
             another   pause  .
                  “   and   if   you're   in   charge  .    why   are   you   spending   an   hour   building   traps   for   teenagers  ?   ”
             rowan   raised   a   brow  .
                  “   seems   like   nikolas   made   a   poor   choice  .   ”

⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ ‘i beg yer pardon?’      holding the boy upside down by his ankle, gorm dangled him as if he weighed nothing, though truth be told, he did not. he gave a long, suspicious look toward the empty chair of his lord’s, then turned his skull back toward rowan, the fire crackling warmly behind him and casting crooked shadows across the old stone. 
            
            ⠀⠀⠀     ‘where’s yer master, huh? or shall i make a good meal out of you?’ his jaw clicked hungrily at the thought, though his stomach answered with a most embarrassing grumble. gorm paused, glanced down at himself, then seemed to take the sound as confirmation of his own wisdom. ⠀⠀⠀    ‘better yet, how did ye escape my trap? i spent near an hour preparing that masterpiece, and ye walked through it as though i had laid down a welcome mat.’      he swung rowan once, gently enough not to hurt him, but apparently just for his own amusement, before lowering him until they were nearly eye to eye. ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀ ‘i had the rope tied proper, the branches hidden, the mud was excellent. i even put a berry beside it for bait.’      
            
            ⠀⠀⠀ gorm narrowed his empty sockets. ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀   ‘and ye ate the berry.’      he paused, offended. ‘that was my berry.’      another long stare followed before gorm shook his skull. 
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ‘never mind. answer me, little beast. where is nikolas, and why have ye come creeping about my lord’s castle when i am in charge?’
            
            ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀    ⠀⠀ @bygods. 
            
            &.     welcome back. how was camp?