14324/A Night Hunt

A Night Hunt
Date of Scene:	17 April 2022
Location:	Forest on an Unnamed Planet
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Bai Wuyun, Shen Wei

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Bai Wuyun has posed:
The planet that the Illumination is parked on is simply a stopover point on the way to elsewhere. It's not an important place, in the grand scheme of things. The atmosphere is breathable; there are prey animals and fresh water. For many nights, Bai Wuyun has given up the comfort of his rooms on the ship. This has been in favour of him being in his feline form, in the cargo bay. That's where he's been sleeping, instead. Right now, it's evening, and Bai Wuyun is hunting in his feline form, stalking amongst the misty tree trunks and following the scent of what is likely a deer of some kind.

Shen Wei has posed:
Shen Wei has got to remind Bai Wuyun that one doesn't park a ship. One lands a ship, or docks a ship. They do not park it. Oh well. Rather, he shall have to poke Xie Yun to do so. He's forever talking about ship things. Otherwise, Shen Wei would neither know nor care. As it is, he says not a word. And hasn't, not since the aftermath of the events months ago on the planet designated as Terra. More to the point, Shen Wei has utterly ignored Bai Wuyun. Feline form or not. It really has been many nights that Bai Wuyun has been in feline form. If it worries Shen Wei, however... well. He hasn't really been seen either, so it's hard to know whether or not it's been bothering him. When not in the midst of his chosen profession of Bounty Hunter, he's kept to himself. He himself is also on a hunt. But not the same type of hunt. He's hunting a bounty.

The feline wouldn't have scented Shen Wei just yet, but another scent, on the other hand, comes across his nose. Acrid. Bitter. Worse, the scent of decay is within the scent. Something that kills, but doesn't care for itself. He wouldn't have scented its like since leaving Haixing. It's the scent of evil. Not that he'll remember that, but there it is. Shortly after catching the scent, it fades at a river. In the mud of the river's bank, a paw print. More canid than felid.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
There are number of terms that Bai Wuyun uses incorrectly. He lacks familiarity with the proper spaceship terms, but he tries! He's tried to give Shen Wei space. He's tried to make conversation with Shen Wei. Neither likely work well. He suspected Shen Wei is more comfortable with him in his feline form, and that lead to him spending more time in that form. He hasn't given up on the idea yet. Bai Wuyun's tails lightly swish from one side to another as his nose is teased by those scents, and he tilts his head slightly to one side. His mouth parts open, chuffing on the air. His tails twitch a little bit, and his ears turn to gather in the sounds around. He follows the scent to where it leads at the river's bank. There he stops and lowers his head, snuffling at the paw print before he tries to suss out where the creature that made the print went from there.

Shen Wei has posed:
For all that he's kept out of sight, that Shen Wei knows of the poorly mistrated terms shows that he's still been paying attention. It's when Bai Wuyun looks across the river that he'll see Shen Wei. Crouched at the river's edge beside a rock with a smudge upon it. His side is to the river, and he's downstream of where the feline has stopped. He doesn't seem to have noticed the feline just yet, but he likely knows he's there. He can feel the cat's magic. Even so, he gives no attention to the feline. Further into the forest, on Shen Wei's side, a chilling shriek sounds. It's the sound of a carnivore on the hunt, trying to scare its prey into the open. Shen Wei's head pivots and he looks in the direction the sound came from. He rises smoothly to his feet and starts toward the sound on feet that make no sound of their own. Behind him, the river flows, blocking him from the feline on the other side.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
When he spies Shen Wei across the river, his ears perk towards him, one of them turning slightly to listen for things that are near to him. He still keeps his mouth partially open for it helps him to be able to smell things better. Bai Wuyun's tails flick from one side to the other, and he makes no sound. He notices the smudge on the rock that is near to Shen Wei, and when the shriek sounds, his gaze turns in the direction of it. He doesn't like it. He gives another flick of his tails, then turns to quickly lope a short distance from the river before turning again, to the river to run towards it. When he reaches the bank is when he leaps -- it won't take him across the water, but it will take him partway. He swims the rest of the way to Shen Wei's side, though there's once or twice where he gets bumped or nudged by something in the water. Once he reaches the other bank, he gets out of the water and briefly shakes himself off. He isn't inclined to dawdle on the shore, and he'll focus on picking up Shen Wei's scent to be able to follow it.

Shen Wei has posed:
Whether Shen Wei likes the sound or not, he disappears into the trees moving toward it. It probably belongs to whatever scent Bai Wuyun had smelled. It almost certainly belongs to whatever it is that Shen Wei is hunting. Not all bounties are of the criminal variety, afterall. By the time Bai Wuyun emerges from the water, Shen Wei is gone. But his scent is there, easily trackable to one with the nose to use it to advantage. Something snaps at the cat's tails as he leaves the water, but it doesn't get so much as a hair for its trouble.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
The feline flicks his tails, his nose quivering slightly. His gaze turns in the direction that he had last seen Shen Wei, and he gives a soft rumble of sound. He bounds over to the spot and then lowers his nose to snuffle at the ground and pick up the scent of the Dixingren. He knows that Shen Wei is more than capable, and yet... he would never forgive himself if something happened to the man. He doesn't pay any attention at all to whatever tried to snatch his tails near the water -- that's behind him now. With his nose full of Shen Wei's scent, he licks his nose and then he swiftly follows the scent, moving as silently and quickly as he can on his feline paws. Bai Wuyun needs to find Shen Wei and protect him -- something drives him to do that, even though he doesn't know what's behind that push.

Shen Wei has posed:
One thing Bai Wuyun would have noticed, had his memory been intact, since his reaccquaintance with Shen Wei is that Shen Wei is sparing with his magic use compared to how he used to be. It is because of this that his scent is woefully easy to track for the feline. Through the trees the cat goes. And some distance in, with the high beastly screams still sounding in his ears, Shen Wei's scent disappears. Not far after, the trees open up into a clearing. The wind is blowing crosswise across the valley, perpendicular to Bai Wuyun's position. It gives no indication of where Shen Wei may have gone.

Within the clearing, a monstrous creature not unlike one Bai Wuyun has encountered before with Shen Wei screams, writhing on the ground. Each scream is punctuated by the creature turning its head and snapping at something ensaring it. Something that can't be seen, but who's effect can be, for it compresses the creature's fur into its body in a somewhat obliquely octagonal pattern if an octagon was shaped like a long, narrow egg. Whisps of smoke or steam can be seen rising from the creature's coat wherever one of those lines presses into it. It's too bad the cat won't recognize the creature being.. eaten? It had been something like this that gave him that distinctive distaste of all things squirmy and wormy. That mane writhes even as the creature struggles and screams anew. It's clear now that the screams are of pain.

Of Shen Wei there is still no sign at all.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
Alas, Bai Wuyun's memory hasn't been intact for a number of years. It might never be intact again, but it hasn't stopped him from hoping that one day, some day, that maybe he'll remember something. He hasn't noticed Shen Wei's sparing use of his magic because he doesn't remember how it used to be. His ears swivel and turn, the screams unpleasant to his ears, and he softly chuffs a breath through his nose. His tails flick out of annoyance when he reaches that point where Shen Wei's scent disappears, and he gives a soft growl from deep within his chest. It's born of worry -- Shen Wei is gone, and he has no means of following him now.

He lifts his head, scenting the air and snuffling softly at it for even the most minute trace of air he can catch. He parts his mouth in an attempt to help with his efforts of tracking the Dixingren, but he isn't hopeful. His gaze falls upon the creature within the clearing then, and he tilts his head a bit to one side, studying the beast. He exhales a breath through his nose, his nostrils quivering slightly. He doesn't understand the visceral shudder that passes through his brain at the sight of the wriggling mass of the creature's mane, and he gives himself a shake -- once, then a second time. He should end the creature's suffering. After he finds Shen Wei. But where? He approaches the creature to cautiously snuffle along a part of it and along the ground, his tails low and barely moving. Is it possible...? His ears lay back at the very thought of it, for it's that distasteful to him, and he gives a rumble of anguished sound. Could Shen Wei be under the creature?

Shen Wei has posed:
The screams would be unpleasant to anyone's ears, let alone a creature with sensative heaering. The creature's fur is crimson, rich with purple and gold glints as the sunshine hits the individual hairs of its coat. The mane is long and flowing and golden red, likewise the tail tip, the edges of its ears, and its muzzle. It's lower legs are darker, almost black, and it's under belly is equally dark. Of Shen Wei, there is no sign, nor even hint of scent. Wherever he's gone, he's well hidden, if he's even still here.

As the Haixingren steps up next to the creature, he feels something wrapping around his paws. Swift and silent, it takes no time at all before the cat is as ensnared as the creature he'd thought to put a swift end to. Bai Wuyun's fur starts to give off the same wafts of smoke or steam or whatever it is that the creature's are. And it stinks. Like it's been exposed to acid.

And he finds out in that moment just why the creature is continuously wailing in pain and thrashing, trying to get loose. For each of those strands burns its way through Bai Wuyun's fur as though a hot knife through butter. And as soon as those strands touch skin.... well. Each of those strands /burns/. Burns like acid eating its way into the flesh. As the burning sensation grows and grows, a weakness seems to flow through the cat's body, making it soon possible to do nothing but scream and thrash.

Of Shen Wei, there is still no sign at all. Perhaps he was wise enough to stay clear of the ensnared creature.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
The screams from the creature are unpleasant, and especially so to his feline sense of hearing. A shiver passes down his skin, and he flicks his tails, his ears laying back as though trying to minimize the amount of sound that might get into them. Not that it helps. There's nothing consciously familiar to him about the creature, or the device that's on it. There are a lot of things that he still doesn't know, though he's been trying to learn different things. He never seems to figure out what to learn through a more normal means. Where could Shen Wei have gone?

When Bai Wuyun feels... things? wrapping around his paws, he lifts one of his rear legs to try to pull his paw free of it, to escape from it. It's perhaps a foolish attempt, but... he has to try it. Even though it fails, even though the threads of the snare are swift. His nose quivers at the aroma that arises from his fur, and he chuffs a breath through his nose as he lowers his head, shaking it. His tails quiver, and he fights those strands, pulling against them.

He even fights against making any sound from the pain it causes, no matter how much it happens to hurt. And it does hurt. And that effort is one that crumbles and fails as well, pulling a half howling sort of sound from him. He tries to pull away, to untangle himself from the threads of the... whatever it is that has him. He tries to find... something, anything? that might be in his reach to help himself out of his situation.

If he shifts... if he returns to human form... will it remain clung to him or will it buy him space to free himself? He isn't sure if he should try. He isn't sure if he can focus enough to try. He's been wearing his feline form far more often than his human form, these past weeks.

Shen Wei has posed:
There isn't anything unconsciously familiar about the device being used on the creature either. It's not something the Haixingren has ever run into before. If he shifts back to his Haixingren shape, it might free him up enough to escape. However, it had ensnared him swiftly enough to present this as probably a bad idea.

There comes a soft sound, almost a silken hissing, and the strands loosen and fall away. From both Bai Wuyun and the creature they had ensnared. The creature scrables to its feet and away. Sickly green blood soaks the ground, flowing toward Bai Wuyun from a... well. It looks sort of like an unholy mating between a goblin and a spider. It's green skin is mottled with black, like rotting patches. Its head lies back and it's quite dead now.

At his head, a sound. "Tch. I see you still don't think before leaping," comes Shen Wei's familiar voice. His scent fills Bai Wuyun's nostrils a moment later as he steps into view, out of the shadows he'd been camoflauged in, his sword held in his right hand, black blade a stark contrast to the sickly green blood dripping from it. Blood that against the black of the blade almost seems to glow, for the blade itself almost seems to suck in the light. He flicks the blade away from Bai Wuyun, sending the blood flying off of it. The blade disappears seeming to be swallowed by shadows as Shen Wei crouches next to the body.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
There are a vast array of things that aren't familiar to Bai Wuyun, either consciously or unconsciously. He doesn't have even a fraction of Shen Wei's and Xie Yun's experience let alone their combined experience, and there are times when it shows more than others. He often feels like he's playing catch up to the things that they know. And though that causes some level of frustration for him, he tries not to let it show -- he tries to just learn what he can. And maybe not make stupid mistakes. Like the stupid mistake that got him in *this* particular fix.

Bai Wuyun isn't certain enough about shifting to actually try it. The strands had reacted quickly when it had grabbed his paws and ended up pulling him to the ground, and that gives him doubt that it would work at all. One of his ears catches that soft hiss of sound, and it perks in the direction of it. There's a soft relieved sound that comes from him when the strands loosen and fall away. The pain doesn't end with that, but it does at least lessen faintly. His tails give a mild swish across the ground, and he casts a brief glance towards the creature in the moment before it's slain. Some part of his brain shudders over it, and he exhales a soft breath, his nostrils fluttering softly.

Then there's the sound, the voice, near to his head. Shen Wei. His head lowers at the words and he makes a soft and apologetic rumble of sound, his ears lowering to the sides. He breathes in deeply of Shen Wei's scent, his eyes half closing, and he moves his head to tentatively reach towards Shen Wei to attempt to very lightly touch him with his nose, if he might. He glances towards the blood covered blade, but it doesn't bother him. He painfully eases himself up to his paws, then looks to Shen Wei and makes a soft and inquisitive sound before his gaze falls to the body of the creature.

Shen Wei has posed:
Out here? The Haixingren really /is/ playing catch up. Shen Wei and Xie Yun have been out here for more than twenty years. Bai Wuyun has been out here for barely six months. Though, the predicament he's in now really had not been entirely smart on the cat's part. Not really smart at all.

"Stupid," says Shen Wei, a thread of affection heard within the quiet word. "Hasty." He glances over to Bai Wuyun and then moves his hand. Away from the nose touch to rap the cat on the forehead with his knuckles. "Start using the brain that I know is in there." This is more words than he's spoken to the Haixingren in a month.

He tilts his head and looks where the cat looks, to the goblin spider creature. "Oh this?" He goes silent for a moment, contemplative, and his eyes return to said beasty. "This is our bounty." He lifts his hand to tap the communicator that's in his right ear. "Come down at my coordinates. Containment will be needed. It is toxic."

Bai Wuyun has posed:
Sometimes, Bai Wuyun makes some decisions that are fairly foolish. In his defense, many of them stem from either concern or worry for Shen Wei or a desire to protect him. He loves Shen Wei without understanding why, without knowing their shared past, and he would protect him with every breath of life in his body. He has only memories of the past six months -- from when he was rescued until now. And that's precious little in comparison to what they had before, to the time they'd shared before -- to the times he can't remember.

The feline's tails lower, the ends of them touching the ground. His head remains lowered as well, and he makes a soft rumble of sound -- agreeing and apologetic. He can't argue the point, it was stupid. The thread of affection that he hears in that word does not escape his ears, and they perk up. He snuffles a breath through his nose, and then he bobs his head in a bit of a nod. He has to agree that it was hasty, too. His tongue flicks out to brush his nose, and he tilts his head a bit to one side, his eyes half closing at the rap that falls upon his forehead. He doesn't try to escape it -- he deserved it, and he knows it. And he gives another small nod. He'll try. He can't promise anything, but he'll try. If not for his own sake, then so that Shen Wei doesn't have to keep rescuing him.

He looks to the creature, then back to Shen Wei, and then he gives a small nod to the explanation. His tails lift and flicker lightly from one side to another. He tilts his head slightly to one side at Shen Wei's words, knowing it's Xie Yun at the other end listening. He should likely shift -- and with the thought, he shifts his weight a touch and takes a moment to concentrate. The soft white light that's familiar to his shifting surrounds him, and it doesn't take it long before it fades away. Leaving him human instead. Yet he doesn't wear the robes that are so very familiar. His long hair is braided at the nape of his neck and twisted up at the back of his head, held in place with a hair stick. A pair of lace up black boots, black pants and a green long-sleeved shirt with an upright collar.

Shen Wei has posed:
Even though there are only memories of the past six months, Bai Guang was the way. He never understood why he loved Shen Wei either. He just did. From the first moment he saw him. Shen Wei didn't understand it either. It simply... was. In truth, they didn't really have all that long to start with. A few short years was all.

Shen Wei looks away when Bai Wuyun starts the shift. There's a detatchment to be seen in his expression. The cat is easier to deal with, in many ways. The man, less so. So it is that he doesn't see the change of clothing. Nor the bound up hair. Instead, his eyes are on the prize. "Five." He pauses for a few seconds. "Four." Another short pause of a few seconds. "Three." Another pause. "Two." Another pause.

It's right with that last pause that the wave of weakness and nausea surges through Bai Wuyun. In the distance, the creature that had run crashes to the ground just shy of the trees. It lays there, twitching, mewling piteously. Shen Wei looks toward Bai Wuyun, and surprise fills his expression upon seeing the change of outfit. "One," he says softly, slightly delayed because of the surprise. The weakness will turn to dizziness, and a wave of blackness will rise to claim Bai Wuyun.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
The Haixingren doesn't remember it, but -- when he was Bai Guang, when he had first met Shen Wei, he had been exactly the same as now. He had loved the Dixingren from the very first moment he'd laid eyes on him and never loved another since. His heart had always belonged to someone, he knew -- he just hadn't known to whom until he saw Shen Wei again. And in that moment, his heart had known -- he had known.

There's no sign that he notices the shift in Shen Wei's expression when he begins the shift from feline to human. Or at least, it doesn't make him stop the process. He has to heal, and that means he can't remain as a feline. If he has to spend the rest of his days and nights as a feline just to be able to be with Shen Wei, then that's what he'll do, and willingly so.

After shifting, he tilts his head a touch to one side as he becomes aware of Shen Wei's counting. The crashed creature doesn't even earn a glance from him, though he is assuredly aware of it. His gaze turns towards Shen Wei at the bit of surprise he hears behind 'one', and the corners of his lips turn up slightly. He pales a bit, turning a bit green-ish as the nausea rises, and he swallows against it to try to keep from throwing up, a soft groan sounding from him.

Any focus he might try to muster scatters away like dandelion seeds on the breeze, leaving him unable to heal himself. One of his feet moves, shifting to be roughly shoulder-width apart from the other, to try to keep his balance as the dizziness comes. Even with that, he sways a bit, wobbling and uncertain, blinking a little as though trying to clear the dizziness. "Shen Wei," he whispers softly. One of his hands moves to lightly press against his belly, not that it helps with the nausea, and his other hand moves away from his side as though to steady himself with nothing more than thin air to do it with. He won't be able to stay upright for much longer, given the way he's feeling.