forum I summon thee @Young-Dusty

Started May 08, 2019 by @amber_is_in_a_loop

tune

Slash bared his teeth. "It doesn't matter what I am in human years because I'm not a human. I bet you're just jealous because everyone still treats you like a baby."

Jessie didn’t stop walking, but her expression froze. « I dare you to say that again, » she muttered, looking back ahead.

"I said," Slash repeated, a little louder, "I bet you're just jealous. Charlotte keeps acting like you're a little tiny baby, and you keep taking it without even arguing. I bet you're not as tough as you say you are."
Rick glanced uneasily at Charlotte, as if asking whether they should break this discussion up before it got too heated.

Charlotte couldn’t look away from Slash, knowing full well how this would end. But who was she to break it up? It was wiser to get any in-group conflict out of the way.
She stopped walking, nodding to Rick to do the same.
Jessie turned to face Slash.
« How dare you? » she asked. Her voice was still low, but her eyes shone with anger. «You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know me. Now you’re telling me I’m weak? I’m weak because someone actually treats me like I’m my age and I don’t turn them down? You know what, I think you’re jealous. You’re not human. You have no family. You couldn’t understand this. But that doesn’t mean you get to pretend like you know me, or Charlotte, or what we’re like. »
She stopped talking, breathing hard, staring Slash down.

(It's all right, a little arguing is good sometimes ^^ I apologize in advance for Slash's insensitive way of speaking hehe)
Slash's hackles slowly bristled to life as Jessie spoke, but he didn't snap at her in return. "How could I be jealous of you?" he said. "Of course I don't have a family. You've gotta earn the right to a family. You think you're lucky because you got one handed to you, but they won't be around forever. What are you gonna do when you have to survive on your own, huh? I'll be miles ahead of you by then." he curled his lip. "Humans are weak. Don't act like "not human" is some kind of insult to me."

"We're not weak!" Jessie said loudly, pointing a finger at him. "I have survived on my own, I can handle myself. You don't even know what those Gypsies did to me, or what my training was like, you have no right to judge my competency without knowing the whole story." She was evidently getting choked up. "And you know what? My family wasn't handed to me. I earned their respect through my training, and I lost most of them, and that's what made me stronger, that loss. At least– at least I'm not some wandering creature desperate for respect that you don't even understand how to earn!"
Charlotte sucked in a breath. "I don't know if we should intervene," she whispered to Rick, "but Jess might need this emotional moment. They don't come around a lot." She looked over. "You don't mind?"

Rick shrugged a bit helplessly. "To be honest, I don't think I rightly have a say in any of this," he whispered back. "It's your call."
Slash, meanwhile, was suddenly looking more puzzled than angry, and he listened to Jessie's outburst with slightly tilted head. "Wait," he said in a much quieter voice. "How does loss make you stronger? I thought it just…..hurt."

“It’s— it’s calming down.” Charlotte didn’t make a move to stop the fight, since it was cooling down.
Jessie let her hand fall to her side, looking exhausted suddenly. “It hurts for a while, but then you learn to either live with it or get over it. That process is very hard and makes you stronger, hardens you so that next time it won’t hurt as long.”

Slash sat back on his haunches as he mulled that over. "That's not what my parents taught me," he said uncertainly. "They said when you lose, it doesn't make you stronger, it makes you smarter. They said…people who lose have to be smart so they can survive. You only get strong by winning, over and over." He glanced back up at Jessie. "I'm…..still trying to get that part right."

Jessie softened, ever so slightly. "Winning over and over makes you careless. When you lose, you learn something, and then when you get to win after a loss, that's what brings the win it's satisfaction. If all you've ever done is win, you're extremely weak."

Slash looked somewhat doubtful of her words, but apparently didn't disagree enough to continue the debate. He let out a soft huff and ducked his head. "…..Wanna keep walking?" he mumbled. The way he said it, it almost sounded like a grudging apology.

Jessie studied the Deorn for a moment before offering a curt nod and facing away from him.
“I’d forgotten how Deorns can be,” Jessie grumbled as Charlotte cautiously walked closer to the two younger ones. She glanced over at Slash, who seemed calm enough, and gavez Jessie’s shoulder a squeeze.
“Glad to see those thugs didn’t break you.”

Rick smiled, relieved to see that the argument had been resolved peacefully, and joined them as they started walking steadily forward again. "Well, I think I see a little creek down in this next valley, if we're still thinkin' of camping next to one. I doubt it'll have any fish in it, 'round here, but at least we'll have somethin' to drink."
Slash perked up slightly and loped ahead to check out the stream. "Kay. I'll start hunting, then."

Charlotte nodded in approval, shouldering her bag back up before speeding up towards where Slash had taken off. "I say we all get an early night so we can set off as soon as possible in the morning," she suggested with the tone of an order.

Rick nodded as well. "Good plan. Slash, don't go too far while you're hunting, we can't get tangled with the enemy just yet."
"Uh-huh." Slash reached the creek and hopped into it, splashing his way upstream with his nose inches from the water. "I'll be back soon."

Charlotte waved him off, setting down her bag and walking off to find firewood.
Jessie began rigging through Charlotte’s sings, fishing for the evening necessities.
« So how do you and Charlie know each other? » Jessie asked Rick distractedly.

(Gosh it took me a solid minute to figure out who Jessie was talking about X'D Also helloo!! How are you doing, fam? It's been a while ^^)
"Well, we ain't known each other very long," Rick replied, resting his backpack and rifle on the ground next to him so he could wash his hands and face in the creek. "'Fact it was only a few days ago I happened across her house and asked for shelter. We got talkin' the next morning, and she ended up hiring me to help her go look for you 'n her other family. She'd got a nasty letter from Axel, see, and I guess she figured it was time to settle things for good. I'm just here to help if I can." He straightened and offered Jessie a smile. "And how 'bout you? How did you two meet?"

Jessie stiffened. She’d forgotten about the mutual questioning thing… but the smile her gave her seemed so honest…
« I was shipped over to the training facility, and she and Axel raised and trained me from going on 7 years old, » she said proudly.

"Wow, that's pretty young," Rick remarked, coming to sit down nearby and unpack his bedroll. "D'you remember much about back then? My brothers 'n I started our training around that same age, but most of it's a blur for me nowadays."

(I'm good, feeling very artsy atm! And work is going great XD I hope you figure out how you're feeling soon and that you turn out to be doing well!! hug)

(Ooh artsy is good!! I’ve actually been in a super dance-y mood the past few days but haven’t had dance class for a hot minute so :(

Jessie nodded. « Guess it is. I remember everything though, since it isn’t things that are easy to forget. »
She didn’t detail, but her tone suggested the cruelty strongly enough as it was.

(ah dance sounds fun too! May you get a chance to do so very soon! >w<)
Rick shook his head. "Well, hopefully all those days are behind us now. Between you and me, I'm hopin' to retire soon and settle down somewhere, maybe do some ranching. It'll be a nice change from shootin' at people, that's for sure."