epic-yet-autistic-ninja

[epic-yet-autistic-ninja]

Rule 9

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This Story is part of a much larger running Narrative/World, and so missing context may be expected.

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"Fun Fact! A common nickname for Bud is Mutt!" - Me

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Jane scrapped at her knife, picking at the chunks of red meat sticking to the spores of rust and dirt claiming the blade. Huddled beneath the darkness of the clouded moon, the raw smell of aching moss and poised rats ate away at her nostrils, etching into the silent sounds of salvaging pests and awkward caws from sickened birds fighting above. Dingy and diseased, but it was better than being caught out in the open, plus, Jane’s camped out in enough of these dying alleys that she’d gotten used to it. Her hands fiddled with a smaller piece of fat, slightly catching itself on the blade’s broken edge. She groaned, rolling the dull hue of her eyes with the lazy motion of wiping the escaping blood against her pants.  

That’s when she heard it, 

As effortless as one would stand, her grip had released on the moulding knife and launched itself into the direction of the noise, the broken combination of yellow and purple fighting each other in a mirage that slowly formed around her hands, creating the perplexing pattern that launch forward into the minute hand of a clock, acting as a blade. The sudden cacophony pointed 12 o’clock, directly straight onto the location of a small figure, who’d gone cold in movement, simply staring blankly at the sudden weapon built in front of it. 

Jane’s eyes narrowed, her head cocking as she observed the poor thing stuck in her line of sight. Human – no, Hybrid. A tail, fluffy and too well-kept, tucked beneath its legs in a quick act of submissiveness, floppy ears parting the strands of fleecy hair hiding the sides of their face, and below the chin— 

A collar. 

Jane simply stared on, twitching an eye at the leather, rather comfortably fitted mark. Her weapon fell slightly, the raging colours weakening as transparency shot between the lines of breaking shades. 

“Uhm… Hello?”  The Hybrid lifted a hand, their small, innocent smile betrayed by the fear shown by their tail. A few blinks brought Jane back to the present, where a quick swipe of the hand killed the angry weapon, concern bleeding into her movements as she peered around the Hybrid.  “I, uh… smelled some meat, and- well, thought you’d be kind enough to share?” The Hybrid tilted a shoulder, their voice weirdly calm, high-pitched yet monotone in a way that was concerningly soothing. Jane simply starred on, waiting for something to happen- a quiet voice, an extra footstep, literal anything… yet nothing came, it was simply her, and the Hybrid.  “Bud…” She spoke his name, exhausting a held breath that’d gone damp in her lungs.   “Y-Yes?” The Hybrid titled his head curiously, his tail being revived as it gave small, impatient movements.  “No- I mean…” Jane shifted her focus, bending down to salvage the broken knife she’d previously dropped. “You don’t got… y’know?” She sighed, her attention unable to pry itself from the Hybrid, her vision flopping back to him like a fish scrambling to rid itself of a fishing net. Bud’s tail picked itself up, loosely straightening out as he lifted a hand to his mouth, stopping an escaping chuckle,   “No, Master isn’t with me right now.”  Those words didn’t help her relax, no matter how much weight they threw off her back. She let out a shaky sigh, “So- you want to… share some of our meat?”  “I-If it’s alright of course! I don’t want to be a bother or-”  “No, no its fine…” Jane hurried to keep the poor dog away from assumptions, “We’ve most likely got extra…”  “Really?” Bud’s tail ripped itself into the air, wagging about as a sparkle entered his eyes.  “Yeah- yeah. Just-…” Jane swallowed, trying to work out how all this would play out, “just follow me… don’t stray away.”  With that final warning, the two of them dove deeper into the alley, the foul smell haunting them until the resistance of cooked meat could fight back against it. 

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Astrix peered their head up, the silhouette of their hooded face given shape by the fire’s balter. From the distance, where the darkness merged in with crumbling bricks, Jane’s figure faded into view. Astrix hunched, a hand crawling between the crack in his jacket.  “Name?” Astrix called out, blankly,  “Jane,” She sighed back, rolling her eyes,  “Code?”  “Four, Five, Four, Six...”  Astrix straightened their back, their hand drifting back into the open as his head cocked back to the meat soldering along the rusted grill tray, the flail of fire beneath it. Jane outstretched a hand, guarding herself from the dancing sparks as she peered back to the darkness, where Bud’s figure slowly emerged, curiously. 

Just as fast as Jane had, a quick swipe left a sharpened mixture of shaded metals directly at Bud’s eye-level, Astrix darted to his feet, his grip unwavering as his cold stare pierced through the darkness sheathing him. Bud retaliated with an eek, his tail bending back under his legs as he begun lowering himself.  “No!-...” Jane stepped before the blade, becoming the barrier between both her travelling partner, and the unwelcome guest. A rare worry bled into her tone, accompanied by the mix of anger and concern morphing her face.  “Who is this?” Astrix blurted out, his katana gleaming in the warping reds of the fire, tilting ever so slightly as a whine escaped Bud.   “Bud-... His name is Bud,” Jane explained, taking a glance to the Hybrid, “and, I have agreed to... share some of our food with him...”  The blade fell, almost brushing to Astrix’s side as his shoulders slumped forward. Despite his veiled face, the confusion and potential frustration was evident.  “Pardon?”   “Do I need to repeat myself?”  Astrix scoffed, a small shake of the head signalling his disapproval as the blade finally fell to his side, his grip still untested.   “Wh-... why!” Astrix’s attention hadn’t fully left Bud,  “Just-…” Jane clicked her tongue, formulating whatever result both parties would be okay with.  She couldn’t think of one.  “Sit down with me – I’ll explain then.” 

Bud sat on the opposite side of the fire, wagglingly about as they excitedly watched the fire work its magic, a display that the thrashing ignition seemed more then delighted to perform for. Jane brushed a finger along a rag, occasionally dapping out the leaking droplets she’d almost forgotten about in the sudden moment. Astrix sat across Bud, staring daggers, Jane sat besides him.  “Should be ready, take a bite…” Jane groaned as she flicked a wrist at the meat. The wagging of Bud’s tail only grew faster as he reached over and ripped off a chunk of meat, the fire beneath seemingly proud.  “Thank you!” Bud barked before sinking a sharp tooth into the chummy bit of fat lining the edge, juices bleeding out from the tough slab he so recklessly dug into.  Jane grabbed her forehead, sighing, “Almost forgot,” She scoffed, “Dog teeth…” 

“Why’d you let him stay?” Astrix still kept peering at Bud, the anger barely hidden beneath his hood as a hand fiddled with the handle of his weapon.  “Right…” Jane reached to the meat, yanking a bone out, “I think its about time we make up a new Rule…”  Astrix finally broke his attention away from Bud, slowly tilting it towards his traveling partner, “What?-”  “Rule 9: Don’t Fuck With Bud.”  Jane took a bite out of whatever meat stayed strung along the bone, Astrix’s grip grew tighter, “Bud doesn’t strike me as someone…” He glanced back to the hybrid, “particularly dangerous…”  “Oh, no- he isn’t. Anyone on this god-forsaken island could kill him with their eyes closed.”  “Then why-”   “Cause it’s not Bud who I’m worried about,” Jane ripped off the remaining meat, a trickle of sweat descending along her eyebrow, “Its who owns Bud that concerns me…”  She pointed outwards, a trail that Astrix followed to Bud’s collar; who’d recently started licking his fingers… 

IN OWNERSHIP OF [PROTOTYPE] 

BUD 

IF LOST, PLEASE CONTACT 985-555-3147