Alpha Anxieties

[Data_Sora]

Out of all the places Fafnir figured he would start his journey after leaving the Grand Line, getting kicked off onto some back-water island because he couldn't pay up anymore combined with his unique looks. Thankfully they had dropped him off in the one place of civilization on the island, but it was little comfort when most of the people there were closer to savages then the more civilized folk he was used to; guns or not. At least, thanks to his devil fruit and talents as a doctor he was able to barter with those living on the island for a temporary job until he could get enough money to get off of this island.

Until he had been shanghai'd into acting as the field medic for a hunting party. Something about how it was a part of his job, how a medic should know how a MAN should know how to defend himself on this island, regardless of whether or not they were a temporary guest. Some more prodding revealed that there were rumors of an Alpha Greatwolf being seen, one larger then the biggest Greatboar on record having everyone nervous. While the hunt wasn't exclusively for the Alpha, something was stirring up the animals, and the residents wanted insurance in case they did get injured.

At least he was getting paid.

Having prepared his trusty crossbow and taking a tusk dagger on loan for the worst case scenario, the Keratin Fish-Man took a deep breath before joining up with the hunting party proper at the edge of the forest.

[Fox]

Blanchette had made her hideout on the remote Daijuu Island in the West Blue. It was largely unpopulated compared to other islands, but it wouldn’t be strange to see ships coming and going to deliver supplies and other such things. It wasn’t busy by any means, and she definitely preferred that. The island was home to oversized and quite vicious predators - and rabbits. Lots of very normal rabbits. Well, all of those predators needed something to eat, Blanchette supposed.

Due to the frequency of her visits, some of the locals had taken to calling her the Masked Witch. Blanchette found the nickname amusing to say the least, but ultimately, it didn’t matter what they called her so long as they left her alone. And that she did. She often arrived only to wander off into the wilderness and return a few days later. She knew there were whispers about what she did there. It made her smile.

She was returning with a large sack slung over one shoulder. The sky was the bright scarlet of evening that would soon fade to night. Her golden eyes glinted behind her bleached white wooden mask. Tonight was a new moon. The forest would be black as pitch. Well, that suited her just as well. As she walked from town to the edge of the forest, Blanchette spotted something curious.

A hunting party? It wasn’t uncommon to see on this island, but this one looked especially large. Blanchette tilted her head to one side slowly. As she drew nearer, she heard voices chattering away.

“Finally, the doctor’s here.”

“Good. Everyone listen up! We’ll be hunting a beast the likes of which is unrivaled on this island of ours. The Alpha Greatwolf. We know that it's only been sighted near the center of the island. This is your chance to become a legend even greater Sutherland! Any questions?”

Blanchette paused. The center of the island? She’d made her hideout in a cave in the center of the island. She felt her lips curl into a sneer and her hackles raise. Well, if any of them so much as dared to try and enter her hideout, they’d end up a bloody smear on the ground. Almost as if to taunt the large hunting party assembled, Blanchette walked right past them as she made her way into the forest. Their voices died in their throats as they noticed her. They all watched silently as she strolled leisurely past them, their eyes affixed to her and the sack that she was carrying.

Her traveling clothes were a bit tattered. Her dress was ragged, her boots dusty, a red cloak with a hood drawn over a pale white mask in the shape of a wolf’s head. She looked every bit the masked witch. It was a nice moniker, but honestly, Blanchette was eager to get into a fresh and fine outfit with none of the wear and tear of travel.

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Blanchette | #e4d00a | Post Count: 1

[Data_Sora]

Listening to the idle chatter between the hunters upon his arrival, he'd pick up mutterings about how he looked. Some assumed he was a half-breed, others that he had eaten a devil fruit, and a few debating if he was some sort of rare creature from the forest itself. Didn't matter that he had been staying on the island for at least a week now, unless he was needed he didn't try to interact much with the locals. They would all get quiet though as his arrival was noticed and announced to the group.

The speech was short, simple, and to the point; just the kind of speech he liked. The islanders had done hunts for years, and they understood what was at risk. Fafner did not know who this 'Great Sutherland' was nor did he really care, but those listening seemed to. While he himself had no questions once it was asked, it wasn't like they were going to be answered anytime soon with the arrival of a woman who seemed to spook the locals.

He could only guess who this woman was, but thanks to his large size he could see her walk past his group into the vegetative sea of trees and fauna. The news that they were going to hunt an Alpha had been near-common knowledge, so who was this newcomer> His best guess given her tattered clothes was that she was a fighter of some kind. Perhaps she was thinking on taking on the Alpha alone? Her outfit was a bit odd, sure, but having never heard of the masked witch and growing up on the Grand Line, the only thing that was special in his eyes was the mystery sack and choice of red for her cloak.

The crowd continued to stay silent as she just...kept going, eventually leaving sight. More mutterings around him began once more, worry over if the hunt was cursed or if they should wait for the Alpha to come to them instead; spineless bastards. He could handle small hiccups, but he wasn't going to let them use this as a way for him to not get paid. Standing up straight he'd raise his deep voice to get their attention.

"Man up, the lot of you! If red hooded woman is willing to walk into forest without worry, then I see no reason for you to be afraid! Besidez, you have me to patch you up if thingz get rough, and family cheering you on!"

Fafner could hear those in the group agreeing with him, and soon enough the morale started to recover back to it's original eagerness for the hunt. The hunt would continue, and soon enough they began their search for the great Alpha.

[Fox]

Blanchette caught the beginning of the outsider’s speech before it faded into the distance. That one had certainly looked strange. Wings, a tail. Truly a monstrous sight in the Blues. More like a lizard version of the Mink tribe. She hadn’t heard of any such thing, but stranger things existed in the world. Herself among them. She shrugged. She’d see them soon enough if they ventured too closely to her den on this dark night.

Picking her way through the dark forest, Blanchette followed her usual roundabout path atop stones, fallen trees, and other obstacles so that her tracks were not easily followed. It wasn’t impossible to track her, but she certainly didn’t want to give people an easy time of it. As a result, night had well and truly fallen by the time that she’d arrived at the entrance of her den. Her eyes looked toward the sky, but the moon wasn’t present. It was completely obscured in darkness. She grinned. Those hunters weren’t going to have a very good time tonight.

-~-

Meanwhile, the hunters had rallied their spirits in large part due to the doctor’s stern lecture. They set off, led by a strapping young man by the name of Gaston. He was more than eager to prove himself. Confidently leading the way into the forest where the very trees seemed to tower and look like ominous sentinels. He held a torch in one hand and a hand crossbow in the other. With every small sound that spooked the others, he laughed, which rekindled their spirits.

Not long after nightfall, Gaston called a halt to the hunting party. There were quiet whispers as he walked over to the most senior hunters and the outsider doctor. He gestured for them to follow, leading the way through some thick underbrush.

A rank smell wafted through the air and grew stronger as Gaston walked. He pushed aside a thicket to reveal the corpse of some animal that had been mangled so badly that rendered it unidentifiable. Bugs buzzed around it hungrily and their offspring wriggled inside the poor creature’s insides.

“What do you make of it?” Gaston asked.

“Old,” one of the senior hunters replied, “Two weeks or more, maybe?”

Gaston nodded and then turned to the doctor with a smirk.

“And what about you, doc? Bet you’ve never seen anything quite like this, eh?”

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Blanchette | #e4d00a | Post Count: 2
Gaston | #ffa500

[Data_Sora]

Walking through the forest and with the morale being high, Fafner knew he should feel a bit of pride in getting them to not back out, but he did not feel any joy despite the mood. With the trees as thick as they were, just entering felt like time had shifted several hours forward, the darkness becoming more and more deep as they went in. On occasion there was a patch that would reveal the sky above, but for someone who spent little time on the island it was hard to pick up the details that those native would know where to look.

Clutching his crossbow with both hands he'd briefly debate allowing his lunar flame to ignite and light their way, but held off. Not only would it put him at a higher risk of revealing what he was, but it would also ruin their eyesight as well as act as a bigger beacon for their prey to see upon approach. No, he could trust in the torches already being carried by others, as they likely had more training then he. And with how clear the sky was before the hunt, the chance of rain was next to zero for several hours at the minimum, so he could ignite if he truly felt like his life was at risk.

Upon being gestured to follow by the man known as Gaston (a man who seemed to have his eggs in the right basket), he wondered why he was called over until he took in the scene. First was the smell, then as his eyes adjusted from the reveal he'd clench his fists to keep his mind focused. The stench and sight of death was something he knew, when one learned to heal, coming face to face with death was inevitable. This however differed in how brutal the kill looked, as well as the timeline since the soul departed.

Gaston's questions helped him focus as well. He wouldn't have guessed two weeks, and making sure to visit a mortician when he got to a more civilized land was to be in order for his learning. When the next question was directed at him though, he took a second.

"Sightz of karrion and dekay are not unknown to me, but not of this...primal brutality if you will." He could feel a knot twist in his stomach, the smell hitting him once more. His stomach was strong, but one could only fight a gag reflex so much. "I almost feel bad for it, but I kannot help but wonder if kill was made out of hunger, or boredom."

[Fox]

Gaston smirked at the sight of the doctor struggling to keep from gagging. Not that the smell was pleasant to him, but after his short time serving in the Marines, he’d become accustomed to the sights and smells of death. He grinned when the doctor picked out the point that he’d been about to make. He laughed, a hearty belly laugh, and slapped the doctor on the back.

“Good eyes, doc! Yes, it seems like the beast hunts for sport. And, no matter how old it is, this does tell us that we’re in its territory now. Be ready, men!”

The other hunters stiffened at the mention of being in the beast’s territory, casting anxious glances around at the dark trees surrounding them. Gaston ignored them, or rather, reveled in their insecurities as he took the lead once more, leading the lot of them back to the group. With Gaston at the front again, the group pressed on, looking a little comforted by being behind the best hunter in the village.

-~-

Moving aside the boulder within the cave had been annoying as usual, forcing her to revert to her original size to push it out of the way, but once that was done, what greeted Blanchette was her hideout. It was decidedly lavish in both decor and treasures that were strewn about the floor. She slung her sack to the floor after shrinking herself back down and emptied out its contents next to a wall. Golden accessories and plates clattered to the stone floor noisily. She’d arrange those later.

Blanchette lazily tossed the bag aside and stretched, hearing her stomach growl noisily. Hm. It probably wasn’t a great idea to go out hunting with those hunters out there, but… well, she wasn’t going to go hungry either. It was a shame that she hadn’t thought to bring any cute little pastries home, but it had been a long trip. Perhaps the sight of a monster would deter those idiots from encroaching on her territory anyhow.

Shrugging off her red cloak and taking off her mask, Blanchette placed them down on her desk and shook herself, letting her wolfish ears and tail flop free from the confines of her clothes. She took off her gloves and unbuttoned her sleeves, rolling them off as well. What she was left with was a plain white underdress that was getting a little tatty. It’d do. Running a paw through her hair to brush it from her face, Blanchette walked back to the entrance of her little hidey hole.

Closing her eyes, she glowed briefly with pink gold energy as she slowly grew and grew into her towering and monstrous true form. With a paw, she gently moved the boulder again to block off the entrance to her true hideout and crawled out of the cave on all fours. As she exited, a cool breeze rustled her black fur. She lifted her head to the sky and unleashed a primal howl.

“AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

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Blanchette | #e4d00a | Post Count: 3
Gaston | #ffa500