Mission 2: The Lion Bird (Farris, Flamey, Others?)

[Farris (Kuro)]

It had been two years since she had last heard from Kaku. They had drifted far apart in that time, but the bounty she gained as a result remained just just as strong as their odd friendship. The bluenette had been laying low, hoping that her bounty might be forgotten over time while she took odd jobs like these.

That crazy old crone was like one of those old lady's with the 10-20 cats, on she had all sorts of animals that Farris had never seen before. Farris had been working for her for a while now, and it wasn't so bad. The woman was rich and paid well, but it was not for her music. No, Farris was working on other skills after seeing how strong Kaku was. If she wanted to travel she needed to get much stronger...

Thus she had started hunting rare animals for this lady.... Ms. Peacock. She was some sort of noble woman that had a flare for the dramatic and rare. This time was a bit different though, she wanted Farris to work with some other guys to get this rare Lion Bird thing called a Leocon. It supposedly had the head and tail of a lion and the body of a giant falcon. If what Ms. Peacock had said was true, it stood the highest of a actual lion with three times the wingspan of it's body.

Farris looked over her shoulder as she started to walk off the ship Ms. Peacock had provided them. "I take it your all ready?" She asked as the ship had docked at the Island of rare animals only a few moments ago. Farris didn't know these guys, but hopefully they wouldn't cause her unnecessary issues. She had enough problems with the bounty on her head.

[Flame]

One of those guys who stood behind the Red Rum Pirate stood in his signature hoodie, with hood down glancing out towards the sky. His face seemed vacant of thought, a sentiment held also by the rest of his body. Through the slack of his arms as they hung loosely from pockets and the general slouch of his shoulders it was fairly obvious that he was off elsewhere in the depths(well shallows) of his mind.

"Oi!" A voice spurted out from behind the hoodied guy and another figure walked up behind him proceeding to place an elbow into the side of his abdomen. Catching the hoodied one off guard he proceeded to jump skyward. A short jump, though he did gain nearly a foot in height before he began to fall towards the ground once again. As he fell his blond hair ruffled itself making it even more a mess than before. "Huh ..." He murmured to himself as he slowly regained his senses, before whirling on the guy, "OI! What was that for? I was having a nice dream right there!" That swift retort earned him a flick on the forehead as the man who had raised him from his slumber slid past the young looking boy with his now glowing red eyes. "Move it Kano, the hunt begins now." The voice was serious this time and as the man's head turned to face the one known as Kano his eyes matched with Kano's red ones. For moments the intense staring continued.

Kano's eyes bore into the cold blue eyes of the man he matched up to. As the staring continued a smile widened upon Kano's face. A youthful feeling burned up from within him and soon Kano could not hold it no more. As his eyes glanced away admitting his defeat he burst out into laughter. "Hey hey, is it just me or do you feel like laughing whenever you stare into someone's eyes for too long?" He asked jovially to the man he had just been staring at. There was a wide smile upon his face as he spoke to the man, who did not seem at all amused by the question.

"Get."

There was a strength in the voice as that man pointed his finger down the ramp onto the island. Kano in a rare scene of obedience hurried down the ramp as ordered. He ran up behind that blue haired woman who had come down first rushing over to her he placed a firm slap upon her back before rounding around in front of her. In his usual peppy manner he spun around on his foot until he faced her. Glancing her up and down he smiled. She seemed an interesting person, this could be quite fun. "Hey! I don't believe we've met! I'm Kano, Kano Toro." He put out the hand that had only recently been placed upon her back. It was a handshake, a simple handshake which he was asking for through this gesture.

"Alright ya'll I'll be giving out assignments and directions. Gather round." The man who had previously been taming Kano raised his voice to the group of miscreants who were filing onto the island. He was the leader of this hunt it seemed, or at least he had the air to be one.

[Farris (Kuro)]

The unexpected slap on the back caused Farris to flinch slightly at the sudden touch. She wasn't used to that... people casually invading her personal space. It was part of life on the sea though and thus she offered a half smile to you man hat had been up until a few moments ago spacing out. "Catseye Farris, and no, I don't think we have." The bluenette replied moving a few strands of her hair out of her face. She still sported the same fashion as she had in the past, perhaps it was time to change that? Not now obviously.

The dark clad musician looked over to the man that had taken charge. It was a change of pace to be sure. Usually Farris did these jobs solo, she knew as did Ms. Peacock that this was out of her league alone. Still the turn out was bigger than expected. Five others aside herself and a couple of ship hands that Ms.Peacock provided for operating the ship.

Farris listened intently to the man's short announcement, be for glancing at Kano. "Looks like we have some structure for this hunt. You ever done this before?" Farris inquired before returning her gaze to the appointed leader. Hopefully this guy knew that Ms. Peacock wanted the Leocon alive and undamaged, otherwise none of them were likely to get paid.

[Flame]

The blue haired lady introduced herself as Catseye Farris. A curious name, so curious that it caused Kano's head to tilt sideways almost a little too much. As he tried to wrap his head around the name the main thing he wondered was what exactly was her first name? Logic, well what logic that Kano, had told Kano that it was Casteye. But everything in him told him that it was Farris. Truly a confusing predicament it put him in as Kano found himself unable to choose a name by which to name the person he now stood by.

As he stood their in his head he deliberated on the possibilities. The two, vastly different and vastly unique possibilities one of which sounded more like a first name but was not in the correct position. The other sounded nothing like a first name however was. His face twisted in his thought constantly trying to comprehend exactly what was going on with her name. It was then that she spoke to him, it took him only a moment to realize that she was however in that moment he had already missed the first half of what she had said given it had been such a short burst of speech. The question was, had he ever done this before? Deliberated over the possibilities of someone's name? Well I might have... hmmm, but I figured it out, it was Daisy. So I guess not? Kano's head scrunched up as he thought until finally relaxing as he decided upon his answer. "No, not really. Perhaps once with this guy, but it was resolved quickly. It was quite simple actually." Kano decided not to include the name, it was not important to what he was saying in the end.

"Well let's go." Kano's arm outstretched, his hand grasping around the wrist of the one called Catseye Farris. He specifically was trying to avoid naming her as he didn't know the correct one to use. Pulling her along he brought them both to the circle of men who surrounded the man who had seemed to have taken up the post of leader. Why he was chosen? Kano didn't know nor did he care, sure Kano thought he might be able to do a better job, but that was not something he had need to blurt out.

The leader, who led through his own air of command, seemed to stand taller than all the others though he was likely not even the tallest between himself and Kano. Standing slightly up upon the ramp to the ship he cleared his throat to fully obtain the attention of a few men who had been chattering in the back. "Alright you idiots listen up!" His voice boomed loud and commanding in a way that seemed unlikely to come from his body. "If you don't know me, my name is Kaito, last name unimportant. I'll be heading up this little hunt of ours. I'm sure I've told you all already, but we'll be searching this island in pairs." He walked forward into the crowd and it parted to meet him. "Look beside you, you are likely looking at your partner, if you don't like him. Suck it up. It'll give you a reason to catch the prey faster."

He paused as his eyes laid themselves upon Kano, his hand still wrapped around Farris' wrist. Grunting he walked forward, their was a wicked smile upon his face. "I'll be moving solo, if I come upon your pair and you aren't doing your job. You'll lose a days paycheck." He paused turning his head around to glance at all the men. The men, including Kano were all quite aware of the position of the man's hand upon his holster. The revolver in said holster was cocked already. "AND!" Kaito whirled around stalking his way up to Kano. "If I find you canoodling on the job. You'll get one of these." The pistol rose up and lodged itself upon the bridge of Kano's nose. "Right between the eyes." Kaito began to laugh and the men around him nervously laughed with. Kano on the other hand just stared at the barrel of the revolver in front of his face.

Kaito glanced around his red hair spinning with his head. He paused silently as he looked each man in the eye. "Well?" He asked with force sending the men scrambling off toward the woods in pairs. As his eyes turned around they laid themselves upon Kano and atseye Farris' whom Kano had not yet let go of. "Go on then." Kaito shooed Kano with his revolver. Kano opened a wide smile finally releasing Catseye Farris' wrist. With a brilliantly cheeky smile he responded. "Yessireee doodad!" Kaito sighed before casually walking into the islands interior leaving only Kano and Catseye Farris left on the beach. "Shall we?" Kano asked his companion with a smile.

[Farris (Kuro)]

Great, it seemed this guy was pretty green at this. Oh well, at least it wasn't something worse like no experience at all. He seemed to space out a lot though which the bluenette was sure was going to be trouble. She didn't have a chance to dwell on the matter as Kano took her wrist and led her to the crowd before she could object.

She narrowed her yellow eyes as she listened to the man's instructions on how this would be done. Pairs, that wasn't so bad... but as she glanced at Kano still gripping her wrist she knew that fate had it out for her... again. Kaito as he called himself didn't need to say it for her to know that she was stuck with Kano for this job. The musician knew how this worked, if you slacked, you didn't get paid. And she swore inwardly that if this guy dragged her down she'd take the beri out of his hide.

Then Kaito brought up being caught canoodling, she scoffed at that. As if she'd waist time doing that. This was a job, not some childish play date and she had every intention of catching that Leocon. With the gesture that sent everyone else into the woods, Farris let out a sigh of defeat until Kano released her wrist, which she flexed a bit before following him. Pretty much ignoring Kaito to focus on the job at hand.

"The first thing we need to do is make a trap and set some bait. Ms Peacock wants this thing alive and unharmed." Farris told Kano, though she had a feeling that he probably wasn't listening as the made their way into the the thicket of the island. Her mind was already focused on the job. "Oh, and theirs no need for formality, just call me Farris." She added, as she hated being addressed by Ms. Catseye. "I'll start on constructing the trap, if you can get the bait. I read on the way here that the Leocon likes rabbit and fish meat." The dark clad woman supplied, helpfully.

[Flame]

Walking into the brush after the blue-haired woman, Kano moved along jovially. His happiness, despite the fact that not moments ago he had a revolver pressed into his head, was ever present and undeterred. He motored along with that necessary pep in his step. She began to talk, about the mission of course and what her plan of action was on how to catch whatever they were trying to catch. As diligently as Kano could he paid mind to what she was saying though most of it went in one ear and then out the other. Especially as he glanced about the island noticing plants abundant and a few minor creatures were if not a little bit out of the ordinary.

In the end it was only a single word that made an impression on Kano, 'alive'. Of all words for him to remember perhaps that was the best, even if he did not remember the unharmed part. So live capture, thats doable. I've not killed anyone! Kano smiled proudly to herself as Catseye Farris cleared up the confusion to him about her name. Catseye was apparently her last name, good intuition on Kano's part to guess that Farris was the first. That proud feeling caused Kano to puff his chest out slightly as they walked about in the forests of The Island of Rare Animals. He was so proud that he managed to once again miss out on what Farris was saying. This time he managed to only catch her saying the words 'you' and 'bait'. An odd pair of words but from then Kano was able to decipher the meaning. An odd choice by his partner, but Kano was always up to a challenge. So he walked past her, casually he stuck a finger into his ear turning it slightly to dig out a small clump of ear wax which he then brought before his mouth only to blow it away.

As he walked past her he spun, throwing his arms out wide as he did so, he happily turned on his single foot. Almost like a prance it was, as he stopped facing Farris. "Alright not to worry. I'll happily hold up the role of bait!" Kano announced with fervor to his companion. His arm swung up thumb raised high to the air as he stuck it in the space between him and Farris. Upon saying that he turned around and began to walk off. His concern over his role as bait was almost nothing. Musing to himself he then wondered I wonder how shall I attract this beast, this prey of ours? He frowned slightly and stopped walking, he was yet out of the clearing within which he had stopped before Farris and made his declaration. His eyes veered around from side to side wondering and pondering as best he could the solution to his question.

Then a light bulb flashed in his head and he popped upwards a little in a gleeful idea of joy. Announcing outloud to himself "You know I like meat, can almost smell it, the fresh blood as it cooks. I should do that!" His announcement made perfect sense in his head even if he had skipped a few steps in the process of the connections he made when he said it out loud. In nay case first all he had to do was, he grimaced only momentarily, overcoming his troubles about the action he was about to partake in almost instantly.  Raising his hand he brought his thumb to his mouth. Pressing that precious skins against the edge of his lower set of teeth he widened said chasm and prepared to bite down. He would attract the prey with blood. The reasoning was absolutely infallible ... to Kano.

[Farris (Kuro)]

Farris watched Kano puff up his chest like some proud bird being complimented on his looks. She'd never heard of anyone being so happy about gathering bait for a trap before. It was sorta creepy in a way, but this job would be done soon enough... She hoped as she watch Kano clean out his ear with his finger. In that moment she had a bad feeling that this was doomed to failure.

This idoit, which Farris was now convinced he was as he walked past her, spun around with arms wide like a kid, only to face her and say, "Alright not to worry. I'll happily hold up the role of bait!" made the musician's feline-like eyes narrow and a deep internal need to facepalm grew. "Not you are the bait, go get the bait." She growled out, at least he heard the rest, she thought. No... that was probably too much to ask for, she was going to have to keep a better eye on her partner.

She closed her eyes only a moment and the fool was gone. Hopefully he got it right this time, but she wasn't getting her hopes up. Farris's first task was getting lumber and vines to construct a cage. It was something she had gotten used to doing by now. She just hoped her meager skills she had developed would hold an animal the size of the Leocon.

Elsewhere in the thicket of woods there was rustling and shifting as a large animal darted through the shadows. There was a loud cry that was cut off somewhere on the Island. The cry sounded human in nature but beyond that things were deadly quiet most everywhere else.

[Flame]

With one quick snap of the jaws, his thumb as it rested itself against the lower shelf of his teeth was suddenly pinched together. A zap of pain emanated from his the soft end his thumb as he felt skin break. Liquid rolled down his thumb and onto his teeth, his tongue lapping it up as it did, it was hot and warm. It was only telling that he had done it. Unhinging his jaw he lifted it up once more releasing his finger from its pain. Raising it up before him Kano admired his own work unfazed by the minute troubles it was still calling him. The thumb was stained red by blood as it still trickled out of the wound. Kano smiled nodding to himself as he glanced at the bloody finger. A job well done, he applauded his own work.

Then he paused, lost for a moment he stood there wondering, the hunger pains were not on him as he thought they wood be as he stared at the bloody finger. Bringing it closer to his face he stood there sniffing it slightly. The smell of fresh blood which should have wafted through his nose stirring up his stomach's rumblings did nothing for him. The smell was not even particularly appetizing, a fact that was troubling to him for certain, how else was he supposed to act as bait. Curious he brought his finger to his nose again, it was missing something. Something that made meat always so tasty so good, what could it be he was wondering for a few moments. Then it came to him his second bright idea which lit up his face once again. Bringing two other fingers forward he pressed them against his thumb for a moment before he snapped them together. His thumb raised itself up into the air and immediately it changed. His thumb disappeared and from it sprung a sparkler, not particularly large but there none the less, immediately what blood used to be there began to heat up and vaporize.

The warm wafting smell of blood cooking rose up around Kano. This he knew was what he was looking for the second it rolled through his nostrils. It woke up something within him and suddenly he felt alive and ready energy coursed through his body and he felt momentarily as if he were on the hunt for something. The high was only seconds however and Kano quickly regained himself as the smell disappeared. Waving his hand into the air Kano smiled and began to walk forward. Hopefully he could still get some of the smell out and attract his prey this way. Walking out further and further from the clearing where he had left his companion Kano wandered into the jungle. His eyes and ears ever looking out for signs of trouble, particularly the trouble he wanted to find. This ... What am I looking for? The thought passed through Kano's mind as he realized suddenly that he knew naught of what he was looking for. He shrugged, well he was sure it would find him why wouldn't it. He was the bait after all. And bait was used to catch things, thus he must be tempting on some level to whatever they were hunting.

~Rustle Rustle~

A sound to his right caught Kano's attention, his head turned as he noted a set of maybe five or six odd fin-like objects rising over the low-level foliage of the jungle. Waving back and forth they seemed to push the underbrush aside. Kano smiled he curiously watched these moving fins as they swung back and forth, perhaps this was his prey? He watched the fins impatiently, they had already stopped moving towards him, like they had found something. Well that was no good, Kano growled annoyed he needed a better look. Perhaps if he startled them slightly he would get a better look. Bringing his hand to his mouth he stuck it inside, closing his mouth around his hand he paused for a moment. His cheeks expanding slightly before relaxing again he pulled his hand out. Nestled in his palm was a small cherry bomb, its small red circular shape had a small fuse on the end which was already burning. Kano smiled "Bombs away!" He declared happily to himself lobbing the small explosive forward.

However he had misjudged the lightness of it and instead of dropping it down within the group of fins it flew past dropping into the foliage behind them. Kano's smile faded slightly as it went off, squeals flew up in the air, and the sudden burst of sound signaled their trampling stampede. In a most unfortunate direction, directly towards Kano. His eyes widened in surprise and he immediately turned on his heels and dashed away. The stampeding animals right behind him moving in an unfortunate line aimed towards him as if they knew who their attacker was.

[Farris (Kuro)]

Farris had just finished the crude cage when a very worrying and unpleasant sound was heard not too far away. An explosion. The hell? Who would fire off an explosive on a hunting... She didn't even need to finish that thought. The answer was painfully obvious. Her "partner" that she'd been so "generously" paired with for this job was making her life a living hell... just as she suspected he would. She was sure that that explosion was somehow his doing. She was starting to wonder if there was even a brain in his head. "Oi! Kano-kun, Your not supposed to--" She was about to scold him when a stampede started making it's way towards her with her idiot partner at the front of it.

The bluenette's eye's widened and she grabbed the cage her. She'd be damned if her hard work was going to waste. The musician bolted, ever careful of the terrain under her feet as she looked for a split in the path to try to loose the stampeding herd of finned creatures. "What were you thinking you idiot!?" She asked him as she ran panting for breath. When a part in the path finally presented itself, Farris took it but didn't stop until she was sure the stampede wasn't following. Once she had however she placed down the cage and panted for breath, before looking up to see if Kano was still on the run or not.

[Flame]

Foot before foot, inch by inch, they fought to be the one farthest from the incoming stampede. They unlike his hands and arms were very aware of the danger moments behind him. They charged forward like maniacs, throwing themselves out before the other. For them the saying 'you don't have to be faster than the lion, you just have to be faster than the guy next to you' was a perfect explanation of what they were doing. Arms of the otherhand just jangled loosely in the wind. In any case Kano did not have the time to spare to put thought into what they were doing. A single glance behind him told him all he needed. The shark-like fins propping themselves up upon furry boars which were just too large, bounced up and down in waves. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~ " Kano's voice echoed out as he ran making it clear that he was coming.

Crashing through the brush and into that former clearing his eyes made contact with Farris for moments only. It was her voice that had caught his attention, but as fast as she had started talking she stopped. Darting in front of his path, she grabbed something upon the ground and then continued running alongside Kano for a bit. From what he caught of the words she said to him and the tone of voice it seemed obvious that she was if a little bit displeased with him. "Idiot? Who are you calling an idiot?!" Kano exclaimed as he ran, crashing through the forest alongside this blue-haired girl. Unable to spend much time glancing about Kano ran, his eyes ever before him. Tracking what his next steps should be, aiming to dodge any stray branches or what not that might aim to trip him up. Running and running, so long as he heard the grunts and squeals of those little monsters behind him.

"Hey! maybe we should turn around and just beat them up?" Kano exclaimed to the person next to him. When no answer returned he devoted a moment to glance across, and was astonished to see there was no one. "WHERE'D SHE GO!?!!?" He yelled out to the world, wasn't she supposed to be working together with him for this? Now where had she run off to!?!?

Kano skid to a halt his feet crashing against dirt and foliage upon the ground. Spinning upon his heels he faced down the oncoming stampede. The deluge of feet slamming themselves upon the ground was even for Kano a little unnerving. But he faced it none the less, affirming both of his feet upon the ground he took up the excessively stereotypical horse stance. Digging in he threw out his arm behind him. "ALRIGHT THEN!" He declared war upon these charging enemies, behind him his arm began to morph. His wrist disappeared from its usual position upon the arm. In its place, a metal cone emerged from the forearm. Popping out in an almost cartoon-ish manner from an empty hole on Kano's wrist. "Yosh!!" He yelled at the horde before him as his arm swung forward. The metal cap as it reached the peak of Kano's punch launched itself off right into the middle of the horde. Rather than the cherry bomb's slight arc, this one flew straight and true, with no chance to miss. Immediately as it contacted a flash of red light illuminated the forest. And Kano smiled, he knew exactly what happened, he was sure of it.