(Untitled)

[crabbycustomer]

It's dark, just before dawn, and Karkat is outside, lurking. (He doesn't mean to lurk, but he's got a lurk-friendly color pallette.) He found this outdoors area earlier, and he's had a good time prancing around with his sickle being all adorabloodthirsty venting his constant frustrations, but he'll have to go inside soon. Even if the human sun

Comments

[killitwith_fire]

"Nice t'see you took my advice t'heart." Head-to-toe black aside, Axel's hair and face stand out well enough under the moonlight; his hood's not up, so clearly he's not trying to hide.

The narration tried to resist, but not very hard, or for very long.

[crabbycustomer]

He darts a glowering sideways glance at Axel. "THEY FUCKING STARTED IT."

[killitwith_fire]

"Yeah, they usually do," Axel agrees. That might be why there's carbonised remains of rabbit on his boots. "Not smart enough t'tell the difference between prey and everything else."

[crabbycustomer]

On Alternia, there's only things that prey on you and things you prey on. It's not so much a foodchain as... food chainmail.

"WE HAD THESE ON ALTERNIA. OR PRETTY MUCH. THEY WERE ALWAYS SCAMPERING AROUND THE LAWNRINGS."

Adorabloodthirsty.

[killitwith_fire]

"They have 'em on a lot of worlds," Axel replies. "Usually, they're herbivores."

Pause.

"The things that try'n eat you are usually a bit bigger." He gestures a little below knee-height.

[crabbycustomer]

"ON ALTERNIA EVERYTHING TRIED TO EAT YOU," he says, giving Axel a weird look.

In the water, a current pushes a fallen leaf towards the submerged blade of the sickle; it splits in two without ever touching the edge. Karkat draws it out of the water and dries it with a rag.

(It's weird, and primitive looking; like a giant's jawbone, set with flints so sharp they end in a bluish haze. It has Void powers, whatever those are.)

"THESE JUST LOOK LIKE ORDINARY JUVENILE LAGOBEHOMETHS TO ME."

[killitwith_fire]

"I've been unpalatable t'most things for most of my life," Axel replies with a shrug. "The demon bunnies're full-grown; at least, I've never seen 'em any bigger." He pauses a moment, before continuing thoughtfully, "Well, they might get bigger in the Labyrinth; I've just never bothered looking."

The weapon isn't strange enough to be worth comment, though he does take note of what characteristics he can; Axel's used to odd, unique, and powerful weapons though.

[crabbycustomer]

"THEY DON'T GO INTO THE SECOND PHASE UNLESS YOU LET TAKE OVER THE LOCAL FOOD CHAIN. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THEM HUNTED DOWN THEY STAY SMALL."

"ONCE THEY GET TO BE ABOUT TROLL-SIZED THEY WITHDRAW INTO THEIR WARRENS AND START FIGHTING AMONG THEMSELVES UNTIL ONLY ONE SURVIVES. THEN IT STAYS UNDERGROUND AND GESTATES INTO THE ADULT FORM WHILE IT FEEDS ON ALL THE CARCASSES IT'S ACCUMULATED. SO EVERYTHING GOES QUIET AND THEN ONE DAY A HOUSE-SIZED LAGOBEHOMETH DIGS ITS WAY UP OUT OF YOUR LAWNRING AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE." He stows the weapon back in his strife deck.

[killitwith_fire]

The sickle disappears in what looks to Axel like a relatively normal way. At least, he doesn't even blink at it.

"Huh. Well, they sure as hell don't own this ecosystem," Axel replies, his grin growing a little. "The people here like killin' 'em too much."

[crabbycustomer]

"YEAH NO SHIT YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE THEY'RE FUCKING AGGRESSIVE AND CHARGING AROUND IN SWARMS. THEY'RE HUNGRY AND MASS-SPAWNING."

Karkat sure knows a lot about vicious animals!

[killitwith_fire]

"So this is typical of... lagobehemoths?"

Perhaps the true origin of the demon bunnies is at last revealed!

[crabbycustomer]

"WELL REAL LAGOBEHOMETHS DON'T SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST WHEN YOU KILL THEM, THAT'S PRETTY FUCKING BIZARRE."

Probably the demon part.

[killitwith_fire]

Grin.

"They're more of the bloody splat kinda thing?"

[crabbycustomer]

"SOMETHING LIKE THAT," he grumbles resentfully.

[killitwith_fire]

"...Feel like y'need a bloody splat?" Axel asks.

Hey, wouldn't be the first time he offered to take a near-stranger to go kill very dangerous things.

[crabbycustomer]

"....WHAT KIND OF BRAZEN PROPOSITION IS THIS?"