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It had been a day like the others, the Nordic hunter had awoken pretty early in the day, the sun had just peeked over the horizon. They stretched their heavy, still sleep drunken limbs and a yawn ebbed through their throat. They got up and walked towards their window, and opened it wide enugh to look outside of it. A fresh and crisp breeze blew through their auburn hair. It made them realize even more how much they loved nature and its gifts. Late Autumn meant they needed to be out hunting several times to buffer their stock with fresh meats, vegetables, and herbs before the winter would settle in. Maybe they could dry some of the game for Jerky. A low grumble in Bloodhounds lower half snapped them awake from the enticing thoughts of freshly dried jerky and they had to wipe off some spit from their lips. The scenery around them was breathtaking; the leaves had begun to change colors; vivid orange, red, green brown and yellow. It made them feel sentimental, the year was almost over; another year off their home on a foreign planet. Bloodhound let their head fall on their arms they had crossed on the windows edge. The sun peeked through the leaves signaling late autumn with its last warm days. They must hunt soon, or else they wouldn’t be able to eat without relying on the syndicate’s cafeteria. Some meals were ok, but most of the time its wasn’t edible for them. They use food where nobody knows where it came from. The other legends didn’t seem to be bothered by it much, but Bloodhound grew up with the freshest food possible from childhood, so they could taste the difference in quality.
A small caw from the other windows ledge took their attention; Arthur came back from his morning trip to the forest nearby. His wings flapped in front of them and they moved back to let him in. The crow was their beloved partner, named after their late uncle. The uncle who taught them all about nature and the old ways.
“Caaw!”, came from the animal and nudged its beak at the hunters’ hands. A smile formed at their lips and they gently rubbed Arthur beak, loving the way the bird pressed into their fingers.
“Are you hungry, Arthur?”
It simply laid its head to the side, looking at Bloodhound, then flapping his wings.
A tiny click sound came from the window as they closed it. They sighed and stepped into their living room. Every legend had their own apartment in the Apex quarters, but they had refused to stay in a house made of cold bricks and concrete. It had felt unwelcoming to them. They were glad that the commissioner had given them the ok to build a small cabin on the outskirts of the small city only meant for the legends. Only the necessary things were in it; kitchen combined with their living room, bathroom, and a small bedroom. Most of their furniture was self-built or given by their people from Talos. It smelled like wood in here and yesterday’s meal. It made them feel warm around their heart. If Walter would be interested to visit them here? The man had been on their mind since he had joined a year prior. Walter “Fuse” Fitzroy was an… interesting man. In the beginning they thought he was just another energetic older man with explosive tendencies, but he wormed himself into their heart. Under the bravado hid a gentle, charming, and caring side they loved so much.
Just thinking about Walter made their heart flutter. Just recently they had confessed to him, ending up kissing surrounded by Fuse’s motherloads flames. They shook their head and they groaned at the throbbing in their lower half and realized they hadn’t eaten. Arthur settled on their shoulder as they stepped into the kitchen to make something for them to eat in hope he would be fed as well. But as they opened their cupboards to see nothing in there they froze. Yes, they remembered it now; yesterday they had to cook some older veggies for their soup or else they would have gone bad soon. No meat, no vegetables. They groaned; half whined as reality hit them: they had to go to the cafeteria.
Bloodhound grimaced at the weird smelling food on their plate. Usually, they weren’t very picky about food, but this… Their stomach churned as they tried to take a bite. But they had to, unless they wanted to go hunting with an empty stomach. Basically, a suicide mission. The vegetables had no flavor despite being fresh and raw and the bread tasted like chemicals and artificial butter. And it tasted like it was stale already. At least the coffee was palatable. The eggs seemed fine as well, so they ate least this. They certainly would go hunt today! They tried to eat as much as they could and because they were so concentrated, they didn’t notice the person that sat next to them.
Walter entered the cafeteria, still a bit sleepy. He hadn’t gotten much sleep because Octavio had decided to invite him to an all-nighter game session. The younger man brimmed with energy, but he liked him nonetheless. The speedster liked grenades as much as him and hell, he wouldn’t give anything in exchange for the green haired man’s interest towards teaching him to make the explosive apples. Groaning, he brushed his metal hand through his messy hair and sighed. He looked into the hall and had to double take. Was he still dreaming or did Bloodhound really come into the cafeteria? It was early in the morning, so nobody would be up on a Saturday morning, so it had to be them. His heart thumped loud in his chest and he hurried to get some food on his tray to join them. Fuse’s reaction was normal considering he never ever saw Bloodhound here. The hunter usually prepared their own meals and didn’t eat here. Coming up to them from behind, he could see them eating, they had removed their mask. Their lips curled and he had heard them sigh at least 3 times. He sat down next to them and they had not reacted in the slightest.
“Don’t like it, my love?”, he purred and his hand slid gently on their back. The others body flinched and they tried to hide their mouth, but as soon as they realized it was Fuse, they lowered their guard again.
“Walter… I’m sorry, I did not realize it was you”, they apologized and they put their mask back on the table. Their lover simply smiled broadly and slumped next to them, before taking a big sip from his coffee. Bloodhound eyed his choice of breakfast and had to hold back a small chuckle. It was so much like Fuse. The man had gotten two fried eggs, sunny side up, very crispy bacon and two slices of white bread with… some sort of dark spread on it. It wasn’t chocolate, it looked far to thin for it an the color was slightly off.
“If I am allowed to ask, what is that you are eating, Walter?”, they asked politely and he grinned again. Suddenly, the bread was pushed in front of their face. Immediately, a sulfuric, meaty smell hit their nose and they pursed their lips. Whatever this was, Fuse seemed to enjoy it, as he took one hearty bite from the other slice.
“Its Vegemite, had this all the time back on Salvo. Guess I survived this long because of it. ‘spposed to have a lot of vitamins in it, but that could be just a myth. Wanna try it?” Of course, it was just meant to be a joke from Fuse, he didn’t expect Bloodhound to actually taste it.
The bread was put again in front of them and they hesitated. They swallowed thickly and took a small bite from it. A bitter, meaty taste spread in their mouth. It had a distinct flavor of malt, too. It reminded Bloodhound of the old beer they tried to drink when they were still young and naïve. For them, it wasn’t too bad, but they had better things before. Like their home-made blueberry jam they loved so much they could eat an entire jar in one sitting. Fuse looked at them excited, awaiting a response.
“It is… interesting. I never had something like this before. It tastes like malt and meat, is there any in it? But it is too smooth for it…”, Bloodhound couldn’t think of anything else about that spread.
“It’s yeast extract. Ya know, Salvo produces a lot of beer, so there’s a lot of yeast left over and they use it in this. But never mind that. Ol’ Fusey’s happy yer here. Ya usually don’t eat here, right-o?”
The Nordic hunter huffed and pushed their tray away. They had enough of this vile stuff.
“My supplies reached their end. I need to go on a hunt to resupply, but a hunter can’t work on an empty stomach. A hunt will probably take the whole day. I will be back by nightfall.”
Fuse nodded and shoved an entire fried egg into his mouth, the runny egg yolk running down his chin. He simply ran his finger over it and licked it clean.
“Hmmn, I see.”, he said and he almost looked… sad?
“Why would Walter be sad?”, this small though entered their mind quickly. Fuse would probably miss them if they hunt the whole day.
This is where a bell rang in the hunter’s mind and they knew why the man reacted like this.
“If you don’t mind, Walter…. Would you like to accompany me on this hunt?”
Fuse froze in his tracks and then looked up again. His face was shining like the scorching sun on his home planet.
“Oh, I reckon I’d like that. Do ya want to leave now?”
They shook their head and got up to follow their lover to the area where they could give back their dirty dishes. They couldn’t leave without preparation.
“We need to prepare first, my love. I do not doubt you could handle a ferocious beast with your hands, but we can’t let the meat go bad. And I think you will need suitable clothes for this trip.” They smiled under their respirator as Fuse brushed through his messy hair and grinned nervously. He probably remembered their previous trip which ended in a rain shower and drenched clothes and a cold.
“We can meet up in front of the forest. Would around 9 be alright for you?”, they crooked their head while talking and it reminded Fuse of Arthur, their little raven friend.
“Bloody hell, ya know I would go right now with you. That’s just fine for me, love.”
After they had left their cabin, the sun stood high up in the sky, the ray warm and comfortable. It was the perfect day to go on a hunt. The Allfather blessed them and Walter for this day. They sent a prayer up to the sky and went on their way. It was quiet – it’s not like that they hated it – no they loved it, but they wished for Walters company right now. How long until they would see him?
Sticks cracked under their hard leather shoes and the leaves under them smushed under their weight. The smell of rotting leaves and old apples hit their nose and they couldn’t get enough of it. It reminded them of the autumns back on Talos, in their people’s village. After a ten-minute walk, they arrived at the spot they had chosen to meet up. Fuse wasn’t there yet. They sighed and sat down on a fallen log close by. Of course, he didn’t arrive before them. He usually came late for thing like this. They grew bored after a few minutes of just staring down the forest’s entrance, they pulled out their bow and examined it. It was an older model of the Bocek, well-kept for and not as advanced as the ones they used in the games. This weapon had been a great, reliable partner on their hunts. Bloodhound’s hand slipped in their pocket and they pulled out a small towel and rubbed the bow clean.
“Oii, Bloodhound!”
A familiar voice echoed through the woodland and Bloodhound looked up. Walter had finally arrived 15 minutes after they had sat down. On his back he carried his favorite gun – a 30-30 Repeater. He was dressed simply, but fitting. A brown hoodie and a pair of cameo pants. The only thing Bloodhound didn’t like were his shoes – he wore a pair of sneakers. Bloodhound hesitated for a moment, but they pulled up their googles. It was brighter than they had expected, but after a few seconds of squinting their eyes, they got used to the light. Fuse had a slight blush on his face.
“Yer a real looker today.”
His eye laid only on their face, memorizing every little detail of it; the little wrinkles forming on their face, battle worn lips, scars that wove like a spider net all over it and their deep green eyes. Walter had never seen anyone having such beautiful emerald eyes before and – he had to admit – it made their lover even more attractive.
Fuse shook his head; this wasn’t the time for such thoughts.
“I hope yer did wait too long. I… erm, might have taken a kip before preparing.”
Bloodhound had heard the word before and knew that man had slept before going out. They almost couldn’t hold back a laugh. The corners of their mouth did go up and a small, slight blush dusted his cheeks after he realized Bloodhounds amused face. Clearing his throat, the grenade expert gestured towards the forest with his head and they remembered why both of them were here in the first place. Fuse let them take the lead and he simply walked next to the Nordic hunter. He seemed nervous at first, as he had a tight grip on his weapon belt, but after Bloodhound had spotted two rabbits not far from them, his body relaxed again. As quick as the breeze they had felt this morning, the brunette hid inside some bushes close by and took his aim. Signaling which rabbit would be his target today, Bloodhound took their stance and drew the bow, holding it stable and calm. They took a deep breath and heard Fuse click his tongue – the signal. The arrow shot through the air, impaling the rabbit. The second rabbit collapsed next to the other as a gunshot echoed through the woodland. With knives drawn, both legends hurried to the rabbits and sliced them open, letting the animals bleed out. It would keep the meat from rotting for some hours, but they would still need to butcher it at the end of the day. Some ropes held the rabbits together and Fuse hung them over his shoulders. But before Fuse could say anything, he was held off by the hunter, who shushed him quiet.
“Stay calm and turn around very slowly. Don’t rush or do any sudden movement.”, they felt a clump inside their throat and swallowing was hard in a situation like this.
Of course, they had to know this, even though they had hoped they wouldn’t encounter the four-eyed beast. The smell of blood and the migration season had started and the carnivorous creatures would be out hunting as well. It resembled a wild dog; boney and tall with four black eyes that fiercely looked at the humans in front of it. Long nails scratched at the wet ground, smeared with blood. Slowly getting up, Fuse met their gaze and pulled out his second knife.
“Now!”, the loudness if it hurt his throat, but he lunged forwards while Bloodhound used their ability. A animalistic growl echoed through the trees around them and the beast flinched for just a short moment. Fuse took his chance and plunged his knife into the wild dog’s throat. It whimpered and threw itself around to get Fuse off. He fell to the ground and groaned in pain. With its last bit of adrenaline, the dog threw itself on Fuse, his fangs digging into the mustached man’s good arm. A sharp pain rushed through it and he groaned in pain. His metal hand desperately reached for the knife in the beast’s neck, but the dog instinctively let go of the man and growled low. It lowered down, getting ready to jump on top of the older man. He got ready for another bite, but suddenly the animal whimpered and fell down like a wet bag on top of him. Fuse felt a sense of… relieve hit him like a train, he usually had this type of reaction after an intense fight in the last ring. His heart had thumped loudly in his chest, up to his ears, but now it started to calm down and the blood rushed back to his core. He strained his arms to get the huge dog off him and it fell into the ground.
“Walter! Are you unharmed?”
“I’m fine. Had bloody worse stuff happen to me back in me ol’ days. I won’t die from a lil’ buggers bite. Ouch, fucking hell, that stings like a thousand mosquito bites...!”
A shaky breath rattled through his chest and he took a look at the wound, grimacing at it. Fortunately, it didn’t bleed a lot and his black undershirt had sucked up most of it, already semi-dry. It made it more difficult to pull the wound free from his clothes, but he took great care not to rip it open again. He groaned as the last puncture was revealed and the cold air sung uncomfortably around the drying blood around it. It still bled and some drop fell onto the leaves.
Bloodhound hurried close to his side, kneeling in front of his slumped body. They grabbed his arm and looked at the bite wounds. Luckily, it wasn’t too deep, but needed care instantly. The masked hunter opened their bag hastily and took out some bandages and disinfectant with shaky fingers. Fuse noticed as he had watched them the moment they had grabbed his arm. He slid his prosthetic fingers over theirs in an attempt to calm Bloodhound down. All they could do was smile weakly and they dipped some cloth in the disinfectant before running it over the wound. Fuse flinched and gritted his teeth, gasps spilling over his lips at the burning feeling.
“Just a little more, my love.”, came softly from his partner. He looked up and their gazes met. Bloodhound felt a sense of relieve as Fuses tightened brow eased slightly and the mans arm relaxed.
All cleaned up and bandaged, they collected the beast from the ground. The meat would be just fine to eat if used in a stew, bite-sized and cooked soft. The claws could be used for medicine, bone knives or utensils. The skin was considered a trophy and Bloodhound choose they would be tanning the leather later on. Fuse picked up his gun and threw it over his shoulder. Then he took a look up to the sky. The sun was already turning orange and it would be dark soon. They needed to hurry up if they wanted to catch one bigger game.
It was dark as they left the forest. Luck had played out and Fuse had spotted a deer close to the entrance. It had been easy to deal with the gentle natured animal. A simple shot to its head had killed it without misery and much pain. Fuse smiled brightly at their catches of the day, and hummed as he picked up the deer, carrying it on his shoulders. The pain in his arm has subsided already and he barely noticed it.
“Reckon that was a good day, aye? That should keep yer stock filled for a while.”
Bloodhound hummed and even if Fuse couldn’t see their smile because of their respirator, he knew they were happy right now.
“Oh, look…”, he said, surprise in his voice.
Heavy snowflakes fell to the ground, melting on their faces. The air cooled down significantly as the sun had gone down. The sight gave them a sense of nostalgia. There would have been a lot more snow already on Talos around this time of the year and they missed it so much. For Fuse it must be a spectacular sight as he had never seen any snow on Salvo. He only seen recordings on holograms. The first time had been last year after he had joined the games. His eye had shined like those of a little child’s.
The mustached man had accompanied them to their cabin as they simply couldn’t carry the carcasses of the animals on their own.
“… Thank you for your help, Walter.”
They felt the need to thank him, but he shook his head and brushed through his mustache.
“Heh, yer welcome, my love”, he whispered and closed the distance between them until they were only inches away.
“Can I… kiss ya?”
“You may…”, that was all he needed and he pressed his lips instantly on theirs after the respirator peeled off their face with a hiss. That was unusual for him – he would normally wait for them to be ready, but now he seemed rather impatient to get their lips together. Both sighed as their lips crashed. Passionate and full of love.