The other creature's confusion only made this more hilarious. Audland was so enthused that when he said "Awh," in response to Brother's distaste for blood, he didn't really manage to look all that disappointed.

Bounty was an interesting answer. That likely meant the creature knew of the tavern in Scorpio. Audland somehow had no trouble imagining himself sitting at the chairs in the tavern, talking business with the bartender and the tavern visitors. But when he tried to imagine Brother doing the same, he couldn't help but wheeze like a smoker of 40 years. What kind of bounties do dent-headed idiots chase after?

From the island, indeed. Audland wondered what they ate over there. For sure, it wasn't just bugs and skinny deer. Ah, but that wasn't all this tunnel had in it, was it? Audland started looking around the floor. Crusted, dusted, rusty piles of broken bits, bobs, bobs and bits. Lots of metal and old gear made by people with hands, for people with hands. Maybe not exactly of interest to Brother, but Audland liked what he saw.

"You eat metal?" Audland's question sounded more like an offer as Audland plucked a tiny piece of iron off the ground. Questions. Audland never seemed to run out of them. He somehow didn't put it together for himself that someone who dislikes blood would probably not like eating literal iron. Audland didn't know chemistry. Shush.

Audland would pop the iron bit in his mouth and chew aggressively on it for a little while as he sifted through piles of junk for cool stuff. "What kinda bounty?"

He looked and he looked, but it was like they were both cursed. Audland's precious foot met the same fate as Brother's, but instead of roaring about it, Audland went crashing head first into a pile of junk on the floor. When he resurfaced, the metal bit had gotten itself lodged down Audland's throat. He started to gag while he tried desperately to swallow it. Guess he didn't really eat metal either—not properly, anyway. I hope you got your tetanus shot Audland.

@Brother

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Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) for Audland, Brother didn't know how to stop someone from choking. Nor, did he really have a sense of humour. So, he simply watched Audland fall with the same disinterest as someone might have checking the weather.

And no, he didn't eat rocks. Obviously. He'd tried it once, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. It supposed it'd show this clumsy stranger.

And by all that was good, did the angel's chorus sing when the magic truly sparked this time. It was faint, but this time he could truly hear it. Something hiding nearby, too frightened to move, no doubt, with two large gembound within the tunnel. The rabbit fast heartbeat of something.

He trudged over towards the rocks, and as he began to shift one...

A red mouse skittered from its hiding place, making a dart across the tunnel floor, trying to make an escape...

Save file ? ( Y / N )

@Audland

Audland just barely managed to get the iron bit down with a pathetic and wet "Guhh... gugh." It was a terribly embarrassing display that unveiled Audland's secret undercover identity of being just as much of a clown as Brother was—and yet the island reptile didn't seem to care. That, or it wasn't making a big deal out of it. Either way, not a peep in his direction. Maybe it was smarter than Audland had first assumed...?

He watched it hunt for something he couldn't see. He watched the funny way its whole body had to sway in order to balance its simple motion. He watched, for a moment, how the dent made Brother's head look from a new angle.

...No. No, they were both dumb. And they were going to be dumb in this cave together.

What a beautiful thing, to finally understand the situation. An enlightened position, which Audland would almost certainly not share. All the better. He saw the mouse running from the rock, and hunter's instinct kicked in. He'd let the questions float in the air unanswered if it meant seeing what the dinosaur could do to that little mouse.

FREEZE. The command would run up the red mouse's spine and straight through it's brain, just as Brother had experienced. A full body freeze. Only the mouse's eyes would move to look in horror at the monsters lurking in the dark, Audland's will for it to meet its makers superimposed upon its own. Audland would then look at Brother expectantly. Anticipating a show.

@Brother

Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

Mouse Gore?/Death

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Overkill? No such thing in his household of dum and dummer. Brother lurched for the mouse and was almost disappointed when it didn't run. What sort of hunt was this? Well, thankfully, the bounty board didn't specify the state the whole mouse had to be in, only that it was whole. Which it would, mostly, be after one claw pierced the mouse's head, granting it a quick death.

Sadly, what Brother had failed to consider was that delivering a surged-up blow to such a small creature's head, may leave it without a head afterwards. Which is the state this poor mouse had found itself in. An (almost) whole mouse was good enough for him, though.

He heaved and panted as he scooped his prize up into his claws. One down. Seven more to go. Spinosaurus didn't typically come with pockets, so Brother stood there, with this nasty mess clutched in one of his claws. Trilling delightfully, pleased at his catch.

Save file ? ( Y / N )

@Audland

Audland watched in silent delight as the dinosaur slaughtered the mouse with enough drive and conviction to kill an creature ten times the size. It was truly a marvel that this thing could read. A double threat, one might think—but Audland wondered how intelligent the beast truly was. How far beyond a Lesser could it be? Now, he could just take a little peek under the hood himself, but... where's the fun in that?

Brother didn't seem to question how the rat had stopped moving even as he chased it to its demise. Brother still hadn't approached Audland about the voice he had surely heard in his mind when Audland commanded him with a spell.

Perhaps, if their goals aligned, Brother wouldn't notice how far Corruption's fingers had snuck up into his veins? If Audland was just subtle enough... and how subtle did he really need to be?

Audland smiled. "Good on you. That all ya need?" He imagined there was about a fifty percent chance he'd get a voiced response. Not a problem for Audland; he would watch the spinosaurus with great interest. And, he would steal the occasional glance around the tunnel for anything that caught his eye, be it inanimate or organic.

He would just barely manage to find a spot of motion to Brother's left. He'd point a finger. "Somethin' that-a-way, if yer interested."

@Brother

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Brother couldn't read words or people. Which perhaps was a blessing as he remained blissfully unaware of Audland's plotting, and empty of all thoughts. Any attempt to put two-and-two together about the voice in his head and this new stranger remained completely forgotten. It didn't matter when he had his prize.

"More--" Brother had started to grunt; he needed a certain number of mice, but Audland's point had the dinosaur swivelling in an instant. Words once again forgotten. The great lumbering creature started rushing in the direction pointed out to him. Trilling excitedly as he tilted his head owlishly to locate what had been pointed out.

Goodness, this was fun. This blue-thing may not be a cat-thing, but he had pretty good hunting fun.

Brother refrained from immediately pouncing, instead looking for what was pointed out. What was it, boy? Had Little Timmy fallen down the well?

Save file ? ( Y / N )

@Audland

Audland's little dino toy was prancing around again, bringing Audland delight in the shrimplicity of it all. A good and normal hunt, and he didn't even have to do any of the real physical labor. Audland felt so gratified from the accurate prediction of every move. The trills, the funny walk, the single-minded dedication to a task. And hey, he hadn't lied (just yet)—the spino was good at what it did! When you were that good at killing little rats and stuff, maybe you didn't need to be any good at thinking. Maybe someone else could do that for you.

Speaking of which, the predicted behavior had come to a pause. Audland would refrain from going over to deal with it himself, but would crane his neck to try and see what Brother was seeing. "What's up, buttercup?" He couldn't quite make it out. " 'Nother mouse?"

It was not, in fact, another mouse. Or a rat, for that matter. No, by warmblooded standards, this thing was alien: a silly little slime belly with a sweet smiling face. It came creeping out of its hiding place, somewhere amidst the junkyard of tunnel J.

Audland saw an opportunity, and attempted to take it. You should skip on over there... With a firing of corrupted synapses, the thought would coalesce in Brother's otherwise empty mind. The first time Audland had ever tried to be subtle with it. He wondered what little dino toy would do.

@Brother

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It was his instincts that told him to 'skip on over there' and those had never led him astray. He wasn't really sure where 'there' was or what 'skipping' was either. It did, however, catch his attention enough that he saw the little creature moving out from under the junk pile.

That wasn't on his list of things to catch, but they were having such fun, why stop now?

So without any more hesitation, Brother lurched for the critter. Absolutely high on the adrenaline that surged through his body, it always felt good.

Perhaps he ought to be taught moderation, but now wasn't the time for that. This adrenaline junkie had its eyes set on the creature and, with its free set of claws, struck the critter. It wasn't as 'clean' as the first. Hunting such small critters when you were already the size of a large dog wasn't exactly going to be. But soon enough, he cradled the limp critter in his claws.

Perhaps it was all the time he'd spent with his sibling, but against his nature, Brother brought the slime belly back to Audland and presented it to him. A gift.

Save file ? ( Y / N )

@Audland

Brother's propensity for violence and simplistic mind was a gift that kept on giving. Apparently literally. He didn't think to question like... any thought ever. Even one that was not remotely his own. He slaughtered the cute little slime belly without hesitation, and brought it back. Audland hadn't even asked for that. Good doggy.

A twisted smirk drew across Audland's face. "Oh, you are a treasure." He accepted the slime belly graciously, with all the subtly overacted pomp of a mafia godfather. This dino toy was becoming a favorite.

He would sling the dead slime belly over his shoulder. It was, as the name suggested, slimy. His furry shoulder would hardly feel a thing. Audland had a plan to treat the dead lizard and turn it into a feast they could both enjoy. Maybe a soup. But first, they'd both have to get out of here; and that was going to happen a lot faster now that Audland had decided: "I'm gonna help you get more. As many as we can get." In order to do that, they needed a method. A trap of two parts: an attractor, and a quick and efficient killer. Brother played the second role perfectly.

How was Audland going to go about this?

He thought for a while, looking around at all the litter. Where do these rats hide? What do they come here for? Perhaps there was food, somewhere in this tunnel... Audland would look to Brother and attempt to send a thought: Bring him a living rat, of the kind you are looking for... Keep it alive...

If the dinosaur couldn't do that, a few more options remained. He wouldn't be distressed with Brother's performance either way, though a failure might become a learning opportunity for them both.

Audland would pretend to look around the litter himself, collecting shiny bits and bobs and quietly watching Brother all the while.

@Brother

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Maybe the bounty had called for them alive? Perhaps that was why the thought came unbidden into his head, one not to kill the next rat. Which was all well and good, but he had to find these rats first and unlike certain others, he was not a mind reader.

Ceasing his trilling, Brother fell into silence, ducking his head down low to the floor; everything outside of Lacerta was so... small. Tiny. It was easy to overlook them if he wasn't careful. So, he remained low, sniffing the trails close to the floor. Which, admittedly, didn't help, since all the caves smelt of new scents.

It was only when one had the misfortune of moving enough to catch his eye that he spotted the group. Alive, the little voice in the back of his head reminded him. He'd never captured anything alive before. He had the forethought to put the mouse in his grasp down before he pounced upon the group.

It was chaos: rats fleeing in all directions, the junk they were hiding under scattering across the tunnel. But, once the chaos had died down, Brother emerged with his claws cupped together, presumably with the rat inside. It felt strange to hold something living within them without harming it. But, nonetheless, he brought it back to Audland, no doubt to show off his catch.

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@Audland