Fox Season Rabbit Season

Melody waved her hand, grimacing at the pain as the knife flew through the air and away from the pair. That felt far from good on the knuckles and Mel was sure there’d be bruising come morning, maybe even a bit before then. Regardless, it seems like the move had won the fight.

Though, those words didn’t seem right in her head.

It didn’t seem like a win. Not with how this girl was acting. Wins were supposed to feel good, like ya accomplished something, but in this fight this fox girl only seemed to go further down whatever hole she had dug herself in. Heroes were, after all, supposed to lift people up, not shove them down even deeper. That didn’t feel good…that didn’t feel like she was a hero at all.

As Dana went on, Melody was making herself busy, wrapping her fist up with a bandage and idly nodding to what the fox had to say. It wasn’t what she had expected from this woman, but…but…maybe this wasn’t over. The fight was, but maybe saving this fox wasn’t over. There was still one last thing Melody could try. It wasn’t something she felt terribly comfortable with it, but that, thankfully, didn’t touch her expression as she turned her head back to look at the fox.

Melody held up her bandaged hand. “Yep, really.” She said this very casually. “First off, to further prove that, I do more or less believe ya cause not many folk on this side of whatever it is your talking about could cut me with a knife.” She thought for a moment, “Not unless it was magic? I hate magic…” She corrected herself. She turned on her heels and moved over to the gun, looking down at it. “Plus this thing is really cool. Don’t got much like this on our side either.” She turned back on her heels to smile at Dana.

“There’s probably a whole lot I don’t know about your world, but…” She quickly leaned down and scooped up the gun, twirling it in her hand as she did. “I know my world and I know me. It sounds like you’re a real fish out of water and did what you thought was best, trying to help that woman, trying to take a scumbag off the street, trying to do…maybe, the right thing? Or maybe inadvertently doing it.” She stopped twirling and then looked down the sight around the room, just appreciating the cool toy she got.

“Either way, I don't wannaleave ya alone, but don’t wanna throw ya in a cell either. Sooooo….” She trailed off, starting back towards Dana, going back to twirling gun, honestly with quite some skill, as if it was old practiced trick. “I wanna make ya a different offer. Ya got skill, both with knife, and gun, and wit! Those were some clever tactics. I also think ya got a decent heart in there, even if ya don’t believe it….” She turned the gun and held out the handle to Dana. “Ya could join me. An apprentice, sidekick, trainee, whatever yaw anna call it! Could call it community service too, use it as an excuse not to throw ya in a cell.”

Melody gave a nod at this. “At least for a bit, see if you like it, see if you actually wanna do that. If not, I ain’t gonna force ya. Buuuuut…” Melody stuck her tongue and winked, “I could also introduce you to a cute owl boy too.” She straightened and snickered at that, “But either way, what happens next is up to you. I think I can trust ya to do at least…some good from now, knowing that killing will get people like me after you, but…I’d honestly love if you’d team up with me for a bit, but hey…do what you think is best.” This last part, those last words, all of it sounded from the heart. These weren’t just words to Melody.

Standing there with her arms spread and her head as sunk down as her heart, the vixen hoped for the worst. Either she wasn't leaving the warehouse alive, in spite of this Rabbit Punch's carefree and honest nature, or this was the final hour of her freedom. Melodramatic as her speech was, Dana wasn't kidding. There was no room for mercy when such a staunch crime was committed, and lives had been taken for cheaper reasons plenty of times before in the Great Forest.

But neither shot not shackle came to the fox, for this was not the broken Earth she hailed from. Melody was not cold-blooded, nor a murderous avenger like the vixen had become. The woman's opening words questioned Dana's doubts, but no accusations were drawn after the fact. How could Mel believe Dana so easily? It wasn't like the fox was lying to her, but to trust a killer who had just assaulted her moments ago, delivering strikes that would've killed an ordinary person all throughout? How was this conceivable?

Dana slowly turned around as Mel replied as she picked up her keepsake weapon, curiously fiddling around with it. If she wasn't trying to piece together Mel's character -- hell, even trying to believe that altruistic intent -- she would've admired the flourishing twirls of the pistol. As she listened to Rabbit Punch in turn, her fear subsided as it finally came to her that yes, Mel was being authentic. The ends didn't justify the means, but Mel saw more in the fox than a rampaging, heartless monster.

If this all was some trick to make Dana drop her guard, only to wind up a puddle of goo or thrown into a paddy wagon before long, it sure was a convincing one. Instead of an end to her suffering or a horrible continuation, the heroine offered her a new beginning. She might not ever be able to return home, but she might be able to make her time on this Earth work out in the end. At this point, what did she have to lose?

Dissipating distrust condensed into softly-shed tears, all built up by the offers of mercy. She couldn't look Rabbit Punch in the face as her ears folded not in anger, but in shame. "I-If you say so", she quivered. Her fingers gingerly reached toward her gun, but not the grip. She instead pulled back a switch on the left-hand side of the frame. The low-frequency hum stopped, and the heat of the readied blaster cooled thereafter. Only then did she reclaim and holster the plasma pistol, wiping the tears from her eyes with her other hand.

"Y'know", she opened slowly, getting up the gumption to look the fighter in the face. "Yer good people, Rabbit. If you're so sure then yes, please show me the ropes. I would rather earn my keep than not; dunno if I can be domesticated as you feel I can be, but it's worth a shot. I... I suppose names are in order, right?"

She took a deep breath before exhaling, "The name's Dana. I'm house-trained, I swear."