The first venture. (Toni)

[Jack Russell]

The well-worn path is flanked with armies of trees, the dark earth covered with a fine layer of twigs and the colors of autumn. Overhead, the branches of the surrounding foliage stir with a sudden gust of wind, meshing the remaining leaves of oak, maple, beech, and chestnut together like brittle puzzle pieces. Between their knits and purls of weaved branches, the afternoon sunlight streams gold at their roots. Even in the midst of the anticipated winter, the forest manages to remain an untapped paradise, inhabited with reds, oranges, and yellows from the very bottom of the ravine to its top. Despite its inevitable beauty, there are few words in Jack Russell's vocabulary that can describe it to his red-headed companion.

Halting halfway up the side of the steep climb of the ravine, he gestures vaguely to the expanse at their feet. "The woods are uh.. nicest at this time of the year." It's breathtaking he tells himself, shifting his gaze to the colorful nadir of the ravine, and for a moment Jack has to remind himself to breathe. He's never been more at home anywhere else than the wilderness; he's craved it for as long as he's been in existence. He supposes he's a fanatic, so maybe that's why he insists on downplaying it to Toni, letting her make what she will of the woods. If he had his way, she'd love it as much as he does, but after teaching both the highs and lows and in-betweens when it comes to the appreciation of nature, he knows at least by now that you can't easily change the opinion of someone else. All the same, Jack had bigger things to worry about than if Toni liked the woods or not.

How he'd managed to work up the guts to ask her to go on a hike with him is yet to be determined, but it perhaps had something to do with their recent venture in the future. He didn't want to think about all the laws of time and space and physics they'd defied to do so, but apparently he'd acquired a newfound courage between then and now. Nonetheless, it didn't prevent his timely moment of panic before they'd left when he had thought he had misplaced his hiking boots only to find them by tripping over them. Really smooth. Falling on his face in the privacy of his own room was better than reverting to teacher mode--and once or twice Jack had already caught himself rambling about chlorophyll in leaves, like he was going to test Toni on it later. Maybe she didn't notice.

Jack rubbed the smooth side of a leaf underneath the toe of his hiking boot methodically. Just be yourself Jack reminds himself, firming his shoulders and managing a meek half-smile. "I used to think that when leaves changed color it was like magic," he says, almost missing the days when he was young and unaware of everything. "But uh.. you know the reason they change color is because the sun is out less... and then the leaves stop making chlorophyll--"

So maybe being himself wasn't the brightest idea he'd ever had..

[Toni Craft]

Nature is…nice, Toni decides. Hauling herself through the woods where rodents run freely and the air holds the moisture far too well certainly isn’t one of her favourite pastimes, but it’s not bad.

She still can’t get over her surprise from when Jack had asked her if she’d like to join him. If she recalls correctly, her initial response was to turn around and wonder who he was talking to, before gawking at him when it turned out he had been attempting to speak to her. Sure, they were supposed to be future lovers and parents, but that hadn’t stopped her from questioning his sanity. The last time anyone had asked her out like this had been...never, actually. Men were often too terrified of her to even consider the idea of dating her. All the dates Toni had ever had had usually resulted from her asking the men herself, or somehow tricking them into it. Obviously none of the men had ever stuck around very long, what with her bizarre personality and Matty’s incessant protective nature. But Jack seemed to be an odd anomaly.

Not that Toni would ever complain. Once she had come to terms with the fact that he had just — if rather sheepishly — asked her to join him on this hike, she readily accepted.

She nearly stumbles, her toe catching on a root that insists on being in the way of her foot, but fortunately Toni balances herself and catches up with Jack, who seems to be perfectly comfortable in the unpredictable terrain.

"The woods are uh... nicest at this time of the year." Fishing through her knapsack (which holds a variety of items including clean socks, an emergency poncho, and a large collection of teeny-bopper magazines from the late nineties), Toni gives Jack a curious and slightly amused look. Finding her water bottle, she takes a long drink and turns to see what he’s looking at. Pushing her sunglasses up her nose, she scans over the assortment of bold oranges, yellows and reds. As the leaves flutter in the cool breeze even she has to appreciate the engaging appearance of their surroundings.

“Nicer than an alpaca smoking cacti in a hawaiian shirt, methinks. Well, when he’s high anyways. Other wise he’s pretty grumpy. I mean really, who wouldn’t be grumpy if they had to eat grass all day?” So much for quietly enjoying nature.

"I used to think that when leaves changed color it was like magic," Toni considers what he says and turns to look a crooked branch near her face. Multicolored leaves jut out from the scraggly twig, clearly not taking on the deformity of their spawner.

“My Uncle Marky used to tell me that the leaves changed colour because of all dogs that peed on them. I thought it made perfect sense. I mean, pee’s yellow and the leaves are yellow.” She says with a shrug and a grin, adding her own little memory to their conversation as she plucks one of the leaves off it's ugly branch.

"But uh.. you know the reason they change color is because the sun is out less... and then the leaves stop making chlorophyll--" Toni nods vigorously, oblivious to the fact that's the third time he's mentioned the word 'chlorophyll' in the last fifteen minutes. She's too busy twirling the leaf between her fingers and ripping off its tips like a child. Eventually she just lets what's left of the leaf get carried off by the breeze.

“Yeah, the little dudes get all lazy and just give up on life. I guess that means I’ll shrivel up and turn all yellowy-red next year when I try to finish my degree.” She makes a face while taking another drink from her bottle. Toni screws the cap back on and stares up at the coloured canopy before looking further up the path. “Have you been out here before? Any cool stuff to see like Bigfoots or pumas? Do Bigfoots even exist?” She asks, scratching her head. “It’d be cool if they did. I’d totally have one as a pet to keep Hector company. Hector gets lonely when I’m not around, and that’s why he always steals my socks. I think he’s trying to make himself a sock-fort where he can rule over all his little socky minions.”

[Jack Russell]

Jack contemplates a bark pattern as Toni fishes through her large knapsack that Jack had regarded with curiosity; obviously Toni didn't immerse herself completely into the elements much. He has little more than the clothes on his back and a canteen which he'd used sparingly. At least she likes the view. Nicer than an alpaca smoking cacti in a hawaiian shirt, methinks. Well, when he’s high anyways. Other wise he’s pretty grumpy. I mean really, who wouldn’t be grumpy if they had to eat grass all day? He only tilts his head at Toni's comparison, quirking a blonde eyebrow and deciding that he has nothing to match that.

For the second time since their venture up the path had begun, Jack asks himself again how the two ended up bound for life and with three kids in tow as Toni relays her own take on the changing leaves. She plays with a leaf that's almost as red as her hair, plucking pieces from it and letting them fall where they will. Yeah, the little dudes get all lazy and just give up on life. I guess that means I’ll shrivel up and turn all yellowy-red next year when I try to finish my degree. Toni settles into silence to drink, and Jack uses the opportunity to retie his boot.

Have you been out here before? Pausing with the shoelaces in his hands, Jack inclines his head, stretching the laces taut. "Well um.. yeah.. I come out here almost every day.. unless if it's, you know.. really bad weather. I take my students out here a lot too for projects and experiments.. and.. for special days. Like.. uh.. on Christmas I take them out early in the morning to get the really big Christmas tree for the living room, and on Halloween when I first started.. we uh.. had a camp out and told ghost stories.." He leaves out the parts about how sometimes he would wake up in the middle of this forest, smeared in blood from the kill from the night before, or come to on a riverbank, shivering and pressed into rocks. Any cool stuff to see like Bigfoots or pumas?

"Um.. well.. no uh.. pumas don't even have proper habitat on the Eastern side of the United Sta--"

Do Bigfoots even exist? It’d be cool if they did. I’d totally have one as a pet to keep Hector company. Hector gets lonely when I’m not around, and that’s why he always steals my socks. I think he’s trying to make himself a sock-fort where he can rule over all his little socky minions. Somewhere a nightingale chirrups.

His hands almost tangled in his shoelaces, Jack straightens up, rubbing the back of his head and furiously trying to think of the last time he'd had a haircut and also something to say. "So.. um.. the top of the ravine isn't far." Stepping over a very obtuse log that had long since been a peril to some of his more fragile students, Jack tested the wind. "It'll.. er.. get cold soon so--" He stops and snaps his head over his shoulder as a rustle whispers in the underbrush. Jack sniffs again, both aware and unaware of how odd he must look to Toni. Blinking, he shakes his head. Damn. Full moon's soon.. I can't keep doing that.. "Sorry.. um.. I--" Rustle. He breathes in. Rabbit. Doe. Young. Reflexively, he starts to salivate, and he fumbles with his canteen to hide it with some of his water, but suddenly he can't keep his mind off the rabbit. It's ridiculous; he's a man not an animal. A pang of hunger for something raw hits him, and his attention wavers from the date at hand.

"You know uh.. it's quicker to go.. this way.. yeah..," Jack says, not looking at Toni, distracted with the noise deep in the woods that probably only he had heard. Easing between two prickly bushes, he half-heartedly bats away some of the larger branches for his companion, but loses interest as he leads her into a more dense part of the forest, following the scent of the rabbit as it shuffles in the leaves. Prey. Stepping very carefully, Jack keeps his toes close to the woods floor, his shoulders rolling forward one at a time as he slowly advances. His heart races a little in his ears, starting to forget that he'd turned red when he asked Toni to accompany him, that he felt his face get hot when word got out. Only the rabbit matters.

Crunch. Under his foot a twig snaps, the only sound in the forest. Then the rabbit moves, and Jack can taste its fear in his throat. He stills, not daring to breathe. Jack steps forward again, and the rustling grows. His prey is on the run.

At first, Jack starts to walk a little faster, confident the rabbit will stop, but then he's walking even faster, practically jogging, and before he can stop to think about he's tearing off through the woods, easily clearing several low-hanging branches in his way.

[Toni Craft]

Toni peers down at her date through the dark lenses of her sunglasses, pausing to shove them up her nose again. "Well um.. yeah.. I come out here almost every day.. unless if it's, you know.. really bad weather. I take my students out here a lot too for projects and experiments.. and.. for special days. Like.. uh.. on Christmas I take them out early in the morning to get the really big Christmas tree for the living room, and on Halloween when I first started.. we uh.. had a camp out and told ghost stories.."

“And I didn’t get invited? No one’s better at scarin’ the kids than me.” Toni states rather proudly, her hands on her hips. “Ever tell you the story about how I scared one of the kiddies so bad that they actually turned purple? And I’m talkin’ purple all over! ...Okay, fine, so maybe it was the chameleon kid, but he didn’t know purple was an option until I got at him!” She notes that Jack’s effort to tie his shoelaces isn’t really going very well — a result of her insistent rambling. She almost feels guilty that he feels so awkward around her, but she reminds herself that the man would probably still be awkward whether she’s were there or not.

"It'll.. er.. get cold soon so—” He stops and Toni immediately comes to a halt. His head whirls around and he stares off beyond her, eyes darting through the woods. She turns to see if she can spot the same thing he has, but all she sees are trees and bushes and moss. Scratching her head she shoots him a confused look.

“Is the part where the dinosaur comes out and decapitates me? If so, I’d like a bit of warning. I’d rather not miss my Battlestar Galactica tonight. We’re supposed to find out who the other human Cylons are. I hope one of them’s hunky. They really need more hotness in that show because Boomer’s just not doing it for me anymore.” Jack ignores her ramble, briefly apologizes for something, and then near frantically tries to pull out his canteen.

The effort is forgotten as he wanders off the path. "You know uh.. it's quicker to go.. this way.. yeah..," Toni, despite her enjoyment of spontaneity, pauses and looks up and down the path.

“Uh...if you say so, bud. Just don’t get us lost. I don’t wanna have to eat tree bark for supper. Sure some people can do it but really, the stuff is just wood. How much nutritional value can there be in the gunk?” She follows him without much of a second thought, pushing her way through the branches and leaves. Toni tries to keep on the path he’s making, but it’s hard when he’s moving faster and faster.

And then suddenly he’s gone, and she’s alone in the woods. She can hear him off through the trees, rustling and doing...something, but she can’t see him. Toni pulls a twig out of her hair and brushes some fallen moss off her shoulder before calming walking in the direction of Jack’s clamor.

The forest isn’t her element, and she can’t help but feel a little vulnerable out there as his crackling gets fainter and fainter. But not that there was really anything to worry about; she obviously wouldn’t marry the guy if he were going to just run off and leave her alone in the woods to get lost and attacked by big mysterious forest critters. Right?

Finally, after spending a few too many moments by herself, Toni calls out to her run-off date. “Uh...Jacksie? You can come back now. I won’t talk about Battlestar Galactica anymore, I swear! I’ve got lots of stuff I can tell you about Star Trek instead!” She stops and does a full circle, trying to figure out where Jack’s gone off to. “No Star Wars though.”

She takes a few steps forward but stops when there’s a low cracking noise below her feet. Curious, Toni looks down and lifts a foot to see what made the noise. The action is rewarded by another sound, this one more of a thunk. And then there’s some quiet rumbling and few instances of snaps.

Her eyebrows shoot up as the ground abruptly gives away a few inches — just enough warning for Toni to utter a quick “uh oh” — before caving completely.

Toni shuts her eyes and sticks her arms out instinctively in an attempt to prevent the fall, but the effort proves to be futile when nothing comes within in reach. She can’t tell how far she’s fallen, but she knows it’s pretty far when the ground collides with her back rather suddenly and forcefully. The impact sends bolts of pain up her spine, but they are outshone by the massive stab in her skull when her head hits the stone floor with a loud crack.

“Ow…” Toni mutters as stars and darkness mingle in her vision.

[Jack Russell]

Breathing fast and low, Jack suddenly drops to a crouch, eyeing the rabbit presuming its safety in a patch of brush. Nothing else crosses Jack's mind except for this young, fleshy meal. Digging his fingers into the rich earth, he churns it with his nails in anticipation, watching and waiting for the rabbit to make a move. His muscles tense. He pounces.

Whumpf!

And then Jack's tasting the grit of dirt in his mouth while his prey scampers away unscathed. Spitting out a torn leaf, Jack gags on the mouthful of soil that is strongly pungent of deer urine. His heart rate slows and returns to normal, disappointed and his ego bruised from missing such an easy catch. With a defeated groan, he rises, patting down his sides only to discover he's lost his canteen in his mad dash through the woods. Most likely he would be able to locate it on the way back. Maybe Toni will share some water with hi--

Oh God. Toni.

Jack turns a full circle in the woods, his heart rate suddenly upping again. Distressed, he puts a hand over his eyes and pulls it down his face. She must think I'm insane! Frustrated, he kicks the ground where he'd landed face-first. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," he mutters, rubbing his mouth on the back of his hand and starting the walk back.

He tries to seek Toni out by calling for her, but all he can manage is an awkward motion with his jaw. Resorting to his sense of smell instead, he follows his invisible bee-line back. Jack keeps trying along the way. "Uh.. Toni! Toni.. I didn't.. uh.. really that's not..," he tries to explain while shouting for her, but it sounds really weird.

He can't see her anywhere, but Jack keeps walking regardless, starting to see the path from between the trees as Toni's scent grows stronger. "......Toni?"

[Toni Craft]

Toni groans and lifts one hand to rub her eyes but stops when the limb comes into view. “Woah...I have two pumpkin hands. Duuude.” The impact with the stone ground has made her vision a little worse for wear, and she can’t decide if the uniform tint of orange around her is a lighting effect or a series of random neurons firing in the vision centre of her brain. She imagines it’s the latter, since there’s also a series of purple pulsating specks floating in front of her and her vision has decided to double itself. The black around the edges of her eyes grows slowly as the pain in her skull goes from sharp to mild to a dull throbbing.

How hard did she hit her head? As she lays there, trying to wait out the discomfort at the back of her cranium, the world spins around her. Oddly enough, as she tries to bring her eyes back into proper focus, Toni automatically starts going through a series of physicals calculations in her head.

The average human head weighs about 8 per cent of the entire body’s mass. So at 550lbs, my noodle would weight 44 pounds or 20 kilograms. 20 kilograms falling at 9.8 metres per second squared for about 6 metres, At least she thinks that it was 6 metres. It certainly felt like 6 metres, but with her screwed up sight it’s hard to tell how far away the top of the crevice really is. That means my noggin hit the ground with about 1176 joules of force. That’s a lot… And that probably means that she’s sustained a mild concussion.

“Ooohhh...flying platypussies!” She giggles to herself.

"......Toni?" Oh that’s right! There was someone else out here with her.

What was his name again? Jonesey? Jacob? “No no...that’s dad’s name.” Jeremiah? “Was a bullfrog!” John? Jared? “Mmmm...I could really go for a sub right about now.” She mutters with a yawn. “Concussions always make me sleepy…”