Ghastly Woods Oh, How the Shadows Grow Darker

Here goes nothing! If anyone wants to join feel free to jump in!
@Maera

Evening, Moderate snow
5 ° F, -15 ° C

Kobe shook his fur. The forest’s low wispy branches that combed through his fur were getting on his nerves. Spurred on by hunger and the cold, his fast gait had carried him into new surroundings quicker than he’d imagined in the falling snow. The frozen water clung to his dark fur, peppering it with white. He blinked and his irritation rose as he picked his way through the snow. Winter was by far, his least favorite season.

The forest was quite different from his last. The dark shadows it cast seemed almost eerie in the waning light of the evening sun and his heart skipped a beat as something out of sight rustled nearby. He’d never been a fan of surprises. The dense undergrowth made him more aware than ever of the fact he was alone. He had always been quite fond of his company even back before he left his birth pack. Solitude, he felt was a comfort in a world overrun with wolves who were too ignorant to appreciate his intelligence. At least, that was his mentality before he entered the woods. Now he wanted to leave and preferably with company. If said company was even an option. Even if it was, he’d never admit to have pined for it.

@Kobe

Maera had settled in over the past two weeks, not in as in staying in one place… in as in travelling with Kerb the way she had. She’d actually grown rather fond of his company and was even considering calling him friend. He lightened her up when she got too uptight and he focused up when she needed him to. She had yet to see a downside to the whole situation and she was beginning to doubt that there actually was one. She found herself in the forest she had deemed “creepy as fuck” earlier on her travels, heading south again, wandering between the Woods and the Timbers. Soon, she knew she’d have to head south again to avoid the harshest parts of the biting cold, but she needed a solid survey of the land.

Honestly, she’d probably head back down to the Grove or the Wildwood to spend the duration of her winter, because those two seemed like good areas when it came to prey and shelter, even in the harshest months of the year. Still, there was a lot to determine, and she wasn’t confident that it was the best area… only the best area of the moment. Still, she was in neither place and she had to stay on her guard. Her nose caught the scent of another wolf in the area before her ears caught the sound of paws crunching against the snow. “Whose there?” She demanded in a domineering tone as her eyes scanned around, narrowing. They’d adjusted to the darkness in the time that she’d been there.

This forest always set her on edge, and it caused her fur to bristle, her hackles and haunches raising defensively. Whoever willingly lingered in this forest, rather than passing through… they were not to be trusted… and they were most certainly up to no good.

Kobe turned his head before his ears did. Blinking the snow out of his eyes, he stepped in the direction of the voice wearily.

“Just your average loner,” he replied as he made out a dark female nearby. His heartbeat sped up and he fought the urge to run.

Why? He thought with disdain. Of all the all the perfectly rational wolves to run into, why does it have to be a female? Frivolous, emotional and neurotic. Where has my luck gone?

Kobe hadn’t missed the assertive tone in the woman’s voice and didn’t hesitate to put some force behind his own. “I’m Kobe. What is your name?”

He knew she was a loner from her scent. However, as he approached he got a better look at her and regarded her warily. She matched him in size, that alone was a red flag. He wasn’t looking for a fight. He rarely was but he couldn’t guess if she was and it bothered him more than he was willing to let on. That was what he disliked most about being a loner. The unpredictability. Every wolf he came across was never a friend but could be a foe. Stability was the only thing he had ever envied pack wolves for. Food he could do without for awhile, his own company he was fine with the majority of the time but it was his paranoia that got to him.

Thus he faced the female with a dominant air. His tail was held out straight behind him and head held high. It wasn’t so much a domineering stance as one to say that he would hold his ground. He wasn’t to be taken lightly.

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2016, 01:49 AM by Kobe.)

~~ Do it or don't do it, you'll regret both ~~

@Kobe

Maera wasn’t entirely certain what to think of him when she first saw him, her eyes instantly scanning over his features. He was of a similar size and color, lighter and more monochromatic eyes than hers, and a little annoying at first glance. She didn’t necessarily like loners who grouped themselves with every other lone wolf out there. “There’s no such thing as an ‘average loner’.” She’d been a loner all her life, and she had yet to find a group of loners she could put into the same group because they were all drastically different. Her stance matched his, only slightly more aggressive. She felt like she needed to be.

Her ears flickered, her tail out straight behind her as she forced her fur calm, but kept her haunches and hackles slightly elevated. She had maybe three inches on him in height, four in length… she was bigger but not by much… still, she was confident it could give her the edge in a fight if it came down to it. Worse came to worse, she could call for @Kerberos because she was almost certain he was in the area… the two of them could for sure take him though she was hoping she didn’t need to take such drastic measures.

She didn’t give her name – she didn’t answer questions to strangers in a dark territory. Even Kerb she’d spoken with first, and Tagg she’d talked to him a little… names could be powerful, and she wasn’t about to just throw hers around willy nilly. Screw whatever the proper etiquette for a conversation might be, because she was far from proper when it came to social situations. “This is a dangerous place to be wandering by yourself.”

Average loner. Where they not all average loners?

Kobe hadn’t expected someone other than him to be so politically correct. It ticked him off, if only a little. It left him almost feeling less intelligent, mainly because she was right. The word ‘average’ was inaccurate in itself. Nothing could truly be average for everything alive, lived individually of their own accord. Her next words, however, stopped him from diving into his impending intellectual tangent.

“I could say the same for you,” he said. He hadn’t overlooked her lack of a name. Such a small thing made him peeved. He liked names.They were the first thing he used to categorize something. How could he file the woman away in his mind if he did not have a name to label her by? It was all very infuriating and his irritation showed.

“Do you have something against names?” he probed. “Or were you born without one? I asked a very simple question which has a very simple answer? What is there to hide? Do you think I’m going to take your name and strangle you with it?” he sighed and rolled his eyes. “Females…I swear.”

He had already grown tired of her presence. Oh how he longed to disappear and be somewhere else. Yes, definitely elsewhere and not only because of the she-wolf. The forest and its shadows seemed no less sinister than before despite the company he had pestered fate for.

~~ Do it or don't do it, you'll regret both ~~

@Kobe

She felt more defensive than she should, but then again this loner had no right to demand answers from her, because she could and would kick his ass into next Sunday for it if he kept it up. “I’m not alone.” She pointed out. They hadn’t been apart from each other long, so she knew Kerb’s scent still lingered on her fur, which meant he was in the area. “It’s nothing against names in general… I just happen to enjoy the control of knowing who learns mine. Names can do a lot of power, and a lot of damage… that’s something I prefer to avoid and you haven’t given me a single reason to offer my name to you.” She pointed out simply as her tail waved dismissively.

He was arrogant, and while she had her moments, she wasn’t fond of arrogance or ignorance. She didn’t miss his comment about females though she didn’t react to it in any way… at least not before she took a second to think her response through. “Oh, I’m sure the very type of creature who brought you into the world was so tiresome to be around that you find it necessary to insult her, but please don’t clump me into that group. It’ll get you killed.” Was it a threat? Probably, even if she didn’t mean it to be as she turned on her heels and began to walk away.

She had better things to do than be scolded and talked down to by a wolf who probably didn’t know how to get out of there like she did.

@Maera

She still didn’t offer a name…

Kobe thought his annoyance had reached new heights after she had the audacity to compare herself to his mother but when she turned her back on him…by the heavens he wanted to bite her.

“Get me killed?” he laughed. “If I thought you were a threat I wouldn’t have even approached you,” he started after her. “For all of your empty words, I admit you’re interesting. How about a name?”

At the very least, Kobe was determined to follow her out of there. He didn’t want to admit it but he was lost. Every tree looked the same and the forest was more vast than he’d first thought when he entered. Not to mention the sun was going down. He much rather take his chances with a woman he’d pissed off than an unfamiliar forest at night. Women he believed were rather simple in a complex sort of way. Pushing the buttons to make them angry were easy. Keeping them angry was even easier. Anger was an emotion he was very familiar with both genders.

Be it his endearing personality or way with words, he found he was quite good at making others snap. The worst impressions weren’t always the best but they certainly led him to being left alone. As it was, kindness was more or less against his better nature. Truth was more virtuous than kindness. Thus Kobe stayed on the greater side of logic, were facts stayed real. Emotion on the otherhand led to relationships, which in his experience almost always fell through.

However, even with all his words, Kobe hadn’t overlooked the scent of another wolf on the female. His eyes had been peeled for her companion since he saw her.

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2016, 03:08 AM by Kobe.)

~~ Do it or don't do it, you'll regret both ~~

@Kobe @Maera

Something had gotten underneath his skin today. Maybe it was the extra cold, the hunger in his stomach. He wanted to find Maera and wanted to find her now. With the way he had so well learned her scent, it was always easy to find her. The trees around here made things hard to maneuver. Each one looking as tall and terrifying as the next.

He was hot on her trail but then he scented someone else. The hairs on his hackle prickled upwards and he kept his pale yellow eyes trained ahead. Soon enough his form would approach upon the scene. Not one he liked either. A strange who spoke rather rough words against his dear friend.

“For all of your empty words, I admit you’re interesting. How about a name?"

His bad mood was increased at his words. The tawny male moved into view from the side. "No one has to give what they do not want to." His eyes settled upon the dark male who settled in size between himself and Maera. "Why should she trust you? Winter makes savages of us all." His tawny form moved to be closer to Mae's moving form. Kerberos wasn't sure what had already happened between the two but the tension in the air told him it wasn't good.

have you checked out my player preferences?

@Kobe @Kerberos

It was certainly getting interesting, and he kept talking to her even as she turned to leave, sparking a new level of irritation within her. If he found her presence so annoying, then why wasn’t he just letting her walk away? It was like he was spoiling for a fight… and yet, he wasn’t. His arrogance had reached a new level and she let a smirk onto her features, a dip of greeting to Kerberos when he made well-timed appearance, turning back on her heels to face Kobe, standing firmly next to her friend. She had to admit she was slightly startled by Kerb's reaction... normally he was the calm one. She didn't let it show on he features. “I told you I wasn’t alone.” She commented dryly, still refusing to give up her name… honestly she was just being stubborn at this point. “Don’t judge a wolf by their looks… I assure you my bite is worse than my bark.” She sho off again, her fur bristling along her spine.

She’d been holding back because winter was the worst time to get injured and while she was confident that she could take this wolf in a fight, she knew she could also get hurt in the process. Right now it was a war of words until he pushed her just a little too much. “My words aren’t empty. Just because I prefer not to tear out some fur at the risk of losing a little myself doesn’t mean I won’t if you push me just a little too far… I like my odds even more now… and it’s so tempting, the idea of putting you in your place…” He needed to get knocked down a peg…

@Maera @Kerberos

Kobe stiffened at the new wolf’s approach. He had a few inches on the tawny male in height and length but not much else. The black wolf’s eyes shifted between the two wolves warily and he backed up. It was a shame one of them wasn’t injured. If they were he wouldn’t have to reverse his steamrolling arrogance.

Had it been simply a matter of words, he knew he’d win the argument but not a fight. It wasn’t in his best interest to start something he couldn’t win. It wasn’t his nature to even approach a losing battle and every nerve in his body screamed at him to book it. He wasn’t a fool nor a fan of being mauled. It was his pride that kept him where he was. At that moment his contempt of cowardice was stronger than his love of reason. However, that still didn’t stop him from running his mouth.

“You put more importance on a name than it deserves,” Kobe said in reply to the male. He gave the woman a level look. “I never thought you weren’t,” the black wolf retreated another couple of steps. He was retreating to be sure but wasn’t running without leaving a trail of words behind him. “I don’t judge appearances. I don’t too, no wolf never needed to be warned of the strength of another’s bite,” he put more than a few paces between him and the two wolves. Enough distance to beat a hasty retreat if push came to shove but he was sure he’d be hightailing it before it reached that point.

He smiled. “But your words are empty. Words don’t need teeth to back them up, they need intelligence,” he took another step back. “If not for your companion—whatever is name is, I’d treat you to a more entertaining play on words but time is of the essence. Perhaps one day our conversation will continue when you lack your other set of jaws.”

His smile slipped into a frustrated snarl and Kobe turned tail.

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2016, 04:34 AM by Kobe.)

~~ Do it or don't do it, you'll regret both ~~