Frog Chirp Creek Go Ribbit In The Night

ALL WELCOME!
RE: Flair Your Gift is: You discover an unguarded cache and feast to your heart’s content!
Maybe @Ophelia, @Joan or @Felix ?

The evening was clear and bitterly cold, stars just starting to blink to life in the indigo slivers of sky showing between the treetops. These trees were weird, short and thick, still covered in green, but not leaves like those at home instead they wore thin, dense spikes, smelling sharply. The novelty of the Cedarwood had brought Flair further from home than ever before, and she still continued southward, drawn by first this new thing, then that. Now, it was the distant gurgle of water. Most of the waterways in the Thicket of Secrets had dried out long ago, and the remaining ones were either frozen over or threatening to. That in itself made this sound of running liquid intriguing, as did the thirst burning in the young wolf's throat. It was late enough that she should have turned her nose home already, but her curiosity far outweighed the threat of possible consequences. Using her ears as guides – she still wasn't too practiced in tracking scent – the bubble of water steadily grew nearer. Soon she found the source, just a small trickle, but perfect for sating her thirst; Even if it was a bit cold. She drank loudly, splashing water down her chin as she did, paying little attention t her surroundings. But, despite the satisfaction of wetting her dry tongue, Flair was not yet content. As she straightened up, the water sloshed emptily in her stomach, a frown on the russet face. One problem solved, only to be immediately replaced by another. She yawned, looking around the strange forest, hoping to find something that might fill her belly. There was nothing within eyesight though, and she grumbled to herself, blinking at the dusk. Eyes momentarily closed, she snorted in irritation, ears flattening back. And that was when her nose awoke to the occasion, an alluring, sweet scent filling it when she breathed in. No sooner had she smelled it, before her eyes were back open, snout to the ground as she shuffled away from the water, quickly finding what she sought. Word count: 342 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

At six months old, the pale princess was a terror. It was to the point now where she was supposed to be grounded to the den for the next three days save for to relieve herself. Ophelia always found ways to stretch the rules and when they wouldn't bend accordingly, she had no qualms about breaking them entirely, much to her law-abiding sister's horror.

In this very moment, Ophelia had blasted the rules right out of the forest and stomped all over the tattered remains. Her excuse to relieve herself half an hour ago should have seen her back and certainly did not require her traveling so far as Frog Chirp Creek. As she trotted on, she found the name to be dumb - at least in this season. The frogs had all gone to ground, burrowed beneath the mud to prepare for the coming freeze. Already, there had been some mornings that saw frost upon the ground. In the coming evening - during which, Ophelia planned to evade her pack and stay out all night doing whatever she wanted - the cold would creep in and take surprise nips out of her nose. She didn't mind one bit.

The pale wolf came to alert when she heard pawsteps in the coming dark. "Joannie?" she called out, trying to hide her nervousness behind a tone of annoyance. "I can hear you," she warned. And then she spotted the owner of those pawsteps. One could not mistake her for a ghost with that rust-colored coat. She almost mistook her for another pup she'd met recently, but knew immediately that she was not the same. Ophelia stepped forward boldly then, allowing her tail to curl proudly over her back. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Even as she asked it, her nose twitched with the new scent on the wind. Her hungry belly gave a sickening lurch. She ignored it for now, focusing instead on the stranger.

@Flair +/- @Joan and @Felix

Creamy paws quickly turned brown as she dug fiercely at the hardening ground. Despite the touch of frost, Flair made short work of the process, digging was one thing she could do for sure. Beneath the protective layer of dirt, she found what her snout had hinted at, meat no more than a few days old, still smelling fresh enough to make her teeth water. There was no waiting, no worrying who might have buried the meal here, or what they were likely to do to her if they found out she'd stolen their price. The russet pup simply grabbed hold, dragging what had once been the leg of a larger ungulate out of the cache and tore into it gleefully. Her eating was fast and messy, even more than usual as there was no one here to chide her, and she smiled to herself at the freedom. It took only a few minutes before her stomach rumbled in satisfaction, a slight visible bulge to its sides. She had only just backed away from the meat when the voice sounded among the trees, first an unfamiliar name, then an accusation. Flair lifted her head, ears flicking in direction of the caller and she turned slowly peering through the woods until she caught sight of the pale figure, back towards the water. The Woodlander stepped slowly towards the stranger, lazily licking her bloody chops while watching with mild interest. The girl appeared to be around the same age as herself, a little larger and with a coat mostly white. Had she been a little more skilled with that nose of hers, Flair might have been able to tell she was related to Felix – the scent was squared away somewhere in her brain – but she had neither the skill, nor presence of mind to check. Instead she just noted that the girl was alone, but rather haughty. Amber eyes remained rested on the pale girl, but their gaze was uninterested, reddish ears shifting lazily at the sounds around them. She took her time answering the question, not because she was thinking on the answer, but simply to test the arrogant lass. When finally she did part her lips, it was first to release a burp, before she finally drawled: "Eatin'." Her brows raised slightly, another silent challenge at the girls supposed authority. Then she let her gaze wander, resting on random details of the woods. Tail waving slowly at her hocks, no attempt at copying the other's stance, Flair didn't bother to look back as she asked: "So, you one of those grisly wolves?" They were supposed to live down here somewhere, not that she truly cared all that much. Word count: 448 Thoughts ”Speech”

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When Joan caught wind of Ophelia's scent so far out from the den instantly she knew something was wrong, and she couldn't help the exasperated sigh that came out of her. Ophelia was supposed to be in the den. For what, Joan was not certain because she was not a nosey-busy body (like Ophelia was) and she simply trusted that the punishment fitted whatever the crime might have been. Knowing her little sister it seemed only too likely that the girl might have tried to battle a venomous snake again or maybe she had been tormenting @Felix. Why Ophelia couldn't ever follow the rules, though, Joan could only wonder. Why was Ophelia so far above the rules? Frowning, the silver girl resolved to go out and bring her sister back to confess her crime. At least a little penitence might soften any additional punishment she might have incurred by breaking yet another rule an wandering off. Certainly, no wolf had to go this far out to pee.

"Hey! Ophie!" her call was hard and righteous. At last, Joan could see her sister's pale rump, though she noticed her tail was quite high up. This was not necessarily an irregular posture, but it was sort of a silly pose to practice if she was all on her—oh. There was another girl in their midst. Joan peered around her sister's slender frame, her eyes bugging momentarily to see such a bloody face and red coat. Like Ophelia, Joan was immediately reminded of the mishap with another ginger girl some weeks back.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two," she coughed importantly, stepping in front of her sister even though she knew it would infuriate her—didn't she sort of deserve it, anyway, for running off from her time-out? "But Ophelia is not meant to be out—she's a renegade. She's grounded. So this meeting will have to be cut short." Already she was turning around to face her sister with one quirked eye-brow, knowing that her little sister would rise to the challenge but not knowing how best to deal with her. There was no good way to deal with Ophelia.

(This post was last modified: Nov 16, 2016, 01:19 AM by Sahalie.)

Joan @ ~8 months: Adult fur and winter coat grown in, eyes are now grey, nearly adult sized. Human age ~11-12

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

@Flair - welcome to hell.

As the girl before her regarded Ophelia with as much care as she might an ant - far beneath her - the pale princess narrowed her gaze with annoyance. "I can see that," the Hollow girl commented with disdain at the lack of manners. Of course, she didn't have a great grasp of manners herself. The young Macieo did manage to laugh quietly at being called a grissly wolf, though she was curious how the stranger knew their pack well enough to have a name. "Grizzly Hollow," Ophelia corrected with an almost friendly manner. "What about you? Where do you come from?"

She hardly had the chance to get an answer before Joannie arrived. Immediately, a lip curled up to bare a hint of teeth as her sister trotted up and stood between her and her new acquaintance. Of course, self-righteous Joannie just had to be a tattle tale and try to embarrass her. Well, she'd show her!

With no growl of warning, Ophelia lurched forward to try to bite down hard on her sibling's haunches. Try to embarrass me, would you? Well, I'll show you!

Oh she's loving it! @Joan

She simply snorted at the pompous girl's reproach, unconcerned with her wounded pride. Flair rarely concerned herself with others' feelings and she certainly didn't see the point in manners. Acting all prissy and saying nice things just for the sake of being nice; Barf! At least she was honest. A toothy smile spread on her bloody lips as the delicate lass laughed, seeming none to offended, despite her commentary. She did enjoy correcting though, causing the russet pup's eyes to roll; Whatever! Though she had to admit, just like the other pup she'd met, grisly didn't exactly fit this missy too well. In fact she was quite pretty, slender and long-legged, with a pale coat and similarly light, yet striking green eyes. It almost made her feel inadequate, short and stout as she was, or it would if she cared about such things. Instead she focused on the question, a boring one, but she might as well answer. "Woodlands," She drawled, giving a small jerk of her head; "Tha' way." Her mom would have frowned at the response, but even if she'd wanted to, Flair had no chance to add more as a high pitched shout made both heads turn. Another girl was swiftly approaching, remarkably similar, though slightly larger than her counterpart; Obviously the target of her fury. Amber eyes widened faintly, but her face remained otherwise unchanged as she watched the new wolf hastily step in front of the other. Speaking in a rather self-important way, like she was much older than the other two, she announced that their meeting was over. A snicker twisted Flair's lips at the words, eyes twinkling with humor as she looked to the smaller pup. "This your ma'?" She asked tauntingly, eyeing the newcomer in the same way she had her pack-mate beforehand. They definitely knew each other, and stank the same way too, and with the physical similarity it seemed likely that they were sisters as well. The way the grayer one spoke certainly reminded Flair of her own siblings, always running after her, touting the rules and ratting her out to their parents. Eyes narrowing slightly, she looked at the girl now, smiling coolly; "So, you gonna drag her home by th' tail? 'cus I'd love to see that!" And it seemed she wouldn't be disappointed, as barely had she spoken the words before the paler girl lunged at her sister, striking out silent as a snake. Mouth opening slightly in happy surprise, Flair watched gleefully; It was rare that she actually got to witness a brawl, rather than be in it herself. Word count: 433 Thoughts ”Speech”

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@Ophelia

"No," Joan commented simply, her eyes narrowing as she stared down the bridge of her muzzle uncertainly at the red girl. She was unsure of what she was getting at. Joan didn't need to be anyone's mom to know that Ophelia was in time out, that she had broken any rules, and that she needed to get back now. She was only trying to prevent Ophelia from getting into more trouble than she was in right now, but this red girl seemed to find the whole thing quite amusing and was now, in a way, goading her. Her mouth opened to issue a retort when suddenly she felt her sister's newly grown teeth sink into her behind.

She yelped.

"What the FOX Ophelia!" This time she was using her given name instead of their nickname. The nickname she wasn't even sure Ophelia liked, because Ophelia liked nothing that came from Joan's mouth. "LET ME GO," she roared, turning wildly in a circle attempting to dislodge her little sister. Out of the corner of her eye she caught the red girl smiling as if she had been given a whole deer to eat, like the whole thing had gone from amusing to hilarious. "'Snot funny!"

"Ophelia!"

Joan @ ~8 months: Adult fur and winter coat grown in, eyes are now grey, nearly adult sized. Human age ~11-12

It was satisfying to hear someone else poke fun at @Joan for her rule-abiding ways. She really didn't know how to have any fun at all, Ophie was convinced. But she would not abide by her sister treating her like some invalid who needed looking after. While it may very well be true, the princess just wasn't having it.

Pride brought a toothy grin to her face as her teeth grabbed hold of the stretchy skin at Joan's behind. As they all still had growing to do, their skin was far more forgiven than if they had been adults. What was far more satisfying was hearing Joan - THE JOAN - curse! Oh, she couldn't wait to tell Felix! He'd never believe her though. Joan - MISS PERFECT - never cursed. Until now! Gleefully, Ophelia hung on to her bigger sister's behind as she twirled about in a mad circle.

Only when she got dizzy enough did Ophelia finally release, stumbling over towards @Flair with raucous laughter. "You should have seen your face!" she declared. "Wait until Felix hears!" Turning to the sunset-colored female, Ophelia booped her nose in camaraderie. "Did you see her face?" she asked, clearly expecting the girl to fully share in her success.

The uppity girl answered Flair's taunt with a straight no, her face completely incredulous as she stared with confused, colorless eyes. The red pup snickered, flicking her tail lazily. Then the smaller ones teeth connected with her sister's rear and tame jokes were forgotten. Amber eyes wide, the Woodlander watched as the two struggled, goodie-four-paws shouting and scolding before resorting to simply spinning on the spot, all to no avail. Laughter bubbled up in Flair's throat and she released it in a booming cackle, wholly entertained by the antics. The bigger girl didn't seem to appreciate her amusement, pausing her manic shuffling to point that out, which only made the rusty wolf laugh harder. "It really is!" She coughed in between wheezing breaths. Then they went back to their scrambling, larger sister desperately attempting to free herself from the other; Ophelia she kept calling her. Finally the pale biter had to let go, wobbling on her legs as she walked to Flairs side with a bright laugh of her own. The stocky girl grinned, ears flicking at Ophelia's words. She was surprised by the touch, body stiffening for half a breath – she wasn't used to that kind of gestures, even from her own siblings – but she was quickly swept up by the mood, chuckling heartily; "I did, it was great!" Deep golden eyes returned to the slighted girl, a look of shock still lingering on her features. Flair snorted, breaking out in a new fit of giggles; "It still is!" This was the best part, and the one she never truly got to enjoy. Some part of her was still waiting for the scolding to start, for the adults to appear and tell her off for her fun. But instead she had the pristine girl by her side, laughing with her, emboldening her. Smirking, she called out to the opposing pup in a mocking tone: "Nice try! Maybe that'll teach you to go around playing tattle-tale!" It was undeniably satisfying to see the prudes punished for a change. Turning her grin back to Ophelia, the fire-pelted lass jerked her head lightly towards their victim, giving a feint roll of her eyes; "That's your sister huh'? I feel ya'!" In a way it was comforting, to know that her having to live with @Cinaed and @Enia policing her every actions wasn't unusual. But now the roles were switched in a way, with Flair by her side now, they were two against one in breaking the rules. At least for now. Reminded of the pale girls former words, Flair tiled her head lightly and added: "And Felix's your brother?" She faintly remembered the boy from one of her first escapades beyond the Woodland borders, nice enough, she applauded him for getting as far as the Thickets from down here at that age. The cloudy memory also reminded her that she had yet to introduce herself, not that manners would likely matter that much to Ophelia. Still she flicked an ear at the other, voice casual as she said: "I'm Flair." Word count: 508 Thoughts ”Speech”

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