Sex: Female She could feel it slowly creeping up on her, like a hot prickling under her skin. Already she was more irritable, sensitive to the smallest inconvenience or unwanted approach. She’d otherwise started to reduce her antisocial behaviour, slowly warming to the band of wolves making their home around Lost Lake. But now she was right back in her old, testy paws; They fit so comfortably…! Of course, it just so happened that spring made its arrival – with everything it entailed – right as she was starting to feel at ease. The fiery wolf growled to herself, shaking out her tussled fur in frustration. As soon as she had realized what was happening, Flair had taken her leave of the lake, lest she end up picking a fight with one of the residents who had all been so good to her. She sought back down towards the familiar Eden’s, not with any particular goal in mind, but simply determined to get away! Much to her own annoyance, she knew there was nothing to do about her state, other than wait it out. Yet, the growing itch made her unable to stay in place, an almost feverish wanderlust coming upon her – this had all happened before, as she trotted town the mountainside, the flame-furred shewolf realized this would mean it had now been exactly a year since she left her old pack, this same infernal restlessness finally driving her over the edge. As if to make everything worse, heavy snow had fallen over night, covering up the already obscure paths and slowing her decent. Despite this, the air was unusually warm, making the snow extra sticky and wet; all in all things were just horrible. Tired and frustrated after only a few hours trek, Flair sought refuge in a cave near the mountains root, blessedly free of snow and protected from any other wolves passing pay – or so she hoped. With a heavy sigh, she lay down in the hard-rock floor, covering her face with one paw; Why does spring have to be this way? Word count: 342 ”Speech" Thoughts |
The Vuesain didn't want to think anymore. Keeping to himself at the Lake was also not helping and the realization that his sister didn't think to give him the decency of telling him where she was going or why she was leaving was suffocating. Instead, she decided to leave without him under the cover of darkness, without a word or even goodbye. Sighing roughly to himself as he wandered through the Heights, she must of learned from the best as that had been his M.O. whenever the guilt or wanderlust grew too much for him to face it. The eldest Vuesain sibling taking a page out of the middle child's playbook was certainly interesting to think about. Neha had always been the lawful and loyal one, but now she seemed to be able to leave him behind without a care for his feelings.
So, the dark agouti male walked and wandered. Far enough where he could get away from the suffocating memories and worried gazes of his companions. Aleister didn't try to hide his anger, though he did try to stay away from everyone within the group as he didn't feel much like talking. He especially would rather avoid talking about his feelings. It seemed the Riddle Heights didn't occupy a lot of folks, so the moody male tried to the time to clear his head. At least relieve the anger that riddled his mind.
As he was working through his emotions by physical exertion, a familiar scent hit him rather violently. Why was she so far from the Lake? Following her scent, hoping to find her quickly along one of the ridges. Instead, she led him on a goose chase as he tried tracking her scent through the thick, warm air that made the snow stick to his paws and fur unpleasantly. Was she leaving the Lake too? His frustration grew until finally he was able to pinpoint her location which was a nicely hidden cave. As his mismatched gaze entered the cave, he was almost ready to accuse the fiery woman of leaving without a goodbye. However, the smell that hit him like a ton of bricks stopped him in his tracks.
Oh. This was why.
He had noticed something different when he was tracking her, but with the breeze and elements dampening the strength. Now that her scent was concentrated within the cave, there was no mistaking what changes were going on with the flame cloaked female and probably why she would leave the Lake. "Are you leaving too?" Such a insecure thing to ask, but Aleister just got left behind by his sister. He wouldn't be surprised if Flair wanted to leave him behind too.
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| She just wanted to sleep and forget it all, and maybe when she woke up this would all be over, and she could actually enjoy spring! But alas she would not be so lucky. The sound of movement through the snow drew her instantly from her stupor, hyper-aware as she was. Amber gaze fixed on the entrance to her hiding place, ears perked and hackles already prickling; I wanted to be left alone! She was ready to chase off whoever dared disturb her, teeth already bared for a growl when the agouti form appeared. Surprise deflated some of her anger then, hitting her almost physically, like a punch to the gut. She hadn’t expected this. Aleister stared her down, seemingly as shocked as her, though he would have had to follow her trail to find the little cave. The fiery girl looked back, frozen in place; What do I say? But her thought was cut off by his question, his accusation! Instantly her ire was rekindled, eyes flaring like real embers as she stared daggers at the man; I never said I would stay! She wanted to spit the words at him, but managed to cut herself off – despite her state, she didn’t want to hurt him, not really. Instead, she restricted herself to an annoyed rumble, sitting up to face him more evenly. For a long while she simply glared, not trusting anything she might say. Then finally she admitted: “Jus’ for a li’l while… I’m not exactly good company at th’ moment.” She looked away, embarrassed at being caught in this state, slinking away as she had. She liked Aleister, and clearly she had hurt him even though that wasn’t her intention. Her ears twitched with a sudden realization and she looked back at the boy, narrowing her eyes; “What’a y’ mean ‘too’?” Who else had left? As far as she knew all the lake wolves were old packmates, basically family, who had come together to revive their old home; So who chickened out? Word count: 336 ”Speech" Thoughts |
When he approached, Aleister should of thought of the fact he was unexpectedly creeping up on the fiery woman with her having no idea who was coming to corner her within the dark cavern. Though luckily for him, she wasn’t in a worse mood and didn’t attack him right as he walked through the entrance. Her face was alight with anger as her teeth bared bright for him see, though it seemed as soon as she recognized him, her anger deflated just slightly.
Amber daggers stared back him as they both stood frozen for a moment as he asked his accusing question. Part of him was angry at himself for letting the words leave his mouth. They should of stayed within his emotional head and not out in the open for her to get angry with him. A long, uncomfortable moment of silence followed as she tried to determine her exact words on how she was going to tell him to bug off. He probably deserved it anyway. When she finally spoke, she didn’t say she was outright leaving. Instead, she was just getting away for a little while as she was not good company. Though, selfishly he thought the opposite. ”Oh, was all he could muster at the moment in response.
Again her sharp amber gaze was upon him, this time realizing exactly what he said before. His mismatched gaze met her golden eyes for a moment, ”My sister ditched me.” He said plainly, though his tone was solemn and clearly holding back the hurt of the fact. He already decided he wasn’t following after her, but the realization he probably was never going to see her again still hurt more than anything.
| ‘Oh’ he said, stupidly, apparently speechless at her simple explanation. Flair wrinkled her muzzle in annoyance, brows furrowing. She’d pegged Aleister as a relatively intelligent wolf, not much of a talker perhaps, but ready with an answer if he was put on the spot. Yet now he appeared unusually slow, perhaps it was just her own testiness; Or maybe he’s reacting to me?! The sudden realization sent an icy rush through the otherwise so fiery girl’s veins, her every muscle tensing. Of course Flair knew what was happening to her, the theory of it anyway. Her mother had been a healer and she had made sure to thoroughly educate her daughters, despite their obvious embarrassment. To an extend it had all gone in one ear and out the other, much like all her other lessons, but the russet girl had retained the basics; If two wolves like each other very much… And all that. However she had spent past breeding seasons surrounded by family, the only males around being her uncles, cousins and brothers; Yuck! Obviously, none of them had shown her any interest and she certainly hadn’t felt any kind of attraction towards them. But now she wasn’t at home, she was here, alone with a male who was not related to her at all; Fuck! While she’d been caught in her own thoughts though, Aleister had mustered up an answer to her question, and the words hit her like a slap in the face. “Oh,” she echoed him, equally stupid. The heat of shame flushed to her face and she turned down her sharp gaze, directing its fire at her own paws. Mentally, she kicked herself several times. Here she’d been caught up in her own ego and all the while he’d been hurting. Flair bit her lip. She was no good at this, she didn’t know how to comfort him – she hadn’t even known his sister. Taking a deep breath, she finally looked back up at him, speaking in barely more than a whisper: “I’m sorry… I didn’t know.” It was weak, but she didn’t know what else to say, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. The cave suddenly felt way too small and hot, and she wished she could just sink into the floor and disappear; I’m no good at this. Word count: 383 ”Speech" Thoughts |
Aleister wasn't a young, clueless buck. The dark agouti male knew generally what was happening with the fiery woman and he now realized just why she had retreated away from the Lake. Truly, he didn't realize the season had been upon them, still thinking they had months of brutal winter left to endure. Aleister wasn't a completely inexperienced buck either and he knew if he allowed his instincts to control him, he would probably do something reckless. So there he stood frozen in the cave entrance, refusing to move a muscle closer as he curled his claws into the rocky surface.
Having spent years alongside his sister, he had firsthand experience at what this season did to a woman. He had always tried to keep his distance from his sibling as it was definitely an uncomfortable time for her. But now, he was around someone he actually liked that wasn't related to him. This season was going to be completely different for him now that Neha was no where to be found. There was no one else that was related to him back home. However, that certainly didn't mean any of the females were interested in him that way. Moonshadow was certainly off the eligibility list as she was his mother's best friend and the Eastfall brother's mother. Just thinking about it made him wince. That left Lila and Flair, both who he generally liked, but he had no idea how they felt. Neither made it apparent that they were interested in him in that way, though he just barely scratched the surface of getting to know them and vice versa.
When he told her that Neha had left, her own response echoed his before her bright gaze casted downwards to the rocky floor. In turn, his mismatched gaze looked elsewhere the pain still fresh against his heart. Though when he felt her fiery gaze upon him, Aleister couldn't help but return her gaze as she apologized. "Not your fault," he answered with a sad shrug. The Vuesain couldn't help but gaze at her sharply, his eyes lingering. After a moment, he pulled them away knowing he was probably making her more uncomfortable. "I can leave if you want me to." Flair just had to saw the words and he would go without a fuss. Though, he selfishly hoped she would allow him to stay.
| This was the most awkward she’d ever felt in her life! It was like the expectations of the whole world were weighing down on her, telling her what she needed to do, but all she wanted was to run away. Aleister’s concession eased her, if only a little, she didn’t know how to comfort him further and, honestly, her mind was in a thousand other places at the moment. While her own gaze was still down on her paws, she could feel his eyes on her, like a burning in her fiery fur. Part of her wanted to glare back, that agitated bit that continued to smolder in her belly, yet she didn’t dare, afraid of where it might lead. Instead she kept her eyes firmly fixed on the floor, the claws of one paw digging into a small hollow in the rock, where earth had gathered and compacted for years; Undoing all of nature’s hard work. But his question made her ears twitch and she almost betrayed herself in glancing back up. Flushing afresh, she turned her head to the side instead, ears flattening against her skull. “Yes…” She muttered, but then quickly backtracked: “No… I don’t know!” The last was almost a shout, echoing uncomfortably loud in the enclosed space. With a groan, Flair lifted one paw to cover her eyes, rubbing at her head which was starting to ache. Was this how it was supposed to feel? She’d never really thought much about it before, but now she wished she’d asked more questions when she had the chance. It had seemed so logical though, her mother and father had loved each other so obviously, but this; “I… I barely even know you Al, I…” She finally looked directly at the man, a rather desperate expression on her face; “I don’t think this is a good idea.” She sighed heavily, leading into a low growl of frustration. Her shoulders and ears sagged, gaze once more returning to the floor. In a small voice she added: “I’m sorry.” Word count: 339 ”Speech" Thoughts |
His intense gaze couldn't coax her fiery gaze off the cold rock floor, instead she kept them firmly upon the ground refusing to fall beneath them. Her claws flexed just liked his against the compacted earth, rooting herself in place. Both of them refused to move, him in fear of what would happen if either of them let their guards down. Aleister could feel the heat within the den become almost unbearable. She still refused to look at him.
As his question reached her ears, his aqua and honey gaze looked to her again where he hoped her gaze would finally lift from the floor. Just look at me... But her stubbornness won out, leaving him with less view of her face as she turned to the side away from him. Ears flattening against her russet skull, as a soft, almost inaudible yes fell from her lips. The breath he didn't know he held within his chest, escaped as his own mismatched gaze casted down to the floor. However, she quickly backtracked shouting within the progressively confining cave. Her uncertainty evident to the dark agouti Vuesain.
The fiery woman threw a paw over her face, as his gaze grew softly, more apologetic. Look at me, please... As if she could read his thoughts, her fiery gaze finally lifted to his as she muttered how they barely knew each other and how this wasn't a good idea. Her gaze fell from him as she grew frustrated either with him or the whole situation, though he wasn't entirely certain which one it was. A quiet apology fell from her lips, making his heart clenched. She shouldn't be sorry for any of this. The thought of her fiery nature drowning under uncertainty and frustration, made him take a forbidden step forward. "Flair," her gaze was still fixated upon the cold floor. "Look at me," he pleaded softly, as his neck reached out to try to get a view of her face that she kept hidden from him.
I'll leave right now. Just say the word," he said quietly, his mismatched gaze soft as he peered at the fiery woman. If she wanted him gone, he would take his leave from the cave. Though, he would probably stick around to make sure nobody came to bother her while she was alone. But, if she wanted him to stay...
| This was horrible, just horrible! She felt claustrophobic in the tight cave, unable to breathe without filling her nose with his scent, seeming to cloud her thoughts; What is this? She thought it was only supposed to be the other way around, that he would be the volatile one needing to be kept at bay, but if she couldn’t keep her head cold either; Shit, shit, shit! A small gasp escaped her as she heard him moving, head whipping around to face him. Her amber eyes met his mismatched; Shit! His voice was so soft, so kind. He was probably one of the nicest wolves she’d ever met, surely if there was anyone… A shiver ran down her spine and she had to swallow a sudden lump in her throat. It seemed Aleister was more in control of himself than she was, and she was deeply grateful of that. ‘I’ll leave right now’ Her heart clenched; did she want him to? In all honesty, she felt much too volatile to be alone at the moment, but she also didn’t want to send him the wrong message. Leading someone on was just about the last thing Flair had ever worried about doing - after four years of life without a single romantic feeling, she had pretty much assumed she’d never have to deal with such things. But now here she was, and as much as her brain screamed at her to set it straight, her tongue stayed tied. Instinct was telling her one thing while her heart was shouting another, and both muddled together, leaving her frozen. Breathing heavily, the fiery shewolf shook her head to try and clear it, giving her shoulder scruff a light shake for good measure. She looked up at Aleister again, meeting his eyes properly now as she was starting to get her thoughts and feelings straight. “I’m jus’ not… This isn’t…” She groaned; Okay, not all straight…! Heaving another sigh, she squared her shoulders, holding the sepia boy’s two-colored gaze as she finally said: “You’re a good friend Al, I just… Can we just stay like that? I’m not… Ready for anythin’ else.” Her face fell then, eyes returning to the floor as all her bravery left with the phrase. Part of her felt somehow wrong, turning him away, like she was going against that deep, instinctual call within. But it was the smaller part, in the end, she just didn’t feel that way about the lad. Back to staring at her own paws, she whispered: “You don’t have to leave…” And then, knowing it was weak and selfish, she forced herself to add: “But if you’d rather go…” The statement hung in the air, unfinished, heat flushing to her cheeks for about the hundredth time that day. She knew it wasn’t fair to ask him to stay after turning him down and if he chose to leave, she would understand; I left to be alone anyway… Word count: 492 ”Speech" Thoughts |
As he took a tentative step closer to her, her fiery head whipped to glare at him, sharp amber eyes freezing him from taking another step. Locking gazes, her fiery gaze aflame like he's never seen before. The shewolf seemed to be taking a moment to mull over his words, a silence rolling between them. His own mind wondering what exactly she wanted, longing to get a glimpse of what she was thinking and feeling. Did she have any interest in him? Or was he just someone that was easily abandoned and unloved?
Her gaze left him again as she shook her head in frustration again. He should just leave, save her the frustration and uncertainty while saving him the embarrassment of her dismissal. Fiery gaze lifted to his again, as she stumbled through her thoughts. Taking a second try, Flair sighed and squared her shoulders to him, a solemn feeling washing over him. Here comes her dismissal. ...a good friend... Though, he honestly didn't expect anything to happen from this interaction, but something had stirred when he found her here alone with her perfume igniting a flame within him.
But, she was not ready for this, whatever this was that they were doing. Honestly, he wasnt even sure, his instincts were trying to take control. Though, he was not going to let himself lose control, even when every inch of his body screamed to reach out for her. No. Aleister was not that kind of man. If she did not want him, he would accept that. "Okay," he answered with a soft smile, hoping to soothe her frustrations. "Acquaintance, neighbor, friend, whatever you want me to be, I'm there." Offering her a genuine smile, his mismatched gaze trying to study her face as she looked away from him again.
She offered that he didnt have to leave, while leaving the option of him leaving unfinished like she hoped he wouldn't. "I can stay," he answered softly, a soft smile lifting his lips. "I'll be right here," he murmered as he began to settle down upon his elbows to guard the front entrance from any unwanted intruders. He truly never expected anything to happened, but both of them almost lost control of themselves as their instincts of the season tried to govern their bodies and minds. Perhaps this time they were just lucky.