Phantom Hollow that dream is my reality

This place was entirely different than anything he’d seen before. For several days now, the ground underfoot had been wet and muddy, forming a marsh of sorts through which he’d haphazardly traversed. At first, evergreen trees had dominated the landscape, but after the fourth day, that had changed. He'd stumbled upon forest was a ghastly and decrepit looking sight if he had ever seen one - the antithesis of what had once been home to him. He sneered at the thought, shoving it away with a huff.

An eerie white fog clung to the landscape, shifting around him as he walked, twisting and twirling in all manner of directions, disturbed by his presence or whatever faint wind currents managed to penetrate the thick forest canopy he assumed was around. The air itself was cool and smelled of moisture and decay. There was very little to be had in the form of sounds and natural light, too - but it was still day. There were precious few fleeting moments when the occasional ray of sunshine would be visible as he walked, confirming the sun was still out there. Though, if his estimation was correct, it would be setting in a few hours.

And he was damned well looking forward to being basked in the darkness. If Jethro had been the sort to believe in that shit, he might’ve thought he’d died and gone to one of those hells that religious idiot back home had constantly babbled on about. The place where the evil and selfish were doomed to go, finding themselves trapped in some kind of a miserable garbage heap of an existence, absent any sunlight or other living beings. For most, he suspected they would’ve thought it a horrifying sounding fate.

Conveniently, he was not most wolves, and this was exactly what he’d always wanted. A quiet place, absent anyone else, where he could wander and be left the hell alone. It was a strong contender and could be a basecamp to return to as he explored further. Loathed as he was to admit it, the need for food, of course, would mean he’d have to venture beyond this place and conduct further exploration eventually - but a lucky find the previous day had scratched that obnoxious and irritating requirement for the present. Leaving him free, for the moment, to roam this new place in confidence.

@Nori

(This post was last modified: May 15, 2021, 10:45 PM by Jethro.)

It was not Jethro's lucky day.

This place was... creepy. Dark and dank and foggy, and Nori wasn't sure how to feel about it. She'd been wandering through the dense forest for a few days now, and found it mostly empty. And where was the sun? This was nothing like the beautiful forests she'd grown up in. She didn't want to know what her fur looked like right now, all caught up in the briars and bushes that she brushed past. Of course, there was no use in grooming it right now - not until she was free of this horrible place. But she lamented the loss of that aspect of her appearance - Nori was admittedly vain, and preferred to be able to keep clean and tidy whenever possible. She had an image to maintain.

But the universe did not seem to care for that image right now. In fact, the universe did not seem to care for anything, because Nori was lost, and she wasn't sure how to find her way out of here. So, of course her brain wandered into worst case scenario territory, which meant that Nori was absolutely going to starve and die and rot here, far away from potential family or friends or adventure. This was hell, and she probably deserved it, but that didn't mean that she had to be happy about it.

The girl tried not to tremble as she walked through the undergrowth, trying to keep quiet for whatever reason - probably to avoid alerting any predators or demons out there to her location. Of course, this was completely ineffective - or perhaps too effective, actually - because she ended up turning a corner and coming face-to-face with a formless, black creature with piercing green eyes.

The shriek that pulled from her maw was not something that she was proud of, nor was the subsequent stumbling back and falling on her ass, but when faced with a very big demon, you don't know how you're going to react.

"I don't taste good!" she shouted, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for the inevitable teeth sinking into her flesh. That's what demons did... right?

As the dark shape proceeded, he did so with consideration, pausing at times to take in his surroundings. To pick out some sort of particular detail that he would then attempt to place in his mind to remember, or to bite down on and snap a branch of a particular plant or tree. This place was damned disorienting, and if he had been one of those sorts to find it completely unappealing and scary, or whatever crap they thought, he might’ve been worried about getting lost. As it were though, he’d been smart enough to mark a trail and commit it to memory.

Because, in spite of what everyone back home had constantly said of him, Jethro was not stupid. And if for some reason his memory failed and he had to start over, he could. Because this shit couldn’t go on forever, and all he’d have to do to get out was make sure he went in a straight line going forward.

Now, if only he could find some sort of a shelter to mark as his official area. Perhaps a cave? Something like that would really complete things, so he kept a close eye out for something as he moved forth. Although, he did not suspect he’d be so fortunate. Fortune and luck were, traditionally, rarely things that were on his side for very long. So really, any type of shelter would do.

What most certainly would not do was other wolves lurking about the area. He had perhaps just a few seconds warning when the awful stench of another assaulted his nose. And then, mere moments later, she was standing in front of him. The suddenness of it prompted him to stop abruptly. Instinctively, his ears pushed back and his eyes narrowed, body tensing in preparation for something. Jet issued a throaty growl of surprise, although the noise quickly faded as she promptly went stumbling back. An exclamation escaped the other, as she loudly proclaimed that she did not taste good.

With her eyes all squeezed shut and faced screwed up, it genuinely looked like she believed he was going to eat her. He relaxed a little, as it was impossible to hold back a snort of amusement, at that. ”I bet. Ya look like you’d taste like shit.” He scoffed, with extra emphasis on the final word. He then summarily stepped back a bit, before turning to angle around the woman so that he could continue on. ”Just keep out of my way, and we're good.” He didn't need some corpse stinking the place up, either. Truthfully, he’d have to be pretty damn desperate to resort to cannibalism. There were a lot of established norms and stupid customs he didn’t care about, but that shit just sounded wrong.

So, live and let live.   

@Nori

(This post was last modified: May 16, 2021, 04:12 AM by Jethro.)

The sharp teeth meeting her face did not come, and Nori hesitantly peeked her eyes back open. The figure before her was dark and imposing, yes, and it did have these vibrant green eyes - brighter even than her mother's - but it was not a demon, as she had initially thought. It was just a big wolf, inky black and young, maybe a little older than herself. And he didn't look demonic at all, but rather... striking. Nori was pretty, and she knew that to be true, but her fur and eyes tended to blend into one another a bit. How much more beautiful could she have been if she'd inherited those forest green eyes instead of her father's brown? The contrast probably would have made her look more unattainable, like this stranger before her.

He was very handsome, she had the time to think, before he spoke.

His words left her blinking in shock, mind reeling from the whiplash of a: thinking that she was about to be eaten, and b: being insulted. Which was simply rude, and unnecessary, and she was just thinking he was handsome and was about to say it, too, until he opened his big, dumb mouth.

"Excuse me?" she questioned, eyes round as she got to her feet and, against her better judgment and the boy's warnings, promptly trotted along to keep up with him. "You don't know that! I could taste amazing, thank you very much. Any forest demon would be lucky to have me as a meal." But the offendedness was fading as quickly as it'd come, and honestly, Nori was just glad to see another living creature in these woods. Maybe she wouldn't die alone here, after all.

A light laugh pealed from her lips. "But man, you scared me! I thought I was gonna die," she enthused, tail swaying behind her, blissfully unaware that her presence was not at all wanted here. "Thought you were a demon. I didn't know there was anyone else in these woods - which, sorry if I'm trespassing, but I didn't smell any borders, and it's so quiet. Gives me the creeps." She paused for a moment in her rambling to flash him a grin.

"I'm Nori, by the way."

@Jethro

To her credit, the expression of panic the other had did not last long. Instead, it seemed to turn into something.. confused? He didn’t know and didn’t care. There were a few scant moments to observe her shifting expression, before his pace carried him past her, and onwards into the mist. Where he had expected that to be the end of it, though, was not. In a complete turnaround, both literally and in her demeanor, the strange woman issued an indignant cry and was, moments later, pursuing him.

Which was never good, not when he had his back to her. Jethro did not have time to turn his body, so he paused to turn only his head back, eyes narrowing and fur bristling in anticipation of an attack. But for the second time, that never came. At least, not physically. Instead, the stranger was now insisting that maybe she did taste amazing, and that any forest demon would be lucky to have her as a meal. His ears flicked forth, a brow arching in faint amusement that again, for the moment, overrode irritation. Forest demon. That had a certain appeal to it. It was too damned bad he hadn’t thought of that initially - perhaps she’d have been running from him now, rather than following.

But there was still one little problem with that. ”You said it first, I just agreed.” He spoke with a dismissive shrug, clearly indicating he did not believe the attempt to retract her previous statement. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the woman now, though. He didn’t want to fight her, but if there was any sign of aggression, he’d want to be ready.

There was just another laugh, though. And more words. Too damned many words. Against his better judgment, Jet closed his eyes for a moment, trying to fight back the headache that was coming on due to having to deal with someone else. The only interesting part again was the demon bit. Maybe the part about borders, too, although marking this place would probably contradict his overall goal.

Lastly, she introduced herself, with a happy, and entirely too polite smile. An expression he didn’t mirror, not in the slightest. ”No borders cause I don’t wanna draw attention to myself.” He explained with as much patience as he could muster, at the moment. ”Look. Maybe I am part demon, cause I don’t care who you are or how this place makes you feel, or what-the-fuck ever. I just wanna be left alone. Can you do that?” In the end, that was the question that mattered.

S for swears!

Lucky for the both of them, Nori was not one for surprise sneak attacks on handsome strangers. Maybe later, when she was more convinced that he wasn't going to kill her. She was pretty sure, of course, but pretty sure wasn't one hundred percent, and she didn't wanna lose her face or something. As it stood, she didn't even brush against him - preferring to stay a couple of steps off to the side, just in case.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to agree like that. You could've been like, 'Hey, there - don't worry, I won't eat you. Also, you're ridiculously attractive, and any demon out here in these woods would be lucky to take a bite out of you,'" she stated, pitching her voice lower to mimic the stranger's gruffer tone. Nori grinned then, another light laugh escaping her. "The last part was optional, but y'know, it's nice to hear sometimes."

Ah, so they were gonna be like that. Unfriendly and stoic. Super masculine. Not preferred, but not the worst thing ever. She could work with this.

She huffed out a more bitter laugh, amused, but not quite as lighthearted as before. "Uh, yeah, no can do, mister," she responded, raising her chin a bit. "This place is creepy as fuck, and you're the first living creature I've seen in days. I'd rather not head back out there on my own." It was as close as she would come to admitting that the place unnerved her. "A big, handsome guy like yourself wouldn't cast a defenseless girl out into the wilderness by herself, now, would you? What if your forest demon family is out there, waiting to devour me?" she asked, batting her lashes at him in a fashion that was more comedic than actually flirty.

“But I doubt all of these theatrics are really gonna convince you,” she amended, shrugging her shoulders. “Believe it or not, I’m actually a good hunter. Two wolves are better than one when it comes to taking down prey. This could be good for the both of us.” At least until she could find her way out of here, which she definitely did not want to do on her own.

(This post was last modified: May 17, 2021, 05:32 AM by Nori.)

The annoying woman was, at least, intelligent enough to keep a couple paces distance between them. Though he was fairly certain he’d have had an advantage if conflict arose, he wasn’t dumb enough to discount anyone. Some had had the fortune of being trained, others, as he had, might’ve just learned from experience. Either way, as it stood, he knew nothing about this one that really mattered, aside from her name - if it was the truth. Irritating as her presence was, she hadn’t really done anything to warrant that level of aggression or reaction. Which was good, because he didn’t particularly feel like dealing with injuries right now.

If he had to choose, he’d prefer to have someone talk his ear off, as opposed to attempting to bite it off literally. Nori did not dispute his claim that she’d started it, but did attempt to say that he could’ve agreed to her initial comment differently. He could’ve been soothing and complimentary, and that somehow because of her perceived beauty, a demon would’ve been lucky to take a bite out of her. Although she pegged the last part as optional, the dark one scoffed at how little that made sense to him. Rather than even attempt to dissect any of that, Jethro went with the simplest possible retort he could think of. ”No.”

Hopefully, she wasn’t one of those vain types that was all concerned about looks and having her ego stroked and shit. Although, he didn’t doubt, on a deeper level, that compliments would’ve been nice to hear sometimes. Her grin and effort to mock his time seemed to indicate it was, at least in part, a joke. But to what level, he didn’t know. And didn’t care.

At least she was.. well, mostly honest, answering his question up front. Her disposition shifted slightly into something more serious, but maintained a small note of humor. It was not the response he’d wanted, but given the nature of this encounter so far, it was not a surprise, either. Again, he could understand her comments, but the attempt to play his emotions and act all pretty and innocent wasn’t going to achieve anything. He could not suppress a look of disgust as she labeled him handsome, a fact he would’ve been more than willing to point out, had she not summarily stated she were aware of it.

”Theatrics and good looks mean nothing to me, least we agree on that.” He conceded with a snort, although there was a begrudging bit of respect there too. She had been clever enough to offer something practical. ”But there ain’t nobody out there, not that I know. Just me. If there were any demons, though, I doubt your pretty face would be enough to save you.” Or perhaps it would. He supposed it depended on the nature of the demon and what constituted safety. In the case of his family, it might be. In the case of everyone except him, they were generally pretty accepting of others, but Nori sure as hell didn’t need to be told that.

Instead, he fixed her with a contemplative stare. ”So, Nori - we get you out of this place, share a hunt, and then go our separate ways? I could agree to that, too.” That was pretty much what he’d been hearing, so far. Minus the go our separate ways part, but it was important to continue to emphasize that. A temporary alliance was not something he’d turn down, nor was the aid in a hunt, as long as it ended after that. Turning to grasp at a nearby, sickly looking bush, Jethro promptly bit down upon a bare branch protruding from it, twisting off the limb with relative ease to deposit on the ground.

With that done, he glanced back to the other. ”Gonna be dark soon. Might be a good idea to stop and find shelter. You good with that?”

(This post was last modified: May 17, 2021, 02:06 PM by Jethro.)

"No."

Nori's pout deepened and she huffed indignantly. "Rude," she scoffed, but there wasn't any bite behind it. She couldn't tell if this guy was fun, because he was pretty easy to annoy and pick at, or not fun at all, because he was kind of like talking to a tree. Figures that she'd run into the least friendly wolf on earth, but... well... this forest wasn't typically what she'd consider a good hangout spot for social people like herself.

He wasn't nice, but at least he hadn't outright attacked her yet. Nori was a lot to handle, and she knew that, but she wasn't aggressive. Physical fighting was something that she would prefer to avoid outright, because she was just vain enough to want to avoid scarring, but she also understood that injury - especially out here by herself - would be nearly impossible to deal with. Neither of her parents were skilled healers, and she knew nothing beyond the most basic first aid, so she wasn't foolish enough to get herself chewed on by a random stranger in the woods.

So she was correct about him not being much of a shallow, appearance-oriented kind of guy. Even though he was pretty handsome, she could see some slight splits in his fur, hints of scarring that would suggest he also wasn't one to shy away from a fight, unlike herself. Nori had to chase away a sudden, despairing thought of Theatrics and good looks are all I have! because it wasn't entirely true. She shook the self-doubt away for a moment to flash him another cheeky grin. "So you do think my face is pretty," she teased, hoping that the brief, deep-seated insecurity had not shown in her expression. She had an image to maintain, after all. "But you're right. I doubt there are many other wolves around here. It's kind of... unsettling." Not necessarily bad, but it was definitely enough to make her skin crawl.

Her attention snapped back to the larger wolf when he acquiesced, brows raising in surprise. Honestly, she'd expected him to blow her off entirely, so that was much more than she could've hoped for. "Pretty much," she responded, tail swishing behind her. "It shouldn't take too long. Couple days at most, and then you can get back to haunting the woods in peace." He didn't seem the type to want much more than that, so it was probably best for her not to overstay her welcome. And she had stuff to do anyway, so it wasn't like she could stay in the forest forever - not that that had ever been the plan.

Honey brown eyes scanned over the bush he'd just broken, and she filed that information away for later. "Sounds good to me, boss-man," she chirped, trotting to keep up with him. It wasn't like she was in much of a position to be making demands - or even requests, since she'd been the one to impose. However... "So... do you have a name, or should I keep calling you Forest-Demon-Guy in my head?"

Rude, the young woman huffed bitterly, although.. again, it sounded like it could’ve been a joke. If he looked at things from her perspective, for a moment, he had to admit a begrudging sort of respect for Nori’s... mostly cordial disposition, so far, in the face of it all. She was brave.  

She flashed him another beaming, toothy smile at the comment about her pretty face. Clearly, there was some level of concern there for her image. Though that annoyed him, it seemed common amongst most normal wolves around his age or hers. Another of the amazing benefits of not having a fucked up childhood, he thought, so he opted to refrain from speaking anything more than a simple, truthful response. ”Yes. The rest of you, too, I suppose.” He didn’t bother to turn toward her as the response was offered in a deadpan tone.

The next bit, though, prompted something of interest. Enough for him to break stride for a moment, to cast a glance towards the other. ”Whole damn place is probably unsettling, to most. No way in hell would I be here if I weren’t.. me.” He offered another small shrug at that, before proceeding. ”So, I’m curious about what brought you in here. Surely you weren’t seeking forest demons?” He questioned, permitting himself a note of humor and a wry smile to go along with the inquiry. Jethro was not completely oblivious to it, after all.

He was also prepared for the possibility that his question would invite some about himself, too. A trade he supposed he was willing to make to understand how or why someone like Nori had ventured in here. Such knowledge might afford him the ability to reduce the number of individuals that ventured through in the future if he decided to stay.

Nori confirmed what he’d inquired about the direction of the conversation, offering a timeline of a couple of days at most. ”I can live with that.” He murmured, issuing a nod to go along with the words. She agreed, as well, to the prospect of finding shelter, so he continued to scan the surrounding environment for that. He was fairly certain he could detect the smell of approaching rain amidst all of the odd scents, which probably would make things even worse as far as visibility went.

Next, though.. she asked about his name. Of course, because that was another stupid thing that mattered to normal wolves. ”Forest demon guy is fine. Jerk-face or dumbass work, too. Whatever you prefer.” He offered up almost entirely seriously, insulting himself with nearly a straight face, although in the last bit he permitted the slight note of sarcastic humor from before to return to the statement. If he was going to be spending up to a couple of days with someone, he supposed he could at least try to make it a little better for both of them by playing along with the humor, as opposed to arguing.

It obviously didn’t have much of an effect on his company, so there was very little point in continuing to bicker over everything, including his name. Which he relinquished after a few moments, albeit in a much softer tone. ”It’s Jethro.”

(This post was last modified: May 17, 2021, 11:05 PM by Jethro.)

The unprompted compliment took her a bit by surprise. She hadn't had a lot of experience with wolves outside of her family - just brief encounters that her father usually put a quick stop to when he deemed them too close to his territory. So as much as she'd like to consider herself suave and debonair, she actually had quite a bit to learn in that department. Her response came just a hair too slow to be deemed smooth, but she figured it was acceptable nonetheless. "Aww~! Well, you're not half bad yourself," she cooed, her chest puffed out just a bit more and her smile much more genuine.

He went on to acknowledge that yes, the creepy, haunted, demon forest was actually unsettling, and that he wouldn't be in there if he weren't him, which was definitely an odd thing to say. "What, you like places that are definitely haunted? I mean, I guess it's a good way to avoid people, if that's what you're going for," she reasoned. This guy didn't seem too sociable, so maybe that's why he was out here in the first place. For a second, she felt the slightest bit guilty about barging her way in, but she chased the thought away with a quick shake of her head. If he wanted her gone, he could've just snapped his teeth and she'd have left. And besides, it's not like he owned the place or anything.

The question of what she was doing there arose, and she laughed breezily, shrugging her shoulders. She figured she was doing a pretty good job, if she were actually seeking forest demons. "I mean, I found one, didn't I?" she teased, ducking under a branch as she walked. "I was just exploring. Looking for some family, actually, but I figured taking a look around the woods first wouldn't hurt." She looked up at a small break in the forest cover, where the sun was clearly starting to go down... and were those rain clouds? That would make finding shelter much more urgent. "And then I got lost. This place is pretty confusing, actually. I thought I might never get out." It'd been a legitimate concern, until she found that she wasn't completely alone in the place.

She nodded in return, mentally set on just a couple of days with the guy. He certainly wasn't unbearable, but she understood that she might be, at least for him, and being a significant annoyance wasn't really something she desperately wanted to do. Fun as it might be sometimes.

What she hadn't expected was the sudden, deadpan, self-deprecating humor that spilled out in lieu of a name. A giggle pealed from her maw and she shook her head, not replying in hopes that he'd respond with his actual name if she waited. And he did, after just a couple more heartbeats. Jethro was an unusual one, but she supposed her mother's name was weird, too. She paused, narrowing her eyes at him appraisingly and pretending like she was deep in thought.

"Well, as much as you look like a 'Jerk-face,' I think Jethro fits you just a bit better," she announced, as if she'd just come to some grand conclusion, and nodded her head decisively. "It was a hard choice, though. You gave me so many good options." Nori huffed out another laugh and bounced a bit before continuing on in their walk.

It was a few moments later that she felt the first raindrop land on the bridge of her nose. They'd better find that shelter fast, unless they wanted to get soaked.