Larkcall Lowlands get on out of your seat

all welcome! Afternoon, overcast, 1C/33F

Finley was well aware that she did not have much time before she would find out if her mistake had taken hold. She also knew that if she didn’t find someone to trick into thinking it was their baby before the scents changed she would be too late. The problem was Camden was nowhere to be found, and other strangers seemed to be few and far between and this was making her problem very hard to solve.

The landscape here seemed to almost have no rhyme or reason, a day ago she had been in rolling hills, almost mountains really, and now a tundra. Thankfully after a week or so of warmer daytime highs the snow had begun to melt, and the sparse area was not nearly as inhospitable as it had been a few weeks ago. It was not great by any means, but shrubbery had reappeared from under the snow drifts that had hidden them, and they offered some mercy from the wind.

It was afternoon now and the sun was blocked out by clouds but the air still felt warm, which bolstered Finley’s spirits a little. That was until she slipped on a patch of ice hiding beneath soft snow and slush. The woman slid a few inches and then her chin came down hard upon the ground, clicking her teeth together and sending her vision into an explosion of stars. That hurt.

(This post was last modified: Mar 17, 2022, 12:31 AM by Finley.)

Chan had been hunting, and managed to catch himself a lemming. He carried it in his jaws as he strode to return to the others. The stranger's scent sidetracked him, the Eastfall rarely the one to turn down meeting someone new. His gait was relaxed, and his chopped tail waved back and forth. Given the flatness of the land it didn't take long for him to spot her, and just in time to witness her wipeout.

Ouch. He picked up the pace.

Once near enough to be heard without outright shouting, he tossed the lemming ahead of him and called to her, concern coating his tongue.

"Are you okay?!"

(This post was last modified: Mar 17, 2022, 05:27 AM by Chan.)

The woman’s tongue flicked out nervously against her lips as she got back onto her paws. She moved much more gingerly now that she knew there may be pitfalls beneath the snow, and once she got back on her feet she moaned. That was going to smart for a long time, she could already tell. Finley had been so distracted by her fall and getting back up without wiping out again that she had not even noticed that someone else was around.

Inhaling quickly through her nostrils in surprise, green eyes searched for the owner of the voice. When they landed on a tawny man with mismatched eyes, and a peculiarly short tail she blushed. Great, so she had finally found someone else in this wasteland and his first impression was her falling flat on her face. Still, her chin really did hurt and when she went to open her mouth it felt stiff. Flinching slightly she spoke, ”I think so,” then was embarrassed to add, ”I can’t see, is it bleeding?” Finley lifted her chin to the air so he could get a better look at it.

She would think about her plan after this, but it would be all for naught if she needed medical attention. Priorities people. Green eyes glanced down to see if the man was approaching or not, and to get a closer look at him. He wasn’t as handsome as Camden had been, but maybe that was a good thing.

Chan did not hesitate to draw close enough to do as asked. He lowered his head in order to peer up at the short-furred skin she bared for inspection. Thankfully he saw no traces of broken skin, though the bruising was already evident, darkening the hue of her chin hairs in an illusory way. He took a step back and shook his head.

"Nope, but ya bruised it good."

He thought a moment, then swung his head toward the lemming he'd abandoned, now a few yards away but still a noticeable brown splotch against the grey snow.

"You hungry? Could help ya take your mind off it."

The land was so flat and barren here he doubted he could find something that would grant her pain relief outside of simple distraction.

Finley sighed deeply at the news that she had bruised her chin up real good. That was just like her, can’t even make it more than a day or two without messing up in some way or another. She murmured her thanks quietly, and her tongue flicked out over her lips in a sign of nervousness, or perhaps pain, most likely a mixture of both. When he turned his head away the thin woman felt a well of panic in her stomach. Don’t go!

Thankfully he was only looking at the lemming that he had discarded to come to her aid. The sight of it caused her stomach to gurgle noisily and embarrassment flared over her dark face. Nodding she agreed, ”Starving, are you sure there’s enough for both of us?” Then her stomach growled again and she ducked her face away, squeezing her eyes shut. Her body was not making this easy.

And, then of course there was the other thing. Stealing another glance as the man she said quickly, ”My name is Finley, and if it isn’t too much trouble I could use help with one other thing…” She trailed off, but strategically waved her tail behind her haunches once, twice, and then it stilled. The awful smell of her heat stirred around them.

Starving was the only word he'd needed to hear to know she would be having the whole of the meal to herself. Chan had other wolves he was traveling with and had recently eaten already. She clearly needed it more, and he had no qualms over giving away the fruits of his labor freely. He would have moved then to fetch it, one paw already in motion, but she promptly began speaking again and his mismatched gaze was drawn back to her dial.

Something else? He blinked once before understanding. Oh. His cheeks blushed while his eyes widened slightly, a sheepish smile now dominating his features.

"Uh wouldn't that be uh, something you'd need to eat for?"

It had been a long time since he'd been propositioned so casually, and he wasn't quite sure how to react.

He had already started walking away when she propositioned him, and her own cheeks flushed when he froze. It had been so forward of her, but what was the worst he was going to say, no? He said no, maybe he didn’t let her eat and they never see each other again. Or, maybe he says yes, they do what they need to do and wham bam thank you ma’am, she had a baby daddy, whether it was his or not.

His question made her ears flick backwards towards her skull in confusion. The whole thing had not taken very long with Camden…couldn’t they just get it over with and then she could eat? Trying to wash the confused look away and replace it with something attractive, ”Oh uh…We can eat after? I just, it’s a little hard to focus on anything else.” That part was at least true, and there was only one cure.

Taking a step towards him, the whole hunger vs. sexy thing was such a strange conversation or thought pattern to be having. Finley was nervous, she had always felt that she was not conventionally attractive, her pelt was dark and plain like every agouti wolf out there. She liked her green eyes she supposed, and she worked hard to make sure she stayed thin, but it took a lot of self control.

Would he reject her? Looking closely at him she asked, ”Can I at least get your name?” And everything else too obviously.

It seemed she wasn't expecting that answer, and Chan grew increasingly uncomfortable. There was something off about her and it, the not knowing bothering him deeply. Was something wrong? Did she want a litter without caring if the father was a permanent fixture or not? Or were her hormones really knocking her around that hard? The latter didn't seem to be the case, as that usually came across in a different way.

She came closer, and he had to fight not to take a step back. His mismatched eyes focused on her features once more, this time with an irrefutable tinge of concern and care.

Can I at least get your name?

"... Chan. What're you... what do you really want?"

He couldn't even see earnest desire in her grass-green eyes, just a phantom-like desperation.

"I can help. Just tell me what's actually wrong."

What was she trying to distract herself from with this?

This was not going at all according to plan and Finley only had herself to blame for that. This Chan man did not seem at all into the idea of bedding her, unlike Camden had been, and he was looking at her not with lust but with…pity? Dark ears flipped back against her skull, none of this was going like how it was supposed to go. She did not have time to recalculate and come up with something new.

What did she want?

Nobody had ever really asked her that before. She had always been the perfect doting daughter and so when they told her to go out and get herself a husband and kids to bring home she had not thought twice. But, now? Now she was here in this mess of her own making being asked by a stranger what she wanted.

Green eyes blinked rapidly a few times and then she blurt out the only thing she could think of, the truth, ”I want a family.” She failed to mention that she might already have one on the way and that this was effort number two.

Vultures are circling something out of sight. Hunt Opportunity! +5 Health