Paradise Falls pools of sorrow, waves of joy

Random Event: Chan, there are signs of a bobcat having been here recently; they might still be around. All welcome to anyone from PF! @Jethro @Flair @Finley @Reika

Today had been a good day so far. He had spent the afternoon with Flair and the children, watching them play and grow, enjoying these precious few treasures that life had allowed him to keep. As night settled over the forest, he'd pulled himself away to do his part as a member of the pack. He chose this time to patrol first, checking the integrity of their caches and markers, allowing his paws to take him to the farther reaches of the Falls.

It was here that he picked up an invading scent, one that made his nose wrinkle and his lips curl into a disgusted sneer. An uncharacteristic bolt of anger rang through him from crown to tail tip, and he had to take a moment to breathe (1... 2... 3) in order to be able to think straight. Logically, rather than only emotionally.

Chan tipped back his head and howled, his call carrying strongly through the air to communicate a single word: cat.

She was tired. That had become a near-constant state of being for most of the recent past, and something she was more or less accustomed to. There was always so much to do, especially with children now, and so few adults to attend to those things. Most of the time Colette did indeed feel like a ghost, operating in the background and trying to attend to things that might be forgotten, overlooked, or that someone else didn’t have time for.

Her interactions with the others - by choice - were limited to only what was absolutely necessary.

Dealing with a cat was one such thing. The ghost didn’t so much as even permit herself to think as she ventured toward the call, arriving on the scene wordlessly, only a nod offered to her packmate. This was just another task.

They’d deal with it, and then it’d be on to something else.

Single post by Finley explaining what is going on with the kids. @Flair please let me know if this isn't okay!
Please skip Finley going forward

As happy as the mother was to snuggle with Atara and bask in the joy of having an infant, she hated being cooped up and not feeling like she was pulling her weight. She still tried to sneak out and perform her duties as much as she could squeeze into the short breaks she got when Jethro watched the baby. She had been laying outside the birthing den while Atara slept inside, feeling restless and not wanting to wake up her daughter when the call rang across the territory. Ears perked up and after a moment of hesitation she was quick on her paws.

Despite a squeal of protest, Finley quickly scooped up Atara and made their way towards where she knew Flair’s den was. As much as she wanted to help chase the cat off she knew it would be too dangerous. Instead, she would take her child and stay with Flair and their kids until the coast was clear, there was safety in numbers and it would be easier to keep everyone safe this way. She was quiet and apologetic when she dipped her muzzle into the den, Atara dangling from her jaws as she sought out Flair’s face. Once she knew they were welcome she would dip inside and settle her daughter down amongst the others.

as a note, we're gonna have them track it to outside of PF and be unable to find it. chan got the same RE again so we're gonna use it as a second chance, then flair and fin can participate too. ^^ (instead of there being a rash of bobcats/not using the RE)

Marigold moved fast. She had always turned her nose up at rivals and prey alike, but now she found the lesser animals to be exceptionally distasteful. If they ever once used their tiny brains, her littermate might still be alive.

When she appeared at the rendezvous point, Mar noticed the particularly-mysterious arctic was present. Her silver eyes looked the still-stranger over a moment, then turned to face her father.

"This it?" she asked of those assembled, barely waiting for confirmation before declaring, "Let's hunt."

The young wolf was ready to sink her teeth into this thing.

(This post was last modified: Jul 20, 2023, 01:42 AM by Marigold.)

It was hard for Chan to mute himself when Colette appeared, wanting to rebuild their friendship a natural instinct for him at this point. What was more important was respecting her boundaries, however. He gave her a small smile and a few sways of his tail, the thank you present only in his mismatched eyes.

His eldest arrived quickly after, and he felt the three of them could handle the smaller predator easily enough. It would be good for him to see how much training and skill Mar actually had in defending herself, too.

"Hey Mar," he beamed, half-tail whipping back and forth. Funny, to garner the attention of the two wolves he most expected to want to avoid him. He'd have to think of some way to say thank you that would be tolerable to them...

'This it?'

Chan nodded, gaze jumping to ensure Colette was ready too before motioning with his muzzle.

"Alright."

Nose to the ground, he began to track.

(This post was last modified: Jul 20, 2023, 01:51 AM by Chan.)

There was only one other wolf to show up initially, and it was, of course, the younger woman Cole recognized as Chan’s daughter. Yet another of the faces she knew of but didn’t particularly care to see or talk to.  And she couldn’t help wondering - by who? Was it someone she’d known, as well?

With a soft breath, the ghost exhaled those thoughts to ground herself in the present. They had a cat to catch. Chan was, thankfully, mercifully silent as it came to her, addressing only his daughter verbally.

Colette was content to quietly fall in line behind the father and daughter pair, allowing them lead the way. She trusted their ability to track down their prey over hers, anyway.

lol i did nothing in time i'm sorry u_u forget my prior note, let's kill the cat (unless you want different/already referenced a failed hunt?)

While Mar enjoyed the efficiency, it struck her as a bit weird just how quietly they all proceeded. Not all the wolves who called the Falls home could be called 'chatty,' but she'd never noticed such a distinct absence of communication between any of them. Even if the woman was muted as well as half-blind, her body language was also... rigid, Marigold felt.

How exactly did she fit in with this group of her father's? She found herself eyeing Colette a time or two, gaze just as withholding and hard as it ever was.

Then her father slowed and she focused back on the task at paw. The scent began to strengthen, and then the movement of brush could be heard further within the forest. Marigold's muscles tensed and she drifted away from her elders, assuming their plan would be to fan out and surround the enemy.

(This post was last modified: Sep 24, 2023, 07:49 PM by Chan.)

Accepting the circumstances for what they were, Chan proceeded without issue. It was easy to catch on to the trail and when it became clear the other animal had to be within the vicinity, his pace decreased to communicate the need for a more cautious approach now. Mar made her own choice about the role she would take, and he allowed her to get ahead of them only for a moment. Long enough to turn to Cole and address her in a hushed voice.

"Keep Mar between us, please. Don't let her get too bold."

He would do the same, but even a smaller feline could do severe damage quickly. With both of them working together to look out for his daughter, the odds were better. Not perfect, but better. As much as he wanted to, no matter what precautions were taken, he couldn't render his children invincible.

If understood, he would circle around to get to Marigold's far side, a distance that took a bit of time to achieve with the proper amount of stealth. Once managed though, he would get the feline in his sights. It had stopped to feed on something that had likely been scavenged off of the pack, and so far remained oblivious to the wolves encircling it.

(This post was last modified: Sep 24, 2023, 07:51 PM by Chan.)

-don't think it's been mentioned elsewhere - and cole answered that for me, let's kill it!

Chan led them onward with confidence, each step bringing the trio closer to their quarry, and bringing her one step closer to just being done with this whole uncomfortable ordeal. The fact that she’d ended up being stuck as third wheel between father and daughter instead of someone else was mildly irritating, but it was too late to turn back now.

The group slowed as they came close enough to hear movement, with the younger wolf moving ahead. Instinctively she moved to encircle their prey, but paused as Chan neared.

The ghost didn’t quite meet his gaze, but nodded her understanding, and shared it to a degree. For both of them. Although small, cats were quick, their claws and teeth sharp. Per his request, Cole changed course to keep Marigold between them, good eye scanning the foliage for their prey.

This forest proved both a blessing and a curse, disguising the presence of the wolves, but also hiding their target for a time. When at last she was able to see it, though, Chan’s words echoed through her mind. Don’t let his daughter get too bold.

Trusting her companions to be in place, the ghost charged at the unsuspecting feline. Uncaring for the way it hissed, growled, and postured. Undeterred by claws and sharp incisors tearing at her sides as her own jaws met flesh, just behind its shoulder. Her sole desire was to distract it, hold it long enough for her companions to deal damage.

Marigold did not take notice of her father's benign plotting. Her focus was on their opponent, muscles bracing and lips lifting with violent intent. She had not before experienced such a generalized, intense dislike for certain creatures but since Auburn? The way she felt now, in this moment, she wouldn't much mind if every single feline in existence were brutally exterminated.

While preparing herself to strike, Colette lunged out first, almost surprising the younger wolf. She didn't hesitate to follow suit, hot on the other's heels and quick to sink her fangs into the fray. Given the beast was smaller, it wouldn't take much to permanently fell it, no matter how it screamed and raged. She felt the sting of superficial cuts and scrapes, and they meant nothing.

The scent of blood was starting to dominate the air around them.