Mountain of Dire if a man talks shit, then you owe him nothing

The agouti male strolled contentedly beneath the tall, snow-covered pine trees, a smile gracing his charcoal lips. It would seem that life was finally getting better. He had settled down in a beautiful location, he and @Piety were closer than ever — expecting pups in a matter of months, no less — and, as far as he was aware, the group were happy and contented. At least, no one had approached him with any complaints thus far. With everyone busy adjusting to their new environment and living situation, Lorcan had decided to steal a moment for himself. After spending so much time shadowing Piety through the duration of her heat, he had unfortunately spared little time for his own wants and needs. 

Dark nose sniffed with interest around the tangled roots of a fallen tree. He desperately wished to set up a medical cache so that he could go back to doing what he loved, searching for and storing plants to be used by those in need of healing. Lorcan had already stashed a few sprigs and pieces of bark in the main den, but they were there temporarily until he could set up something more permanent. He would need to find the perfect place for them though. The healer did not want to risk his collection being spoiled from improper storage or care. 

Lifting a single fore-paw, he began to paw at the hard dirt and twisted tree roots, searching for a natural crevasse to exploit.  

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2018, 04:07 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

As much as she initially did not want to be a part of this pack, Kip was here now, and she had committed. And if there was one thing that the small girl valued, over all else, it was loyalty. She wouldn’t go back on her word, no matter how difficult this all was for her at the moment.

No matter how much she regretted staying.

The off-white wolf found herself padding after a halfway familiar scent without even meaning to in the first place... but she supposed socializing with her packmates wouldn’t be too bad an idea. And this was a nice one who wasn’t Odin, so that was definitely a plus. He was an alpha, wasn’t he...? He and the white one were expecting pups as well.

”What are you doing?” the younger wolf asked tactlessly, seafoam eyes tired as she watched him paw around the hard-packed ground. ”And, uh... do you need help with it?” A doer by nature, Kip really couldn’t handle much more of this whole drifting around, stewing in emotions thing. Even though she felt on the verge of tears even at the moment, her fur puffed out a bit and her head held lower than her shoulders.

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Russet ears swerved around as a quiet voice reached his ears. Lifting his dirt-covered paw and placing it back firmly upon the snowy ground, Lorcan turned to face the pale yearling. A warm smile pulled at his handsome features in greeting as his golden gaze met her sea-foam green eyes. It did not take much for the healer to notice that something was up with the female. Even with her offer to help, which the male really appreciated, he could that she wasn't quite as enthusiastic as she was trying to seem. Her puffed up fur and low hold of her head was enough to make his smile falter. 

Pale brows tightened as he looked across to her sympathetically. "If you'd like." He responded kindly, offering the girl a friendly wave of his tail. "I'm trying to set up a medicinal cache, somewhere to store plants so we have them should we ever need them." Lorcan explained with a smile. "Healing plants are kind of my speciality," He informed her, turning his gaze towards the mangled roots and giving a small shrug of his shoulders, before his attention returned to @Kip. "And I'd like to think that I'd be able to help a wolf should they need it." Lorcan admitted as he tilted his head at her, his golden eyes giving her a gentle questioning look, curious to know what was on her mind. 

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2018, 04:40 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Kip looked up at him when he addressed her so kindly. Jeez, were all of these wolves so nice? So cheerful and caring? Did they actually mean it, or did they just need numbers and couldn’t afford to lose her now?

Did it really matter?

”I know a little about medicine,” she said in return, looking at where he was pawing at the ground to try and find a spot. The healer at her old pack had been quite chatty, and he was one of the only wolves she had been so free to speak to. ”Not a lot - just basic shit like how to clean wounds and lower fevers and stuff.” Black-tipped ears flicked back and forth as she considered what to say next. ”Maybe it would be best to use nature to our advantage here? A little cave, maybe? It’d protect them a helluva lot better than an old, dead tree.”

Ah. There it was. The subtle prying that she had been expecting all along. ”If I see someone in need of medicinal assitance, I’ll let them know who to go to,” she stated clearly, as though she didn’t understand what he meant by the offer. That was easier than spilling her guts to this guy - even thinking about what was wrong caused her eyes to burn further.

A single ear pricked up towards Kip as she mentioned knowing a little about medicine. Golden eyes widened slightly in interest as the agouti male smiled, waiting for the yearling to elaborate. Lorcan nodded, his pale brows rising higher with enthusiasm as he spoke of wound care and remedies for a fever. "It's knowing the basic stuff that saves lives." The male commented, his tone growing more serious. "It's all well and good knowing all the different herbal remedies for things, but they're not much use if the patient is dead before you can treat them." He explained with a smooth wave of his tail. It was the healers belief that Kip should take pride in what she knew, perhaps one day someone would be grateful to her for it. 

Lorcan's chin canted to one side and his head turned once again to face the fallen tree as the yearling commented on its suitability. Golden eyes narrowed and his own russet ears twitched atop his head in consideration as he stared at its dead, decaying roots. "I think you're right. A small cave, or something similar, would be a more suitable place to store plants." He admitted, releasing a soft sigh, as he turned and stepped towards the yearling. 

The corners of his charcoal lips tugged upwards into a sceptical grin as the pale female worked to dodge his attempt at gentle prying. It was clear to him that something was bothering her, that she was upset about something — and unfortunately for @Kip, on this occasion, Lorcan refused to let it slide. He couldn't let wolves within his group go about their daily lives being secretly miserable. No, he felt dutifully obliged to help her. He moved to walk past her, his black-tipped tail swaying high behind him in encouragement for her to follow. "And in the mean time, you can help me find a small cave and tell me what's on your mind?" Lorcan suggested softly, as he glanced back to meet her sea-foam gaze and offer her a soft nod.

"C'mon." He murmured, waving his muzzle in invitation. Anything said to him would stay private and confidential. He did not want to stir trouble within the group. 

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2018, 05:32 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

”I guess so,” she said in response to the comment about her herbal knowledge. It wasn’t like there had been much else to do on the mountains, when everyone was trying to make her obey and sit still, looking pretty. Learning basic herbs had been the absolute least she could do in the nine months she spent there. ”I never got much of a chance to do anything with the knowledge. Maybe I can help here.” Unless she was completely overshadowed by this man’s vastly more impressive knowledge. Was she even needed at all?

But then he instantly conceded to her idea, and her ears perked up in surprise. ”Wait, really? You’re not gonna argue or say I don’t know what I’m talking about?” she asked, clearly taken aback. She had expected resistance from him for that one. After all, he was the alpha.

Apparently, he truly did think her idea was better... or maybe it was just another attempt to claw information from her. Nevertheless, she supposed she had gotten herself into this one. And maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to share what was going on.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she worked out what to say. ”It’s absolutely ridiculous,” she murmured, glancing to the side. ”I mean... we weren’t even together, but I thought he cared more about me than to go out and get someone pregnant... especially the same one who ran away when Wraith died. I stayed with him - I was loyal and supportive. I trusted him, and he just...” Her voice wavered dangerously and she swiped one paw across her muzzle as a tear slipped down her cheek. ”I don’t know what I did wrong...”

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2018, 05:54 PM by Kip.)

Advisor demonstration 1/3

Pale brows raised in consideration. "Well you've been a great help to me so far." He said in praise of her, giving a slow wag of his tail behind him. She had been there to help with digging out Lenae's whelping den and now again, she had seemingly appeared out of no where and offered to assist him with the medicinal cache. If she continued as she was going, she would certainly become a valued member of the group in no time. "I actually wouldn't be opposed to you helping me out with the plants more often, if you feel like it's something you might be interested in?" Lorcan suggested, turning to give her curious look. He wouldn't push her to help him though, not if it wasn't something Kip would truly enjoy doing, but having her paws to assist him every now and then would always be appreciated. Especially now that he had other duties to attend to.

Lorcan released a soft chuckle when the pale female seemed surprised that he was in agreement with her about the cache location. The agouti male tipped his head to one side quizzically. "No, you're suggestion was a good one and I appreciate it." He told her. Why would he feel the need to argue with her? Lorcan may have been called a number of things in his life, but he was not afraid to admit when he was wrong. He was happy to learn from his mistakes and the suggestions made by others.

Russet ears fell back against his head in nervous anticipation as Kip released a heavy sigh. Pale brows furrowed in confusion as she started talking, wondering what or who she was referring to. However, Lorcan soon figured it out when she mentioned them getting someone pregnant. He felt his chest immediately tighten out of awkwardness. He stored away the mention of @Lenae running away for later. Golden eyes glanced over to notice as she swept a paw across her face and he stepped over, trying to lean gently into her side if she would allow it, in an attempt to provide the girl some comfort. "I doubt you did anything wrong, Kip. It's the season, it can make even the most level-headed wolf do stupid things, not that what Odin did is at all excusable..." He should have known better. But then, the same could be said about him this time last year. His shoulders sagged as he looked to Kip, searching for her sea-foam green gaze. "Have you spoken to him about it?"

(This post was last modified: Mar 31, 2018, 12:14 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Kip gave a shrug of her shoulders and sighed, pinning her ears to her skull. ”I like doing things,” she said lamely, looking off to the side. ”My mind works too much sometimes, and when I work toward a goal, it takes my attention off of whatever I’m thinking about,” the younger wolf explained, fully understanding how weird that sounded. She looked back up when he offered her an opportunity to help. ”I doubt I would be any good at actually nursing, but I’ll help gather and things like that, if you really need me to.” In all honesty, she had no clue what she wanted to do. She wasn’t big enough to be a guard, and even some prey would be too hard to catch for her to hunt. Scouts had to be good at communicating...

She didn’t really fit into any niche.

Black-tipped ears perked slightly at his praise, then flicked back in embarrassment. She wasn’t used to that at all. ”Thanks,” she said gruffly, feeling the need to overcompensate to combat the awkward heat rising to her cheeks. Compliments weren’t something she was accustomed to.

The small wolf felt like a bit of a dick when she immediately moved to the side to avoid his flank pressing into hers, but physical touch wasn't at all something she felt like she could deal with at the moment. Especially not from a veritable stranger. ”Sorry,” she whispered instantly, her fur bristling instinctually before laying back down. ”I know what the season does. I just thought he would be different - that he wouldn’t come back to me smelling like a new woman every single night. I thought he would value me for more than just something to use.... I thought he actually cared more,” she explained. He ears pressed backward. ”I mean... we kind of talked, but he ran off... I haven’t said a word to him since, and... I miss him so much,” she whimpered, her tail drooping and head lowering. ”I love him... but he doesn’t even care about me at all...”

Advisor demonstration 2/3

Charcoal lips pushed together into a thin line in thought as Lorcan listened to the yearling explain why she liked to keep busy. "I'm like that, I worry too much" He admitted, giving a slow nod of his head before continuing. "and when it all gets a too much, I find hunting or patrolling usually helps to calm me down." Maybe the activities would work just as well for Kip. He offered the girl a smile, russet ears perking up, when she agreed to help him gather plants if he ever needed her to in the future. "I'd appreciate that..." He replied quietly, flashing her a genuine smile. Next time he purposefully went out looking to collect plants for the cache he would remember to invite her along.

Lorcan didn't try to approach her again after Kip darted away to avoid his touch. He had only meant for it to comfort her, but obviously all it had done was make her feel uncomfortable. The larger male faltered in his step, pausing a moment to give her more space as they moved between the tall pine trees whilst making a mental note not to try and comfort her physically like that again. Russet ears pressed back against his head awkwardly as she apologised for moving away. The male swallowed and said nothing, choosing to ignore it and move on with their conversation instead — it would save them both the embarrassment.  

Golden eyes narrowed as he listened to Kip express how she felt about Odin and his recent promiscuous action. He couldn't help but lower his tail, waving it between his legs uncomfortably as he grew more sorry for her. It wasn't her fault that she had ended up in such a messed up situation. It surprised Lorcan to hear that Odin had run away from her when she had tried to talk to him. Maybe, he considered, Odin had been too overwhelmed at the time to talk it over with her. Still, that did not make his heart hurt for her any less. Especially since she clearly seemed to care deeply for the young Archer. "When I spoke to him about it he told me that, at the time, he hadn't realised what he was doing. He seemed pretty sorry, though. Realised he'd made a mistake." Or rather, a few. Lorcan couldn't help but defend Odin a little. He thought of the boy like a younger brother, it would be wrong not to. 

All his defending of Odin probably wasn't helping Kip feel any better though. He fell silent, giving a loud sigh and shrug of his shoulders in defeat. "I know it's hard but, give it some time. He's got a lot to deal with at the moment..." He looked across to Kip, his golden eyes warm and sincere. "And in the mean time, focus on yourself. Show him what he's missing." A single white brow quirked up teasingly. She'd either entice Odin back or she'd learn to move on from him.

(This post was last modified: Mar 31, 2018, 12:15 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together