Aurora Heights gone, but not forgotten

He didn’t often leave behind the territory of the cove, anymore, unless it was for some kind of official business. However, a break in the weather and a cloudless day provided the perfect opportunity for just that, and Jet decided to seize it, embarking on what was likely to be a fruitless quest. It was one he very much felt the need to attempt, though, even with the probability of failure.

Despite everything going on, he hadn’t forgotten his first friend. Nori was still out there, somewhere. Nobody had the faintest idea where, and it did not make any sense for her to simply vanish. So, as the sun began to set, and stars rose to take its place, he had set out to retrace the path they had followed together, during his first trip up here all of those months ago. The air was quiet and cold, even the wind oddly silent and still as he traversed.

There was nothing to mark the trail except his memories, though. No prints in the snow, no scents present. Even as he returned to the very area where they had been. To the rocky area they had rested in, and then to the now frozen stream he’d dunked himself in. Even the faded bones of that elk they'd feasted on were still present, the outline of them visible beneath the snow. He could even almost hear her words, and the sounds of their banter echoing in his ears. Jethro recalled how she’d thought he would wait until winter to dunk her in the water, and how Jet had promised to be gone by then.

He had not thought that he’d be the one still here, without her. She’d saved him from what would’ve certainly been a lonely, miserable existence, and now she was gone.

Once more on this night, though, the aurora was visible, those strange, multi-colored lights dancing in the sky to accompany the thousands of stars there. Jethro was not usually the sort, but the sight of it, and the memories this place evoked, stirred something within him. He tipped his head back, breaking the silence with a wistful, and almost mournful song.  

Where are you?

-for Scully!

(This post was last modified: Jan 17, 2022, 02:41 AM by Jethro.)

Scully enjoyed the view that the Heights provided, but they weren't the only thing that kept him revisiting the Serpent's tail. His family's history extended to this elevation, from his great uncle's pack to the graves his father had robbed and each little story in between. It was difficult, he felt, to tell the fiction from the truth when it came to the Archers. He might as well confirm or discredit what he could, now that they were tethered to Willows once more in everything but name.

Not about to attempt excavating such thoroughly-frozen ground, his aim this night was the den of the alleged Aurora Heights. From what he'd been told, Greer was a mute whose thoughts were given a voice by Kyna, a woman who's temperament and tongue blistered just as surely as the flames her coat appeared to be made of.

Now, nothing was left of the home they'd built. It’ll never be what it was, @Deluge's voice echoed within his skull.

What was the point?

Scully tilted his head back and let out a groaning sigh of frustration, before a sorrowful song stole him from his thoughts and cut him off. His head snapped round, seeking the source. It wasn't usual to hear such laments, and curiosity compelled him onward, toward its source. It took only minutes to find the stranger, recognition not setting in fully until the ballad ended and those green eyes opened again. Scully scowled, hackles bristling.

He began to growl, a low and threatening sound, stiff and agitated tail raising.

A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health

He hadn’t anticipated his song would earn any sort of response, in this cold and deadened landscape. But the sound of approaching steps was distinct, and it left Jethro wondering for the briefest of moments, if she’d somehow heard him, and decided to return. Instead, though, he was greeted by a growl. The threat emanating from another familiar face that he’d also last seen months ago, during the height of summer. Unlike Nori, this one, he hadn’t missed or thought much of, since that day.

Jet almost felt tempted to laugh, at how the fates had decided to throw something like this at him. Instead of calling his friend back, the song had managed to lure in the one individual he’d met so far, that could potentially classify as an enemy. He couldn’t bring himself to reciprocate the hostility. So much time had passed since then, and so many things had changed. But Jet turn to face the other, knowing that to do anything else would be foolish, regarding him with a tipped head and a soft sigh.

”Guess there’s no misunderstandin’ your body language, this time.” There was, perhaps, a note of humor present in an otherwise apathetic tone. He didn’t want to fight, especially not with a wound still healing. It wasn’t something that would really affect him, but it was precisely the thing Jet could see this guy thinking gave him an advantage. Locking eyes with the other, Jethro didn’t dare look elsewhere. So often he'd found that the eyes had a tendency to betray intentions, and could be an early warning if this guy decided to accept the gamble Jethro had offered him so many months before.

He supposed he could’ve called for the pack. Maybe someone was close enough to hear it, and come help, but that didn’t feel right. Whatever.. this was, was between himself and this guy. It did seem like the stranger.. might’ve been carrying other scents with him, too, but for now, they were alone. On level ground, a level playing field. One on one. Jet didn’t want to fight, but he wasn’t going to run from it, either. He’d done enough of that.

”If we’re gonna do this, maybe y’could answer one thing, first.”  He paused to take in a breath, and gave himself a shake to loosen up, mentally and physically preparing for the conflict he was fairly sure would come. ”The hell’s your problem with me, anyway? You started this when ya approached me, I didn’t do a damn thing to you.” If anyone should still be angry, Jethro thought it would be himself. Unless this man’s pride had truly been so terribly injured by the ordeal that he still hadn’t been able to let it go after all this time.

Scully expected his aggression to be mirrored. He had of course held on to the other's slights against him. It wasn't that the man curled up each night with them or otherwise thought of that day regularly - they were simply all he defined this wolf's existence by. As things stood, it was the only detail he needed to know: that this stranger had once gotten the better of him.

Instead, he continued to be unaffected. It riled him further, lips curling ever higher, until - the hells your problem with me, anyway?

Scully audibly scoffed, and the affront didn't end there. Was this guy serious?!

"Gods fuckin' forbid I expected ya to not have a raccoon up your ass."

All he had wanted to do was play, this wolf was the one who'd had an attitude and gotten all uppity.

-swears

The stranger only appeared to grow angrier, with each word and passing moment. His lips had curled back, exposing sharp incisors that glinted in the faint moonlight, and in that moment, Jethro was pretty sure he knew why. Using only his words, he’d managed to ward off the other. He could recall feeling quite proud of that accomplishment, and that it had also been kind of fun, in a suspenseful, adrenaline-fueled sort of way.

It made sense that the other would feel precisely the opposite of that, and perhaps further indicated that they weren’t going to be able to get out this time, without a scuffle. Although, the man hadn’t moved yet. He did take the time to respond with a scoff and a statement that.. was perhaps true but didn’t change the fact that he’d started this.

”Maybe I did. Wasn’t until after you laughed at me, like a fucking prick, though.” There was a bit more bite to the words, this time. That point was still something of an irritation, but far less so than it had been.

Did this guy really believe Jet had just decided to be irritable for no reason, and that his laughter at the misunderstanding had been totally harmless? If that was true, things made more sense, and something within and upon his countenance shifted from irritation to comprehension, with this possible understanding. For the time between this meeting and the last had afforded Jet a greater ability to think about and process difficult emotional subjects reasonably and rationally. So that was the approach he’d try, it was worth a shot

If other had grown up in anything resembling a normal environment, it made sense that he would find Jethro's lack of understanding amusing and therefore be surprised by the reaction it had earned. Maybe they both had some fault in this, and he couldn’t help but to laugh. ”Hell. We sound like a couple dumbass kids, arguin’ about who started it, over a stupid misunderstanding.” Or at least, how Jethro recalled the other pups acting when they weren’t focused on attacking or blaming him for shit all the time.

With a breath, Jet chose to take a few calculated steps forth. A risk, no doubt, but how the other chose to respond, would tell Jet what he needed to know about this man's character. ”Maybe I was.. a bit of a jackass. But, I’m willing to.. try and forget it, if you are. Don’t think it’s worth us tearin’ each other apart for, anyway. At least, not here, or now.” Not in the middle of winter, when they were alone atop a damned mountain. Where the consequences of such a conflict could spell doom for both of them.

Scully's wicked lips crept upward as Jethro spoke again, despite the insult. Oh? So he had gotten to him. That actually did make him feel a smidge better about the interaction, though the other wolf wasn't done and his features plateaued again into cold indifference. There was nothing stupid about himself or his reasoning, in his perfectly unhumble opinion. He would have insisted such, but it appeared the stranger was... attempting to extend a bridge?

His full-moon eyes regarded the other wolf coolly.

"... try and forget," he mused aloud, taking pointed steps to the side and around the night-black wolf.

"I think you owe me something."

He would lurch sideways at Jethro then, looking to shove him roughly with his shoulder, another mischievous smile twisting its way along his maw and exposing teeth. He wanted to play, his version of play, but he knew good and well too that he could be instigating true violence. Scully was ready for either.

up to you & jet if you want this to be a fight!

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2022, 11:51 PM by Scully.)

He didn’t think he had ever tried something like this, before. A more diplomatic approach to something he would’ve preferred, just months ago, to solve with teeth and claws and bloodshed. And, almost surprisingly, it seemed to be working. Jet was fairly sure he saw the look of anger fade just a bit, as he processed the offer. To try and forget, was the key.  

Even as the other approached, he held firm, maintaining his footing. It took everything in Jet’s power, went against all of his instinct, to just track with his eyes and not shift the rest of his body, as this stranger started to walk around him - but this was supposed to be an extension of trust. Jethro wasn’t sure what he could possibly owe the guy though until he was suddenly rocked by the guy lunging forward and shoving a shoulder into his side.

The angle of it caught him off balance, and it took a few stumbling steps back to re-right himself. Jet could see fangs glinting in the bright moonlight as he turned to face the other, though, the growls and the look of threat.. seemed gone. Jet wasn’t going to trust this man implicitly, but recognized he could’ve done worse with his opening, so, maybe this was a good sign. A Nori, this guy was not. But that didn’t mean they had to be enemies.

”Fair enough. You’re still a prick, though.” Jet huffed, but flashed a grin at that. The thought crossed his mind though, that he’d never fought anyone in a playful manner, so that would be interesting. And dare he think it, maybe even fun.

Lowering his head, Jet stalked a couple of paces to his right, before lunging and snapping as if going for a leg but would falter and turn into a shoulder shove that was aimed to connect with the other’s chest, if he timed the actions correctly. If he was lucky, perhaps he could drive, or lure, this guy towards the frozen, snow-covered creek he knew was nearby. He’d wanted to dunk the man before, and that seemed like the next best thing, now - consequences of falling in freezing water be damned.

-nah, don't think that's necessary based on what i see now!

For once, offense was not taken between the two of them, and Scully's own mouth twisted ever wider as Jethro shot back with words that no longer had any bite. His tail lifted far higher into the air than it would've with any of his other current sparring partners, aggressive in its own right even as mirth continued to shine in his eyes. Engaging with such an impish-appearing animal was certainly a gamble.

Yet, to Scully's glee, it was done.

He fell for the feint, lifting the targeted limb out of the way and therefor thwarting his ability to dodge when Jethro shifted gears. Without missing a beat he played into the strike, aiming to hook his raised forelimb around Jethro's neck and bully his weight atop the other's crown. The goal was to push him down, against the ground and pin him if possible.

"Flirtin' won't get you out of this," he growled back, muzzle holding a toothy smirk all the while.

It seemed this year of life had yet more lessons in store for Jet. Learning how to play - and having to make an effort to not actually hurt someone - was entirely new, but pleasant. Even better though, was the relationship that had been transformed from hostile to.. well, somewhat friendly, by simply engaging in.. whatever this was.

The guy fell for his ruse but adapted to it, hooking his forelimb across Jet’s neck and pressing down, and effort the dark one resisted for a moment, as the stranger issued a rather frisky comment. The warm air from the words tickled Jet’s ears, and despite his current compromised position, he couldn’t help something between a scoff and a chuckle. Flirty was not something he’d ever been accused of being, and Jet did not intend to change, ever. ”You’re not exactly my type,” he grunted back.

At that, Jet opted to let himself drop towards the ground and roll to one side. With this motion, he twisted his head to attempt to get a hold of and tug at the middle section stranger’s other forelimb - seeking to either unbalance or bring him down, too.