Fool's Gold Chasm baby's got her best dress stained (m)

Hope you've got a minute
Hope you want me in it
For the long haul
— The Long Haul, NO

Woya had made her decision, several of them in fact. Her discussion with Rhaeagara had only solidified them, ensuring she knew. She was done trying to preserve what Hudson had left behind, it was time to retake her life, to live for herself.

@Adelard slumbered in his usual place, away from them. Outside of the shared den, keeping guard even while at rest. She snuck to him, each step carefully placed so as not to wake him. Betwixt her teeth was the river stone she had procured for him days prior, and once near enough, she gingerly slipped it beneath one of his heavy paws. Holding her breath, she waited a moment to ensure he hadn't been roused before taking just as cautious of steps away.

Once confident she wouldn't wake him, she marked at the next nearest tree's base, leaving irrefutable evidence of her presence. Then she was off, the ploy begun.

A trail was created, markered by her scent and littered with trinkets. She'd be tickled if any were worthy of his keeping, but she didn't expect him to find her laden with the gifts. They were meant to tell a story. Their story.

The stone shone like fool's gold, where it had begun. The coon's tail would be next, pristine and fluffed. From there he would be able to discover the antler, a painted turtle's shell, the bobcat's own teeth pulled from the skeletal remains she'd tracked back down and near the end, a grouping of peonies that had managed to bloom a month early before finally, her.

She waited with nerves she would not admit to, beneath a canopy provided by a tall conifer. Hopefully, the little display would actually see it's intended use. If not, she'd have to come up with a whole new gesture.

(This post was last modified: Mar 22, 2022, 05:30 PM by Woya.)

Damn Adelard making me wordy... Hope it goes without saying: no pressure to match. x)

For once, sleep had come easy, and, for the first time in what seemed like ages, he did not dream. In the black behind his lids, tranquility took root. There was nothing but him, the essence of him... until a trace of gold glittered across a sudden canvas of stars.

Adelard was dead to the world when Woya came creeping by. His brow and left ear twitched as she tucked her gift of a river stone into his paw. He didn't feel it, but his senses rendered her presence into a show of a sparkling light-borne vixen. She waved her tail about, tiptoeing and frolicking about in his subconscious. Woya left, and Adelard, stuck in his dream, found himself in an unfamiliar forest. He had no choice but to chase after the sprite-like creature.

In the time it took for her to set up her little scavenger hunt, Adelard was on a chase of his own. The sunbeam-kissed wolf waved her tail at him and he set off. He opened his mouth to speak her name, but couldn't. In the waking world, he winced, lips lifting to reveal gritted teeth. It wasn't until a few moments later did he jolt awake after falling into a fast-running river. He inhaled for air, thinking he was at risk of drowning; his whole body shot up as if aiming to break the water's surface. Like a newborn deer, his forelimbs came up then stomped down into the ground. He came to with bleary eyes and looked around.

He raised his paw to wipe his face with a paw, and when he set it back down again, he found the glinting rock. Huh. A hard blink made his sight focus but his nose already knew who had left it there. Stretching to ease his body of the pains from lying still for too long, he swept his nose along the ground. He gathered his limbs beneath him before striking forward. Her scent drew him forward, leading him to where she had marked a conspicuous tree at the roots.

Like a bloodhound on a trail, he followed after her. Through the wood and fern, he wound his way through pack territory. The raccoon tail was the next peculiar thing he found. Obviously out of place, he took it in his teeth. This must have been from their little romp in the Chasm, eager to get the little thief out of their den.

He carried it along as he came across Woya's other gifts. Those, he took care to wedge into place wherever she had left them. He would gather them on his way back, granted the cubs didn't steal them first... her scent was stronger now as he approached a branch-bouquet of peonies. The first he had seen in years. With care, he gathered them in his muzzle, thrilled now to find the next discovery.

Her path brought him to a well-shaded spot. The most prominent shadow belonged to that of an evergreen. He almost had to do a double-take. Again, he blinked, coon tail and peonies dropping from his parting jaws.

Ears that had been neutral came forward in interest. The relaxed tail at his back curled. Everything about his body said. that he wanted to go to her, but he was rooted in place. Uncharacteristic of him, he froze. His voice was still heavy with sleep, the tone of it husky and low, "Well, hello."

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

She'd come to rest upon her stomach, facing into the dark depths of that which was not theirs. Beige-backed ears twitching, Woya recognized his approach and turned her head to look back over her shoulder at the trail of her authorship. He emerged shortly thereafter, and a smile swept across her muzzle before returning to her paws.

Her anxieties ebbed swiftly now that Adelard was present, she realized as she turned to face him fully. He'd brought with him two of her gifts, and this caused her to look upon them fondly as she watched them fall from his grip. Canting, her smile became a smirk as she stood tall, certain of the answer she had to give and the offers she wished to make.

"Hey," she returned, unable to help the butterflies his voice had sent into flight within her. There was plenty of her that wanted to step into his touch again, but she remained in place instead. This was not just a yes or no ordeal, and she'd wasted enough of his time already. Woya began, her features sombering.

"... I see you, Lard."

Every moment he'd been there for her, the pieces of his character he could not hide, the immense effort put in for all of their benefit.

"Yer my best friend," something she'd never had before outside of Hudson - no wonder it had taken her so much to recognize such a thing, "n' if what I feel for you ain't love, I doubt I'll ever know what is."

She'd said the word plenty, believed it nearly just as often. This was the first time, however, that she felt nothing but resolute calm as she spoke it.

"I want a partnership, though. I wanna share yer burdens, not just talk ya through 'em or cheer ya on. If it's your problem, it's mine. If you care, I care. If yer hurt, I'm pissed and gonna make it right. Nothing less."

He'd been shouldering the survival of the pack while they'd all allowed themselves to be kept like hens. Doing their own things, serving their own needs while his watchful eye and subtle paw had kept them connected. She didn't want that to be his lot anymore, didn't want it to be her way anymore.

(This post was last modified: Mar 22, 2022, 03:35 AM by Woya.)

His tail swayed in a low wag at the sound of her voice. It reminded him of the sound of a dove's beating wing. What followed after was not exactly the coo of such a bird. She stated with a solemn face that she saw him. Then, she acknowledged him as her best friend. His head bowed down, though his eyes kept focus on her. Nothing about him was timid or shy; he was merely listening. His nose brushed against both raccoon fur and peony petal as if it would provide him the power to be still. To allow her to speak without him wanting to sweep over her as his instincts urged him to do.

What she said next was something he had been hoping for deep down. Woya wanted a partnership. She wanted to share his burdens, to be as one unit and equals. Adelard Gerau, the first of his generation, would have settled for nothing and no one less. This was not to say that he expected her to replace his twin sister, who once held such a role. He wanted her to be efficient and independent. Most importantly, his partner had to be capable of countering and supporting him. No matter what.

He straightened then, standing tall and looking the little sprite in the eyes. "I see you," he echoed. "And, I hear you. If those are your terms, I'm not sure what else to say..." For what could have been the first time in his life, Adelard was speechless. A small shake of his head accompanied by a gracious smile, "Apart from: thank you." There was a small pause where he had to look down at the blossoms at his feet. A weight seemed to have been lifted from his head and shoulders. He had to think, to keep himself from reeling back, "Wherever we go from here... If the path I walk is beside you, I do not question where it leads."

Golden-ringed pupils met pale brown irises, but he did not yet advance on her. "I want to offer the same to you and then some. Should there be anything else, all you need to do is ask."

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

Her own ears pressed forward, his response pivotal to the changed course her life was taking. When her mind was put to something, Woya was not a wolf that could be deterred or kept at bay. When it came to stepping up and doing what was best for those she cared for and the pack as an entity, Adelard's consent was not needed, but still it was wanted. To earnestly be on the same page was the backbone of the relationship she not only desired but felt they both deserved.

I see you, he began in kind, causing the corners of her inked lips to tick upwards once more. The more words that followed, the further her features softened with fondness. He uttered sentiments she felt in her own heart, a certainty that had been rare in her life despite the surety of her personality.

Should there be anything else, all you need to do is ask, he offered after reciprocating the wish. There was something significant, even time sensitive. She'd grappled with the gradually strengthening desire within her for the past year, ever since recognizing it after first laying eyes upon her newborn niece and nephews. The finality of the choice, the risk, what it meant for @Marrah and @Caelyn, the dwindling pack's ability to care for @Rhaegara's unborn children and a littler of her own...

The rest of it would have to fall in place around what her and Adelard were beginning in this moment, choosing to move their lives forward together in tandem. She wanted to be a mother, and she only wanted him for a father. It was their choice to make, wasn't it?

"Start a family with me?"

She wouldn't pressure him - he'd given her time when she'd needed it, she would do the same in return. What she was asking for was more permanent than either of them.

"Start a family with me?" It was a simple request, but it awoke within him something innate. An echo of something long forgotten in his family's history. A need so great it was impossible to withstand or repel it. The Gerau clan of Coquelicot Coppice was a far cry from their ancestors of Lac Monsabrais in Québec.

There was a flicker of diablerie in his eye. It furrowed his brow and made his lips pull back in an unmistakable smile.

This was too perfect. Woya might not have ever needed her brother’s protection, but if she did and had needed him now, Huddy was gone. Adelard encroached on her personal space. He had her where he wanted her. If the timing of this encounter had been off, too early or too late, Woya would have met an entirely different man.

He could feel the adrenaline in his blood spike. At first, all he could do was growl behind sealed lips, pure instinct running away with him. All his wandering and waiting would have been in vain if he did not seize this opportunity now. It was the perfect plan to ensure his rank from both of the Chasm's previous Leaders should they return... If and when they came back, they would answer to a different Macieo.

Despite being close enough to touch her, Adelard towered before her. One easy swipe of his paw could have made her falter if perfectly executed. His breathing changed but he would not move until she allowed it with a flag of her tail. "Only if it's what you want," he answered through a flash of teeth. Then, the tip of his tongue touched the underside of her chin. A subtle gesture of submission.

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

Woya stood her ground, letting him finish the job of closing the distance between. Her tail waved lackadaisically at her hocks in contrast to the impish creeping of her smirking smile. Her gaze unflinchingly held his features every step of the way, even to the last, head stubbornly tilted back to maintain the connection in a way reminiscent of the encounter in which he'd kickstarted this tropical storm inside of her.

Only if it's what you want.

He placed the softest of kisses at her chin, and after she leaned forward to tenderly run her own muzzle along his cheekbone. Her sandstone eyes glimmered mischievously as she continued forth with liquid strides, attempting to pass swiftly at his side near enough for both of them to feel the static of electricity without touching. Her tail canted left, but the invitation was fraught with teasing, instinct urging on a playfulness that would allow her to know the full strength of his desire.

She'd never been more sure.

It seemed that both of them were in agreement. She, too, seemed to be guarding some sort of secret. As she swept past him, he anticipated her touch, the lightest brush of her fur against his. Thinning winter tufts and guard hairs tangling for the briefest of moments. Instead, her presence alone made him shiver.

Adelard glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the Macieo angle her banner of a tail. A taunt and call to the beast within. He began to move to stand up. His muscles rippled beneath his mottled pelt. Like a well-oiled machine, he crept two steps in her direction.

A pause.

Then, without warning, he sprang forward, eyes aglow and teeth peeking out below his upper lips. Forest debris kicked up beneath his feet. His tail swung high in the air. Nothing about him faltered. Adelard was at his prime and he would not be toyed with. Only when he was but a foot in front of her did he come to a full stop with a snap of his teeth. His ears were forward, his hackles stood on end from his nape to the middle of his back.

An attempt was made to secure her muzzle in his teeth, a move of dominance executed with the gentlest of grips for the briefest of moments. Regardless of whether she would tolerate it or not, it was her move now. If he did not startle her away on a second impression, it was clear he was ready for a round of "tag."

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

Adelard seemed to move with a predatory caution before bursting into action. The suddenness and aggression encouraged her crooked grin, a shiver running up her spine as he placed himself a breath away and clicked his fangs. Her head and shoulders lowered into a reciprocal stance, not of submission but intent to match him step for step. Her shoulders rolled and her tail stiffened.

His grip about her muzzle was swiftly executed and unexpected. She allowed a heartbeat of deference through the action, something only he was likely to ever experience, though the skin along the bridge of her nose wrinkled with instinctive distaste. Woya then brought up a paw to push against his plush cheek and twisted out of his grasp, a low growl of her own revving within her chest.

There was plenty of ways that their differences in frame put her at a disadvantage, but Woya had cultivated a skillset of her own over the years in response to what, for her, was a relatively common scenario. She feigned and ducked, escaping his reach once more and taking off like a doe, tail flagged high behind her. Petite paws would aim to take them both round the evergreen before slowing, growing eager to be caught.

Adelard, once a refined and reserved gentleman, was wild and unruly. Pheromones were thick in the air. The Leader was nothing now but a wolf, driven by natural tendency.

Woya, without missing a beat, negated his overbearing gesture. She even met his snarl with her own brand of thunder as she freed herself from him. If they were to be equals, this was exactly what he wanted from her. It was what his true match would do.

He watched with wide, glaring eyes as she dodged out of his range. If he had not been so mesmerized and fixated on the way she moved, she might not have gotten away so easily. Her peeking around the large tree spurred him to meet her again, loath to allow her to leave his line of sight. He ducked his head to nuzzle her crown and nip the base of her ears in affection. If she kept this up, it was only a matter of time until it was obvious that he had agreed to her every term...

And, in regards to her last request, he would follow through. Woya would be his, and his alone. Most importantly, the future of Fools Gold Chasm would be theirs.

{Fade.}

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher