Wapun Meadow i could follow those stylish trends

we want ursus wolf mwahaha >:3 @Astraeus
@Condor @Vulture, tag for reference! forward dated to 9/13

They didn’t know how the hell they got back here or when, but they did. Buzzard even managed to drag Sparky along. Yeaaah, he was probably probably pissed about that, or maybe he wasn’t. They didn’t really give a shit either way. Sparky’s in it for the long run.

It’s a lot less muddy here than it was before. Buzzard turned back towards the pup with a frown. Well, that sucks. I could’ve introduced you to the wonders of mud diving. That would’ve been funny as fuck. Oh well, it’d have to wait for another time.

Their travels had been topping the other each day with incomprehensible chaos;
stealing from nomads, mentoring on executing "tricks", ever-prolonged journey filled with a wisecrack or a "loving" tussle between siblings, but Astraeus doesn't know if after they can top an altercation with the a nest of merciless basilisk, wraithful glances and daggertooths bulging and kinked from their slavering chops —
bear-cultists. 

Thankfully, the meadow is clear of ink-demons seizing him, just peonies, a silverveil, and a bunch of ugly mugs. “And I don't want to anyways,” the boy cants his head toward where spine face the snowforest taiga. “Let's go back already, this place is too pretty for you anyways.” Witty.

"I enjoy this brat." Vulture agreed wholeheartedly to Sparky, as she agreed, it was far too beautiful for Buzzard. And who would want to mud-dive? Disgusting! She for one, would like to introduce to the wonders that is wine, and coating herself in anothers blood in a decorate way. She didn't care who the liquid was from, as long as it was freshly upon her pelt.

"Sparky want a bone?"

phone post >\

condor did hate letting buzzard lead them anywhere. horrible with directions. in fact, they'd walked them all the way back to the meadow where they'd first stumbled into this place.

did they know just how far that rise was from here? leading the child around was becoming marginally more frustrating, now that he'd worked up the courage to start shouting about it. if only he'd been injured when they found him. or if he was anything other than their meal ticket.

"darling, please don't make him any more hideous." condor sighed dramatically. "i'm already having a difficult time with one of you. the last thing we need is this brat refusing to bathe as well."

and he was already beginning to pick up an attitude. as long as it was directed at buzzard, he found it quite amusing. condor laughed. "would you look at that. he's right, for once." he looked thoughtfully down towards the boy, ignoring vulture's attempts to...whatever it was she was doing. "perhaps there's something going on in there after all."

Skoll was doing as he always did, checking out the meadow to make sure no weirdos were getting to close to the Ursus border - Merrick instructed him with the task before and he wasn't going to not do his job. Even if he was injured and tail-less now. That didn't matter much, anyway. As he walked through the place, there wasn't much to look at besides some stragglers that were getting close - and oh shit there were stragglers getting close. At least, if someone considered just being in the meadow getting close. 

He stayed a bit away, getting closer. The plants that were normally there wouldn't do much for him seeing the time of year it was. Things were starting to die but not as fast as they would if it was the middle of the season. Skoll wasn't going to throw himself in the middle of a large group being injured, or at all really. There was no way he would survive if they tried to chomp at him - unless he booked it back into Ursus. But he didn't want to lead a group back into the pack, even if there was more in Ursus than there was of them. 

Heterochromatic eyes watched, waited to see what they would do.

Jeez, was this the same kid they met in the forest? All that enthusiasm? Poof. Gone. He didn’t even want to stick around for a second. 

Buzzard clicked their tongue. Chill out dude, we just got here. I wanna see if anyone’s hid any goodies. They’d kill for a meal right now. Their mouth watered at the thought.

Their attention shifted to their siblings, who praised Sparky for his witty remark. Of course they liked him when Buzzard was on the receiving end of his anger. Oh yeah, he totally got me there. Not.

Buzzard scanned their surroundings, and their eyes locked onto a weird looking shape in the distance. Yep, that’s definitely a wolf. Looks like we got a stalker. They turned to the trio and smiled. Think he’s got anything good on ‘em?

three adults and a child; astara marked them with hostile interest, a lip curled back. too close to her borders. too close to her children. 

she was not to let ‘the nyra incident’ repeat again.

the blackbird strolled after skoll in time for the leader of the ragtag group to spot them. astara kept her head level and eyes ahead. like skoll she was unwilling to lead them back to their home — and like him, would sooner see them off.

It was true the argent was being desecrated by some phantasmal hand;
from a less schoolboyish and whimsy role, now performing the theatrical part of some cynic and seething, blighted juvenile accompanied by a hollowing trench of frothy, carmine rage. Something caged in his ribs that imperils to gut it's way out.
deceptively guileless olives descry those two-timed orbs, wax spilt over chin on down their throat — along sidles an ebony strider, the very void of her figure threatening to suck all that is vivid around her — empurple lusters sunkniving his own...

In lieu of losing his head, Astraeus lowers himself on the flowerbed, ears swiveling in the direction of the watchful entities. Would they approach — ? He dare not solve this enquiry himself, and lays in wait for the trio to attract more chaos.

"Hey there hot stuff." Time to put on her moves, and she called over to their stalker. He didn't say anything, and only seemed to watch him.. Like a stalker would. Vulture wouldn't mind his odd habit, as after all, they're quite useless once you sleep with them. Never will see them again, was her motto! No strings attached for a night of pleasure.

Then the fangy scavenger whistled, "what a beauty." That black one? God. Vulture would let Astara step on her any day.

condor lifted his head. yes, they certainly did have a stalker, though he was, as of yet, little more than a smudge in the distance. and who knew what he might have? food? information? they'd fucked up with legion for now, but that wouldn't stop them. surely there were plenty more idiots out here just begging to be robbed, and condor was thrilled to oblige.

"you know, i think he just might," he returned with his own grin.

then he opened his mouth. ...aaand vulture beat him to the punch. she just did not have an eye for the prize. no, it was all sex. and she'd had the gall to accuse him of getting knocked up. projection, if he'd ever seen it.

with a heavy sigh, he ducked down and dropped his voice to a whisper at her ear. "we're here to steal from him, darling, not fuck him."

but, as his siblings were wont to do, she continued to ignore him, opting instead to whistle. condor rolled his eyes so hard it hurt and popped back up over the grass, only to lock eyes with yet another stranger. 

ah. two on three was much less favorable odds. of course they always had the little brat to throw in the way should anyone start getting ideas, but by this point it would be such a waste. with a quick twitch of his muzzle, meant as indication for buzzard, he swiveled around to face both of them.

"i do apologize for my sister," he called. "we've gotten a little lost, you see." a heavy sigh. "i was wondering if you might provide us some directions?" hopefully ones to some other packs...yes, that would be nice. if he was particularly lucky, theirs would be somewhere around here.

Oh hell yeah. Finally, a little excitement around here. They glanced at Sparky, who crouched beneath the grass. Cowering now? Ha! What an amateur. Watch and learn, kid. He was about to get a free thieving lesson from the best trio of bandits in town. Well, make that a duo. Vulture had other things in mind.

You disgust me, Buzzard sighed. Catcalling? Really? Right now? Common sis, get your head in the game.

At least Condor had his priorities straight. He’d do the talking, they’d chime in when necessary.

They appeared to be having a conversation, and from that, Skoll decided he did not trust them. He did want to know why the hell they were standing so close to the pack - especially seeing that there was only a single way to get to the borders. Through this very meadow. His eyes turned to look at Astara as she appeared to also spot the strangers. Skoll wondered what she was thinking, especially at the woman that he could only describe as thirsty. He ignored the compliment he was sure that was thrown at his face, and the whistle that was shot in both of the wolves' general direction. It seemed that everyone they met thought the dark woman next to him was attractive, Skoll didn't really see it. Though he didn't really see the woman's sudden compliment at him, either. 

Skoll was really the last wolf to have anything to give - he didn't even know where the packs were, even! Those guys didn't need to know that, though, and Skoll didn't even know they were looking to steal anything anyway. They did seem suspicious, and it didn't help that only one approached while the rest were left whispering something Skoll couldn't hear. They didn't seem lost. With all of that confident whistling and whining that woman had been doing. He looked to the raven woman again to see what they would do. Even if she couldn't speak, Skoll could read visual cues well enough.

the more they talked, the more astara distrusted them. she heard very little of their exchange, but that whistle earned the sharp turn of her ears in scowling dislike.

she flanked skoll, reading him with careful indigo eyes. he, like her, was not thrilled by the gang of thieves at their doorstep -- only, why were they here?

astara had no way of asking that, but instead she looked to each of them baldly -- a stern expression sinking into her features that seemed to communicate a desire for answers.

"Why can't we do both?" Vulture complained to her siblings as they both turned to her in disdain. What was wrong with seeing some beauties? However, the beauties remained silent, and one scowled.. However that simply memorized the scavenger further, as she looked absolutely stunning while looking angry. 

"Hey look, they ignored you. It's coz you ugly- watch and learn sweetie." Neither of them spoke. Vulture could assume that they were pack wolves, as she couldn't smell them clear enough to tell. She stepped in front of the group, propping her chest up in a smug fashon. In a way it could be seen she was looking down at the two dark wolves, but rather was a bird flaunting her feathers.

"Hey there beauties! We a bit lost, where we at?"

As always, good with words.

for all of buzzard's absolutely miserable taste, they at least had the good sense to let condor handle the talking. perhaps he'd learned something from legion after all. "thank you," condor sighed, pausing only briefly in his surveillance of their advancing entourage to give the brat a don't fuck this up for us look.

this might have been unfair of him, because if anyone was going to fuck this up for them, it was most certainly vulture.

condor snapped his teeth together with a satisfying little click inches from her nose.

"darling, if they aren't speaking to me, it's only because of you. i know this is hard to understand, but if you must do this sort of thing, do it on your own time. hot stuff is not the way to go about it." his voice dropped, again. "and we have greater concerns."

he'd hoped to get through this with a minimum of fuss. when did things go according to plan when the rest of them were around? of course, that could be part of the fun, but condor was hungry and the only thing his delightful sister was doing was continuing to open her mouth and dig them a deeper hole.

"please shut up," he hissed. both wolves had drawn quite close by now; at the very least he could look forward to seeing how fast the child could run.

"yes, again, i must apologize for my sister," condor repeated, shooting her a narrow-eyed glare. "but we do still need those directions, and not that this isn't a lovely reception, the strong and silent act works great for you, but i'm going to need more to go on than..." he waved a paw in their general direction, "...this."

so sry i'm the worst EYUCK, we can close up whenever u guys want!  he's exiting and going to duck lake/this scene rn. sry for my half and half post too ;-;

Astraeus couldn't be surer the longer he stayed with the triad the higher and higher his probability of becoming a warding corpse for the rook's borders, already limned with an unfortunate soul. The boy writs his brows in concern as the three spin into a nonsensical tangent of 'How To Mug Crazy People: 101' when the argent slips away through the flora, pressing into the loam like a weighted waddling feather as he exits.
—he'd flute for the three later, but perhaps the stilled surface of the lake may serve an altar for rumination.

capping an ending on this since i know it was mentioned in chat that some participants are fading out <3

astara's attention shifted from the garrulous wolf as the child -- the one she was most interested in -- made a dart for the woods.

she stayed the impulse to chase. there were, after all, strangers at the foot of their meadow to be dealt with.

her gaze shifted to skoll. he would have to be the one to give directions. as long as they were directions right out of the meadow, astara would be satisfied. she'd hang around until they were all packed up and gone -- if they didn't depart with some sort of urgency, she might hasten their departure with a few well aimed ankle bites.