Hushed Willows Days when we'd fight, we'd fight till I would give in
All we are is dust in the wind
92 Posts
Ooc — Anthony
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#1
All Welcome 
"Bum-ba-duuum," sang Prialux as she skipped through a narrower corridor in the Crook. She was taken here several days ago to meet the remainder of the pack, and it was her new favourite place to be. Prialux had a soft spot for the den she'd been born and raised in, but now that she was a little older and better able to understand her environment, she knew it wasn't the best place for her to be. Unlike her brothers, who were both sullen and stoic nearly all the time and probably conversed with rocks with how boring they were, Prialux was bubbles and sunshine, and needed to be around others to be fully herself.

There was a desperation to her calls for attention that had everything to do with her mother's early neglect, and while Amara was improving upon that, Prialux still sought others before she sought her mother. She capered into the main chamber of the Crook, an incredibly deep and spacious den wrought from stone in the side of the mountain that overshadowed the keep, and announced herself with a loud, excited holler of, "P'AY WIF ME!" Demanding though she sounded, Prialux was not bratty, and as she dropped her fore half to the ground in an inviting play bow, it was with a wide grin that she glanced around for someone to engage her.
no love left to rye
376 Posts
Ooc — Mana
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#2
Their depleted numbers on her mind as always, Banner found herself nosing around the more private areas of the Crook to see if anything was out of order or left behind.  She huffed.  Like any of them were coming back.  A dark cloud settled over the Alpha female earlier in the day and she'd had a tough time shedding it.  If nothing else, she found comfort in the fact that the Keep's puppies were growing up and had been integrated with the rest of the pack.  It was much easier for her to keep an eye on Amara this way even if she hadn't gotten around to spending any considerable amount of time with the former Rosings female.

She reached the back wall of the last empty crevice and rolled her eyes when nothing interesting magically appeared.  Damn, did everyone have to be so boring?  She had a couple of treasures tucked away in the roots of her favorite willow tree.  No way did Banner believe she was the only one.

"P'AY WIF ME!"  The small shrill voice echoed in the Crook and Banner blinked owlishly.  One of Amara's kids, no doubt.  Tambo had long since been able to properly form words.  Didn't sound like Kavos.. the higher pitch suggested Prialux.  Huh.  Suddenly she felt a little lighter, a mischevious smile spreading across her dark brown maw.  The Alpha female let out a playful growl, one loud enough that it would easily reverberate through the cave.  She didn't move a muscle and waited for the child's reaction.
and i'm a loser in love
so baby raise a glass
to mend all the broken hearts
of all my wrecked-up friends
All we are is dust in the wind
92 Posts
Ooc — Anthony
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#3
For a few heartbreaking seconds, there was no response. As sad as it was, it didn't deter Prialux from her generally good mood, if only because she was always fairly sunny. It came with being perpetually hungry for the attention of her fellow wolves. Being a bright and sunny child seemed to be the easiest way to get positive attention, and it came naturally to Prialux, who wasn't sure exactly whether she was sunny because it brought attention to her, or if the attention made her sunny.

Well, whatever the case, she was a good-natured child who seemed nothing like the man who sired her, and when she heard a growl rumble into the main chamber from one of the offshoots, she froze on the spot. Her large ears twitched around, seeking the source, but the sound was distorted and warped by the cave's smooth walls and seemed to come from five places at once. With a rambunctious giggle, Prialux picked a passage at random (not the one Banner was hiding in) and charged down it, only to find a dead end waiting for her.

With a squeal, she spun around and galloped back toward the main chamber, then picked another corridor and headed down that one, all the while giggling wildly at the incredibly simple game Banner had devised with one little growl.
no love left to rye
376 Posts
Ooc — Mana
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#4
Otherwise still as a statue, her smile morphed into a smaller smirk as she waited.  The days of her youth might as well have been eons ago, but she remembered the irresistable call of playtime.  A reply came finally in the form of a giggle and loud pawfalls headed in the wrong direction.  Perfect!

On silent paws, Banner moved from the crevice she'd been investigating by sticking to the walls of the pack's cavernous sleeping space.  Prialux changed directions then, her delighted squeal letting the older female know she'd been unsuccessful in her seeking endeavor.  Luckly her dark pelt allowed her to meld into the shadows just enough - how old were Amara's kids?  Their eyesight must be fully developed by now.  No matter.  She'd doubled back to find a hiding spot several yards away from the first.  After tucking herself back into the small space she once again stood stock-still and let out another similarly-pitched growl.

This time her line of sight allowed her to see the main space of the Crook.  And so Banner waited, bright green eyes narrowed slightly while she waited to see what course of action her playmate would take next.
and i'm a loser in love
so baby raise a glass
to mend all the broken hearts
of all my wrecked-up friends
All we are is dust in the wind
92 Posts
Ooc — Anthony
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#5
Prialux's paws tapped rapidly as she shot down this newest corridor, but like before, she screeched to a halt at the end with nothing and no one to show for it. At this point, most young children would begin to become either discouraged or puzzled, but she was far too bright a puppy for that. She whirled on her tippy-toes and flew back to the main chamber when a second growl sounded, and this time, she came to a stop in the middle of the spacious cavern. She couldn't see Banner at all, but her nose and ears twitched excitedly as she tried to approach the game from another angle.

She dropped her front half to the den floor and, tail wriggling, loosed her own version of the menacing play growl: rrrr! It was nowhere near as controlled or quiet as Banner's, and was quite a bit squeakier besides, but it was an attempt. She tried it one more time, turning slowly on the spot, before falling quiet and eagerly waiting for a response.
no love left to rye
376 Posts
Ooc — Mana
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#6
A smile lit up her face when Prialux changed tactics.  Ah!  This one was a smart cookie.  Good thing, too, because Banner hadn't a clue what she'd do when their hide and seek game came to an inevitable end.  And oh, it took every ounce of restraint she had not to laugh at the girl's adorable growl.  It was squeaky and uneven and something about it just tugged at her heartstrings.  It'd grow with age just like the rest of her.. though the Alpha almost wished it wouldn't.

Blinking away her partially-irrelvant sentimentality, Banner took a moment to sweep her gaze around the larger part of the Crook.  Her coat was dark, sure, but she doubted her sneaking abilities were up to par enough that the she'd go unnoticed by the girl.  Well, that was out.  How else to drag this out..?  It took but a second for the idea to come to her and she knew it'd be perfect.  More of a hail mary play, but it'd be interesting nonetheless.  Drawing in a breath, the Alpha female let out five sharp barks in rapid succession, her head snappng in just as many directions.  Her own voice echoing about the Crook brought a grin to her face as she once again found herself studying Amara's daughter to see what her next course of action would be.
and i'm a loser in love
so baby raise a glass
to mend all the broken hearts
of all my wrecked-up friends
All we are is dust in the wind
92 Posts
Ooc — Anthony
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#7
If Prialux wasn't so easily distracted, she might've caught the movement in the shadows that would betray Banner's position. The alpha's head twisted and turned as she threw her voice about the cavern, and Prialux ought to have noticed, but the sound captured her attention far more easily than did the motion. She swung her head this way and that, twisting it on her neck and flaring one ear and then the other, but the echoes confounded her. She was no closer to finding the source.

Thoroughly stumped, Amara's daughter dropped her rump to the ground and tried to think through what to do next. Unfortunately, troubleshooting was not the young pup's forte and within seconds she gave up. She tossed back her head, uttering a truly pathetic half-howl that died away in a raspy squeak, as if to say, here I am, come find me! Surely if she couldn't find Banner then Banner could find her, right?

Prialux had missed the point of the game by this time, but naturally, she couldn't know that.
no love left to rye
376 Posts
Ooc — Mana
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#8
She waited and watched once more, noting that Prialux at least tried to keep up with the game.  At that age Banner would have pouted and whined until someone came out to console her.  That or she would have gone on some kind of mini-rampage.  Either way, her earthy-colored companion had put up one hell of an investigation for a pup so young.

That made her squeaky howl all the more heartbreaking.  Banner felt more than heard the sound as it tugged roughly on her heartstrings.  Amara's litter always seemed quite starved for attention and some days she felt the urge to cuddle up to all three of them almost unbearable, especially now that they were growing and had their own little personalities.  Her internal struggles aside, the Alpha let out a quiet sigh before stepping out of the shadows and allowing a grin to grace her dark maw.  You did good, kid, she commended in her low voice.  You'll get me next time, she promised with a wink.
and i'm a loser in love
so baby raise a glass
to mend all the broken hearts
of all my wrecked-up friends
All we are is dust in the wind
92 Posts
Ooc — Anthony
Offline
#9
Prialux was starved for attention, but she kept a pretty brilliantly good mood in spite of it. It spoke of who she would likely become in the future. Her cracked and uneven howl fell away, and when Banner stepped out of the shadows, all her glee came rushing right back. Her face brightened into a strong grin and she stood, tail wagging hard behind her, and giggled.

"Foun' choo!" Prialux announced, blissfully oblivious to the fact that Banner had outdone her by a mile and she hadn't found anyone. She'd definitely been the one to find the alpha female, not the other way around! Beaming, Prialux sidled up to Banner with all the demureness of a newborn kitten, seeking attention and praise and all sorts of other good things, but also trying to prove that she—unlike her surly brothers—was a good girl deserving of that praise.

"Get choo!" she squeaked in response, an inaccurate mimicry of Banner's deeper voice, and then she tried to copy the lead female's wink, but ended up just blinking exaggeratedly. Winking was just a little too hard.