Thunder Dome At my high school, it felt more to me

@Vixen

The desire to put some distance between himself and his mother was what had driven him from the pack. He’d not been prepared to go very far, just far enough that he’d be able to find a place of peace away from her. The more steps he’d taken, however, the more lost he’d become. For a child as young as he, and without any real experience navigating the mountain, it’d been inevitable. From the moment he’d left the pack’s claim he’d been bound to the fate of becoming lost. Having gone out by himself and without telling a single soul of his plan, it was unlikely that he might ever be found—assuming his disappearance was to be noticed, of course. Such was a fact that the boy was undoubtedly unaware of, having always believed that there would be someone there to watch over him. Not necessarily his mother—never had he thought her to care enough about him to be protective—but someone else from the pack, someone that would be able to lead him back home and keep him warm. Yet, no one had ever come, leaving him to dig himself even deeper into a hole as he trekked onward.

Forward through the range had Eros traveled, oblivious to the change in the air. The sky had grown darker, but he’d assumed that it was only because the night was approaching. Never could he recall having experienced a storm before, and so when the first bolt of lightning shot across the sky, he’d nearly had a heart attack. The winds whipped around him, shoving him forward and then dragging him back, all whilst making numerous attempts at sending him toppling over. And whilst no rain fell from the storm clouds overhead, the moisture in the air had been enough to dampen his fur and chill him down to the bone. Lost, shivering, and terrified, he’d not hesitated for even a second before rushing into an opening in the mountain once he’d spotted it. Curling his body against itself, he’d not taken notice to the vastness of the cavern, only that its ceiling and walls helped to protect him from the weather. It wasn’t nearly as warm as the Crook—not warm at all, actually—but it’d been good enough that he’d settled for it without too many complaints. And as the wraith laid there, his body balled up, all he could do was think about how warm he’d be right then if he’d never left the territory.

Any residues there could have ever been of the sea in Vixen's coat were long gone, and despite the new life she'd found within Duskvale, Vixen couldn't help but feel the ties to the group to be too tight for her. She was used to the great blue, the pillaging and raving, the conquering and savaging, the blood and the salt in her fur, and none of those things would she find behind the skirts of her new firsts. They were fierce, sure, but they lacked that something that made Vixen's insides tingle with adrenaline.

Her heart left the vale one day, deciding that her life would never be complete among the wolves of Duskvale. She'd been clear with both @Saena and @Warbone about her intentions, having built too much respect for them in the short time they'd shared to leave without notice. But despite the angst she'd felt before coming clean, Vixen felt nothing when the moment to abandon her post came. With one last glance at the vale and a silent farewell the mariner set foot to the sea.

However, a storm like none she'd witnessed in the Teekon Wilds slowed down her advance. It was not the rain that froze her bones, but the wind and the looming darkness that grew upon her which clouded her recently-acquired sight of the ocean and made movement almost painful. There was still a long way to the sea, and under her conditions Vixen wouldn't make it before the real tempest hit. A cavern served as her shelter, into which she rushed as soon as she came across. She shook her pelt, cursing the clouds and the sky before submerging herself even deeper. But the scent of a resident brought her to a stop, and like a gargoyle Vixen scanned her dark surroundings with hair on end. She believed to have identified the scent to be ulven, but the moist air could often play tricks on wolves. "Come out already," she urged after a moment of careful silence, "I'm nah scared o' ye" she added, casting a frail veil of breath before her.

I hope it's ok to assume that Vixen told Saena and Warbone she was leaving

For how long he’d laid there, how long he’d been cold, the boy could not be certain. Seconds lasted hours, minutes days, and all he could think about was how huge of a mistake he’d made. Sure, he couldn’t stand being around his mother for any longer that what was necessary, but had he really needed to venture so far in order to get away from her? Certainly not. Yet, he had, and he’d gotten himself so turned around and lost in the process that he knew not how to return home. Death was not something that he was familiar with, but, from the recesses of his mind, he could hear a little voice calling out to him; it spoke of dying and how that was in his near future. Oh, how convincing the voice was, that he’d nearly believed it. The trap had been set and he’d started stumbling towards it, steered away by a feminine voice just in the nick of time.

Lifting his head up from the ground, Eros glanced around at his surroundings but saw no one. The woman’s scent had been the only thing to confirm that he hadn’t been hearing voices, that there really was someone there. Whether they were friendly or not hadn’t even crossed his mind, his sole thought having been to survive. With very little prompting from his brain, his body had pushed itself off of the ground so that he was standing, and then relied upon his nose to guide the child towards the stranger. He’d yet to stop shaking, trembling, the fear of the unknown entity that was Death and the cold both having prevented him from finding a way to relax. Something inside him urged the wraith to ignore such things, however, and focus on moving forward. Even after he’d spotted Vixen, the child hadn’t stopped. In fact, he’d started moving faster, which had eventually resulted in him tripping over his own feet and throwing himself towards her. One, maybe two, rolls later and he’d found himself splayed across the floor, staring up into the face of someone he’d never before seen; if she’d been a member of the pack, they’d never met, and so he felt uneasy.

Eros hadn’t lifted himself back up after seeing that it wasn’t someone from home. He’d remained sprawled out on the ground in front of her, watching with wide, pleading eyes. She wasn’t his mother and (hopefully) didn’t know Amara, either, so she had to be okay to trust, right? Driven by his instincts, he’d inched towards her, seeking to touch his nose to her leg and then gauge her reaction. If she didn’t attack, then maybe she could give him the warmth that he both wanted and needed so badly.

With hair on end and fangs revealed in a defensive set up, Vixen anticipated the appearance of the one that would challenge her for the cave. She wasn't a big wolf, she knew, and so the odds would not be in her favor if she found herself confronting a large male or even a larger female, but the oddities of the universe were still something Vixen did not know how to be grateful with. She was in no danger that day, for she'd been lead to find no more than a puppy. Suddenly her whole composure changed, her eyes were no longer harsh and her lips concealed her daggers again as she observed the cub roll up to her feet. She allowed for him to touch her, and after a single moment of admiration the red-furred loner allowed her own nose to caress the child's head gently.

He looked scared and cold, and he was definitely alone for the surroundings carried no other scent but theirs. "Wha' are ye doin' here all alone, sprog?" she asked, but did not expect an answer at all. She searched for dangers, lifting her head for a moment and panning around in a careful inspection, but they seemed to be alone. And when confirmed, she allowed herself to lay down in front of the kid hoping to look less intimidating despite the child's bold approach.

Eros knew only of two dangers in life: death and his mother. The many, many causes of death could not be thought up within his mind, and so the fact that the woman could have easily ended his life right then and there hadn’t registered. In fact, not much of anything had registered within his head since he’d gotten lost, the cold and anxiety of being harmed having kept him from thinking straight. So as a nose drifted over his head, the touch gentle and comforting, he’d not thought twice before leaning into it—craving it, even. It was something he had wanted for so long, and at last he’d received it. The fact that the positive attention given to him had come from a total stranger had not bothered him in the slightest, because, even in that short amount of time, she’d become loved more so than the woman whose womb he’d grown in.

The words made him look up at her, but he’d said nothing in return. He’d simply shaken his head, clearly not yet ready to discuss the details surrounding his great escape. And, once she’d laid down, he’d pushed himself closer to her. Once again, the potential danger of the situation was either ignored or not considered as Eros chose to curl up against Vixen’s chest. He was cold, still, and wanted as much warmth as she could give him. Somewhere in all of his movements, he’d managed to pause and mutter, “Lost,” but had not kept still for any longer than it’d taken to speak. Driving his muzzle into the fur covering her chest, he desired nothing else other than to weasel his way beneath her and become the snuggest little pup in the history of pups everywhere.

Hope it's okay if I pop in?

Gwen was out hunting, as she thought it was important to find as much food as she could for the pack, but before she could begin a storm had begun to arise and it was quite territfying. She had planned to return to the pack territory at once, but the scent of a pup and another wolf entered her frozen nose.

She stalked closer and eventually caught sight of the two wolves, but she tilted her head in confusion before she recognised the pup as one from her pack, Marauder's Keep. She'd seen him about occaisionally but the two had never really spoken. What was more confusing was that he was cuddled up against a stranger. The white furred female stepped forward and glanced at the pup along with the other wolf. "Er... hello?" she asked, in a gentle tone. What on earth was the pup doing with a stranger - one not from their pack? Why wasn't he inside Marauder's borders? Gwen, trying to ignore the howling wind, would have growled at the scene, but she wished to know what the reason for this was first.

this guy is a huge jerk, so...

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With his band finally starting to grow, Bane had made it a point to seek shelter for the upcoming storms. And just like he'd foreseen, the clouds started trapping the day in darkness early, hitting it with growing rains until Bane could barely even see in front of him. But he'd reached the mountains, and was sure he'd find some kind of shelter before the cold night.

And he did. But it was because of her, and only her, that Bane saw his purpose fulfilled. She, pale and elegant, had disappeared into the rocks, and that's how Bane knew that there was a cave. He followed, barking for @Athan and @Mazatl to know where he'd gone. That cave was where they would have to spend the night if they wanted to survive.

"Hello, sweetheart..." answered Bane's coarse voice instead of whatever Gwen might have been expecting. The Arctic Beast shook his heavy pelt at the entrance, and took slow steps towards her, invading her personal space as he sniffed in her sweet aroma. "Looks like we'll have to share beds tonight," he said, smiling coyly as he noticed the red pirate's presence. Women, that was the only thing missing in Bane's now perfect life of freedom.

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and Imma pop back in c:

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The pirate's heart had broken the moment he admitted that he was lost, and that had been enough for Vixen to promise herself that this child would not suffer for as long as she lived. Vixen was about to tell the sweet honey child that he must fear no more, that she was there to take care of him regardless of whether he belonged to her; but her keen ears swiveled back at the sound of another's voice, gentle in contrast with the noisy rain. And then another, coarse, deep, and not at all compelling despite his choice of words. Vixen nosed the child awake, urging him in whispers to go hide behind the rock he'd come out just moments before, and then stood up to face the invaders with the same fire of her promise lighting up her eyes.

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Sick/phone post. May be some misspellings and grammar issues below.

Being snuggled up against the woman, where it was warm and dry, had made staying awake nearly impossible. He'd drifted off without having even realized it, which caused him to miss each newcomers' approach. Only after having been roused awake had Eros noticed that they were no longer alone, the presences of the two other strangers having made his fur stand on end. When prompted to do so, the boy scuttled off to hide himself behind a nearby rock, which he'd then peeked around in an attempt to spot the other wolves; his attempts had been without results, fear having forced him to take cover once again before the man or woman could be seen.

*revives thread????*

It was with reluctance that Athan followed the male who had nearly taken away @Mazatl from him. He still did not trust the male, not fully, but so far both of their bellies were full, so Athan was inclined to continue trailing after the larger male.

It was not long before the scent of new life, of blood caught his attention, the strigoi licking his teeth with hunger, staying back as Bane called out to the women they saw. The northerner obviously had intentions of obtaining sexual favors from the woman he had seen in the distance, but Athan had darker desires he had not made privy to the male's attention. 

As Bane invaded the first woman's personal space, blocking her face from view, Athan lunged to the second, eyes burning with maliciousness. I hope you do not mind sharing, tovarăşul? He cooed, the rumble of his throat low and sultry as he began leaning forward to lick the woman's throat seductively, hiding his true intentions.

Gwen blinked in obvious surprise as a stranger padded into the cave, and she let out a small growl as the male invaded her space. The young female would normally have probably turned tail and run, but she knew that the pup from Marauder's Keep was here and she intended to make sure this stranger would not be able to harm him, even if Gwen and the pup didn't really know each other. The wolfess was glad to see that the red woman had hidden the pup, so that was something, at least.

Though the next male that stepped in made a chill sweep through Gwen's fur. It's him! The wolf-eater! She had encountered him once before, and the pale woman had hoped that they would not meet again, though it appeared she would not have that luck. He was partly blocked from her view, but she could just about make out some of his features. "You," she snarled, eyes flaring at the male, though she did not move her body as the first man was blocking her. His next words made her head snap to face him, and for a moment she froze, wondering how she could possibly respond to that? Of course, it was digusting, and she wanted to rip his head from his body, but he seemed stronger than Gwen so that might end badly.

Bane circled around the pale one, placing himself right between the females just as Athan made his entrance. He acknowledged his comrade, smirking at him suggestively as though he was presenting him with gifts in golden wrapping. Athan was a man, and although Bane did not yet fully understand his relationship with Mazatl he was sure that he would enjoy the company of women. "Serve yourself," he said to his comrade knowing that the blue-eyed beauty would be more than sufficient to sate his needs. He had never cared about what females wanted, nor if they refused him. Their opinion meant little to him compared to his desires, and in that moment, he desired to mount her like he hadn't mounted a female in a long time. He breathed in her scent, pushing her boundaries even further as he forgot about the other two. "Don't resist," he suggested with a deep growl, further ignoring her response to his approach.

Despite having been told to hide away, the boy couldn’t help but peek out from behind the rock once again. So many wolves had arrived, invading the space he’d found himself in. When it had been only a single wolf—a kind woman—he’d been impervious to the idea of sharing his shelter, but now he was frightened. What would happen, he wondered, should his presence be revealed to the two males? Although tempted to find out, Eros held himself back and remained low to the ground, his goal being to appear as small as possible so that he could be concealed better behind the clump of earth. Silently, he willed them all away, wanting to be alone with the fiery woman.

PP-ing Vixen because she dead

He was too focused on the throbbing of the woman's neck to notice the small child tucked away in the cave. He lavished his attention on the exposed artery, kissing and sucking gently. She had stiffened, but made no attempt to leave, misinterpreting his intent as many did before their untimely demise. There was a familiar accusing voice that drew away his attention briefly. His head turned to the woman cornered by Bane, one whom he recognized. He flashed a malicious and knowing smile before turning back to the red woman, bestowing one last kiss before his fangs flashed and sunk into her neck.

There was a brief moment when time slowed down for the strigoi as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. Athan stepped back, watching the blood spurt in the air and hit his face, leaving a line of red across his pale fur. The woman's eyes with dull, lifeless as stones as she began to collapse, and as her body hit the floor Athan darted forward, mouth stretching over the wound to lap up the slowly ebbing bursts, drinking ravenously with greedy slurps, like that of a nursing child.

To say Gwen was shocked was an understatement. She knew of the vampire-wolf's intentions, though seeing him murder an innocent wolf like that in front of both her and the pup - oh darn, the pup! She'd momentarily forgotten that he was hiding, and the red woman he was with was now.... well, dead. "Wha......" she gasped, unable to finish her sentence. The pale stranger in front of her was closing in faster, and Gwen urgently looked around for some kind of escape. Then perhaps she would be able to get the pup back to Marauder's Keep, where he should have been anyway.

If she had been able to step back, she would have. Though the den, it seemed, could not allow that, nor the brute in front of her.

Her resistance had been thrilling for a moment, but no longer did his face sport that depraved smile with which he'd first approached. Bane wasn't a good player, an even worse loser, and certainly not one to play by rules. He wanted thing often, and those things he got them one way or another unless those desires morphed along his emotions. Swift they were, fickle, fragile, but so passionate, and they no longer were of lust.

His purr turned gradually into a growl, one that he did not hold back once it'd been unleashed. He no longer wanted to, for her refusal to take him had killed the joy of the game. Now the only thing that Bane could define in desires were to hurt, to subdue, to fuck his way to satisfaction regardless of Gwen's desires, and the arctic beast pushed through her boundaries to take what he wanted. There was little space between himself and the wall now, and the others in the room or their activities were long forgotten. There was only the cold of winter, the warmth of his blood, and the spur of the moment. Bane was already a beast unleashed.

He lifted himself placing one heavy paw on top of her spine, and with a rushed push he flung himself on top of her, jaws aimed at her nape with the intention of pinning her to the ground, pinning her between his thighs, and that was all that existed in that moment.

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Like a viper, the man struck. Had Eros blinked, he surely would have missed the attack, but his eyes were wide open the entire time. As teeth pierced the female’s neck, he watched, bearing witness to the dimming of the light in her eyes. Down fell his jaw as his tongue rolled out, his pants quick and short. A step forward was taken, his body moving on its own, thereby revealing him to the beasts. He did not seem to realize that he was hidden no longer, the panic rising steadily within his chest making him oblivious to nearly everything else. On Vixen’s lifeless form his gaze was locked, staring longingly at her, wishing silently that she might rise again. Surely he had fallen asleep in her arms, and everything he’d just seen was nothing more than a terrible nightmare. He wanted it to be so, but no matter how many times he tried to wake himself, his reality remained the same.

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The spurts ebbed, to which Athan groaned in disappointment. As he felt the spray of blood ease off into sluggish trickles, he pulled away. The fur on his muzzle, his lower jaw, his throat and chest were soaked, which flecks of crimson covered his paws and face. The strigoi panted, his mind still wrapped tightly in the haze of lust that drove him next to tear into the woman's - the cadaver's - body, to find what was left of the warm blood before she finally cooled. It was a strong pull to do so, one that contrasted strongly against his sudden hesitation. There was movement out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to see a small creature step out from behind a rock. Bane, He began, with little guilt in his voice. There's a child here,

Skipping Gwen with Belle's permission

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He had her, he had what he wanted. His force was easily overpowering her and Bane was close to getting inside her. But before he could do anything, before he could force himself onto Gwen, Athan's voice broke Bane's focus on her. He turned with the fire of lust and rage burning in his eyes, but it faded rapidly as they followed Athan's vision up to the cub. He didn't even notice his that his comrade was bathed in red, he didn't even care that the other female's body had been drained of blood. His pale eyes were settled on the milk and honey pup, and his mind unsettled by the sight.

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Gwen was about to try and shove Bane off when she saw the pup step out from where he had been hiding. Her eyes widened in shock and worry before her head snapped around to glance at the male above her again. This was her chance - probably the only one she would get. As much as she wanted to save the pup and bring him back to the Keep, she was not stupid enough to believe she could get both him and her out of this mess alive if she tried. She was conflicted, but she knew that nothing she could do would save the young boy from the two males. If she attacked, she would probably be killed. Surely the males would not harm the pup? Were they so heartless?

Gwen would have to take her chances. With a pained glance at the boy, the woman bit her lip in frustration and shoved hard against Bane. If she could manage to catch him off-guard then she would run. With regrets, of course, but what else was there that she could do? There was no way she'd be able to save the pup.

I'm sorry