Blacktail Deer Plateau Engelhard

@Engel

Murdock lingered around the edges of the territory, sheltered by the forest but still with a topnotch view of the valley below. Grayday had sure found a nice territory - and the kid was blind! What a waste. Still, Murdock could enjoy it while he visited, which wouldn't be for much longer. Very soon, he'd be heading out with Poppy in tow. Hopefully Valette wouldn't turn away a little girl that obviously needed their help. She was tiny and wouldn't need as much to eat as the rest of them, and he'd take good care of her...

Chuckling to himself, he found a nice spot to lay down and hung his forepaws over the ledge. He'd miss this area, and he'd even miss his extended family a bit, but it would be good to get back to Stephie and Easthollow.

Engel smelled a scent that wasn't of this pack. In fact, it was off the one they had just left...curious, he moved straight toward it, thinking one of them had followed them. He came upon a wolf that was laying down near the edge of the territory. He got down low, sneaking up on them. He didn't know why they were here, and he wanted to know...even if he paused to look them over from behind, he couldn't resist a look.

Murdock sensed the other wolf's approach, even if they did not speak to him. While he felt somewhat vulnerable there on the ledge, he was confident he'd be able to survive a tumble down the side, should the other wolf choose to attack him. Thus, he remained where he was, waiting for the other to 'reveal' his- or herself.

They were taking an awfully long time, though.

"The view's great, but this is gettin' a little weird," Murdock said gruffly, having no idea how close to home he was hitting.

Engel stopped when the other wolf spoke, raising a brow at them. "Uhhh...." he paused for a long moment. "You smell of another pack" he finally got out. "Easthollow, me and my alpha just got back from there." Little did Engel know, that Day knew that this wolf was here. Engel took this moment to look the wolf over, as they did not seem to be in any mood for a fight.

Murdock craned his head at the sound of the other's voice, wanting to see their face as they spoke. It was an older male, a little on the smaller side - especially when compared to Murdock's larger frame. Thus, he felt he could get away without standing and greeting the other, even if he was only a visitor in these lands. The fact that he had not already been attacked or questioned spoke volumes, as did the pause in the stranger's words.

"That so?" Murdock hummed, looking back out over the flatlands to hide the smirk on his face. He was being purposefully obtuse, wanting to see what sort of mettle the other was made of. His time here was coming to a close, after all, and it wasn't as though he'd have to deal with many reprecussions for picking a fight with one of Grayday's wolves. Boys fought, after all.

Engel nodded after the other wolf turned. "Yes...and I ask what you are doing here. Or otherwise, I'll....I'll call the alpha, and you don't want that. He's a brute" he said, trying to intimidate the other. "He's ferocious, powerful...menacing...good looking, but that's besides the point." He stood steadily, though his legs did shake a bit.

Murdock merely snickered at his words, not able to take the other male seriously when he was talking about Murdock's punky younger brother being powerful and menacing and good-looking. "Must run in the family," he said through his laughter, standing and stretching before turning to face the other fully.

"I'm his big brother, Murdock. Don't worry - I'm all checked out to be here. You can ask Pema, Dawn, and Catori," he assured, two-toned eyes still dancing with mirth.

Engel nodded, not sure what he meant at first by 'runs in the family'. Then he turned around, and Engel shifted. Then, his face must have looked rather mortified when he heard that. He had just threatened a visitor. Not only that...but it was also the alpha's older brother. "I, uh....don't tell him I said any of that" he said, beginning to relax.

Although it had caught him off guard, he relaxed rather easily. "I guess good looks do run in the family" he said, now that he got a better look at the other wolf Murdock. He came over, and gestured to the ground next to Murdock as if to ask if he could sit next to him.

Murdock gave the other male a measuring look, his brow quirking at the other male's words. It was odd to get a compliment like that from a man, but the other had already expressed an interest in Grayday's good looks, so Murdock decided it was just that the male was one of those males.

Instead of ceding the seat to the stranger, Murdock shook the dust from his pelt and moved foward, so that he was standing over the place the other had gestured to. "You have my name. I don't have yours," he said, giving Engel a prickly look.

Engel took a step back when the spot he looked forward to having was taken. He couldn't help but frown, then have a small smirk form. "Engel" he said, attempting to go around behind Murdock to get to his other side. "Your eyes...I must say, they are quite...unique." Almost mesmerising. "Day doesn't have eyes like those...I quite like the look of them" he added. And that he did, he did like the look of them. 

As he was going around, he spotted something on a branch, and started to move toward it. "You know, the view is pretty good over here" he said, trying to lure him over. Hoping he would not see the plant hanging above.

The male released a quiet huff, still not quite sure what to make of the other man's flirting. He felt disquieted and somewhat belittled, and began looking for a way to get a handle on the situation. As Engel moved passed him, Murdock paced aggressively only a step behind, so that they were face-to-face when Engel began talking about the view.

"It's the same as over there," the earthen male said, his tone a bit sharp. He was trying to pick a fight, hoping that besting the smaller male in battle would stop him from looking all stupid and smug and making Murdock feel like a pretty girl.

Engel could tell his strategy was not working. He had to take another approach. He noticed the over wolf's tone was sharp, and he was acting quite aggressively. A light bulb lit up in Engel's head. Was he trying to pick a fight? If it was the only way to impress this male...

Engel got into a bow, like one would for the beginning of a spar. "Just so you know, when I last 'fought' with someone...it ended quite quickly." Though it had nothing to do with the sparring itself, but rather what Engel had done that had called it off. "So, you want to fight, or..." he said with a hint of a smirk, and a wink. It was a risk, as Engel knew he was going to lose this fight. He was never a good fighter, ever.

What an asshole, Murdock thought, although he knew that he was being the aggressive one, here. It seemed as though the only way he'd get any respect out of the smaller male was by teaching him a lesson, and if that was the way this was going to go, Murdock was ready.

"Yeah? Bring it on," he barked. "I ain't fuckin' shy."

Bristling at the smaller male, he feinted forward a step, hoping to get the other to startle. Aside from making him feel better, it would also tell Murdock just how serious Engel was about this fight.

Engel had to admit, while Murdock was, as he put it, not shy, Engel was about this fight. He tried to keep his composure when the larger male made a step toward him, and it did startle him a bit. But he kept a wide grin. He started to circle, trying to look for an opportunity where he would then leap at Murdock. His warm up with Grayday had gotten him warmed up for this, although he couldn't help but have thoughts of that moment pop into his head. A bit of a distraction.

Murdock let out a laugh at Engel's jump, no matter how small. Clearly, he wasn't as up for this as he claimed to be, and for that reason, he decided to keep things quick and easy. The earthen male darted forward with speed unnatural to his age and mien, and grabbed for the scruff of Engel's neck, intending to push his head toward the ground and hold him there.

Engel had leaped when he saw his opening. Then, in a flash, he was down on the ground, being held down by the scruff. He huffed after he regained himself, being held there. "Huh...over just as quickly as when Day took me on." He got more thoughts about that time, and he was coming to realize, he really liked others being dominant over him. It never had come to mind before, till now.

"So, you gonna take a prize?" he asked, trying to look back with a hinting smirk. "You did win, after all."

"Shut up," Murdock snapped, pushing his face harder into the ground. The man just didn't know when to quit, and it was really starting to piss him off, when he'd only started the fight to prove a point. But something in the male's words and tone clued Murdock in, and while his irritation intensified, his anger began to flag. "You get off on this shit?" Murdock demanded, removing his jaws from the other, but replacing them with a heavy paw.

He wondered what sort of relationship Engel had with Grayday. On the one hand, he didn't want to overstep and infringe on his brother's property. But on the other, Engel already seemed unfaithful, and what was one more notch on the bedpost if Engel was already going to cheat? "So, what? You and Grayday, then?" he asked coolly, releasing the ruddy male and taking a step back. He stood now where Engel had tried to lure him earlier, unaware of what hung above him.

Engel tried to move his body, as this was starting to get uncomfortable. The other wolf soon removed his jaw, asking a question that got Engel to shut up. That's just whatGrayday had asked, and Engel now felt a bit ashamed. "I, uh....can't help myself sometimes" he mumbled into the dirt. 

Then Murdock asked something that made Engel almost burst out laughing. "Wait, you think...you think he would fall for a guy like me?" He shrugged. "I mean, would be something...but no, no sometimes I think he might actually hate me and-" he stopped for a moment, seeing where Murdock was. He took a couple steps forward. "It seems we have moved into quite a position." He hinted with a glance up to the mistletoe above.

Ah, thought Murdock, so there's nothing there after all. It only made sense - what would Grayday want from Engel when he already had a gorgeous woman like Catori to warm his bed? And what was Murdock doing here with Engel when Poppy'd already agreed to keep him company?

He supposed it wasn't company he was after.

"What?" asked Murdock, reluctantly raising his eyes. There was nothing there but greenery, which left the male feeling as though some kind of trick were about to be played on him. He eyed Engel warily, waiting for an explanation.

Engel opened his mouth to explain, and just had it left open like that. Had he not heard of the greatest tradition that could exist? The tradition of the mistletoe? "It's...it's mistletoe." He dramatically cleared his throat, preparing perhaps the longest, most heartfelt explanation of anything ever. 

"The tradition of the mistletoe is if one was to stand underneath with another, they have to kiss...it's tradition...A very personal tradition."

At Engel's words, Murdock had to glance upward again. It was, indeed, mistletoe. "Yeah, so what? It only gives you the runs if you eat it," he replied, only to pause when Engel began to explain.

Lord, but this man was cheesy. Who had time to kiss under every parasite they passed by? But Murdock had already been planning on getting a bit more personal with this wolf, so he gave another snort of faux-irritation and gestured the man over. "Then lay one on me, hotshot," he challenged, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Yeah, but I prefer to think about the finer things in life" he said, waggling his eyebrows a bit with a smirk. "And there are many finer things...one of them in front, and one above." Not even Engel could see how cheesy he was getting.

Engel felt his brows and ears perk up, hearing that he was actually given permission. But still, he was a bit cautious, but seeing the dangerous glint in Murdock's eyes got him going, and he leaned forward and gave a quick lick across Murdock's muzzle...Then got a bit cheeky and went for another.

"You talk too much," Murdock retorted, not quite sure why he was willingly subjecting himself to this tripe. Was a kiss really worth all the chatter?

By the time Engel's tongue touched his muzzle, Murdock was already in a very bad mood. It seemed a weak prize for having been so patient, and when the other male came back for a second kiss, Murdock surged into motion, teeth clashing against Engel's as he grabbed the other's nose in a quick but bruising show of dominance. After that, he made his way down the length of Engel's body, gooming aggressively at his auburn pelt, tail standing straight out from his body in a clear message: I am the boss.

Engel shrugged, he knew he talked too much. Talking was one of the things he did best, though. 

Engel went for his second kiss, only to receive a bite down on his muzzle to clamp his mouth. He gave a yelp, but did nothing against Murdock. He just held still, waiting for what he did next. He felt Murdock go along the length of his body, grooming along through his fur.

It sent odd shivers down Engel's spine, and he got the message quite clearly. Murdock was the boss in this situation, and he wasn't in any position to argue. Nor did he want to.

Seeing that he finally had Engel's complete submission, Murdock laid a dity paw across the other male's back. He paused for a moment to give Engel a glare. "I better not hear you talkin' about this," he warned, waiting just long enough to make sure Engel understood his meaning before swinging himself over Engel's body in one smooth, sinuous motion.