Heron Lake Plateau They kiss on the ring, I carry the crown.

 

Someone she hasn't met yet would be great! :D
A little manipulation of the weather because YOU'RE NOT MY MOM @ weather app

Her meeting with Siarut was fresh in her mind — she hadn't ever really been interested in the opposite sex (or the same sex, or any sex) but there was something about him that made her enjoy his company.

She picked up a few apples on her way back into the Plateau and headed to the cache, looking to put herself to use and clear the bad meat from the good.  It didn't look as if they had been here long; the ground still looked freshly-dug, and not much of the meat was spoiling.. but with how many members there were, she figured they might need more space.

She separated and buried and dug until she was panting like crazy, summer sun beating down on her back.  Fuck, it was hot!

Nevouku went about the area, with a hare. He had bene touching up on his hunting skills, while he could. Getting what he could. But he could get nothing bigger than a hare, only getting things smaller and that size. He needed to improve, he knew that. 

He was headed for the cache, and that's when he saw someone. Being his nervous self, he ducked behind a bush, moving too fast to realize that he had in fact dropped the hare when his mouth had fallen open.

She honestly thought he had like, keeled over and died or something and she was going to have to hide help bury a body.  Her hackles raised in surprise as she dropped whatever the fuck she was doing and stiffly walked over towards her packmate that was cowering in the bush.  

I mean, was this dude all there in the head?  Um, you good?

Nevouku tried to stay hidden as he could be. But then he heard them speak to him, and for a second hoped it wasn't him. He poked his head up. "Oh? A-Are you talking to me?" he paused for a moment, before looking in the bush as if he was looking for something. "Just th-thought I saw a squirrel."

For the second time, she had to wonder if this dude's bulb lit up all the way.  Yeah.  Um.  You're fuckin' scared of squirrels?  You're pulling my leg, right?  She looked around and her ears slid back on her head.  I don't buy it, with that rabbit over there.  She gestured with one paw at the rabbit that he had discarded in order to hide himself.

He tried to appear baffled, stammering. "S-Scared? Nooo...I was gonna catch it. Yeah, catch the squ-" He glanced at the hare, then back the female with a pause. "Uh...w-well more food. Yeah, more food. Who doesn't like to eat squirrel?" He gave a bit of a nervous laugh.

Well, at least his explanation kind of made sense, even if it was a little half-assed and on the spot.  Oh.  Um.  Sorry.  Do you want to catch some squirrel?  She hadn't eaten yet today and while she wasn't famished, maybe she could nibble on it and help fill the caches a little more.  Or, I don't know, something bigger?

Nevouku paused. Something...bigger? He guessed he might as well try...but Nev being Nev, he wussed out. "I mean squirrels are abundant! Al-almost everywhere! We can f-find one easy" he said, somewhat hopeful that he could get out it. Though he was already doubting that he could, and that he'd end up hunting something big.

Wanna decide how many rounds and roll in tabletop for success?

Hmm....  Well, squirrels were abundant.

What do you say we hunt a whole bunch of them.  Have a little contest to see who can bring in the most.  She kind of really wanted to make a good name for herself early on, to be seen as dutiful and loyal.  Whoever catches the most wins?

[ooc[ Sure let's do it! [/ooc]

Nevouku nervously smiled. A challenge was it? That would be something most certainly. "S-Sure. Let's do i-it" he stumbled over his words, he hadn't really been given such a challenge before, at least not in a while. To see who could get most? The last time he did something like that...he paused over the past, shaking his head.

Sweet.

Stray didn't want to think too hard about how wolves were able to tell time, so Ceara detailed to Nevouku how long they would take to catch the squirrels and the rules that the contest entailed.  Once they were both ready, she departed and started looking for the fluff-tailed prey.

They were abundant, but they could also be elusive — she found one of them easily but it startled and gave chase, but ultimately its life ended between her jaws.

Nevouku listened to the other as she spoke about how they would go about this. So he set on his own. It took a bit, but soon he was upon a squirrel. Chasing after it, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. He almost had it, almost had it, almost-

And down he went, tripping over a root. And up a tree the squirrel went. He huffed quietly, he had missed his first chance.

One down, and infinity to go.  However many she could bring down before they had agreed to meet up again.  She dropped the squirrel's lifeless body somewhere she could easily access from her hunting grounds.  She put her nose to the air and scented around.  Boy, the squirrels realy were abundant here!  She was able to catch one of the poor rodents off guard and killed this one with more ease than she had the last.  Things were looking great up in here.

Nevouku spotted another in his line of sight. He bolted straight after it, charging straight for the little animal as he had his jaws open to catch it. And once more, he failed in an utterly embarassing manner as he hadn't exactly looked forward and ended up running head first into a tree. He shook his head, mumbling under his breath. Nev soon caught sight of another and headed for it. This would be the one surely.

She deposited the second carcass next to the first.  Luck was definitely on her side today — on her own, she had never been this good at hunting.  Not until she had met Siarut, and felled both of those ducks in one go.  It was not long before she had found another squirrel.  This one passed through a thicket of thorns but the headstrong firebrand continued after it anyway, tearing up her legs.

She almost had it when — oof! — Nevouku slammed directly into her shoulder.  Heat spread across the area as she and the timid male became a tangle of limbs, rolling across the plateau.

nevouku was close on it's tail. So close on the squirrel's tail. So very close, he could almost taste it. He could almost taste it. He could hear it running...it sounded further than it was. And heavier? 

With sudden realization of the sound not coming from the squirrel he tried to stop but was too late, running straight into the female that had challenged him. They tumbled over.

As they rolled to a stop, she took a second to let the air settle back into her lungs because this dingfaad had knocked it all out of her!  The only thing she could think was: Oh what the fuck?

Because Nevouku was straight on top of her.

Nevouku rolled with her and once they finally stopped, he was trying to get his breath back when he realized where he was. He was on top of the female, in perhaps the most awkward of positions. He yelped, suddenly very afraid he had caused that and retreated quickly. "I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

She really, really wanted to be angry with this dude's blatant idiocy, but she kind of had a moral code that didn't allow her to get upset with those who were a little, ah, slow.

She helped him stand up by bucking her hind end straight up against his junk though, because ho-ho-holy fuck did that catch her by surprise.  Yo, was all she offered as he scrambled back, tail lashing behind her.

But, damn.  Looking at the poor dude, she really couldn't be mad at him.  Look, uh, it's alright.

Nevouku shook his head. It wasn't all right, he had just fell upon another unwillingly. He looked at the female, shaking his head. "No it-it's not all right! I cou-could have hurt you, and I don't want to hurt you Bra-" He stopped. No it...it wasn't her. She looked close to resembling her but...no it wasn't. He had stunnedh imself into silence.

Ceara drew forward, her head cocked to the side.  Dude, no, it's fine.. she trailed, kind of hoping he'd just let it go.  It was awkward enough that the old man hand landed on top of her, he didn't need to make it any weirder by lingering on it.  But she didn't tell him that, because that would be rude as fuck and she at least had a grain of tact.  Are you okay?  She touched his cheek with her nose, actually kind of concerned.

Nevouku was frozen. He realized wht was happening then...he was having an episode. Images were flashing by, and his breathing was suddenly rushed. "I-I-I" he tried speaking, his breathing did not help. He needed to calm. "Not okay, not okay." No doubt after he would feel the most embarassed, not having wanted to do this in front of anyone.

Calm down, she said gently, moving herself to stand alongside him in case he keeled over or something.  It's okay.  You're okay.  She kind of felt bad for how she'd treated him earlier — had she caused this?  I've got you.

Nevouku tried to stand upright, his knees already feeling weak. His mate, his children were gone and that kept flashing by faster than rapids. He kept on muttering her name now, under his breath. Until he felt someone next to him. He couldn't help himself as he leaned slightly, his knees still a bit weak. "Quiet place...n-need quiet place."

She walked slowly, wordlessly, trudging towards one of the less traveled portions of the territory.  She didn't recognize the name he kept repeating, and did not know yet that he was hallucinating his dead mate — correction, he thought Ceara was his dead mate.

It's okay.  I've got you, was all she whispered as she helped him somewhere quiet.