Redtail Rise I own a washing machine now but I still hoard quarters like they are rare gems

She had been running all over the Rise the past few days, getting to know her new home like the back of her hand (er, paw?). Somehow, she managed not to run into any of her pack mates. By the third day running, Smash was really hankering for some company. She talked to herself a lot already but was now carrying on entire conversations with herself. I'm legit going crazy! she realized. It was time for drastic action.

So Smash galloped to the highest point of Redtail Rise and tipped her muzzle toward the clear blue sky. Her orange eyes followed the namesake hawks for a few seconds before she pressed her lips into an "o" shape and howled to the Rise's other wolves, veritably begging them to come keep her company. In case they needed extra incentive, Smash promised, If you come hang out with me, I'll be your personal slave for an hour!

She plopped onto her haunches to wait then, prepared to do literally anything to get some social interaction around here.

In the days following Reek's promotion to beta, life in the rise had somewhat settled back into the ordinary routine.  Despite the increase in border security and the general unease the pack still felt over recent events, the raggedy wolf had made a heel-face turn back into his old happy-go-lucky self by ditching the paranoiac persona that he had adopted in the recent turmoil.  Although Reek had bounced back like a stretched rubber band, something inside of him still snapped; his tendency to wander was no more.  He had more-or-less become a home body who hadn't left the territory since Saena's initial departure.

But, whatever. Home was home, and Reek was perfectly content to handle the domestic affairs of the pack in place of exploration.  At least there was no absence of other wolves to talk to.  But unfortunately, the past few days fell silent and many of the other pack members went off to do their daily duties like hunt, patrol, or whatever the kids did nowadays, leaving Reek to enjoy his solitude.

But, solitude is boring.  And when the newbie's howl rang though the air, promising to be a personal slave for the hour, Reek couldn't help but jump at the opportunity.  This could be fun.  Dropping the stick he had been chewing on, Reek turned to the source of the call and began to ascend the rise.

"Newbie!" he called to Smash once she was in eyeshot.  "You should really raise your standards."  He grinned from ear to ear on his approach and gave Smash a friendly shoulder bump in hello,  "Wha'sup?"

She secretly hoped each and every one of the Rise's members would heed her call, eager to boss her around for an hour apiece. Who wouldn't want to jump at that opportunity, after all? They could literally make her do anything! So when Reek appeared, Smash just assumed he would just be the first of many. Perhaps she would throw in a bonus hour for his speedy response, especially since she already liked him.

"Well, if it isn't the grand poobah himself!" Smash crowed when the homely wolf joined her on the pinnacle. When he bumped his shoulder against hers, she did the same right back at him, her dark chocolate tail thumping the ground. "Oh, wait, that's not your title anymore, is it? I heard it's Big Bad Beta now. Congrats! And now you get to flex your big bad Beta muscles by pushing me around. I'm gonna throw in an extra hour, just because you're awesomesauce," Smash finished with a grin and a wink of one orange eye.

Smash returned his friendly bump with a bump of her own, causing Reek's bony body to stagger slightly to the side. "In the flesh," retorted the grand poobah while he awkwardly attempted to regain his footing on the rocky surface of the rise. Perhaps he should have picked a more, er, professional title, because it seemed this one was here to stay.  However, it did have a nice ring to it... and much more pizzaz than beta did, and Reek was a sucker for showmanship.

She went on to congratulate the raggedy wolf on his new position, and Reek beamed with pride.  Although rank had never really mattered to him in the slightest before, now he figured that he had finally accomplished something with his life.  Shit, if the sirens could see him now.  A leader and stuff.  "Word travels fast, eh?" Asked Reek in jest.  "I don't think I'm gonna do much bossing around, ya know?  I'd like to think not much has changed, dynamic wise."

"...Buuuuuuuuuuuuut," he continued to drawl with a wide grin. "Maybe I can get it all out of my system now.  An extra hour, you say?"  Reek raised a forepaw to his muzzle and gave Smash a look of mock contemplation. "I'm going fishing... and you're coming with!" 

Reek seemed pleased with himself, in the most humble of manners, which Smash found endearing. She could see why Wynter had fallen for him, despite his homely looks. She probably liked his sense of humor more than she did Smash's too, which made sense, even if it secretly disquieted the cocoa-colored subordinate. Her jokes were always meant in good fun!

While he insisted he wasn't the bossy type, he quickly decided to take her up on her offer. Smash refocused on the present, offering him a smug smirk. "You're secretly the bossiest of bosses, aren't you?" she teased, her tail twitching back and forth as Reek took a moment to consider how he would spend his two hours as slave-master.

When he said they would be going fishing, Smash reacted with mock horror. "Fishing! That's literally the worst!" Actually, Smash thought that sounded like fun, though she warned him playfully, "Just don't make me eat what we catch. I mean, you could force feed me, per the rules of slavery, but just know that I will blow chunks on you." Smiling but shaking her head, Smash said, "Not a fan of seafood over hurr."

"The bossiest," he affirmed with a light jab of his forepaw, though it couldn't have been farther from the truth.  "Just don't tell anybody. I've got a laid back image to maintain."  However strong and take charge his personality was, Reek wasn't one to bark orders at others.  It just wasn't his style.  Nah, leadership had to come from a light and lenient paw.  He had learned that much by watching his uncle drive his birth pack into the ground out of fear.  His previous alpha, Caiaphas, had also made the same mistakes.  They all took things way too seriously.  And Reek wasn't jive to play that game.

Smash seemed down to the idea, however, for Reek's cocoa companion, Seafood was off the menu.  "I'm fine with that.  More for me," he mused from behind a wide smile.  "If you don't want any, you don't have to eat it... Remember, I'm a benevolant god," he added, coupling with his bemused expression.

Reek turned to descend the rise in the direction of the creek Wynter had taken him to when he needed a pick-me-up. "Come servant," he joked.  "Make haste!"  After his final exclamation, he bolted down the rise, hoping Smash would follow.  

Reek pointed out that her distaste just meant more fish for him, then reminded her that he was a benevolent god. Before she could whip up a quip in reply, he turned and dove down the hillside. Smash chuckled, then darted after him, making very little effort to avoid crashing into his backside. In fact, she veered toward him, bumping into his hindquarters before hurtling suddenly past him. Running around like a fool was probably one of Smash's favorite activities, and it showed.

When the ground evened underfoot, Smash slowed down a little, her tongue lolling from her dark chocolate muzzle. "Where to, boss?" she panted, orange eyes flicking to Reek's homely features. She knew they could travel to the nearby seaside, though there were several bodies of fresh water around here somewhere too. He was likely to be much more familiar with the lay of the land, and he was the master to boot, so their destination was up to him.

While she waited for him to make a decision, she began to circle him like a shark, poking him like an impatient child in the backseat of a car and jokingly repeating, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" every few seconds.

After wheeling into his hindquarters, Smash had taken the lead, hurtling far in front of Reek while he clumsily bounded down the ridge in an awkward tumble. Seeing her run like a fool in front of him brought a wide grin to Reek's face.  Although the two had barely known each other, Reek knew he would find himself getting closer to his cocoa colored pack mate. Above all, she was fun... and that was the finest quality to look for in a wolf.

Upon reaching the bottom of the rise, Reek's pace slowed along with his companion.  Like a whip, she fired off a question inquiring on where the two where going before launching into a spinning tirade of are we there yets.  The raggedy wolf dropped to his haunches while he tried to catch his breath as his cocoa companion circled around him.  "There's a creek," he panted from behind a smirk.  "East... Couple minutes walk."

"Come-on," said Reek, rising back to his feet to break through Smash's circle to lead their trek toward the creek. 

Smash laughed through her nose when Reek patiently offered directions. She bobbed her head, giving him a moment to catch his breath before the pair of them began to move again. Rather than walk beside him, Smash fell back a few feet and skipped merrily in his wake. She was quite possibly the happiest slave in all the land.

"You know," she piped up in a breathy voice, "I'm just trying to give you some practice." Her eyes danced as she continued frolicking at his rear, waiting to see if and how he would react to her bait. Talk about fishing! she mused in her head, grinning as she waited.

The two continued on their way to the creek with Smash frolicking like a fool at the rear. Even in silence she was fun, positive, and upbeat.  A fantastic traveling partner.  The sound of water rushing over rocks became louder with each and every step toward their destination and Reek continued forward, eyes locked on his target with a happy, yet focused tunnel vision.  However his concentration was broken when Smash piped up about practice... Practice what? He stopped in his tracks and turned toward the newish newbie.  "Practice?" He implored, face flush with confusion.

"Do I look like the type of guy that needs practice?"  Asked Reek rhetorically with a grin, however he had no idea what Smash could possibly have been referring to.  "I figured you already knew I was perfect... That's why you stayed with us right? I mean, practice, seriously? Like I need to, um, do that, like, ever."  He grinned and cocked a wolfen brow as he tried to ponder what she had up her sleeve, but nothing came, and so the raggedy wolf leaned in close to her ear to whisper, "Practice what?"  

Smash giggled accordingly at Reek's humorous response. She found herself wishing she could spend more time around him. Already he had chased away her lonely doldrums. Of course, her interest was not the romantic variety. Wynter had quite clearly staked her claim, and the two of them were about to start a family. That was why Smash was helping Reek practice, as a matter of fact.

"Practice dealing with obnoxious, tiny poobahs, of course!" she answered in a chipper voice. "Trust me, I'm the most qualified for the job. I'll be as whiny and annoying as possible to make sure you get the most comprehensive experience," she assured him in a suddenly serious, no-nonsense voice. If he looked at her, he would see her brow knitting and her lips drawing into a line... all of which was part of the joke, of course. There wasn't an actual serious bone in Smash's body.

Smash spoke and Reek recoiled back in a stagger a few steps away.  His eyes snapped open wide in surprise and his mouth hung agape.  If his jaw could have touched the floor... it would have.  The thing.  The thing was happening, and nobody had bothered to tell him.  The bedraggled beta opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come.  Instead, a cacophony of awkward noised came flooding from his throat as he tried regain control.  "W—what?!" He managed to stammer.

Out of respect for Saena, he had yet to consummate his mateship with Wynter due to the slight chance of pregnancy.  Even though she hadn't gone into season yet, he wasn't taking any chances.  The wait was long, and blue-balls suck, but now the bets where off.  Permission must have been granted, and Reek couldn't have been happier.

So that was the practice she was talking about.  "Yeah.  Yeah, do the thing!" he shouted, goading her to be as annoying as possible.  "I'm gonna need all the help I can get!"

Although Reek's surprise seemed genuine enough, Smash considered it all a part of the running gag. Anyway, he recovered swiftly and seemed eager for her to make good on her promise to get in some practice. Smash cackled at him. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, do you? her orange eyes seemed to say. That could go for her and his actual future offspring.

"Okay, okay," she readily agreed, then immediately cleared her throat and began to whine in his ear, "Dad? Dad? Dad? Hey, dad? Daaad! I'm bored. Daaad! I'm hungry. DAD! I HATE YOU!" Smash wiggled her brows, keeping pace with Reek as they neared the stream, though all of her attention remained fixed upon his homely face to see how she was doing.

Smash did her best to simulate the fatherhood experience and Reek tried to do what any good father would do. Ignore the whiner until the sound stops. But Smash continued to squeal in his ear like a banshee, and deciding he had enough, Reek quickened his pace toward the creek and dove headlong into the water to escape Smash's cajoling. Any fish with a shred of a sense of self-preseveration would have gotten out of dodge as quick as possible after the ensuing splash, but fishing didn't matter anymore. Reek was going to be a dad.

Reek popped his head out of the water and shook it dry. "You done?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear. This whole fatherhood thing would take more work than initially thought. By no means was Reek a patient man, but maybe... just maybe, his pups wouldn't be as obnoxious as him. The rise would be in a lot of trouble with a bunch of tiny Reek's mouthing off at anything and everything.

Reek sped up but Smash kept pace with him, whining like a very persistent mosquito. Then, quite suddenly, he was gone—and cold water was splashing over her front. Smash blinked and spit, then grinned and leaped in after him. Most wolves would have aimed for the spot on either side of the Beta wolf but Smash attempted to land right on top of him. That's what a small child would do, right?

"You done?" Reek wanted to know once they both surfaced but Smash was too busy suddenly pretending to drown, complete with gurgled screams for help and flailing limbs aimed at his head and shoulders. Would Reek prove the heroic fatherly sort, quickly rescuing his drowning pseudo-pup... or would he happily let her peskiness sink to a watery grave?

Fade soon and have another?! I absolutely adore these two.  Also, slight power-play PM me if you want me to change it!

It seemed fishing just wasn't in the cards for the two jokesters, and Reek couldn't have cared less.  Smash jumped into the water directly after Reek, crashing into his head and sending him tumbling back into the depths.  He resurfaced with a shake as she flopped around in the water like a trout on land.  Reek couldn't help but laugh at her hilarious pseudo-drowning display, however, it took him a moment to realize she wanted him to swoop in and save the day like Superdad he was to become.

He paddled his way to her flopping form and took the scruff of her neck in his jaws and began to drag her flailing body to the safety of the shore.  Reek dropped her on the bank of the creek.  "You're gonna be the death of me Smash," he grinned while panting from the struggle.

OK, I think you can wrap it up and ship it to the chives! :)

She was so busy playing the part of drowning victim that the pinch of teeth on her wet scruff actually took her by surprise. Smash inhaled a mouthful of water by accident, then continued to gargle it until the Beta hoisted her onto the bank. She then spouted it into the air, aiming for his face, before abruptly starting to laugh and spitting gushing water all over her already soaked front.

"Hey, aren't we supposed to be fishing? Hey, what if I'm the fish and you're the shark? You can't catch me!" Smash declared, not giving Reek even one second to react before she flung herself back into the water with a loud splash. Surely this would be a game he could play with his kids a few months from now.

"And don't forget," she shouted when she resurfaced and began treading water, "once you catch me, you can make me do your bidding for two hours!" With a snorting giggle, she breached like a dolphin (although with her sleek, dark fur, she looked much more like a sea lion) and disappeared beneath the bubbles and waves she had created.

To the archives!  Can't wait till the next one!

Smash's antics were certainly entertaining.  Although Reek was the type to be easily annoyed, Smash's upbeat demeanor kept him wrapped in interest to see what unpredictable thing she was going to do next.  Even in her best attempt to bring Reek to the peak of annoyance, he still found himself enjoying her company more than most of the other wolves of the rise.  She even rivaled Wyn in that respect. Apparently the two had finally gotten permission to breed and she even knew it before him, but where the hell was she?  His absentee wife was nowhere to be found.

As soon as he let her down at the bank, she jumped back into the water and bid Reek to give chase.  Reek pushed his doubt about Wynter from his head and jumped back into the water to give chase after her. "You're on," he giggled after making a resounding splash.  Once in the water, he thrashed and kicked in Smash's direction, attempting to take a nip out of her tail.  And together to two swam circles and played their games until they were tired, effectively exhausting the rest of Reek's two hours.