Tagging
@Stark for visibility, but AW. Vague because her Tangle thread is ongoing.
It wasn't a huge deal - she could backtrack and visit the sea sometime in the future - but Pepper wasn't exactly keen on hiking up and down a mountain.
There was no sign of Hogan at all, leading her to believe that this adventure had truly gone stale. It was irritating, and perhaps that irritation is what kept her motivated. When Pepper finally decided to take a breather, she had abandoned the river and accepted the situation for what it was: a doomed quest on the lower levels of a foreign mountain. The shale bed was uneven and precarious. The dirt was dried from all the sunlight, and what few trees she'd found were spindly things, reaching for the sky or twisting hungrily towards the sea, as if the salty water could save them from the summer heat. And she, panting regularly now, decided to take a break where the shadow of the mountain was the thickest.
Most importantly, she thought — rather, she swore to herself — that there was a familiar scent upon the wind, and so Pepper chose to linger a bit longer than she otherwise would've, just for a quick look around. Maybe Hogan had stopped here and moved on? Or maybe she was imagining things - who knows, this long on her own and her brains might've transformed in to scrambled eggs by now.
After the altercation with Octavia had left Stark bristled and angry and rather than turn to Banner or Rhodes to rile them up Stark took himself out of the packlands towards the river. He needed a drink, he needed to cool off, he needed to think and he wasn't able to do so with the packlands swallowing him up. He didn't want to see the mountainside, he didn't want to focus on anything else other than nothing - mind numbing, beautiful peace and silence.
He was careful not to get caught up in the mountain side, walking along the edge until he'd crossed the border and made for the Raven's Watch. The familiar flutter of wings and the caw of the ravens didn't unnerve him. Not anymore. He couldn't even be bothered to be concerned over the birds with the mood he was in.
He'd stepped into the river with both front paws, leaning down to slowly drink. He froze as a scent brushed past him, his head lifting as he peered around - someone was nearby even though he hadn't spotted anyone yet.
This was irritating. It was almost like being back at home and having to keep her wits about her, lest Hogan come traipsing by with one of his witty comments - she had to be prepared for those - or like she was being baited in to a trap, which happened from time to time as he laid out his practical jokes. Impractical, rather, as they often failed -- but, okay, back to the point.
She was being watched, and Pepper hated that.
So with as much finesse as an angry sow, the ruddy girl spun on her heels and began to investigate. Her body was rigid but her head was arched, like a queen, and her tail was raised, with the tip flicking with irritation across her back. She rounded a rocky corner where a series of boulders looked to have crashed down off the mountain, and went so far as to climb partway up their iregularly piled remains, when she spotted a dark figure doing the same thing she was doing. Someone was watching her — or, looking for her.
For a split second Pepper thought it was Hogan. She hadn't seen him in a while and was a little delirious maybe, and a lot mad about all the effort that went in to this entire stupid trip, so she didn't really consider that this might be someone else. Instead of stop and think like she usually would've done, Pepper climbed her way down off the boulder pile and shot out from the mountain's shadow towards the stranger, calling as she went: Hogan if that's you, I swear to god, your... Your ass is --
grass, she was going to say, except that was the moment she came very close to tripping and smacking in to the wolf in question.
Somehow she didn't, not entirely. Pepper stopped in the nick of time and slid partway, coming to a rest in Stark's face, at which point she was staring wide-eyed at him until realizing who the heck she had just been tailing. And oh, her reaction was both priceless and utterly Pepper: -- grass. Hi.
All the pomp and vigor seemed to drain as soon as she realized it was Stark, the big bad, the dude who stole away her best friend. Her voice was rather quiet, and not at all as demanding as she had been moments prior. And part of her, a part she loathed for just a moment, was actually glad to have found him and not an absolute stranger.
It was just the cherry on his shit-sundae that he couldn't find the source of the smell. Someone was around, even with the rain and the muck they'd had to deal with, and Stark couldn't locate them. As someone who prided themselves on their skills as a scout and a hunter that was just adding insult to injury. Stark felt his lips twitch in irritation, the hackles of his inky pelt raised as the nagging feeling of being watched washed over him. Whoever it was just needed to go ahead and come out, man up, and face him. Especially so close to his pack and with the way Octavia had looked he almost expected the silvertoned woman to launch herself at him at any moment.
Stark's expression changed drastically when he heard the resounding demand of the unknown visitor. The name was familiar to him, and his brow furrowed in confusion, it wasn't like Hogan was a common name after all. None of his friends had normal names, if he really thought about it, but he didn't care. Not too many people would come looking for Hogan who weren't also familiar to him - and just as he was flipping through his little black book a rust colored pile of fluff came tumbling down at him. Stark regarded her for a moment, he'd backed up a step or two to avoid being directly hit and it was good too.
Staring into those rather familiar eyes was something that pulled a curious look from his own and instantly he had relaxed a bit. "I knew you'd come crawling after me once I left. I told you so, didn't I Pep?" He quipped, his face shifting into a small but very genuine smile. Sure. He hadn't expected her, but, she was still familiar to him and he was relieved that she was okay given the state of Rhodes and the famine.
You? What in the world would possess me to do that, Mister Stark?
She shot right back at him, her tone a mixture of playful and serious to the point where anyone listening might think she was his angry ex-wife, but he'd have known better. Or maybe not. Maybe she really was super annoyed, because after all of time, after expending so much energy and worry over her best friend, she was met with a poor subsitute. Then again, she realized her attempt at being a smart ass was just leading him on to more conversation - which she didn't want - and before he could respond, she cut in: I thought you were Hogan. But I guess I'm not that lucky.
No, this wasn't Hogan at all. It was irritating to some degree that Stark was just sitting there, grinning like an idiot, probably enjoying his time as a vagabond far more than she was. The fact he didn't hold Hogan's scent was telling. It meant, to her at least, that Stark had not found their shared friend - and that Hogan wasn't here. It put a damper on her spirits for sure, but Pepper wasn't about to show her weakness in front of this silly boy. He'd enjoy that too much, she thought.
Have you seen him? The poor fool heard about you leaving, so he went to find you. I thought maybe -
ah, there was that tiny shred of weakness, that hope, and it caught in her throat; but Pepper pursed her lips, stood tall, and stopped her descent in to rambling. I thought wrong. I'll just be going then.
Except... She didn't move yet.
Of course it wouldn't be Pepper if she didn't fuss at him some. He'd be bored otherwise, and no doubt he provided a proper outlet for some of her frustrations. Stark grinned as she puffed up and blustered at him, her presence providing the much needed distraction to all the chaos in his life. "Because of my charm and good looks, naturally." Stark hummed out at her, his voice a surprisingly smooth sort of thing - it was clear he'd been well practiced in his days on the road. "Nah, you've got just little 'ol me instead." Which wasn't too bad of a consolation prize if he said so himself.
But if she was out looking for Hogan then that meant that Hogan had left. In a truly selfish fashion (and true to his wishes, honestly) Stark hoped that his friend was out looking for him. His tail wagged behind him at the thought of the Keep filled with the wolves he cared for the most. Maybe their good presences would help Octavia settle out - maybe they'd be happy again. It was a dream, certainly, and the man couldn't help but cant his head a bit lost to his thoughts until he realized that Pepper was confirming his thoughts.
"He's alright," Stark said suddenly - his voice a little softer realizing that yes Pepper had real emotions and yes she was genuinely worried about their friend. "Happy's strong - and he's smart. Got a way better head on his shoulders than I do." Stark offered, trying to bring a smile to her face. "I'm sure he's doing alright."
She leveled a bored expression upon him as he continued to talk, but sort of perked up as Stark's attention drifted away from himself (for a change) and back to Happy (which was the important part).
I know that,
she verbally parried, and while it might have been a tad insulting to confirm with such zeal that yes, Happy was better than Stark in many ways, there was a faint smile upon her lips. It felt good to have someone familiar with her even if it was Stark, of all people — which made her think of something else. But he's looking for you. And if I'm looking for him, maybe it's better if I just... ugh, stick around.
She rolled her eyes for emphasis, as Pepper wasn't exactly keen on living wherever Stark had ended up. Where had he ended up anyways?
I mean, I'm assuming you've found some place to call home. Maybe a hovel? A nice big cave to fit that swollen ego of yours?
Someone else might have been upset with the way that she was talking to him - no, definitely not Stark. He'd expect nothing less from Pepper than her particular brand of snark and sass, especially when it came to the unique way that she handled him. His ears cupped towards her a bit, curious over just what she was thinking when it came to sticking around. It sounded like she was thinking maybe Happy had been around the area and that was enough to make him hopeful.
Stark gave a little laugh, shaking his head as she asked about his little hovel. "I've got a little pack tucked away." Stark hummed out. "Are you wanting somewhere to hunker down?" To this his blue eyes narrowed curiously, wondering just what Pepper was hoping for.
A little pack? Huh. It surprised her, but only marginally. Stark knew how to get what he wanted, he often did, and to think he'd leave their shared home only to wander was naive. He did not outright hand her what she wanted, which was also to be expected; Pepper didn't like it when things were handed out to her, she liked to work for it. But at this point she was conflicted — on one hand she wanted to find Happy and having Stark's help would make that a lot easier. On the other, she hated the idea of asking him for anything.
I don't hunker,
she countered, tutting softly, and as she lifted her head with pride (or defiance if you read deeper in to it), she proposed something else: But I do carry my own weight, and by the looks of those bags under your eyes you could use a little help around the homestead.
He did look a little more worn-out than she remembered. So? What can I do for you, Mister Stark.
Stark had been doing his work. If not for the famine and finding Octavia he might not have stayed in the Keep. Maybe he would have ended up in Donnelaith, or maybe he would have just kept on going. Slowly but surely though he was finding everyone he'd missed - Captain had left but she wasn't in his like Banner or Rhodey were. And now here was Pepper, which surprised him, and yet it didn't. He quirked a brow, a little grin catching his lips in an attractive little shift. "Well don't you sound so sure I'd take you, Miss Pepper?" He asked.
Not like he'd really turn her away, no - of course not. But he had to keep her on her toes and he had to make her sweat just a little bit.
"There's a whole laundry list of things that I need done, honestly. You interested in the position?" Stark asked, his head lifting just a bit. "I might be shopping for a personal assistant but the competition is pretty steep." Well. In a sense.
Personal assistant,
she parroted, sounding less-than-impressed, and shifted her weight (the equivalent of having a hand on her hip if she were a human). Her head was slightly cocked and she watched him. At your beck'n'call, all hours of the night, doing whatever you say, that kind of personal assistant?
To be honest it sounded like it would be right up her alley.
The downside was, Pepper couldn't imagine what sort of hoops Stark would be making her jump through — and if he was doing this as some form of come-on (which was also entirely plausible, because duh) then she would be correcting that erroneous assumption pretty quickly.
Pepper scoffed softly, but in the end she admitted, I guess it could be worse.
Hell, he could be trying to add her to some kind of harem, or a cult, but Pepper had to trust he still had a modicum of sense within his head; there must have been room in there somewhere, besides that big brain and overdose of ego.
This was entirely different than the usual way that he went about talking to the potential members of the pack. Well, firstly, it was Pepper and she was anything but normal but then there was also the whole thing that this was going to be yet another wolf he brought into the pack, hand picking them as it was. He was securing the pack as his, even if he'd never brought it into mind that way. 'Well, yeah, occasionally taking out the trash, maybe relaying some messages for me, managing my schedule - all that fun stuff." All those things that he knew Pepper could handle and be very good at.
Stark offered a little smile as he nodded towards her and then shifted his gaze back to the Keep. "It could be, sure. You could be somewhere without my gorgeous face to stare at." He teased, daring to step closer to her and brush his pelt against hers. "Are you ready, Pep?"
The thought that Stark could ever adhere to any sort of schedule, or any kind of structure, made her want to laugh. Her eyes gleamed as the thought passed through her mind, but she remained composed, and listened. I'm ready for anything,
she confirmed dryly, and fell in to an easy stride beside Stark as he led the way back home — which, for future reference, still absolutely flabbergasted her. Stark, in control of an entire pack? Being responsible? Why did it feel like she was living some kind of joke, headed for a really bad punch line?