Teleporting across the map was a wild ride, and Chip found herself on the doorstep of a pack. Huh. She knew there were plenty around here (everywhere she went, really), but she hadn't really considered that she might end up on somebody's doorstep so soon after coming back to these parts. It was a super spooky forest, but Chip wasn't really scared of anything, EVER, so she stood there, waiting for something to jump out at her. When nothing did, she giggled.
SPOOKY FOREST, YOU CAN'T SCARE ME!
she yelled at the top of her lungs. Yes, that helped. Chip sucked in another breath, and it came out in a puff of vapor in the cool afternoon air. She was looking forward to warmer weather, but cold weather had its perks, too. Flopping down into a sit, she waited to be greeted, which was what usually happened when she lingered on a pack's borders for any length of time.
With the famine, there were more and more trespassers who grew brave at the Nightwalker's borders. Almost every day now there was one to hunt down, only for it to slow down now. Perhaps it was word of mouth, perhaps it was the lack of new brave souls to replace the fallen ones who were served for a greater purpose of feeding the Warlord and anyone else who was hungry enough to feed their demons with a taboo feast upon a brother's flesh.
One, however, almost brought a wicked smile onto his lips. The female's voice echoed in the woods and summoned the beast who claimed these lands as his own to go and investigate. Thundering paws carried him toward the sound, swiftly but not in haste. Within a moment he emerged from the mist, a meaty man who clearly was barely affected by the lack of large prey wandering about. Perhaps I can change your mind.
Bright rubies looked the woman over before parting his lips in a humourous reply to her previous outburst.
Chip was only a little shook when he spoke, and for a second she thought the forest itself was speaking. After a hot second, though, she realized it was just a nice-lookin' hunk of meat. Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?
she asked rhetorically. Her eyes were not actually sore. They were just fine, thank you very much. Why would you want to scare little ol' me, anyway? I'm adorable, funny, smart, sexy, etcetera.
Chip had no qualms about talking herself up, especially around hotties. And let's be honest, her standards were rock bottom, so everybody was hot to her. Not that they needed to know that.
I'm Chipmunk, by the way. Most call me Chip, though. What's your name, hot stuff?
As she spoke he couldn't help but think of Vanity. They were similar in many ways. One of which was a similar headache, the other was their outwardly flirtatious behavior. For a moment he has amused with the thought of the two of them meeting, what would happen? Vanity didn't seem opposed to female companionship, so what would this one think of the white-faced woman? At this moment he didn't realize he was grinning.
It depends on what use you are to me.
Vanity was capable of fighting, though their last little spar ended awkwardly, oddly, but this one... could she do the same? The parallels were building one atop the other the longer he pondered about it. Walking forward, he closed the distance between them, circling around her as he sat on what he would do with this one. Barely a snack.
He cooed, responding to her name. Chipmunk, a little mouse-like creature who could barely be a mouthful to a starving belly. My name is Vengeance. Why are you here, Chip?
Chip? Of use? Hah! That really was a good joke, whether he knew it or not. Then he mentioned her being a “snack” which was true, but not in the traditional sense. She was, like, a snack. Something to be sought after. Well, she knew better than that. Who sought out snacks, anyway? If somebody left them in the break room, you might have one, but it wasn’t like you’d been lookin’ for a snack or anything like that.
He introduced himself as Vengeance, which Chip found a little heavy-handed for her tastes, but she could work with it. Uh...
she trailed off, trying to put together the words to answer. I don’t really have a solid reason. I just go where my feet take me.
If he was looking for loyalty or anything longer term than a quick fling, Chip was the wrong gal for the job.
SShhhh Ven, just let her in, I wanna see what Chip do
His frown deepened as he scrutinized the young lady. Her flippant decision to call for a meeting with leadership with no real idea in her head for reasoning was enough for him to walk away or chase her away and find some kind of entertainment out of it...
We are a pack of mercenaries. If you believe you can handle it here, I'd be interested in letting you stay.
Perhaps watching her among the others would be interesting enough to let her walk through his gates. Perhaps she'll be torn apart, or surprise them all and fit right in for as long as she stayed...
Never the less, he was feeling benevolent enough today.
Wow, so tough. Chip was mentally rolling her eyes, but she managed to keep it hidden well enough on the outside. Big bad wolf and his big bad pack of baddies. Still, he was offering her a chance, and it was cold. What was there to lose? Besides, y'know, her life. Oh, and maybe the lives of whatever offspring she'd surely end up carrying this year. She was ambivalent about the latter.
And what sort of punishment is there for getting knocked up?
she asked. I have a habit of doing that, so I wanna make sure I'm not gonna get murdered if that happens.
She was honest, that much was true. With her heat certain to arrive in the next few months, she planned on making sure she didn't end up with a raw deal.
The woman was already thinking about the possibility of becoming pregnant. She was rather sure of herself that was for sure - and with the lack of males around, she had slimmer pickings in the rank than she probably would prefer... unless she got knocked up by some randy loner.
There are none. You are free to breed, but your pups are your responsibility. Their survival depends on their parents.
He began. But should we wind up with too many pups, some might be sent out to fend for themselves - all of mine have priority to stay of course.
The man added finally. Nightwalkers were all about survival of the fittest after all - and having the leadership position, his brood would always come first.
Well, that wasn't a terrible deal. While Chip didn't exactly love kids (far from it), they were a side-effect of her natural instincts. Knowing that she wouldn't be kicked to the curb was nice. Besides, she tended to peace out once they were old enough not to need her anymore. Not that Vengeance needed to know everything she planned on doing. Some things were better left unsaid.
Cool,
she replied. Sounds like I can stick around, then.
At least, until she grew bored and moved on to something else.
Go on and discover your new home. I suggest you refine your fighting abilities, it won't take long for someone to challenge you, for no good reason.
Was his only warning. She didn't seem like the type to fight, and as far as he was concerned, she may not even graduate from the rank of a soldier should she stay around even long enough to be that.
But perhaps she would surprise him. There were plenty already who had done just that. Otherwise, she could simply be of some entertainment to lighten up their dull lives; even if it meant at the cost of her possible future puppies' lives or her own.
we can end this here if you'd like!! go on Chip, go flirt around and do your thing!!!
Chip? Fight? She was a lover! But she nodded anyway. If anybody tried to challenge her, she could always get out of it. She had no lofty aspirations of becoming the head honcho, so she certainly wouldn't be challenging anybody. She did plan to scope out the gentlemen and see what they were about, and she thought that was the best way to get to know the pack on a more intimate level.
With a wink to her new leader, she strutted past him, sure to brush up against him to a) smell a bit more like the pack and b) flirt with him, OF COURSE.