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+--- Thread: The Heartwood this little bluebird came looking for you. (/showthread.php?tid=21511)
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this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 19, 2017
@Rannoch <3
Finding Rannoch's pack had not worked the magic she had thought it would on her heart. Not completely, and not immediately. She had hoped the feelings of guilt over leaving the Caldera would have been washed away completely by beginning this new life of hers. That maybe she would immediately feel at home and that contentment would banish the misery. It had somewhat helped, but her arrival had been only a distraction from her wound when she desperately needed a bandage.
Liffey had slipped away from the pack to wander the Heartwood, seeking more distraction in exploring the bare stalks and scrubby patches of new grass attempting to grow across the barren ground. It was a melancholy sight and felt uncomfortably metaphorical to her own situation. The Blackthorn scratched at a weathered old tree limb that lay strewn across the forest floor, pulling it away to peer at a tiny yellow flower hiding in its shade.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 19, 2017
With each passing day, Rannoch found himself wandering further from the Glen and into the Heartwood as he attempted to distance himself from looming borders of Neverwinter. Though the sight of their former home was growing more familiar by the day, Rannoch knew that it was something that he did not want to become accustomed to.
Thankfully since settling, Rannoch had had a distraction to keep him from his memories: Liffey. He had been impressed of how quickly she had found them, and he was more than pleased to have her amongst his ranks. Rannoch was confident that she would be a great addition to the pack; she was creative, quirky, friendly-- everything that marked a good recruit, in his opinion. He also saw her joining as an opportunity to get to know her more, as that was what he wanted all along. He was very interested in every aspect for her, hungry to learn what she was all about. Perhaps, spoke a small glimmer of hope in the back of his mind, she also wanted to know more about him, too.
She was at the forefront of his mind as he weaved through the Heartwood, his body poised with authority as he followed her scent. Soon enough he caught sight of her and paused at a comfortable distance as he watched her from behind. Curious to what she was digging at, as he could not see from his current position, he took a step forward and called to her as butterflies began to form in the pit of his stomach: "Hey weirdo." His tail waved, and his eyes shone as he looked at her, waiting for her to turn to him.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 19, 2017
"Poor little thing..." Liffey murmured quietly to herself just before the sound of approaching footsteps took her attention. After another moment, she heard his voice. In spite of her sorrowful mood, a smile slid across her face as she turned to look at her friend.
"Hi weirdy," she replied, her tail waving gently. If there was one source of distraction that never failed, it was Rannoch. She bowed her head in a respectful greeting, but soon enough relaxed into his company. She recognized him as her alpha easily, but it still felt a little strange to her. She had only ever followed wolves who were far older than she, and also her relatives. There was a definitive difference here in those respects, not to mention she'd never been attracted to her alpha before. She wasn't quite that weird, at least...
Liffey shook her head lightly to clear her thoughts. "What brings you here this afternoon?" she asked conversationally, "Here to enjoy this er.. lovely forest?" Her eyes swept around at the broken, dead trees surrounding them with a wry smile.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 19, 2017
Taking the more dominant stance between them, Rannoch stood tall as he looked to her. Despite his power within the pack, Rannoch felt weak in the knees at the very sight of her. He couldn't pinpoint what exactly about her made him feel this way, nor did he question it, and instead he just accepted it for what it was.
"I'm actually here to see you," he answered quickly with a wag of his tail. Rannoch made a point to seek out the newest recruits and Liffey was no exception to this rule. He was genuinely interested to see how she had been faring since she had settled and he figured the check in would prove as a good opportunity to get some alone time with her.
"I wanted to see how you were doing," the elaborated smoothly, his smile growin as he looked to her.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 19, 2017
Her heart fluttered when he admitted to coming there to see her specifically. She chided herself inwardly, reminding herself that it was probably not a personal thing. He was her alpha now and she was a member of his pack. He was checking on her just like he would anyone else. She was not special, and she'd only get herself hurt if she insisted on thinking otherwise.
Still.. it was hard not to get carried away. Fortunately, his next question sobered her and her smile faltered in spite of herself. "I'm okay," Liffey said with a gentle sigh, "It's a little strange to be away from home, is all." Her tone belied the nonchalance of her words, she knew. She had never been great at not wearing her heart on her sleeves. But still, the Blackthorn had no desire to burden Rannoch with her troubles.
"Everything seems to be working out well for you and your brothers," Liffey added, her head tilted slightly as though her comment had been a question. She did wonder if this was what he had envisioned - all these wolves following him. Had that always been the plan? She suspected it was so, but was interested to hear his take on the matter.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 19, 2017
Rannoch was not surprised to hear that it was odd for her and he nodded at this in agreement. "Yeah, it was the same way for me when I ran off," he admitted in an attempt to soothe any fears that she might have had. Even when the oddity of it all had been overbearing for Rannoch, he had somehow found a way to overcome it and was more than confident that Liffey would be able to, too. "It takes time," he concluded after a beat, his tone kind as he looked to her.
Liffey's compliment, or at least that's how the broad-shouldered man had taken it, caused something to flutter within his chest and he ducked his head in appreciation as he smiled. "They are, surprisingly so," he admitted with baited breath as if he didn't want to jinx anything. Even with the road bump between him and Rian, they had been able to work it out, and Rannoch was pleased that they had been able to go from there. "It's even better that you're here, too," he admitted freely, taking a step closer. "I'm glad you came."
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 19, 2017
His words were a comfort to her. A small lump had risen in her throat at his kindness and the insistent stroke of her pain against her heart. She swallowed the emotion and forced it away. Now was not the time. She did her grieving for her family only when she was alone, when there was nothing to keep the hurt at bay. There was something here before her now to save her, whether he knew that's just what he was doing or not.
Liffey smiled, glad to hear that he agreed that this adventure of his was turning out the way he wanted. She felt butterflies fluttering about inside her stomach as he commented about her own presence there, remarking that it somehow made things better and he was glad for it. She stilled as he stepped nearer, wondering at this new side of Rannoch. When last they'd met, he had made similar remarks to her, but they'd always been accompanied by a certain degree of bashfulness. There was a shyness to him still, but not nearly what it had been. He seemed more confident, more sure of himself.
It was totally working for her. She needed to quit that, though.
"I'm not sure why," the young Blackthorn commented after a pause, "I mean, my obviously essential weirdness aside, I don't know what I really have to offer everyone." You, specifically... she added in her head, then chided herself for bothering with the thought.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 20, 2017
Rannoch in the company of his pack was a much different wolf than he had been in the company of Liffey. With his pack nearby, Rannoch felt a special power to his presence, one which seemed to override the butterflies that flurried about so wickedly in the pit of his belly. But even with this sense of strength, he was aware of how easily Liffey could tear that all down. There was something different about her-- something that allowed him no control over his emotions. It was as if she had him by the reigns and, if ever such an occasion came up, she would have him wrapped around her finger.
Liffey's reply to his statement caused him to pause mentally as he looked at her, frowning slightly. "You're smart," he began, knowing this to be true. "You've got a lot you can teach the pack-- like the stars," Rannoch drove himself another step forward to make her feel like she did belong because he was confident that she did. "And you're funny, and you're nice and ..." He hesitated one the last thought, a flush of heat rising at his selfish thought: "I really liked our night together."
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 20, 2017
Something was definitely different about him today. It was almost as though he had gained another year of experiences since last they'd been together. Liffey wondered about this, imagining what might have happened to him in the time they'd been apart to change him so much. It was certainly not a bad change - quite the opposite. The shy boy she'd stargazed with had been sweet and endearing. This one was making her pulse quicken in a not wholly unpleasant way. She rather liked it, but it now was her turn to be at a loss for words.
He thought she was smart... And that she had a lot to offer, and she was funny, and she was nice, and... Holy shit. Liffey had to fight to continue to breathe steadily as he moved closer to her again, which was made worse when she realized she had casually taken a step towards him as well. It was as though she wasn't in control of her own body, the way her whole self reacted to him. Animal magnetism indeed. She bowed her head slightly and peered up at him as she responded in a small voice, "I did too."
Her heart was freaking out.
What was happening?
"I completely suck at hunting," she blurted out suddenly and loudly, breaking out of whatever trance he was lulling her into, like an idiot.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 20, 2017
"I did too."
The three simple words brought panic to his system, flooding his being with uncertainty despite her confirming words. Fretting of just what this meant, his system went into overdrive as he attempted to comprehend what this meant for them. And yet, somehow, despite the storm within, Rannoch's only faltered slightly to her confession; a gentle motion of his ears lowering indicated that he felt anything at that moment. Despite his lack of movement, something was shinging bright in his eyes that he was well and alive, sunniness glittering in his sea-like eyes.
Had it not been for her blurting that Rannoch would have been lost in the recluses of his mind. Parking to attention at her confession, Rannoch's momentary shock subsided, and he smiled, tempting one last step forward. "I could teach you," he offered, his lifted tail wagging gently. "I mean, I'm not the best either," he knew that Tryp was their best hunter, but he ventured: "but, we could try?" Perhaps, as a team, they would be better?
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 20, 2017
Her heart was pounding, even after she had broken the spell of their moment. She searched his face, praying he didn't throw his paws up, officially deem her too weird and walk out on her. She began to settle when the look of surprise left him and he smiled. Liffey took it as a sign that he forgave her little faux pas. But now she found herself in an all new predicament.
What kind of wolf admitted to being a terrible hunter to their new alpha? Her parents had always attempted to stress upon her that it was imperative for everyone of their species to be at least decent at the skill. Liffey had never paid much attention to that. It had never seemed particularly important before when her alphas were her parents and they obviously would never throw her out for her uselessness. But this was something entirely different... And it probably would have been better for her to keep it to herself, practice on her own and try to improve before Rannoch found out how very flawed she was at it.
Oh well.
"That would probably be a good idea," she admitted, wincing slightly from her embarrassment, "But I have to warn you, I'm seriously... all kinds of terrible. Like, impressively terrible. My brother's idea of me helping him with a hunt was to send me into the den to hide until at least an hour after it was all over. And sometimes, I still screwed it up." Liffey wanted to be kidding, but truth be told, how could she be blamed that the rabbit had wandered innocently up to her in the den and startled its own damn self before Lagan could give chase? "It's only fair that you know ahead of time," she added sagely, biting her lip.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 20, 2017
Liffey's movements spoke volumes to the newly-crowned alpha. Sensing this self-consciousness from within as she winced, Rannoch's smiled grew, yet, he did not speak until she had elaborated on just how awful she was. A gentle laugh rolled from his mouth quickly, finding the humor in the scenario that she had shared. Though this wouldn't appeal to most alphas or his brothers for that matter, Rannoch found it endearing.
"Hey, it'll be okay," he assured, fighting the urge to reach out and brush his nose against her cheek. In addition to the cravings that he had for her, there was an element about his infatuation that made him want to reach out and touch her. He wasn't sure why; whether it was his curiosity for what she felt like or a desire to be even nearer to her, Rannoch could not explain the temptation.
Tearing his eyes way from her, he turning his sights deeper into the Heartwood, his expression thoughtful. He had found a good variety of prey here and was sure they would find something within the tangle of decaying trees. "So, what are you in the mood to eat?" Rannoch asked, attempting to get the subject from her lack of talent and to the hunt at hand. "I can't guarantee we'll find it, but, I'll try my best to get us what you want," wanting to please her, Rannoch turned his eyes back to her beautiful face and smiled. He'd allow her to lead for this instance.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 20, 2017
As easy as it was to recognize Rannoch as her alpha, Liffey seemed to find it just as easy to forget all about that as they spent time together. It was likely a flaw of her upbringing being the daughter of alphas and so seeing the role as more of a parent than what it was. She would adjust, but even so there would always be something more comfortable in the way she regarded him. He had been her friend first, after all. When they were together with the rest of the pack, it would be different. But for the moment, he was just Rannoch. Just.. handsome, charming, knee-weakening Rannoch.
"Something slow would be best," Liffey replied with a sheepish grin. They apparently were really going to do this thing, and that caused her to feel butterflies of a different color in her stomach. She turned as he moved to walk beside him, her eyes scanning the dead woods around them. "Have you scented anything around here worth tracking?" she asked, knowing she herself had not.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 20, 2017
Nodding to Liffey's suggestion, his find his attention fleeing to the depths of the woods. Despite the nagging need in the back of his head to his attention on her. But, with the task on hand, Rannoch, unfortunately, had to divide his attention for now.
Since he had been following her trail, Rannoch had not taken into consideration the scent of prey. But, with their new agenda at the forefront of his mind, Rannoch scented the air by inhaling deeply. It seemed as though the duo had a range of options, but there was an oddity amongst the midst that struck out to the blue-eyed leader: beaver. Though it made sense the nearby Creek would attract beavers, Rannoch had not considered it. But, regardless of what had been expected, he felt as though it was the slowest option for them to practice hunting.
"How about beaver?" He asked, drawing his tongue over his chops as he turned his attention back to the wolf of the Caldera in an attempt to get her perspective on the matter.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 20, 2017
Liffey tried not to show her surprise when Rannoch so quickly recognized the scent of prey. Now that she put her nose to it, she supposed there were a few different scents around her that were likely animal. She seriously needed to get better at this... She had done well at paying more attention to sounds and moving slower when she was alone to recognize things by sight. Her nose was still woefully underused, which was likely why she was such a pathetic hunter.
Fortunately, she kept this inner commentary to herself and didn't make herself look even more inept in front of her new alpha. When he mentioned beaver, Liffey looked at him with raised brows. What were beaver? The name sounded familiar, but she had never actually encountered one. "I think that'll work. I've never seen one before, though. Aren't those like squirrels? But in water?" she asked quietly, then paused, "Wait no, those are called otter..." So much for not looking inept... "We didn't get a lot of variety at the Caldera," she explained, smiling apologetically.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 20, 2017
Due to the range in Neverwinter's diverse biome, both Rannoch and Cypress had been able to experience an array of different wildlife from a young age. But, given the timeline of his young life and when he had been abducted, Rannoch had only gotten to see a beaver a handful of times; far less than he had seen any other wildlife.
Nodding as she attempted to recall what a beaver was, Rannoch listened as she talked. It seemed as though Liffey had been heading in the right direction to explain the mammal. But, even with her strong start, her answer began to crumble as she advanced. Uncertainty overrode her psyche as she soon realized that she didn't know what he was talking about and as she fell silent, Rannoch stepped in.
"It's kind of like an otter," he clarified, his tone encouraging. "It's fat and got some teeth that are big and stick out of it's mouth," the specifics were lost with age, "and it's got the weirdest tail-- flat and black." Even as he explained it, he realized how strange it sounded, and he smiled. "Trust me; I'm not making this up." Observing her, he then waited, wondering what she made of this seemingly mythical creature.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 23, 2017
Liffey listened closely as Rannoch explained to her about beavers. In spite of what he said, they definitely sounded like he was making them up. "You sure? Cause you really do sound like you're making this up," Liffey said, proving that I don't lie. She quirked a brow slightly as she grinned. "Then again, other animals can be super weird looking.. Have you ever seen a mole?" She shuffered shuttered shuddered (LOL) even as she said the name of it. She really hated those things. "I really hate those things," See how smart and honest I am?
Not wanting to appear as though she wasn't trying to help, Liffey leaned her head down as they walked, sniffing intently at the foliage as she moved. Even with Rannoch's description, she wasn't completely sure what beavers looked like and so it was very unlikely she'd recognize the scent of one. But still, it was a good exercise.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 24, 2017
Liffey was able to conjure a smile from Rannoch quickly. She had a way of doing this to him, and the turquoise-eyed man couldn't comprehend how she did this. He had reflected upon this fact on more than occasion, yet, he could not come to a concrete conclusion and he would not for quite some time. "
The mention of "mole" stirred him from his continuous infatuation and brought confusion upon the Alpha. Having never encountered the creature that brought such a strong distaste from Liffey, Rannoch knew that he wanted to figure it out what exactly it was so that he could make sure that Liffey was safe from them. "What are 'Moles'?" His question was asked slowly as his mouth worked to enunciate the foreign word that she had spoken so effortlessly.
Liffey then dropped her positioning so that she could sniff at the floor. Lowering himself, he pulled up alongside her with his muzzle lowered while stealing a glance at the fire-eyed woman. "Do you smell anything out of the ordinary?" he asked in an attempt to prompt her to seek out the scent of beaver. Rannoch only knew it because of the musky odor it gave off, and in comparison to the wood-bound creatures, Rannoch found it to stick out among the others like a sore thumb.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 25, 2017
Liffey picked up her head to peer at Rannoch in surprise. She wondered for a moment if he was actually teasing her, but the way he said the word 'mole' told her otherwise. Plus, it kind of made sense. Moles weren't exactly known for frolicking in the bright sunshine. "They're kind of like rats. Same color, same worm-looking tail. But they're feet are flat and wide like leaves with long claws and their noses have these long tentacle things coming out of them like whiskers but they're gross and terrible and oh my gosh I hate them so much," Liffey shivered visibly, her revulsion clear on her face, "Plus they eat worms, which are ten times more disgusting than moles."
In her rambling, she had sort of forgotten about the whole hunting thing. She paused when he asked about her progress, realizing pretty quickly what exactly that meant. "You're asking that because I should have by now, aren't you..." Liffey asked, her ears sliding back as embarrassment began to seep into her. Lord she was terrible at this... At least she had warned him, though that wasn't really as comforting as she had hoped it would be.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 26, 2017
What was describe of only brought one word to his mind: disgusting. Rannoch considered himself fortunate that he had never run into one and he hoped the lucky would continue for the longevity of the life ahead of him. His face twisted in ways unimaginable, voicing his dislike without saying a single word. Finally, with the quivering of her body, Rannoch expressed a pained, "bleh," to agree with the hatred she harbored for them.
Though the revolting subject matter had derailed Liffey's train of thought in her search for the elusive creature, Rannoch still felt confident that she would be able to find it. A smile met her embarrassment, and his eyes shone as he looked upon her. "You're doing fine," Rannoch reassured, hoping that such encouragement would inspire her.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 29, 2017
Rannoch didn't seem to mind that she was totally sucking at this. His encouragement brought heat to her cheeks and she found herself unable to keep her gaze on him for much longer than a few seconds. Resolved to do better, she put her attention back to the task at hand (paw?) if only to impress him and make him continue to smile at her in that way he did. Even if it was nothing and would never amount to anything, she liked the attention she received from him.
It took a few minutes of sniffing around in the general vicinity before she began working out the different scents that were scattered about. She knew nothing of beavers except for the brief description Rannoch had given her, but eventually her logical mind worked its way to deciding that the one trail that seemed more river-y than the others might be the one they needed. Without a word, Liffey glanced up at Rannoch imploringly, hoping he would confirm that she'd found it.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 29, 2017
With his encouragement, Liffey then took some time to sample the scents of the forest. While she did this, Rannoch watched on hopefully as she investigated further in an attempt to seek what he had requested of her. He remained silent as she did this and instead lingered as a supportive front, his expression of hopefulness never wavering as he observed.
When Liffey finally did look up, the man's expression brightened. "Let's see what we find," prompted Rannoch with a wave of his tail out of encouragement, hoping that she would then lead to the way to find whatever she had smelled.
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 29, 2017
Rannoch didn't outright tell her she was on the right track, but she could tell easily enough by his response - both verbal and non. She didn't think he'd let her follow the wrong trail as that would end up with her making a fool of herself, which she was definitely not willing to do in front of him. In any event, Liffey trusted his encouragement and began to follow the trail with a playful flourish of her tail. "Hopefully it's edible, whatever it is I lead us to," she commented lightly, smiling at him.
The trail Liffey had found was a fortunately only slightly meandering one. Wherever the critter was leading them, he was going in a fairly straight line towards it, which gave Liffey the confidence to let her attention split between the hunt and her handsome companion. She moved in silence for a few minutes, biting her lip and wondering what to say to him. "So, tell me about where you think we'll end up," Liffey prompted finally, "Like, do you guys have anything in mind as to what you're looking for in a territory?"
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Rannoch’s Ghost - April 29, 2017
Laughter rose from the within his broad chest at her commentary on what she was about to lead him to. Personally, Rannoch harbored a great amount of confidence in her. But, despite this, he fell into line with a lighthearted remark of his own: "I'm sure it will be. I mean, we can eat rocks if it's necessary, right?" Amused by his wit, Rannoch smiled. Turning towards her, Rannoch wagged his tail. "At least, I'd eat a rock for you," promised Rannoch with a happy wag of his tail. Infatuation did incredible things to him, including the promise he had just made. Truth be told at this point Rannoch would do just about anything for Liffey, but even he was not fully aware of the span of his commitment to her.
Stepping carefully after her, Rannoch followed blindly after. He would occasionally sniff to see if they were keeping the course. All seemed well for the pair, and soon enough another subject came to Rannoch by way of a question from Liffey. "I think I want to find somewhere that's easily protected," reflected Rannoch, his respond delayed due to his giving thought to her question. "We also want somewhere that has herbs so Rose doesn't have to travel far and some trees-- but not a forest worth." Though Rannoch had an idea of what he wanted for the pack, he felt that he would only truly know what they were looking for once they found it. Curious to know what she wanted, he returned the question: "What would you like to see in an ideal home?"
RE: this little bluebird came looking for you. - Liffey - April 29, 2017
Liffey felt herself warm at his words, as silly as they were. He'd eat a rock for her? Briefly, she thought of Titmouse and the boy's weird fascination with eating stones, and Phox with his weird fascination with collecting them. She pushed the thought away almost as quickly as it came. They reminded her of home, and though she would never even consider that she might miss them, she did not want to think at all of the Caldera. Not now or ever.
Rannoch, ever the helpful young man, shortly assisted her immensely with shoving all thoughts of her family and former home straight out of her head with a single, innocent comment.
Rose.
Who was Rose?
Liffey didn't miss a beat outwardly. She continued trotting along companionably without the slightest flinch as Rannoch bandied about the name of some other girl. Emotion was coursing through her inside, however, as her mind began to race in circles. Who was Rose? Which one was she? Why she was she important? There were not many females in the pack, and as Liffey considered it more, she remembered being introduced to this girl. She was younger, but not so young that Liffey could brush off Rannoch's consideration of her so easily.
Once again, Rannoch saved her (and maybe himself a little bit). His question distracted her from the thousands that were fighting to barrel out of her throat and she forced herself to focus on it instead. "Hm... I've never considered it too much," she replied honestly, not like Rose apparently had..., "I guess just... open skies. Or tall cliffs above the trees where you can feel like you're actually standing inside the sky." Her tail began to wag softly at the thought, but stilled as that damn name came back to her head... Rose.
"Is Rose a medic?" she asked in a perfectly conversational tone, unable to help herself. Liffey wanted to ask about Rannoch's personal qualifications for a new territory. It being easy to protect seemed like a collective desire, not so much a personal one. But... Rose. What was that about?