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+--- Thread: Lost Creek Hollow i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue (/showthread.php?tid=34865)
i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Terance - June 04, 2019
and so, today marked the end of an era. as rannoch presumably went back to his wife and kids, terance made a beeline for the den, where he had left @Treason with the kids when rannoch had originally called for him. he hadn’t been gone but for a few minutes, the longest part of it all being the travel distance, and it was highly likely that she might’ve even heard his one outburst of anger.
he crouched as he made to enter the den, accidentally kicking a little, overcurious pike as he entered.
whoops —he muttered as the pup tumbled back and made a few squeaks, making sure the pup was okay (he was) before looking up at treason… that was not his biggest concern right now. his expression was grim, definitely laced with an emotion that treason probably had never seen upon him before.
rannoch and liffey are leaving — they’re going to join the redhawks. i gave rannoch an hour to get his kids and leave or i’m going to chase them out — but rannoch is smart, he’ll be gone before then,was terance’s introduction to the situation. pike had risen and was currently gnawing on one of terance’s ankles, not really listening the the situation, but lord knows what the other pups were understanding — hopefully not anything, since they were pretty young.
if it’s anything like last time, when they leave it’s just going to be me and you and the kids,he said, a little more solemnly,
and sarah, i hope. ibis and okeanos are still here but they’re planning to leave any day.terance had more to say, but he let treason absorb all that. he stood at the mouth of the den, staring at his mate, fur still a little ruffled from all it’s bristling. waiting.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Arbiter - June 04, 2019
She hadn't heard -- or at least not with any clarity. So as he started in with his tale, she stared, face relatively expressionless as she thought through all he said. As he went on she tipped her head, entirely confused. None of it made logical sense. But the pups were here and she wasn't sure it was something they should get dragged into -- they were young but not stupid.
There was this pause as she thought, then got up to her feet, starting to shepherd the other two pups towards the entry,
Outside, you three. You can play better out there.It wasn't like enforcing naptime was working as well any more. They were probably to the point where they could stay outside for the whole day unless the weather was foul. For now, it was a good excuse to try to get them a little out of earshot and distracted.
After getting them outside, she went off to the side, with Terance probably following. Not that she spoke particularly loudly to start, she kept her voice low,
Wait, they made this pack and now they're just leaving with their whole brood to go join another one? How does that even make sense? They could ask the pack as a whole to move but instead they're just leaving some of of us?She couldn't find the logic in it, which showed as she looked between him and the pups.
I can see how much the rest of us mean to them if they were going to just sneak off without a word...Why hadn't Rannoch called for her as well? Certainly it would have made more sense for him to stop by the den to talk to both of them -- even if he was calling only his friends, certainly her position as a leader meant she was worthy of being told first-hand. Did her long time loyalty and service mean so little? She thought Rannoch was better than that.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Terance - June 04, 2019
terance quieted as the pups were ushered outside, even pike went out without a fight -- happy to go find some bugs to eat. when treason returned with questions, terrance patiently answered them all.
rannoch said that liffey's sister died so they're going to help out, or something. it's not even her sister, they're just family friends... she's actually my cousin, so if anyone should go its me, but that's besides the point,terance said with a mild bit of surprised realization and a little bit of rambling. he forgot (on purpose) that he was related to the redhawks through his mother. he wondered if he'd ever told treason that... whatever.
terance nodded again.
it's liffey's doing. this is what happened when we left moonspear. liffey wanted to go so they went and rounded everyone they liked up and left. i'm guessing they'll go find gannet, too, since he and liffey are so close,he explained with a flick of his ear. and then, to the last comment, terance's expression fell to something that looked a little more miserable than anything else.
rannoch might've said something to you, but i told to leave now,he said in rannoch's defense, although he somehow doubted they would've found liffey.
terance found himself sitting, now.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Arbiter - June 04, 2019
If anything that just made the whole thing more of a mess. Like it might actually give her a headache, so she sat down near Terance and probably went about semi-repeating herself at just how unbelievable the whole mess was.
They're taking half the pack, why would they just choose to leave instead of considering moving everyone together? Regardless of the reason behind it, it doesn't make sense,which was perhaps putting it nicely. Selfish, more like. Stupid too. They'd gone and yanked the rug out from under any who didn't blindly follow and seemed to be keen to gut the pack entirely and not give a damn -- obviously with Ibis leaving they were already down one wolf even if Treason questioned her usefulness.
It's too much for them to just throw at us and expect to accept. It's more than Moonspear. Especially if Gannet goes -- he'd bring Mona as well, I'd imagine.Who did that leave?
Her muzzle scrunched up in distaste but didn't show a fang. They'd been played like fools. After all they'd done for the pack, to the point of returning the title to a much weaker wolf than the he'd been before, they were dismissed without aid.
He's killing his own pack out of spite,which might not be the truth but it was all she could think of. What else could it be? She vaguely remembered Stigmata's rambling nonsense about how she'd totally be betrayed or something, but she was pretty sure he'd meant by Terance, not Rannoch -- no, she had picked the reliable one. The reliable one who apparently couldn't catch a break if he tried.
Despite the simmering anger she looked to Terance again, studying his expression before swallowing her feelings and thinking ahead. Business first: they'd need a plan. Together. Again she looked to the pups, who at least seemed to be able to be counted on to stay put for maybe ten minutes before getting bored, thankfully. Then back to Terance, she reached out, tapping the underside of his chin with her nose. As it stood, he was again her only superior and she was still a loyal soldier -- if he didn't get around to it, she'd deal with the empty and now unreserved spot next to him at the top of the pyramid once she was sure they'd stopped the leaking.
What do you want to do?If the worst came to pass, she wasn't sure they'd have quite enough to sufficiently hold the territory. It'd be close, and there were too many questions at this early hour. Hell, she could still hope the older children would rebel, at this point, no matter how unlikely (albeit delicious instant karma if so).
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Terance - June 04, 2019
terance merely shook his head.
we both know liffey does the thinking for the both of them... and liffey doesn't do much thinking,he said, almost as a jab but more as stating the obvious. he'd always known rannoch was a blind follower of his mate, and he'd never thought highly of liffey... he was pretty sure treason felt the same way.
i think they'll end up with just about everyone,terance added to her last comment about mona, which was a bummer, because terance really liked mona. he wondered if, in the long run, he'd hold her loyalty for saving her pup when she got knocked up... but he figured it held little weight if gannet was involved. he didn't count on it, not with his luck. there were a few other (PPCs) that terance couldn't necessarily say would or wouldn't go, but their contributions to the pack were slim anyhow, he wasn't sure it mattered.
i wouldn't call it spite,terance murmured with a heavy sigh and a shake of his head,
he's got nothing to be spiteful about... it's just plain fucking stupid.
treason leaned forwards to tap the underside of his muzzle -- a display of submission and affection or something or another. it went dumbly under terance's radar, in the moment, as he focused more on his words.
take a nap,terance said in a hefty whine, lowering himself down to lay on the ground. it was a joke, mostly, but it didn't really sound like it. his head laid between his two paws, gaze forwards for a few moments before he sighed again.
i want to go back to moonspear,he said next, eyes closing for a few heartbeats before looking back up at treason,
i don't think the two of us and sarah and... maybe a straggler or two, could reasonably keep a claim on this forest, especially not while watching the kids.it was true... it was true and she knew it. nevermind the rule about unique players, realistically this many wolves couldn't keep up with this many pups.
i made amends with my friend, hydra, a while back. i'm gonna get a good earful of i told you so, but i think she'd be willing to help us.terance didn't directly state what hydra would help with, not immediately... i mean, their problems seemed pretty surface level, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they needed... though he didn't exactly outline a whole plan, he waited for questions. those were easier to deal with than just talking for 20 minutes.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Arbiter - June 04, 2019
Honestly, after Liffey stepped down the first time, she'd almost entirely fallen off of Treason's radar for a while. She existed, but since they never crossed paths and eventually it was Terance at the helm, it seemed like she had far less say. Meeting her for real had proven her to be a particularly unimpressive sort not worthy of Treason's respect. Liffey wouldn't be missed.
Maybe you know it better than I.They had more background together, after all.
When Terance lay down, she waited a moment then followed, curling up against him and starting to idly preen at the long fur of his neck. It wasn't much of a surprise that it would effect him more -- that was probably the most obvious statement that could be made about... Well. Just about anything probably. They needed him to have a clear mind if they were going to pull any hope from this disaster.
Wait a day or two, see how things fall,she mused while continuing to dote on him.
If they do take everyone it won't change the end result. But we shouldn't panic. If it's just the few of us, we should go together. I don't really want to leave, but it'd be safer for the pups -- we're a world away from those mountains right now.Being left almost alone in a newly empty territory sounded like it would beg the vulture-like sorts to come for a visit.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Terance - June 04, 2019
to her comment, a solemn nod. maybe he did know more... it wasn't a stretch to say so, terance just desperately wished that for once in his life it wasn't just him receiving the biggest blow of a crisis. as soon as he thought it he regretted thinking it -- as he looked upon treason he knew he wouldn't wish her any of the heartache he'd had to endure in his life. he was just... frustrated, to say the least.
she curled beside him, a sentiment terance did notice and did appreciate. she preened at the thick fur along his neck as he spoke, and when she began to respond terance merely closed his eyes and pressed his chin to his chest, ears flicking. she was right.
you're right,terance agreed, eyes blinking open as he turned to look at the pups playing,
i just worried about uprooting them so young.he clicked his teeth.
not that they're too young -- they're just gonna be a pain to travel with,he said with a sigh, thinking mainly of pike and jet. he was quiet for another moment, seeming to process information in chunks, and then he turned to look back at his mate, reaching out to lick the side of her muzzle.
i'll talk to ibis and okeanos later today... and to sarah, of course. and we can prepare and leave whenever we can,he said with modification, green eyes resting on her... wondering if she'd have more to critique. terance knew he wasn't in the best headspace now, and treason always had such a steady head...
and then, with a small snort of realization, terance shook his head.
well, if circumstances were different i'd tell you to join me at the top -- it's kinda lonely up here,terance said with a small smile, ears flicked back,
unless you just want to rule a bunch a screaming pups with me.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Arbiter - June 05, 2019
Mm. it's not like we can really carry them along any more either if they start misbehaving.Judging by pictures on Dawnthieves, they'd have to start crouching if they wanted to limbo under their mother's belly at this point. Maybe with a parent on each end... But hopefully it wouldn't be necessary. She smiled briefly at his kiss but her mind was still turning.
Yeah, talking to the folks that could be relied on (or entirely not relied on, in some cases) was a good start. This wasn't the time for everyone to be distant. While he was thinking, she had another suggestion,
We could do a howl this evening maybe? Once we're sure that Rannoch has left. Tell them we're staying, see how many are planning the same. Or a meeting? Don't know which would be better.Meetings were always more work, but maybe this called for it. It would also require wrangling the pups -- but by now they'd probably been on a field trip to where the meeting area was, if only because it was a nice open space where they could cause a ruckus and not much trouble.
She smirked mischievously,
I'm pretty sure we're doing that, pack or not, aren't we?After licking his cheek, she nuzzled him and eventually ended up with the side of her face pressed into his neck as she spoke,
We'll just have to stop the pack from leaking any more members, wait and see.Treason was a patient sort. She trusted him to do the right thing, and he seemed to at least back to having a little humor about things, so her tail wagged slowly behind her.
Treason stayed contently nestled up against him for a moment or two before something else came to mind and she pulled her head away to observe him,
Oh. And if you consider this the start of a new chapter or whatever the hell, there is something else I've been thinking about. Not bad. But can wait if you don't want to deal with another minor inconvenience.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Terance - June 05, 2019
we could drag em,terance clarified with some incredibly dry humor for her, mostly kidding. he nodded to her suggestion.
yeah,he muttered in agreement,
that's a good idea... we should definitely do a meeting. i think there's a lot to be said.certainly a lot to be said, a lot to go over.
and then again terance nodded, but he was beginning to feel a little sick to the stomach. it seemed whatever shock had fueled his anger earlier and his mostly normal demeanor was slowly wearing off... well, either that or whatever he'd eaten for breakfast was catching up with him. he'd get a second wind later when he went to go talk to ibis, but he was losing steam. not falling apart, still responsive and attempting to joke like his normal self, but certainly looking tired in the face. she pressed against him, leaving terance to lean a bit towards her, raising a paw to drape it over her own. he appreciated her doting in this moment, it helped settle all the emotions that gnawed at his insides.
he heard her final comment, processed it slowly, and then left the air silent for a moment. finally, terance gave a gentle sigh.
i think it's a new chapter whether i like it or not,he commented, turning to nudge her cheek gently as she'd moved back from him,
what do you have in mind as our newly elected leader?
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Arbiter - June 06, 2019
It wasn't like she spoke with hesitation -- she rarely did -- but she knew what she was going to say was maybe a little annoying, even if she felt it was right. Hell, chances are the player is gonna be writing the wrong name for a month or two.
I think I should drop the alias and go back to being just Arbiter. I'd been thinking about it for a while now -- as fun as it is to watch people do a double take at someone called Treason, it's not my identity. It was going to just be because of the pups, but if I'm leading beside you, it'd be a bit more... Mmm. Dignified?She wasn't sure it was entirely the right word, but it was close enough. And certainly her earned name had enough weight to it on its own to make people think twice about being stupid.
Assuming he didn't just balk at the whole thing she said for some odd reason, she leaned back sort where she'd been a few moments before, but her gaze drifted to more directly over to watch their children.
Either way, I can call the meeting if you want. Just let me know if there's anything else you need me to do. Or want me to do.Not that she had amazing meeting-calling experience -- she had a grand total of zero -- but she would do what was needed and necessary. After all, she needed Terance, so she'd help out. It was pretty straightforward in that aspect. At that point, she looked back to Terance, tucking her muzzle under his. The slight backward tilt of her ears softened her expression a fair bit, but it seemed she was out of things to say at the moment. All up to him.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Terance - June 06, 2019
even though the comment came from left-field, it was a good temporary distraction for terance, who didn’t care what treason was called as long as she was called his. haha, oo, mushy. he chuckled, only a little bit, and leaned to kiss her cheek and give her a gentle nuzzle. he remembered when she told him her real name — it was more of a game at the time, and he’d never really thought about her going back to it. he’d almost forgotten that the word treason meant anything besides the wolf he came home to every night, but she was making plenty of sense. he wouldn’t say it out loud, but terance definitely held on to the notion that this was treason’s silent way of claiming her loyalty to him… promising to never do what rannoch did. because… you know, treason. that might’ve been his own flowery mind, though it stilled was nice.
arbiter,he repeated with a flick of his ears, followed by a quick once over,
it’ll suit you well… though still don’t know if I’d go as far as dignified.he leaned forwards to bump the bottom of her chin with his nose — reaffirming that he was only playing.
with a quirk of a brow, the stone added,
you gotta give me a while to get used to it, though.mostly because his writer would forget.
she tucked herself beneath his chin, then, and terance gave a gentle sigh. he didn’t move, holding her close as still as he could, but he agreed.
i’m sure I could probably call it… but it’s a good way to establish your rank,he told her, adding silently that it was less stress on him. they were both quiet for a little bit longer. terance was soaking in as much positive energy (wow, treason with positive energy) as he possibly could, rearing up to ultimately go tell ibis and okeanos what was happening…
how are you feeling?he asked her finally, knowing treason — sorry, arbiter — to be a wolf with a very level head. he knew she probably expected him to have all the emotions(and trust me he did), but she was a new mother. this was a big stressor. arbiter was strong enough to take it in stride, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t worrisome… and even if she was absolutely fly as a kite, he wanted to let her know he was still here. he’d fallen apart before — so many times — but he wouldn’t this time.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Arbiter - June 07, 2019
Well, this all did make her think that her name was a bit ironic in the fact that she was the one who was staying. It was also kind of ironic that a wolf as selfish as her was complaining about someone else looking out for themselves. Perhaps it was just a matter of perspective. She smiled, but it seemed like there wasn't too much left to say on the subject of her name. At least it didn't sound like the idea was annoying to him.
I know. I will. I know habits die hard sometimes.It wasn't like name changes were unusual in her world -- okay, past a certain age they were pretty unusual but eh.
And I'll call the meeting.What he'd said made sense.
She shrugged,
Fine... But I don't want to be forced to start over because of them. It wouldn't be fair.And that was probably the thing that might effect her the most. They had a good thing here going in the Hollow -- she'd been happy with it, and the promise of it continuing on felt kind of tenuous to her. Right now if Rannoch came back, she might have some choice words for him, but bets were off if his sudden, unpredictable choice ended up costing her family their home. They needed to survive and be better in spite of them. Regardless, the outlook was guarded,
We'll see.There was a line that separated those that Arbiter just sort of disliked or didn't trust, but you could bet he'd be booted to the despised side of the line if things got worse.
The tiny trio had started drifting farther away from them. It wasn't quite to a concerning distance yet, but it was only a matter of time before someone (read: Jet) spotted something interesting farther off to investigate.
I think we might have a couple of runners in a few moments, though. Do you want to go say hi?The kids, obviously, most likely wouldn't care about whatever drama happened in the boring land of adults. Then again, if he was afraid the bad mood that poisoned the day might rub off on them, he was free to think that too. Whatever helped in the end -- and better than asking directly what he wanted to do before he had to go make sure Rannoch and Liffey had left.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Terance - August 06, 2019
terance gave a gentle sigh.
nothing in life is fair,he said, entirely serious but coming off a little more angsty than he meant it. though, as arbiter pointed out the children getting further away his edge softened, and his stoney expression phased to a warmer one.
let's get 'em,he agreed with another gently touch to her shoulder, giving a good shake of his fur before starting off after the trio.
give an inch, they take a mile,he purled as they walked.
RE: i hope you get a paper cut on your tongue - Arbiter - August 11, 2019
There would be plenty of time to speculate about what would be the best choice of action as things became clear. The pack wouldn't be the same, but that might be at least a little bit of a good thing -- it saved them all from some sort of showdown between Arbiter and Liffey, and she was pretty sure everyone knew that Arbiter would be the winner unless foul play was involved.
Arbiter followed close to his side,
Mm. We'll have to see if they ever stop being a handful.She'd make sure that Terance was the one to get the bulk of their attention right now. A happy distraction, a family that wasn't going to be leaving any time soon. The world was not entirely dark, they just had to find a way out of these new shadows.