Stavanger Bay summer chillin.

[size=x-small]ooc: another request for someone (or two!) Surra hasn't met yet! :)[/size]

Surra's calm blue eyes opened slowly, still a little sleepy, but a ray of sunlight had peaked into the mouth of his den, as if to gently prod him awake. He couldn't resist it's warm touch on his shoulder, promising him a beautiful morning, so he pushed himself up and on to his paws. The grey-brown male shook his thick coat, dislodging bits of dirt that had stuck to him in the night, before ducking out into the world.

Surra was nearly blinded for a moment by the sunlight, blazing down from a clear blue sky, so he squinted while yawning deeply and stretching his forelegs out in front of him. As his eyes adjusted, he stretched his back legs, and shook himself again, attempting to wake himself up more. After such a long search, the young male had finally found what he believed to be the perfect place for his den. Below him, down the hill a bit, was the bigger of the two sibling lakes that sat in the center of the Bay's territory. It glistened and glittered in the sunlight, perfectly still, reflecting the crisp blue of the sky above it. Beyond it, over the trees that crested the hill on the southern side of the lake, the mountains and cliffs that guarded the southern border jutted up into the sky. He, along with the Bay's two captives, had dug his den behind him into the side of the hill north of the lake, above a massive boulder that jutted out of the ground beneath his paws. The boulder acted as something of a "porch", a place where the young male could lay and sunbathe and enjoy the view below him during the day.

Today, though, he decided to head down to the lake's shore. After a moment of letting his eyes scan across the land, the youthfully muscled male strode down one side of the boulder/porch, relieved himself on the nearest tree, and trotted downhill. Without a moment hesitation, Surra stepped into the shallows of the lake and strode in until the cool water kissed his belly, then he ducked his head down, letting his body follow, dunking himself in the cool water. As his head crested the water's surface again, his ears pricked, hearing a sound nearby. The water had plastered his thick fur to his frame, and dripped off his scruffy chin as his eyes scanned around him.

Julooke had been settling in nicely to the new territory. The prey was plentiful and there were plenty of places for her to stalk them unnoticed. She had gone out hunting early that morning, and was successful in catching two rabbits, which she promptly put in the caches for storing. They had to be kept full for the growing pups would be eating regurgitated meat soon, if they hadn't been introduced to it already. Finished with the second rabbit, Julooke headed to the lake that sat in the heart of the territory. Her muzzle and chest were still covered in blood, though she had done her best to lick it off. Now, she planned to wash it off in the lake.

It seemed she wasn't the only one with the idea to take a dip in the cool water. A grey and brown-shaded male was wading in and dipping his body under the water. Julooke trotted up the edge, giving him a chuff to let him know she was here. She had seen him around, but they hadn't really spoke to each other yet. Her tail wagging and ears perked, she waited to see if he would acknowledge her.

[size=x-small]ooc: I was hoping you would join! Julooke discovered this lake, after all :) Also, not sure how this will play out, but just to make it interesting... [/size]

Surra was not expecting what his eyes found. The sound he had heard was a chuff from the shoreline, a woman announcing her presence. She was lean and feminine, but her white coat was stained with blood across her muzzle and chest from what Surra guessed was a morning hunt. The epsilon's ears flattened for a moment as he lowered his head to a neutral position and turned to face her. He recognized her slightly, mostly by smell, and figured it would better to be safe and show her respect. Regardless, he had felt compelled to show her respect. He felt his heart race for a moment, thinking his soaked fur probably looked ridiculous, though he did not know that it also showed off the angles of his youthful muscle. "Hello, my lady," He called softly to her, though his voice cracked slightly. He cursed himself internally. What the hell?

The grey-brown male cleared his throat, and with a deep breath, forced himself back into his calm demeanor. "Are you here to rinse off, as well?" He took a few steps forward into shallower waters, and shook the excess water from his coat. Realizing his manners, he suddenly - and only slightly awkwardly - dipped his head to her. "I don't believe we've formally met," Surra pushed away a thought of wishing he had met her earlier. "I'm Surra."

Thanks ^_^ Surra is so cute! This is going to be interesting, for sure lol

Julooke recognized the immediate submissive posture since she had done it her entire life. She wasn't one to assert dominance, no matter what the pecking order was. If they were technically below her on the hierarchy, she treated them as equals, anyways. She liked being friendly, and it seemed to please her pack mates, as well, at least so far. She smiled at his greeting, Hello, to you, too, she responded. She noticed the break in his voice, but chose to ignore since there was no reason to bring it up.

He asked if her reason for being there was the same as his, and she nodded. Yeah, I went hunting this morning, and some of the blood dried on before I was able to clean up, she explained, her voice chipper and friendly. He shook his coat free of the dripping water, and Julooke could feel some droplets hit her pelt, but it didn't much matter since she was getting in anyways. Feeling comfortable he seemed alright with her presence, she waded into the water until it reached about halfway up her legs, then lowered her body until her stomach rested on the lake bed. The water came up high on her chest now, almost to her throat. It would allow the water to soak in and wash away the dried blood. Her gaze turned back to the male when he said they hadn't formally met yet, dipping his head in a bow. Julooke smiled, her tail wagging, though only the tip was visible above the water. It's nice to meet you, Surra. I'm Julooke, she responded with a smile. What do you think of the new territory? she asked, trying to make conversation. She quickly dipped her muzzle into the water to get it wet and used her tongue to try and lick off some of the blood on it.

[size=x-small]ooc: Haha oh god poor bby Surra[/size]

"Hello, to you, too," The white-coated woman responded with a smile. Surra had to force his ears not to fall to the side in embarrassment. He felt ridiculous, like he looked ridiculous and was acting ridiculous. He took another deep breath to calm his racing mind, trying to be inconspicuous about his efforts. It must just be that he was still not fully awake yet, and her appearance had taken him by surprise, he thought. Yeah, that's why he felt a faint touch of anxiety. He had just been taken by surprise, was all.

"Yeah, I went hunting this morning, and some of the blood dried on before I was able to clean up," The energy in her voice immediately impacted the calm male, and he welcomed it's effect in helping him become more alert after a long night's sleep like he had welcomed the dip in the cool lake. So he was right about her going for a hunt. He was about to ask how it went when she moved, stepping into the lake up to mid-leg before lowering her lean frame into the water. This caused him to pause. A moment later he snapped out of it, a flick of his tail the only physical evidence that he had been entranced. "Successful, I hope?" He asked finally, using every ounce of willpower to keep his voice at it's usual steady tenor.

Surra's eye couldn't help to be drawn by the tip of her tail wagging out of the water as she introduced herself and asked him what he thought about the new territory. He smiled at the touch of silliness it showed. "Julooke," He repeated her name to himself, committing it to memory. He realized a split second later that he should have returned her greeting with a 'nice to meet you as well' or something chivalrous, but the moment had passed, he realized, so he turned back out towards the center of the lake, moving his eyes away from her and out across the water in order to focus on how he would respond to her question. "It's... just what the pack needed," He decided to say. It took less effort to speak in a non-broken voice when he wasn't looking at her, but the epsilon turned his blue eyes back to her anyway. "It's full of life, safer... and absolutely beautiful. Especially this lake." He gestured with his muzzle back out to the water. "Have you been here before?" The young male queried.

Julooke noticed the male wasn't acting exactly... normal, she supposed. Maybe he wasn't usually social, or maybe he was nervous since they had been pack mates for a while and hadn't really met until now. Either way, Julooke tried to take it in stride, not pushing him for a response. After a moment, though, he did respond. She nodded. Yup! Two rabbits added to the cache. It had taken her a little while, and with her high activity level, some times it was hard to wait, but this morning she found herself a little more relaxed and able to wait them out.

He seemed to be in favor of the move and the new territory. Julooke was glad. It seemed most of the members she had asked were happy here, and that always made it easier as a pack to continue to thrive. He asked if she had been here before and she nodded, Yeah. I actually followed Ragnar here the first time he found this place, and he let me take the lead on exploring. That's when we found this lake. Suddenly, a fish touched her side as it swam toward her front. Julooke moved quickly, making an attempted at catching it, but she hadn't been prepared enough or in the right position. It swam away, unscathed. She stood and shook the excess water off of her coat. A burst of energy coming over her, she lifted one paw and brought it down quickly on top of the water, sending water everywhere. She looked to Surra with a playful smile, hoping he'd join in.

"Yup! Two rabbits added to the cache." Julooke responded to his question about her hunt. Surra dipped his head in acknowledgement of her efforts. He knew she must have caught something, what with the blood that had speckled her chest and muzzle when she first arrived, and he briefly wondered if she had thought he had asked a stupid question, but he pushed the thought from his mind. She must have gotten up quite early for that hunt, Surra thought instead, because he thought he had awoken in decent time.

"Yeah. I actually followed Ragnar here the first time he found this place, and he let me take the lead on exploring. That's when we found this lake." Surra's ears pricked up at this - so he hadn't been first to discover the lake. He hadn't really thought he had been, but he had yet to see another wolf out here so he was beginning to wonder. Before he could respond, Julooke's ivory face snapped into the water. Surra froze, taken off-guard by the sudden movement (he cursed himself internally - how many times had this woman caught him off guard already?), before realizing she must have snapped at a fish. He shook his grey-brown head to unfreeze himself.

When the epsilon looked back up again, she had stood - and then brought her paw down hard into the water, sending up a wave of water that sent water droplets splashing into his shoulder and side of his face. A playful smile crossed Julooke's face. "Hey!" Surra growled good naturedly, a similar smile on his lips. He brought a dark paw down in the water as well, attempting to splash her back. The fact that she was comfortable enough around him to be playful helped Surra to relax a little, and his smile turned into a coy smirk as he crouched a little in the shallows, as if ready to pounce. "Is this your way of asking for help rinsing the blood off?"

The white female hadn't thought his question was stupid at all. As a highly social creature, it was rare Julooke ever thought any question wasn't worth asking, even for conversational purposes. The friendly male didn't really have any time to reply, however, as Julooke got distracted by a passing fish.

He seemed happy to play along with her splashing, getting her back before asking if was a way of asking for help with the blood on her fur. She had all but forgotten it. If it makes you want to play, sure! she responded with a laugh. Quickly, she bounded through the water towards him, bringing her front legs up to try and push him over into the water. Julooke had no idea that the male might have had the beginnings of a crush on her. If she had, maybe she would have been a bit more reserved so as to not give him any hope since her heart was very much already taken.

Surra was hoping that she would respond positively to his moment of slight bravery, and he was not disappointed. "If it makes you want to play, sure!" His chest felt light when she said this, and he couldn't help but smile. As she bounded towards him through the water he let her come, maintaining his crouch, and letting a playful growl escape his lips. She brought her front legs up and they landed square on his shoulder and ribcage, pushing him down into the cool water. For a moment, time slowed in Surra's mind, as his eyes opened underwater and all he could see was the white coat of Julooke, distorted by the surface of the water. Something in his stomach fluttered.

But before he could think too much about it, the epsilon twisted, getting his back paws underneath him and bringing his head, neck and body up out of the water. He tried to get his front paws against Julooke's shoulder and playfully push her over into the water as well. Regardless of if he was successful or not, he quickly pulled back, splashing away a few lateral bounds, out of her reach. Once again his fur was dripping, and the dark mane down the back of his neck was plastered messily down, but this time Surra didn't care as much. The young male was enjoying himself too much. "How's that?" He called back to her with an impish grin, referring to his offer to help her wash the blood off. 'You look pretty great to me', Surra almost, almost said, but the words stuck in his throat at the last second. Another second later he internally kicked himself, embarrassed for even thinking about saying that to her. It was so unlike him!

Her paws landed in just the right spots on this body and his head and body was dunked under the water. Her paws lifted off of him as soon as she seen his head go under so that he would be able to bring himself back up. He came for her then, and Julooke laughed as her legs quickly tried to bring her to an escape. A smooth rock on the bottom of lack bed, however, had her paws slipping out from under her, and her body went under. She came back up, grinning as she spilled water out of her mouth.

He asked how that was, and she tipped her maw to look down at her chest. I dunno, what do you think? she said with a smile, looking back up at him. The blood had been washed off, and all that was left was her clean, white fur. I think I'm pretty clean, she added. With a regretful smile, she turned and headed back to shore, laying down on her stomach in the grass after facing the lake once more. Between the hunting and the play, she was actually tired. She plopped down on her side, I'm pooped, she said.

[size=x-small]ooc: last post, finally :| [/size]

"I dunno, what do you think?" Surra considered again saying what he had almost said, and his mouth even opened slightly to say it, but his courage faltered and he closed it again. "I think I'm pretty clean," He shook his head with a very slightly embarrassed, but otherwise content smile, chuckling. "Good," was all he managed to say, looking back up at her with his blue eyes. He watched her move back towards the shore, his gaze soft. He couldn't believe this mix of emotions in his chest. He hadn't felt that many at once for as long as he could remember - he was joyful and content, slightly embarrassed, and... was that longing? What could he possibly longing for right now? Suddenly, a slight feeling of panic began spreading out through his veins.

After a moment, Surra followed her out of the lake to the shore, and decided he needed to go. It was strange how quickly the decision came over him. In a minute, he went from wanting to spend more time with her to wanting to be alone. "Then you rest," He said softly to her as he stepped out of the water, smiling, surprised at how he was able to keep his voice steady. "Enjoy the day. It's beautiful." He paused, thinking up a reason to excuse himself. "It's my turn to get out there for a hunt, I think," the young male said, looking away from her, holding himself almost too still in an attempt to not allow his racing heart to overtake him. Without saying anything more, Surra reached down to Julooke and touched her shoulder with his nose in an affectionate gesture. When he pulled away, he dipped his head to her in goodbye, turned, and trotted off into the woods, hoping his mixed emotions hadn't been shown in his eyes.

He needed to think. He really needed to think.