Swiftcurrent Creek murphy's law

*rubs gremlin hands together* used the 'conception' post icon just in case but she is in the very beginning of her heat.

there is a strangeness in the air.

something that makes bellatrix feel off.

she instinctively hates it. feverish despite the chill the cloudy, sunless day offers.

annoyed at the strange things she is feeling, and not really knowing what they mean, she prowls through the creek's territory like a angry, feral alleycat.

His intention had been to call together the pack—and in the next few days, he would. But the sudden absence of both Lestan and Reverie had given him pause—and instead, Akavir instead sought to garner the presence of another member—Arric, Moss or Bellatrix, at the forefront of his mind, given their demeanor.

When his eyes landed upon Bellatrix, it was instant he made to close the distance between them—and when he came closer, and noticed the aggravation of her pace and facade, Akavir began to change course, his berth becoming wider now.

though her first time experiencing her heat, she is not ignorant to it nor to what it means. she had the conversations with her mother, at some point.

the commander had believed if she rebelled against the idea enough she could keep mother nature from running it's course.

she was dreadfully wrong.

bellatrix, wrapped in her internal woes of not wanting to feel what changes were going through her body, did not notice akavir's presence.

at least, not at first.

her skin grows hot beneath her fur when she does notice him.

she notices that he gives her a wide berth, her pacing stopping as she turns to face him in full; eyes cast down. akavir. she greets in a low, thick pitch.

He studied her—his distance maintained. He was surprised at the downward glance of her eyes—the quieter and more diminutive nature of the she-wolf in comparison to their prior meeting. He chuffs softly, considering—

— “Are puppies something you seek, Bellatrix?” He left the question in the air, waiting for a response—and then realized how predatory that sounded and blinked. “I don’t know if you’re courting anyone in the creek, or have eyes for anyone, but you have my permission to seek outside our borders… as long as it doesn’t bring a threat to us.”

And if she didn’t wish for pups—they could tackle that as well.

the question he asks is not a simple one.

bellatrix wants to hate this feeling, wants to hate that she cannot turn it off … but wonders if she would feel less lonely if she had puppies.

“maybe,” she replies, though it’s not a real answer.

a small snort leaves her at his question or courting. “i am courting no one … and even if i was it would not be a man,” a pause. “no offense.” is offered a few seconds later, not wanting him to mistake her truth for any sort of hatred towards men.

He wasn’t surprised by her words—his eyes sliding over her contemplatively. “Well, if pups are something you want, all the more reason to seek someone outside of the creek…” At least for the conception aspect.

His jaw flexed, his nose drifting down to rub at his forearm—a wane attempt to keep some of her tempting scent from his nostrils for too much.

“I…” He was at a loss for words—it was an uncomfortable topic, and a lot of it most none of his business, spare for bringing extra mouths to feed within the creek. His expression neutral, he cleared his throat. “I don’t know, Bellatrix. I’m just letting you know you have… Options, if it’s something you want to explore. The creek has no partners aside from Lestan and Reverie.”

And even then, it wasn’t as if they had sought his permission, he considered, not without ire.

bellatrix tries not to feel a little affronted by the constant push to seek men outside the creek for conception. she is sure it is not meant that way, and fiercely holds onto that.

right, draws the commander a little bit more harsh than she means to. still, his words smart; digging into insecurities that she thought she had killed a long time ago.

i will seek outside the creek. though how she would handle it: give no name, ask for none in return ... or be upfront was to be decided. perhaps being a ghost story to them would be the best course of action, she thinks.

a flick of her tail; unintentional, realized only in the seconds after she's done it. i will wander away from the creek until my — the commander's tongue catches on it almost embarrassed. ...until it is over.

and if she is not stopped, bellatrix would take her leave.

She’s sharp in her words—straight forward, thought she always is. He wants to say more—Arric would have been a decent candidate but he couldn’t simply offer the man up. If the Beta was intrigued, he held the ability to seek our the dark-pelted woman.

She goes to move away—Akavir feeling the flex of his paws as he desires to go after her, but he refrains. Her scent is thick upon the air—tantalizing, but is it her scent that draws him to her, or how things had been left? Awkward and with a rift…

He can’t tell. And solemnly, he watches her go, knowing when she returned, he would need to seek her out, reiterate her place here and that he had only thought to help.

Despite that such things, it seemed, were never taken that way.