Sleepy Fox Hollow For the Love of All Things Holy

@Luke

He'd escaped. Somehow. Narrowly? Who the hell knew. Either way, he was back on his own and wandering without rhyme or reason. It was... actually kind of nice after his last encounter, but he was just gonna shake it off and keep going with the flow. Roaming. Walking. Running. Doing whatever the hell he wanted in neutral territories as he explored this, that, and the other thing. 

He'd traveled in the opposite direction of the Creek's flow. It took him towards the mountains, and up into them a bit. The climb was a steady incline, a little strenuous here and there, but otherwise he couldn't complain. Prowling along, he entered into a quaint little hollow that seemed to be filled with a cozy sort of vibe. He could definitely find a place to nap here. Oh yes. 

Kero padded along, touring the place for a bit. A rustle in the trees above him caused him to glance upwards as he watched a couple of squirrels frolic through the branches. "The fuck," he cursed as an acorn hit him square in the forehead. He growled, snarling at the trees as he followed the path of the squirrels with his eyes. Then his feet. The next thing he knew, he was chasing after them, then barking up a tree. 

Great. He'd been reduced to the mental capacity of a fucking dog. 

Once more, Luke's exploration had found him descending into a hollow for a reprise from the height of the mountain slopes and ridges. If he had not been so driven to check out the various territories that made up the collective, or if he had not been up on the slopes for other business, the blue-nosed wolf would not have left the lower wilds. He could not deny the views and understood the appeal it had for others, but it was not for him.

No sooner did he enter the hollow did his ears swing forward to better catch the sound of barking, and curious as always his steps quickened to see what the fuss was over. In moments, Luke found another male barking up a tree, and his gaze swept up the trunk to the branches where it found the antagonists: a couple of squirrels. He chuckled softly as the impudent rodents stared down at the wolves. "Little buggers, eh?" he commented, tail swaying back and forth in his typical friendly fashion.

Damn rats were throwing all kinds of acorns at him. Holy shit. If he had claws that were more adept for climbing, he'd be up that tree in a heartbeat. And when that happened? So help those mangy squirrels he'd have them for dinner, throw them up, then have them for dinner again. Kero snarled at their hides, bouncing off the tree and circling around to get a running start at the tree's trunk. Maybe if he approached it a little faster and from a different angle he'd have a chance at them. 

His attempts were interrupted by the presence of another. In his hot pursuit, he almost didn't notice the addition of company, but now that he had it, he was quickly realizing the naivety of his savagery on the tree. His ears folded upon his head, a touch embarrassed that he'd been caught in such a fashion. Nevertheless, he swallowed his hollow pride and turned to face the wolf. 

"Lil' shits more like," he grumbled, letting his eyes dart towards the chattering squirrels that promptly threw another acorn in his direction. Their aim was getting better. If he didn't retreat soon, Kero was certain those things would have the best of them. They had the high ground, and it sucked. It sucked balls. "You got any remedies for squirrel?"

It soon became apparent why the other fellow was aggravated with the little shits as he called them, as an acorn was thrown in his direction. Luke glanced to the rodents in the trees with a quirked brow, unable to recall a time when he had been on the receiving end of such behavior. There had been times when he had been incessantly chattered at for daring to pass through an area the squirrels thought belonged to them, but never had he been attacked with projectile acorns. It lead him to wonder the cause.

"If you could catch them you could eat them," Luke chuckled, his silver eyes returning to the male. "Unfortunately that's all I got. Ain't no little shit repellant that I know of," he winked. Briefly he considered making a charge up the tree to attempt startling them into fleeing, but by experience he knew squirrels to be clever enough to know when they were out of harm's way, and knew they would stand their position. They were not as flighty as some of the wood's other creatures.

"What did you do to get them so riled up?" Luke queried with a grin.

If Kero could catch them, he'd eat them both in a heart beat. As such, the pair of squirrels were having great fun in the sport of acorn chucking. A nut to the forehead must be worth at least fifty points. At this rate, they'd have scored so many points they wouldn't be able to keep track of them. Those squirrels were crafty. They also seemed to have a lot of practice with acorn projectiles.

He was still getting pelted. He winced, flinching each time the nut made contact with his body. The head shots were the worse. Those acorns felt pointier than he remembered and if he didn't get out from under them soon, he was bound to develop a headache from their assault. "No idea," he said between clenched teeth, moving out of range of those squirrels. They had quite the arm on them. "Existing, I think." A few paces and he seemed to escape them for now. "I'm thinking it's a case of wrong place at the wrong time." Which was very likely. Punk ass squirrels. No wonder most found them annoying.

A few more steps and Kero placed himself well out of range. He glanced towards the trees, watching and listening for any rustling or indication those squirrels might still be following. He didn't trust them. Pesky things. "Are the forest creatures usually this ornery, or did I just happen to catch them on mischief night?"

Totally basing all of this off my own experiences with squirrels haha.

As he suspected, this wolf had done nothing to agitate the squirrels other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which Luke had experienced himself on numerous occasions. It was not uncommon to hear, either, the sound of their irritated chattering across the woodlands when some other poor creature just happened into their sight. Sometimes they could serve as a warning that someone else was around, but the squirrels squawked so often and at almost every other animal that most times their calls fell on ears that had become dead to the sound.

"I can't figure them out," Luke said. "They are always getting their tails in a knot over something or someone, but I've never seen much rhyme or reason to it. Like you said, it's a crime to exist near them I think." Luke chuckled, casting a brief glance to the squirrels, who for now had not followed the pair as they moved out of firing range. Briefly, the blue-nosed wolf wondered at the times the squirrels would sit and watch with barely a twitch of their tail, completely unconcerned by your presence. Why not this time?

Haha yes! I love it when real life experiences can make the writing that much more real! Go you!

Oh good. He wasn't the only one around who didn't understand squirrels. Maybe if he were a little better connected around these parts, he could contact the squirrel whisperer who'd likely have a better chance at figuring it all out. Or not. Something told him those bushy tailed rats would remain a mystery for as long as they continued to exist. They were like cockroaches, but bigger... and with the capability to throw things. Cursed opposable thumbs. He secretly wanted them.

His eyes kept darting upwards into the trees. Something told him those squirrels would allow him a moment's reprieve while they reconvened and plotted a deadlier assault than their previous onslaught. He didn't trust them. No wolf should. "Are you having any trouble with them? Or is it just me?" He risked a glance towards the wolf, pulling his eyes out of the canopy of trees. 

The wolf had a blue nose. His nose was blue. The fuck?

Kero took a few scrambling steps back. Oh god, this wolf was diseased and he hoped like hell it wasn't contagious. "What is wrong with you!?" he hissed, shying backwards into the trunk of a tree he hadn't realized was there. "Like shit. Are you contagious?" 

I have two species of squirrel that live around me, and I used to feed them, so I have plenty of experience. I base this off of red squirrels because they're assholes and would totally act like this. lmao. Even when I was hunting they would climb the tree next to my stand and squawk at me I'd be like stfu man. LOL. I was out in the woods once and heard them freaking out because a moose walked past them (and then came to stand in front of me). Brats.

Luke was about to answer the other fellow and tell him that as of late he had had no trouble with any creatures, aside from the occasional unfriendly wolf and the crows that were none to pleased by his proximity to their nesting site. But before he could respond, the russet male noticed for the first time the color of Luke's nose and was startled by it, backing unceremoniously into the nearest tree. "Easy, easy," Luke soothed with a soft chuckle. "It's not contagious!" he grinned.

Had the reaction not been quite so charged he might have played along for a moment or two and pretended to be contagious, but he did not wish to freak this guy out and send him running. "I was born with it, friend. My tongue and pads are blue too," he lifted a paw to expose the blue pads, and briefly poked his tongue out. "My future offspring might catch it someday," he joked, "but you're safe!"

Lucky! I actually really enjoy watching squirrels. I think they're pretty neat. Unfortunately, they're not really native to the Sonoran desert. Ground squirrels aren't quite the same to watch. But yay for you! All mighty squirrel protector. LOL. Apologies for Kero. He's a touch crude.

Seriously. Where had that tree come from? It was at his back, being all "You Shall Not Pass" which was totally not what he needed right now. If this wolf was diseased he wanted to be on the other side of the map. Loners did not come with free health insurance. There was no healer for him to run to if he got sick, which meant he was practicing healthy habits, like peacing out when the plague hit.

"You were born with it," he repeated flatly, watching as the wolf lifted his paws and stuck out his tongue. Weird. Really fucking weird. He knew some wolves had interesting genetics, but he'd never come across anything like this before... it was an adjustment. 

It also ticked his intellect. He had a question. Before stopping to think, he blurted it out. "Turn around. Are your balls blue too?" Legit question. He had blue skin. 

Ooo. Let's trade places for a few days. I've always wanted to explore a desert lol. I'm on the east coast of Canada there are no deserts here hahaha. I like the squirrels too though. I am huge wildlife buff and studied as a wildlife tech so I appreciate all the critters haha. It's funny, between the two species here, there are wildly different personalities. Gray's tend to be quiet and shy, red's are bold and brazen. Here's a pic of one my buddies that got used to me enough to be pet :D click

Also - no need to apologize for crude characters. I've had my share anyway haha. Kero's a riot. Officially on my stalking list. :)

"Yep yep," Luke nodded, as if to further convince this man that he was telling the truth, but he knew that whether or not someone was going to believe him had little to do with what he said. Some never acclimated to the idea and shunned him out of a primal fear of the novel and unknown, others took it as it was and moved on. His blue points were not only unique to his bloodline (which was concentrated in the north and not local) but the color itself was an oddity among canids and mammals in general so Luke had nothing but understanding for the reactions he received when meeting someone new.

The white wolf was about to introduce himself when he was met with an order and a blunt question, one that surprisingly enough, he had heard before. Luke grinned broadly and without a moment's hesitation did has he was bid, he turned around and cheekily raised his tail and gave his rump a little shake, giving the other male a clear view as a pair of waggling brows glanced back at him. "Blue balls would be a bit unfortunate, don't you think?" He joked. "You're the second wolf to wonder at the color of my balls," he chuckled.

OMG. YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO PET IT!? -totes jealous- I want to pet a squirrel. ALL THE SQUIRRELS. If we trade places, do you think it'd let me pet it too? /excitement

Aww. That's super sweet! I'm glad you like him. I wasn't sure how he was gonna turn out, but I'm glad he appears to be going over well. <3 Luke's blue coloring is actually super unique and interesting. What inspired it?

Okay... Genetic oddity. Or was rarity more politically correct? He thought about it for a moment, but said nothing as he looked the wolf over and tried to decide whether or not he could adapt to the strangeness. In all fairness, he supposed it wasn't too different from the strangeness of squirrels who'd picked him as a victim in their fun and games this evening. Maybe he should scratch a warning into all the trees here. "This way be asshole squirrels."

The wolf turned around. Instinctively, Kerosene stepped forward, glancing at the wolf's balls and giving them a good sniff. It was the eyebrow waggle that had him back up against the tree. Oh no no no. He did not swing that way. This one was not allowed to go about getting any kind of idea.

"Dude. I'm straight," he affirmed, putting it out there before things really got awkward. And now that that was out in the open, he could carry on the conversation without any advances. Hopefully. "And yeah. Blue balls suck." They were a bitch to take care of. Heh. Bitch. Bitches were supposed to take care of that sort of thing. Funny how that worked.

Of course, now it was just him and this dude in the forest. Alone. Shit. Now that the squirrels were mostly quiet, he didn't really have any reason to just stand here. "What are you here for?" he asked, mostly because Kero was uncertain as to why he, himself, was also in this location. Wandering didn't really have an aim it was... just mindless. That's why they called it wandering.

Haha yeah. The chipmunk will climb on my lap and stand on my toes waiting for me to give him seeds. But, ah, my mother tried to pet the same squirrel one day and it bit her so I don't recommend people follow my example rofl. I have had many people over the years joke and call me snow white. :)

He's a fun character and very amusing to follow for sure! Luke was literally inspired by his surname Bluenose, which is the name of a fishing boat that became famous as a racer. It's depicted on our Canadian 10 cent piece. I had to get special permission for it :) 

Luke grinned and spun around to face the male as casual as he had been before flashing him his balls. The blue-nosed wolf was accustomed to others becoming uncomfortable at the slightest suggestion of homosexuality, even if it was a platonic gesture of affection, and it was for this reason that Luke was more reserved around other men and refrained from being too physical. However, he could hardly resist at least a brow waggle when someone explicitly asked to have a look at his balls.

"No worries," he said with a wave of his tail, a gesture meant to dissipate the topic as though it were smoke, hoping to assuage any uncertainty that had welled in the other fellow. Further to that he was quick to answer the man's question. "Just exploring," he said. "I've been using my freedom as a lone wolf to check out ever nook and cranny of this land, but I have barely scratched the surface. I have not been here more than a couple months though. Name's Luke," he tipped his muzzle, passing the introduction baton.

Haha. Okay, so finicky chippers. Got it. You are the squirrel whisperer.

Oh! That's cool. It's always fun when things have a little inspiration behind them.

The blue wolf turned around. Kero took it upon himself to extract his body from the tree and once more regain his composure. He straightened, falling back into a natural posture as he stood casually and regarded the situation. Two wolves in a forest. The potential threat of pesky squirrels. He was almost certain there was a rabbit in the bush over there, but he paid it little to no attention for now. If a creature like that was going to be brave enough to linger so close, he'd let the little guy feel lucky and powerful for the time being.

"Mm." The sound fled his lips as he indicated he'd heard the words of the other lone wolf. Just wandering. Exploring. That appeared the be the main job description of a lone wolf, but truthfully, there wasn't much else to do with their lives. It was a great lifestyle for the average adventurer, but beyond stockpiling memories, nothing much mattered until a pack came into the equation. "S'ppose I've been doing much the same," he replied, not saying much on his own travels. It was pretty aimless thus far. 

He logged the wolf's words in his head and realized a response was required of him. "Kero," he returned, distracted by thoughts pertaining to his own journey. "I've not been here too long. Covered quite a bit of ground, myself..." His words drifted before he settled on his next thought. "So what's the vibe around here. Anything a rogue wolf should know about these parts?"

:)

Luke bobbed his head along with Kero's talking. Like the blue-nosed wolf, the other male was a lone wolf and was wandering around. There seemed to be an uncanny convergence of wolves to this area, and from what Luke had seen it was no wonder why. The area was pristine, bountiful in prey, with many spacious and suitable territories, and nary a whisper of human encroachment. It was idealistic, and with a healthy population of wolves already here, their scents naturally drew others in who were potentially looking for their next home.

"Vibe," Luke echoed as be pursed his lips, pondering the question. "Well," he began, "overall I would say there's a fairly welcoming vibe here. I've met mostly pleasant wolves, couple oddballs but nothing overly serious. However," he paused, recalling Mordecai's warning. "I have never met them myself, but a friend of mine told me to stay away from the dark wood pack in the southeast, the one with all the crows. Apparently, they like to attack folks." It was understood that attacks were probable when trespassing as some wolves were more fiercely defensive of their territories than others, but Luke had not gathered that Mordecai had been across that pack's borders when he had been injured.

It was always a good idea, he'd discovered, to pick the brains of other loners and discover their perspective on the area. Pack wolves, while generally having the advantage of being aware of other packs, were distinctly biased in favor of their own homes. Loners? There was a little more hearsay and a little more objectivity. A lone wolf looking for the right pack was going to be paying attention to different things than a wolf already in one. Luke was already vastly more helpful than a few others he'd encountered. 

Kero snorted. Everyone he'd met so far had the same thing to say. Watch out for the dark pack. Black Wood or something. Funny thing was, his first encounter in these parts was with a female from that pack, and he'd just thought she was nut job to the point of being hysterical. "Blackfeather, right?" he said, waiting for confirmation. "The last wolf I met from there thought she was a dark feather ninja fairy sparkle princess who was raised by fighting birds." Which, in Kero's own mind, was hysterical. 

A lazy grin rolled across his maw as he tried not to laugh. It wasn't that he was trying do downplay the pack's reputation, it was just that rumor was vastly different from the reality he'd experienced. "I wouldn't walk their way just because I think they're a bunch of nut jobs." Which of course, left him glancing upwards into the trees because he didn't want the word "nut" to entice back the squirrels.

"You actively looking for a pack? See anything you like?"

Mordecai had not mentioned the name of the pack, but Blackfeather seemed to fit the bill, what with all the crows around. "Probably," Luke answered, a highly amused grin etching on his face when Kero commented that he had met one of these wolves and thought she was a dark feather ninja fairy sparkle princess. "What?" Luke laughed with a shake of his head. That did not sound like a wolf he needed to avoid, rather someone he had to meet for a bit of entertainment. "That doesn't sound so scary. My friend was badly injured when he ran into the wolves." Some packs were comprised of a very similar set of wolves, but perhaps this Blackfeather woods was not so much.

"Actually," Luke began with a bit of a devilish smile when asked if he were looking for a pack. "I might have found one. Well, it hasn't been formed yet," he explained. "Another friend of mine is intent to start her own soon, and I've agreed to join her when that time comes. Coincidentally, she wants the previous friend I mentioned to stand at her side." Luke's tail wagged, and he looked expectantly at the russet male.

Kero laughed. "Exactly," he said, shaking his head at the thought of his very first encounter in this neck of the woods. "I didn't know what to do with her either so I just walked away. Slowly. Without making any sudden movements." Haha. Alright. That had been embellished a little bit, but the point was sound. He had just walked away from a Blackfeather wolf unscathed. Their reputation was falling a little flat in his eyes. "Not scary at all."

Maybe he'd run into one in a good mood. Who knew?

His ears pricked forward as Luke began to reveal a little of what he knew about the packs around here. Curious. In addition to the ones he was able to sniff out, it appeared as though there were a number of other packs in the works. The opportunities in that respect were vast and endless. He pondered the thought and stored it away to contemplate more thoroughly later. 

"You sound pretty popular in these parts," he said, recognizing that he'd mentioned a small circle of acquaintances. Then again, that's really what it took to start a new pack. Trust and friendship were valuable ingredients. "You trust them, these friends? Enough to give up all of this?"

Luke had an insatiable curiosity not unlike a pup, and presently he found himself wondering at this Blackfeather pack, and this odd female whom Kero spoke of. He wanted to see for himself what sort of wolves these were, and yet, he did not wish to get himself into any altercations. Luke could fight, had fought, but it was not something he sought out, preferring instead a game of tug of war or the like. Even if this female was had a few screws loose and did not sound threatening, his experience on the coast with a crazy black wolf was evidence to the fact that you could not count on predictability among such wolves. Luke chuffed and shook his head.

"I make friends easily," Luke smiled. His personality tended to draw others, and he was quick to make companions out of just about anyone. "I have no reason not to trust them," he answered next. While some would not trust until shown a reason to, Luke trusted until shown a reason not to. "I am not a lone wolf at heart," he continued. "The freedom is nice, but I am a social sort, I like to be around others and just stumbling across folks like yourself once in a while doesn't quite cut it for me. Besides," he paused. "If it doesn't work out I can move on and find something different."

Kero had to smile. Luke made it all sound so easy. "I wish it were that simple for me," he said, his grin waning a bit as he contemplated his own predicament. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what he wanted; what he was looking for. He knew he'd want a pack come winter, but for now? It felt like he'd only just left home. He wasn't sure if he needed this wandering to spend time sorting things out for himself or if jumping in with all feet was the best way to go about things. Only time would tell.

To be fair, Luke made a great point. It didn't have to be forever.  "I suppose that is true," he agreed. He certainly hadn't stayed with his original pack. What made whatever he joined next any difference? "How are the local packs with that sort of thing? Temporary-ness?" It seemed like a crime to pledge loyalties only to later whisk them away. "I can't imagine they must like the ebb and flow of their members."

Kero wished things could be as simple for him as they were for Luke, and Luke on the other hand pondered how others managed to make things seem so complicated. His free spirit was evident in this way, he was impulsive and went along with whatever came because for him there was no finality to most things, and if things did not work out, it was not the end, only the beginning of a new adventure. It was a different mind set, one that was he predisposed to and developed as he matured.

"I couldn't say," he answered with a roll of his shoulders. He had spent no time with the packs here nor discussed them with those he had met. He could only reason. "I don't think anyone prefers to have a persistent inflow and outflow of members, but I also don't think anyone sensible would argue someone's wish to leave if they felt their place was not there." Luke paused. "I mean I wouldn't, if I were Alpha. I'd rather have a small pack of those who wanted to be there than a valley full of those who didn't but were staying because they felt obligated. I think things would be more harmonious that way."

Ugh. His brain was starting to hurt. He'd spent so long trying not to think about a pack. Now that the conversation was in front of him he couldn't ignore it. He also didn't have the slightest idea as to what he was looking for or even wanted out of a new home, so that didn't help much either. An alpha he could respect. Wolves he could get along with. Those things should have been simple, but maybe he was just too darn picky. Yeah. That was probably it.

His eyes dropped as he admired the ground and listened. "Makes sense. Desire over obligation is a far stronger bond." It didn't make sense to keep those who didn't want to be there. One negative thought could sabotage them all. "Then again, there is that thing about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer." Food for thought.

"It sounds like there are a lot of packs in the area. I imagine a few of them are offshoots of others. I can't imagine separating like that does kind things for pack relations." Or pack dynamics. More mixed loyalties. Tension and fear of wondering where ones loyalty truly lied if they were so quick to switch sides. "Maybe. I'm just over thinking it." Which was likely the case. It should be simple. Should be. 

Forgot to mention, I love Kero's new avatar!

No matter how much reason was put behind one philosophy, there was often an equal or greater amount of reasoning supporting another, and Luke's head bobbed gently along as Kero replied. He agreed too, that a new pack forming by splitting from another could potentially create sore pack relations. But most of all, Luke agreed that Kero was putting too much thought into it, and he said as much. "If you ask me, you're definitely overthinking it," he chuckled. "I don't think it does a fellow any good to ponder all the what ifs and different scenarios. Just go with what strikes your fancy at the time, and if it don't work out, well," he grinned, because they had covered that point.

Aww! Thank you!

A soft smile touched Kero's muzzle. "That's probably the thick of it," he agreed. Over thinking it. Too picky. There were a number of things spinning through his head that made settling down a far more difficult task than it should have been. Luke was right. It should be easy. When it came down to it, selecting a pack should just be something that felt right. Maybe he was just too argumentative and stubborn to make that happen. Maybe he'd find a pack where that sort of thing was right at home. 

He parted his lips to comment further when a rustle in the trees above him broke through his current paranoia. "Well, shit," he said, ears perked and eyes darting back and forth between the bows. He heard chattering. Squirrel snickering. Those little fuckers were back. 

In true squirrel fashion, one of them chucked an acorn at his head. Kero snarled at the trees above before ducking for cover and cursing the fact that those squirrels were out of reach. "That's right. Stay up there," he spat circling round another tree. The leaves rustled. Those bastards were following him. "Cowards. Set one foot on the ground and then we'll see who's got the advantage." Clearly, in the moment, it wasn't him. 

They were back in full onslaught. Whatever their vendetta against him may be, Kero was certain it would stop the moment he left this place behind. "Apologies," he said to Luke. "Thanks for the advice, but I think I'm gonna jet before I wake up with welts. Right on cue, another acorn pelted his foot. "Oww..." he shook it out and ducked again. "See ya 'round."

-Kero exits-

The squirrels had returned, and Luke cast them a grin at the same time he shook his head. He could not fault their spirit, for a small prey animal they were bold and brazen, enough so that it caused his company to depart. "Later," Luke said with a wave of his tail, watching as the russet male disappeared into the distance, far from the rain of nuts. One such nut just grazed his ear, and so Luke too took his leave of the area, leaving the rodents in peace.