the world does not care about you or me

Backdated to the 20th. Location is Firefly Glen. Open to fauna and wolves. Preferably someone he hasn't met yet. For Outrider!

How to explain what has come to pass? Their world has been shaken, besieged...and now it lies broken, habitable but briary with peril all around. Many regions Kapvik visited recently have been transformed completely. The Heartwood was no longer lucullan and green. Nothing could live in the coal-black forest now, with it's stripped trees and impure land. The Heartwood was not the only area affected. Oh no. The entirety of Teekon Wilds has been touched by the cyclone. The only unaltered aspect of the wilds were the mountainous realms. Or so it seemed. Ouroboros Spine looked the same from afar but his leaders have forbade him from returning. He had asked to leave, to explore their shambled home. They refused. They granted him freedom to explore other areas. Do not wander far and to avoid clustered areas were his orders in this undertaking. Kapvik could understand their leeriness of the Spine. He trusted their judgment enough to not tempt fate.
INDENTThus far, his travels have brought him to a glen of sorts. The precariousness of forested and bouldery areas kept him at bay. This glen seemed safe enough to investigate. All the trees here were flimsy or already broken. To break them any more would require a great deal of force. One Kapvik could not exert. Still, he rummaged around attentively, stopping to listen to his surroundings often.
INDENTThe earth was like a marsh everywhere he went. The rivers and lakes have overflowed on to land. It made traveling difficult, numerous pools dotting the landscape. Kapvik avoided these areas as well. The rivers/lakes might not be as swelled as they once were but he certainly was not going anywhere near them. Thinking back to the time he almost drowned, the wolverine shivered. A fear has formed in him since then: choppy, turbulent waters. To be dragged beneath the surface, to have his lungs filled with water instead of air. No, no, no. Stop thinking about it. No. Hard to do with so much water around.

Fatigue started to tug at the fox's body as he made his way through what he believed was a marsh. With the destruction the storm managed to stir up, he wouldn't be surprised that the place used to be some kind of shallow lake or forest. Scratch felt himself become further unsteady as he made his way through the land. So far, he has been lucky of whom he had met, with most of them injured from the storm. It would be just his luck to run into something that managed to get out unscathed. He felt his maw tighten on the wooden splinter he found beforehand. Even in this terrain, if he could sharpen his senses for a short bit, he would be able to bound out of there with little difficulty. Still, if anyone managed to sneak up on him, he would have to use the splinter fend off the attacker. With the blood stained on his fur dulling his sense of smell and the constant rustling of the forest, he wouldn't be able to detect any enemy with a sense of stealth in mind.

I appreciate you joining. :D Can't say the same for Tatsuya here...Scratch is probably gonna hear him anyway LMAO. I don't know why he's tryin' to be stealthy.

The silence was no blessing, no balm for addled nerves. More land, less water. This is what he wanted, what he needed. Some areas where he stepped seemed shallow when in actuality they were deep ditches. As if someone had dug here and there for some unknown design. Kapvik spent more time floundering about than making progress. It did not help that his underside and extremities were completely soaked with mud, grass, water and who knows what else. To add to his misfortunes, the never-ending fright of drowning hung over him like a darkening cloud.
INDENT“私はここでそれを嫌います。” Here was a rather broad term. The Teekon Wilds were adequate, but this vale was too boggy for a proper expedition. Kapvik had hoped to come across signs of herd activity. Buffalo, deer, elk, anything. Alas, the only prey here were of the aquatic variety...
INDENTOh, no. Fish was not the only thing here. Hunkering down, Kapvik stood still at a flash of orange-red moved through some far off trees. He knew that color all too well. Fox, dead ahead. His 'mane' became prickly, lips trembling, volcanic eyes centered. This vermin posed no threat to him (or his pack), but it was not the concept of danger that drove him to do this. It was instinct. Eyeing his prey, he watched as the fauna slunk into compact leafage, departing from view. Darn. It was probably a lost cause...Oh. Who am I kidding? Tenacity won him over. It was too soon to give up the hunt.
INDENTKapvik moved as mutely as he could, timing his steps with Scratch's own. That way, his approach could be passed off as the fox's own doing. Though this was a genius (in his opinion) plan, Kapvik had nowhere to hide. All the fox had to do was turn around, focus through the copse of trees and spot him. If he could do that. The wolverine was keen on stopping every time the fox's head bobbed or his ears rotated atop his tiny crown. It was a drawn-out, conscientious process that could end in failure, yet Kapvik was stubborn; desirous to taste, to feel the creature's blood coating his muzzle and sliding down his throat like a fine wine.

Not a problem, just trying to fit in here. Should be interesting to see how the two would interact with one another.

Scratch yawned as the time went on, feeling his eyelids weigh down on them. He looked up at the sky, wondering if it was really a good idea to travel through here. When he reasoned that surveying the land he'll be living in soon would be a good idea, he didn't take in account that he would be awake the entire time. He chuckled at the thought as he continued further; he reasoned his luck was bleeding dry again. He stopped and looked down at himself, seeing that most of his underside was covered in mud. Well, I could just flip over and sleep and no one will see me, he thought to himself before continuing on.

The marsh appeared to go on forever, something he didn't plan to happen. He sighed to himself and stopped to rest by a tree for a good few seconds. He glanced up at the sun to see how much time has past. It hadn't moved. With a groan of frustration, he struggled back up and continued. He didn't want to be trapped here, since it was hard to predict anything. It was then that he stubbed his front paw on an exposed tree root. He yelped in pain and did a light hop, finding his luck has truly run out as he landed. His left set of limbs hit the ground just perfectly that he got no traction, forcing him to fall face-first into the mud. With the left side of his face covered with dirt (the side where his eye had better vision), he struggled back up and looked around with his bad eye for something to wash it off. While he did spot a pool of reasonably-clean water, he also noticed a larger form. Even as blurry as it was, there was no way it was some kind of big rock. He felt himself bite his lip in frustration. It could be a bear or some other predator, something that managed to stalk him all this time! He quickly regained his footing and dashed to the water pool. He quickly wiped the mud out of his left eye and glanced back to see the wolf's reaction.

<3!

The hunted tripped up on...something. Kapvik could not see what the fox stumbled upon, only that it opened a window of opportunity for him. Ready to surge forward, he grew still again as the fox regained his footing, looking behind him. Shit. The animal's mug was muddied but even underneath all that grime, Kapvik could tell this was a world-weary fox. The blemishes on his body spoke volumes on his tumultuous existence. No worries, he thought with a malicious, toothy grin. It will all come to an end soon enough.
INDENTAs his prey scuttled over to wash the gunk from his face, Kapvik kicked off his hind legs. The goal was to close the distance between them as soon as possible. The wolverine's paws found solid patches to run across yet he could not keep up this diligence further on into the chase. What with the ground being so waterlogged, traction was harder to come by. It was even more demanding to not fall flat on his face but the day is young; it will happen before he goes back to his pack mates. Preferably with a prize to present to the rapacious Tonravik.

It was a giant wolf, and if Scratch didn't know any better, he would've believed he was the size of a bear! What was worse, it was coming at him at full speed! Scratch felt himself shiver with fear and quickly thought of what to do. With his once-dulled body obtaining a charge of fright, he decided the best thing to do was to run. After all, he definitely can't survive being a much as rammed by that thing. He patted the ground for good luck and waited.

Heh, heh, he won't see this coming. Scratch blinked in confusion, thinking what he just heard. Shaking it off, he continued to wait. No matter how stupid this plan seemed, knowing what happened in the past, he knew he could pull it off. As the wolf got closer and closer, he kept tensed up until the last second. Like a coil, he jumped to the side and easily landed on his feet, though he needed a few seconds to move again.

Kapvik should have known better. These creatures were known for their quick wit and little else. So when Scratch went past him – lissome and (ragingly) graceful – the wolverine tried to snap at that plush tail. He failed horribly, sliding further away from his quarry. Oh shit. Running in this landscape was a bad idea and it was time he learned the error of his ways, apparently. His forelegs gave out and he fell with a colossal splash, almost colliding with a tree as he slid. Momentum was bad here. It would be best to use it sparingly if at all.
INDENTIndignant, he rose, mud caked to his front. He shook it off as best he could, whipping around to locate that wily bastard. A roar erupted from his maw as he padded over to Scratch. No doubt the critter would run. To follow through with the same tactic twice would be the fox's end. Kapvik would not fall for that again. I will not be made a fool! The wolverine was not as fast as the fox but he was dogged him all the same. He'd be damned if he was going to let this vermin off the hook now.

Scratch regained his footing as he saw the wolf smashing his face into the ground and sliding to a stop. Scratch felt himself chuckle, despite knowing he did something similar before. He regretted the decision, as the wolf got up and roared with rage. This one was determined to catch him. He smirked; it was always the determined ones that he had to play all of his cards. He confused himself once again. What was a card? He should've asked his brother before-

Shock grabbed him as he staggered. Even though this heightened awareness allowed him to react, it may as well be his downfall. He found himself remembering the flood from a year ago, which helped to muddle his thoughts. He side-stepped and tried to remember what was happening. Whatever it was, he had to run. He hoped for the best, though he knew he'll be reduced to skidding on the mud with little control.

The chase resumed, disorderly and mussy. Scratch was alarmed by his bravado, petite mitts finding no friction. This is it. The moment this damned creature would die. Jaws hinging open like a vice, a metallic CLACK! echoed through the vale. Blood did not grace his tongue; did not trickle down his throat in a satisfactory stream. Kapvik's failure was palpable, etching his countenance into one of jaded rage. The result of this task kept coming back negative each and every time. Each failed attempt wore away at his perseverance. Okay. Two more times and I'll give up. Somehow, that restriction quickened his stride, hounding the fox with nips and savage growls.

Scratch felt himself grow uneasy as the chase went on, feeling himself tire quicker. It didn't help that he was having a hard time running on this marsh. That wolf behind him kept on his tail, maybe even speeding up. He had to give the wolf credit for his perseverance and endurance, though he wished he didn't have to. He bit his lip, noticing that he lost his splinter. More reason to avoid being caught.

As he continued, he managed to avoid another snap from that wolf's maw before realizing he was coming to a drop. He tried to stop, but was skidding on the mud as it was. In a desperate attempt to not go over, he tried to jump to the side. All it did was to send him off his limbs and tumbling through the mud. Not minding the bruises, he flew over the edge and found the fall to not be as bad as he believed. As well, there seemed to be a small lake at the bottom to cushion his fall. It proved to be a critical miscalculation as he crashed into the shallow water. He heard a few cracks as his right side felt like it was on fire. It seemed to be the only injury he sustained, as his limbs were fine, but knew he wouldn't be able to continue the chase.

Poor Scratch! D: Thought it'd be a good idea to have Tatsuya leave here. Scratch gave him quite a fright.

This fox – this damned fox – was hellbent on not being eaten as Kapvik was in catching him. This out-of-the-way excursion was becoming onerous. His muscles began to burn the the air in his lungs dwindled with each inhale. Consequently, he began to slow. The deceiver was good at weaving through the trees, he'll admit. Although this seemed every bit as taxing on his prey, movements growing less and less coordinated. This did not stop him from propelling himself off a steep drop off.
INDENTThe length between prey and predator was a blessing in disguise. Kapvik halted in seeing Scratch abruptly vanish. Thinking the disappearance to be witchcraft, the Epsilon approached the ledge with wide, childish eyes. An iciness spread through his insides at the realization. He could have fell into this if he was closer to his prey. Scratch did not meet his end here – much to Kapvik's chagrin – but for the Epsilon, it would have spelled serious injury or death.
INDENTFevered orbs peered down, tongue swiping nervously over his nose. There was no point in pursuing him any further. To be completely honest, any and all resolve has now been replaced with fear. Close call. One I'm not going to tempt. Kapvik let out a grunt before turning to leave. He would find that critter before his end and he would slay it.

Here's the last for me, unless you want to continue this with another encounter...though that'll likely end with Tatsuya taking Scratch away as a prize.

The fox struggled up, noting his labored breathing. Running a paw over his injured side, he gritted his teeth and felt his normally-skeletal build swelled a bit. Still, he wasn't coughing up blood, so that meant his lungs weren't punctured. As none of his bones were poking out, that meant that the damage would heal over time with (hopefully) no complications. Until then, he would have to stay scarce. Painfully walking away, he hoped that he never had to see that wolf again. If he did...he didn't want to think about it.