The Tangle in time he he thought would kill him, oh but i didn't know how

AW - looking for people from either SS or LSG specifically -- or, omg, BOTH! :D

a sharp crack announced caiaphas' departure from the briarwood -- with a snap she pulled forward, free of the tangle, her fur chewed and hide ruffled. with a contemptuous cow-kick of a hind leg she imparted one last scathing glance from the undergrowth and stalked assuredly forward. navigating the tangle had proved difficult, but not above caiaphas' capabilities -- she was, after all, no different than a snake in the water. various and sundry tunnels from the grotto threaded under the tanglewood and had aided her progress inland. she had caught wind not too long ago of a myriad of scents, and feared it was that burke-look alike she had met so long ago staking his claim. yet the cliffs had been devoid of pack life -- but what troubled her were the needling hunt-paths that suggested the area was frequented. it was her demanding need for an explanation that caused her to turn her wrathful sights inland that day, at the poor behest of whatever sorry wolf it was that would come across her.

I can't help myself! One Sunday Morning is one of my favorite songs (I may or may not be listening to it right now as I write this post)!

It was a rare thing for Reek to journey past the ruin of Redtail Rise, having to walk though the decay of old to get there. However, in the sake of recruitment, Reek swallowed his sentimentality and pushed forward through the charred wreck until he found himself on the other side. The Tangle wasn't much of a pretty sight either -- all briars and bramble -- but it carried no emotional weight, and for that, Reek was greatful.

It was noise that grabbed his attention. He briefly wondered if a wolf would burst forth from the thicket, ready to recruit, but the wolf who emerged was not exactly who Reek was expecting. Caiaphas. He breathed a sigh born or something between relief and dissapointment. "Oh," he said, "It's you."

HI!!! agreed its an awesome song.. i think my fav by wilco has to be via chicago

the little coywolf issued a doleful glare at the thicket which still clung tightly to her long tail -- with a snarl and a lash she swung her hips wildly around with a high 'hioiYAH!' -- and it was in that exact moment that something spoke. she whirled about alarmed, her ears pulled to the side like a startled cat. for a moment her hackles rifled in high palisades on her skinny spine -- that was, until she recognized the perpetrator.

she caught the tail end of disappointment in his tone and she was flushed with disbelief -- who would possibly be disappointed to bask in her company? granted the last time they spoke things had been a little strange -- and someone had died.. had she arms she would have crossed them mulishly -- instead, she sat in a dramatic flourish. "lotht your lithspth, i thee." she spat coldly, still wounded he was not overjoyed to behold her.

Without provocation, Caiaphas was quick to delve into mockery. If there was anything about his old soot crowned queen that Reek missed, it was precisely this. Their strained relationship had always been a source of amusement for the raggedy male, who found it to be characterized by conversations consisting solely of snappy comeback after comeback. It was all so much fun. A part of Reek was glad to see his frienemy again... Though, he was hard-pressed to let it show.

"Oh— Well, too bad that little token didn't stick," he spat back, voice dripping with spite. His mouth had healed, but a long scar now trailed from the corner of his lip and up his cheek, forever etching Reek's face into a twisted grin. Dawning his lisping tone of old, Reek mocked back, "At leatht you got to leave me thith neato thcar though."

she had expected him to show umbrage -- but it seemed she had forgotten he was not the soft-bellied wolf many of her peers were. the realization that her insult had not sunken like a keen blade into his stomach caused her to reconsider her approach. huffily the siren queen crossed her tail across her legs and regarded the man and his scar -- she did that? at long last the witch had left her mark on the world -- the fact it came in corporeal form did nothing to dissuade the blossoming well of pride in her chest. "good thing it wont make you any less unsightly." she ventured, pleased with her jab. the enjoyment was shortlived -- she was grumpy, and she was here for a reason -- but what about him? a seriousness descended her expression and she looked at reek pointedly. "what are you doing here, reek?"

Oh, I'm not mad though," he quickly retorted, voice like stone. "Unsightly as I may be, I think it looks pretty badass." Reek winked and quickly flashed his teeth. His lips pulled back in what appeared to be a false snarl. Of course, it was all part of the tough guy act that he found so humorous. A dry, wheezing laugh began to ripple from deep in Reek's chest. He had forgotten exactly how infuriatingly fun speaking to Caiaphas was.

"I'm on a recruitment drive," he offered, seeing no reason to lie. "Things with the Maplewood didn't work out... So, there's that." He would explain no more however, as he didn't wish to stir up any buried emotions, especially in front of someone as shrewd as Caiaphas.

"But, I could ask the same about you 'Phassypoo... Don't you have crabs or something to scare back at the sound?" She always struck him as a hermit. Curious to see what drew her away from her territory, Reek was determined to find his answer.

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she studied the mark on his muzzle, and the manner in which it exposed his teeth. it certainly was a menacing scar, and in no way shape or form made reek look like an inviting animal. again, she had to remind herself, she made that -- is this how mothers felt?

her ears flipped forward at the mention of recruitment.  perhaps some of the scents she had detected near her shore were the scents of his comrades. none had been so bold to approach her or her borders, which made her inclined to believe they were perhaps settling further than a day's trek away. his nickname for her was met with an ugly jeer -- at this moment it was impossible to tell who was the uglier of the duo. "is that so?" she inquired loftily, canting her muzzle to the side to peer at the not-so-winsome male out of the corner of her eye. "what didn't work out? get too ugly for full membership privileges?" she leaned in with a gasp. "don't tell me she makes you look the other way when you're doing the deed." her raunchiness was followed by a delightfully unkind cackle. "i'll tell you why i'm here if you tell me where you're setting up shop."

Reek didn't necissarily want to divulge the nitty-gritty details that ended up getting him and his mistress thrown out of the Maplewood, but his curiosity won out in the end. After a moment of silent contemplation, Reek sighed and said, "I wish." To have been thrown out on the grounds of being too ugly to lead would have perhaps been a little less heart breaking. His actions and their consequences still pained him, but in this moment -- with Caiaphas -- he tried to distance himself from his decisions as much as possible, as to protect his emotional state.

"Saena caught me cheating." As soon as the words left Reek's mouth, he realized how horrible it sounded; how horrible an act it was to commit. "She kicked me and the mistress out... So, I'm left to start over." In a way, it felt as if Reek were speaking about someone else's actions and not his own. If he made things too personal, he ran the risk of bearing all for Caiaphas to see.

"Your turn," he said, shrugging.

of all explanations the salt witch expected, adultery was not one of them. her ears flew forwards in incredulity and her lips pursed as if to say 'you are kidding, right?'. but he wasn't kidding -- and a crumpled, almost disconsolate shroud seemed to haunt his muzzle as he continued. a loud, shrill coyote-esque cackle sounded from her muzzle -- before she knew it she was kicking on the ground in delighted laughter.

certainly, of all the ways to end a mateship, cheating was a high-note. she righted herself, her ribs still slaked with spells of giggles. "serves you right." she tried to say seriously, but all she could do was snigger. "i'm here on important business." a lie and the sparkle in her eyes fully betrayed that. "there's too many of you damn packs around, so i'm investigating. sorry, it's not as juicy as doing the dirty with a mistress."

She lost herself before him; writhing on the ground in mirthful glee. Her words and laughter plunged a knife deeper and deeper into Reek's heart until he felt himself falter, however, he did not let it show. Outwardly, he remained cold and stonefaced, despite the fact the he was bleeding on the inside. He felt he had good reason to leave the coywolf there in the tangle to laugh at his misfortune alone, but Reek was too spiteful to simply walk away— he wanted to hurt her in the same way she had hurt him, but for that, he would have to wait.

Composing herself, the coywolf found her feet. Reek's glare hardened. The explanation she offered wasn't near equivalent to the bombshell Reek had dropped, but in no way did he didn't expect it to be comparable. "How droll," he droned, bobbing his head sarcastically. "At least my life isn't boring as shit." It was sad, complicated, and difficult, but Reek felt he had more purpose than simply 'investigating'.

as caiaphas regained her composure she could not help but notice the keen iciness that lanced reek's dagger-like glare. she would have to have been blind not to notice it -- and even if she were lacking in all of her faculties, she imagined his double-barreled glare was enough to bore holes in the thickest of skin. she offered a feigned smile of meekness, as if apologetic. but apologetic she was not.

it was clear her laughter had wounded him; perhaps more than any words could have. caiaphas straightened herself out, sitting primly before him as she inspected inwardly ways in which to rebuke his statement of her being boring. boring -- good god, caiaphas thought herself anything but boring. "it is pretty boring, isn't it?" she stood up as if to accompany reek. "maybe i should find myself a sidepiece.." she knew her comeback would only dig deeper into reek's resentment for her,  and for a moment seemed to reconsider if such a sharp riposte was worth the cost of ambiguous friendship. "or.. maybe you could spice it up for me -- what other non-boring things are on the menu today?"

Just as Caiaphas had assumed, her comment wedged its way under Reek's skin like a pesky splinter; painful, but mostly annoying in the most infuriating ways. Reek felt his blood run cold and his body course with anger. His muscles tensed as his brow began to furrow. Their sarcastic fun was only enjoyable to him when he felt he had to the upper hand, but now, Caiaphas had him by the metaphorical balls.

Before his scarred lips could pull back into a nasty snarl, Reek shook his head. "I don't have to deal with this shit," he spat. "Not today." With a final glare, full-bore into the crown of black faced queen's skull, Reek turned to take his leave. If she said no more, Reek would continue on back to the grotto; his recruitment efforts for the day soiled and over.

caiaphas was not one to give change, and grudgingly she scowled as reek declared himself done with her poor company. her ears laced back as his double-barreled gaze struck her like a mule kick -- and in kind, she returned the favor with her own withering look.

unfortunately for the dissolute coywolf, reek was right -- he didn't have to put him with her shit, and she could do nothing to convince him otherwise. with a silent scowl draped across her features the wretch remained obstinately quiet -- scorned into silence as she watched the lanky male depart.