Dragoncrest Cliffs ares

hi y'all! i'll be taking over as blixy from now on! just something quick while i get a feel for her, sorry it's rough. all welcome!

 they're getting older, all of them. it's a cruel trick, and though she doesn't understand it now it feels quite important to her to not waste any more time napping in the sun. her childhood has been stolen with her mother. no one has come out and said anything yet but she's astute enough, she can tell the adults are worried and her mother is gone and though she misses her so much she wants to curl up and cry, because it's unfair, she knows she can't do that. so like she knows she will soon shed her goufa rank, so she has to shed her babyish weakness and become stronger for her family's sake. so, small mouth set in a determined line, the gangly girl sets off to patrol her home's borders - ensuring to her own childish satisfaction that no one else will leave them.

Eljay felt terrible that the pups needed to be without their mother for so long. He hadn't yet met any of Wildfire's pups (or so he thought) but they must be feeling bad. Eljay wondered who Wildfire's mate was, too, since she had vanished; he must be so worried about her, but Eljay hadn't met him yet that he knew of.

It surprised him to find one of the pups patrolling the borders, but he reminded himself that other pups in Redhawk Caldera'd been young with learning to do these things by themselves too. Maybe he was the only one who'd taken so long, he thought to himself. Upon his approach it became very clear to Eljay this must be Wildfire's child, because her fur was like a beacon of Wiffle-ness. Eljay approached with a neutral disposition and smiled softly as he chuffed to capture her attention, hoping to give her some company in her mother's unfortunate absence and get to know her a bit better.

to an outsider, she must have looked pretty funny, a still small and awkward shaped child playing at soldier. but blixen feels - not powerful, that's a really strong word for it, but - effective, maybe, like she's doing something good. she likes it, she finds. 

 the redhead spots him before he greets her, and for a moment she abandons her game for curiousity. blixen hasn't met this boy yet, but he's part of her home and that's all that counts. she matches his smile with one of her own, tail wagging as she greets him with a "hi." she pauses, and then adds, "i'm patrolling," taking back on her serious face, so that this boy knows she is very serious about what she's up to.

Eljay was glad when the pup seemed friendly, just like Bobbin had been when they'd met. He smiled softly as she greeted, returning the smile with a soft-spoken "Hiya." He couldn't help a friendly chuckle when she said she was patrolling, finding it endearing that she was trying so hard to make herself worthwhile for the pack. And she was doing this. Eljay wished he had been better developed as a child as it might've helped him now, but things were as they were. There was nothing he could do about it now, for unfortunately he was still just Eljay.

"It's good to see you're working hard for the pack," he complimented. "I'm Eljay. Does... Is Wildfire your mommy..?" He posed the question carefully, not sure how to ask it. If it weren't so he'd look like a fool, but he hoped it to be true because he was looking forward to meet Wildfire's children.

belatedly the child remembers she did see this boy at the pack meeting she stole in on, but her mixed up emotional state had gotten in the way of her remembering his name. eljay, she'll remember this time for sure. blix can't help but smile a little wider under the praise, because it did feel good to be helping! - but then he asks the fatal question and her smile slides off immediately. carefully the redhead schools her features into her best impression of her nomi's stoicism. 

"yes," she answers solemnly. in the way of arrogant little kids, blixen just sort of assumes everyone knows who her parents are. "so i gotta be tough an' make sure nothin bad happens again," she tells him stubbornly. it wouldn't do anything to give into her babyish feelings - and, oh, wait - "you can help me, yeah?" blix asks, her eyes brightening - she's 'patrolling' but she know's shes not allowed to do much yet because she's gotta prove herself - but if she has a grown-up with her then it's all above-board right?

As soon as the wide, cheerful smile fell off her face Eljay felt like he had dropped a porcelain tea set from his hands, and all he could do now was try and pick up the pieces and glue them together. Of course being reminded of her now-gone mother was no fun for the girl, and he should have known. This had to be why she was out here patrolling and pretending to be tougher than she was. Eljay remembered being so afraid and lonely when his mommy had gone away; nothing like this girl.

"Your mommy is my cousin, so that means we're family too." He wasn't sure what that made them, but it didn't really matter. She asked if he could help and he felt nervous. Eljay wasn't too sure what he was allowed to do or not, and was afraid to make a mistake in regards to the child-rearing. "Uhm... I can try. I'm not very good at being tough." Eljay smiled sheepishly, wishing that he had more to offer to the girl. He wished he knew her name, but it might be strange to ask for it now that they were so far into the conversation, so Eljay waited for a more opportune moment to slide in the question.

 
blixen perks up when the boy explains they're cousins, her tail giving a wag. his hesitation to help her goes largely unheeded - he'd said yes afterall! "i am! i'll protect you," the redhead informs him reassuringly, that lingering hint of sorrow at the mention of her mother transformed anew. the little guardian spirit took off again, her posture made more sturdy than before - she pauses to throw a glance over her shoulders, expectant, to ensure her new chaperone is following her.

Eljay chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm, and he felt a pang of regret that he had never been like that. Eljay wanted nothing more, even now, than to be strong and tough and to prove to his parents that he was really a good wolf. He had always been a weakling, a pathetic weenie — even if Nightjar had been the only one who had dared say it to his face — and he needed to change. Even his little great-cousins or however it was called were apparently tougher than he.

The hint of melancholy drifted away when she took off again and he followed after. Eljay kept up well, and shortly after they went on their way with the patrol he asked, "What's your name..?" His voice was sheepish, feeling weird asking her this when he as her cousin-uncle should just know these things. But he did not, and he figured the longer he waited, the more awkward it'd get.

she's pleased when he follows her - good, it wouldn't do her any good if no one took her seriously. eljay breaks the silence after a few minutes by asking for her name, and the girl chirps "blixen!" easily, not particularly bothered he didn't know. "you can call me blix if you want," she adds after a moment, testing the nickname out for herself -  if bobby got to be bobby, she could be blix, it's only fair. 

there didn't seem to be any pressing border issues - it was well and good to patrol, but blixen wants something to happen so that she can really prove herself, and, oh! she spins on her heel suddenly, tail swishing playfully. "hey! i got an idea - eljay! pretend to be a mean wolf tryin to sneak in," she orders cheerfully, feeling quite clever and forgetting for a moment to keep her serious persona on, "and i'll stop you!"

Eljay nodded when she gave her name and mentally mapped it. He repeated it in his head a lot of times so that he'd know he wouldn't forget. Blix, Blix, Blix... Luckily it wasn't too difficult a name — he should be able to remember that.

Enthused as she was, she turned to him and excitedly suggested that he could try to be a mean wolf so she could scare him away. He grinned awkwardly and thought of objecting at first, but he was a bit too scared to. Scared that she wouldn't like him anymore if he'd be boring and scaredy-cat like himself. He should pretend like this was something he could do. "Uhm, okay," Eljay said. "Wait, I should — I gotta get out of the borders first, then, uh, before I can sneak out. Just... Keep patrolling!"

Eljay dashed off towards the great outdoors then. He contemplated leaving for a split second, thinking of going off to find Redhawk Caldera, or just keep going until he ran into Wildfire again, wherever she'd gone. He knew he mustn't, though, knew he should stay here and wait until she was ready to return. He ran away, trying to make a triangle back to the borders so that he'd eventually run into her again.

aww eljay <333

it does not occur to her that eljay might not like her game idea, or that he might be scared, even. her logic seems pretty sound to her: all the adults in drageda were tough and strong (though not as strong as nomi), even if fighting wasn't their speciality, and so all of them could help her in her quest to be tough and strong. 

"great!" she chirps, watching him beat a hasty retreat with a wagging tail. once he's out of sight the game begins - she rearranges herself into the serious form she was before her cousin showed up, and resumes her march, careful not to stray too far from the spot they parted at because what if he tries to sneak past her and she doesn't win? blix huffs a little and tightens her circle, very intent on her game's win.

When Eljay returned to the borders he didn't immediately see Blixen. Hadn't she marched on..? He looked puzzled, dropping his rr-rr-angry-wolf composure for a moment while he glanced around until he noticed Blixen a little while off. Realising she had stayed at the same spot he had been at Eljay turned round and took a bit more distance again before he returned to the borders at the spot Blix was still at.

He wasn't too sure how to hold himself dominantly so he looked really awkward with his lifted head, semi-lifted tail and shoulders pushed back a little bit, but not enough to make him actually look confident at all. He looked very much like someone playing an act and not like an actually malicious or dominant wolf; his insecurity was still reflected in his eyes. "Grrr, I hope I can find something to eat in this pack's borders," he called out, his voice still too sweet to mimic any kind of trespasser, really.

 eljay is not a very threatening pretend-threat, which disappoints her a little because she worries she's being coddled. but maybe he just wants to make sure that any passing adults understand it's a training exercise. well, either way, the game is on. she darts towards him, skidding to a stop in front of him and puffing up dramatically, growling her fiercest. "hod op!" blixen says, as authoritatively as she can manage, "do not take another step, jaka," her tail wagging (very fiercely!) behind her.

i put the translations on hover but jic, hod op - stop! & jaka - thief. :p

Eljay felt rather endeared at how Blixen tried to make herself as fierce as possible. She wasn't very fierce yet, but he was sure she would do well and would become a good warrior if she kept this up. Once she'd grow into her body more all of this training would come in handy and she would be intimidating as hell, surely. Eljay meanwhile wasn't as intimidating as he could, though he wanted to, but he knew he just wasn't that convincing.

He didn't understand the words she said — though thought the 'hod op' was just a 'hold up', which seemed a bit too polite for a trespasser — though tried to play along with the game as best he could. It was hard not to fall out of character. She called him a jaka and said that he shouldn't take another step, and then he took one more step while he said, "I don't have to listen to a..." He wanted to say 'baby' but it seemed so unkind. "... punk like yourself." Though he still didn't sound very threatening, but he knew he should at least try to insist he would pass over the borders because it wouldn't be a lot of practise if he'd turn and run at the very first sign of opposition.

she growled more fiercely as he steps forward despite her orders, and shouts, "i'm not a punk! i'm blixen, goufa of drageda!" the burgeoning-warrior puffs up with pride before advancing on eljay - not yet pouncing but definitely getting in his personal space, teeth bared. "if you don't retreat now there will be consequences!" blixen tells him determinedly, crouching slightly - ready to spring forward and drive him away by force if he doesn't retreat (and blixen hopes eljay doesn't retreat).

Eljay actually felt a little scared of Blixen, mostly because he wasn't used to any kind of conflict at all and his inner Eljay was screaming with unhappiness. His heart thumped in his chest while he stumbled over his words as he tried to remain fierce, but was failing miserably, "A goufa huh? Is that — Is it some — k-kind of baby rank?" He felt terrible for being so insulting and he really hoped that Blixen would soon be sated in her desire to play out the intruder-attacks-pack-territory-show. He just wanted to be Eljay again.

"Well I'm uh, am, uh, Evil..ly.. the wolf and I, uh, I'm not leaving 'til you make me." 'Evilly the wolf', wow Eljay, so good at making up fake names, he berated himself quietly while he waited for Blixen to respond, assuming she'd take action now. He was pretty much ready to leap back if she would leap forward, since he didn't intend to make actual physical contact.

wanna wrap up soon? i want another thread with these two sometime!! :p

 unfortunately for eljay the girl is delighted by his commitment, as faltering as it is. "it is not," she insists, bristling more - only to have to hold back a giggle at his fake name. but despite the smile trying to break through her serious veneer, she barks, "you'll regret that!" and launches herself forward. blixen doesn't intend to seriously collide with her cousin but assumes he will know how to handle himself in a play-fight (ah, how wrong she'll be proven!).

Just as Blixen leaped forward Eljay was already on the recline, bouncing backwards and out of line so that the attack missed him. "Oh no I'm so scared!" he called out, suddenly terrified, because he didn't really want to do a fake playwrestle with Blixen. He'd rather do a real playwrestling later on. Eljay ran away only a couple of meters, fully intending to run back as good ole' Eljay himself moments later, assuming the game was over now.

yes! feel free to wrap it up with a fade if you want. :)

 she is still growling playfully as he leaps away, giving a bit of chase - ah, well, it seems eljay doesn't want to fake-fight her as evilly, but she's satsified with the outcome anyway and drops her faux-snarl in favor of a grin. "mochof!" blixen chirps, all previous traces of solemness dashed from her form. "now - it's time for round two!" she calls, advancing on her cousin, ready to play for a few more hours, at least (poor eljay!)