Haunted Wood That Meal I Promised You

Oh is Santi hungry! His stomach growls with the ferocity of a rabid animal. He need to put something in his belly–anything honestly. He even contemplated chewing and eat leaves and twigs as a little snack before he sets out for food. Just waking up will do that to ya. So he sets off to find his wonderful little friend @Clarence. He’s sure the boy would love a little hunt.

Clarence was also quite hungry this morning, if he were being honest with himself. He'd been hungry since he opened his eyes, and it was only then that he realized he hadn't had a full meal in a couple of days. Perhaps he wouldn't be so skinny if he fed himself more often.

After relieving himself against a nearby tree, the boy stretched, yawned, and set off at a slow trot toward the border for a bit of guard duty. He wasn't expecting to run into anyone on his way there, but his eyes lit up when he spotted the dark wolf up ahead. Clarence smiled and picked up the pace, bracelet jingling on his wrist. "Morning, Santiago!" he greeted brightly.

Santi walks languid towards the outskirts of their territory he hears the voice of the boy he has been looking for shout a good morning. His head swivels to meet the other and a smile plays across his muzzle at the sight of the other. “Ah, buenos dias, querido. Just the man I was looking for this morning.” He calls back deeply.

He watches with joy as the male picks up his pace to come see him, Santi begins walking towards the other himself. “You wouldn’t be hungry would you? Want to come hunt with me, amigo?”

Santiago's accent was sweet and the words were foreign, per usual. But Clarence liked them nonetheless, a smile crossing his muzzle as the larger wolf approached him. 

The boy tipped his head to the side at the invitation and his eyes softened in return. He was getting better at hunting with the bracelet on his wrist, so he didn't feel like he'd drag Santiago down. "I'm really hungry," he admitted, ears flicking as he looked up at the man. "What are we hunting?"

Santi grins down to the other thinking just how sweet he really is. Finds himself staring into those ruby eyes longer than usual, nor often too. He boops his nose briefly onto the others. “Bueno, cariño. Not sure, guess whatever we find first, si?” He says back and begins walking in a direction, leathery nose hitting the forest floor.

Clarence smiled slightly when the man touched their noses together, cheeks warming with a light blush that was hidden well under thick fur. He nodded his head in agreement and padded along after the older wolf, sensitive ears swiveling to try and pick up on any prey. He stayed quiet, figuring that would be best for a hunting expedition, though his bracelet did jingle just slightly from time to time.

Santi held a sweet smile for a few seconds after he begins walking, mind still stuck on the other male. He lifts his head to take a break from his incessant sniffing to gaze towards the other. Ghostly eyes watch the male so much smaller than himself as his ears swivel, listening for any signs of food. 

Santi fitfully gets back on track and his eyes scout the horizon. He sees something. He’s not sure what yet. He stops dead in his tracks eyes fixated on the animal in the distance and tilts his chin up in the direction in a type of nod to the other wolf. “Something out there.” He whispers as he begins walking for it again. 

They come closer and it appears to be a smaller doe. The tall leggy animal walks about aimlessly nibbling on the berries that grow on nearby bushes. Santi grins, they’ve found the packs next meal.

Turning towards his companion he comes in closer, maybe unnecessarily close, to the other and lowers his head. “You stay behind it since you’re faster than me. I’ll sneak around the other side and jump her. Just bring her towards me.” He plans in a whisper, hoping it’ll actually work.

They found the deer much quicker than Clarence thought they would, and he was proud of himself for not letting the bracelet on his wrist jingle loudly enough to scare her. Santiago came in close to him and Clarence felt his body heat up again, though he leaned into the man's side regardless, nodding his head. His eyes still locked on the prey, but his ears on the older wolf. 

The plan sounded solid. If there was anything Clarence was, it was fast. 

"Got it," he assured, crouching down and preparing himself to run. Santiago would have to get into place before he could do his part.

Hunt Roll

Hunt will be unsuccessful. :’) I should’ve let you roll I have such bad luck haha.

Grinning when the younger male beckons closer, he takes an interest in the way the piebald boy watches the deer–so focused. “I’ll nod to you when I’m ready.” He mumbles, before nudging the younger with his nose on the cheek.

Beginning in a trot to the other side of the deer, he goes around to the left to keep behind it. The closer towards the front he gets, the lower his body slinks to the ground. Eager to to sink his teeth into his prey, Santi licks his chops, slowing his pace to the equivalent to a snail to sneak up in her. 

Once placed in an opportune spot Santi’s eyes are taken from the doe and settle onto Clarence. A single nod signifies for the hunt to begin.

Pfft, it's cool. Clarence isn't a great hunter anyway.

Santiago went on ahead to get into position, and red eyes tracked him the entire time, prepared to run at any moment. The deer continued eating, unaware of the predators closing in on her. And perhaps this wasn't the best deer to go after - she looked fairly healthy - but Clarence didn't really know about that. 

The man nodded and Clarence's coiled body shot into action. Speed and stamina were far more what he was good for, and his limber legs carried him swiftly toward the doe. Around a quarter of the way there, she realized that there was danger and started to sprint, toward Santiago, with Clarence right on her heels.

Silver eyes watch the piebald male as he quickens his initial walk into a full on sprint. He’s impressed by the speed at first and only continues to be more impressed as he herds the doe closer and closer to Santi’s ever bloodthirsty jaws.

The animal nearly breaks its neck looking in Clarence’s direction and it too breaks out into a run for its life. Long nimble limbs carry it faster than Santi would’ve thought and quicker than the monochromatic wolf expects it to be, the deer is right on him.

Lashing forward, mouth wide open in hopes of snagging his teeth on its flesh and biting down with the force of a thousand suns, unexpectedly he misses. The second bite is luckier as it grazes it hind leg leaving a nicely sized scratch where his tooth left it hairless. The blood drips from the wound and splashed onto Santi’s tongue, only managing to fuel the fire even more.

Even though his muscles worked in over time Santi is at a loss of words when the deer keeps running and he seems to be slowing down. His paws begin to come to a slow stop and eventually he’s standing there, rooted in place with his brows furrowed pensively. Tongue lolled out the side of his mouth and his diaphragm expands and shrinks quickly while he pulls in large lungfuls of breath. He’s pissed. Though where he lacks speed and stamina, he hopes that maybe Clarence can make up for it.

Clarence faltered a bit when Santiago grabbed a hold of the doe's hind leg, waiting to see if the larger wolf could stop it. There was a gash left behind, but the doe continued to run, and Santiago couldn't keep up with it. So the boy picked up the pace again, barely feeling the burn in his legs and chest as he bolted after the deer. 

A few moments later found him beneath her, snapping at her legs, but... well, Clarence hadn't ever really hunted anything bigger than a rabbit before, and this deer had sharp hooves and long legs. The boy managed a few nips, but he was a bit too fast, and the doe caught her front leg on his body. Both of them tumbled, the doe with a cry and Clarence with a yelp. The deer got to her feet first and continued to run, and Clarence stood up just a few seconds later, shaking his pelt off. 

It didn't really hurt, but he could feel that his side would be bruised, and paused before he ran again, not wanting to end up making it worse. Defeated, he turned back to Santiago with a soft sigh through his nose and making the walk of shame back to the larger wolf.

Santi is spurred back into action when he sees Clarence bolt past him. Like a lightening strike, the boy is fast. It’s fairly impressive when he closes in on the doe in such a short amount of time. Nipping on her legs sends them both tumbling and this is when Santiago decides to pick up his own pace. Running up towards the two, not far behind, the male hopes for the deer to tangle her gangly legs with Clarence’s; maybe he could hold her long enough for Santi to grab a hold of her.

Alas, his hopes do not come true–as per usual. She even manages to jump to her feet faster than the piebald boy. Galloping to stop next to the male, it’s at this point he realizes that she’s gone for good this time. Watching her prance away causes to release a huff of annoyance. 

“She got away, but you did good, cariño.” He praises the other with a smile slowly appearing on his maw. “That was embarrassing on my part though.” He chuckles. “You okay?

Clarence is out of breath at that point, dirty and panting and trying to get enough air in to fill his abused lungs. It was funny how the fatigue and ache never seemed to occur to him until after everything was over. Now, he was more... annoyed, he thought. It seemed like they would get her. 

"I'm alright," he responded, wheezing just a bit - the collision had knocked the breath out of him. His fur was still ruffled, muddied a bit where he'd rolled into the mud. "That was... embarrassing." he echoed Santiago's sentiment, looking up sheepishly at the man. "I don't even think I bit her, really. I couldn't get a hold of her leg."

“No, no, amigo. You did good.” He fights back with a rumbling laugh. “She was fast though. You were just barely faster.”

Looking down to the male he assists him up with a muzzle scooped under the others ribs. Standing there with the younger Santi looks down to him. “You look kind of cute when your hair is all crazy.” He points out softly.

"Thank you." Clarence smiled at the praise and stood up with Santiago's help. "Think I could be better at this whole hunting thing if I didn't have to wear this all the time," he admitted, looking down at the bracelet around his wrist. It was tight, but not cutting off circulation or anything. There was just no way for him to get it off, with the way the metal was connected. It was likely to be stuck there forever.

Heat rushed to his face at the compliment but he took it in stride this time, offering Santiago a wry little smile and shot back a quip that was likely inspired from the man's teasing. "You'd probably be cuter if you had food for me," he said, padding up to press his nose to Santiago's muzzle and lick there. Something a pup might do to signify that they were hungry.

The male shamelessly gazes down to the male, merely admiring him. Then his attention is turned to the bracelet that seems latched to the males wrist. “Yeah, it’d probably hurt to pull off.” He murmurs, lowering himself briefly to inspect the metal. 

Coming back to his full  height, Santi can see the mysterious glint in the younger’s eye. Slightly squinting his own moon-like hues at Clarence suspiciously he doesn’t expect that jab that comes from the other next. It hits him right in the heart and Santi thinks he might just die. He is learning. Is all he can think proudly as he is chest rebels with laughter.

“Ow, mi corazón. That one stung.” The laughter meets his eyes as they crinkle at the edges.

The licks that meet his muzzle then make up for the faux hurt. Santi has to admit that he loves that he’s catching on to the playful banter and teasing he usually sends Clarence’s way. Stepping just a bit closer, he nibbles the others neck. Then he comes back to lick the edges of his ear and the side of his face.

Hurt, or be impossible. Either way, Clarence didn't want to try. The bit of metal that hung off of the side was what was jingling, usually alerting prey of his proximity if he didn't move just the right way. A soft sigh escaped him and he shook his head to clear it, taking his attention off of the bracelet for the time being. 

Eyes lit up when Santiago laughed and his tail began to wag. So he'd done it right, he was assuming, based on the man's reaction. 

Clarence paused when the man touched his neck, unsure what that meant at first, but relaxed once more when he kissed his face. A small smile grew on his maw and he turned to press his head beneath Santiago's chin with a soft rumble. Tilting his head back, he licked at Santiago's chin and lips, signifying affection but also the subtle I'm hungry.

"Maybe we can get something from a cache?" he asked hopefully. It was rare that Clarence sought out food - he'd still yet to gain weight that he needed - but he was definitely hungry enough to push for it today.

Fade in your next post? Or if you’re down to continue I’m down. :)

Basking in the way the boy stares at him, Santi just wants eat him up. The licks he’s offers Santi make his laugh quietly and his tongue flicks back briefly. “Then let’s head back to the cache and pretend like we didn’t just fail at catching a small doe.” He says it playfully, with a wink.

With a single nudge to the other male he begins walking the direction of the cache. “I’m fucking hungry too, cariño.”

Clarence smiled at the man and shook his head. "Nobody will ever know we didn't catch her if we don't tell them," he assured, trotting alongside the larger wolf as they made their way to the cache, excited to at least end the day on a full belly - especially with the one wolf he admired more than anyone else.

fade <3