Larksong Grotto Gucci

come hunt with meeeee

The geese in this territory were down right stupid-- and mean. Jhala absolutely hated them. Their only upside was that they tasted pretty damn good, and therefore she tolerated them. Currently, she stalked a small group of them, hoping to take down one or two. It'd be easier with more wolves, but she was completely content with hunting by herself if she had to. The dark gamma walked through the grass, her head and body low, but her ears perked. Her stomach waited patiently to be fed.

Don't know how much help Reek will be, but I'm throwing him in anyway!

Though neither Reek's body or mind were in fit condition, he was dead-set on leaving the safety of the grotto in the morning in search of both new and old blood. He was to set out on a recruitment drive, and along the way, search for his co-alpha/baby mama, Tavi -- and somehow convince her to come home with him (this was the part of the plan that Reek hadn't entirely figured out yet, but in order to suppress another mental breakdown, he tried not to dwell on the semantics).

Before setting off on his adventure alone, Reek made his final rounds around the grotto. He limped around the border, renewing the scent markers wherever he could, and once he had finished, he retreated to the interior of the territory to grab something from the cache before he left. He wouldn't be eating for a very long time, and it was best to fill up now instead of starve on the road.

On his way however, he crossed Jhala's scent and it proved to be a momentary distraction. He diverted his course -- only for a moment -- to see Jhala stalking the geese that had made their home around the lake. While in no condition to physically aid in the hunt, Reek settled to his haunches a short distance away and began to watch the scene unfold.

!! yeee, we love Reek. he's welcome to hobble in and join the chaos or just chillax.  

The scent of her alpha had wafted nearby, but the girl didn't see him right away and therefore assumed he was either a safe distance away or far off-- she had no way of telling. Jhala continued forward, her ears flicking as she carefully set down her paws. She looked more feline than she did canine in her way of moving, but she felt so exposed in the grotto she really had no other choice-- crouch down and pray for cover. There was a small opening in the green grass, one that the dark gamma could see clearly through. 

The group of dumbass fowl honked and waddled around in the clearing, the tall grass appearing to cage them in. She moved forward still, picking out the best candidates for meal time. She opted for a pair that were edging the grass, gossiping stupidly about geese stuff. She licked her lips impatiently, launching herself from the grass towards the pair, her teeth meeting flesh. The birds began to scwabble and flap frantically-- but began to fly immediately.

Sorry I haven't replied to this sooner. I've been so swamped with joining threads lately :P

From his place on the ridge, Reek remained perfectly still and silent as he watched Jhala stalk her prey intently. Being in the shape he was, he didn't want to get in the way, but it took all the self-control he had not to sweep down the ridge and join her in the coming fray. Reek had never considered himself much of a hunter, especially before relocating to the grotto, but these geese -- they were a hoot and a half to hunt down. It was almost like a game, and now, Reek felt he was unable to play.

His head drooped sadly on his outstretched forepaws as he considered how he was currently doomed to stay in a state of non-participation. Jhala, however, seemed to be doing just fine on her own. She neared ever closer, stalking in the grass. The geese remained confident in their position, unaware of the wolf lurking just out of sight. Then, without any warning, Jhala sprang forward. Reek felt his heart pound in his chest, as if he was living vicariously though her as she hunted. She was soon lost and flurry of flapping wings. Having been concealed in the commotion, Jhala was no longer visible.

Reek's body tensed. He rose from his sprawl and stood atop the ridge to get a better look. "You snag one?" he asked, calling out to her from his high perch.

no worries. (: take your time with whatever you need to <3

Dropping the body, Jhala lunged for a second one. She missed-- unfortunately-- but did manage to grab a mouthful of feathers from the tail of a bird, which left it squawking loudly as it fled. She attempted to spit out the things, but a few were still stuck to the corners of her lips, leaving her look somewhat stupid. She heard the voice of Reek from somewhere in the area, and looked around for him. When the birds cleared, the dark Gamma was finally able to find him among the ridges, and her tail wagged happily at the sight of him. She nodded, her head falling and nosing the bird with a small bit of pride. Feathers still dangling from her jaws, she called out-- "Come join me!" 

As soon as the flurry of wing flaps subsided and the geese had flown the coop, Reek could finally see the spoils of Jhala's victory. A single bird lay limp on the ground at the young warrior's feet -- the feathers of a second, clung teasingly to her jaw. She called for him to join her on the battleground, and Reek couldn't help but feel some welling of emotion in response. Perhaps it was pride— but maybe it was something else. Reek wasn't entirely sure.

She beckoned him forward, and so the alpha male complied. Limping down from his place on the ridge overlooking the lake, Reek slid in beside her. Allowing himself to brush her flank with his, he greeted her with a friendly nudge. "Good catch," he said, motioning down to her fresh kill. A frail and broken smile crossed Reek's face.

With Tavi's departure still fresh in Reek's mind, there was something he had been meaning to ask. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked, returning his gaze to his trusted gamma.

Reek drops down to join the girl, and she smiles at him, returning his gestures of greeting, nudging his shoulder. "Thank!" she says, a choppy appreciation cut short-- just barely-- by a feather. She sticks her tongue out, spitting the loose remains out. The floated ungracefully from her jaws, a few still stuck in her dark fur. Those were unimportant to her though, and she ignores them and returns her attention to her alpha. 

"You already are--" she teases playfully, but answers in full next, "'Course, whadaya need?" 

Of course, the question Reek posed felt (and was) utterly redundant, however, he felt he needed to preface what he wanted to say with something instead of dropping the full brunt of it on Jhala without warning. His lips pull back briefly in a tight smile, but Reek's eyes trailed sadly downward. He bit his lip and said, "I can't do this alone Jhala." The moment the words passed his lips, it felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. With Tavi gone, Reek didn't want to lead the pack on his own. In fact, he had never done it on his own ever -- not even in the Maplewood -- nor did he feel himself capable now, especially in his current condition: broken, battered, and emotionally bruised.

"I'd like you to be my beta," he continued. "I mean— I trust you more than anyone else here." She was the obvious choice, he felt. "With Tavi gone, I can't be around for everyone all the time. I need someone to help pick up the slack she left, and I really want it to be you." The decision was up to her entirely, and Reek didn't wish to shove any unwanted responsibility down her throat, but he felt there was no one else worthy of the task.

Her smile fell. She stared at the man for a moment, her paws itching but rooted in their spot. The girl hesitated to answer, trying to find an appropriate response. She didn't want to tell him no, she couldn't let him down, but she just wasn't sure she was right for that amount of responsibility. She let out a breathe, realizing she had been holding it for so long.

"Reek..." she muttered, her eyes pools of sunsets, resting squarely on his. "Do you know why I left the Ridge to follow you?" she asked, shuffling through her head to figure out what she wanted to say-- was this good for her? She was not sure.

As soon as Reek finished speaking, a lingering, tepid silence hung in the air. She turned to him and their eyes briefly met. Reek could see her answer lurking in their depths, and it wasn't the one he wanted to recieve. Biting his lip, Reek's gaze shot downward. "It's your choice Jhala," he said, voice strained with disappointment. "I would never force anything on you that you didn't want." Nevertheless, Reek was unable to bridge the gap of understanding between the reason she had left her old pack and the connection it had to receiving a promotion such as this.

"You wanted a new start," he answered. "Same as me."  So far, Reek had felt he had done a poor job of it, but from what he could see of Jhala, she had been happy -- or at least, Reek hoped so.

She had left to follow Reek. She felt she'd done a poor job of leading anyone at PR-- she was not a natural born leader. She'd left to follow, not to lead. But Reek had asked it of her, and it hurt to tell him no, so she stood silent. He hadn't asked her why, which was part of her whole spiel, so now she was left to lengthen the conversation with a silence. She stared at him for a while before her gaze fell to the land, and then to her paws. Her shoulders rolled as she thought, and finally she gave a gentle dip of her head.

"I'd do anything for you n' the Grotto," she told him, her head turning towards him again. "I'd be honored to be your Beta," 

Reek needed some relief in his life, he was too stressed and too anxious-- she prayed she would help. 

He braced himself for a rejection -- for some long winded explanation as to why she was grateful, but could not accept his offer to bring her into the upper tier, the ruling class. The silence between them only strengthened this assumption. However, the words that passed her lips in response took Reek by surprise. His brows raised and the corners of his mouth pulled back, revealing a rare, genuine smile. "Really? he asked. "You would?" It was all rhetorical of course - a vocal manifestation of Reek's surprise - since she had already said she would take the mantle.

If Reek had arms, he would have pulled Jhala into a tight embrace. Instead, he moved in and placed his face in the scruff of her neck. She may have been honored to do what she could for the maplewood, but the honor was perhaps most with Reek. He couldn't have been more proud to have a wolf like Jhala in his pack.

"Yeah-- 'course," she mutters, returning his embrace. Her nose dips into his fur and she takes in his scent again, reminding herself of it briefly. She parts with him, studying him. "Just... just let me know whatya need, or whatever," she adds, her tail beginning to wag behind her. Her ears perk up slightly, and she returns his smile. She herself is not graceful, but her smile is smoother and sweeter than his-- she does it more often, so it's more natural for her. She does not know of how much he really does appreciate her, but she hopes that he will always appreciate her. She isn't sure that this will go any differently than the Ridge, but if it makes him happy, she'll give it a shot.