Heron Lake Plateau Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica

After having spelt through the night peacefully, Bruges had awakened to find the fine, fiery lady still at his side. He remembered that her name was @Fire- simply because it fit her so well- and that they'd shared mushrooms and a bit of romance together. But the morning after wasn't exactly Bruges' specialty...Things like this were often simply a wham-bam-thankya-ma'am sort of deal for him, but for some reason, he couldn't quite bring himself to abandon this girl. Possibly because he wanted to string her along a little longer, and possibly because he did have, somewhere deep down, some semblance of a conscience. So once she awakened, he made the gallant and unusual offer to escort her back to the Plateau, where she lived...But without mentioning that he knew she lived there. He would allow her to guide him, as he wanted to avoid his brother, for now. 

He was antsy to get on his way and leave this vibrant and sweet woman behind, as he'd more or less lost interest in pursuing her once he'd gotten what he wanted from her. He didn't let on, however, and participated in the conversation as he always did- shamelessly flirting with her the whole time, occasionally touching the side of his hips to hers, and sometimes stealing a kiss when the air went silent between them. It was more effort than he generally put into the whole morning after deal, but this girl looked like she could whoop his ass if she felt betrayed, so he was going to make damn sure he avoided that. 

He could smell the borders as they approached, and he put on the brakes, not wanting to get too close. "I guess this is where I leave you," He said, a touch reluctantly. "But I'm going to steal one more embrace from you before I do," He said, even though he wasn't particularly interested. Still, he swept toward her, and pressed his chest against hers, and began to groom the soft spot behind one of her ears, as though he truely cared.

Sorry for the wait on this!  My computer is still out of commission/at the shop. :(

The morning after was a little more, uh, awkward than she would have cared for, even if it was entirely her fault.  Had she been sober she wouldn't have let him in and she regretted stringing along what seemed to be a perfectly kind and heartfelt boy along.  Boy, she really was a disaster.

And this stranger?  He was good.  So effortlessly did he seem to fill the silence and space between them.  She was kind of taken with it all.  Yeah.  It's probably not a good idea to get much closer unless you plan on sticking around, she muttered into the soft furs of his neck.  Will I see you again?

Bruges growled softly, a possessive sound as he pulled her close to him, and he smiled gently as she asked him to visit. Of course, he wouldn't stray too far from the area...He wanted to check in on Ambrose eventually, but he'd already made up his mind to give his younger brother some extra time. Plus, with him snagging Fire along his line, he also had something else to toy with. There was a chance, of course, that his younger brother would also take a shining to Fire...As they'd shared an interest in female wolves before, and he had no doubt that if Fire had caught his eye, she'd catch Ambrose's as well. And if she did, then he had extra ammunition. He'd visit, but sparingly enough that she might possibly also get to know his brother. 

"I'll be back." He said. "I'll haunt that little grove of apple trees, until I see you again," He teased playfully, and nibbled along the outside of one of her fine ears. "I'm always keen on having round two," He murmured darkly into her fur.

She likes being this close to him, pulled chest to chest.  Except it feels like something else entirely, some other violent memory.  And she's not so sure, now that she's sober and it's daytime and they're at the borders and what did she get herself into?

Can she keep this up?  Can she fool him into believing she's still into him (she is) without falling for him for real?   She traces her nose alongside his jaw as he speaks again and offers an unsteady laugh.  I missed out on the chance to play hard to get, didn't I?  Her chin moves lower so the side of her head rests against his neck.  Round two?  We just got done with round one.  Sure, that was last night, but if she didn't leave him wanting then why would he come back?

Bruges chuckled softly when she spoke, and indeed, there was a slight judgement made on his behalf for the fact that she hadn't played hard to get. It didn't exactly give her the best reputation, and perhaps made him vie for her less- but at the same time, he wasn't going to resist someone who was so attainable or tell them that it made them less attractive. He liked it when he hardly even had to try to win someone over; he liked it when he could be lazy but still score, so he found the quality somewhat endearing in a female if they were easy to charm. Still, he supposed she thought otherwise of herself, and shook his head wordlessly. All it meant to him was that he'd had a fun time, and was grateful he hadn't had to put too much effort into it...That being said, if he were ever to settle down, he'd already told himself it wouldn't be for someone who gave it up so easily...But Bruges was no psychic.

He liked to let her think, then, that he wanted more from her; that was what all girls wanted, wasn't it? To feel wanted? He chuckled again. "I didn't get enough of you," He said. "So you can expect I'll be back again," He said, and nipped at her cheek.

*BARGES IN.* Starr, You can choose whether you want to join with @Colt or just have him lurk in the background, but this was originally set for them to cross paths on their way out for their date :)

She and Colt were going on a date- a night or two or however long he wanted, outside of the pack, with no responsibilities. Of course, for Niamh, this meant nothing but PARTY TIME, and she already had high hopes that she might return to the pack as Mrs. Colt Blackthorn...And had already put in some time considering what they might do for a surname, as she still held an absurd sort of prejudice against the female Blackthorns who- in her opinion- were all a bit on the psycho side. She was hoping, then, that Colt might take her last name, or that they could create a new one together. It was prhaps a bit ambitious and naive of her to put that much thought into a date, but this was Niamh. We all know already that she has a flare for being a bit dramatic. 

Thus, when she and Colt just happened to wander toward the borders, they managed to cross paths with two other wolves; one that she loved very much, and the other...Well, the other she tolerated in a strained, frenemy sort of way. And because of that combination, it made her skin crawl to see her older brother plastered against Ceara's side, whispering into her ear and talking to her with a voice that Niamh knew. She'd heard him speak to other females like that before, and knew what it meant; and it almost made her gag to see her brother with Ceara in such a way, implying that he'd done with her what he'd done with his other, countless suitors. 

She swallowed hard, sunny disposition melting away temporarily as a blank expression claimed her features; if the colour could have drained from her facial fur, it certainly would have, as she felt like all the blood in her skull had drained away from it and down into the pit of her stomach. She gave a flitting glance from one to the other and then trained her gaze on the distance. "Uh, Hey," She greeted with a monotone voice. Now how was she supposed to enjoy her romantic getaway with Colt? Now that she had that image in her mind!

sorry ceara is so RUDE

She doesn't know the relation between Niamh and Bruges.  They look nothing alike, and he never gave her his name.  All she knows is that Niamh is so fucking rudely barging in on the one moment she's ever had, and she's.. kind of upset about it.  Her face falls and she takes several steps back from Bruges, ears flattening.  She's not sure, but she thinks she can smell Colt nearby, too.

Great.  Why did Niamh have to ruin everything?  Um.  Hey.  She shoots a look at Bruges, hopeful he doesn't think she's an idiot or something.  Why couldn't she have kept walking?  Why did she have to stop and address them?  Surely, the only natural fucking reaction to catching your packmate schmoozing up to someone was to let them have their moment!

Do you, uh, need somethin'?  Or did you just wanna barge in and ruin things?

The last thing Bruges had expected was to see one of his siblings- and so he didn't know quite what to make of it when Niamh showed up, clearly uncomfortable with seeing him there, which was a very uncharacteristic greeting from her. She should have tried to tackle him, ot shot some sarcastic comment at him...But truth be told, this wasn't the only time she'd been this awkward around him. She'd caught him with another female in the middle of a passionate moment before, and had run off- only to greet him this way afterwards when they'd had to cross paths again. So, he could only assume that she was putting two and two together- and she didn't really approve or know how to act in that situation. And she wasn't alone- the two of them were clearly headed somewhere. 

He brushed it off; couldn't help but notice how Fire bristled next to him, and greeted Niamh in a less than friendly manner, which didn't please him much- as he'd prefer his sister's favour over a fling's any day- but there wasn't anything he was going to do about it. Fire seemed to hint that Niamh ought to leave, so he simply gestured with a flick of his muzzle, and gave Niamh a wink.

This was just aweful. She could just picture it- and she didn't want that mental image, so she did her best to push it out of her mind...It wasn't easy, not with the way her damn brother had to give her a wink, and try to usher her out by gesturing with her muzzle. She shot him an icy glare; he shouldn't be choosing her side over this...She'd have to have a word with him afterward and warn him about Ceara's true nature...And avoid the topic altogether with Ceara, as she didn't want her getting any ideas about her brother. What an idiot. 

"Yep. Just goin'," She said curtly, and side-stepped briskly. "A-Seeyuh," She said, an odd and highly uncomfortable tone to her voice as she continued on, fighting the urge to ram her shoulder against Bruges'...But damn, that urge was strong. She could just trip and shove into him or something...But he was too close to Ceara and surely she'd take offence, and then she'd have to deal with her shit again, and she also did not want to touch any part of her brother right now...So she simply picked up a brisk, stiff-legged trot and ventured on, and would continue on to a much more pleasant trip with Colt which would, fortunately, distract her from those nasty mental images.

Oof.  This was way more rough than she'd ever imagined.  She searches for @Colt's gaze and shoots him a very pointed and unkind look.  It's then she remembers Bruges at her side, and she tries to save face, missing the wink altogether.  Have fun, she calls weakly at the retreating form of Niamh.

That's my brother, she begins quietly, that was in the back there.  Maybe that would be an easy enough deflection about why she'd been so weird, then she wouldn't have to shit-talk on her packmate.  

one post cameo! sorry for not joining, colt has gotten the short end of the stick this month

Colt wasn't at all bothered by the situation, though it was plain his and Niamh's presence wasn't exactly welcome.  Therefore he definitely lurked, especially when Niamh took the lead, then just as quickly jetted out of there.  Hmm.  Alright.

He left at a more sedate pace, catching Fire's look affably and giving a little grin back.  Get it, girl.  You go sis.  Him, have an issue with her runnin around with attractive enough dudes? Nah.  It was Bruges who would need to watch his step, and him who earned a bit of a look from Colt as he passed by.  Not a harsh one, but more of an acknowledgement.  He'd hold judgement on that for a later date - for now, he had a girl to catch.

WC: 568
feel free to add on another post to conclude or archive :3

The steely look that Niamh gave him wasn't lost on Bruges, though it certainly didn't stir him to show any response. Responding to Niamh wouldn't have the desired effect- and he wanted her to chill out and get over herself. Of course, he had no idea what the dynamic was between the two of them, so he was oblivious to Niamh's reasoning, but had seen the look on her face before, when she'd caught him in a fairly risque moment once or twice when they'd both been younger. Bruges wasn't the sort to be ashamed of himself- shame and guilt weren't emotions he was accustomed to feeling, as his selfishness generally spoke too loudly for those ones to slip through.

He maintined a cool and calm air as his sister fumed and fumbled, eventually excusing herself and slipping past him. He squared himself up slightly as she passed and kept an eye on her as she did so, as he was used to her trying to get in one last strike as she passed him- but this time, she didn't. She seemed more interested on getting the hell out of there, and he was relieved. He didn't exactly want to have to put up with his sister being a baby, and then explain to Fire why Niamh was being such a butt. If he could avoid it, he wouldn't have told her at all that Niamh was even related to him...As that might make her feel awkward, given the way Niamh had just acted, and the way Fire had responded to Niamh's presence.

Another fellow was hot on Niamh's heels, and he was pleased to see Colt again. Unlike his sister, Colt received a small smile, and a nod of his head. He liked the look that Colt gave to Fire, though he didn't understand why Colt thought he had a right to give Fire that kind of a look. He barely caught it, but he thought he saw a bit of a smile, as though to congratulate her. He felt proud, of course- up until the moment that Colt's gaze turned to him, and it was a bit more cold than he had expected. Then again, after a moment's consideration, he understood. Colt didn't want his sister's heart to be tosed around idly, which was more or less Bruges' thing, but he gave Colt a respectul dip of his muzzle as though to acknowledge the silent threat, still feeling somewhat awkward about it.

Once Fire explained, of course, a light bulb was lit and he opened his mouth in a smile, understanding. ”Ah- Colt,” He said, watching her expression to see if she was impressed or not. ”You're a Blackthorn, then. I met him not so long ago, not too far from here.” He admitted. ”Nice fellow, a lot more relaxed than Blondie there,” He chuckled, and finally withdrew himself from Fire's side. ”But that's probably my cue to get moving. I don't know how many other big brothers you have, but I'm sure that at least they'll be happy to have you home, safe and sound.” He said. He moved forward then, to place a warm kiss on her cheek, lingering there for a moment- as though for effect- before he pulled away again, almost reluctantly. ”Another day, in our orchard,” He said warmly, and before he trotted off into the wilderness, he added:

”I promise.”