Redhawk Caldera Dear god, this parachute is a knapsack

Do you have time for a thread, @Elwood? If not, I'll leave this open. :)

The father-to-be prowled the caldera's outskirts in search of game. So far, the stench didn't seem to have either a positive or negative effect on his batting average. Peregrine couldn't be sure but he liked to think the smell was fading anyway. If he put his nose to his shoulder, it was still pretty potent, but he didn't even notice it otherwise. Then again, his nose might just be getting used to it.

A rabbit, spooked by his approaching figure, suddenly began to flee across the snowy plain. The Alpha male gave chase, pounding after the fleeing critter. He managed to catch up to it and snag one of its long hind feet with his teeth. Without really thinking about it, he flung it upward, then leaped to catch it in midair. His jaws closed around its body with a satisfying crunch and blood sprayed onto the snow.

He landed back on all fours and dropped the broken carcass, lest he choke on the blood spurting from the holes left by his teeth. Peregrine panted, grinning ghoulishly down at his kill, waiting to catch his breath before he did anything with it.

The skunk oil must have finally been fading from Peregrine's fur, because Elwood almost didn't smell it until he was within a few yards of the Alpha. Even then, the scent seemed to have lost its strength. He wasn't intentionally looking for Peregrine, but he also wasn't opposed to catching up with him, since the smell had been overpowering during their last encounter. The visit had been cut short because of that.

"Hey, you smell a lot better," he quipped as he approached, surveying the scene. A rabbit carcass lay at Peregrine's paws, indicating that he had just had a successful hunt. It seemed that the odor wasn't preventing him from his regular duties. He paused, leaving a comfortable amount of space between himself and Peregrine, then sniffed the air appraisingly. "Much better," he commented. The smell still lingered, but it was much more tolerable.

"I dream of the day when people's greetings no longer include allusions to my body odor," Peregrine mumbled under his breath when Elwood approached him. He said it just loud enough for the Beta male to overhear, though he mostly meant it in jest. Louder, he added, "That's good to know. I wasn't sure if it was actually fading or if I was just getting accustomed to it. I'll have to seek you out for occasional sniff tests."

Peregrine absently glanced down at the dead, mutilated rabbit at his feet. Would he eat it or take it to his pregnant mate? A third option occurred to him and without any warning whatsoever, the Alpha male grabbed the bloody body and playfully flung it at Elwood's face.

Ewww!

Elwood chuckled at Peregrine's dry comment. It had to be getting old to constantly hear complaints or judgements of how he smelled, but thankfully it seemed that he wouldn't have to endure it much longer. That also meant that the pack wouldn't have to hold their breath every time Peregrine came around.

Now, he wasn't sure if he wanted to be Peregrine's personal "sniff tester," and was about to protest, when the darker male suddenly seized the body of the dead rabbit. Before Elwood could really comprehend what was happening, the bloody carcass was aimed directly at his head. He didn't have time to react, so with a splat, it hit its target.

Chunks of blood and meat stuck to Elwood's fur as the majority of the hare slid to the ground. He stood with his mouth agape, staring at Peregrine; he wasn't sure if he should retaliate or not. Had Finley been the culprit, the answer would have been simple -- the carcass would have already been flying back in her direction. But instead, the Beta stood stiff-legged, and finally uttered an uncertain, "Thanks...?"

Peregrine laughed out loud when Elwood just stood there, startled and dripping blood and gore, then thanked him. In fact, the Alpha male found it so funny than his legs weakened and he sank to his hindquarters, then slid forward onto his belly, guffawing all the while. He thumped the ground with a broad paw to add some theatrical flair to his fit of laughter.

"El..." he gasped between cackles, "Is that what you say whenever a dude hits you in the face with something hot and sticky? 'Thank you sir, may I have another?'" That set him off into a whole new fit of giggles. He might not have been the most mature daddy-to-be but he would arm his offspring with the biggest, best arsenal of toilet humor on earth, that was for sure.

Peregrine collapsed in a fit of laughter, while Elwood slowly lowered himself to his haunches so he could use his forepaws to wipe away the sticky remains of the rabbit. He grimaced as he did so, one ear swiveled towards his hysterical Alpha and the other flattened out to the side. With his toes, he removed blood and strings of guts -- and as he did so, he noticed that he could no longer smell Peregrine. Instead, all his nose could detect was the ripe smell of the rabbit's insides.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Perry," he quipped after a moment, once he had done as much damage control as possible. Elwood flashed a crooked smile at the Alpha; maybe he had been fooling them all. He wasn't in love with Finley -- no, instead he had eyes for Peregrine. Even that wouldn't be very shocking to the rest of the pack, he thought -- just another day in Redhawk Caldera.

Elwood's intentionally enigmatic response took Peregrine by surprise, causing his laughter to taper off into inquisitive silence. "Oh, yeah...?" he said, pushing himself back into a seated position and brushing the snow off his legs and belly with a small shake. "Well, I just learned that you like being slapped in the face with warm, wet, smelly, dead things, so that's a start. But tell me more."

He slumped forward onto his belly again, although this time he slid toward Elwood and positioned himself just in front of the Beta, gazing up with expectant curiosity. Peregrine was almost 100% sure Elwood was running with his gag but suddenly he wondered... what if the reason he and Finley hadn't hooked up yet wasn't due to Finley's emotional retardation and inability to commit but because Elwood was a raging homo and he would never be more than Finley's token gay best friend?

Although that thought caused a little smirk to arch his lips, it faded slightly in the next moment when Lasher's face inevitably flashed through his head. He missed his former lover. He missed having a lover. There was absolutely nothing missing from his love life and with kids on the way, he wasn't about to pursue anything beyond it. All the same, Peregrine thought of his love and lust as infinite resources. Since breaking things off with Lasher, he hadn't had eyes for any other dudes and hadn't considered seeking another man at some point.

But now... if Elwood did swing that way, could he be a possible love interest? Peregrine studied him. He was a handsome guy and his yellow eyes were rather striking against his graphite coat. They shared a certain chemistry and, of course, there was trust between them too. But did he find his Gamma attractive, in that way? He wasn't sure, though it was fun to think about it.

Elwood didn't know about Peregrine's experience with Lasher, so he never thought that the Alpha would entertain romantic thoughts about another male. To him, this interaction was all in fun; he was (fairly) certain that he only swung one way, and that it was females that drew his attention. With a tinge of bitterness, he couldn't help but think that it would be a lot easier if he hadn't fallen for someone as difficult as Finley -- but he quickly pushed that thought aside. Admitting that would mean confessing that he had feelings for her, and he did not. She had said not to fall in love with her, so he wouldn't.

He looked down at Peregrine with an amused little grin on his face. His friend had stretched out in front of him, his gaze upturned as he waited for Elwood to spill his secrets. He briefly thought of the conversation he had had with Finley regarding acorns and smirked, but didn't reference it aloud. If he mentioned it, he was sure Peregrine would want to see how many nuts he could really fit in his mouth, and, well...that could end badly.

So instead, he gave Peregrine a coy glance and queried, "What do you want to know?"

Was Elwood being coy? For someone who had never thought to look at him that way, Peregrine was suddenly feeling very drawn in by the other male's ambiguous behavior. He smiled and decided to sit up yet again, putting them eye to eye. He stuck his tongue in his cheek as he thought of what to ask and how to phrase it...

"You gay, bro?" he eventually asked, deciding to keep it simple and straightforward.

He waited patiently as Peregrine contemplated a response, presumably thinking up an ungodly number of inappropriate questions. Elwood entertained himself in the meantime, wondering what the Alpha would come up with. He half expected Peregrine to inquire about Finley, since he and Fox seemed to be convinced that they were star-crossed lovers -- or, at least, destined to bang at some point.

But when Peregrine finally spoke, Elwood was shocked into silence by his words. It wasn't so much what he asked -- that had been the gist of their conversation, hadn't it? -- but he asked it with surprising sobriety. Did he really think Elwood was into guys?

"What? No!" was his short and flustered response.

Apparently, Peregrine was barking up the wrong tree entirely. Elwood's overreaction to the frank question was amusing and the Alpha male enjoyed that part, though he had to admit that he was also disappointed by Elwood's strong response. It wasn't like Peregrine had invested in the possibility yet, though the phrase "no fun" came to mind. He wondered if the Beta was offended by the notion, based on his vehemently negative reply...

"All right, don't have a stroke, El," Peregrine replied in a cool, playful tone. He paused, then smirked. "There's nothing wrong with being gay, dude. Are you sure you aren't? I'm your friend; you can come out to me. I won't judge you..."

The Aha was quick to change his tone and subsequently the tone of the conversation. Elwood calmed slightly, realizing that Peregrine was kidding -- for the most part. He had no problem with others' sexuality and wasn't one to judge, but the bluntness of the question had caught him off guard. Even now, Peregrine tried to coax him into admitting his "true feelings," so Elwood managed a small smile in response.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not, but if anything changes, you'll be the first to know," he promised. He hesitated for a moment, wanting to segue the topic and talk about Finley, but he refrained. He couldn't make sense of his thoughts about her, so how could he articulate them into words?

Elwood took Peregrine's probing in stride, firmly reaffirming his sexual orientation. Ah, well... the Alpha male thought. There was no opportunity here and that was fine. And if the Beta wasn't interested in other males, then perhaps he was actually interested in Finley, which meant he was more or less taken, just like most of the caldera these days...

"It's funny you say that because I thought I was straight for three years, then... I'm not really sure what happened," Peregrine said without elaborating on that whatsoever. "So if you're into girls, then it really is only a matter of time before you get with Fin," he quipped in the next breath. "Although, as I recall, you said you would drive each other crazy. Still feeling the same way about that, home slice?"

Ramble post, ahoy!

Elwood tilted his head quizzically as Peregrine nonchalantly hinted that he wasn't completely straight. That was something he never would have expected, after seeing Peregrine's behavior when Fox was in heat. But there was a lot that Elwood didn't know about Peregrine and his life before Redhawk Caldera, so there was no reason not to believe him. He would have asked for an explanation, but Peregrine mentioned it so flippantly and then was on to the next subject before Elwood could really grasp it.

As though the Alpha had read his mind, he proceeded to ask how things were with Finley. Elwood's first reaction was a snort, and he couldn't stop himself from exhaling heavily through his nostrils. How did he feel about Finley? That was the million dollar question, and he wished that he had a clear cut answer. Had it not been for her comment last week -- "Don't fall in love with me." -- he probably wouldn't have given Peregrine's question a second thought. He would have answered with something along the lines of, "Oh, yeah, I love to annoy her and she does the same." It had been so simple before, and now...it wasn't. All because of that dumb thing she said.

He huffed, making the second breathless noise before even beginning to answer Peregrine. His chagrin was likely evident on his face, but he didn't try to hide it. Maybe talking to Peregrine would be therapeutic; a guy's perspective could be helpful. But where to begin? "I don't know," he said, inwardly rolling his own eyes at himself. That was a great start. "I mean, she and I have gotten really close. Like, spending a lot of time together, and physically close. Nothing sexual, but I act differently around her than I do with, say, Somnia," he said, trying to sort out his thoughts as he spoke. "And the other day, we were down in this ice cavern in the mountain, just goofing off. It was weird...out of the blue, she just turned and said, 'Don't fall in love with me.' And we actually haven't seen each other since then." It was a very abbreviated and biased version of the story, and he left out some details -- like the punch in the face -- but that was the moment that stood out the most in his mind.

With a shrug, he looked to Peregrine -- his gaze had been directed at the ground for most of his spiel -- and made a half-hearted joke. "Are all women that crazy?" he said, simultaneously wondering if he had made a mistake by talking about it at all.

Elwood's silence, punctuated twice by strange breathy sounds, answered Peregrine's question in its own way. The Alpha male regarded his Beta, his friend, with patient curiosity. It seemed he was deliberating. By the look on his face, he was giving it some real thought... and having trouble sorting through said thoughts. At last, he spoke, explaining his uncertainty.

The Beta finished his soliloquy with a question borne of confusion and likely exasperation. Peregrine did not reply to it, instead saying, "I don't know a lot about that side of Finley but she's always struck me as someone who has trouble being serious. Ever noticed that? She doesn't seem to like the heavy stuff. I think she keeps even her closest friends at a distance, maintains a sort of wall. My guess is that she's been burned in the past and she's just playing it safe, which makes me sad for her... and for you, or any dude that might like to climb to the other side of the wall.

But... here's the thing," he continued after his own pensive silence. Like Fox, he was rooting for these two but he liked to think he could look at the situation from multiple angles and objectively. "I don't think Fin's playing games by telling you that. I would take her at her word. Maybe it comes from the wrong place—she likes you but she thinks it's too risky, that you'll only hurt her—but I would respect the boundaries she's set. I wouldn't bust your brains out trying to break down her walls. Maybe one day she'll realize it's okay, that she won't necessarily have her heart broken, but she should arrive at that place all on her own, you know? I just wouldn't put any pressure on her. It won't work out for either of you if you do that.

I don't know, man, that's tough," Peregrine finished lamely. "If you think you're developing feelings for her, that distance might not be a bad thing, either. Sorry, I wish I had better advice. But take everything I say with a grain of salt too. I don't know what's going on inside Finley's head... or heart. Fox might be able to shed more light on that stuff. They're besties."

The Beta listened carefully as his Alpha spoke, offering some insight into Finley's world. What he said made sense; Elwood had noticed that Finley was constantly making jokes and keeping things light. Anytime things had gotten too serious between the two of them, she had pushed him away -- usually literally. He thought back to when she had slapped him in the face and then blamed it on a moth. With the new information that Peregrine had shared, he now wondered if she had been reacting because they were too close -- both physically and emotionally.

Something else that stuck out in Elwood's mind was Peregrine's mention that perhaps Finley had been hurt in the past. She had confessed to problems with an "old friend" recently, but maybe there was more to the story than she was letting on. Elwood knew nothing of Finn or her relationship with him, but things were slowly starting to slide into place.

Finally, Peregrine suggested that Elwood try not to push her into anything; advice that he whole-heartedly agreed with. His intentions had never been to sweep Finley off her feet or woo her. He simply enjoyed her company -- and assumed that she felt the same -- and wanted to spend time with her. He wasn't experienced in romance, so there were no delusions of grandeur dancing in his head. Until she had warned him against falling in love with her, he hadn't really considered the possibility, aside from a fleeting thought inspired by Fox. Yes, it was crossing his mind more often these days, but the last thing he wanted to do was lose her. He didn't want to compromise their friendship with romance.

He worried now that their friendship wouldn't be the same. His first instinct was to seek her out as soon as this conversation was over, but he also considered that, as Peregrine said, perhaps some distance wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they needed it. Maybe...

Elwood gave his head a shake, flashing a lopsided smile at Peregrine. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it -- seriously. Sometimes it's good to just get someone else's perspective, you know? It's easy to get so wrapped up in your own thoughts and feelings that you can't see a situation from any other point of view," he said thoughtfully. He did feel better, in a way, though nothing had been resolved yet.

"So, anyway..." he said, ready to move on from the Finley-centered conversation. He picked up the rabbit carcass and lobbed it in Peregrine's direction, though there wasn't much force behind the throw so it was unlikely his aim would be as good as the Alpha's.

After his long spiel, Peregrine wondered if he'd read too far into the entire thing. Elwood hadn't even said he was really feeling any romantic notions toward Finley, nor could he honestly guess how Finley felt (though he'd said as much). Well, Elwood didn't seem bothered about the advice dispensed, even if it was overkill. He thanked the Alpha, then seemed ready to let it go, so Peregrine followed his lead.

He could have dodged but, well, he deserved it so he stood still, letting the abused rabbit carcass slap his upper leg. It actually slid down and plopped on his foot. His tail twitched and he bent down. Was this thing even edible anymore? Deciding it was too compromised for his pregnant mate, Peregrine lifted the limp lump of meat toward his mouth and took a big bite.

Between chews, he said, "So have you heard the news? That Fox's nipples are huge as saucers?" He chortled, which caused him to choke a little bit. He swallowed and elaborated: "Meaning she's almost certainly carrying pups." A big, dopey grin spread across his face. "All our hard work paid off. By 'our,' I'm including you here, El. You were there, feeding our faces when we would have otherwise run out of steam. Without you," he said in a grandiose tone, "none of this impregnation stuff would've been possible."

Maybe they should go trip on shrooms now, like Chakra and Mo. :P

Elwood's gaze followed the rabbit carcass as it arced through the air and made impact with Peregrine's leg. It then slid unceremoniously to the ground, landing with a plop in the snow. Though it didn't look appetizing anymore, it was still good to eat, so Peregrine took advantage and seized a large bite.

At the mention of Fox's pregnancy, Elwood's spirits lifted immediately. "No, I hadn't heard that!" he crowed happily -- he hadn't been on the receiving end of a milk-dud examination, as Finley had. "That's great -- congrats, father-to-be!" As for taking some of the credit for their success, the second-in-command couldn't help but laugh. He had made sure to provide food for the pair when they were otherwise busy, but there was something else he had done, as well. "And you're welcome for hosting that pack feast, you know, where you guys got it on. I'd like to think that was the moment that Fox conceived," he said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye as he smiled; what a touching moment.

I bet there's some magical mushrooms growing in the caves...

The black wolf sauntered closer to Elwood, dragging the holey carcass with him, then settled perhaps a foot away. "Like I said," he replied, lifting a foreleg to punch the Beta companionably on his gray shoulder, "we couldn't have done it without you." Peregrine winked.

Upon noticing Elwood make a motion to indicate wiping away an imaginary tear, Peregrine clicked his tongue and said, "Aw, let me get that for you," and promptly snatched up the floppy rabbit and made to wipe Elwood's face with it.

"Aren't you glad I turned up at your doorstep?" Elwood joked, swaying to one side as Peregrine gave him a playful shove. Truthfully, he really was happy that his life had turned out the way that it had so far, even though it had been far from his original plans. In an ideal world, he would have found Avery and brought her back to their family; but this way, he was experiencing all that life had to offer outside of Grove Lake. He had made new friends and found a position of importance in Redhawk Caldera. It was looking more and more like he wouldn't be going anywhere, come spring.

Suddenly, Peregrine swung the dead hare towards him once more, indicating that he was going to use its gory fur to help remove his faux tears. Elwood leaned back, just out of Peregrine's reach, then used a paw to knock the carcass out of his friend's mouth. "You know, I think I got it, but thanks," he said; there was enough dried blood stuck in his facial fur already.

Peregrine thought about responding to that with a joke, though that made him think back on their conversation about Finley. The Alpha male was just as much of a joker as his Beta female, yet he liked to think he was more than capable of sincerity and handling emotional intimacy. Spotting the opportunity, he decided to reply to Elwood's quip with a serious response.

"Actually... yeah. It's crazy how we just ran into one another while looking for other people. Funny how that works. I like to think it was fate." Peregrine broke the serious vibe with a brief wink. "I'll come right out and say it: I really hope you stick around for the long haul. I mean, I won't blame you if you feel the need to resume your search but if you did change your mind, I'd be thrilled. You're an awesome addition to this pack, El, and you're really making something of yourself here." Plus, there were all the possibilities with Finley but he didn't mention those right now.

"Do you wanna hunt with me?" he queried after Elwood politely declined a dead bunny wipe down. "I feel like it would be pretty crappy if I went out hunting and came home with a full belly and empty hands, especially since Fox is eating for twelve."

The Alpha's words were certainly a confidence booster for Elwood, though he could tell that Peregrine was speaking honestly. He smiled, tilting his head to the side as he considered his future and his options. A lot could happen between now and the first thaw, and though part of him still wanted to find his sister and make sure that she was okay, he was starting to realize that it was time for him to make his own way in life. He already had a good start down that road, so if things continued, he would be hard pressed to leave Redhawk Caldera.

"Thanks, Peregrine," he said, the tip of his tail tapping lightly against the ground. He would remember what his friend had said when the temperatures started to rise. The pewter male straightened at the mention of a hunt, getting to his paws and stretching in preparation. "Yeah, that sounds good to me," he agreed readily, happy to help provide for the pregnant Alpha female as well as likely get a bite to eat for himself.

We can continue or you may fade with your post—totally up to you! :)

Elwood agreed to join him and Peregrine motioned for the Beta to follow him, then began loping toward the outskirts of the caldera. "What's on the menu today?" he mused aloud to himself as he trotted jauntily toward a favorite game trail. He glanced sideways at his companion, scrutinizing him. "We could take on something bigger than a rabbit but smaller than a doe. I'm feeling up to a challenge. Wanna try wrangling a raccoon or something?" he proposed. Really, they would hunt whatever prey presented itself but it was fun to shoot the shit while they waited to discover a scent.

Okay, I'm gonna wrap up! I'm sure we'll have another one soon. <3

Elwood followed Peregrine, keeping pace with the leader as they navigated towards the flatlands that surrounded the mountain. They mused over what type of prey to search for, and the challenge of a raccoon was appealing to Elwood. The grey-and-black mammals were considerably smaller than the hunters, but they could be feisty.

Once he agreed, the two wolves set out to find their desired prey -- and hopefully, they would be successful.